Viewing Canon RAW files, .cr2 extension, on WindowsXP

Today I started using the RAW format for photos. The normal XP thumbnail viewer didn't know what to make of the .cr2 extension, so I downloaded Google Picasa to edit them and the Microsoft extension to see them in Windows Explorer.

A way to download an Aspose Word document to a browser using MVC2

Perhaps there's a better way, but here is what I did quickly to get an Aspose Word document down to a browser. In the controller class use a MemoryStream to feed a FileStreamResult.

//Controller
public ActionResult MergeAndDownload(Choice choice) {
 MemoryStream memoryStream = new MemoryStream();
 Document document = ... // get your Aspose document
 document.Save(memoryStream, SaveFormat.Docx);
 memoryStream.Position = 0;
 var fileStreamResult = new FileStreamResult(memoryStream, "application/ms-word");
 fileStreamResult.FileDownloadName = "MySuggestedFilename.docx";
 return fileStreamResult;
}

In the View just do a Model.Save()

//View
<%@ Page Title="" Language="C#" MasterPageFile="~/Views/Shared/Site.Master" Inherits="System.Web.Mvc.ViewPage<Aspose.Words.Document>" %>
<asp:Content ID="Content1" runat=server ContentPlaceHolderID="MainContent">
<%@ Import Namespace="Aspose.Words" %>
<% 
    Response.setContentType("application/msword"); 
    Model.Save(Response.OutputStream, SaveFormat.WordML); %>
</asp:Content>

If you know a simpler way, please post in comments.

Google Docs Revisited

I watched the Google Docs videos this morning. The Visio replacement, "Drawings", looks very useful, and I didn't know they had a PowerPoint replacement, "Presentations". If I were a company that made 32% of its income from office software, I'd be nervous.
I didn't even know about their online survey tool:

Can't wait for 3D programming environments

Ok, I'm a big fan of 3D movies and waiting patiently, (OK, not so patiently for TimeWarner to rollout its Discovery3D channel), for mainstream 3D TV.
I've seen a few computer 3D monitors advertised and pondering what that will mean for programming environments.
I have a pair of prescription glasses with a prism effect for easing eye-strain. Oddly enough the glasses present a 3D effect based on color. Key words colored red float about an eighth of an inch off the screen, key words in blue sink into the monitor.
It will be great when we all have 3D monitors for coding and can tell VS2014 to make the inner loops of program float a little off the monitor. Not as great as when color coding made its appearance, but it'll be welcome just the same.

The Future of Arial Dogfights?

This could well be the future of dogfights (not with virtual missiles, but real ones). It could also be the future of attacks on individuals, like the Predator strikes in Pakistan and Afghanistan - or terrorist attacks.

Waze, a crowd-sourced traffic advisor

I've been playing with Waze, an iphone app, for a few days. I love the promise of Waze - it gets traffic conditions in real time from other Waze users. Waze could see that several of its users are traveling at 3 mph up I35 and can redirect you automatically to another route. No need to have a human traffic seer to punch in recommendations.
Waze can learn how fast different routes get you to work on different days and times; then advise you on the fastest way to work - taking into account how fast all the other Waze users are traveling.
Alas it shows much potential, but its still in growing pains. Several times it directed me in the wrong direction and had trouble locating the destination I typed in.
I'd love to see the product when it matures - it shows so much promise to reduce fuel consumption and make our travel times shorter.

IPhone with a 3D Camera

This is what I'd like for Christmas, a 3D IPhone. Softbank is launching a 3D phone that can show 3D pictures and video without the special glasses. Surely an IPhone that could take and show 3D pictures and play 3D games is not too much to ask for? The width of the IPhone is perfect for a second camera to mimic the distance between the Homo Sapiens' eyeballs.