Here are a couple of photos of Jasper, our new Miniature Schnauzer that we picked up on the weekend. We had been thinking of getting a dog for some time now and after looking after my brothers dog, Nelson last weekend, we felt that we were as ready as we would ever be to own one. we knew that we wanted a Mini Schnauzer so we called around and settled on the Babetal breeder. We like their dogs  and felt very comfortable talking with the owners…

So now he’s home and we are getting through that settling in period that we all go through…

 

 

When looking to fix a friends issue with his WindowsMobile synchronising with his Vista machine, I came across this article. I have summarised it and placed it in one location for everyone to see. However, the original is here…

 

In Windows Vista, the Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) replaces ActiveSync to synchronize your files and information to your handheld. On the WMDC is a large photo of a device. By default Microsoft included some illustrated generic images for either Smartphone or Pocket PC (which is a nice looking graphic, don't get me wrong). This is well and good, but those of us that want to customize this are left in the dark as to how to change the image.

The OEMs (the people who release the devices) are capable of switching the graphic to a "custom" graphic. On the PC, the image, is in both in the registry and the file system and created in the profile directory here:

c:\users\(your username)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\ActiveSync\Profiles\(your profile key)\

That graphic was "sync.ico".  The icon file needs to be in the Windows directory of the device and it needs to be there on initial load of the drivers If you have already loaded it, then remove the device and re-add it, which would then show the graphic on each sync. So here are the steps:

Setting custom Icons for WMDC

1.       Get your icon files. You can get a lot of (US_centric) icon files from the guy who originally worked all  of this out. He has done many icons for a lot of different devices ( see Figure 1)

2.       Rename the icon file to "sync.ico" (without the quotes). This is how WMDC will recognize the file. Right click on "sync.ico" and choose COPY.

3.       Place your device in the cradle and let it full sync. This does two things

a.       it allows you to backup all the information on your device

b.      Lets you access your device so you can place the ICON file in the correct location

4.       You now need to get the ICON file in your \windows\ directory on your device. The problem is (in Microsoft's great wisdom) they hid "system" files on your device in Vista, so through Windows Explorer on the PC, you can't see it by default. Instead of me walking you through turning on those files, we will do it an easy way.

a.        On the Main screen of WMDC, go to "File Management" and then click on "Browse the contents of your device." This will pop up a Windows Explorer window allowing you to copy files to the device.

b.      In the Pocket PC window on the PC, it lists a "\" for the root of the system, double click on the "\". Right click in the background of this window and hit "PASTE". This will paste the "sync.ico" file on your mobile device.

c.        Now move to your mobile device (un-docking if you must), and open File Explorer on your mobile device. Go to the root folder in File Explorer and CLICK AND HOLD on the file.

d.      Choose CUT. Open the \Windows\ folder. Scroll all the way to the bottom, and CLICK and HOLD in the white space at the bottom, below all the other icons, and choose PASTE.

e.      The "sync.ico" file will appear (it might be missing the .ico extension). Close File Explorer.

5.        Now we need to get WMDC to see the icon file

6.       Make sure the device is synced and connected to your PC. You need an active connection so that Windows Vista sees your handheld device.

7.       Uninstall your Device

a.       Go to the Control Panel.

b.      Switch the Control Panel to the "Classic View" in the upper left hand corner of the Control Panel windows.

c.        Open Device Manager.

d.      Click the small "+" in front of "Portable Devices"

e.       Right click on "Pocket PC" or "Windows Mobile Device" or "Smartphone" or similar.

f.        Click Uninstall

g.       Choose OK when prompted about Uninstalling the device.

8.       The Device Manager will flash a time or two, and the devices will no longer show up on the Portable Devices list.

9.       Remove your Device from the computer

10.   Wait a good 30 seconds to 1 minute and then connect your device to the computer again

11.   Your computer will now be installing the device once again

Open Windows Mobile Device Center, and you should now see your Device icon on the left hand side (see picture below), and you have not lost any details of your partnership.

 

 

This was another game that everyone would have pencilled in for collingwood. trouble is that we have a habit of losing these ones. Of course I didn’t get to see this one, there were endless repeats of swimming on combined with the inane rambling of such “talent” as Johanna Griggs ( QUOTE – “the older of the two twins…”)

Fortunately, the boys were able to get up with a strong display, winning all four quarters to win by five goals. unfortunately, Adelaide, Sydney, St Kild and Brisbane all won too. This means we still hold down 7th spot on percentage. this is gonna come down to the wire, especially next week when we paly Sydney. The good news is that I will be there for that game…

Match Results

Match Comments

• Michael Rogers notes the Magpies won all 4 quarters for the 5th time this season – equalling their previous best of 1901, 1971 and 1991
• Collingwood have recorded their second highest home and away season attendance and need just 59,889 more to break their club record of 1,226,604 set in 2007
• Collingwood's run of 71 consecutive attendances of over 30,000 since 2005-R19 ended on Friday night. Port Adelaide's crowd of 23,694 at Football Park was the second lowest for a Collingwood match in Adelaide; the lowest being 22,691, also against Port Adelaide, round 13, 2000. In Melbourne the lowest attendance for a Port v the 'Woods' fixture was 27,226, round 21, 2004
• Kathryn Michaelsen suggests – Port Adelaide really should employ a graphic artist ... while the club cannot draw a crowd – at least they will have somebody who can sketch one.
• 250th SHANE WAKELIN, 155 Col 2001-08, 94 StK 1994-2000

This game was a must-win for the club. After all the furore over the Heath Shaw-Alan Didak incident during the week, the club has been pilloried from every angle. This game could also decide who plays in September and who doesn’t. At the very least, it could be the difference of relying on other results or not. The Saints are the other team that you are not sure which one will turn up.

Thankfully, we turned up for this one…  We came out hard and put the Saints on the back foot. They did come back at us but we were able to hold on… This could be part of the trip back to the finals…

Match Results

Match Comments

• at their 203rd contest, the Magpies won for the third successive time but no new match records were noted
• 50th SCOTT PENDLEBURY (Collingwood, 2006-08) ...

I didn’t really hold out much hope for this game. Geelong and Hawthorn and the front-runners of the competition. However, you never know which Coollingwood team will show up. Unfortunately it was the lesser one tonight. the annoying thing is that we were down and then got back within 10 points before the hawks kicked on to beat us by nine goals.

After being half a game out of the top four, we’ll be lucky to finish in the finals hunt. Our only fortune is that brisbane keep losing as well…

Match Results

Match Comments

• the Hawks burst away with 6.3-39 in Q1, their best opener for the season
• LANCE FRANKLIN's 8.6 was the best goal effort by a Hawk against Collingwood since PAUL HUDSON booted 9.1 in 1991-R10 at Waverley
• The Hawks more than doubled the Magpies for handball receives, which showed how much more willing they were to run, and smashed their opposition in the clearances 13-3.
• no other new match records were noted in the 147th meeting which brought Hawthorn's 54th win, Collingwood have had 93 – the pair have never drawn ...

I figured that this game would be Ok as we had smashed the Bombers in the Anzac day clash and we would be able to finish them off. Oh how wrong i was. the baby bombers jumped them at the start and we never really recovered. every time we lifted the intesity, they lifted it higher. In the end, it was just another loss in a game we should have won and no doubt the coaching team had pecilled in a win..

Match Results

 

Match Comments

• 1.3-9 equalled Collingwood's worst start to a match this season; same as the R13 game against the Bulldogs which the Magpies lost by 10 points
• the Bombers stemmed a three-match run of losses to Collingwood to post their best win over the Pies since 2003-R5
• Essendon finished with 7.2-44, the 4th-best Q4 against the Pies
• 200th game by TARKYN LOCKYER (Collingwood, 1999-2008) 184 premiership,16 pre-season; it was also his 100th consecutive match since 2004-R10
• Collingwood have reached 1 million attendances in just 17 rounds - the fastest in league history
• the Magpies conceded to a side lower than itself for the sixth time
• at the 218th meeting no other new match records were noted

Phew, I ma so far behind…  watch out for a slew of posts..