On my list of things to check out: PostgreSQL 8.0.0. Let's see how this baby stacks up against competing database systems.

This download details changes (new as well as updated features) to the HTTP API in SP1 of Windows Server 2003. It describes:

• Improved Performance and Scalability
• Enhanced HTTP Error Logging
• HTTP API Kernel-Mode SSL Support
• HTTP API Parser Enhancements
• HTTP API Parser Exceptions
• WOW64 Support

Bernhard came back from the holidays with a great idea for our next hole of .NET Golf on the code fairway (currently only German, but we do plan to offer the fairway to non-German communities). We have ironed out the details, and come up with a test implementation together with Mike (of #develop fame). Hopefully, we'll (Alex, that is) also be able to get the automated tester up and running for this hole. In closing: this time, we do have a grand prize for the winner!

So, if you are German speaking and an avid .NET programmer, come join us on the fairway!

Basically, this job is as easy as:

1. Dump the repository on the old server
2. Load the dump into a new repository on the new server

Dumping is explained here, and I won't go into detail because I wasn't the one doing it, Roman did it (I ain't touching a BSD box, more harm than good would result).

However, step two is in my ballpark, because the repository is moving to a Windows box. Two commands and you are up and running again (it can take quite some time, especially if your dump is like mine - a little over 528 MB!)

svnadmin create c:\repositories\fidalgo
svnadmin load c:\repositories\fidalgo < "e:\fidalgo.dump"

All that is left to do now is to restore the configuration and hooks (details in my last blog post on Subversion)

In closing, credit where credit is due: I gathered some inspiration from the following blog entry: A Rank Amateur Upgrades His Subversion Repository

Remember me complaining about InCD and how it gobbles up memory so you cannot use more than 1GB of physical memory with VirtualPC? Well, sometime in December I threw v4.3.0.5 off my machine to finally be able to use the full 2GB. Today I decided to risk a reboot or two to give v4.3.11.1 a shot - and Jehova! the new version works as expected. No more out of memory issues! Using InCD? Get the latest version here.

Today, I got my silicone jacket as well as the car to USB adapter for my SPV C500. Both live up to my expectations, especially the silicone jacket should help keep the dust out!

It feels good to be no longer grounded by the doctor, especially because this means that my Webcast next week is no longer in danger of being cancelled: ".NET development for free with #develop" (MSDN: .NET-Entwicklung zum Nulltarif mit SharpDevelop is the orginial title, because this Webcast is in German). I will be talking about what cool things you can do with #develop, how it was built, and what the future holds for this free (cost-wise et al) lightweight development environment. Join Uwe and me on Monday 17th @ 4pm (understanding German being a rather big bonus).

TrueCrypt is a free open-source disk encryption software for Windows 2000 thru 2003 (and this indeed includes XP). You can create virtual disks, which, as the application name implies, are encrypted: mount with the correct password - you magically see another volume. Don't have the right password? Enjoy looking at gibberish. A recommended application for laptop users, especially the British public (and secret) services should take note as they tend to loose quite a few laptops per year.

The second application is KeePass, which is nothing more or less than a nice password safe which keeps your secrets locked away (even from you, should you forget the master key). Cool features: it simply runs (no installation required), has a password generator, and does support importing.

A friend of mine asked me today "Do you know a software / service to (centrally) maintain bookmarks across browsers and machines?". No, I didn't, but I went straight to Sourceforge and did a search which turned up SiteBar (the marchitecture name is ":: SiteBar :: The Bookmark Server for Personal and Team Use", but you already know that from the title). Of course I took them up on the "test on public servers" offer, and here are screenshots for both Firefox and Internet Explorer:

SiteBar for Firefox is an extension, the IE screenshot only shows the "quick & dirty" solution, not the fully integrated one (hey, I don't use IE that much any more, so why bother?). So far, SiteBar looks very promising. Oh, and btw unless you already guessed it from the marchitecture name: you can set up your own SiteBar server in your company!

I simply couldn't resist: Yes, I am again|still MVP for Visual Developer - ASP/ASP.NET. Admittedly, this doesn't quite reflect on this blog for a couple of reasons, the main one being that my MVP-worthyness stems from the time I do (bad pun intended) on German mailing lists and Web sites (see "Deutsche Resourcen" in the left-hand navigation bar to get an idea). In other news, I of course don't do community because of the award - it is a really nice recognition of my work on part of MS, and there of course is one  benefit of the MVP award that stands out: getting access to other community people around the globe as well as MS product teams, which allows me to get better information to my communities.