Breadcrumbs in WinXP

I've been using Windows 7 for over a year now on my home and my work pc. It certainly is a big step in terms of usability from Windows XP. Everything is more fluid, stable and easier to do. I can't recall having any BSOD's during my usage of Windows 7, or any system lockups at all. The only real problem I had was getting a driver for a 10 year old scanner, but since it is that old I can't really expect it to be supported. It was time for a newer and better scanner in any case. Overall I am very pleased with Windows 7 besides that.

Recently though I had to go back to use XP for a certain application which is not compatible with Win7. Compatibility mode gave me no results, so I fired up my old XP virtual machine to get the software working.
I wonder if 20 years from now we are going to have to run multiple virtual machines, in order to support the comparability of various different applications released over the years? A strange thought...
Anyway one major point of irritation that comes from using XP is the lack of breadcrumbs in the explorer window. Since I was going through a lot of files at the time, it became a bit more time consuming than I would have like. The way it is done in Win7 is great, so I wondered if someone else had perhaps done something similar for XP. And then I came across Explorer Breadcrumbs.

This nifty little utility adds a toolbar to your explorer window, which enables you to navigate to any of your sub folders in one click. I'll admit it isn't a very pretty design, but the functionality is there, so who am I to complain? The install is fairly painless, and all you need to do afterwards is to unlock your toolbar (done by right clicking next to the explorer icons), and then you can utilize your new plugin.
Sadly this program is no longer supported - even the website is now owned by someone else, so I can't even give you a link to the program. It was donateware so I would have donated a few dollars to the developer had I known who he was.
I think I got my copy off Softpedia, but it shouldn't be too tough to find. Apparently there are other programs that can add this functionality to XP's explorer, however those were paid ones so I'm not going to test them out.
I'll give this 7/10 overall, 10/10 for flawless functionality and a low memory footprint, and 5/10 for the rather bland design.

The Keurig b3000se

Recently our office got a new coffee maker. I can't remember what the old one was called, but it was certainly very slow which was a nuisance if you were in a rush to get back to work. Like most people I need to get my coffee fix at certain times, so the prospect of a new coffee machine got me excited. I normally only review products that I own, but since I use this machine 5 days of the week I don't see a difference.

After getting back to work on Monday 7th January, I was greeting by this sparkling new coffee machine sitting where our old faded one use to be. It stood out like a knight in shining silver armor  waiting to rescue me from the dreadful old machine it had replaced. The blue buttons drew me towards its sleek and futuristic design. It was called the Keurig B3000SE. The name "Keurig" sounded German, so I googled it. I was wrong, it was Dutch. However the company isn't Dutch, only the name is Dutch. They are actually based in North America, and have developed quite a reputation for themselves over the years.

Anyway, this coffee maker is linked directly to the water pipeline, so it doesn't need to be filled with water at any point. It is also quite advanced in the sense that it makes each new cup of coffee at a time. Conventional coffee makers tend to make a pot at a time which can lead to old and stale coffee. With this one you get a fresh cup each time, and you get it in under 60 seconds. It is pretty straightforward to use, and the blue lcd guides you through the basic instructions. There are four different strengths you can choose from, and also four different cup sizes. So far the Keurig B3000SE has done a great job in our office, with almost everyone praising how good the coffee is. I use it on average about 3 times a day, and it makes the perfect cup of coffee every time.

The price of the unit however is without a doubt out of reach of the majority of individual house owners. Being a commercial unit, a quick google reveals prices of just over $1000! Perhaps when I am rich one day I will be able to afford one of these, but in the meantime I'll stick to my cheap instant coffee at home. At least I get to use it during my working day which is when I need it the most!

My new chefmate mini fridge

Another gift I received over Xmas was a Chefmate mini fridge. We tend to buy goods in bulk, so our main fridge is generally crammed full of food that was purchased while on special. Our little lounge / home theater room is used on a daily basis, and someone thought it would be a good idea to store some beverages in there instead of having to dig around the main fridge to try and get some. Being a bit on the lazy side myself, I thought this would work out quite nicely - and it has!
This little fridge is quite limited in size, but it manages to store most of our goodies such as a six pack and various other beverages to keep us going during a movie or tv marathon. For students on a tight budget I can see this working quite nicely for them.

When we first plugged it in, I assumed the unit was faulty as it hadn't gotten very cool yet, even on the coldest setting. However when I woke up the next day, it seemed to have started to behave itself. I'm not sure if all mini fridges take this long to get cool, but this one certainly does. Besides that little concern, it has been working great since then. Our Chefmate mini fridge gets used on a almost daily basis, and besides using it to hold drinks, we also use it to store some frozen desserts for special occasions and a few condiments for when we eat in the lounge. Overall this is a lifesaver for those of you who always seem to be short of space in their fridge, and for those tv fans who like spending long hours in front of the tv.  

A look at Townecraft Cookware

Well Christmas has been and gone, and after a long break over December I have decided that it is time to get back to blogging. As usual I received a strange and unique set of presents from my family which is always a good experience. One of the bigger gifts was a full set of Townecraft cookware.

Now I'm not exactly the worlds best cook, far from it, but this new set of cookware has inspired me to perhaps try a bit harder when it comes to making some unique and tasty dishes. My old pots and pans had been bought from thrift stores, and they were really starting to show their age. This shiny new set is made out of carbon steel core, covered with stainless steel, and has a aluminum alloy base for the best heat retention. The packaging says the handles are over safe up to 450F so I might try my hand at a casserole in the oven to test this out!

I have what I think is the basic Townecraft cookware set which consists of 23 pieces in total. There are all sorts of goodies in here including your basic pots and pans, skillets, steamers and broilers. They also come with water retaining lids which means the moisture in your food gets retained a bit better.

I'm not really a big fan of nonstick cookware. In my experience the so-called nonstick coating tends to start peeling after a few months of use which renders the cookware useless, so I'm quite glad that I've got a traditional stainless steel cookware set. Sure, I might have to use a little oil to get some cooking done, but at least I know that this particular set will do the job for many years to come.

So far all the cooking I have done has turned out very nicely. You also get a recipe book, and I have tried one or two recipes from it with some success. Would I recommend this cookware set? This is a difficult question since I have no idea what it costs, nor can I find a price online for it. Assuming it costs the same as a standard cookware set of this size, then I would definitely recommend it. Looking at the quality of the cookware set, it is definitely premium grade stuff.
So far I am very happy with my Townecraft cookware, and if the price is right then I would without a doubt recommend it to any one else!