Recent Posts

1926

Living Room / Re: The Christmas arms race

« Last post by app103 on December 28, 2011, 10:01 AM »

If I post what was my favorite gift, you guys are going to think I am weird...but here goes...

an 8 lb box of powdered milk 

Or more accurately...

The 10 minute stand-up comedy routine that followed, from my daughter, about what would happen if you mixed it up with the box of laundry detergent. Every time I use the powdered milk for something, I am going to remember it, and that will be for a long time, considering how much powdered milk I now have.

1927

General Software Discussion / Re: font/raster/vector/icons/logos/stockphotos/etc and generally design repositories

« Last post by app103 on December 27, 2011, 01:40 PM »

My blog post on where to find free stock photos for commercial use, with no attribution required (lots of links): http://cranialsoup.b...ock-photo-sites.html

1928

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: 2 gifts from Abelsoft

« Last post by app103 on December 27, 2011, 11:55 AM »

Also, where did you find any information about the program, other than that it causes people to run in the opposite direction?  Or was that what you thought might be useful? 

-cyberdiva (December 26, 2011, 04:38 PM)

1929

N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: NANY 2012 Release: GoogolBar

« Last post by app103 on December 25, 2011, 10:29 AM »

Hi April, I'm registered as you suggested, and am working on Win XP, Vista and 7 support for both x86 and x64 as per discussion.

-LaKraven (December 25, 2011, 09:06 AM)

Terriffic! Glad you joined. I promise you won't regret it. (I love this place!) 

1930

Living Room / Re: Season's Greetings December 2011

« Last post by app103 on December 25, 2011, 04:17 AM »

Wow! That card is HUGE!  

1931

N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: P-FANCI: Petition For A New Cody Image! POST HERE!!

« Last post by app103 on December 24, 2011, 08:52 AM »

Laggy told me he is going to hold his breath and turn blue till there is a new Cody image. I think he means it.

1932

Living Room / Re: SOPA Is Irrelevant - They'll do it anyways...

« Last post by app103 on December 23, 2011, 09:26 AM »

You can always leave the backbone. Reintroduce something like FidoNet (i.e. low bandwidth text-based) and SOPA becomes irrelevant.

That would at least allow for greater freedom of speech, even if you couldn't watch all the junk on YouTube on it.

Not to say the Powers That Be wouldn't try to over regulate that as well.

But at least they could no longer claim the prevention of digital piracy and copyright violations as their primary justification for doing so.

-40hz (December 23, 2011, 07:09 AM)

Never underestimate a pirate's ability to abuse things to distribute whatever they please. Wasn't the newsgroups all text based? Didn't the pirates post a ton of small plain text messages that when put together with the right software result in things that were not plain text (audio, video, executables, images, etc)?

What would stop them from repeating that? And once they did, what would stop big brother and the **AA's from repeating what they did to stop them?

I hate to have to say it, but the only end to the madness is for the consumer to take control and put the companies that support and cause the madness out of business so they can't do any more damage. They can't lobby lawmakers once they file for bankruptcy and their assets are liquidated.

This means a change in buying habits, shopping with the ethical companies, buying only independent music from non-RIAA labels, using freeware/donationware/open source/shareware from ethical developers and being willing to support it so the small guys can grow and take the place of the big guys that are destroying everything.

We all have to be willing to do the work to change the world if we ever hope to change it. It's not just enough to want better, we have to do better, or we will never have better.

And it will never work with just a few of us. A handful of people doesn't have the kind of buying power that is needed to accomplish it.

1933

Living Room / Re: Adware is not freeware, right?

« Last post by app103 on December 23, 2011, 08:55 AM »

Adware is not freeware. Someone is paying for it, just like someone is paying for shareware...it's just not the end user that is doing the paying.

If you are ok with someone else paying for your software and having to see the credit they get for doing so (that's all an ad is) then there is nothing wrong with it, as long as the developer is up front about it so that you can make an informed decision. If you are going to be the product, with your info sold to someone else, you should know about that in advance, as well.

1934

Living Room / Re: Reddit Leaving GoDaddy because of SOPA Support

« Last post by app103 on December 22, 2011, 10:53 PM »

I have been using idotz.net for a long time and I am very happy with them. They are owned by BRS Media, a San Fransisco company that is very friendly and supportive to independent internet radio. They also accept Paypal.

1935

General Software Discussion / Re: best font for html email?

« Last post by app103 on December 22, 2011, 10:33 PM »

I usually go with a screen optimized font like Ariel in 12 or 14pt.

-40hz (December 22, 2011, 05:08 PM)

Bingo! Same here.

I would avoid Times and other serif fonts as they are harder to read onscreen. Serifs do better in print.

-Renegade (December 22, 2011, 10:20 PM)

Generally speaking, that is true, although when used sparingly, Georgia makes a great font for headings.

I'd add Verdana and Tahoma as nice, simple fonts that are very readable onscreen.

-Renegade (December 22, 2011, 10:20 PM)

Verdana is a good "fluffing" font for when you want the text to take up more space. It is pretty close to Ariel, but wider. A favorite of high school students when writing reports. I wouldn't use it for a long email or if you tend to be verbose, since the width will make the email seem even longer than it is.

1936

General Software Discussion / Re: streaming audio (creating an internet radio station)

« Last post by app103 on December 21, 2011, 05:24 PM »

I tried that just now and it didn't seem to work.

-superboyac (December 21, 2011, 10:19 AM)

You said you have 2 sound cards. Are you sure you adjusted for the correct one?

If you are running Vista or Win7, you may also have to do this: http://www.happy-kar...a_audio_recorder.htm

I think I understand the settings you've shown, but I don't see how it routes the playback sound to an actual input.  Am I missing something?

-superboyac (December 21, 2011, 10:19 AM)

The settings on that set of volume controls is for recording volumes, which are the same ones that would control the volumes used for the sources of your broadcasting.

The first one is the master volume, which you would adjust if everything was too loud or quiet. The others are for the actual input sources, individually.

I can't explain all the ones you have on yours, since I can't see them but I can explain each of the ones on mine.

Line volume: This is the line-in source on the back of my pc, for if I was to connect something to that, like perhaps a turn table to spin some vinyl.
Front Mic: This is for a mic connected through the front panel on my pc.
Mic volume: This is for a mic connected through the back of my pc.
Stereo Mix: This is for input coming from within my pc, like from any media player software.

1937

N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: NANY 2012 Release: GoogolBar

« Last post by app103 on December 21, 2011, 04:52 AM »

I am in need of a volunteer that can compile a 64-bit Delphi app and test to make sure it works.

Got an offer I couldn't refuse. Simon Stuart has offered to rewrite it so it works on Win7, both x86 and x64.

1938

General Software Discussion / Re: streaming audio (creating an internet radio station)

« Last post by app103 on December 21, 2011, 04:09 AM »

The icecast thing, it records the mic input because, well, it's an input device.  But when I play music on the computer, that's an output.  I need to somehow turn that output into an input, while still being able to listen to it...AND recording the mic while NOT hearing it live.  I guess that's why all the radio hosts have headphones, one of those inputs is playing in there (mic? or music?).  So I'm not sure how to do that yet.  I have all the equipment here, I think.  I have two sound cards (a normal, and a pro audio), I have a mixer...so I should be able to do this.

-superboyac (December 20, 2011, 10:54 PM)

It's not hard, but it's also not obvious.

Go to Sounds and Audio Devices in Control Panel.

Click the Advanced button here:



Click Options here, then select Properties:



Select your input device and it will switch to recording. Then check all the boxes.



When you click OK, you will see a volume control panel that looks a bit different than the other one you saw before. It may have more controls than mine, but the one you should be most concerned with in your case is the Stereo Mix. Make sure the Mute on that is unchecked. Adjust the volume on that one to make it louder and it should solve your problem.

1939

N.A.N.Y. 2012 / NANY 2012 Release: GoogolBar

« Last post by app103 on December 19, 2011, 09:11 PM »

NANY 2012 Entry Information

Application Name	GoogolBar
Version	1.0.9
Short Description	GoogolBar is my idea of a replacement for the Google Toolbar for Windows. It does not contain anything questionable, unethical, shady, sneaky, privacy invading, etc.
Supported OSes	32-bit versions of Windows: 98/ME/2K/XP with IE 5 or newer
Setup File	http://appsapps.info/downloads/GoogolBar.zip
System Requirements	Windows 98/ME/2K/XP with IE 5 or newer
Author Info	app103 - App's Apps | LaKraven - Reinvent The Wheel
Description	Nice, clean, and simple. It is a deskbar that integrates with your taskbar to provide convenient searching of various Google services (20 in total) right from the desktop in your default browser. It will work with all major browsers and most obscure ones, too. It will work with both horizontal and vertical taskbars. It will not store a search history, not phone home, not report statistics, no automatic installation of updates without the user's knowledge or consent, no tracking of personally identifiable surfing activities, no tracking of "anonymous" statistics, no changes to your default search engine, no changes to your default "new tab" page, no changes to any web page you view, no collection and storage of personally identifiable information, no loading of dynamic content from the web, no advertising, no 3rd party bundled software, no BS. And for those that really care about privacy, there is an option to search using Scroogle.
Features	Services supported: Web, Image, Maps, News, Groups, Shopping, Video, Mail, Books, Finance, Scholar, Blogs, Youtube. Calendar, Reader, Documents, Patents, Android market, G+, Scroogle
Screenshots	As displayed on a vertical taskbar:
Installation	Just run the GoogolBarSetup.msi file by double clicking it. After installing, right click your taskbar and on the menu, under Toolbars, select "GoogolBar". If you do not see it listed there, wait a few seconds and check again.
Using the application	Just type in one or more search terms into the box, select the type of search you want to perform from the drop down list, and click the Search button. Your search will be opened in your default browser.
Uninstalling	Close the GoogolBar deskbar first by right clicking the toolbar and selecting "Close toolbar". Then restart your computer. Failure to skip this may cause uninstallation to fail. It can then be removed from Add/Remove programs by finding and uninstalling the entry called "GoogolBar".
Known Issues	Vista/Win7 x86: Current version may not work but there will be a version that will, coming soon. x64 versions of Windows: Current version will not work but there will be a version that will, coming soon. Internet Explorer: This isn't meant to be an Internet Explorer toolbar, even though it does appear on the Internet Explorer toolbars menu. I had to add it to that menu to get it to show up in the Explorer toolbars menu. You can use it with Internet Explorer, but it will not open searches and pages in the open instance of Internet Explorer. It will open them in a new instance of your default browser, which in some cases might be a different browser than Internet Explorer. Themes:            It doesn't fully support Themes. It is still showing the wrong background color with some themes. (I am still working on full theme support and I am beginning to get the impression it might not be possible)

NOTE: This version contains a "Donate" button. I will also have a version without the "Donate" button uploaded within the next few days for anyone that supports the project. Just send me a private message and I'll give you a link to download it.

1940

General Software Discussion / Re: AdBlock Plus To Not Block All Ads

« Last post by app103 on December 19, 2011, 09:02 PM »

How could I make the CSS script:
@-moz-document domain("google.com") OR @-moz-document domain("google.co.nz")
- or am I stuck with one domain only?

-IainB (December 19, 2011, 09:15 AM)

You will have to create a set for each domain name by pasting the code into the file twice..

Use @-moz-document domain("google.com") for one of them and @-moz-document domain("google.co.nz") for the other. No promises that the ID names will match the ones used in the page of the localized version. Test it and let me know if it works, and if it doesn't, I'll take a look at the google.co.nz page and see what is going on.

1941

General Software Discussion / Re: AdBlock Plus To Not Block All Ads

« Last post by app103 on December 19, 2011, 05:03 AM »

Are you using a localized version of Google search by any chance? If so, the domain name needs to be changed in the code to match your localized version.

If you have done that and it still isn't working, the ID names may be different in the pages you are viewing.  If they don't match the list I gave, it won't work.

The one in Google Groups that is showing the red outline, the ID name must match one of the ones in the set I provided. That's why it is showing up there, instead.

1942

General Software Discussion / Re: AdBlock Plus To Not Block All Ads

« Last post by app103 on December 18, 2011, 09:18 PM »

@IainB: I can not see where the problem is. All looks good to me.

Perhaps Stylish might work.

1943

General Software Discussion / Re: AdBlock Plus To Not Block All Ads

« Last post by app103 on December 18, 2011, 01:40 PM »

@app103: Thanks. I did all those steps. No go.
So, if it's not a mistake, then maybe that CSS script has a conflict with something else in my add-ons and it just gets nullified.
I don't know anything much about CSS script (though it seems pretty straightforward).
I know nothing about relevant priorities or potential conflicts of these scripts and add-ons.

-IainB (December 18, 2011, 12:17 AM)

The file does not exist by default. You have to create it. There is a sample file included, which contains "sample" as part of the file name. Use that one, following the instructions inside the file about where to paste the code, then change the file name to userContent.css (Be careful, there is also another file sample for userChrome. Don't use that one for this!)

Also, make sure you are placing it in the correct profile. Each Firefox profile should have their own. I once made this mistake and wondered for the longest time what I was doing wrong.

1944

General Software Discussion / Re: AdBlock Plus To Not Block All Ads

« Last post by app103 on December 17, 2011, 11:26 PM »

@app103[/b] That CSS mod - I can't get it to work. I think did it all by the book, but no go. I've not fiddled with CSS directly before, so I could have made a mistuk somewhere.

-IainB (December 17, 2011, 11:12 PM)

It goes in your userContent.css file.

If you are using Firefox, follow these instructions: http://brugbart.com/.../custom-style-sheets

Then restart your browser.

1945

General Software Discussion / Re: AdBlock Plus To Not Block All Ads

« Last post by app103 on December 17, 2011, 10:55 PM »

If you're going to use a CSS mod, why not mod the CSS to make the ads tiny/invisible? 

-Deozaan (December 17, 2011, 10:51 PM)

If you don't want to see the ads at all, an even better hack is to change all 3 of them to display:none !important;

-app103 (December 17, 2011, 06:55 PM)

Did that. 

The hack to make them more obvious was provided because of those that seem to think we all should be looking at the ads all the time. I figured they would be happier with that one than the one that removed them.

1946

General Software Discussion / Re: AdBlock Plus To Not Block All Ads

« Last post by app103 on December 17, 2011, 06:55 PM »

You can make them stand out in Google a whole lot more if you are using Firefox or K-Meleon.

Just add this to your userContent.css file:

[Select]

 /* BEGIN Google ad tweaks */
 @-moz-document domain("google.com"){
 
     #tads{
         border:5px solid red !important;
     }
     .std{
         border:5px solid red !important;
     }
     #tadsb{
         border:5px solid red !important;
     }
 
 }
  /* END Google ad tweaks */

It will make it look like this:


Adjust the thickness and color of the borders as desired. Now you won't be clicking ads by accident.

If you don't want to see the ads at all, an even better hack is to change all 3 of them to display:none !important;

1947

General Software Discussion / Re: Typing break for Windows: alternative to Workrave

« Last post by app103 on December 17, 2011, 05:11 AM »

You could try my Instant Boss. While it won't do it automatically, you can easily pause it when you don't want it to interfere, like when you are playing a game. It also doesn't rely on keyboard/mouse input for setting the intervals or break length, so what you set is what you get.

1948

Living Room / Re: computer cases with washable filters

« Last post by app103 on December 15, 2011, 01:04 AM »

I think you'd be better off getting a full room air cleaner with a HEPA filter and keeping it on the opposite side of the room, away from your PCs. It will do both you and your computers a lot of good when the air in your environment is a lot cleaner.

1949

Living Room / You like science fiction, don't you? Of course you do!

« Last post by app103 on December 14, 2011, 04:32 PM »

The 1973 BBC Radio broadcast of Isaac Asimov's The Foundation Trilogy is available on archive.org.

The Foundation Trilogy concists of:
1. Foundations
2. Foundation and Empire
3. Second Foundation

The Foundation Trilogy is an epic science fiction series written over a span of forty-four years by Isaac Asimov. It consists of seven volumes that are closely linked to each other, although they can be read separately. The series is highly acclaimed, winning the one-time Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series" in 1966.

The premise of the series is that mathematician Hari Seldon spent his life developing a branch of mathematics known as psychohistory, a concept devised by Asimov and his editor John W. Campbell. Using the law of mass action, it can predict the future, but only on a large scale; it is error-prone for anything smaller than a planet or an empire. It works on the principle that the behavior of a mass of people is predictable if the quantity of this mass is very large (equal to the population of the galaxy). The larger the mass, the more predictable is the future. Using these techniques, Seldon foresees the fall of the Galactic Empire, which encompasses the entire Milky Way, and a dark age lasting thirty thousand years before a second great empire arises. To shorten the period of barbarism, he creates two Foundations, small, secluded havens of art, science, and other advanced knowledge, on opposite ends of the galaxy.

The focus of the trilogy is on the Foundation of the planet Terminus. The people living there are working on an all-encompassing Encyclopedia, and are unaware of Seldon's real intentions (for if they were, the variables would become too uncontrolled). The Encyclopedia serves to preserve knowledge of the physical sciences after the collapse. The Foundation's location is chosen so that it acts as the focal point for the next empire in another thousand years (rather than the projected thirty thousand).

Audio has 8 parts

http://en.wikipedia....logy_%28BBC_Radio%29

http://www.archive.o...TheFoundationTrilogy

1950

General Software Discussion / Re: AdBlock Plus To Not Block All Ads

« Last post by app103 on December 13, 2011, 04:31 PM »

Many people seem just fine with the default save formats of both MS Office and OpenOffice, both of which are *optional*. And many media players don't play or associate with all media formats by default. These don't seem that much different to me. That's the critical thing here, as far as I understand, it's going to be the default to not block some ads, but it will still be *able* to block all ads if desired. It's a preference, just like changing your default save format for MS Office or enabling loading of more media formats in your media player.

It's a change in functionality, which I think is causing the majority of the uproar, but imagine if it had been like this since the beginning. People would still love AdBlock, they would just know they have to configure it right to block everything. Heck that's *already* the case as it won't block all ads by default (through omission rather than design, thus far). This just makes it explicit and intended, but again still leaves the out. I don't think it's a great move, but it's hardly deplorable or unjustifiable in my view.

- Oshyan

-JavaJones (December 13, 2011, 03:54 PM)

There is a big difference between supporting a format and discriminating based on content. I don't have an issue with a media player that doesn't support flac and therefore won't play any flac files. I would however have an issue with a media player that won't play Metallica songs, regardless of format, because the developer has ethical issues with Metallica and is on a personal life-long revenge kick for the attack on Napster. Or won't play any country music or jazz files because the developer can't stand country music and jazz. Or a media player that will only play Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga files because that's what the developer likes.

There is also a big difference between a default format in a word processing application and the application refusing to save your essay on global warming, in any format, unless it supports the developer's point of view.

As a developer, your opinion on those matters does not count.

As a developer your opinions on Adsense does not count. I don't care if you like Adsense and think I should see the ads because they don't look ugly or because Google made a big donation to support your project. I, the user, my opinions count...and I have valid reasons for blocking those ads. And blocking those ads is why I use an ad blocker.

I don't use an ad blocker because I want to subscribe to the personal views of the developer and be subjected to his whims of what ads he thinks I should see.

I have an ethical issue with using an ad blocker made by a developer that has ethical issues with blocking ads, all ads, without discrimination.