Blog of Shaun McCran - Architecting robust, elegant technical and business solutions - Recommended Apps

Archimate Architecting and Modelling tools – Built on Eclipse

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:14:00 -0000

If you've ever wanted to design the flow of an application before launching into the code base or front end CSS then Archimate is for you. It is an open source platform that allows you to use an "independent Enterprise Architecture modelling language that supports the description, analysis and visualization of architecture within and across business domains." Roughly translated it allows you to draw different shaped boxes with connectors to show the layout and flow of your applications. [More]

Backing up your SMS and MMS to GoogleMail from an Android device

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 06:18:00 -0000

I've been using the same Android phone for over a year now, a HTC Desire. Over the last year I've been sending and receiving texts on a frequent basis. My SMS app seems to struggle with the volume of messages it is now holding, over 5000+, so I thought I'd find a way of backing them up and clearing it all out in an effort to speed things back up.

This article explains how I used the 'Backup to Gmail' application to backup all my SMS and MMS messages.

[More]

Web Accessibility 101 - Validation and Testing

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:55:00 -0000

This article will discuss different ways to Validate and Test your projects for Accessible criteria, including using standard web browsers and screen readers. I'll also list some of the more popular testing tools I've come across. This is the third in a series of planned articles dealing with Web Accessibility. In this series I will cover what is Accessibility, how to build Accessibility into web projects, how to test and validate for Accessible users and some other factors to keep in mind when dealing with Accessibly minded projects. [More]

Streaming media to Xbox 360's and PS3's using Twonky Media Suite

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 22:17:00 -0000

I run a windows server 2003 pc at home, server 2003 is a great little web server that can handle multiple roles, including file storage. Unfortunately it is not Upnp (universal Plug and Play) so will not stream media directly to media players like Xbox 360 consoles, and the Playstation 3. The traditional (and recommended) solution to this is to stream the media through another more modern operating system that has upnp / dnla connections that reside in Windows Media player. This can restrict where you store files on a network, I for one do not want to store media on a desktop machine that I rebuild every 4-6 months. Another solution to this is to use a software application that acts as a translation layer. There are a few around, but the one I've been testing out recently is the Twonky Media Suite. It installs as a software service, and sits quietly in the background and serves up any media requests that hit it. It also appears on the network as a Upnp device, so it will be found by media players, and consoles. http://twonkymedia.com/products/twonkymanager/default.aspx Simply install the trial version, in the setup manager point to your media directories, and then fire up your media player. It will find it and allow you to browse through the different media types, completely bypassing the need for windows media center connections, or operating systems that are a little too old to know about Upnp or dnla.

How to sync your Android phone with iTunes

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:31:00 -0000

I've recently convinced a colleague at work to switch from his iPhone to the Android platform. His one caveat was that you could get hold of the same Applications, or at least Applications that would provide the same functionality. Almost all the Applications he used we available on both platforms, the most process to replicate is synchronising your phone with iTunes. Obviously the iPhone does this out of the box, but how can you do this on the Android platform? The answer is DoubleTwist a free Application that can manage synchronising removable disks with iTunes and Windows Media player. [More]

Twitter client roundup for Android phones

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:56:00 -0000

I've had my HTC Desire for a few months now, and I've been using half a dozen Twitter clients for most of that time. I've been switching between them periodically to compare the features sets. I'm running out of running system memory now, so I have to delete some of them (Where is Froyo!) Here is my roundup of some of the Twitter clients I've been testing for the Android platform. I'm going to update this with more Apps as time passes. Seesmic, Peep and a few others will be added later. Similarly if there are any you know of that aren't listen please comment below! [More]

Eclipse SDK workspace issues and problems creating projects

Sat, 29 May 2010 17:26:00 -0000

I've recently picked up a new laptop, and in the process of setting it up for development purposes I've had some issues. Some are Windows 7 based, the others are Eclipse workspace related. I thought I'd put together a short entry on the issues I encountered, and how I overcame them. [More]

How to backup and restore your emails and SMS on an Android mobile phone

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 13:44:00 -0000

I recently upgraded my mobile to the new HTC Desire. This freed up my HTC Magic which my wife is now using. This meant that I needed to migrate all my data from a HTC Magic to the HTC Desire, and migrate all my wife's data from a Nokia N96 to a HTC Magic. This article deals with a few different Android Market place Applications, and the Pro's and Con's of each of them. [More]

My Software Development platform specifications - whats yours?

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:42:00 -0000

I've been experiencing issues with my development setup, so I thought I'd write a blog entry to wrap up my findings, and try and gauge what the community is running. In this article I will detail what I use in my development environment, and how it is set up. I've recently had errors occurring in my Eclipse IDE. There have been some very frustrating SVN client version incompatibilities, so I thought I would re install it. It turns out this was a common error (menu options in subclipse were not available) based on an incompatibility between the subclipse plug-in and the Aptana studio. A detailed fix is in this blog entry: https://radrails.tenderapp.com/discussions/problems/173-synchronize-view-broken-after-upgrading-to-radrails-203

Software setup

I use the Eclipse Java IDE as my primary development application. Alongside this I use the CFEclipse plug-in for ColdFusion functionality, the Aptana Studio plug-in for CSS and JavaScript functionality. I also use the subclipse plug-in for SVN integration. For Flex/AIR I use a standalone FLEX studio installation. This is pretty much a custom workspace in an Eclipse IDE. I only do this as I have had several issues trying to get FLEX installed into the regular Eclipse IDE. I recently tried to switch to the 64 bit version of Eclipse, but it would not recognise my Java install, and from what I've read online you need to install a 64 bit version of Java. The only version of this I can find is flagged as "experimental" so I think I'll leave it well alone. I've found it quite good to increase the default 256mb heap space in Eclipse to 512mb, there e is an article detailing how to edit the Eclipse ini file here: http://wiki.eclipse.org/FAQ_How_do_I_increase_the_heap_size_available_to_Eclipse%3F

Download links

Eclipse downloads: http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/ CFEclipse downloads: http://trac.cfeclipse.org/wiki/InstallingCfeclipse Aptana downloads: http://www.aptana.org/studio/plugin Subclipse downloads: http://subclipse.tigris.org/servlets/ProjectProcess?pageID=p4wYuA

Android Skype applications - Skype (Beta) Vs Fring

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:43:00 -0000

I often use the desktop Skype client, its not a bad application, it works and it doesn't have too big a memory footprint. I recently expanded into the arena of mobile Skype, and being an Android user I thought I'd try out the Skype applications for it. The two big applications for the Android platform are Skype beta, and Fring.

Skype (Beta)

The name of the application is "Skype Beta". Why is it a Beta? It has been out over a year, have Skype just not finished developing it? Or is that a mild disclaimer in case it doesn't work properly? My first observation was that there are a lot of negative comments about this application in the Android marketplace, but I'm open minded, so I'm not pre judging. I initially had problems logging into this application. This was due to the formatting of my telephone number, it is not immediately obvious that you need a country code prefix, and it flags any phone number without one, blocking the login. The application itself is well thought out. The design is nice, and the interface uncluttered. What that does mean is that all the functionality has been moved to off screen menus, so you have to press another button just to get to the menu with the options. It would have been nice if common options were accessable through the main screen, instead that screen is blank, and pretty much a waste of real estate. The application only display Skype contacts as well, IE you have to manually add each contact from your phone book by entering their number. There is no interface at all with your existing phone book. The call quality is of a high enough quality that you couldn't really tell that it was not a regular mobile call, so ticks all round there. Unfortunately the messaging side of the application is a big let down. It was impossible to have a real time conversation. Messages would take a long time to arrive, in one case over three hours later than it was sent. There does not appear to be an notification settings either. I'd quite like the application to play a notification noise when I receive a new message, but this is not an option.

Skype conclusion

Overall this application was disappointing. It looks nice, but there is almost no documentation or help, and often I found myself being stopped from doing something merely because I wasn't entering data correctly. The delay in messaging makes this basically unusable for me.

Fring

Fring is a third party application that piggy backs off the back of other service provider networks. When you first fire it up it prompts for any add-ons you want to install. So after installing the Skype add-on we were up and running. The first and most obvious difference is that this application connects directly to your existing phone book. It lists your current contacts, and within two clicks you can be dialling them, whether they are Skype numbers or not. (SkypeOut or regular line). The same can be said for pre existing Skype clients. One click will allow you to select either text or chat, and then you are in the session. The call quality is of a slightly lower quality than the Skype (Beta) application but the messaging is instant. It has about the same responsiveness as the desktop Skype client, so it is very easy to have an actual conversation. Fring will play a notification tune if you are messaged whilst the application is running in the background, so you don't miss anything.

Fring conclusion

The application can be a little process heavy on my HTC magic, but it hasn't crashed, and could act as a decent text replacement. The interface into your contact is invaluable, and it is generally a lot easier to use than the Skype application.

Conclusion

Fring just bumps the Skype (Beta) application into second place here. Maybe if Skype finished their application it would work slightly better. On the down side it is worth noting that both these application still dip into your contract minutes, even when used over a wireless network. This is quite an issue for a lot of people, and almost voids the point of Skype in the first place. Althought this seems to be an issue on the Android platform, not any other. That being said I would recommend Fring as a messaging client, especially if you are on an unlimited data plan.

Top 5 remote working applications

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:01:00 -0000

With the UK currently stumbling to a halt due to snow I've been working from home. I like working from home, it has many advantages like the time saved in commuting, and the fact that you usually know your own hardware/software setup better than works. One thing it has highlighted is that as a software developer your actual location is now totally irrelevant. Even for team based projects you do not all have to be in the same physical location. Our physical and online worlds have become so enmeshed that is it now common place to be able to work productively from anywhere. So with that in mind I thought I'd do a quick round up of my favourite remote working applications. Some are more "best practices" with recommendations if I've been using a specific product. Warning: all recommendations may contain nuts.

1. Online Code / Asset Source Control

Having your code in an online repository is an absolute life saver. Not only does this contribute towards a "Business continuity" plan for regular working, but it means you can get to it from anywhere. We should all be using source control anyway, but having it online means that it's much more easily maintained and you are not moving code around on USB keys. I use an application called Beanstalk. www.beanstalkapp.com. They have worked well for me so far, and the basic account is free.

2. Virtualisation

The Virtual PC software market has moved on considerably in the last few years. To the point now where there are free versions of virtualisation software that allows you to create virtual pc's inside your actual physical pc. I use this at work and at home for a few reasons. Firstly I don't even have a physical development server anymore, it is a virtual windows 2003 server, and secondly this is great for setting up specific testing environments. Need a windows XP running Internet Explorer 6? Create a new virtual image and install XP, it is far more reliable than multiple IE's or other Internet Explorer emulation software. I use VM ware server 2.0, its totally free (Virtual pc's operating system licences aren't so be careful) you can get it here: http://www.vmware.com/products/server/

3. Instant messaging / Skype

Communication in any team is important, especially so if you are working remotely. If no-one can contact you then appearances may be that you aren't working at all, which is bad news. I use Skype http://www.skype.com/intl/en-gb/ which can be used for chat and messaging. The obvious benefits are that it is free, and means you can have team discussions online. More recently I've encountered several companies that actually use Skype as their main communications tool. They don't even have desktop phones anymore.

4. FTP clients / File synchronisation utilities

Ideally you can still provide any of your in-office functionality at your remote location. So being able to implement change releases is essential. I use a combination of Filezilla http://filezilla-project.org/ which is a free FTP client, and Beyond Compare http://www.scootersoftware.com/ which is a file comparison tool. Ideally I'd like to learn ANT, but just haven't got round to it yet.

5. Online file storage

Services like DropBox https://www.dropbox.com/ are invaluable for the online storage of files. We always have online briefs, and Photoshop designs flying around the place, so storing them in one central online location is an ideal way of ensuring that you always have the latest version. It also avoids the problem of not having the project spec, and not being able to work. I personally use Google Docs for this http://www.google.com/docs I've found it to be a very flexible easily maintained way of storing pretty much any format of document.

How to remove sshnas.dll trojan (Remove trojan FakeAlert) and msa.exe

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:54:00 -0000

So whilst playing with some flash sites I managed to pick up the msa.exe virus, despite having a firewall (hard and soft) antivirus, and anti spyware. It was the flsh injection virus, and it installed several files into windows 7, and a few sneaky .dll's to try and put it back again. SpyBot search and Destroy will kill it, and so will Microsoft Essentials.

SpyBot search and Destroy

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html

Microsoft Essentials

http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/ Alternately follow these instructions, they worked for me. sshnas.dll is a component of trojan FakeAlert. The trojan come from malicious websites that ask users to download an Adobe Flash Player update or player needed to view a movie online. The filename of the trojan is flash-HQ-plugin. Once started, the trojan will download and install core components: c.exe, msa.exe and sshnas.dll. When downloaded, it will be configured to start automatically when Windows starts. Trojan FakeAlert may display many popups and fake security alerts, hijack Internet Explorer, disable Windows Task Manager and Registry editor.Also it is usually installed in conjunction with a rogue antispyware programs. Download OTM by OldTimer from here and save it to desktop. (It looks a bit home made, but it works great.) Run OTM. Copy, then paste the following text in "Paste Instructions for Items to be Moved" window (under the yellow bar):


:services
SSHNAS

:reg
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"Videohost"=-
"SSHNAS"=-

:files
%windir%\msa.exe
%windir%\system32\sshnas.dll
%windir%\Tasks\{66BA574B-1E11-49b8-909C-8CC9E0E8E015}.job
%windir%\Tasks\{35DC3473-A719-4d14-B7C1-FD326CA84A0C}.job

:Commands
[emptytemp]
[Reboot]

Click the red Moveit! button. When the tool is finished, it will produce a report for you. Then it will reboot the machine.

Recommended Applications - Belarc PC Audit software - Acronis True Image Home 2010

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:38:00 -0000

Every now and then my PC gets a little clunky. Windows will gets a little slower once an installation of it is a bit long in the tooth. One really handy application that a friend recommended to me was Belarc's Personal PC Audit software. It will create a log of all the applications and serial numbers on your system, which is great if you keep re-installing your operating system (I'm always forgetting which applications I'm running). Along the same theme Acronis have just released the newest version of their backup software. True Image Home 2010 is Windows 7 compatible, and gives you a wealth of backup options, from full disk images to specific files. What most interests me though is the 'Continuous data protection' option. I've been used to team members working on Macs using 'Time machine' online continuous backup software, and this appears to have very similar functionality.

What tools do you use to push your code base around?

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:43:00 -0000

I've been developing in more and more random locations recently, and finally got fed up enough with manually moving and synchronising my own (local) development code that I've switched to an online SVN repository. I used to use Beyond Compare for file syncing different code bases, instead of revisioning. It is good, but it isn't particularly quick, and you have to be thorough as it is still very easy to miss a file. I had an online repository provider recommended to me, http://beanstalkapp.com/. I've been using them a few weeks now, and they seem really good. They are always 'up', and the connection holds a good speed. There is even a free account if you just fancy trying it out. The problem I had then is that my code was nicely versioned, and synchronised, but it was not on my live server. Pushing files up to live still required me to know what files had been changed, which is not ideal. As I use Eclipse I thought I'd search for an Eclipse based FTP client, I've had no luck though, I just can't find an Eclipse based FTP synchronisation tool! Luckily I had previously used Beyond Compare, searching around in their documentation it turns out that it can also handle local-to-ftp file/folder comparisons. So for now I've settled on these applications, they both seem to allow me to release stable complete code versions. It would be interesting to see what toolset other developers have arrived at. I've had some exposure to GIT and ANT, but this seems a more comfortable process.

Issues dealing with large text files? Use a file splitter App!

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:29:00 -0000

I've been dealing with bulk data recently, CSV files of around 500mb or more. These can seriously stress out your pc. In the process of trying to write data import scripts I found an application that has proven its worth a few times over. This application allows you to split text files at points of your choosing. File Splitter Pro, from wonderwebware. It doesn't look amazing, and it has a relatively simple interface, but after going through three or four alternatives that for the most part couldn't even open a 500mb csv file this has come through every time. What I really like though is the function that allows you to select N number of lines and move them to another file. There is a trial version available too: http://wonderwebware.com/file-splitter-pro/ (P.S I don't get commission or anything.)