New Silent Cooling for my MCE

I have recently upgraded the cooling system in my MCE as the old one was just so noisy that I couldn't even watch TV

Here are some pictures of the new CPU Heatsink that is actually 140x120x60mm that you can't really tell from the picture. It produces 12-24 Db of noise depends on how do you setup the fan speed controller. I have it setup to max that is 24 db then

I have a Socket 478 Pentium 4 CPU but this Heatsink will fit any CPU in any socket as it comes with all different accessories for all available CPUs including :
any Socket 370, 462, 478, 754, 775 and 939

Here are some pics:

Ok and for the Case Cooling I have added two 60 mm fans that are rated 8db so that is 16 more db to my total of 16 + 24 = 40 db that is virtually Silence

Without needing an expansive watercooling installed... (that needs a lots of maintenance like cooling liquid changes etc... not talking about water pouring to your machine)

Here is a pic of the 8 db 60mm fan:

So If you are looking to get some of this cool stuff email me and I will get you some. You can also check the manufacturers page www.silenx.com there are links to resellers too but they are expensive I can tell you this whole package of CPU cooler + 2x 60mm Coolers + Delivery cost me nearly 80 GBP

Cookies problem in ASP.NET

ASP.NET 1.1 only supports 20 user cookies

If you try to use more than that it overwrites the earlier ones with the latest ones.

so if you have:

Response.Cookies("Cookie1").Value = String
Response.Cookies("Cookie2").Value = String
..
..
Response.Cookies("Cookie20").Value = String
Response.Cookies("Cookie21").Value = String
At this stage the Cookie21 will overwrite the Cookie1

To avoid this use Cookie Keys:

Response.Cookies("Key1)("Cookie1") = String

you can do as many cookies as you like using this technique like this:

Response.Cookies("Key1)("SubKey1")("SubSubKey1")("Cookie1") = String

Programming a Windows Service

Private oTimer As System.Threading.Timer
Dim running As Boolean = False

#Region "Protected Overrides Sub OnStart(ByVal args() As String)"
Protected Overrides Sub OnStart(ByVal args() As String)
' Add code here to start your service. This method should set things
' in motion so your service can do its work.

'# run the OnTick every 28 seconds

Try

Dim oCallback As New TimerCallback(AddressOf OnTick)
Dim lPeriod As Long = 28000
oTimer = New System.Threading.Timer(oCallback, Nothing, 0, lPeriod)

Catch e As Exception

System.Diagnostics.EventLog.WriteEntry("Service", "there has been an error in Service Start ")

End Try
End Sub
#End Region


#Region "Public Sub OnTick(ByVal state As Object)"
Public Sub OnTick(ByVal state As Object)
'# check if the service isnt tunning
If running = True Then Exit Sub

'# set the service as running
running = True

Try

'# CODE GOES HERE
'########################################################


'########################################################
'# CODE ENDS HERE

Catch ex As Exception
System.Diagnostics.EventLog.WriteEntry("KillConnService", "there has been an error in OnTick " & ex.Message)
Finally
running = False
End Try

End Sub
#End Region

How to create a Setup project for a Windows Service in Visual Basic .NET or in Visual Basic 2005

How to create a Setup project for a Windows Service in Visual Basic .NET or in Visual Basic 2005

To uninstall the service

C:\!Development\ConnectionsService\ConnKillService\bin

C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322\installutil /u servicename.exe

MCE Live TV - No signal when copying files

Well After proving that the LIVE TV in Win XP MCE 2005 goes to no TV Signal when I try to copy files on to my MCE while using WiFi B class connection. Yesterday I have managed to connect my MCE using a Cat5e cable and copied about 5 gb of movies on to it while watching Live TV no cutting or skipping or no signal occurred...

This makes me think that the Wifi could for some reason interfere with the Freeview signal I am receiving for my TV as I live in the UK.

Microsoft Alexandria

http://hanworks.blogspot.com/2006/03/microsoft-alexandria.html

Well Microsoft has introduced this new advert. There are lots of opinions on the secret Alexandria project...

But clearly having watched the advert it clearly means that Alexandria is not some type of Hardware but it is Software (because people are looking at it on different devices including the ORIGAMI)

Ok but what could this be? Its definitely not a new Media Player as the WMP 10 has just been released. I think it is some sort of downloading movies / tv shows over the net but it would definitely has to be a paid for one....

Microsofr Origami UMPC Ultra Mobile PC

Look at this amazing new video of UMPC

CLICK ON THE PICTURE BELOW

MCE TV skipping finally RESOLVED

Hi all,

I have had some serious problems with my MCE Live TV has been skipping and it was partly because I have had low signal but I have got a booster and it got better but the skipping still occurs.

I thought it was intermittent but only until today when I have tried to copy some mp3s onto my MCE while watching Live TV from another computer over the network.

My MCE is connected to the network via a USB wifi B class dongle to a Linksys B class router and I was copying files from my Laptop that has a Wifi B class adapter build in.

The Live TV comes up with No TV Signal message.

I only have one HDD in the MCE so I was copying to the same that MCE uses to cash the Live TV but anyway I know now that MCE is not capable of doing this.
But as I investigated further I found out that the WIFI card is the BOTTLE NECK of my system as if I am accessing internet while watching live TV the TV skips and it also skips itself without me even doing anything else than watching Live TV.

BUT when I disconnect the WIFI dongle and therefore there is no network connection to my MCE skipping immediately stops and all works fine.

Therefore I ask:

Is there a Microsoft Approved WIFI adapter that will work with MCE?
Why is copying files over the Network to MCE gives No TV signal message?

Thanks
--
Intel P4 3.2 ghz Hyper Threading
GIGABYTE GA-8IG1000MK intel 865PE
HIS Excalibur ATI Radeon 9250SE 128MB DDR TV-Out/DVI (AGP)Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1300 Media Centre Edition Freeview TV Tuner

How to get Internet radio working in MCE at a click of a button

Hi all,

Yesterday I have added some cool features to my MCE.

I have added an internet radios to it that can be accessed from the main menu. I live in UK and I like to listen to Czech radios that broadcast over the internet. I was looking to find an easy was of doing this from the MCE that sits in the living room.

I have faced a few problems and I thought it might be good to share it with the world.

First off you need an MCE Add-in to allow you to do this I have used this one called Web Media:

http://www.mcesoft.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=122

You have to register with them to be able to use it (just want your email that has to be valid)
It is a Media Release Candidate 1.3 but I tested it and it works quite well.

So once you download this and install it all you need to do is add the link to the live stream that is a *. Asx file

Now this might seem easy done but it isn’t. Usually any radio that uses windows media player that plays in a small popup window that is just an IE window or in some sort of player of its own. But once it opens you have no idea even about the URL of the page and especially not about the URL of the stream.

What you need now is a browser that supports Tabbed browsing (I have used Netscape 8 to do this)

You need to go to the site of the radio and then click on the link to LISTEN LIVE. What happens in Netscape is that the new window will open in a tab rather than in a pop up window. So now you see the URL of the page that plays the live stream but this still isn’t the URL of the stream itself.

You need to do view / Page source and look into the HTML code used to generate this language and if the page is using windows media player web control you can look at the code and locate this node:



Or just search the file for .asx and you will get the URL of the stream itself.

You can now use this as the URL of the internet radio station and add it to the Web Media in your MCE and there you go you can now listen to the internet radio from your MCE at a click of a (remote control) button.