Just a spoonful of sugar….

Marcel Ortiz and Satish Mathew of the Windows PowerShell team posted this powershell script on the powershell blog yesterday. Save the script as a ps1 file, open up PowerShell and run. You’ll be quickly in the spirt! If you don’t have PowerShell, download it here. Then we have “Software Wonderland” from The Braidy Tester. WillItBlend asks if you want to drink your Christmas dinner. And last but not least, Happy Holidays To You! What geeky ways are you celebrating the season?

There’s been a lot of buzz in development circles lately about Google deprecating it’s SOAP Search API and replaced it with an AJAX widget. Dave Megginson laments the End of Open Web Data APIs, I’m not so sure about that. I think it’s a bad move for Google, in that it 1) Makes it less easy for windows developers (as Scoble points out), and 2) It’ll make developers less trusting of Google in the future. Obviously Google doesn’t want to loose ad revenue, but that might be easily fixed by requiring AdSense on a hosting web page. Or via some other method. Good news though, some people are fighting back. I’m sure EvilAPI will be getting a C&D letter soon, but it’s a valiant effort. Google is really shooting themselves in the foot here, Microsoft also still has their SOAP search API. I’ve recently started really drinking the Google Kool Aid (tm and all that) from an end user stand point, but now I’m really questioning taking the leap as a developer. My instincts say to stay with the 800lb gorilla that can’t afford to drop things on a whim. In addition to that news, there’s also word that Google is starting to deceptively advertise it’s own products (specifically the one that this blog is hosted on) with the ads disguised as “tips” while you search. Maybe they forgot the “Do No Evil” part? It’s looking like the honeymoon may be coming to an end. If developers jump ship, and people start writing more apps that utilize Windows Live services….Google may just fade into the background like Pets.com. As the man said, “Developers, Developers, Developers!”. Microsoft loves them, Google can obviously care less. Regardless of what actually happens to Google in 2007 (I doubt they’re going anywhere anytime soon), I get the distinct impression a line as been drawn, and perhaps an era has come to an end.

One of Scoble’s recent posts briefly mentions some announcement by Time magazine. I think I’m going to follow his lead…the blog world is just overrun with this news (Technorati lists 700 blog links), I can understand why, but it seems a tad narcissistic. So I’m just not going to link it myself.

My little bro sent me this video, I think McDonald’s should figure out a way to run this!

Just as I decide to really start a blog, this news from the BBC hits. It seems that blogging is going to “peak” next year because “most people who would ever start a web blog had already done so”. Here’s hoping I’m just a late bloomer :)

I guess I should explain the picture in the upper right hand part of the page. CodeMash a development conference that’s actually taking place in the midwest! These things never happen close to where I live and this is right down the highway in Sandusky, Ohio! CodeMash is a way for developers of different backgrounds a chance to mingle, I look forward to learning something new. And at $99 you can NOT beat the price. If you still need to convince your employer that you need to go I HIGHLY recommend this blog post from Jim Holmes one of the founders, he lays the case out pretty well. And if you still need convincing..it’s at the Kalahari Resort!

links:
CodeMash
Kalahari Resort
Why Conferences Matter, and How To Pitch To Your Boss – Jim Holmes

…is your baby daughter sleeping on your chest. :)

Microsoft announced today that the one and only Santa Claus was going to be available for live chatting exclusively on their Windows Live Messenger service. It’s amazing to see the changes that occur to things within one’s own lifetime. When I was a good the thought of a “modernized” Santa wasn’t really widely thought of. Now he’s using IM to chat with the kiddies…AND he has a blog (though Manga Santa is scary)! Simply amazing.

Today was the holiday lunch meeting for my department at work. It’s a very nice time, usually we go some place nice, last year it was Dave&Buster’s, this year we went to Claddagh Irish Pub. Very nice atmosphere, it has a nice brick and stained glass motif that really lends something to the experience. They also have a nice selection of Irish beer, I enjoyed a good Smithwick’s with a Corned Beef and Slaw sandwich. The manager took time to go through everyone in the department and relay what their accomplishments were, so it was a good feeling to hear your name and be recognized. The two beers didn’t hurt either. Twas a good day :)