Messages

101

Living Room / Re: Funny Video: Multiplayer Flight Simulator Air Traffic Control Job

« on: May 17, 2019, 05:34 AM »

Here's the hilarious Best of 2018 video:

102

Living Room / Re: DonationCoder Recipe Sharing Thread

« on: May 09, 2019, 07:21 PM »

This is possibly the only recipe for fruit cocktail crumb pie that you'll find on the internet. I posted it to my recipe blog, yesterday.



http://scarytaskbar....-cocktail-crumb-pie/

103

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« on: April 10, 2019, 12:20 AM »

104

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« on: March 14, 2019, 06:13 AM »

Saw this on Mokum, today:

My hotel for robots went out of business because many guests were charged incorrectly.

105

Living Room / Re: Kill me if you want (buying good, cheap and pretty two hard disks)

« on: March 02, 2019, 03:45 PM »

Be very careful about buying cheap storage (hard drives, ssd, sd cards, flash drives, etc.) especially if they are advertised as having a high capacity. Even if it appears to be a reputable brand. They may not be as advertised, and you might not find out till later, when you lose your data.

A lot of these drives are actually small capacity, and have firmware that erroneously reports them as being much larger than they really are, and copying files to it just loops around when it's full, and overwrites older files, without your knowledge, causing major file corruption.

And manufacturers don't honor warranties on counterfeits of their products, so you won't even get a replacement when it fails.

And if you think you are safe buying them from Amazon, just know that the same merchants that are selling this crap on Wish, Aliexpress, Ebay, etc. also sell it on Amazon and other sites. (always buy a reputable brand, sold and shipped by Amazon, themselves, to avoid the counterfeits and scams)

106

Living Room / Re: Is there any compact portable browser?

« on: March 02, 2019, 01:03 PM »

(same people who program SlimJet but based on IE's engine).

-4wd (February 26, 2019, 04:44 PM)

If the reason why he wants to use a portable browser is for privacy & security, a portable IE based browser wouldn't be a good option, as they usually leave lots of tracks and stuff behind in the IE cache of the OS.

Otherwise I would have suggested dIE, which is something really small (166KB) and lightweight, that I wrote some years ago. (and while it's as up to date as the version of IE that's installed on the system, it probably doesn't belong surfing the internet, any way)

107

General Software Discussion / Re: Nasty code-execution bug in WinRAR threatened millions of users for 14 years

« on: March 01, 2019, 12:16 PM »

This can affect you, even if you are not trying to open an .ace file, as the vulnerability can be exploited with a specially crafted .ace file, renamed to .rar. WinRAR's fix for the problem was to completely drop support for the ACE format, since they don't have access to the UNACEV2.DLL source code, to patch it.

https://threatpost.c...illion-users/142080/

If you are using an older version of WinRAR and don't want to pay for an upgrade to the latest beta version, just yet, you can fix the problem, removing the vulnerable code yourself, by deleting the UNACEV2.DLL file from the WinRAR program folder. WinRAR will still work just fine without it, but won't be able to extract .ace files.

108

General Software Discussion / Nasty code-execution bug in WinRAR threatened millions of users for 14 years

« on: March 01, 2019, 12:02 PM »

WinRAR, a Windows file compression program with 500 million users worldwide, recently fixed a more than 14-year-old vulnerability that made it possible for attackers to execute malicious code when targets opened a booby-trapped file.

The vulnerability was the result of an absolute path traversal flaw that resided in UNACEV2.DLL, a third-party code library that hasn’t been updated since 2005. The traversal made it possible for archive files to extract to a folder of the archive creator’s choosing rather than the folder chosen by the person using the program. Because the third-party library doesn’t make use of exploit mitigations such as address space layout randomization, there was little preventing exploits.

https://arstechnica....-users-for-14-years/

109

Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone

« on: February 28, 2019, 09:19 PM »

if he travels outside the EU, in this case a dual SIM phone comes in handy

-4wd (February 26, 2019, 06:13 PM)

That's one of the features of the Nokia 6.1 ...

-Ath (February 27, 2019, 01:06 AM)

And the Moto G5(+), G5S(+), & G6(+) (EU/APAC versions) without sacrificing the microSD card. 

-4wd (February 27, 2019, 07:32 AM)

And the G7 recently released in the US, so will probably hit the EU market soon. Might want to wait a bit, if possible, to see if there will be a G7+ with dual SIM. If not, there may be a G7 Power, with longer battery life.

110

Living Room / Re: Gadget WEEKENDS

« on: February 10, 2019, 05:53 AM »

I recently acquired some stuff, either as gifts or purchased myself...

Since I wore out the left click micro switch on my Logitech G700s, and I don't feel confident enough to replace the switch myself, I upgraded to a Logitech MX Master 2s.



The Flow software is an awesome experience, allowing you to use the same mouse, seamlessly between multiple computers (up to 3) and can copy & paste text, images, and files between them, providing they are all on the same network. It also can copy & paste between a Windows PC and a Mac. That one feature, alone, makes this mouse worth it.

It also has a side scroll wheel, which is great for spreadsheets.

---------------------------

I also now own a mechanical keyboard, a Corsair K95 RGB Platinum.  (Thanks, Dad!)



---------------------------

Added Bluetooth support to my 11 year old Dell Vostro 410 with this little thing:



---------------------------

A pair of coffee grinders, for regular & decaf. (Thanks, Dad!) My daughter says I should have labeled them BZZZT and zzzzzz. 



---------------------------
 And 6 pairs of these shelves, which are the perfect size for the larger bulk size herbs & spices. I haven't installed them yet, but once I do, I will have the biggest spice rack on the planet. 



---------------------------

And a vintage can opener from the late '70's or early '80's (new in box), that has a built in knife sharpener. It's the grinding wheel type that's powered by the can opener's motor, which you don't see in newer can openers any more. Yes, it gets your knives plenty sharp. I had one just like it, years ago, and always regretted getting rid of it when I moved to an apartment with a much smaller kitchen, opting for one of those crappy space saving cordless ones with the wall mountable charger. Rather than spending the rest of my life regretting it, I finally went ahead and got another one.

111

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« on: December 30, 2018, 04:22 AM »

That goat had impeccable timing!

-wraith808 (December 28, 2018, 11:04 PM)

You're kidding!

-cranioscopical (December 29, 2018, 04:42 AM)

He went rama-lamba-ding-dong.

-Stoic Joker (December 29, 2018, 08:14 AM)

ewe guys...

-Target (December 30, 2018, 04:12 AM)

...are baaaaaad!

112

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« on: December 19, 2018, 11:51 AM »

113

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« on: November 26, 2018, 07:51 PM »

Thanks!  Very useful!  I'm surprised that USPS doesn't socialize that more!

-wraith808 (November 26, 2018, 09:43 AM)

A few of reasons:

1. Not available in all locations, yet.
2. There's a lot of FUD related controversy and confusion surrounding it.
  A. Too many people think that anyone can sign up to get alerts about your mail, not just you, by simply scraping info about you off the internet.
  B. Too many people think the USPS is opening up your mail and emailing you scans of your mail before it's delivered, thereby reading it and turning over copies of the scans to NSA.
  C. Too many people think it's a bad idea to give the government (and the NSA) more personally identifying info about yourself, tying together a name, street address, phone number, and e-mail address, along with the contents of your mail, such as bank and credit card account info, etc. (see B)

It's crazy what the tinfoil hat people think is going on, when the USPS is simply trying to thwart mail theft, which is becoming a much bigger problem in the digital age, with all the online shopping that is going on, and so many packages being delivered getting stolen, because they can't fit in a typical mailbox.

In any case, if you have a tracking number for a package, you can always sign up for alerts related to that specific delivery, even if Informed Delivery is not available in your area, yet.

114

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« on: November 22, 2018, 05:46 PM »

I wonder if it's a new(ish) policy to just drop off the package and leave.

-Deozaan (November 17, 2018, 08:23 PM)

I get notifications on my phone from UPS, USPS, and Amazon, whenever a package is delivered. Amazon even sends me a photo of the package sitting in my hallway.

-app103 (November 21, 2018, 10:39 PM)

How did you get that set up?

-wraith808 (November 21, 2018, 11:27 PM)

UPS MyChoice
USPS Informed Delivery

And Amazon has their own contractors that deliver in my area. I also have Amazon Prime, and their app installed on my phone. Not sure if there is anything else that one has to do to get alerts when one of their contractors drops off a package.

115

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« on: November 21, 2018, 10:39 PM »

I wonder if it's a new(ish) policy to just drop off the package and leave.

-Deozaan (November 17, 2018, 08:23 PM)

I get notifications on my phone from UPS, USPS, and Amazon, whenever a package is delivered. Amazon even sends me a photo of the package sitting in my hallway.

116

Living Room / Re: Gadget WEEKENDS

« on: November 20, 2018, 09:09 AM »

then sew a running stitch around the edge with a strong beading thread

-app103 (November 17, 2018, 01:23 PM)

That's where you lost me.  Not only is sewing a 'running stitch' something I'd probably do a terrible job at, I don't even know what a "beading thread" is.

-mwb1100 (November 17, 2018, 08:46 PM)

This is beading thread: https://www.amazon.c...elica/dp/B009LION50/

And a running stitch is the most basic of all sewing stitches: http://www.holiday-c.../running-stitch.html



The whole process of stitching it up is exactly the same as making a "yoyo", which is explained in this video. All you have to do is stick it on your headphones as you pull it closed. Since t-shirts are a knitted fabric, they have stretch and will shape around your headphones better than a woven fabric.

117

Living Room / Re: Gadget WEEKENDS

« on: November 17, 2018, 01:23 PM »

It's not that difficult to make something like these from an old t-shirt, sweatshirt, or other stretchy material. You'd just cut a circle (or square), then sew a running stitch around the edge with a strong beading thread, to act as a drawstring. Then fit it onto your headphones, tighten the drawstring, tuck in the raw edges so it looks good, then knot the thread so it stays tight. When you want to remove it for washing or replacement, just cut the threads.

No, they wouldn't be good as a replacement for the ear pads, but they would prolong the life of an existing pair, even if they already are showing signs of wear, flaking, etc.

https://www.amazon.c...C-M9B/dp/B01MYM11Q3/

118

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« on: November 17, 2018, 11:22 AM »

119

General Software Discussion / Re: FIX to get your fan under control in your laptop? (Might not be overheating.)

« on: November 11, 2018, 10:53 AM »

The purpose of the CoolSense application is to deliberately degrade system performance in such a way that it reduces the production of heat, while extending battery life. It also slows down your fans, to extend battery life.

Without the CoolSense application, your laptop will have the potential for full performance and fan speed.

It's a bit like Process Tamer, with very little in the way of user options (only on and off), with the added feature of slowing down your fans, again, with no ability for the user to adjust it.

So, if you prefer your laptop to be deliberately partially crippled, in the name of quietness and longer battery life, by all means use the CoolSense software.

But if you'd like your fans to cool more effectively, able to use full speed when necessary, and you'd like a bit more performance, shut off CoolSense.

The only real penalty for not running it is a bit more noise and a need to recharge more frequently. I can see where you might want to run CoolSense when you are running on battery power, to extend the time before you need to recharge, but if you are connected to AC, you probably should turn it off, since recharging the battery will generate additional heat that CoolSense wasn't designed to compensate for. Turning it off will allow your fans to get rid of that additional heat, thereby prolonging the lifespan of your laptop.

120

Living Room / Re: Help with VPN Recommendation

« on: November 11, 2018, 09:23 AM »

I use Private Internet Access (PIA) with Netflix all the time. Every once in awhile I get that blocked notice in Netflix, but not usually. When I do, I just switch locations in their app till I find one that works. (They have 14 US locations to choose from).

They are also P2P friendly, so if you are using torrents or Popcorn Time, you won't get into any trouble with them. And PIA has a no logging policy that will not track or monitor traffic logs, or communication logs, so if anyone knocks on their door with a court order to find out your identity, based on your IP and activities, PIA won't have anything to give them. And they pass all the customary leak tests.

They have a 2 year plan costing $69.95 USD. Or you can pick up a single month for $6.95 USD to test it out. They accept all major credit cards, Paypal, BTC, and most major gift cards (Target, Starbucks, Costco, Best Buy, Walmart, etc.). So, if you do stuff on the internet that earns rewards in the form of a gift card, you can use those gift cards to pay for your VPN service.

121

Living Room / Re: Energy cost of mining crypto more than the cost of mining precious metals

« on: November 08, 2018, 12:20 AM »

Consider this: Malware writers figured out a long time ago that the best way to mine BTC was not to pay for the hardware or electricity, themselves, and that's why they made, and continue to make, the most profit.

122

N.A.N.Y. 2019 / Re: NANY 2019 Rewards

« on: November 04, 2018, 05:26 AM »

We have 4 prizes in total..

We have 3 lifetime memberships for SitePoint Premium to give away, which includes unlimited access to all e-books and video courses in our library.

And we have a 10 e-book bundle to give away, containing the following titles:

• HTML5 Games: Novice to Ninja https://www.sitepoin...ames-novice-to-ninja
• PHP & MySQL: Novice to Ninja, 6th Edition https://www.sitepoin...to-ninja-6th-edition
• JavaScript: Novice to Ninja, 2nd Edition  https://www.sitepoin...to-ninja-2nd-edition
• CSS Master, 2nd Edition: https://www.sitepoin...s-master-2nd-edition
• Jump Start HTML5: https://www.sitepoin...oks/jump-start-html5
• Jump Start Responsive Web Design, 2nd Edition:  https://www.sitepoin...b-design-2nd-edition
• The Principles of Beautiful Web Design, 3rd Edition: https://www.sitepoin...b-design-3rd-edition
• Deliver First-Class Websites: 101 Essential Checklists:  https://www.sitepoin...essential-checklists
• Jump Start Git: https://www.sitepoin...books/jump-start-git
• Lean Websites: https://www.sitepoin.../books/lean-websites

123

DC Gamer Club / Re: Game Giveaway

« on: October 25, 2018, 05:51 PM »

• Humble Indie Bundle 14

-app103 (October 24, 2018, 10:02 PM)

Thank you app103!
From that Bundle i can offer single Steam Keys as gift.

Pixel Piracy
UnEpic
Super Splatters

If anyone is interested in any of these Keys, let me know which one and I'll PM you the Details to redeem it after i found out how. :-)

-KodeZwerg (October 25, 2018, 05:29 PM)

I don't think you can keep the downloadable games and gift the Steam versions. You have to tie your Humble Bundle account to a Steam account, and then click the links to add them to your Steam account. They don't give you individual links that you can give to others.

124

DC Gamer Club / Game Giveaway

« on: October 24, 2018, 10:02 PM »

I have unredeemed gift URLs for the following Humble Bundles. You can Google the bundle names to see the list of games they include. These are all at the $1 level, from late 2014/early 2015.

I originally purchased them for an internet friend, but I lost touch with them.

If anyone is interested in any of these bundles, let me know which one and I'll PM you the URL to redeem it.

• Humble Weekly Bundle: Simulators 3
• Humble Weekly Bundle: Brawlers
• Humble Card Game Bundle
• Star Wars Humble Bundle
• Humble Weekly Bundle: For Lovers (of games)
• Humble Square Enix Bundle 2
• Humble Weekly Bundle: Co-op 2
• Humble Weekly Bundle: Made in Japan
• Humble Weekly Bundle: Roguelikes 2
• Humble PC & Android Bundle 12
• Humble Indie Bundle 14
• Humble Weekly Bundle: Strategy 2
• Humble Origin Bundle 2
• Humble Weekly Bundle: Multiplayer Mayhem
• Humble Weekly Bundle Presented by IGM
• Humble Paradox Bundle
• Humble Weekly Bundle: Surprise Attack
• Humble Weekly Bundle: Adventures! 2

10 bundles left!

125

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« on: October 17, 2018, 06:39 PM »

There's a part of me that hopes this obtuse clock is a real thing:

[ Invalid Attachment ]

-Deozaan (June 18, 2018, 06:47 PM)

"Kid Safe Rule 35".

If it "isn't" (as of this exact time of posting), then it CAN be very very quickly...

And cheap. You might have to compare a couple brands but those old classic wall clocks are really pretty ...uh... amenable to this. The limiting factor is only your desired level of quality! If nothing else, just make a paper face and insert it on top of the real clock face because the gap between mechanism and hands is pretty big!

-TaoPhoenix (October 13, 2018, 04:05 AM)

Cafe Press and Zazzle both allow you to order clocks with custom faces of your own design. It was how I ended up with a DoCo clock (instead of a mug), for the 2007 GOE event. (mouser made one available, at my request)