Messages

226

Non-Windows Software / Re: Pale Moon browser now available on Android

« on: April 18, 2015, 10:24 AM »

Well, that's that. Pale Moon for Android has been discontinued.

I blame 4wd. Development was going great until he started this thread. 

227

General Software Discussion / Re: Comodo Internet Security -- a cautionary tale?

« on: April 12, 2015, 12:03 PM »

Coming into this thread late, but hopefully I can contribute something.

To address the problem you had with Comodo towards the end, oblivion, I believe Microsoft provided a way inside Action Center to change the way notifications are presented regarding what Windows thinks is and and isn't installed on your system in the way of security software. That would be an acceptable temporary solution until you can report the problem and Comodo can fix it. It's their responsibility to report the abilities of their software to Windows so Windows can accurately report the abilities to you.

Comodo probably introduced a bug in the way things are reported. Of course, Comodo just may think a person is always going to use their full suite and didn't even consider someone may not want to use everything they provide. Another thing you may try is see if there's a way to reinstall the suite with just the security component(s) you'd like.

As for MSE, there is no way on God's green Earth that MSE could be described as "good enough" by any stretch of the word by modern standards. Microsoft cut funding to MSE years ago and it has really started to show in the last year or so. I have seen, with my own eyes, systems get infected in real-time while the MSE system tray icon stayed green the entire time. Proceeding to then do an in-depth scan turning up *nothing* unusual all while browser windows are popping up on your screen stating your computer *may* be infected, dialogs for bogus Adobe Flash updates, etc.

Use MSE only if you are solely concerned with finding cracks and keygens on your system as that seems to be the only thing Microsoft is issuing signature updates to protect users from these days.

228

General Software Discussion / Re: You can now run Android apps on a Mac or PC with Google Chrome

« on: April 11, 2015, 04:35 PM »

I forgot to mention in my original post that running Android apps on your PC is nothing new...and you don't even need to be running Chrome to do it.

BlueStacks and AndY have allowed one to do that for quite some time & they are free. There's even an article over on HowToGeek that mentions a couple other ways to do it as well.

229

General Software Discussion / Re: TrueCrypt alternative

« on: April 04, 2015, 09:24 PM »

Please note that it has only been partially audited (last time I checked, anyway, several months ago. Haven't heard any news about the audit, but haven't followed up, either.

-f0dder (April 04, 2015, 01:24 PM)

I'm going by the linked article that Midnight Rambler posted above on April 3rd. The article, written by Jared Newman, states that the audit has come to a close. TrueCrypt has been deemed to be totally secure with the exception of some minor glitches. He covers those glitches in detail and outlines what the forks are doing to correct them.

Windows/NTFS has way more fine-grained access control than you find on your typical *u*x, but other than that, yeah. Kinda.

I decided not to go there with Windows/NTFS because those who want s00per-sekrit file encryption are the same people who do not trust Microsoft. So to echo your sentiment....yeah. Kinda.

230

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 Announced

« on: April 04, 2015, 09:57 AM »

^^ chromium had a command line switch to limit the number of exe instances.  It was something about max render whatever.  I searched for a similar switch in google chrome.  I couldn't find it.  Like right now I have 5 tabs open and there are 11 exe instances running.  It is fast though. 

-MilesAhead (April 03, 2015, 09:56 AM)

Has to be fast so it can be quick enough to send all your browser activity back to the mothership in real-time.

Sorry...couldn't resist.

231

General Software Discussion / Re: Best Windows 7 desktop background changer?

« on: April 04, 2015, 09:47 AM »

I do not understand why is it so difficult? Is not it easier, periodically, to take a new wallpaper from the network? In Google's full of them. And sites like this http://lafozi.com/us-en/ enough. For example, I change the background of your desktop once a month and no program for that I do not need.

-Klyaaleksej (April 03, 2015, 03:08 PM)

This is reviving an old thread, but you have a valid question. Some people like the joy (and surprise) of having a new desktop wallpaper image every time they view the desktop. It might bring a smile to an otherwise dull or trying day.

I am not one of those people...my desktop wallpaper is either dark gray or black. I keep toying with the idea of setting something like this up, but never get around to it.

232

General Software Discussion / Re: TrueCrypt alternative

« on: April 04, 2015, 09:44 AM »

I'm very pleased to hear that TrueCrypt has been audited and deemed secure. I mostly use it to keep out the casually curious than to keep anything 'super important' secure so I can accept the possibility that things might leak into the hibernation and paging files. The casually curious don't have the skills to capitalize on that. However, I'll be watching the forks with interest.

However, for those who do have 'super important' stuff to secure or those who are exceptionally paranoid or security-conscious, something Linux-based or OpenBSD-based is the only way to go. No. Really. It *is* the *only* way to go. Open source, the ability to compile everything yourself, security permissions down to the per-file level are just a few of the tools for the security-minded individual to protect what he feels is worth protecting.

233

General Software Discussion / Re: You can now run Android apps on a Mac or PC with Google Chrome

« on: April 04, 2015, 09:31 AM »

Even Facebook is turning evil, but we developers can not ignore them.

-anandcoral (April 04, 2015, 05:05 AM)

Turning evil? The very first building block of Facebook's foundation was built upon evil deeds from the very beginning. The only difference that the passage of time has had is that more people are finally starting to notice and/or care.

However, that aside, you made an excellent point. Developers have to go where the market is. Without a market you are on the unemployment line.

234

General Software Discussion / Re: Busy Body Browsers

« on: April 04, 2015, 09:26 AM »

The people who implement things like this do have their hearts in the right place. However, generally speaking, people are stupid. They will click through any message, no matter how strongly worded, in order to have a chance to see the latest, hottest celebrity du jour naked or to have a chance at scoring music or software for free.

Wording the message stronger or making the process to get to the "I accept the risks. Download anyway." option more difficult to coerce the user into reading the warning only results in the users moving to browsers that are easier to use to download stuff.

The only real solution, which isn't really a solution, would be to bundle a full-blown malware/AV into the browser so only genuine threats were flagged, but who in the world would want to tackle that coding job, ongoing maintenance, *and* listening to critics declare your browser as bloatware?

I'd love to see a browser with a dialog that had two buttons. One displayed a thumbs up to download. The other displayed a thumbs down to cancel. The dialog would simply read "Idiots gonna be idiots. YOLO"

Now I want someone to code a Firefox/Pale Moon extension that does that.

235

Living Room / Re: MS-DOS Mobile

« on: April 02, 2015, 08:01 PM »

Ooo! I see a market for QEMMM(obile)!

236

Living Room / Re: Why are car stereos so flimsy?

« on: April 02, 2015, 08:00 PM »

Well, there's always the generic reason....every manufacturer of everything on the planet is looking to cut corners. Every new generation of every product is more flimsy & more cheaply made than the last.

There are exceptions to that rule, but not nearly enough.

237

General Software Discussion / Re: Notice on every shutdown? Norton WSC Integration may be culprit

« on: April 02, 2015, 07:56 PM »

Of course there is the conventional wisdom that if you're silly enough to install Norton on your computer you must be a glutton for punishment. 

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General Software Discussion / Re: Notice on every shutdown? Norton WSC Integration may be culprit

« on: March 31, 2015, 08:16 PM »

Those who don't have it to spare have to spend time.

-MilesAhead (March 31, 2015, 05:42 AM)

Agreed...but sometimes there's also the challenge just to see if you can fix it.

239

Developer's Corner / Re: Best programming language to pick up for applications?

« on: March 31, 2015, 08:15 PM »

The advantage people learning now would have is that OOP is not this new foreign way of thinking about coding.

-MilesAhead (March 31, 2015, 02:37 PM)

Miles, you are absolutely right. Not is OOP old hat, but it is the preferred, 'modern' way of doing things now. Maybe I'm the odd one out, but when people say C++ is difficult to learn and master, I have to say I found it to be quite easy, but I've got a 'big picture' way of thinking. I can look at a whole and easily break it down into modular components.

To be fair, I'm discovering not everyone thinks in that fashion. As I tackle learning IT project management, I'm finding a lot of people can't 'zoom out' their vision far enough to see how everything is intertwined & I suppose C++ is like that as well.

I guess the takeaway from this post is to choose a programming language that matches how you process thoughts. Everyone processes thoughts differently, no one way more correct than the other.

240

Living Room / Re: Anyone getting a Pebble Time?

« on: March 30, 2015, 06:44 PM »

nosh, if we want to talk about smartwatch aesthetics I really like the looks of the Asus ZenWatch. Of course, aesthetics are a subjective, personal thing.

241

General Software Discussion / Re: Notice on every shutdown? Norton WSC Integration may be culprit

« on: March 30, 2015, 06:41 PM »

A new machine == A new reinstalling of Windows in my book.

242

Developer's Corner / Re: Best programming language to pick up for applications?

« on: March 29, 2015, 12:03 PM »

When fulfilling the requirements for my college degree, I was tasked with choosing a programming language to learn. If I recall correctly, the choices were C++, C#, and Python. Python, while powerful, is (what I call) a scripting language in that it is not compiled so I figured I could easily learn it on my own later.

This left C++ and C#. I scoured the internet looking for opinions. C# sharp truly rocks, but I got the idea it was kind of unto itself. Therefore, I went with C++ because a lot of people mentioned that what you learn there can be easily applied to other programming languages. Some may say C++ is a difficult language, but even though I had only learned BASIC many, many years ago, I took right to it. Put yourself in the right frame of mind and it's like playing with Legos.

People in the thread are recommending AHK and AutoIt, but...that doesn't make sense. If you are wishing to make full-blown applications and games from scratch...like your OP sounds like, then you don't want either of those. However, if someone can point me to a first-person shooter written from the ground up in AHK or AutoIt, I'll gladly change my stance.

You know Java. You know Visual Studio. Java is not going away anytime soon. There are worse ways to spend your time than advancing your Java knowledge. However, if you wish to broaden your horizons, C++ is an awesome way to do it. My college instructor would show us the C++ way of doing things & then, just to show a contrast, he'd show us the Java way. It was 90% identical most of the time.

I tell everyone if you learn C++ not only will you be learning a programming language, but you will also learn valuable problem-solving skills you will be able to apply to your everyday life.

243

Living Room / Re: New Bill Would Repeal Patriot Act

« on: March 29, 2015, 11:39 AM »

I am an American, but once I realized the only difference between political candidates is what they promise before they into office, but once they do get into office they do everything the same way their predecessors did, I quickly lost any interest in politics.

I think I was 12.

244

Living Room / Re: TV shows thread

« on: March 29, 2015, 11:34 AM »

The 12 Monkeys movie was so damn good, I decided against watching the show.  

-nosh (March 28, 2015, 10:38 AM)

Big mistake...they have taken a "How the heck is this going to work?" concept and turned it into something that is definitely worth watching. I was very surprised.

Black Sails (Starz drama about pirates) is also good viewing - I've loved every Starz show I've watched so far.

For those that don't know, Black Sails takes the crazy position of taking the characters from the classic novel Treasure Island (Yes! Long John Silver), setting the clock back 20 years before the events in the novel take place and chronicles how Captain Flint first encounters Long John Silver. Oh, and they throw in a very liberal dose of real, historical pirates into the mix. Anyone who likes pirates and/or swashbuckling should give it a go.

I'm about to start watching Outlander soon (another Starz show) - I haven't read the book(s?) or watched the movie(s?) so know very little about the premise but I've got a good feeling about it.

Don't know if my reply will reach you in time to save you. Most of the promo material for the show leaves out the "Harlequin Romance Novel" parts of the plot-line. Then again...maybe you like romance novels?

245

Living Room / Re: TV shows thread

« on: March 29, 2015, 11:15 AM »

There's a certain amount of 'liberty' that Darabont has taken from the comics, and in some cases it changes the story in very ... charged ways.  Really not looking forward to it like I formerly was.

-wraith808 (March 29, 2015, 08:18 AM)

It's important that these liberties you speak of are taken with the blessing of Robert Kirkman, the creator of the comic book. In a lot of cases, these liberties are solely Kirkman's ideas to change things that he was decidedly not happy with the way they turned out in the comic. Other changes are made to give Kirkman and crew opportunities to explore paths not taken.

Does every alteration strike gold? No, but every path explored in the comic didn't, either. If the  TV show were a 100% accurate adaptation of the comic book I would still watch. However, my enjoyment would be lessened because there'd be no suspense in what came next. I'd always know what was around the next corner.

At least this way I have two different, excellent stories with the same strong cast of characters (more or less) and I can enjoy one freely without worry of encountering spoilers for the other. Just think of the TV show as being an alternate universe.

246

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 Announced

« on: March 29, 2015, 11:02 AM »

The Anti-Climax Known as Windows 10  John C. Dvorak  PCMag.com

-Arizona Hot (March 27, 2015, 01:22 PM)

I've been waiting for years for someone to write The Anti-Climax Known as John C. Dvorak.

247

General Software Discussion / Re: Notice on every shutdown? Norton WSC Integration may be culprit

« on: March 29, 2015, 11:00 AM »

I guess the obvious questions are what does WSC stand for? And what does this task supposedly do?

248

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Logitech G910 Keyboard Review

« on: March 24, 2015, 09:41 PM »

The G910 caught my eye the minute it was released as well, but I quickly lost interest for some of the reasons you mentioned.

They removed the LCD panel.
They removed the USB pass-through
They made it more flimsy.

...and after those minuses....

They raised the price. Bah, I said, and passed on buying it.

Having said that, I am actively using a Logitech K800 keyboard, a Logitech G700 gaming mouse, and a Logitech T650 Trackpad with the SetPoint, Gaming Software, and Unifying software all installed and it all just works. Sits in my system tray and stays out of the way with no memory leaks, but I haven't gotten any cutting edge hardware, either. Every Logitech peripheral I own has been out for a while and there's been time to get any bugs worked out.

249

General Software Discussion / Re: WinPatrol going subscription

« on: March 24, 2015, 09:26 PM »

At the last big sale, when I finally caved and bought a license to both WinPatrol and WinPrivacy, there was blurbage to the fact that a subscription model was probably coming down the pike, sooner rather than later.

That time has finally come. Lots of software devs have to do it. The fact that the software changed hands before it happened is largely irrelevant. At the prices he's charging and the volume of licenses he most likely is moving, he's not going to get rich any time soon, either.

That he gave a warning so far in advance is extremely fair. He's now giving a second warning now that the transition time is bearing down upon us. Anyone who wants a lifetime license can go buy one right now. With the crazy way the economy has been acting the last few years....the recession a while back, the crazy-cheap gas prices in the U.S. right now, I don't see how anyone can accurately plan anything into any campaign without the aid of a working crystal ball.....and if you've got one of those, you aren't gonna waste your time writing shareware.

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General Software Discussion / Re: MxNitro Browser

« on: March 22, 2015, 07:44 PM »

I don't see how you can get, or would want to be, more bare bones than Pale Moon in its out-of-the-box configuration. Anything more bare bones than that and you're just holding yourself back for minimal gains.