Recent Posts

1476

Living Room / Re: What books are you reading?

« Last post by rjbull on January 02, 2011, 10:24 AM »

• Current book in progress: The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson, 2nd of the Millenium trilogy.  He sure keeps you turning pages...
• Just finished: The Assassin's Edge by Juliet E. McKenna, the fifth and last of her entertaining Tales of Einarinn fantasy series.
• Just finished: The Leaping Hare by George Ewart Evans, his compilation of folklore concerning the hare, a creature associated with luck (mostly ill-luck), the White Goddess, witches, and the moon.  This is the book mentioned by Sir Terry Pratchett in I Shall Wear Midnight, the latest Tiffany Aching story.

1477

General Software Discussion / Re: Any better Clipboard program.

« Last post by rjbull on December 30, 2010, 02:23 PM »

Oscar's File Renamer. [...] (I use batch files, too, but the trick doesn't work with unicode file names.)

-mwang (December 30, 2010, 11:14 AM)

Oscar's File Renamer is fairly old.  It's true the most recent version is dated 2007, but I think that was just a minor fix when he resurrected an older program.  So, take a look by all means, and I think it's a useful adjunct to other file renamers, but I wouldn't guarantee it does unicode.

1478

General Software Discussion / Re: Any better Clipboard program.

« Last post by rjbull on December 29, 2010, 09:27 AM »

The only shortcoming for me is the lack of a pair of hotkeys to load the last/next clip without popping up the main window (which takes the focus away from other application, annoying when renaming files, etc.)

-mwang (December 28, 2010, 07:10 PM)

I found that such an irritation that I sometimes used Oscar's File Renamer to rename files, because it works more like an editor.  Sometimes I did use an editor to make a batch file to do the renaming.

1479

Unfinished Requests / Re: Program Idea: Commandline Table Printer

« Last post by rjbull on December 28, 2010, 02:54 PM »

If you can accept a DOS program dated 2002 - maybe Bruce Guthrie's PAGINATE?

PAGINATE: Reformats text files with embedded formatting codes. Handles things like titles, footers, indexes, alignment, justification, multicolumn listings, etc. Also provides support for embedding tabular data in ASCII-delimited or dBase formats which can be embedded and/or sorted in your reports.

If you need to convert from CSV to other formats first, check the same author's CONVERT:

CONVERT: Converts between data formats: FROM dBase, ASCII-delimited (typically commas between fields and quotes around strings), and fixed field TO Lotus WKS, ASCII-delimited, dBase, and fixed field.

1480

Living Room / Re: Show us the View Outside Your Window

« Last post by rjbull on December 27, 2010, 03:36 PM »

I didn't grow the biggest icicles, but mine were the most interestingly-shaped.

1481

General Software Discussion / Re: USB Safely Remove 4.4 final released * CHANGE OF LICENSE POLICY *

« Last post by rjbull on December 27, 2010, 06:22 AM »

Well, they're liars. Before purchasing the lifetime license two years ago, I asked them if it truly means "for life" and if I won't have to pay an update price for a major new version or a "pro" version. Of course no. Never. Life means for life.

-wr975 (December 27, 2010, 05:09 AM)

Repeating part of their license change notice:

this change doesn't affect those who already purchased the license with lifetime upgrades

I bought a lifetime license first off, and as I read the above, they're honouring it.  The personal lifetime license still says lifetime upgrades.  I agree with 40hz that such a license is now expensive, probably too expensive now. I see there's no lifetime license for commercial use at all, though.

Updates have been very slow with USB Safely Remove. And now there's "Zentimo", which is kinda the pro version of "USB Safely Remove". The developer say it like this: USBSR won't be getting new features, it'll be kept simple. For those who want new features, buy Zentimo.

I briefly looked at the features of Zentimo, and decided that it offered more than I need at present, so for now I'm staying with USBSR.  However, I do have a free key for Zentimo v1.0 from one of their free give-aways; they're quite keen on those 

If they can't afford lifetime licenses anymore, then do it like Slysoft, or Admuncher... new licenses are limited, but the existing ones stay the same.

As I read it, that's what they're doing.  Maybe I'd better tell them about this thread.

1482

General Software Discussion / USB Safely Remove 4.4 final released * CHANGE OF LICENSE POLICY *

« Last post by rjbull on December 26, 2010, 05:22 PM »

USB Safely Remove 4.4 final is available now. We have improved user interface, made its icon more nicer, restored Win2000 compatibility and fixed some other bugs. Besides we added one important and frequently requested feature: the ability to power off USB drives after their stopping in Vista and Windows 7. Download the version 4.4 right now or read further about new features.

Note! The license policy for USB Safely Remove has changed since this version. The license will include one or two years of upgrade subscription. However user can still use the program for lifetime and use one license for every computer you own. Of course this change doesn't affect those who already purchased the license with lifetime upgrades. For a limited time licenses with lifetime upgrades are still available to sell. See new pricing on the order page.

Here the SafelyRemove people are giving fair warning (the heads-up came by e-mail)* and still offering true lifetime licenses for a limited time: kudos to them for honourable behaviour.  Compare Upgrading RoboForm from v6 to v7: worthwhile? for user irritation on a poorly-handled change of license policy. 

>>Edit 2010-12-27
* Apologies.  It didn't come by e-mail.  USBSR popped up its own message saying a new version was available, did I want to go to the Web site.  So I did.
<<Edit

1483

General Software Discussion / Re: Any better Clipboard program.

« Last post by rjbull on December 26, 2010, 04:14 PM »

CopyMessageBox looks like a slick little utility with a nice, simple design.  Unfortunately, it didn't capture the text on the first error message I tried it with. ... so it's got some limitations.

-gdv22 (December 24, 2010, 03:28 AM)

My experience also on Vista Home Premium.  CopyMessageBox worked correctly on XP at work.  If you look at its home page, it only mentions Windows up to XP and 2003.  Seems the author hasn't updated it for anything more recent, more's the pity.

The best program I've found so far (and have used for years) to capture the text from error messages is NirSoft's SysExporter.  ... it isn't nearly as convenient as a clipping program would be.

Yes, it has its uses, but if the computer was busy, with lots of windows open, I found it a real pain to scroll a long SysExporter list to find the one I wanted.  Even then, a bit more manipulation was required to clip the text.

Perhaps Curt is right, and the best way is to use an OCR program like ABBYY ScreenReader or a screen capture program that has OCR built in, like HyperSnap.  Mouser's own Screenshot Captor includes text scraping, which may work in some cases.  This reminds me of other text scraping programs I've sometimes used, which include:

• Pete's Window Tool
• ShoWin (originally freeware by Robin Keir, now by McAfee).
• CopyText by Victor Sapojnikov (rather weird little application)

Those three are free, but they're rather old, and again don't always work.

Structurise's Kleptomania dedicated text scraper, payware, didn't work for me on Vista, and seems to have disappeared from the Web. 

1484

General Software Discussion / Re: The real DITTO

« Last post by rjbull on December 23, 2010, 11:23 AM »

It's a long time since I saw a program that dealt with punched cards   

1485

General Software Discussion / Re: Any better Clipboard program.

« Last post by rjbull on December 23, 2010, 11:13 AM »

i tried something from a while back based on a suggestion here, and it was a very lightweight simple clipboard manager that literally had a grid of boxes with each clip in it, and I could just click the buttons to paste them into whatever form.  i forgot what it was called.

-superboyac (December 22, 2010, 06:33 PM)

Maybe M8 Software's freeware "M8,", limited to 25 clips, or their Spartan Multi Clipboard, which has 25 temporary clips but a total of over 11,000 permanent clips available?  They look like spreadsheets, click on the cell.

1486

Living Room / Re: rare news mail from ESB

« Last post by rjbull on December 23, 2010, 10:59 AM »

There are some good freeware units conversions and calculators out there, but that does seem too good to miss.  Thanks, Curt!     You must be the most active discount hawk on DC    And thanks, moonwatcher!   

1487

General Software Discussion / Re: Upgrading RoboForm from v6 to v7: worthwhile?

« Last post by rjbull on December 23, 2010, 10:52 AM »

I use [Password Depot] for all online log-ins so it'll remember your username and password and other fields too

-Beth UK (December 22, 2010, 04:14 PM)

Sounds good    It's time Siber Systems had some competition   

Just noticed it's not a lifetime license, but the now-common major version type:

The price includes free upgrades to interim releases (e.g. from 1.0 to 1.3).

Well, at least you'd know that going in.

1488

General Software Discussion / Re: Any better Clipboard program.

« Last post by rjbull on December 22, 2010, 01:54 PM »

I may have read  it wrong, but to my (lack of) understanding, all hulkbuster was asking for, is a program to capture the text from popup message boxes.

-Curt (December 21, 2010, 04:34 PM)

You're probably right.  On some versions of Windows, all you have to do is put the focus on an error message box and press Control-C.  That copies the text to the clipboard.  For versions of Windows where that doesn't work, it's worth trying CopyMessageBox, freeware by thyanté Software.  However, I don't think that works on Vista, and Curt's suggestion of ABBYY Screenshot Reader should work with anything.

1489

General Software Discussion / Re: Upgrading RoboForm from v6 to v7: worthwhile?

« Last post by rjbull on December 22, 2010, 11:46 AM »

I'll try! Password Depot is a desktop password application made by AceBit. It's not new, but it is regularly updated. I have run it alongside Roboform and LastPass and keep returning to it as my preferred password app.

-Beth UK (December 22, 2010, 11:29 AM)

Thanks!  Is it "limited" to passwords?  The key feature of RoboForm is its ability to fill in forms, not just store passwords.  For "just" passwords, I use KeePass, which is free, and can fill forms as long as you tell it how beforehand (I haven't tried the addons for formfilling as such).  I presume you've tried KeePass and prefer Password Depot?

1490

General Software Discussion / Re: Upgrading RoboForm from v6 to v7: worthwhile?

« Last post by rjbull on December 22, 2010, 11:43 AM »

I don't use Firefox so going back to v.6 is always an option for me.

-Darwin (December 22, 2010, 08:22 AM)

I'm using Firefox 3.6.13, which is recent, and RoboForm 6.10.1, the last of the v6 series, works fine for me.  Of course, I don't know how long that will continue.

I am seriously unimpressed with how this was handled and with the responses that I've seen from Siber Systems thus far.

As I wrote above, I notified Siber Systems about this thread in the online ticket I submitted when 6.10.1 wouldn't activate.  They did neither told me how to activate - thanks again, CWuestefeld - nor replied to my invitation to view this thread, which I thought would give them a platform to make their case.  All they did was ask if I wanted to "upgrade" to v7.

Roboform is ABSOLUTELY indispensible to me

I find it so very convenient that I'd miss it badly.  But being out of work, in an economy that's on the rocks, I'm resistant (well... partially) to paid upgrades, especially ones that are badly handled.  And if it stops working, well,

Got along without you before I met you
Gonna get along without you now
http://lyricsplaygro...ngwithoutyanow.shtml

1491

General Software Discussion / Re: New MailWasher - ugh

« Last post by rjbull on December 21, 2010, 03:32 PM »

Partial quote from MailWasher Newsletter <[email protected]> dated 20 December 2010:

In this issue:

    * MailWasher Pro 2011 Released
    * New lifetime license plan!
[...]
Since the release of 2010, we’ve been keeping a close eye
on your feedback, suggestions, bug reports and concerns
and have updated MailWasher accordingly. MailWasher Pro
2011 is the result of all of these fixes and much more!

It’s faster and more responsive, it has a cleaner more
simplified (and less cartoonish) interface, it’s easier
to understand and comes with some really cool new
customization features. So as they say, “out with the old,
and in with the new!”
[...]
New lifetime license plan!
===========================
No more subscription fees! Many of you told us you wanted
ongoing updates, support etc but didn't feel comfortable
with the idea of an annual subscription fee.

So we've introduced the MailWasher Pro lifetime license
which gives you free updates and support, free upgrades
to all new versions and most importantly exempts you from
any annual fees for the lifetime of the product!

If this sounds like you, we recommend upgrading to a lifetime
license plan.

Upgrade to lifetime license
https://secure.firet...items/add/mw2010-1-0

I gave up on MW ages ago.  Now I use Magic Mail Monitor, which is free, but the last update was 2007 - and it isn't Bayesian, if you want that.

1492

General Software Discussion / Re: Any better Clipboard program.

« Last post by rjbull on December 21, 2010, 03:14 PM »

One feature that I use a lot in ClipMate is "Power Paste."

-cyberdiva (December 21, 2010, 12:35 PM)

The only time I tried that I got in a right mess.  I don't currently have need of it,  but how difficult do you find it?

1493

General Software Discussion / Re: Any better Clipboard program.

« Last post by rjbull on December 21, 2010, 03:10 PM »

I've noticed that I have subconsciously settled on the following applications:
Arsclip
Clipboard Help+Spell

-superboyac (December 21, 2010, 11:14 AM)

+1

Arsclip's preferences and layout can be a little chaotic, that's why I say that. 

+1

Also, I have some permanent clips, which show when I pop up the menu.  But the trigger keys for them seem to change depending on how many temporary clips I have, and I'd rather they were somehow fixed.

1494

General Software Discussion / Re: Upgrading RoboForm from v6 to v7: worthwhile?

« Last post by rjbull on December 21, 2010, 03:02 PM »

I mentioned earlier that Password Depot is quite decent (though not perfect) as a desktop app.

-Beth UK (December 20, 2010, 04:47 PM)

Could you expand on Password Depot, please?

1495

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by rjbull on December 20, 2010, 02:40 PM »

I have just written a blog post “Your Information in 'The Cloud' - Safe, Secure, Available or Not?” which I thought may interest some here.

-nevf (December 19, 2010, 04:56 PM)

Makes sense; avoids the worst of the problems.  I don't think I'd knowingly commit to any Web-only service for the sort of reasons you mention, plus the possibility of the cloud company hiking their prices and taking your data hostage.

1496

Living Room / Re: What books are you reading?

« Last post by rjbull on December 19, 2010, 01:48 PM »

When it comes to fantasy, there aren't too many series that I don't enjoy.

-skwire (December 19, 2010, 10:42 AM)

Then, if you haven't already, you might try Mike Scott Rohan's Winter of the World trilogy - don't bother with the sequels after Castle of the Winds - Sarah Ash's Tears of Artamon series, China Miéville's new weird New Crobuzon series that starts with Perdido Street Station, P.C. Hodgell's Kencyrath series, Kate Elliott's Crown of Stars seven-book sequence, and... is that enough to be going on with?

1497

Living Room / Re: What books are you reading?

« Last post by rjbull on December 19, 2010, 01:22 PM »

I'm reading the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson.  Good stuff if you're a fantasy reader like me.  Really deep, take-no-prisoners type of style

-skwire (December 18, 2010, 09:12 PM)

He absolutely does not hold your hand.  You have to work everything out.

More stuff at the Malazan Empire fan site.

1498

Living Room / Re: Show us the View Outside Your Window

« Last post by rjbull on December 19, 2010, 01:15 PM »

Ever seen those Scottish postcards that are a blank grey rectangle, with a cartoon Scot in wet-weather gear saying something like, "There's a great view here, when you can see the view?"  I had a similar experience this morning when one of my bedroom windows was so frozen inside that I couldn't see out.  The other gave an extreme soft-focus effect.

1499

Living Room / Re: Great Britain is frozen!

« Last post by rjbull on December 18, 2010, 04:50 PM »

We're frozen again this winter too...

1500

Living Room / Re: Show us the View Outside Your Window

« Last post by rjbull on December 17, 2010, 04:33 PM »

Here's a photo of the building (condo) where i live, with some effects applied to it

-mouser (December 17, 2010, 11:30 AM)

Hmmm...  maybe you should dump coding in favour of studying photography under Gregory Crewdson...