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2101

General Software Discussion / Re: Reliable web page capture...

« Last post by J-Mac on July 18, 2008, 02:18 PM »

That happens to me when I try it on shareware registration sites and the like.  I assume it's because you have to be securely logged in with the current browser, and the site doesn't recognise UR as being that.  You might try using LWA with the "Send keystrokes" method, where it forces the browser to save a copy of the file to disk, then reads that, rather than trying to go directly to the original page.

-rjbull (July 18, 2008, 09:53 AM)

I used to do that, but when I reinstalled Windows on this computer I lost the ability.  You have to create an .ini file in order to allow that, and the last I had checked Martin had not done anything with that for FF3.

One thing about all of Martin's applications - he doesn't seem to like adding any niceties at all.  Most tasks have to be done the hard way or the long way.  One example is just this - having to create .ini files for sending keystrokes.  Also, if you try to select a folder in LWA that you want your capture to be stored in, if the one you would like to use doesn't exist, there is no standard "New Folder" button.  You have to stop the capture and then open the main window of LWA, create the new folder and name it, and only then go and do the capture again. A lot of little touches like that are missing and he usually isn't real keen on adding them.

Which is one of the reasons I am looking for other ways to get this done.

Interesting note: Roboform recognises WebSite-Watcher as a mini-browser and attaches a Roboform taskbar when a WSW window appears.  WSW has an option to directly archive files to LWA - at least, I think it does - so you could log in with WSW and Roboform, then use WSW to transfer the page to LWA.  It doesn't look like Roboform sees LWA as a browser in itself, even though they're both from Martin Aignesberger, but I haven't checked thoroughly.

-rjbull (July 18, 2008, 09:53 AM)

Ultra Recall is the same - listed on RF's browser page and the toolbar is there in UR.  Doesn't seem to help, though, regarding these capture issues.

Thanks!

Jim

2102

General Software Discussion / Re: Reliable web page capture...

« Last post by J-Mac on July 17, 2008, 10:48 PM »

To be honest, many times a pure and simple screenshot is all that I need.  It is only occasionally that I need a true and complete capture of all aspects on the web page.  For a full page screen capture it depends on the page itself as to which application I use.

For web pages that can be captured with one screenshot, I always use mouser's Screenshot Captor - you really can't beat that!  However if the page is longer than one screenshot, and must be scrolled, I then use SnagIt.  (For some odd reason, I cannot capture a scrolling page with Screenshot Captor - when I try, during the capture the window goes blank and gets very light/bright.  Browser becomes unreponsive, requiring me to end the process for Screenshot Captor via the Windows Task Manager.  About half the times I tried I also had to restart the browser, and on a few occasions I had to actually reboot!  I suspect it may be an incompatibility between Screenshot Captor and nVidia graphics cards - and possibly AMD dual core processors).

When I need all objects on a web page, I use Local Website Archive.  More recently I have been trying to use Ultra Recall, but even with that latest fix I cannot capture most secure pages at site where I am logged in.   Rather than just grabbing it UR tries to refresh the page (never works, darn it!).

Jim

2103

General Software Discussion / Re: Help! Good flowcharting sw needed

« Last post by J-Mac on July 17, 2008, 10:38 PM »

Hmm...

eDraw Max is not quite as polished as it first seemed.  First of all, the images available are not very plentiful; actually they are quite scarce in some of the charting modules.

Next, it is way too apparent that English is not the developers' first language.  Nor does it appear to be their second, third, or fourth language either.  The misspellings found throughout the program are atrocious.  And a lot of their images are pretty outdated.  As an example of both, many of the chart modules have an image of a mobile device, which sounds innocuous enough.  But it is a Palm device that looks to be several generations old.  Nothing that looks in any way like a modern mobile device.  And it is spelled "Plam Device" throughout.

This can make a presentation that otherwise looks somewhat professional appear to be amateurish.

Jim

2104

General Software Discussion / Re: Reliable web page capture...

« Last post by J-Mac on July 17, 2008, 02:23 AM »

How about mirroring the entire site and then picking out the page/pages you want?

-Cuffy (July 16, 2008, 11:20 AM)

For me, that would be grabbing a whole lot extra that I don't want nor need just to get the one page that I do!

Thanks!

Jim

2105

Living Room / Re: Anyone Here Using a Drobo?

« Last post by J-Mac on July 16, 2008, 12:08 PM »

Thanks for the tip.

I do have a couple sitting around doing nothing, but both are about 8 yrs old - one maybe a little older.  Both ran Windows 98SE and I don't believe the hardware - at least what is left that might be working - will support anything newer, unfortunately.  Believe it or not, I already started a small project with the older of the two - turning it into a "hidden" safe!  (Pretty cool - I'll post more when it's complete, but basically I gutted all but a small power supply and a few lights so that it will look as if it'sconnected to my network and running as a server.      )

But if anyone is using the Drobo and gives it good references, I'd like to get one running.

Thanks!

Jim

2106

General Software Discussion / Re: Reliable web page capture...

« Last post by J-Mac on July 16, 2008, 01:46 AM »

Oh, OK.  It's just that johnk went through so much in testing the others to determine just what they can and cannot do.  I thought that you wre trying to show others that work without the drawbacks that he mentioned.  But it looks like you're just throwing names out of any app that mentions web page capture in its feature set.

I don't think I would consider it in the same class as the ones mentioned in the original post.

Thanks!

Jim

2107

General Software Discussion / Re: Reliable web page capture...

« Last post by J-Mac on July 15, 2008, 10:33 PM »

Sounds nice, cmpm.  Have you used it yet?  I'm curious as to what kind of results you're seeing.

Thanks!

Jim

2108

Living Room / Re: Gizmo's Tech Support Alert Newsletter Merges with Windows Secrets

« Last post by J-Mac on July 15, 2008, 05:36 PM »

Carol,

I agree that a lot of the content isn't all that great, but what else is there?  Let's face it, not many - if there are any left - are going to create newsletters like the LangaList and TSA because they like it anymore.  No one is that altruistic anymore.  They want a chance to make some "real" money from their life's work and this way is probably the only way to do it.

You surely read posts above yours where someone said they drew the line at paying for the LangaList, that they only liked the free version.  A lot of people feel that way, sadly.  And I say sadly only because it stops writers like Fred from staying with their own newsletters.  I'm not trying to place blame on anyone for not wanting to pay.  But this is surely one reason that folks like Fred and Ian no longer wish to continue on their own.

Windows Secrets does definitely have too much advertising.  But I am tired of dropping newsletter and searching all over again for more "pure" ones!  THe current WS/TSA is going to have to do for me.

Jim

2109

Living Room / Anyone Here Using a Drobo?

« Last post by J-Mac on July 15, 2008, 03:15 PM »

I know there were a few threads in the past about the Drobo - an NAS-like device that allows quick and supposedly painless HD swapping along with continual backup of all the HD's data.  Kind of like a non-tech RAID setup but actually a bit more than that.

I started looking harder at the Drobo a few weeks ago at Amazon.com where it was priced at $474 at the time.  Then it dropped to $458 within a day, which kept me looking a little longer than I otherwise would, as the price is the main obstacle for me.

Then today I noticed that the price at Amazon was lowered yet again:  To $349!!  Now that is well over $100 less than the price just a few weeks ago, and it is now screaming at me, luring and enticing me every time I pass within a few meters/yards of my computer!!

I have read all the reviews and articles I could find about it and I am still wanting one for my setup.  I know it has some drawbacks - r/w speed primary among them, as it uses only USB 2.0 - but I am willing to tolerate all that I have read about.  However I have not spoken to nor corresponded with anyone that I know, either personally or via a forum like DC, who is actually using a Drobo.  I really like to hear from someone other than the online magazines and blogs before I commit to an expense like this.

Sooo....    Anyone here actually using a Drobo at home or work?

Thanks!

Jim

2110

Living Room / Re: Gizmo's Tech Support Alert Newsletter Merges with Windows Secrets

« Last post by J-Mac on July 15, 2008, 03:03 PM »

Wow - When DCers hate something, they really, really hate it, huh?

I am already a paid subscriber to the premium versions of both newsletters and have been satisfied with each.  No, I don't read 100% of either one - sorry but I just don't find every article in any newsletter to be interesting enough to read.  Like many, I initially subscribed to LangaList and then moved right over to Windows Secrets when Fred moved there.

FWIW, I received both email notifications - from WS & TSA - about the merger within minutes and immediately wrote to Ian to congratulate him.  I can tell you that HE at least is happy about the merger!  I did get my login credentials updated; they take the expiration of whichever subscription has the most time left on it and add one month to it.  Not a great deal but certainly decent enough.

So, for the record, I am not dismayed over the merger - at least not now anyway.  And I will definitely give it some time to see if it turns into something I no longer wish to support.  But I certainly am not going to condemn the move without at least trying it.

Jim

2111

General Software Discussion / Re: Reliable web page capture...

« Last post by J-Mac on July 12, 2008, 05:33 PM »

Wow!  Using Ultra Recall for a week now and already more impressed than at the start of the week...

Jim

2112

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Jungle Disk Mini-Review: offsite data storage

« Last post by J-Mac on July 12, 2008, 03:01 AM »

This looks pretty sweet, especially compared to another similar offer I received this week - Smugmug's "SmugVault Service".  Smugmug is an online photo repository and what they are offering is storage on S3 for your RAW files, plus any other files you wish.  However the storage and bandwidth pricing they offer is just about double what JD offers.

Gotta give it a try!  Thanks for the great review, justice!

Jim

2113

General Software Discussion / Re: Reliable web page capture...

« Last post by J-Mac on July 11, 2008, 08:40 PM »

Thanks for your response, cmpm, but that's not quite what I'm after. Fireshot is a screen capture add-on.

I'm perfectly happy with Scrapbook (or Local Website Archive) as a reliable web page capture program. What I want is for one of the heavyweight information managers (named in my first post) to improve their programs and start providing bullet-proof web page capture (which they should be doing already).

What sparked this post was a thread in the Kinook forums where I and others raised this issue about Ultra Recall:
http://www.kinook.co...?s=&postid=13653.

-johnk (July 11, 2008, 01:22 PM)

John,

Notice that the last post there at the Kinook thread is from me.  And I also have licenses for Evernote and Local Website Archive.

I agree completely that none capture web pages well - at least not visually.  I'll be following this thread carefully as my needs seem to match up.

Jim

2114

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Almeza Multiset At Half Price on Bits DuJour

« Last post by J-Mac on July 10, 2008, 12:57 PM »

Both places (Bits and GAOTD) only offer their deals for one day.  I was announcing it as early in the day as possible for those members here who don't get their email alerts.   

Thanks!

Jim

2115

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Almeza Multiset At Half Price on Bits DuJour

« Last post by J-Mac on July 09, 2008, 11:19 PM »

I got it free from Giveawayoftheday.

-BCHOWDHURY (July 09, 2008, 10:34 PM)

Not then, you didn't.

Jim

2116

General Software Discussion / Re: Help! Good flowcharting sw needed

« Last post by J-Mac on July 09, 2008, 03:40 PM »

- you are right, Jim, there is quite a distance between eDraw home planning and 3D HA, but I also think they are two different types of programs. 3D HA must be called a specialist on this subject, I think.

I didn't remember about Gliffy.com - maybe my eyes long ago noticed the word "online", which usually turns me off. Do you know if the free-version-user really gains access to all the same features as the premium-version-user, except of course for the listed differences in quantity / uploads / ads?? I think the advert-free alternative is dreadful expensive: $5 per month!! But the program really looks capable.

-Curt (July 08, 2008, 07:42 PM)

Gliffy is a lot better than a good many regular licensed applications that you run from your computer.  Some features I have requested are on their tracking log but it looks like the turn around time for that might be a couple years. Literally.

It has a few things missing that I find annoying, but they are not really major.

Got news for you - I have tried three charts with eDraw Max so far and guess what - I'm redoing them on Gliffy.

I think maybe I was too hasty in promoting eDraw here.....

Jim

2117

General Software Discussion / Re: Help! Good flowcharting sw needed

« Last post by J-Mac on July 08, 2008, 03:36 PM »

I bought it too, Curt (is anyone surprised  ). I've been struggling with ConceptDraw, but EDraw is much simpler, and yet seems more powerful. Anyway, am happily flow-charting my PhD at the moment.

-Darwin (July 08, 2008, 07:38 AM)

Now, me?  I had been looking time and time again at ConceptDraw, but it has grown even more expensive than it was when I first looked at it, and it never did show up on GAOTD nor Bits duJor again since you got your copy.  Then I happened to see the eDraw Max deal at Bits the other day - when I posted this here, and pruchased it after checking their web site out again.

And now I hear that you are "struggling" with ConceptDraw?  A true blessing in disguise that I saw the eDraw deal when I did!

BTW, the first thing I tried with it as a test drawing didn't go that well.  I tried a quick layout of my home office.  I laready have that with 3D Home Architect and Gliffy,com, so I always try a new application that does room layouts to compare and see if it is easier and/or quicker and has better results.  Nope - eDraw is obviously better for pure flowcharting than the other "features"!  Very tough to do a decent floor plan with it, IMO.

But all in all it is pretty good with flow charts!

Jim

2118

General Software Discussion / Re: Help! Good flowcharting sw needed

« Last post by J-Mac on July 07, 2008, 02:13 AM »

Veign recommends EDraw Flowchart.

-tinjaw (May 08, 2008, 02:41 PM)

I bought and think this is a great tool.  It very easy to use and you can be up and running in minutes.   I reviewed many when I was looking for a flowchart program and EDraw was better, and easier to use, then the rest.

-Veign (May 09, 2008, 08:54 AM)

Just thought I would mention - if anyone happens to be following this thread - that Today, July 7, 2008, Bits duJor has eDraw Max available for 50% off.  That's $39.98.  (Regularly $79.95).  Good for almost 21 more hours, so get moving!

Jim

EDIT:  I thought I should clarify -- Veign's recommendation is actually for eDraw Flowchart only, for $49.95.  This eDraw Max at Bits duJor is an all-inclusive product that includes the libraries and examples from ALL of the eDraw product line, including: eDraw Flowcharts, Organizational Chart, Network Diagrammer, Software Diagrammer, and their Flowchart Active X Control.

2119

Living Room / Re: McAfee SiteAdvisor

« Last post by J-Mac on July 06, 2008, 11:38 PM »

SiteAdvisor WAS a decent site at the start.  I became a reviewer there early on and the developer was actually a very nice guy who was both accessible and amenable to correct any false positives that users and/or site owners pointed out to him - as long as they did have a reasonable and provable explanation.  I corresponded with him on a number of occasions about various web site ratings.  However I knew it couldn't last.

After it picked up steam and became so popular, (It actually was very popular at one point, even among the techie communities) of course a select handful of big companies - including Google and McAfee, as I understand it - started contacting him left and right looking to make a deal.  McAfee's offer, from what I understand, was not necessarily the most lucrative but they somehow managed to convince him (brainwashing perhaps?) that they could do the most good with SiteAdvisor based on their "vast and respected" computer security experience and history.  Ha!  What was he thinking?  (Me? I'm convinced that McAfee probably DID offer the most moolah and that the deal was made based purely on the dollar signs in his eyes).

Anyway McAfee f****d it up about as bad as most of us expected them to do.  And now it has become more popular in some quarters, but not by more knowledgeable techies.

Oh well, another one bites the dust.

Jim

2120

General Software Discussion / Re: Stardock doesn't treat you like a criminal!

« Last post by J-Mac on July 03, 2008, 11:27 PM »

I don't see where there is a problem.  First, the interview was specifically about games and not WindowBlinds.

-cthorpe (July 03, 2008, 02:23 PM)

The post was about "Stardock Doesn't Treat You Like a Criminal" and I was commenting on the post.  And Stardock IS WindowBlinds, and has only started getting into games much more recently.

Furthermore, there is nothing in there that states, explicitly or implicitly, that the company is going to embrace pirates and treat them with the same respect as paying customers.  The interview never states that Stardock is completely ignoring piracy problems.  On top of that, users who had cracked versions of WindowBlinds and then were audacious enough to ask the company for technical support deserved to be berated.  Perhaps it shouldn't have been done publically on the forums, but how would you handle someone who clearly stole something from you and then asked for help with it in public?  You mention that some legitimate users suspected that it was anti-piracy features that caused then problems.  Did any users ever find that it was, in fact, the crack blocking or did they just assume that it was the problem?

-cthorpe (July 03, 2008, 02:23 PM)

Well, the original post title sure sounds like Stardock is not interested in piracy, to an extent. And for the record, I have no problem at all with Brad berating anyone for cracked software in the forum - as a matter of fact, I applaud it!  His concern/outrage most certainly should be public! I mention that only because it was so public and yet this thread makes it sound like they do not worry about piracy, which is far from the truth.

However I do take issue with his methods.  I abhor any developer planting a "bomb" in his code in order to try and combat piracy.  Every time I have seen this done, legitimate users are the ones who seem to get hit the most. There are better, safer ways to protect your software than to put destructive code into it. Anytime developers cause pain to their users in the name of security they are putting their desire to hurt the pirates ahead of the convenience of their loyal users.  I don't think there are many here at DC who are appreciative of that sort of "security".

And as for whether it was determined that his code caused other users - non-pirating users - problems with their computers? Not definitively with concrete proof as far as I know.  Hard to prove exactly what internal code like that caused.  After all, if it were easy to isolate that code and investigate it, then I imagine it would not have been so tough for the crackers to avoid it.  What I DO know is that the reports by longtime Stardock users/forum members increased greatly after that version was released.  And the code was reportedly removed in the next release and all those user problems seemed to stop spreading.  BTW, the problem most valid software users were having had the exact same symptoms as the crackers were reporting - black screen issues that could not be resolved without reinstalling Windows.  So it was not a minor annoyance to users.

And also, I was fortunate enough to not have had the problem, so this is not a rant because I was personally affected.  I just found this thread's title to be humorous, not to mention ironic, in light of what I had seen back then.

Jim

2121

General Software Discussion / Re: Stardock doesn't treat you like a criminal!

« Last post by J-Mac on July 03, 2008, 01:53 PM »

Sorry, but Brad is fudging a little there.  OK, OK - Brad is fudging a lot there!!

When WindowBlinds V.5 was in beta and right through the first full release, many users came to the forum and posted about having problems with WB.  Brad would always ask them to post what it said on a specific Settings page.  When they did, if it referred to a specific line of text as being a problem, that meant that they were using a crack to run it.

Brad would then berate them up and down.  Problem was, many legitimate users also complained about other rendering issues that they suspected were related to the crack blocking code within WB.  Brad denied that his code could do that to subscribed users, but I think they lost quite a few over this issue.

Now maybe he decided to change that policy and embrace the statements shown in the original post here.  I haven't been there much in the last year.  But if you look through their forums about 1 to 2 years back you'll see all that.  If not, I'll try to locate specific threads and post links here.

Jim

2122

Living Room / Re: Woot.com Bag of Crap post

« Last post by J-Mac on July 03, 2008, 01:13 AM »

Thanks Carl - that is the most entertaining post I've read in a while!!

ANd, boy oh boy - am I ever up for a crap exchange!  Nothing from Woot.com, mind you, but I just KNOW I have more crap than anyone else here.  No contest!  I save this stuff forever - and whenever I have a major clean-out, where I am definitely going to get rid of ALL that I am not using, well...  I just pack it away better and hope that Mrs. J-Mac doesn't find it!    (I sure hope she doesn't read this!)

My crap is mostly working crap, too.  Just stuff I am not using that I keep "just in case".  Motorola Surfboard Cable Modems, Linksys routers, etc., etc. When I buy new, I keep stuff in case I need it as a spare - like if something newer breaks.  Of course when that does happen, even newer models are usually available at lower prices than I ever imagined.

Most stuff we stop using is snatched up by our grown-up children - but none are much into tech stuff, so this stuff just sits.

Yes, I have crap!!

Jim

2123

Living Room / Re: Bill Gates email rant

« Last post by J-Mac on July 01, 2008, 12:38 AM »

Edvard,

The way I see it, Bill had long since stopped being involved with the technical end of the OS by then.  While he was once extremely knowledgeable regarding the technical/systems aspects of Windows, like any CEO he most likely became purely involved in the business end of the business, traveling the world, schmoozing politicians, addressing boards of directors, etc.  Also, he probably hadn't touched a computer except as an end user -- I would guess that IT techs always maintained his computer(s), updates, software installations, and the like.

But I believe that in 2003 he had recently announced that he was stepping away from active participation in the company - or at least starting to do so.  So for the first time in over 40 years he probably had some extended time at home and decided to install Moviemaker 2 himself.  Hey, he had to start acting like an end user at some point!

So, yes, I guess it should be a good thing that he finally sees just what everyone else has had to go through with Windows.  But unfortunately, as you mentioned, things haven't changed much for the better since 2003.

Bill probably ended up switching to Linux or a Mac since then!   

Jim

2124

Living Room / Re: U.K. growing more peculiar by the day. What's happening in your area?

« Last post by J-Mac on June 29, 2008, 02:23 PM »

Poor Stella Liebeck.  Still getting kicked for that case!

Fact is, McDonalds was serving coffee hot enough to give third degree burns.  Though people argue that is the ideal temp for coffee, McDonalds at the time was the only one selling it at drive-thru windows in cups w/caps designed - and advertised - for "drinking on the go".

As for Stella, she was not driving and did not attempt to open or drink the coffee while the car was moving. Her grandson was driving and had pulled over to allow her to add cream & sugar to the coffee.  Also, McDonalds had at the time been sued over 700 times for scalds from their coffee.  And Stella only asked for $20,000 from McDonalds - her medical expenses for skin grafts were about $12,000 and ongoing at the time of the suit.  When McDonalds refused to settle - actually refused to settle for more than $600 - she got a lawyer and sued.  Initially for $300,000.  The court-appointed mediator recommended that McDonalds should pay $225,000. They refused.  The jury claimed later that they had followed the closing argument of Stella's attorney and ordered a punitive damage amount equal to 2 days of the revenue McDonalds claimed it was making from coffee sales. They also declared Stella liable for 20% of the accident, and McDonalds 80%.  They were making a statement against McDonalds rather than in support of Stella.

But poor Stella is still vilified and will be forever.

Jim

2125

Living Room / Re: Now MPAA want the burden of proof removed in litigation!

« Last post by J-Mac on June 27, 2008, 01:14 PM »

I just read the brief and the MPAA attorney is indeed saying that making it available in a shared folder with a P2P application installed should be considered as evidence.  Sounds like they are wanting what is known as "circumstantial evidence" to be recognized as hard evidence. Which will never pass a constitutionality test, IMO.

And as for the arguments here about murderers and a presumption of guilt based only on intent & means, I think that is tragically flawed.

Jim