Topics

51

General Software Discussion / lightweight software for organizing notes offline? [Stickies, StickySorter]

« on: November 16, 2011, 11:43 AM »

Hi,

I tried several approaches to keeping notes visible on the desktop(*) in the past, but none really worked for me. The best so far is keeping different win32pad (a lightweight txt editor) windows on my second screen and moving them around as needed, but that's not perfect because when Windows crashes I lose them all (so I have to always save them to the clipboard (where I use Ditto as a clipboard extender, see https://www.donation...index.php?topic=9013). Also, once I reach 10 opened editor windows, it gets messy (and probably isn't so lightweight anymore).

I'm sure there MUST be a better way - I just haven't found it yet... any ideas?

(*)my brain likes visual reminders, so seeing the notes (or at least the most important ones) works better than not seeing them hidden away somewhere... and yes, I wonder how to integrate this into a GTD (see http://en.wikipedia..../Getting_Things_Done) system I plan to set up in 2012

52

Living Room / NASA / Hubble: comparison images of galaxies?

« on: November 05, 2011, 04:46 AM »

Hi,

I once visited a web site which displayed/compared different kind of 'views' on the same galaxy:
- gamma radiation (only grey and black... not much to see here = boring)
- visible light (a little bit better but... still more or less boring)
- electro-magnetic combined with something else (awesome colors = WOW!!*)

*picture something like this Antennae Galaxies image:

Now I can't find that site anymore... 

Who knows where to find something like that?

53

Screenshot Captor / idea for thumbnail column: make TAB behave like in Windows Explorer

« on: October 24, 2011, 03:48 PM »

Hi,

a little idea for the thumbnail column (the left side of SC): when editing a filename, make TAB behave like in Windows Explorer. When you press TAB key while editing a filename there, the next filename (of the file below) is edited. I saw that other programs behave like this too, would be great if SC would too!

54

Screenshot Captor / feature request: enhance the icon mouse-over info

« on: October 20, 2011, 04:21 AM »

Hi again,

a feature request: enhance the mouse-over ('system tray' icon) to not (only) show "Screenshot Captor", but (also or instead) the file name of the most recently captured image (if you captured one since starting SC).

That way I could check if I captured something already without opening SC's GUI first.

55

Screenshot Captor / 2.102.01 window size bug (regarding capturing)

« on: October 20, 2011, 02:42 AM »

Hi,

I'd like to be able to reduce SC to one third of the desktop's size and then capture other windows, to always be able to see if the last capture looks ok. But when I do that, SC (after hiding itself for the capture process) always resizes itself to full screen size. I'd appreciate if it would remember it's previous window size.

56

General Software Discussion / who can set up WordPress for me?

« on: May 17, 2011, 06:20 AM »

Hi,

I'm looking for someone who could set up WordPress for a new site. My picture needs to be integrated into the design, and a contact form needs to be set up - maybe it's possible to copy and paste it from an older site of mine?

Since my last project failed (financially) I'm not in a position to pay a lot for this - but maybe I can do something else for you in exchange?

57

Post New Requests Here / IDEA: SHOUTcast Radio Notifier - notifies you in the way you like

« on: February 12, 2011, 09:01 AM »

Hi,

I'm looking for a tool that checks the SHOUTcast info for an online radio stream (more than one stream would be nice, but is probably a lot harder to code) every x minutes (as specified in the settings/.ini), and would notify the user with a sound and/or popup notice (selectable in the settings/.ini) when specific keywords/phrases (as listed in the settings/.ini) fully or partially match the "Current Song" info (see http://stream2.jungletrain.net:8000/ for an example of such stream info; this is a good station to test the code on, because they publish the upcoming live shows at http://jungletrain.net/shows).

It would only do so during the times specified (in the settings/.ini).

Other feature ideas:
- display the most recent "Current Song" when you hover over its tray icon
- allow the user to choose if he wants to be notified by a tray bubble or a 'in your face' popup
- allow the user to start his favorite player directly from the popup

For obvious reasons "SHoutcast Information Tool" might not be the best name for this, but how about "SHOUTcast Radio Notifier"? It's unknown to Google as of now.

58

Living Room / Rip a CD to Compact Flash/SD/... without a PC - is there such a gadget?

« on: January 26, 2011, 10:03 AM »

Hi,

in a discussion with an elderly friend he expressed a 'need' for a gadget he could use on vacation to rip a music CD to a Compact Flash or some other memory card without having to use a PC. I exclaimed "in China, they build *everything*!", but a Google search later didn't turn up anything...

Is there such a thing out there?

59

Finished Programs / DONE: RandomPlayer - play a mp3 file at (almost) random intervals

« on: January 23, 2011, 12:51 PM »

Hi,

I'm looking for a simple program to play a mp3 file at almost random intervals throughout the day. Couldn't find something like that with Google.

'Nice to have' options would be:
- daily start time and end time (limiting the 'operating hours')
- minimum time (in minutes) that needs to pass before it plays the file again
- maximum time

So if I'd set "min" to 10 minutes and "max" to 30 minutes, it might play the file again after 14 minutes, then again after 11, and then again after 25. Etc.

Bonus options I'd like:
- an option to set the volume
- ability to have it play more than one file (in ABC order or randomly)
- an optional toaster or tray area bubble notification that announces that it will play the/a mp3 in x seconds (the amount of seconds being customizable)

Oh, and a low CPU usage is much appreciated!

60

General Software Discussion / Karen's Directory Printer - copy content of a directory to txt file or print it

« on: January 22, 2011, 10:11 AM »

Hi,

I couldn't find such a program quickly by searching the forums, so I used Google. I installed quite a few programs to try them, and the best one I found is Karen's Directory Printer. It was mentioned on the site before*, but with different descriptions.

You can see a screenshot and a bit more info here: http://www.karenware...ertools/ptdirprn.asp

I like that it's free and quite flexible, and most features are intuitively usable. It offers Windows explorer (right-click on menu) integration and you can either print the results or save it to a .txt file.

Just wanted to let you know about this.


* https://www.donation...;s+Directory+Printer

61

Living Room / I need advice: which laptop to buy?

« on: January 17, 2011, 06:26 AM »

Hi,

I'm looking for a new 15" TFT laptop and with roughly 105282443 different models on the market, I need your help!

- what I need it for: web, office, DVD watching (no gaming, no video editing)
- ~15" TFT (I think I have 15.6" now)
- not sure if I need a LED display, I mostly use an external TFT anyway
- I really dislike those reflecting displays (I forgot what it's called)
- no idea what CPU I should aim for (my current laptop has a Pentium Dual T2330 @ 1.60 GHz, and with Vista it sometimes feels a bit sluggish)
- I'd like Windows 7, I'm not open to Linux, Apple or whatever
- lots of RAM would be good since I love to run TONS of programs at the same time (got 4 GB now)
- I'm considering one with a ~120 GB SSD drive (because of speed, energy, noise, and heat)
- I like cool and quiet computers, and while my ex gf's laptop was both of that, mine is heating up a lot more, and is thus (thanks to the fan) not as quiet.
- the fan should run continuously if needed, not "on/off/on/off/..." like in some newer models (I think it was the cheaper DELL models and some other makes)
- battery life is not so important, as I found I rarely use it where there's no plug, but I like to be able to take it along when I travel or visit someone
- weight is not important
- a price tag of up to $1000 would be ok, less than that perfect (you might be able to convince me to spend more, but I'd really prefer not to)

None of the laptops I saw being advertised over the last months came with a SSD drive, would I need to have this one custom-built? Or is there something out there that's a fit?

Any pointers or feedback welcome!

62

Living Room / most weird Ctrl key issue *ever*?

« on: January 05, 2011, 10:30 AM »

Hi,

since a week or two ago I have this really strange Ctrl key issue... it *sometimes* stops working as a qualifier key (in combination with the up/down cursor keys). I noticed it in two different programs. First I thought my keyboard was failing, but it's the same thing with a different keyboard.

The really weird thing is that I can't reproduce it at will. Right now it's not working for example, but it might work again in 5 minutes. Or in two hours. I didn't spot a pattern. (Sometimes I seem to be able to get it to work again by restarting the program I want to use it in, but not always.)

Any ideas?

63

General Software Discussion / what's wrong with my PC? (it's often soooo slow)

« on: September 22, 2010, 10:32 AM »

Hi folks,

since a few weeks my PC sometimes behaves weird: programs (and the mouse cursor) freeze for a few seconds, Skype conversations (or youtube videos) come to a screeching (or crackling) halt (they sometimes recover after 20 to 30 seconds). Sometimes Vista even totally freezes. If I want a regular Skype conversation I now have to shut down Chrome before I start Skype. Even typing this is randomly slowed down/paused for a few seconds. Sucks.

It's as if the HD can't keep up... and defrag doesn't help. I can't connect the beginning of the problems with any action I took - I didn't install new software or hardware.

I'm curious if you have any ideas...

64

General Software Discussion / new email notifier that only reports specific emails with popup and sound?

« on: August 02, 2010, 07:27 AM »

Hi,

over the years I tried quite a few email notifiers (and currently I don't use any because I get so many emails). Now I'm looking for one that only reports specific emails (for example if the sender's name matches a specific string - I like Gmail's filter rules!). Is there something like that out there, in a perfect world with support for sticky popup* and sound notifications?

Freeware/shareware if possible, if it's really good I'm willing to buy it too.

*Like in Google calendar after you activate the Gentle Reminders (Settings -> Labs). They pop up, but do NOT take focus (they don't interrupt your workflow, they pop up - gently - in the right buttom corner of your screen).

65

General Software Discussion / how to monitor a website for changes? (moving from WebMon to web-based service)

« on: July 13, 2010, 09:01 AM »

Hi,

in the past I used WebMon (http://www.markwell....ternet.co.uk/webmon/) to monitor some websites/pages for news and updates. Now I'm looking for a free service that does that (almost) in real time - once a day is not enough - and sends me an email if there's an update. I'm willing to accept ads in that email, and I only need one page to be monitored.

Is there any such service that doesn't just report once a day? Thanks in advance!

66

General Software Discussion / print to PDF stationery / merge files?

« on: May 30, 2010, 06:08 AM »

Hi,

I (seemingly) found a solution to my question at http://answers.googl...dview/id/779573.html - but when I tried that, the result doesn't look so hot... the stationery (a PDF file that looks great by itself) I was using looked kinda crappy (fuzzy) in the resulting PDF when pdfedit995 (http://www.pdf995.com/pdfedit.html) printed the text on it (from Word). The text itself (in the resulting PDF) looks very clean... strange.

Any ideas?

67

General Software Discussion / Windows Vista: tool for hiding program icons from the task bar wanted

« on: March 30, 2010, 03:02 AM »

Hi,

I want to have some programs run 24/7, but need to use their taskbar icon only very rarely. So I want to hide it to save some screen space. I once tried a few tools to do the job, but none worked REALLY well. Some just didn't work on Vista, others would do the job now, but wouldn't do it correctly after a reboot.

What tools can you recommend? Freeware/donationware/postcardware/etc. if possible.

68

Living Room / selective attention test videos (students passing a ball, etc.)

« on: March 24, 2010, 12:47 PM »

Hi,

you might know the famous video @ http://www.youtube.c.../watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo (students passing a ball; if not, watch it!), I'm searching for the video where some fictional crime scene in a living room is shown, and things change while the camera shows other areas of the room - and you don't notice it (or only a few things).

I loved it (I think it was actually a commercial from the UK, about noticing kids or people on bikes in traffic... has been a while), but can't find it anymore... who could point me to it?

(PS: It wasn't as bloody as the ones like http://www.youtube.c.../watch?v=a44AnA6_-2o)

69

Living Room / designer for business cards needed, LIMITED TIME

« on: March 14, 2010, 07:36 AM »

Hi,

I just found out there's an important event on Thursday, and I need new business cards for that. Since the online 'ready-made' design offers that I found won't ship in time, I have the choice between asking the local printer to print some boring one (basically only text, no real design) and looking for someone to design one for me (nothing *too* fancy needed, but my designer 'skills' are limited to putting clipart in Word documents).

I'm willing to pay, but I can't pay a lot (if I could I'd just call a local designer I worked with in the past). Any takers? The job needs to be completed within the next 24 to 48 hours (I'll only find out when exactly after I can reach printers tomorrow), we would handle the details by email and Skype.

Thanks in advance for any input.

70

General Software Discussion / Google Chrome + download manager?

« on: March 13, 2010, 05:48 AM »

Hi,

(what feels like) ages ago I used Firefox with an extension (if I recall correctly) and the download manager FlashGet. On a webpage, you could do things like press some hotkey or click something (not sure, it's been a while...) and then it would automatically grab all the linked files of a specific extension from that page.

Is there some solution like that for Google Chrome too?

71

Screenshot Captor / SC v2.78.01 bug: umlauts (öäü) in page titles

« on: January 02, 2010, 04:31 AM »

Hi,

I saw that the v2.78.01 (and possibly earlier versions too) has this bug: an umlaut in a browser page title is not correctly put into the file name on capture. Example: capturing a web page called "Müde" results into "M_de 001.png"

72

UrlSnooper / who would URL snoop a page for me?

« on: January 01, 2010, 08:15 AM »

Hi and a happy new year!

Who would URL snoop 4 links for me? I tried many times to get UrlSnooper to work on my PC, but without success...

I'd prefer if you are also a long-term user of this site who I can trust.

73

Screenshot Captor / Auto Move Older Screenshots suggestions

« on: January 01, 2010, 08:12 AM »

Hi,

I got to know about this feature when SC suddenly started to re-arrange my files!

I started to like it, but I suggest these features:
- allow to specify the folder the files are being moved to (Screenshot Folder and Tools preferences) instead of just using "OLDER"
- as an alternative to have SC create sub-folders in the "OLDER" directory, have an option to just move all files in that folder (without subdirectories)

More general suggestions:
- allow the user to use the ESC key to close the Preferences window (especially if nothing was changed)
- if SC is already running in the 'tray' and you run SC again, make SC open its GUI (as if double-clicking the 'tray' icon)

74

General Software Discussion / how to kill / restart Google Chrome?

« on: October 07, 2009, 10:50 AM »

Hi,

I really like Google Chrome, the only thing I couldn't figure out is how to quickly kill* / restart it... since it uses lots of processes (to prevent itself from going down completely when a tab freezes) I can't just kill one process like I could with Firefox.

Any ideas?

*to free up some needed memory

75

General Software Discussion / set external TFT's brightness etc. with software?

« on: June 06, 2009, 04:18 PM »

Hi,

is it possible to set an external TFT's brightness etc. with software? External = connected to a notebook. Is there freeware for this? Other recommendations?

Or do I HAVE TO use the TFT's menu?

Why I ask? I find that at night I need the screen to be less bright, and it would be a hassle to switch it twice a day manually.