Following on from http://www.dualbotic.com/DasBlog/Using+Typed+Datasets+In+VBNet.aspx

I have been using the typed datasets for a few months now and have learnt more about their behaviour. If you alter the stored procedure you used to generate your dataset there is every chance your application will runtime error. It is possible avoid recompiling your application if say you have added a column to the query in the sp then simply refreshing your typed dataset in VB.NET and deploying the newly generated XSD file should do the trick. Of course if you have removed a column that your code was referencing your screwed but the same would normally be true even if you weren't using TD's.

I recenlty discovered this funky new device from Nokia it's a mini tablet pc that runs Linux and retails for 350 euros, apparently Nokia can't make them fast enough. You get about three hours battery life and a portable web browsing tool that can be used for a multitude of other tasks. According to the Reg there is nothing else like it, if strong sales continue then this could be an entirely new market.

The Reg has the skinny on it here:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/05/electric_nokia770/

Duey finster has bought one and gives his impressions on it:

http://blog.dueyfinster.com/2005/12/nokia-770-internet-tablet.html

 

 

I found a useful article here , Google gets my backing on this, it looks like there are plenty of options open to the US govt to find out the information they seek without using Google. I believe Google have a valid concern that people will think twice about using their search engine if the search data will be handed over to the US govt without good reason.

I have just read a couple of articles on client-side scripting techniques by Scott Mitchell of 'Four Guys from Rolla' fame. He really knows his stuff and offers great insight into whats going on under the covers in dotnet.

I keep reading stuff like this on the web

"you forget to mention those call Centers are in India,Pakistan and taking away US jobs."

from Channel9 's fourm

I don't think job's can be owned instead I believe they must be earned and this is achieved by running companies that are efficient in what they do.

These are Jobs that were being done by US workers which are now being done by foreign workers because they are prepared to work for less pay. Now the consumer pays less or the company makes a bigger profit. This is something all capitalist democratic countries should welcome. Protectionism just drives up prices, prevents competition and thus stifles innovation.

My Amigo Frank has just put up a blog so you should go and look at it now...

http://www.undeliverable.co.uk/

...stop reading this and click on the link above!

http://www.lubasi.org/

Lubasi is an orphanage based in Livingstone, Zambia near Victoria Falls, they care for up to sixty children between the ages of 5 - 10 who mostly have become orphans because their parents died of AIDS. 33% of the population of Livinstone has AIDS and so the traditional extended family approach to looking after these children has become overloaded.

If you are feeling charitable and have a PayPal account you can leave a donation towards the cost of running the orphanage via their website.

 

 

Recently I heard a story on radio 4 where a man had died whilst out driving his car and the AA had refused to help his family get the car started when they contacted them. The man had been a lifelong member. The AA then issued a statement saying that their operator had acted against their guidelines. The whole story was a PR nightmare for the AA.

Then the other day I found out a friend of my Mum's called Joan recently has been going through some bad times. She is a 59 year old nurse and her husband had a heart attack and died a couple of weeks before christmas. She then was told by her landlady that she should find somewhere else to live. This was because Joan's husband used to do some chores every week to reduce the cost of the rent. So my mum offered to take Joan in for a few months till she is back on her feet.

Joan told me that when she contacted BT Yahoo about cancelling her broadband they said that if she didn't transfer her account to my mum's house she would be immeadiately liable for the remaining term of the contract (£280 approx). Now it seems to me that BT Yahoo are contractually correct but that they could show a little compassion as events beyond Joan's control have left her not wanting her BT broadband account.

I am going to contact BT directly on her behalf on monday to see if I can get some sort of compromise out of them.

UPDATE: Well I submitted the above to the BT Website and one of their customer care staff contacted me today asking if I could forward Joan's Account Details to see what he could do so fingers crossed.