You can add this to your blog too: Add Windows Live Messenger to your Blog

It is a simple matter of going to the above live.com (obviously, log in with your Live ID) and using the simple online form to configure your Messenger web widget.

The really, really cool thing is that you can have either a chat window, or your presence live on your blog.

For more indepth how-tos, visit Aussie Angus Logan's blog.

In a house with 3 Windows laptops, 2 Mac laptops, 1 Windows Desktop and a lone Debian file server; time absorbed in home administration was getting out of hand.

The lone Debian file server runs on an old PC desktop. Last year in a weak moment in between jobs I decided to reconnect with my Unix side and re-commission the old Dell clunker into a file server. Load up internal hard drives and install. A week later, in the process of installing a new, yet massive 300Gb data drive I broke the file server and spent two days self-administering Unix just hoping the family's data was not in bit heaven.

Self-administration at home is OK when you have time and like fixing things. If time poor, don't do it.

And backups. In our house, I am the only person who backs up on anything like a regular basis.

Windows Home Server to the rescue!

Someone kindly sent me an email link to this little beastie, lovingly made in the cold land of of warm beer and Beatrix Potter: TranquilPC low power Windows Home Server appliances. The email arrived at a time where I had access to a credit card, and extracted me from the funk of indecision, otherwise known as procrastination, of 'build vs. buy' my Windows Home Server. Buy.

One HTML form later: and a 1Gb RAM + 1Tb Hard Disk is flying the reverse kangaroo route to Australia.

A rather heavy FedEx white box arrived at my desk at work. Hilirie Chan from our mail room delivers it, asks for my autograph.
The wall plate sits over the top of the TranquilPC itself. All the cardboard goes into recycling.
From left to right: 12v power out splitter cable (plug in to rear of TranquilPC into 4 external USB hard drives), Windows Home Server software, TranquilPC how-to in a neat early 1980s typeface and screws for the wall-mount. Windows Home Server is pre-installed, so there is no waiting to turn this little beast on.
Size comparison with my Treo 750. The TranquilPC is weighty; or more descriptively: dense. Thankfully very small and quiet.
LAN and power in connections are easy: the 4 extra USB ports will be used for plugging in external drives. The power out port, just next to the Power in make it easy to chain the external drives without buying a whole new powerstrip.
You said this was going to be 'quiet as a mouse'. There are no mice in here!

Within 5 minutes, the Windows Home Server is on and working on our network.

Next post: Backups and Firewalls

If you cannot wait for the next episode, read Paul Thurrott's comprehensive review: http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/whs.asp

Note: I've been an Unix/Solaris/Linux sys-admin since 1988. I now use MacOS X to get my vi/cron fix.

Web Directions South is a yearly conference held in Sydney. The core of Australia's web-construction community emerge from their twitter, blogs, HTML, CSS, Notepad+, Dreamweaver and Photoshop to talk shop.

I attended the first day of Web Directions, and captured a collection of Geek Stories from the lunch time crowd.

Wedding Schemas, World of Warcraft and Play-doh all feature.

Most famous, however, is Sir Lachlan of YouTube.

Listening and speaking to danah boyd makes you think. Really think. danah is the premiere researcher and publisher in the world following the networked public of the online social world. Primarily focused on the online generation (Generation Y, Generation C are just clumsy labels) where without aMSN Messenger/Myspace account, you don't exist: danah has written on these topics in depth.

The Simpsons, LOLCats, usenet, cats in online culture, alternate grammar and narrative. Nike shoes: danah and Nick discuss the virtual world. Australia, US, and some other topics.

Her essays and reports contain the leading thoughts and inspire the social sites, reflect memes and architect systems that we as the digital community take as the norm. A conversation with danah boyd.  Thinking. KTHXBAI

At the recent Australian ReMIX in Melbourne, Australia, I was asked to present on Microsoft Popfly. This is my video of the presentation.

Some notes:

• Snobol is a very, very old language. Respect.
• The book on Quantum Computing I'd had just read was "Programming the Universe", written by Seth Lloyd. Mind blowing.
• Sorry about the badly mashed quotation about art, and if you are from the UK: just remember I am from Australia.

More notes and comments on ReMIX in Australia on my blog

Gaming is a large business world-wide, employing many thousands of talented engineers, designers and producers. Where do these people learn their trade? In College!

Queensland University of Technology (QuT) has nearly completed the first semester of their Bachelor of Games and Information Entertainment.

On a recent trip to Brisbane, I interviewed Dr Ross Brown (aka Dr Groove) and Penny Drennan.

Studying gaming is more than the coding: it encompasses the process of creating storylines, working in teams, programming and design. Penny and Ross talk through what students are learning, and the job prospects (good!) at the end of the course. With a combination of software engineering, business and creative industries - working in gaming is cross disciplinary.  And will use all your brain.

In the interview, we also take a quick visit to their offices, sneak a peek at Elvis and find out how to fill your office with Xboxes.

... and of course, I also find out both of their geek stories.