Recent Posts

1251

Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone

« Last post by 4wd on September 27, 2016, 04:42 PM »

also, I read the screen is bad, any opinions?

-kalos (September 27, 2016, 01:07 PM)

Link?
there's lots of video reviews, especially out of India, on youtube -- I havent heard anything particularly negative about the screen, but maybe it depends on what you're comparing it with?

-tomos (September 27, 2016, 01:35 PM)

http://www.trustedre...-redmi-note-3-review

-kalos (September 27, 2016, 01:40 PM)

Different version, unless it's exactly the same then it's almost pointless - the RN2 has 3 different screen manufacturers for the one version.

It's his opinion, doesn't hold for anyone else, could just as easily be his eyesight.

I don't trust alibaba to buy from there,

Aliexpress is arguably better than eBay because of the AliPay system, all transactions are escrow - the seller doesn't get paid until you're satisfied. Dispute resolution is fast, I know, I've used it twice in the last two months.

I used in the past a similar chinese bullsht called ioffer

iOffer is nothing like Aliexpress or any of the other Chinese wholesale sites.  iOffer is also an American based company, (like eBay), so now we've cleared up that little misunderstanding it looks like you have nothing against Chinese retail/wholesale sites at all ... but based on past experience with iOffer, you should be wary of eBay.

by the way, what are the differences of the SE? is it really worth the hassle?

Since you're not going to help yourself, I suggest you walk into a store and buy a phone.

1252

Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone

« Last post by 4wd on September 27, 2016, 08:40 AM »

I know you must have done that a while back, but out of curiosity, what did you replace it with?

-tomos (September 27, 2016, 05:25 AM)

Tried a few but settled on Less is More 6.4.
Marshmallow build done by a 3rd party is on the way, if I didn't want a working compass then I'd give the Alpha a try.

XIAOMI have said Android 6 was coming to the RN2 but who knows when that will be, the MIUI developers are slowly working through the models.  If they didn't spend so much time trying to irreversibly intertwine their apps into the OS it would have been here sooner ... then again MTK aren't known for speedy releases of kernal source code which is why a phone with a Qualcomm CPU is better.
Still, an official release of Android 6 based MIUI would allow an alternative to be created that much easier since they can just grab the hardware drivers to incorporate rather than source from other similar specced phones where manufacturers have been a little more pro-active.

If you want to see what it takes to remove the "XIAOMI Ecosphere" from an RN2 and tweak battery life, etc, see here.  I did it but didn't like the result, (a couple of annoyingly obvious bugs), so I switched ROM.

Think I'll save my pennies for the RN3 SE (kate), since I travel overseas it'd be pretty close to the perfect phone at a good price point, (if only it had NFC also).

1253

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows Update MiniTool - Alternative To Windows Update In Windows 10

« Last post by 4wd on September 26, 2016, 09:09 PM »

@IainB: You need to point to the MajorGeeks WUMT page, the link you have for the download is session only and will result in 404.

http://www.majorgeek...update_minitool.html

1254

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 Announced

« Last post by 4wd on September 26, 2016, 09:04 PM »

I didn't realize that you could no longer easily go back to a previous version of Windows during the first 31 days (From Point 4 of the article). This will make me think twice before upgrading to Windows 10. Fortunately I keep my OS and Data on separate partitions, so the "Nuclear Option" of returning to Windows 7 is easier.

-exjoburger (September 26, 2016, 12:54 PM)

Just to clarify, I believe that's refering to the fact that you are now, (as of this date), more than 31 days past the end of the free upgrade period.  Therefore, if you took them up on the free upgrade at this point you can no longer revert to a previous version because that option no longer exists.

However, if you upgrade now you will have 31 days from now to determine if you want to stay with Windows 10, if you don't then you can revert to the previous OS.  But again, once the 31 days expires that option is removed.

I could be wrong, the info in that point is a bit ambiguous.

Just do a drive image backup before embarking upon the upgrade, then you can always replace Windows 10 with your current OS no matter if the 31 days has expired or not.

1255

Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone

« Last post by 4wd on September 26, 2016, 07:07 PM »

The EU XIAOMI forum releases a new version every Friday, it removes a lot of the unnecessary Chinese stuff, incorporates better multi-language support, etc, etc.

https://xiaomi.eu/co...hreads/6-9-22.34371/

You can see there that while the Redmi Note 3 is based on Android 5, the Redmi Note 3 PRO is Android 6.  And it's reasonably simple to flash them once TWRP is installed and getting that on is pretty easy too.

It's safer to refer to the board name that way you know exactly what model you're talking about, eg. hennesy = Redmi Note 3, kenzo = Redmi Note 3 PRO, kate = Redmi Note 3 Special Edition, etc

For me, MIUI just plain sucks - it's why I flashed my RN2 with something else. Plus the amount of screwing around to remove all the tracking, so being able to remove MIUI comes pretty close to item number 1 on the list w.r.t. a XIAOMI phone, (ie. hardware is good, the OS sucks ).

Some links:
XIAOMI Official ROMs
EU XIAOMI Weekly ROMs - Usually based on the developer build from XIAOMI.
sMiUI ROM Kitchen - Roll your own MIUI based ROM, remove MIUI stuff, add some things, etc.
NeedROMs (XIAOMI) - See what's available.
XDA Forums
OzBargain - Geared towards finding the best deal


@kalos: You need to determine the specs you want, not someone else. eg. Processor, RAM, colour, 4G bands, etc, etc and then YOU go search the internet until you have what you consider enough information to make an informed decision.

eg. The Redmi Note 3 Special Edition has 4G Band 28 (700MHz) because it's made for Taiwan but B28 is also used in Australia. This extra coverage makes this version more expensive but it would be worth it for me, doesn't mean it's worth it to you.

1256

Living Room / Re: HP "timebomb" prevents HP inkjet printers from using non-HP ink cartridges.

« Last post by 4wd on September 26, 2016, 06:07 AM »

I guess my aging Deskjet 932C (circa 2000) missed out on that update because it's still happily grinding away using non-HP cartridges on a Win10 machine

1257

Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone

« Last post by 4wd on September 26, 2016, 03:24 AM »

He I've made a list on ebay to cast your phone on tv. I've yet to make my mind.
http://www.ebay.co.u...0121014?roken=cUgayN

-kilele (September 23, 2016, 06:11 PM)

It's entirely up to you, set a price point then see what's available.  I'd go for at least 1GB of RAM (more RAM is better) and a quad-core processor, read on forums, see what's available in alternate firmware in case you want to play with it.  See what the one you're interested in is like for video playback, some stutter due to insufficient cores/RAM/etc, search the forums - it's pretty easy to find info using the model numbers.
Make sure it has the connectivity you want/need.

BTW, the Huawei Y550 would have doubled your RAM and the processor cores, IPS screen, and given you 4G LTE connectivity, (I also have one of those sitting here).  And it's a 1mm or less increase in dimensions all round.

Research, research, research 

I don't use mine for casting very much, (I have a WD TV Live if I want to watch stuff of the net/server), it was more for a portable mini media player since I can plug in a microSD card full of stuff to watch, or I can use it as a simple internet PC if I want to, say in hotels, etc.

Will these kind of mini android pcs mean the end of my days as Microsoft user?

That is also entirely up to you, I doubt I'll ever be able to run something like Sony Movie Studio on something like this.

1258

Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone

« Last post by 4wd on September 26, 2016, 02:57 AM »

Only buy a phone with the Android-based MIUI OS, (eg. XIAOMI), if you're willing to install another firmware, perform extensive setting modification, or willing to put up with chronic privacy invasion - FWIW, I have a XIAOMI Redmi Note 2 running non-standard firmware.

I recommend you get a phone with a Qualcomm processor, (ie. SnapDragon SoC), not MTK, as it is better supported by third party firmware, eg. CyanogenMod, and you'll get Android version updates a lot faster.

Besides that, you haven't said anything about your other needs, ie. Dual (4G) SIM, microSD, HD/FHD, battery life, network coverage, etc, etc.

XIAOMI just released the Redmi Note 3 Special Edition which has world-wide 4G band coverage, (and there's a CyanogenMod version available to install with a little fiddling).

Since you're in the UK: WileyFox

-4wd (September 22, 2016, 07:22 PM)

I am about to buy Xiaomi RedMi Note 3, but it doesn't have removable battery! that is a major con because after few months/years the battery loses its performance and needs replacement!

-kalos (September 25, 2016, 05:01 PM)

Obviously you can:
Battery
Tear down

DO NOT fall for the batteries that advertise a higher capacity than the standard BM46 - to have a higher capacity means it has to be a physically bigger battery, ie. it won't fit.  If it is the same dimensions then it probably means that the marked capacity is BS.  Do the research and buy from a reputable seller, check the XIAOMI forums, ask.

BTW, you do know there is multiple models of the Redmi Note 3 don't you?

Some with MTK X10 processor and some with a SnapDragon 650 processor, (there's also the 3S with a SnapDragon 430) - you'll probably find there is differences in the 4G bands covered also.

1259

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: How do you avoid Shareware on Sale's sneaky nagware ?

« Last post by 4wd on September 24, 2016, 08:11 PM »

To clarify : are you saying that you managed to download software from them, while being offered their malware/nagware, and that you managed not to install the latter ? Would you care to share the method, if you remember it ?

-Clairvaux (September 23, 2016, 11:34 AM)

The picture version:









Just to be clear, in the above image I clicked Install Now as well as telling it to save the installer file.









And the French website that you pointed to is just telling you how to use a previous version of the installer stub, not the current version.
So they are not bypassing the question to install the notifier, the question was never there.

They also mention that a possible security issue was that the software was installed directly, that is also addressed in the current installer stub by allowing you to save the installer and choose not to install immediately.

First and foremost : is there any way to avoid it ?

-Clairvaux (September 21, 2016, 02:38 PM)

Obviously there is.

1260

Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone

« Last post by 4wd on September 23, 2016, 06:24 AM »

Why bluetooth tethering? I've noticed that bluetooth is more reliable than wifi or usb.. Ipad's bluetooth works nice, also it doesn't have usb inputs. As I say wifi has been problematic in my experience, bluetooth seems to be the most compatible option.

-kilele (September 23, 2016, 05:36 AM)

Interesting, never had a problem with WiFi Hotspot plus it lets me use more than one device at a time.
If you want small and cheap, look for second hand Huawei Ascend phones, Y300 or there abouts - I have a Y300 sitting here I've installed Android 6 on plus apart from not having Dual SIM and only BT2.1, it looks to have better specs than the Young 2 you've mentioned for not much bigger despite being older.

Of course, it depends what region you're in as to what's available.

1261

Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone

« Last post by 4wd on September 22, 2016, 11:59 PM »

I'm also looking for a phone! my specs are ease of use, good battery, tv output, bluetooth modem, strong case, android, enough ram to browse the internet,watch youtube and run emulators, 40 dollars at most

-kilele (September 22, 2016, 08:00 PM)

You're on the wrong planet.

-4wd (September 22, 2016, 08:10 PM)

I'd probably go for a Young 2 G130 on ebay, something a bit old.. though I don't know if his one can be connected to tv

-kilele (September 22, 2016, 08:29 PM)

You want a phone that either has MHL output via the MicroUSB or HDMI output but they probably won't be cheap.  It's much easier to cast the output to a TV using something like Chromecast or one of the many cheap Android TV sticks.  I've got one of these: MK808B+

If you choose to cast to the TV then any reasonably cheap late model Android phone should be suitable, eg. I've ordered one of these: HT16 for US$50 just to play with Android 6.

Young 2 G130

Having had Android phones with 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, and now 2GB of RAM I wouldn't look at anything with less than 1GB, with 2GB being better (naturally).  MTK SoC based Android phones are cheap, you can get 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM versions for less than US$80 from China, (for example).  1GB RAM + 8GB ROM even cheaper, (especially if you grab them during prerelease sales).

BTW, why Bluetooth modem?
Do you just want to tether a computer/laptop/etc to access the internet over the phone?

You can turn on either USB tether or WiFi Hotspot in that case, (I think you can also tether via Bluetooth but I've never used it).

1262

Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone

« Last post by 4wd on September 22, 2016, 08:10 PM »

I'm also looking for a phone! my specs are ease of use, good battery, tv output, bluetooth modem, strong case, android, enough ram to browse the internet,watch youtube and run emulators, 40 dollars at most

-kilele (September 22, 2016, 08:00 PM)

You're on the wrong planet.

1263

Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone

« Last post by 4wd on September 22, 2016, 07:22 PM »

Only buy a phone with the Android-based MIUI OS, (eg. XIAOMI), if you're willing to install another firmware, perform extensive setting modification, or willing to put up with chronic privacy invasion - FWIW, I have a XIAOMI Redmi Note 2 running non-standard firmware.

I recommend you get a phone with a Qualcomm processor, (ie. SnapDragon SoC), not MTK, as it is better supported by third party firmware, eg. CyanogenMod, and you'll get Android version updates a lot faster.

Besides that, you haven't said anything about your other needs, ie. Dual (4G) SIM, microSD, HD/FHD, battery life, network coverage, etc, etc.

XIAOMI just released the Redmi Note 3 Special Edition which has world-wide 4G band coverage, (and there's a CyanogenMod version available to install with a little fiddling).

Since you're in the UK: WileyFox

1264

Living Room / Re: Email whitelist

« Last post by 4wd on September 19, 2016, 07:50 PM »

Unless you have control of the members email server/client how do you expect to whitelist your emails from their end?
This would be a spammers wetdream to be able to do this, (which would probably mark you as a spammer).

The members need to whitelist the address the emails originate from - how you inform them of that ... well ... email, mail, SMS, blog, website, etc, etc

1265

DC Member Programs and Projects / Re: Synchronize 2 usb disk

« Last post by 4wd on September 18, 2016, 07:30 AM »

There's always Robocopy: How to use robocopy in Windows for backup and sync like rsync in Linux

1266

Living Room / Re: Gadget WEEKENDS

« Last post by 4wd on September 12, 2016, 12:39 AM »

Another weekend, another toy technology purchase.

XIAOMI Mi Band 2 Fitness tracker, less screen space than the Teclast H30 above but you can at least specify what apps you want to see alerts for (using Mi Band Tools but there are others).



It's being held up by a Roidmi Bluetooth car adapter w/ dual USB charger (3.1A capacity) and FM transmitter (so you can listen to your music through the car stereo).

1267

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Generic windows command line gui builder

« Last post by 4wd on September 12, 2016, 12:06 AM »

Slightly offtopic, back in the Amiga days there was a program that could execute a CLI command to get the parameters, analyse the parameters, and then present a GUI with the appropriate checkboxes, radio buttons, input fields, etc.

At least I think it was the Amiga, often wondered whether something similar was available for Windows but occassional searches failed to find anything.

1268

General Software Discussion / Re: Hacking Windows 10's My Computer context menu?

« Last post by 4wd on September 11, 2016, 11:53 PM »

You need to take Ownership of the shell key as described here: Add Control Panel, Task Manager, Windows Update and Other Useful Shortcuts with Icons in My Computer Context Menu

Then it will work.

1269

General Software Discussion / Re: Directory Opus 12 Released

« Last post by 4wd on September 10, 2016, 06:27 AM »

^ beginning with an update to version 8

-Curt (September 10, 2016, 03:17 AM)

FTFY 

1270

General Software Discussion / Re: Directory Opus 12 Released

« Last post by 4wd on September 10, 2016, 02:41 AM »

The span of time between v11 and v12 was just two years. I hope this isn't the start of a spiral towards shorter product cycles and more frequent request for upgrade fees.

-Innuendo (September 09, 2016, 08:26 PM)

If you want to go all conspiracy theory on it (my purchase dates which are close to the release dates - can't find the ones for DOpus 6 & 8):
DOpus9  200705
DOpus10 201105  (48 months)
DOpus11 201403  (34 months)
DOpus12 201609  (30 months)

Although Wikipedia^w tells us that between 6 & 8 were 40 months, and between 8 & 9 were 30 months (again).

So upgrade period has been anywhere between 30 and 48 months ever since there was a Windows version.

1271

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

« Last post by 4wd on September 09, 2016, 02:40 AM »

1272

General Software Discussion / Re: Trigger the Send function in a new email from command line

« Last post by 4wd on September 04, 2016, 08:30 PM »

Code: PowerShell [Select]

1. param (
2.   [string]$toaddr = $(throw "EmailArc.ps1 <email address> <file|folder>"),
3.   [string]$file = $(throw "EmailArc.ps1 <email address> <file|folder>")
4. )
5.  
6. $arcfile = $env:temp + '\' + ([System.IO.Path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($file)) + '.zip'
7.  
8. if (Test-Path $arcfile) {
9. #  Write-Host 'Updating archive'
10.   Compress-Archive -Path $file -Update -DestinationPath $arcfile -CompressionLevel Optimal | Out-Null
11. } else {
12. #  Write-Host 'Creating archive'
13.   Compress-Archive -Path $file -DestinationPath $arcfile -CompressionLevel Optimal | Out-Null
14. }
15.  
16. $newarc = $arcfile -replace '(.*)(\.zip$)', '$1zip'
17. Move-Item -Path $arcfile -Destination $newarc
18.  
19. $ol = New-Object -comObject Outlook.Application
20. $mail = $ol.CreateItem(0)
21. $Mail.Recipients.Add($toaddr)
22. $Mail.Subject = (Split-Path $file -Leaf)
23. $Mail.Body = "Archive containing: " + (Split-Path $file -Leaf) + "`n`nRename *zip to *.zip"
24. $Mail.Attachments.Add($newarc)
25. $Mail.Send()
26.  
27. Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
28.  
29. Remove-Item $newarc

1273

General Software Discussion / Re: No video after resuming from sleep - Windows 10 Anniversary Edition

« Last post by 4wd on September 04, 2016, 08:25 PM »

There are beta drivers for the HD6000 series (I'm running a 6850):



Beta is available here - if you have trouble getting it, I have the installer available (x64 only).

1274

General Software Discussion / Re: Desktop tool for programmatically removing URL's from PDF files

« Last post by 4wd on August 25, 2016, 03:18 AM »

You could try the script I did for jity2 over here: DONE: batch print silently pdf-2-pdf using SumatraPdf and Bullzip

Possibly an option in Sumatra or Bullzip to not incorporate URLs.

1275

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: AData s102 16GB USB 3.0 cheap

« Last post by 4wd on August 24, 2016, 04:40 PM »

Free shipping on this 32GB version:

https://www.amazon.c...flash/dp/B004AVOGW8/