Messages

276

Living Room / Kick procrastination's ass: Run a dash [2005]

« on: August 02, 2011, 05:13 AM »

One of the best articles I've ever read, you MUST read this. Fully.

My favorite tonic for procrastination—which I have mentioned in passing previously—is what I call a dash, which is simply a short burst of focused activity during which you force yourself to do nothing but work on the procrastinated item for a very short period of time—perhaps as little as just one minute. By breaking a few tiny pebbles off of your perceived monolith, you end up psyching yourself out of your stupor, as well as making much-needed progress on your overdue project. Neat, huh?

from http://www.43folders...tions-ass-run-a-dash

277

Living Room / Why My Mom Bought an Android, Returned It, and Got an iPhone

« on: August 02, 2011, 04:59 AM »

Seeing the basically useless state of the phone on initial boot, I told my mother that I’d take the phone for an hour or so and give it back to her “cleaned up.” I deleted apps. I configured notifications. I set up accounts. None of it was easy, and every step of the way I ran into really bizarre problems. The elegant Google widgets that come with stock Android were stripped out of the phone. The camera app, besides looking like it had been designed in 1995, just wouldn’t rotate when I turned the phone on its side. Apps that worked on my Droid Incredible crashed as soon as I opened them on the Charge. After about an hour of poking and prodding the battery had dropped from 95% to 50%. Completely frustrated, I turned to the internet, where confused users were posting questions with titles like “Should my battery last more than 6 hours?” and “I think my phone is broken…”

from http://www.betabeat....t-and-got-an-iphone/

278

Living Room / Re: A tad paranoid when it comes to installing software?

« on: August 01, 2011, 05:23 AM »

Who ever thinks this is a good idea, to make people more paranoid about installing (your) software.

279

General Software Discussion / Re: Looking for advice, tips, wisdom: Adding my 1st Mac into the [tech] family...

« on: July 30, 2011, 10:03 AM »

I heard front row has been removed from Lion.

280

AutoHotkey / Re: Hide Gui Buttons previously created

« on: July 29, 2011, 08:30 AM »

Got it to work Great.

Code: Autohotkey [Select]

1. Errorlevel =
2. GuiControl,Enable,btn1%a_index%
3.                 If ErrorLevel
4.                         Gui, Add, Button, vbtn1%a_index%, %ButtonLabel%
5.                 Else
6.                 {
7.                         GuiControl,Text,btn1%a_index%,%ButtonLabel%
8.                         GuiControl,Show,btn1%a_index%
9.                 }

I'm still not sure why I removed the variables initially, so will do serious testing.. Thanks so much skwire sometimes  AHK just lacks a simple example.

281

AutoHotkey / Re: Hide Gui Buttons previously created

« on: July 29, 2011, 08:09 AM »

Thanks, sorry that was lazy typing I meant GuiControl. However, my buttons to not have variables assigned to them for a specific reason I cannot remember why, is there a way to do it without?

282

AutoHotkey / Hide Gui Buttons previously created

« on: July 29, 2011, 07:37 AM »

In a loop I create a bunch of buttons with the following code:
Code:

Code: Autohotkey [Select]

1. Gui, Add, Button, gButtonDestinationSelect HWNDButtonDestinationSelect%a_index%, %ButtonLabel%

Later on I want to hide/disable all these buttons using GuiControlGet, Hide but I'm not able to 'point' to these buttons, could anyone write a quick example?

283

Living Room / It's Time to Fix Subversion Merge

« on: July 28, 2011, 07:22 AM »

This month we launched a project to fix Subversion merge.  Subversion fills a need for simplicity and team synchronization.  It also has an advantage handling large files and repositories.  However, there is one thing about Subversion that definitely sucks:  Merging.

We've started work with the Apache Subversion team to fix the merge in a way that will be compatible with existing servers and clients.  Once this is released, we will be able to bring great modern workflows to Subversion, including contributor branching and merging, merge requests, code reviews, etc.  We'll future-proof your existing Subversion repository and accelerate your development.

from Assembla blog

284

Living Room / Re: 64 Bit OS - When to Switch ?

« on: July 28, 2011, 06:11 AM »

What is the best bit os 64bit or 32bit for 2gb of ram?

-Alexcosta (July 28, 2011, 05:59 AM)

as is? 32bit as long as you are not going to upgrade it over 4GB though...

285

General Software Discussion / Re: Best Twitter client?

« on: July 28, 2011, 05:20 AM »

Also replaced seesmic with metrotwit. Seems a bit less infodense, which is good. Got freaking mad with 6 accounts on seesmic with all the columns.

286

Living Room / software trials

« on: July 25, 2011, 05:21 AM »

Some software is feature limited, some is time limited, some don't have a demo at all (?). For software that you ended up buying after trying it first, what type of trial did it have?

287

General Software Discussion / Re: How necessary is the UAC in Windows 7?

« on: July 21, 2011, 03:33 AM »

It will not be compatible with Windows 7 because that didn't exist at the time of making MX2004. Since then we've had Dreamweaver CS, Dreamweaver CS2, Dreamweaver CS3, Dreamweaver CS4, Dreamweaver CS5.

288

General Software Discussion / Re: How necessary is the UAC in Windows 7?

« on: July 20, 2011, 07:26 AM »

Any malware that changes your hosts file will be able to do so without you getting prompted if you turn off UAC. This file can only be edited as an administrator, and when changed could make it look like you are on a certain website (say paypal) while in reality you are using some one elses.

You could combine the prompts if you run both from another UAC'ed process (not sure if you can elevate a batch file)

289

Developer's Corner / Re: md5 / sha1 hashes What's the point?

« on: July 20, 2011, 04:13 AM »

Your point makes sense mouser, and this is the first time I heard about posting hash files in multiple places. Who ever checks that hashes are identical in multiple locations though before checking the download hash matches it? If that is what is required then I think the practicality of someone correctly using hashes is close to zero. How does someone know the other locations that store the hash file? A hacker could simple change the link to another site it controls, so now you need to verify the locations as well as the hash files. *head explodes*

290

Developer's Corner / md5 / sha1 hashes What's the point?

« on: July 20, 2011, 03:26 AM »

I sometimes see md5/sha1 hashes available to check programs/isos against. What is the point of them?

I know they can be used to verify that the program/software was downloaded without crc errors, but any good installer checks its contents for this before installing, and I've not had any crc errors for years in downloads. Hashes supposedly can tell you if the file has been tampered with, as I read the other day where an author's downloads were manipulated and they said: Always check your hashes. However surely it's trivial to change the webpage where the hash is listed or the hash file itself? How do you know that the person that made the installer and the hash file are the same person and are in fact the correct author of the download? So in my view it's not any help in this area either.

I must be missing something, so I ask: what is a good use of these hashes?

291

Finished Programs / Re: Host Editor 7 - Hassle free host editing for Win7-XP

« on: July 20, 2011, 03:21 AM »

Nice solution if you want a bit of extra functionality!

292

N.A.N.Y. 2012 / NANY 2012 Feed and promotion widgets

« on: July 18, 2011, 09:54 AM »

I'm sure you won't want to miss any NANY 2012 updates, so I hacked together the 2012 NANY Feed:
Subscribe here: NANY 2012 Feed

You can find get widgets, JSON data, or even sign up for phone and email alerts if you use the Yahoo Pipe for this feed. Click on other options then email alerts for this.

293

Finished Programs / Host Editor 7 - Hassle free host editing for Win7-XP

« on: July 18, 2011, 09:17 AM »

15:03:50 - me: anyone knows a host editor app that works under windows 7
15:04:51 - me: fed up trying to first find the hosts file, then not being able to save because I again forgot to run notepad with admin privileges.

Code: Autohotkey [Select]

1. ; HostEditor7 - Host Editor that runs under windows XP to windows 7.
2. ; Requires AutoHotkey v1.0.92.01+ and Windows XP or higher (untested)
3. #NoEnv
4. SetWorkingDir %A_ScriptDir%
5. if not A_IsAdmin
6. {
7.    Run *RunAs "%A_ScriptFullPath%"
8.    ExitApp
9. }
10. Run, notepad.exe %A_WinDir%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

294

General Software Discussion / Re: BrowserID - Mozilla's solution to the password problem

« on: July 17, 2011, 06:47 AM »

There's real confusion about BrowserID. The website popup is a stopgap. Browser vendors and email providers will implement a key exchange system so that sites can ask the email provider if the person using the browser is a certain identity. With browser and email provider support,  all you need to do once it is setup is click the sign in button and cryptographically things get checked and you get logged in. This will be a password replacement that is more secure than the current systems, easier to use than openid, and not any more privacy threathening then any login system. at the moment the BrowserID popup is an stopgap.

If you want to read common misconceptions check this thread:
http://news.ycombina....com/item?id=2764824

How browserid differs from openid:
http://identity.mozi...-differs-from-openid

How browserid works from a technical perspective:
http://lloyd.io/how-browserid-works

295

General Software Discussion / Re: BrowserID - Mozilla's solution to the password problem

« on: July 17, 2011, 06:26 AM »

Flaw : Even if we use 'Do not Track' feature then using BrowserID will make geo-targeting/cookie behavior for ad networks simple. They don't even need IP of the computer because it is like SSN no matter where person moves he/she is identifiable for the advertising+browsing behavior based on browserID.   I don't know if browserID expects personal information name/age/gender in their profiles or account but if they do then chances are there that the flaw which i mentioned is going to pop up in future.

-mahesh2k (July 16, 2011, 11:48 AM)

Not any simpler than the alternative where you sign in to the service after setting do not track.

BrowserID protects the privacy of your Web activity
With BrowserID, by design, your identity providers are not involved in the login transaction. This means they need not be aware of your entire Web activity, a significant privacy advantage. With OpenID, your identity provider is, unfortunately, a necessary participant in the login flow.

296

General Software Discussion / Re: Software to share To-Do lists?

« on: July 15, 2011, 03:44 AM »

https://workflowy.com/ supports sharing of lists, either in view or edit mode. Just hover over part of a list section's bulletpoint and choose share. Amazing program.

297

Living Room / Re: I am so sick of google's search result urls with tracking info

« on: July 14, 2011, 05:41 AM »

And then finally one that worked (thanks sri and Lashiec!):

• Google Tracking-B-Gone

-mouser (July 13, 2011, 09:49 PM)

This script works perfectly in Google Chrome too.

298

General Software Discussion / Re: EA has purchased PopCap

« on: July 13, 2011, 08:10 AM »

I'm disappointed... $1.3 billion only.

299

DcUpdater / Re: DcuHelper.exe v1.10 (7/12/11) - Update checking for your apps (dcupdater compat)

« on: July 13, 2011, 04:54 AM »

Okay the issue I'm having is that DcuHelper can only point you to the website or point to DcUpdater, but not the update file itself directly, ie the button points to the WebPage xml element.
What if I want to make the update available in app but not want people to find it from the website? Then people would be forced to install DcUpdater in order to get to the executable.

So the ability to set the 'destination' of that first button in DcuHelper would be appreciated, by setting it in the .dcupdate file.

I can think of 3 options, if you wish to address the issue:
* dcupdate option DcuHelperUpdateUrl  that specifies either UpdateFile or WebPage as its value to choose from (as both the WebPage and the UpdateFile are already in the file) OR

-justice (July 07, 2011, 01:12 PM)

This is the elegenat solution. In this case a new element would be added called DcuHelperUpdateUrl  which would specifify the other element whose value should be used, so for the developer they could specify:
<DcuHelperUpdateUrl>UpdateFile</DcuHelperUpdateUrl>
or
<DcuHelperUpdateUrl>WebPage</DcuHelperUpdateUrl>

You would then reuse the UpdateFile|webPage  value as the destination for the button.

* a dcupdate or versionxml option that specifies DcuHelperUpdateUrl that points to an http address or a website thats get loaded in the browser.

-justice (July 07, 2011, 01:12 PM)

This is the easiest conceptually and the most flexible, simply specifiy a string instead (but that string is probably already specified in either the WebPage or UpdateFile elements.)
<DcuHelperUpdateUrl>http://example.com/download/update</DcuHelperUpdateUrl>

* use the webpage element as a url that can contain either html/binaries

-justice (July 07, 2011, 01:12 PM)

I could abuse the WebPage element that already exists and point that to the location of the update, but that will probably introduce unintended consequences.

And your suggestion is a fourth one, where you add another button but that would make the interface more complex.

300

General Software Discussion / Re: Software Mysteries (or: the rants and raves of a tech blogger)

« on: July 12, 2011, 06:22 AM »

Discovered excellent new programs via the Freeware Top 30 link there:
Mikogo, Sizer, Peazip, SuperCopier, SendToToys, DvdFlick..