Messages

101

Living Room / Re: Need a new Keyboard - advice?

« on: February 16, 2016, 04:15 PM »

I use both a Logitech 800 keyboard and a Lenovo keyboard that came with a desktop computer.  They are both good keyboards but very different in feel and I use them differently.

The Lenovo is like the old IBM keyboard, with mechanical switches, relatively high resistance and is slightly clicky.  Don't know what they use, but I'd guess Cherry blue or something similar.  Having used that kind of keyboard for years, I'm comfortable with it and find it easier to touch type on because of the tactile feedback.  However, I have arthritis which has been getting worse and that could eventually lead me to switch to the Logitech for my main work.

The Logitech uses membrane switches which have much lighter resistance. It is easier on the fingers, but with less tactile and audible feedback, I feel less secure touch typing on it.  I could probably adapt, and may well have to.  A major advantage to it for me is the backlighting. Although it is wireless, I keep it plugged in to a charger because the backlighting stays on longer than when it is running on its built-in rechargeable battery.  I also use a Logitech wireless mouse, so it only takes one USB dongle for both keyboard and mouse.

I've never had any roll-over problems with either keyboard.

The Logitech 800 is considerably cheaper at Amazon than at Newegg - $69.99 vs $86.99 at the moment.

102

General Software Discussion / Opera Browser being sold off

« on: February 10, 2016, 11:57 AM »

It was reported today that Opera is being sold to a Chinese technology group who plan to use it as a platform to promote their products.

Although Firefox remains my default browser, Opera is what I use most of the time for surfing and reading online. We'll see what the new owners do, but I'm not optimistic about the future.

Let's hope that Vivaldi gets its act together soon.

103

Found Deals and Discounts / 2GB additional Google Drive storage for free

« on: February 09, 2016, 05:41 PM »

Today is Safer Internet Day and to celebrate, Google will add 2GB for free to your Google Drive if you sign on to your account this week and verify all of your security settings.

104

General Software Discussion / Re: What online services do you pay for?

« on: February 08, 2016, 03:33 PM »

MediciTV, MetOnDemand and DigitalConcert Hall.

-nmharleyrider (October 04, 2015, 08:59 PM)

Thanks for those three!  I'd not known that the classics had come into the digital age!  Trying to decide between them... hmmm...

-wraith808 (October 04, 2015, 09:52 PM)

I also subscribe to MediciTV.  Expensive, but they tend to offer 40% off prepaid annual subscriptions for a few days around the end of the year.  The idea is to give them as gifts, but you can purchase them for yourself.

105

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« on: February 08, 2016, 01:38 PM »

I discovered Wilhelm Kempff this week.
I also discovered Beethoven's Tempest Sonata -- via Nokia's 'Silver' ringtone which is a variation on the start of the third movement :-)
Beethoven's Tempest Sonata - Third Movement
(no other performance I've heard on youtube touches this one)

-tomos (February 05, 2016, 06:16 AM)

I love the Beethoven piano sonatas and also Kempff -- actually heard him perform Beethoven over 50 years ago -- but this particular performance doesn't do all that much for me.

Try this one by Grigory Sokolov, one of the greatest - and quirkiest - pianists performing today.

106

General Software Discussion / Re: What Android Apps Do You Use?

« on: February 06, 2016, 10:58 AM »

Anyway, a browser I've been using for a while: Frost

Has a password protected vault for your bookmarks and any saved images, unlocked by entering a pin/password as you would a web address, ie. if your pin is 1234 you just enter that as the web address in a tab, the vaults become unlocked and any previous session tabs can be restored.

When you exit, all history is removed and the vaults lock.

-4wd (February 06, 2016, 01:28 AM)

According to Google Play, Frost was last updated in November 2014.  That's more than a year ago.  A very long time for a browser.

107

General Software Discussion / Re: Revert Back to windows 7 or 8

« on: February 01, 2016, 09:12 PM »

You can make an image of your system disk which you can use at a later date to restore Windows 7 or 8 on the same computer.  You shouldn't need to reactivate the restored image unless you make a lot of major hardware changes at once.

For Windows 7 and 8 (but not 8.1), make a backup of the Windows activation tokens using Advanced Tokens Manager before you install Windows 10.  If you need to reinstall Windows 7/8, as opposed to restoring a system disk image, that will allow you restore the activation status to the computer from which the backup was made without having to go through Microsoft's servers.  It will NOT allow you to install Windows on different hardware.

108

General Software Discussion / End of the line for VMware Workstation?

« on: January 27, 2016, 01:11 PM »

Monday, VMware laid off their entire U.S. development staff for Desktop products, which includes Workstation, Player and Fusion.

The company did say that they were moving development for those products to China, which probably means they will keep the products alive as long as they can charge for them, but I don’t expect much more than that.

109

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Hard Disk Sentinel Standard : 100% Off at BitsDuJour

« on: January 17, 2016, 06:27 AM »

Standard 100% off for personal use.
Pro @ 50% off ~US$15

http://www.bitsdujou...in=todays-deals-home

-tomos (January 17, 2016, 04:46 AM)

Also Pro Family License (5 computers) US$26.50

Standard does most of what anyone will ever need from the program.

The compelling reason to get Pro is that it gets you the portable version.  That is an essential tool to have on anyone's emergency repair USB drive.

110

General Software Discussion / Re: Is Windows 10 a trojan?

« on: January 14, 2016, 01:57 PM »

If you read Microsoft KB 3080351 carefully, you will see that the Group Policy Object allows you to turn off automatic updates to the operating system.  It does NOT disable the GWX nagware. To disable the tray icon, you need to apply the registry patch, but note that doing so only hides the icon, it does not remove the nagware itself.

Note also that the language used in the KB specifically says that the GP Object will ensure that the OS is never changed by Windows Update without the user's approval. It does NOT make any such promise with regard to GWX notifications.
 
As pointed out in the articles I linked to yesterday, Microsoft has been using Windows Update to install a service that periodically checks the registry to see whether the notification is disabled and can re-enable it by modifying the registry.

111

General Software Discussion / Re: Is Windows 10 a trojan?

« on: January 14, 2016, 08:22 AM »

And it gets worse!

In a post on the TechNet blog yesterday, titled Making it Easier for Small Businesses to Upgrade to Windows 10, Microsoft announced that:

  We will begin to roll out the “Get Windows 10” app to additional devices
  that meet the following criteria, in the US later this month and in
  additional markets shortly thereafter:

  - Running and licensed for Windows 7 Pro or Windows 8.1 Pro
  - Configured to receive updates directly from the Windows Update service
    (i.e. updates are not managed by WSUS or System Center Configuration
    Manager on those devices)
  - Joined to an Active Directory domain

112

Living Room / Re: Looking at an android tablet

« on: January 13, 2016, 04:11 PM »

I'd guess the Tab E Nook probably uses Kit Kat (like the Tab 4 Nook) but the Tab S2 Nook is running Lollipop, like the regular Samsung S2. 

See this thread on Android Central for a discussion of the S2 Nook by some owners.

113

General Software Discussion / Re: Is Windows 10 a trojan?

« on: January 13, 2016, 07:42 AM »

Recent developments in the GWX saga are getting really scary.

It seems that Microsoft is so intent on forcing everyone to “upgrade” to Windows 10 that they have used a KB patch to install undocumented services designed to thwart users running Windows 7 and 8.1 from disabling GWX.  Specifically, programs that revert registry patches to allow GWX are installed and the Windows task scheduler is programmed to run these regularly.  That's what we know so far.

This is classic malware behavior.  What’s next?  Installing a GWX rootkit?

You can read more on what is now known about GWX here.

And for a more humorous (but even scarier) take, see this.

114

Living Room / Re: Looking at an android tablet

« on: January 12, 2016, 03:40 PM »

There's nothing wrong with Samsung's Touchwiz UI. In fact it provides some enhancements over stock Android, such as the ability to split the screen between two apps on some tablets.  The only drawback is that it bakes some Samsung apps into the  firmware, but you don't need to use them or even see them on screen if you don't want to. Looking at your screenshot, the only give-aways are the format of the download arrow on the WiFi signal indicator in the notification bar and the layout of the Nook, Home and App Drawer buttons at the bottom.  Hardly noticeable and certainly not objectionable.

However KitKat is a two year old version of Android that was optimized to allow it to run on less powerful hardware.  When a new device is listed as running Android 4.4, that's a clear sign that it does not have enough horsepower to run Android 5 (Lollipop), let alone Android 6 (Marshmallow).  Depending on what you want a tablet for, that may or may not matter. 

One of the great advantages of Android over iOS is the ability to customize the interface endlessly with widgets, instead of a grid of icons like iOS.  I like to set up my home screens so that I can see at a glance all kinds of information like the time, local weather map and forecast, my calendar, todo list, etc.., without having to open any apps.

I'd suggest that you play with Android on the Nook you have before thinking about getting another tablet.  In particular, explore what's available on Google Play (the Android app store) and try things out. As you become more familiar with Android and how to use it, you'll get a much better idea of what you might want in the next one.

115

Living Room / Re: Looking at an android tablet

« on: January 11, 2016, 04:40 PM »

Samsung Tab (Nook) is just a Tab 4 with some Barnes & Noble apps added.  It runs the Samsung Touchwiz UI over Android 4.4 (Kit Kat).  It's a low end tablet with a low res screen (1280 X 800), a slow processor and an older version of Android, which is what you'd expect for $139, which is what it sells for now at B&N.

The Nexus 9 is a high end table with a fast processor and a superb high res display (2048x1536 - same as the iPad Air). But the most important thing is that it currently runs Android 6 (Marshmallow) and as a Nexus device, will be always be updated to the latest Android version, at least for the projected life of the product (2-3 years for most Nexus devices).  Whether it's worth the price is another matter.  One thing to be aware of about all Nexus devices is that they do not have expandable memory (micro-SD) by design, although all the ones I have (7, 10 and 6P) support OTG through the USB port, so you can move data on and off relatively rapidly.

116

Non-Windows Software / Dan Gilmor on moving to Linux

« on: January 06, 2016, 09:32 AM »

Journalist Dan Gilmor, one of the earliest bloggers and a long-time voice of reason in Silicon Valley, has a new post discussing why and how he moved to Linux. Nothing new or earth shaking, but a sensible and useful article for anyone trying to make the case for switching to FOSS.

117

General Software Discussion / Survey of data recovery & forensic tools

« on: January 06, 2016, 09:12 AM »

InfoWorld has an interesting survey of data recovery & forensic tools. You need to register as an "Insider" to read the full article, which is well worthwhile, but here is the author's summary:

   Which recovery tool is for you?  PhotoRec and companion TestDisk have
   consistently been among the most useful, performant, flexible, and
   inexpensive applications available for data recovery.  They don’t have
   the breadth of options of some of the other apps examined here, but it’s
   almost impossible to go wrong with them as a first step.

   Sleuth Kit/Autopsy is more of a full toolbox than a single wrench or
   hammer, and for that reason might be intimidating to work with,
   especially if all you need to do is recover a particular file.  But for
   those who need the full toolbox, it is a great way to have one for no
   initial cost.  SystemRescueCd also rolls up a great many tools into one
   bundle, but it’s strictly for experts.  Those afraid of the command line
   shouldn’t even think of using it.

   Kroll Ontrack EasyRecovery Enterprise stands out with its RAID recovery
   function, and it’s recommended for those who need that capability.  For
   those who don't, many of its other features can be found in other
   programs, like Remo Recover.

   Remo Recover stood out for making it easy to save out image files from
   media, and for having some fairly exotic camera file types as part of
   its database.  CardRecovery supported a number of those file types as
   well, although its slow scanning and slightly clumsy interface worked
   against it.

   Finally, Recuva packs a lot of great features into one program:  fast
   scanning, a convenient interface, and useful details about what’s
   recoverable and what’s not.  It should be in every Windows user's
   toolbox

The main takeaway is that the best tools for most users are the free ones: PhotoRec, Sleuth Kit/Autopsy, Recuva and System Recovery CD.

118

General Software Discussion / Re: What Android Apps Do You Use?

« on: January 05, 2016, 07:51 AM »

For serious audio on Android devices, it's hard to beat Neutron Music Player. This turns your device into a true high fidelity music center, accepting input from many sources, local, networked or streaming, and sending to many, including DLNA. It also provides its own 32 bit and 64 bit rendering, so you are not dependent on whatever is built into your firmware.



For something a little more attuned to the average listener,  but still with many options, including video viewing, my choice would be PlayerPro.

119

Living Room / Re: 2014-2015: Best tablet specs for ebook reading

« on: January 04, 2016, 06:33 PM »

This looks like it might be what Mouser is looking for to read pdf documents full size: a 13.3 Android tablet with full 1080p display and 16GB memory for $199.  Read the review by Charles Babcock dated October 27 2015 for a good evaluation of the tablet's strengths and weaknesses - note that the 16GB version is now going for what he paid for 8GB.

120

Found Deals and Discounts / New Year's Special: EZ CD Audio Converter 30% off

« on: December 31, 2015, 11:08 AM »

Poikosoft EZ CD Audio Converter is on sale right now for 30% off: $27.95 instead of $39.95.

This is by far my favorite program for high quality CD ripping and audio conversions.

No indication of how long the sale will last, but given that it is described as a New Year's special, I'd guess that it won't be long.

121

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox 43.0.2 stable release

« on: December 30, 2015, 05:52 AM »

it went well; all my addons are still working (because of xpinstall.signatures.required=false) in 43.0.3

-Curt (December 29, 2015, 07:14 PM)

Anyone knows how long will that trick work? What are we talking about? Weeks or months?

-dr_andus (December 29, 2015, 08:03 PM)

According to Mozilla, beginning with Firefox 44, there will be NO workaround to allow unsigned extensions in the Release versions.  Developer and Nightlies will continue to allow overrides to allow devs to test their work without having to wait for approval each time.

This applies only to Firefox itself.  Other Gecko based browsers (SeaMonkey, Palemoon, etc...) are free to make their own choices, but not all FF extensions work with those browsers.

122

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Essential PIM Pro - Mini-Review ("also-ran")

« on: December 22, 2015, 08:31 PM »

I am currently using eM Client (again, not for mail), which seems to have no problem staying in sync with Google. 

-xtabber (December 19, 2015, 06:33 PM)

In another thread, app103 was very pleased with eM Client's calendar.  Softmaker have abandoned development, saying they would roll their enhancements into Thunderbird.  Does Tbird include any sort of calendar?  eM Client itself now seems orphaned.  It might be nice if Softmaker split out the calendar as a separate entity.

-rjbull (December 21, 2015, 04:17 PM)

Softmaker may have at one time included eM Client with their suite, but eM Client is a separate software company and the product is quite actively developed and supported.  I use the free version which only supports 2 accounts, but since I don't use it for email, that doesn't matter to me.

I use SeaMonkey for email - it's Thunderbird without the bloat, and much faster. SeaMonkey's browser is also faster than Firefox 43.0.1, which loads very slowly, although it is reasonably fast if you keep it in memory.  Lightning works with SeaMonkey, but unfortunately, the Google connector does not seem to work properly with Lightning on SeaMonkey - it doesn't retain login credentials across sessions, which makes it nearly useless.  Also, the SeaMonkey/Thunderbird address book is really only good for email and Lightning does not include an address book.  Thus eM Client.

123

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Essential PIM Pro - Mini-Review ("also-ran")

« on: December 19, 2015, 06:33 PM »

I used Essential PIM Pro for a number of years, after dumping Outlook.  I never used EPIM for email (I never used Outlook for email either). My calendar and contacts are kept in several Google accounts and I wanted to be able to access them locally on the Windows desktop.

Both the calendar and contacts functions in EPIM are very good, but the sync with Google got to be too flaky a year or so ago, and I finally gave up on it.  EPIM is actively developed, but the developers have an idiosyncratic bent and are not very responsive to problems or suggestions. I am currently using eM Client (again, not for mail), which seems to have no problem staying in sync with Google. 

If Google sync isn't important to you, EPIM is an excellent standalone calendar/contacts manager that works well as a portable app too.  I can't see using it as an information organizer however.

124

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: RightNote 50% discount to August 31

« on: December 17, 2015, 01:09 PM »

RightNote is once again 50% off for new licenses (Standard or Pro) until december 24, 2015.  Upgrading a V.2 license to V.3 is 50% off anyway, so no deal there.

125

General Software Discussion / Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?

« on: December 16, 2015, 06:00 PM »

I don't use Archivarius, but it is most likely more than enough just for finding text in a large number of files.

dtSearch is probably more flexible, with advanced indexing and search options and an index manager that lets you define multiple indexes according to how your data is stored, combine multiple indexes into libraries and search across them.  In addition to boolean searches, it allows for word stemming, phonics and fuzzy searches, and can use a thesaurus to include synonyms in searches.  It also displays pdf files using a reader plug-in and can even highlight found words inside pdfs if you use the Adobe Reader plug-in.