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1876

Official Announcements / Re: JULY 2009 Discounts and Giveaways

« Last post by Innuendo on June 29, 2009, 09:25 PM »

Yeah, that Bat! discount was active only a few hours, but cyberdiva was able to pounce on it like a coiled cobra before it disappeared, though.

1877

Living Room / Re: CD archive and copying

« Last post by Innuendo on June 29, 2009, 09:24 PM »

No, you are right. In my zeal to simplify my answer I over-simplified. ISOs are not for audio CDs. BIN, NRG, and MDS files are, but....none of these, including a .cue/.bin pair will not provide bit-perfect results as the levels of error correction required to reproduce an exact copy. Jitter and other variables cause variations to be introduced when the CD image file is produced that cause the results Carol got in her earlier post.

If you can settle for "close enough" then BIN/CUE will serve you well, but the OP stated he wanted bit-perfect exact duplicates of the original discs.

1878

Living Room / Re: CD archive and copying

« Last post by Innuendo on June 29, 2009, 11:43 AM »

Music CDs can be compiled into ISOs. However, ISOs (or any CD image for that matter) just do not have the capabilities to reproduce bit-perfect copies of audio. I'm sure someone could devise such a thing if they wanted to, but...nobody wants to and I'll tell you why. An ISO of a music CD is going to be roughly twice the size of a lossless FLAC compilation of the same tracks.

CD-Audio tracks are basically for all intents and purposes WAV files without a file header & the WAV file format offers no provision for file compression at all. An 85-90 MB WAV file will be around 20-40 MB encoded as a FLAC file. Start encoding a CD collection of a couple hundred discs and you can see what kind of space savings you'll get going with a non-ISO solution.

Using Exact Audio Copy like f0dder suggested to encode your CD tracks to FLACs will generate a CUE file for each CD. A CUE file is basically a playlist file that not only keeps track of song order, but also gaps between tracks. Use a media player that has CUE support & you won't be able to tell the difference between the FLACs playing and playing the physical CD. There'll be no difference in audio quality or timing.

The added bonus to this method versus the ISO method is all your songs will be distinct files. You'll be free to compile playlists and compilation CDs with no ISO constraints.

1879

Living Room / Re: Giampy... how does it sound?

« Last post by Innuendo on June 29, 2009, 11:26 AM »

As an American, to me it sounds like someone is ill.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Peterson. I won't be in to work today. I'm feeling a little glampy."

1880

General Software Discussion / Re: Is it time to start a new AntiVirus/Internet Security Suite review thread?

« Last post by Innuendo on June 29, 2009, 11:23 AM »

I'm sorry, I should have read the on demand report as well. Now OneCare doesn't look so good after all. I myself don't use it anymore (switched to Avira) but it was simple to use and had integrated backup etc.

-MrCrispy

I absolutely hate that they alternate the reports like that. Three months is a lifetime in the AV market. Six months is nearly a millennia. They should publish both reports every three months, but I guess they figure that's the best way to keep their revenue stream flowing.

I'd really like to see MSE become a world-class product, but I fear that's not a realistic wish. If it did the screams of outrage from the competition would be huge & MS would end up in court again. I figure it'll be positioned as a nice basic "better than nothing" package with the implied idea that if you want better protection "pleased check out the web sites of these valued Microsoft partners."

1881

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 7 limited time upgrade discount starting tomorrow (June 26th)

« Last post by Innuendo on June 29, 2009, 11:12 AM »

I assume that "this is 'just a do it to be safe suggestion'" was meant to read 'this is not 'just a do it to be safe'"?

-Darwin

Grrr...synapses are getting old.

Yes, that's exactly what I meant. :: sigh ::

1882

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox Extensions: Your favorite or most useful

« Last post by Innuendo on June 29, 2009, 11:08 AM »

Just posted this extension over in the "Annoyances" thread and thought it might get a warm reception here as well.

Lazarus is an extension that basically saves web forms so if 'Something Bad' happens and all the data you typed is lost forcing you to start over you can restore all your hard work with a single click.

http://lazarus.interclue.com/

1883

Official Announcements / Re: June 2009 Discounts and Giveaway - Winners Posted June 28, 2009

« Last post by Innuendo on June 29, 2009, 11:03 AM »

Huge congratulations to all the winners. This month's giveaway is especially cool for me because I was able to help the site out by securing those AntispamSniper licenses for giving away.

And 4wd, please revisit this thread when you get your mug so you can post a digital pic of the expression on your wife's face when she sees you open your package and hold your mug over your head in triumphant victory.

1884

General Software Discussion / Re: Help/Advice with TrueCrypt (and free space wiping)?

« Last post by Innuendo on June 29, 2009, 10:51 AM »

No longer as my ISP (thank heavens ), but I do have 4 remaining e-mail accounts with them...

-wreckedcarzz

I think I'd be making transition plans to other, less restrictive email accounts if I were you.

1885

Living Room / Re: What annoys you to no end?

« Last post by Innuendo on June 29, 2009, 10:50 AM »

Web forms that, after you have filled in all fields - some via a form-filling utility, like LastPass or RoboForm, but some that you must enter manually like your chosen username and password and other one-time entries - they return the form page as "invalid" because they don't like your email address or they want the 9 digit ZIP instead of 5 or vice versa, or the captcha was incorrect - and it wipes out ALL the custom fields, requiring you to enter the stuff all over again. Sometimes they do not specify clearly enough exactly what they didn't like and force you to refill the form several times before you finally realize what they want.

-J-Mac

Solution to this annoying problem if you are a Firefox user:

http://lazarus.interclue.com/

1886

General Software Discussion / Re: Let's really fix Outlook

« Last post by Innuendo on June 29, 2009, 10:46 AM »

Curt, that makes the point much more plain. I did read all the way to the end, but I guess my reading comprehension wasn't at 100% that day.

1887

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 7 limited time upgrade discount starting tomorrow (June 26th)

« Last post by Innuendo on June 27, 2009, 03:14 PM »

The $49 offer sounds great. However, does anyone know, for certain, if the Microsoft-bought Windows 7 will upgrade a Dell computer that came with a Dell-installed Vista Home Premium OS?

Or, do I have to buy Windows 7 from Dell?

-Ted M

You do not have to buy Windows 7 from Dell. The version one can buy from Microsoft will work perfectly. And with Windows 7 upgrade installs are for once a viable option. Microsoft have finally perfected the upgrade process to the point there's no weirdness due to upgrading an old OS to a new one.

However, if you are advised during the upgrade process to uninstall certain apps before allowing the upgrade process to continue then you darn well better do so. I can tell you in no uncertain terms that this is NOT a "just do it to be safe" suggestion, but rather a "do this now or there are not enough words in the world tot ell you how sorry you will be if you continue" mandate.

EDIT: to fix omitted NOT.

1888

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 7 limited time upgrade discount starting tomorrow (June 26th)

« Last post by Innuendo on June 27, 2009, 03:09 PM »

As mentioned earlier, supposedly the countries that are part of the EU (which isn't the entire Europe) get the full version for upgrade price.

-f0dder

This statement is in line with everything I have read so far. EU users get all the benefits of upgrade pricing with the benefits of having a full non-upgrade version.

1889

General Software Discussion / Re: Help/Advice with TrueCrypt (and free space wiping)?

« Last post by Innuendo on June 27, 2009, 03:06 PM »

Late reply, have been getting backed up with email (8 accounts and AOL's spam filter sucks big time...)

-wreckedcarzz

If you are on AOL you've got bigger problems than I thought. 

1890

Living Room / Re: ExtremeTech website closing

« Last post by Innuendo on June 27, 2009, 12:50 PM »

Yes, I have to agree with you for the most part about the trends in tech journalism. At least we are getting away from the business model that print media (magazines) has engaged in for a long time, i.e.e Known security app publisher buys fourteen full-page ads in a magazine and just by a wild coincidence that known publisher's security suite won the product shoot-out in the same issue.

1891

General Software Discussion / Re: Duplicate Finder 2009

« Last post by Innuendo on June 27, 2009, 12:48 PM »

RE: Jaikoz

Definitely a user interface only a mother could love. The two words that immediately sprung to mind: Ugly-azz Java.

Yuck! I'll try it out shortly, but Ad Muncher catches the initial User Agreement dialog as a pop-up so my first attempt launching the app resulted in the program being invisible. Not a great start, but I'll persevere.

I'm really enjoying the serious discussion here regarding duplicate finding apps. I'd enjoy it even more if you satisfied users were to coerce the software developers to offer DC members some sweet discounts.

1892

General Software Discussion / Re: Perfect Software?

« Last post by Innuendo on June 27, 2009, 11:54 AM »

Windows calculator must be perfect, since it's remained unchanged across two centuries!! 

-zridling

So NOW I know why Microsoft is updating the calculator app in Windows 7! 

1893

Living Room / Re: What annoys you to no end?

« Last post by Innuendo on June 27, 2009, 11:27 AM »

hat's exactly what it is ... business.  They have to get enough funding to keep it going to air the sci-fi stuff that we do like.  ECW brings in a lot of money.  Would you rather they took the high road, then went out of business, and we have no outlet for that stuff?

-wraith808

While I might agree with you if SciFi Channel were its own free-standing entity, but they are a wholly-owned subsidiary of NBC. For some reason I really don't think SciFi airing ECW is what is keeping them afloat.

But this is all a moot point anyway. Soon SciFi is going to be ScyFy (sic). Then we are going to see all the great science-fiction programming slowly erode away.

1894

General Software Discussion / Re: Microsoft Security Essentials (Morro) Beta

« Last post by Innuendo on June 27, 2009, 11:09 AM »

I downloaded MSE, but I've been debating on whether or not to install it. I got my installer from Softpedia so if someone wants/needs MSE that's where I'd look first.

The mandatory SpyNet participation while disappointing is understandable. Microsoft needs as much information about this beta as possible and mandatory participation is the only way to ensure that. The sending of personally identifiable information is more of a concern though. They should have been able to find a way to anonymize everything.

The false positives that hit you fly in the face of everything that has been circulating on the web regarding this beta. Every source I have read said that MSE was very good about not encountering any false positives. Well, ha!

Thanks for your views on this. It's tipped my debating over the edge & I think I'm going to decide not to install this beta. I'll wait till a later beta or the release and then re-evaluate.

1895

Living Room / Re: IE8 --> Windows explorer startup glitch - maybe Avira WebGuard involved

« Last post by Innuendo on June 27, 2009, 10:57 AM »

IE8 really did not impress me. I'd interpret this as a sign to start checking out the third-party browsers. Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Safari are doing some wonderful things these days.

1896

Living Room / Re: Quicktime Pro

« Last post by Innuendo on June 27, 2009, 10:48 AM »

Doubtful, as most M4V files have DRM embedded in them. You're most likely looking at needing an app dedicated to such conversions, but I covered this in your other thread.

1897

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Actual Window Manager mini review

« Last post by Innuendo on June 27, 2009, 10:47 AM »

I've been aware of Actual Window Manager for years, but I have always thought his prices were way too high. Yes, I know he's got programs with subsets of features for less money, but I have been of the opinion his whole product line-up should be cut 50% in price. That seems more in line with what I'd be getting for the money.

And that memory leak. Like I said, I've been aware of this program for years. Every new version released I evaluate and the memory leak is still there. Want a premium price for your software? Then give me premium software for the price...which means no memory leaks that have been in the code since the year dot.

I leave my PC on 24/7 and I use it quite a bit when I'm home. I don't have the time or inclination to 'babysit' programs by restarting them when my other programs start acting wonky due to memory leaks.

Oh, and great review, tranglos! My personal opinions regarding this software are no reflection on your thorough dissection of this program. Good job!

1898

Living Room / Re: Anyone Use ITunes Here????

« Last post by Innuendo on June 27, 2009, 10:16 AM »

My guess is that the second and third videos you bought have DRM embedded in them which means you are going to be limited in what players will be able to play them.

I think software exists that will allow you to make copies of your videos and allow you to strip off the DRM, but I have no direct experience doing that as I try to stay away from DRM-infested content.

1899

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Total Commander 7.50 public beta 1 - mini-review

« Last post by Innuendo on June 27, 2009, 10:12 AM »

Every time a new version of TC is released I get all giddy.

1900

Living Room / Re: Need NAS Enclosure recommendation

« Last post by Innuendo on June 27, 2009, 10:11 AM »

Stay away from Western Digital in this regard. Nearly every external storage device they have made has been a 'hard drive death trap' plagued by inadequate cooling. I won't even go into the bone-headed move they pulled off when one of the 'features' of their device was it decided for you what types of files could be shared over the internet for fear of copyright violations.

Carol nailed it, though. For stand-alone appliances you can't go wrong with Synology if they are in your price range. They have a very active user community where lots of functionality is being added to Synology devices by very talented modders.

Josh sounds like he wants a device he can just tuck away in a corner somewhere and forget so I won't go into the build-your-own solutions.