Here’s something that get Matt Fry salivating… my definitive guide to making Windows XP look cool. Or like Vista (depending how you see it). And it’s all free.

Here are my recommendations for what you need to download…

Zune theme
I mentioned in a previous post - it’s a black and orange colour theme for Windows.

Vista cursor
Read the supplied read me file for installation instructions.

Vista Wallpapers
Lots of official and un-official Vista wallpapers. I use WallMaster to cycle through mine.

Vista Sounds
Hmm, I have them installed on my PC but can’t find where I got them from… will upload them and put a link on my Blog when they’re ready.

Sidebar
After looking at various sidebars, the Google version ended up as my favourite, mainly due to the large number of gadgets available for it.

Alt/Tab Replacement
Microsoft provide a great Alt/Tab replacement as a PowerToy, although it’s not as good as Vistas Flip 3D. Oh well, you can’t have everything.

But, if you want to flip your windows about in 3D, try Madotate - personally I didn’t get on with it. Anyway, there’s no installer with it, so after unzipping it, run install.reg (this will add a registry entry) and then run madotate.exe to kick it off. A system tray icon will appear - from here you can change settings, etc. You will also notice that your current focused window has a new button at the top - click on this to make the window go all-3D.

And that’s it for now - if you can suggest anything further, please let me know.

Our wedding website has had a bit of an update (well it will have tonight when I upload the changes)…

• There’s a link on the Swanland page to the Virtual Earth map
• The invites section now states that they’ve been sent (mumble mumble)
• I’ve also added a section for the Photos (or rather where they’ll go in due course).

..until my wedding. and lots has been done..

1. RSVP reminders sent out, but most have been returned. We even have a table plan!
2. The caterers have been sorted with details. As well as a defined menu, they’ll also provide tables and chairs.
3. We’re in the process of paying the final amount for the bar.
4. The bride and groom have been sampling alcohol to decide what to supply. Hic.

All, so far is going well. We also have out first “Wedding Preparation Meeting” with the minister this weekend.

It was time to revisit the site search facility on the BMTG site. Powered by Atomz, which has now become WebSideStory (awful pun name), the templates used to make it look like part of the site weren’t quite matching. So imagine my surprise to find I couldn’t change them… it looks like WebSideStory are trying to push past Atomz owners over to their own paid-for service, which means limiting options to viewing and resetting stats.

So off I went to look…

Now, I like Google. Many people may not, but I do. So they were the first port of call when I started a few weeks ago. I quickly added a Site Search option - the results didn’t display on my site, but it worked nicely (and proved that Google was indexing the site!). Yesterday I went to add another search to another site and… I couldn’t find the Site Search. Well I could, but only the customizable version, which errors whenever I try it. Instead, via their new co-op site, there’s an option to create your own Customer Search Engine. And it works beautifully, even down to being able to put the results on your own site, without using templates, and with your own colour options. Nice.

Try the result out for yourself.

I’ve also added a nice script to the bottom of each of the BMTG site pages to make it easier to add the site as your home page, as well as add it to various “Digg” style sites (including Digg, naturally).

Ok, so you’d have thought that after all my problems me stating that the keyboard was a French version might have been taken seriously.

“It is highly unlikely you will have the French version, as we only sell UK version here.”

Says Hiper Customer Services.

Of course, my fault. I was obviously looking at something else. Like a French dictionary or something.

How stupid do they think I am?

Anyway, a couple of pictures went back to them (one of which is above - click on it for the full size picture. See if you can spot the problem). The French keytops being one clue. The French symbols on the keys being another. Oh, and the letters “FR” on a sticker on the keyboard and the box being another. Last, but by no means least, the French flag on the box is a REALLY big give-away.

Other than the above response I’ve heard nothing from Hiper - nothing about my PSU for a start.

But wait… a card came through the post. From worse-than-bloody-useless courier firm Amtrak. Who will only deliver during the day whilst I’m out, will only attempt delivery twice and don’t answer their phone. Hiper use Amtrak.

So I rang their customer services to find out if they’d sent me anything… “Oh, I think a colleague may have sent you another keyboard”. This was AFTER I’d told them I wasn’t prepared to spend anymore time sat at home waiting for couriers.

Well, this time I will. Simply because their keyboard is actually quite nice (when it’s in the right language). I may as well try and get something from them. In the meantime, I’ll email Hiper again to find out if/when they plan to refund me for my PSU. If I don’t get anywhere it’s my intention to email the Watchdog page at PC Pro magazine.