Integrated with Windows Live Maps - nice..although it would be better with directions. Let's see whether you can play with the map in place once posted.

[tags]test, livewriter, maps[/tags]

Just a note in case anyone else runs into this problem. If you want to connect to a share on a Buffalo Terastation (which seems to be using Samba) from a Windows Vista installation, you need to do the following:

• Run the Local Security Policy app - secpol.msc
• Go to Local Policies | Security Options and choose the "Network Security: LAN Manager Authentican Level" item
• Set it to "Send LM & NLTM, use NTMLv2 session if negotiated"

And that should sort you out. [Update] For those of us unlucky enough to be running Vista Home (which doesn't come with secpol), you can do the following (thanks to Patrick in the comments for this)

• Run regedit (Windows-R, 'regedit') to open the registry editor
• Find key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\
• Change the value for the option "LMCompatibilityLevel" from 3 to 1.

Now you should be able to access the TeraStation (you may need to reboot)

[Update 25th August 2009]. A couple of commenters have been kind enough to say that this also works in Windows 7 RC and thus in Windows 7 RTM (pretty safe assumption). For what it's worth, I have a Windows 7 RC virtual machine running and I've been able to connect fine without needing to make any changes that I can remember.

I'm glad it's not just me - Jeffrey Veen on his design process.

And I sort of realized that I do design that way. I build up a tremendous amount of background data, let it synthesize, then "blink" it out as a fully-formed solution. It typically works like this: Talk to everybody I possibly can about the problem. Read everything that would even be remotely related to what I'm doing. Hang charts, graphs, diagrams, and screenshots all over my office. Observe user research; recall past research. Stew in it all, panic as deadline approaches, stop sleeping, stop eating. Be struck with an epiphany. Instantly see the solution. Curse my tools for being too slow as I frantically get it all down in a document. Sleep for three days.

[via kottke] [tags]design, process, consulting[/tags]

Well, I'm feeling slightly broken - some kind of virus/fluey thing that won't quite go away, but far more importantly, the hard disk in my mac mini is making clicking sounds of death, and the mac itself is refusing to boot. Now, I'm an old hand at hard disk failures, having replaced 5 or so in the last 3 years (2 in my Sky+ box), 1 in main server, 1 in desktop, 1 in MC's PC. Seems like a lot doesn't it - is that really normal ? Anyway - I've splashed out on a decent storage solution - the Buffalo Terastation - a NAS box with 1 Terabyte of disky goodness. Configured as RAID-5, it comes down to 750GB, but it's still lovely, and makes me feel slightly less paranoid about data loss. I'm also going to sign up for a Carbonite account, and that should mean that our data is secure. So far the Terastation has proved to be easy as pie to setup, although I haven't spent a huge amount of time setting up groups and access etc. And we all like pie. And yes, I know I could have put a bunch of disks into an old PC and saved a ton of money, but I would have had to put up with the noise my old server makes (think your mum's old vacuum cleaner) and the fear of trusting data to a machine that is on its last legs. But, back to the main story - does anyone know if there are any special requirements for replacement mac mini hard disks ? A quick bit of googling didn't turn up much, and there's no way I'm giving Apple £50 (or whatever it is) to fit one, so if anyone does know, pop a comment. [Update - hmm..looks as if Carbonite doesn't backup mapped network drives...which means I can't use it in conjunction with the Terastation...ho hum..the search continues] [tags]mac, mini, macmini, buffalo, terastation, nas, carbonite, backup[/tags]

Well, the first 4 days at Headshift have gone by in a bit of a blur. A fun blur though. Obviously it's a bit of a change moving from a huge organisation to a much smaller one, but it's a change that suits me. Already working on an interesting project, and by the looks of it there's plenty more where that came from. Good people, great location, freedom to customise my laptop as I see fit (which amazingly enough hasn't caused the sky to fall and the earth to shatter) and all around me people are muttering social software related mutterings. Happy. [tags]headshift, socialsoftware[/tags]

Mikel Maron posts about Kiva, a site that allows microloans (and aggregated microloans) to entrepeneurs in developing countries.

Seems like an excellent idea, and it coincides with my reading of the quite excellent State of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence. I have no special insight into the plight, and I think it is a plight, of the various countries that make up Africa, but it's certainly depressing, and shocking, to read through the litany of tragedies and disasters that have affected the continent.

So, I'm going to sign up - I share some of Mikel's questions, especially whether this is actually a beneficial thing to do. But I'm going to sign up, even if it's a just a salve for my conscience.

[Update - done. 2 small loans, to: Daouda Mbaye and Rosa Akiteng]

[tags]kiva, africa, microfinance[/tags]