Here he is.
Misc
Amazon (again)
In recent months Amazon has become quite a controversial topic in Germany.
It all started with an “undercover” documentation for one of our TV stations. I watched the docu online after everyone and their dog wrote about it and the first “Boycott!” outcries were made.
I don’t know if what the docu claimed was actually true because I found it to be severely lacking in the objective journalism department. If you understand German, you can read my commentary here: ARD vs. Amazon.
The general gist of the controversy is that Amazon hires seasonal workers for the Christmas time and then fires the workers around New Year’s. And they also pay according to the union labour contracts for the logistics trade and not the retail trade where the workers would get higher salaries. They can do that because the retailer Amazon EU is based in Luxembourg (mainly for tax avoidance reasons) and what is called Amazon Deutschland is just the fulfiller that operates the deployment centers.
Anyway, two recent events have once again proven to me that Amazon is a great business partner:
#1)
A few months ago I wanted to order the first season of The Newsroom at Amazon.com. Usually the shipping costs for a season are $6.48. For some reason the system charged me $29.52 for a season that only cost $17.99.
It happens, even computers have hiccups from time to time. I contacted the support, they gave me a refund, end of story.
Now it happened again, this time with the sixth season of Burn Notice ($17.11 shipping for a $11.98 product). I contacted the support again and got this reply:
Quote:
Hello,
I sorry[sic!] to hear that you’ve been charged an incorrect shipping charge.
To make this right for you, I’ve waived the total shipping cost of $17.11 for your order.
What can I say except “Thanks”?
#2)
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My GetService Pattern
In .Net the Interface System.IServiceProvider is a simple and elegant method to query services from other objects without having – or even wanting – to know how the class structure behind it looks like. Is the interface at that class implemented or at another? No matter, you query IServiceProvider and you get an instance of what you asked for.
That’s the theory. In reality the developer may have forgotten to add the new interface to the list after he implemented it. Or he forgot the IServiceProvider altogether.
That’s why I have this method to get what I want through several fallback strategies:
The Big Bang Theory: Flash Mob
Here’s the “official version”: And here’s an “Extended Cut” from a different perspective:
My XmlSerializer Pattern
The idea behind the .NET System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer class is that you can easily serialize an XML file into a class tree and vice versa.
If you’re using XML Schema files, the xsd.exe tool can create that class tree for you.
But for simple applications you don’t even need a schema. You simply create a class that has public properties of simple types or complex types that in turn contain simple types.
Then you can throw this object into the XmlSerializer and you’re done. 🙂
Here’s my personal XmlSerializer coding pattern for a simple list of settings:
Poker Chips Spreader
My buddies and I are playing Texas Hold’em cash games every once in a while. As a start stack you get 5,000 in chips. Since…
Windows 8 – The Keyboard Shortcuts You Should Know
Windows 8 was written primarily for touch devices such as tablets and touch screen monitors.
If you’re a classic mouse and keyboard user there will be some challenges.
For example, did you know that if you want to close one of the new Metro apps, you have to push your mouse to the top of the screen until it turns into a hand and then you have to drag the app all the way down to the bottom of the screen until it disappears?
Also, the new Windows 8 is designed to have a special function in every corner of the screen. To open the Start screen you have to move your mouse into the lower left corner until a small Start screen popup appears and then click.
But what if you have two monitors and the right one is your primary monitor just like in my case? Try to quickly hit the small area on the bottom left of the right screen when the mouse cursor has a whole other screen to wander into…
That’s why I’m glad that I grew up during DR DOS and MS-DOS and still know how to use keyboard commands and shortcuts.
For example, I have not opened an MS Office program via icon in years. Not in Windows XP, not in Windows 7 and I won’t do it in Windows 8. You open the Run window via Windows key plus R (Win+R) and type “winword” or “excel” or “powerpnt” and off you go… For the Calculator “calc”, the Character Map “charmap”, the Paint program (e.g. for quick screenshots) “mspaint”, …
Luckily for me, Windows 8 brings some new shortcuts with it which can be used to open the most important functions. The keys used are not always intuitive but my guess is that the alphabet has only so many letters and many are already in use.
But nevertheless, why the function “Find Apps” has the shortcut Win+Q instead of Win+A and “Find Settings” has Win+W instead of Win+S I do not know.
So, here’s a list of shortcuts new and old that might come in handy for the usage of Windows 8:
Windows key (Win) – Formerly opened the Start menu, now opens the Start screen (no need to find the lower left corner of the screen). Press Win again and the Start screen closes.
Before Windows 8 I found this to be pointless unless you were unlucky enough to have a computer without a mouse. Now it actually becomes useful.
Win+Q – Opens the search for applications in the former start menu.
Win+W – Opens the search for settings.
Win+F – Opens the search for files.
Win+E – Opens a new instance of Windows Explorer.
Win+R – Opens the Run window.
Win+I – Opens the Settings sidebar.
Win+P – Opens the multi-screen options (e.g. to use a projector in a meeting).
Win+D – Shows the Desktop. Another press of Win+D returns all programs to their previous state (important difference to Win+M).
Win+L – Lock computer.
Win+X – Show a list of shortcuts to various system functions.
Win+C – Show the right side bar (no need to find the lower/upper right corner of the screen).
Win+M – Minimize all windows and thus show Desktop.
Grief: A Smallville Fan Fiction
Note: The general idea of this story is the aftermath of 6×21 Prototype combined with the Bones episode 6×22 The Hole in the Heart in which one of the recurring characters gets killed and the two lead characters deal with the loss. The story goes AU from there.
Disclaimer:: I do not own Smallville. The rights to the characters remain with DC and Warner.
Grief
It hurt. Both physically and emotionally. His back still ached and his mind couldn’t come to rest.
It hurt. Both physically and emotionally. Her throat was still sore and her mind couldn’t come to rest.