Recent Posts

1426

General Software Discussion / Re: Opera to move to webkit/chromium rendering engines

« Last post by app103 on March 28, 2013, 10:01 AM »

Yeah, I've never heard/read that before now and it certainly hasn't been my experience.  I remember that being an issue with AOL but that was a very long time ago.

-allen (March 28, 2013, 12:31 AM)

Same here. But there is a lot of browser confusion out there, with so many browsers on the market.


And sometimes one even needs to remind people that Opera is...



_{Old screenshot of Opera configured to resemble the layout style of AOL, originally used to convince AOL users to try something else.}

1427

Living Room / Re: Anyone know how to look up .tv domain names ?

« Last post by app103 on March 28, 2013, 08:58 AM »

It's some very old abandonware. A shame that nobody has bothered to create a replacement that improves on it.  

UPDATE: Look at what I managed to find squirreled away...the source!

According to the license for the source, you can make modifications and distribute the modified version. There is other stuff in there worth reading, first, though.

Thanks - I had already found that. I was initially being a bit dim (not unusual).

Great little tool - shame that Ctrl X, C, V don't work consistently though.

-Carol Haynes (March 28, 2013, 08:40 AM)

So, if we can get a volunteer that is willing to do it, maybe that can be fixed. 

You'll find the source, along with a copy of the license for it, attached.

1428

Living Room / Re: Does anyone here use Bitcoins?

« Last post by app103 on March 28, 2013, 08:37 AM »

I accept Bitcoin donations for my projects but no one donates them. Well then.

-Tuxman (March 28, 2013, 05:06 AM)

Perhaps nobody that is interested in your projects has any Bitcoins to donate?

That was why I considered including an additional link for one to donate their CPU cycles to generate some for me, rather than only accepting actual Bitcoin donations. That way if you were interested in making a "I have no real money" donation, you could still donate something that you do have, even if you don't have any Bitcoins. 

1429

Living Room / Re: Anyone know how to look up .tv domain names ?

« Last post by app103 on March 28, 2013, 07:35 AM »

Hmm - Sam Spade doesn't recognise .TV domain names - or at least it can't look them up.

-Carol Haynes (March 28, 2013, 05:19 AM)

Set the dropdown to whois.geektools.com (the one at the bottom) and it will work.

Whenever Magic (the one at the top) doesn't work, try that one, next.

1430

Living Room / Re: Does anyone here use Bitcoins?

« Last post by app103 on March 28, 2013, 04:22 AM »

After 30 days, even with a bunch of people in the DC IRC channel trying to mess up my experiment by hitting the miner page and parking their PCs there and mining BTC for me, I still had not managed to generate a full BTC. And Krishean has some powerful computers!

-app103 (March 27, 2013, 12:44 PM)

Mining is intensive. CPU mining is pretty much dead for BTC, though it is still used for LTC.

I've managed to mine about 0.065 BTC using 2 video cards. That was a couple weeks or so. Not a lot, but still a bit more than $5.00 USD, almost $6.00.

-Renegade (March 27, 2013, 07:47 PM)

Well, I managed to end up with 0.09773456 BTC after 30 days of using other people's CPUs and 0 video cards. Didn't have to use my own hardware or electricity. So, I guess its a bit less dead than you thought. I did consider getting around the Google issue by adding a link to the miner page as an alternative donation method for people without any cash to donate...let them mine BTC for me, voluntarily, rather than automatically (which google doesn't like).

May have come up with another way to get BTC without spending money or using my own hardware/electricity...work for it. Got an online friend in need of a VA but has no money to pay one. I told him to look into Bitcoins and if it sounds good to him, get set up and start mining. As soon as he has 1 BTC, we'll discuss how much of my time he can get for it. (I figure that may be awhile)

1431

Living Room / Re: Anyone know how to look up .tv domain names ?

« Last post by app103 on March 27, 2013, 06:44 PM »

Wow! Talk about convoluted!

1432

Living Room / Re: SpeedMaxPc - A really great money maker?

« Last post by app103 on March 27, 2013, 04:30 PM »

Primary Reason:  I've been saving this option for when I make a really, really bad decision, dollar amount wise, because I don't want to be put on their s**t-list.

Most larger companies have 'em.  It's somewhat similar to what (US) auto insurance companies do, when you're involved in a accident; that wasn't your fault, they jack your rates. 

-crabby3 (March 27, 2013, 10:50 AM)

Now there's a good reason to have multiple credit cards, if I ever saw one. 

1433

Living Room / Re: Anyone know how to look up .tv domain names ?

« Last post by app103 on March 27, 2013, 04:24 PM »

Thanks April.

-Carol Haynes (March 27, 2013, 03:59 PM)

Any time. 

1434

Living Room / Re: Anyone know how to look up .tv domain names ?

« Last post by app103 on March 27, 2013, 01:59 PM »

Took a better look and it turns out that the only thing at thegeorge.tv is a frameset that loads the site located at maxgate.plus.com. There is your reason for the different DNS servers. The real website isn't at thegeorge.tv.

1435

Living Room / Re: Anyone know how to look up .tv domain names ?

« Last post by app103 on March 27, 2013, 01:49 PM »

Thanks that is really useful.

-Carol Haynes (March 27, 2013, 01:33 PM)

That came pre-installed on my first computer, by my father. The day he gave it to me, he told me to learn HTML, and if I am ever in doubt as to the safety of a website, use that app to view it in its "Safe Browser", which only displays raw HTML of pages.

Very interesting tool to give a computer newbie. (yeah, I was set up to be a power user, from the start...and he wonders how did I ever get to be such a geek?) 

Interestingly the dns servers are not what I thought they were as another domain points to the same website and has different DNS servers.

Maybe there are two copies of the website out there on different servers ??

-Carol Haynes (March 27, 2013, 01:33 PM)

That, I couldn't tell you. 

1436

Living Room / Re: DonationCoder.com Avatar Mysteries

« Last post by app103 on March 27, 2013, 01:26 PM »

Maybe "DE" = "German?"

-kunkel321 (March 27, 2013, 10:00 AM)

German J = JoTo?

1437

Living Room / Re: Anyone know how to look up .tv domain names ?

« Last post by app103 on March 27, 2013, 01:21 PM »

Sam Spade to the rescue!

Spoiler

03/27/13 14:17:24 whois [email protected]

whois -h whois.geektools.com thegeorge.tv ...
GeekTools Whois Proxy v5.0.5 Ready.

Checking access for 71.172.111.22... ok.



Checking server [tvwhois.verisign-grs.com]



Checking server [whois.tucows.com]

Results:
Registrant:

 The George Inn

 Thoralby

 Leyburn, Yorkshire DL8 3SU

 GB



 Domain name: THEGEORGE.TV





 Administrative Contact:

    Bell, Colin  [email protected]

    Blacklot House

    Hexham, Northumberland NE47 9UR

    GB

    +44.7808293363

 Technical Contact:

    Bell, Colin  [email protected]

    Blacklot House

    Hexham, Northumberland NE47 9UR

    GB

    +44.7808293363





 Registration Service Provider:

    Fasthosts Internet Limited, [email protected]

    +44.8445830777

    +44.8708883760 (fax)

    http://www.Fasthosts.co.uk

    http://facebook.com/fasthostsinternet





 Registrar of Record: TUCOWS, INC.

 Record last updated on 26-Aug-2012.

 Record expires on 25-Sep-2013.

 Record created on 25-Sep-2004.



 Registrar Domain Name Help Center:

    http://tucowsdomains.com



 Domain servers in listed order:

    NS1.LIVEDNS.CO.UK   

    NS3.LIVEDNS.CO.UK   

    NS2.LIVEDNS.CO.UK   





 Domain status: clientTransferProhibited

                clientUpdateProhibited



The Data in the Tucows Registrar WHOIS database is provided to you by Tucows

for information purposes only, and may be used to assist you in obtaining

information about or related to a domain name's registration record.



Tucows makes this information available "as is," and does not guarantee its

accuracy.



By submitting a WHOIS query, you agree that you will use this data only for

lawful purposes and that, under no circumstances will you use this data to:

a) allow, enable, or otherwise support the transmission by e-mail,

telephone, or facsimile of mass, unsolicited, commercial advertising or

solicitations to entities other than the data recipient's own existing

customers; or (b) enable high volume, automated, electronic processes that

send queries or data to the systems of any Registry Operator or

ICANN-Accredited registrar, except as reasonably necessary to register

domain names or modify existing registrations.



The compilation, repackaging, dissemination or other use of this Data is

expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Tucows.



Tucows reserves the right to terminate your access to the Tucows WHOIS

database in its sole discretion, including without limitation, for excessive

querying of the WHOIS database or for failure to otherwise abide by this

policy.



Tucows reserves the right to modify these terms at any time.



By submitting this query, you agree to abide by these terms.



NOTE: THE WHOIS DATABASE IS A CONTACT DATABASE ONLY.  LACK OF A DOMAIN

RECORD DOES NOT SIGNIFY DOMAIN AVAILABILITY.

1438

Living Room / Re: Does anyone here use Bitcoins?

« Last post by app103 on March 27, 2013, 12:44 PM »

But you know who are and will continue to really make out like bandits with this? The guys with the botnets, distributing malware with bitcoin miner software, getting unsuspecting users to generate BTC for them when their computers are idle.

-app103 (March 27, 2013, 12:03 PM)

I've actually thought of doing that... But.. alas.. I have this sense of right & wrong...

-Renegade (March 27, 2013, 12:10 PM)

You, me, and a lot of people I know. It didn't stop me from experimenting with a java applet on some of my websites, using the CPU of my visitors while they were on my site...till Google flagged the sites and stuck a malware warning on them in the search results. 

After 30 days, even with a bunch of people in the DC IRC channel trying to mess up my experiment by hitting the miner page and parking their PCs there and mining BTC for me, I still had not managed to generate a full BTC. And Krishean has some powerful computers!

1439

Living Room / Re: Does anyone here use Bitcoins?

« Last post by app103 on March 27, 2013, 12:03 PM »

But you know who are and will continue to really make out like bandits with this? The guys with the botnets, distributing malware with bitcoin miner software, getting unsuspecting users to generate BTC for them when their computers are idle.

1440

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

« Last post by app103 on March 27, 2013, 11:35 AM »

Best cooking show ever!

Vegan Black Metal Chef

I wasn't sure if I should post it here (it's funny!) or in the music videos thread (it's music).

The best part is near the end, when he finally puts it on the stove to cook.

He has a blog, too!

1441

Living Room / Re: SpeedMaxPc - A really great money maker?

« Last post by app103 on March 27, 2013, 07:00 AM »

Getting the run-around and no promised refund? Go straight to your credit card company or Paypal, whichever one you used to pay for it. Tell them the problem and let them handle it.

It was a loooong time ago, but I once had a similar circumstance and the company actually did respond and told me they wouldn't give me a refund because they felt the issue was my computer and not their software (blame bugs on the user?)

Well, I called the credit card company and told them, and described the behavior of my computer when the bug was activated...in graphic detail...described it as acting like it had malware. (it did act that way!)

I got a prompt refund, direct from the credit card company. Paypal will also issue similar refunds if you can not get the other party to deliver one himself.

NOTE: Never do this to acquire free software. Reserve this for the companies that won't play fair. Only use this to go over their heads and force them to do what they should have done.

1442

Living Room / Re: Does anyone here use Bitcoins?

« Last post by app103 on March 26, 2013, 07:29 PM »

And what about Facebook and their virtual currency, which according to that article, they will have to comply and register as a MSB?

Anything which has the potential to be used for money laundering, whether or not it actually is being used that way, will most likely have to register.

1443

Living Room / Re: Does anyone here use Bitcoins?

« Last post by app103 on March 26, 2013, 06:56 PM »

What I mean is a minimum amount in transactions before you have to register.

-wraith808 (March 26, 2013, 06:32 PM)

Is that about FinCEN? I'm still confused. 

-Renegade (March 26, 2013, 06:48 PM)

Yes, it is about the FinCEN rules, and in particular, how they may relate to this site and the donation credits system we have in place here.

1444

Living Room / Re: Does anyone here use Bitcoins?

« Last post by app103 on March 26, 2013, 05:59 PM »

I wonder if there is a floor on the amount of money.  I mean, for my years here, I've really only made money to support hobby and entertainment stuff.  Not sure if anyone else has made more than that...

-wraith808 (March 26, 2013, 04:56 PM)

There is nothing in the pdf about what the record keeping and reporting rules actually are, just who has to comply with them.

It is possible that it only applies to transactions over a certain amount. One wouldn't know unless they got a copy of those rules.

It might turn out that even if this site does have to register that the rules may not affect us at all, beyond the need to register, due to the smaller size of the donations and cashouts.

But this whole subject is something mouser does have to look into, very carefully, in order to not make any fatal mistakes that could get him or this site into trouble, which is why I brought it to his attention and gave him a link to that pdf, personally. I don't want to see anyone get into legal troubles, especially if it can be avoided with knowledge.

Give him some time to read & digest that pdf, and I am sure he will respond to this thread, or create a new one if he feels the response is that important.

1445

Living Room / Re: Does anyone here use Bitcoins?

« Last post by app103 on March 26, 2013, 03:26 PM »

^I'd suspect if they can be cashed out for 'real' money the answer is: possibly probably maybe. 

-40hz (March 26, 2013, 03:23 PM)

Well, mouser is reading that pdf right now, so we'll soon know what he thinks.

1446

Living Room / Re: Does anyone here use Bitcoins?

« Last post by app103 on March 26, 2013, 02:36 PM »

An interesting bit from that...

The same applies for centralised virtual currencies, such as Facebook credits.

So, though they say Facebook credits, does this apply to others also, such as XBox live points, Sony Points, etc?

-wraith808 (March 26, 2013, 12:32 PM)

I think they'll probably mostly restrict it to transactions not locked into a single business like most of the gaming currencies. Anything that acts as a ready substitute for cash (i.e convertible to real cash - or - broadly accepted) will probably come under the rubric.

Look at it this way - if they're even slightly serious (and in the USA they certainly are) about all Internet transactions soon being subject to some form of state sales tax, you can bet they'll regulate things like bitcoins since you could potentially do an end run around the tax system using them. And that brings up a much more powerful way of going after non-cooperative alternative currencies - TAX EVASION! (That's how they ultimately got Al Capone.)

I stand by my earlier comment: The reaction was inevitable. The outcome is predictable.

-40hz (March 26, 2013, 02:10 PM)

Any service or business in the US, in which one can pay cash for a virtual currency and then convert that currency back to cash is covered by this and has to comply with their rules.

Bitcoins falls under that to some degree, at least those businesses that buy and sell bitcoins.

Facebook does, because you can buy Facebook credits and transfer them to someone else, and if you have enough facebook credits, turn them back into cash.

The government isn't so much looking to catch tax evaders (but that could be a bonus) as much as they are trying to stop money laundering, which supports the drug trade and terrorism.

What I'd still like to know is if this site will be affected by these new rules. Will this site's donation credits system cause it to have to register as an MSB?

1447

Living Room / Re: Does anyone here use Bitcoins?

« Last post by app103 on March 26, 2013, 11:17 AM »

A better explanation from Bitcoin Channel:

And you can read the document from FinCEN yourself:  https://docs.google.....pdf&chrome=true

1448

Living Room / Re: Does anyone here use Bitcoins?

« Last post by app103 on March 26, 2013, 11:02 AM »

It was going to eventually happen...

US to regulate Bitcoin currency at its all-time high

LOOKS like Bitcoin has got too big to ignore. Virtual currencies are to be regulated by the US Treasury after the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) moved to clarify their status under anti-money-laundering laws.

The move comes as Bitcoins doubled in value in just a few weeks to hit a record high of more than $70 each, possibly fuelled by the banking crisis in Cyprus and the rest of Europe.

FinCEN's new guidelines don't mention Bitcoin by name, but say that anyone involved in exchanges of decentralised virtual currency for real currency must register as a money services business and obey existing regulations. The same applies for centralised virtual currencies, such as Facebook credits.

I wonder if this will also apply to this site and our donation credits?

1449

Living Room / Re: Good for Nick D'Aloisio!!

« Last post by app103 on March 26, 2013, 09:59 AM »

Or rather, I think the value assigned to such things are ridiculously offensively out of line for everyone in this game

-mouser (March 26, 2013, 07:36 AM)

right, we need to spend that money on football and baseball players 

-AndyM (March 26, 2013, 09:23 AM)

Or.....

1450

Living Room / Re: I can haz LOLMouser plz?

« Last post by app103 on March 25, 2013, 03:24 PM »

   (see attachment in previous post)

-40hz (March 25, 2013, 03:11 PM)

That might explain why we haven't seen skrommel in quite awhile...he's invisible now!