Darren Straight's Blog

ICT Enthusiast and photographer.

By - Darren Straight

Ratatouille screening tomorrow!

Tomorrow evening I’ll be in London for an exclusive press screening of Pixars new animated movie Ratatouille, and I just wondered if anyone else had been invited to either tomorrows one or another one? I know at least 2 people who are going to the screenings, one being Rob from A Welsh View who is going on the 25th of

By - Darren Straight

Fix for COM Surrogate Has Stopped Working Error in Vista

Are you getting a Microsoft Windows Vista error that says “COM Surrogate has stopped working” whenever you browse folders containing video or media files and just can’t seem to find a solution to solving the problem? If so then you’re in luck, becuase thanks to How To Geek and Alan McC, there’s a fix that could work for you. This problem is

By - Darren Straight

Microsoft Imagine Cup Gallery Opening on Second Life

This Thursday I attended the Imagine Cup Gallery Opening/Party in Second Life and wow was it packed out or what, plenty of people to chat to thats for sure. The Island contains 12 Imagine Cup screens each with two different videos or presentation slides to watch as well as this there’s also a concert stage and a party area just

By - Darren Straight

Experience the Microsoft Imagine Cup Gallery on Second Life

It looks like Microsoft has created an Imagine Cup gallery on Second Life and is holding a launch party on the 28th of June 2007 beginning at 8.00pm CEST. (11:00am PDT / 2:00pm EDT / 6:oopm GMT / 7:00pm BST / ) This event has been designed to allow Imagine Cup student finalists from Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) to showcase

By - Darren Straight

Microsoft Enhances Virtual Earth Product in Great Britain With High-Resolution 3-D Height Data From Intermap Technologies

Microsoft and Intermap Technologies have today announced the launch of Microsoft’s enhanced Virtual Earth 3-D viewing platform based on Intermap Technologies’ highly accurate and up-to-date elevation data for all of Great Britain. Intermap is also creating similar maps for all of Western Europe and the continental United States. The resulting product delivers a more seamless and accurate 3-D experience for all

By - Darren Straight

Windows Live Platform Discussion with Koji Kato and Danny Thorpe

Windows Live is best known as a collection of end-user offerings like Messenger, Spaces, Search, Hotmail and a whole bunch more.  It’s also in the process of evolving into a platform.  Koji Kato and Danny Thorpe, from the Windows Live platform team, discuss with Catherine Heller a Windows Live Technical Evangelist on Channel 9 their views on internet software and what it

By - Darren Straight

Microsoft.com promotes Surface with Silverlight

Just reading my feeds and noticed a post by Mark Johnston who has spotted (thanks to Sean Alexander) that Silverlight is now on Microsoft.com promoting the very cool new product Microsoft Surface. The last time Silverlight was used was to promote the Xbox 360 Elite just after Mix in April. So it’s great to see it Silverlight yet again appear on Microsoft.com. Mark

By - Darren Straight

WebCamera Plus turns your PDA or Smartphone into webcam

Ever wanted to use your PDA or Smartphone as a webcam?, well now you can with WebCamera Plus. Thanks goe’s to Jeremy Cath and Steve Clayton for the find! WebCamera Plus key features: Transforms your PDA or Smartphone to high-resolution web-camera. Can work through any connection: USB ActiveSync, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPRS, 3G, LAN. Compatible with almost all modern Smartphones and PDAs.

By - Darren Straight

Microsoft Research Software for the 21st Century

Just thought id check out the Microsoft Research Website before I go the Microsoft Research Labs in Cambridge next week for my third Microsoft Student Partners (MSP) Event and while on the site I noticed that you can now watch a video of Andrew Herbert, managing director of Microsoft Research Cambridge, who discusses the 20th century computer systems assumptions that are