Sketchflow is a wonderful tool from Microsoft for prototyping websites and web applications. It is built on top of Expression Blend, part of the Microsoft Expression Studio. From the article:

…SketchFlow is part of Microsoft’s Expression Studio range of design tools. After a lackluster history with design tools, Microsoft seems to be finally getting their act together with Expression Studio (disclaimer: I’ve previously worked at Microsoft). Expression Studio is up to its third release and comprises four or five products depending on how you count them:

• Expression Blend: For building user interfaces for Silverlight, Windows, and Surface.

• Expression Blend SketchFlow (part of Blend): For prototyping user interfaces.

• Expression Web: For building user interfaces for web standards.

• Expression Design: For creating graphic assets for the Web or Silverlight, Windows, and Surface.

• Expression Encoder: For preparing video assets for the Web or Silverlight, Windows, and Surface.

This article walks the reader through how to rapidly prototype a web application using SketchFlow. I suggest heading over to the site and reading the full article. And be sure to read to the bottom of page 2 for some great links to other SketchFlow resources… Now to fire up Blend and give this one a try!

Rapid Prototyping with SketchFlow

I found this posted over on TheServerSide.NET. Yes, it’s a couple of years old now, but it's still a good resource if you are not up to speed on LINQ (like me). It consists of a series of links (no pun intended) to a variety of resources, including word docs, webcasts, code samples, etc.

From the site:

Language changes are a two-edged sword, as learning cuts into your time but sharpens and future-proofs your skills. Some new features are minor and can be gradually integrated into your routine, while others quickly impact your approach to coding.

LINQ (Language Integrated Query) is a set of .NET framework extensions that will definitely impact how C# and VB developers work with data in the future. These extensions provide a way to natively query any type of data without having to resort to other languages such as SQL or XQuery.

This learning guide provides a quick look at the LINQ extensions and the upcoming release of C# 3.0 in general.

Table of Contents

• General information
• Articles
• Webcasts
• Downloads
• Code Samples
• Community

Click on over to the original article for all the LINQ goodness!

Enterprise .NET Community: C# 3.0/LINQ Learning Guide

I love productivity… I find myself constantly striving to increase mine. This article from Microsoft at Work gives you tips and tricks to be more productive in Windows… who couldn’t use that? The tips include:

• Printing from Windows Explorer
• Pinning programs to the start menu (one of my favorites)
• Using small icons on your start menu
• Searching for files in a folder
• Sending an email attachment from anywhere on your computer

I suggest hitting the site to read the full details of how to do each one of these. It’s a good read, and worth the time.

5 productivity tips for Windows

What problems do you have with your computer? Has it all of a sudden slowed down to a crawl? Are you having trouble launching an application? Is your Internet acting funny? Chances are, there is something that you can do to fix the issue. This article from Microsoft at Home can help point you in the right direction for fixing some of the more common problems that people seem to have with their computers. I’ve just provided a small sampling of the article here and suggest you click through to the original for all of the information you will need.

1. F1 is magic: Get help on your PC

2. The Basics

• Backup your computer regularly
• Make sure the plugs and such are connected properly
• Write down contact information for your particular computer manufacturer as well as the operating system manufacturer (like Microsoft)

3. Locate the Problem

4. Software Issues

• Make sure the software is compatible with your operating system
• Close down any programs you are not using
• Check how much hard drive space you have left
• Check for program updates and information on frequently encountered issues at the software manufacturer's Web site.
• Uninstall or delete unwanted programs
• Disable programs you don't use
• Defragment your hard drive
• Scan for viruses and spyware.
• Reboot your computer and try loading the program again.
• Contact your software’s manufacturer customer support

5. Internet Connectivity

6. Hardware Trouble

• Determine that equipment has been assembled correctly
• Confirm that your device is securely plugged in and receiving power.
• Make sure any cables are plugged into the right spots on your computer.
• Verify that hardware is turned on.
• Look for error messages displayed.
• Install or reinstall drivers for the device.
• Confirm that you're using the latest drivers for your hardware.
• Reboot your system and test the device again.
• Consult the manufacturer's Web site or customer service for assistance.

6. System Failure

• Confirm that your PC is plugged into an electrical outlet and receiving power
• Try restoring your system.
• Check to see if you have a memory problem.
• Scan your hard drive for errors.
• Look for driver problems.
• Try advanced boot options and working in safe mode.
• Did you just install a new hardware device or driver?
• Repair your PC using the Startup Repair function (new in Vista).
• Reinstall Windows.

Link to the original article is below. I would HIGHLY recommend reading it as it provides a number of useful links to instructions on how to perform these tasks. Don’t feel comfortable monkeying around with your computer in this way? Dash Technical Solutions can help you out. Just give us a call today!

Fix common PC problems

Does your computer seem to be slowing down? Have you added any programs lately that seem to make your computer crawl on its knees whenever you launch it? Well your problem *could* be that you need more RAM (memory). In this article from Microsoft at Home, you will learn how to do just that, and *hopefully* make your computer and that new application a little happier.

What is RAM, you ask? Well, this explanation from the article is probably the most intuitive I have seen, so I am including it here for your benefit:

If the hard drive is the filing cabinet in which you store your documents, then memory, or RAM (random access memory), is the table you work on. The easiest way to get more space is to add extra leaves.

1. There are a few simple steps to take:
2. Determine how much RAM you have and how much you need
3. Figure out what type of RAM you require
4. Buy it (of course)
5. Install your new RAM

It’s not super difficult to do yourself. Like all things inside your computer, you have to take certain precautions, but it really is as simple as snapping the old memory out, and snapping the new memory in. Once you purchase your memory, it is usually about a 10 minute task to install.

If you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, you can always call Dash Technical Solutions and we can help out.

I would suggest clicking through to the article, as there is a lot of good information that it provides for ensuring you purchase the correct kind, installation tips, etc.

Add more memory to your computer

A nice article from Microsoft at Work. I have the occasion to work from home, and while I am comfortable doing it, to many of my customers, it may not be second nature just yet, especially when it comes to maintaining the communications channels with people in the office. This article will help point you in the direction to learn what it takes to communicate better with your co-workers/supervisors/etc. when working from the comfort of your home (and maybe even your pajamas…!!!) The article offers up these 5 tips. I suggest clicking through to the article to read what each one means.

1. Make appointments
2. Stay focused in phone conferences
3. Attend weekly staff meetings
4. Stay online as much as possible
5. Be assertive

The link to the full article can be found below.

5 tips to communicate better from home

What a great idea! A lot of companies create custom error pages so that you don’t see the ugly, default error page that comes with the web server that runs their site. When I say ugly, I mean… UGLY.

Many of them style it to look like their site so that there is consistency in the site.

I stumbled upon this awesome idea from Scott Hanselman that is not only a good idea, but easy to implement. Click on through to the article to learn how to put your error pages to work for good. And always, if you need help getting this into YOUR website, give Dash Technical Solutions a call and we’ll do our best to help you out!

Put Missing Kids on your 404 Page - Entirely Client-Side Solution with YQL, jQuery, and MSAjax

Well this is one way to do it. I wish I had this link when I was helping a couple of customers out recently… Outlook Express is not available for Windows 7, so your choice is Windows Live Mail if you are a current Outlook Express user.

This short article walks you through how to import mail and contacts from Outlook Express.

Of course, we would be happy to come out and help you. We’ve had plenty of practice now after all… Call today (313) 799-DASH (3274)

How do I import my Outlook Express or Windows Mail accounts into Windows 7 and Windows Live Mail?

There is an article over at the 15MinuteWebsiteMaker that caught my eye because they were advocating CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) over CMS (Content Management Systems). That’s a little like comparing the use of a motor-driven bicycle to a car. The site contends that:

… Content Management Systems are expensive to buy, set up, and maintain. Cascading Style Sheets are inexpensive by comparison and require very little maintenance…

…Static sites containing CSS don’t have this problem. They load quickly and easily without hindrances like tables to slow them down…

…the CMS system has limited template designs and sometimes only one style to use throughout the site. If the company wanted to change the look of their online presence, a designer would have to come in and reload all new templates…

So here are my 5 reasons that a user should choose CMS over a simple CSS site.

1) Using a CMS, a site administrator has nearly total control over site design, layout, and content, all from a web site environment, as most CMS engines use an online “administrator only” section for controlling the site. In addition, you will not need to hire someone to continually update the site (by uploading “new” pages). The maintenance of the system is self-contained. And some CMS (like Kentico) provide many more page layouts and styles than a business would ever need to use.

When the author of the article claims that a designer would have to come help the company if they use a CMS is misleading. If the company uses CSS, and no one in the company has any knowledge about CSS or access to graphics editing software, then they will need to enlist the help of a designer to make any changes to the site.

2) In modern CMS dynamic web site environments, URLs can be configured to allow very good SEO (Search Engine Optimization) which can enhance your standings in search engine rankings.

Older CMS systems (and some that are not as sophisticated) did not give users much control over how the URLs in their site looked, so often you would have something that looked like “http://www.yoursite.com/default.aspx?pageid=25fdac43bcdb&section=45” which search engines had a hard time crawling and figuring out that the page requested is “Products”. Modern CMS systems overcome this limitation by rewriting the URL as “http://www.yoursite.com/Products/” which makes search engines happier and your search engine results more accurate.

3) The fact that you can make a CSS site very quickly and easily does not mean you know how to optimize your pages for SEO. Further, in order to effectively optimize your site, there are a lot of search engine spider rules and tricks that you will need to know.

You still have to know SOME tricks to tweak your search engine results, but for the most part, modern CMS systems handle the rules for you. You may (as a site administrator) need to go into the settings of the site to add keywords and metadata, but other tricks like how headers should be coded, etc. are handled by your CMS.

4) You can install a modern CMS and maintain it by yourself if you take the time to learn how. The companies that produce these systems make it fairly straightforward to install their products. Alternatively, you can work with partners of your chosen CMS to not only install the CMS, but also provide training to administrators and content providers on the proper use of the system.

Whether you use a CMS or CSS for your site, you will need some amount of knowledge. People are not just born with the understanding of CSS, and if you ask me, I would say a CMS is easier to use than CSS.

5) Finally, most hosting companies will regularly back up your database on a regular basis, so your data is secure. They also back up their web servers on a regular basis. CSS Templates require no back-ups, until the web server that is hosting the site crashes and you lose your site altogether and have to start from scratch.

Backups are a way of life, especially when your website is critical to the mission of your business. Whether you host your own site on your own servers, or you host it with a web host (like GoDaddy, etc.) your site (and any associated data) will need to be backed up.

I will not argue against the fact that CMS are the best choice for large corporations who need the ease of site management and data that they provide. But I would also argue that CMS are appropriate for small to medium sized businesses as well because there are many out there that are free or low cost, yet still provide the same benefits listed in this post.

Above all things, I say this… There is no one perfect answer for a website, whether your business is small, medium or large. Investigate your options, know your budget (for both the immediate as well as on-going maintenance), and work with people in the industry (like Dash Technical Solutions) who can help point you in the right direction.

So I have to say, I have tried a lot of different antivirus products because I believe that by knowing what your alternatives are, you can make a more informed decision. Such is the case with Microsoft Security Essentials. And I will tell you up front that this offering from Microsoft is just as good as any of the other more established antivirus/antispyware/antimalware companies out there.

From the product website:

Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free download from Microsoft that is simple to install, easy to use, and always kept up to date so you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology. It’s easy to tell if your PC is secure — when you’re green, you’re good. It’s that simple.

Microsoft Security Essentials runs quietly and efficiently in the background so that you are free to use your Windows-based PC the way you want—without interruptions or long computer wait times.

In this article on TechRepublic, Mark Kaelin walks you through the steps required to install and configure Microsoft Security Essentials.

Click the link to read more. And seriously, if you don’t have any kind of anti-something on your Windows system… please download and install this.

How do I install and configure Microsoft Security Essentials? | Microsoft Windows | TechRepublic.com