Recent Posts

2601

Living Room / Partitioning or Not w. single HDD?

« Last post by tomos on July 06, 2015, 09:39 AM »

Wondering about pros and cons of partitioning a single HDD  [*not* SSD] machine (laptop as it happens, Win.7 x64).

1) If you partition, you can back up data and system/OS much more efficiently.
1a) But maybe there's a way to create an image of your system excluding the data/images/etc.? (I will have to check this one out myself too - I installed Aomei Backupper Free on the machine.)

2) I believe that if you dont partition (OS / Data) the harddrive will be read much more efficiently and less stressfully?

Are there any other factors? - or thoughts

2602

General Software Discussion / Re: Micro-review: Scapple

« Last post by tomos on July 06, 2015, 08:36 AM »

Having played a bit more with VUE recently, one area where it might have an edge over Scapple is the way it handles images and file links. You can just drag and drop an image file into the body of VUE and use CTRL+SHIFT+close/open bracket to increase or decrease the size of the image incrementally. in Scapple I wasn't able to change the image size, which becomes a problem if the image contains text that needs to be legible.

-dr_andus (June 30, 2014, 12:31 PM)

I'm trialling Scapple and resizing images works fine here (and it's still version 1.0 which was released in Oct. 2013).

It's polished; very keyboard friendly, but the lack of linking to files might be a dealbreaker for me (as it doesnt look as if they have any plans to update it).

Also, you can drag and drop any other file link into VUE, and a link gets created with the name of the file.

-dr_andus (June 30, 2014, 12:31 PM)

Guess I better try VUE out...

2603

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by tomos on July 06, 2015, 07:24 AM »

Cousin Joe Twoshacks - Lucy Skidmore
video worth watching too

https://www.youtube..../watch?v=cLbBFRJyR-w

indirectly via Joe Cartoon & 40hz:

http://www.youtube.c.../watch?v=R4G1YyVITsI

-40hz (April 05, 2014, 02:06 PM)

2604

General Software Discussion / Re: Managing Flash in your browser

« Last post by tomos on July 06, 2015, 07:13 AM »

will try those later -
thanks eleman

2605

General Software Discussion / Re: Managing Flash in your browser

« Last post by tomos on July 06, 2015, 06:37 AM »

Your best option is still Firefox (I use 32 bit ESR, not the latest shiniest coolest one) + flashblock

-eleman (June 15, 2015, 02:31 PM)

I installed Firefox ESR on laptop last night.
I had to disable Flashblock [FB] with it, in order to play YT videos - they showed with FB on, and thought about starting - but would not play properly.
Will check it again tonight, to see if that was just startup hiccups.

[Yesscript sounds good ]

Meanwhile Iron browser is okay with YT (I guess cause it's HTML5), but if a video is embedded in a page, it cannot even show the page :-/
I did change some settings (allowing disallowing various plugins) - will try and see if there's a default settings button...

2606

Living Room / Re: Laptop tray - for your lap [Recommendations?]

« Last post by tomos on July 06, 2015, 05:44 AM »

App needs to start a blog with all here crazy life hacks.

-mouser (July 04, 2015, 07:47 PM)

This!  +1

-wraith808 (July 04, 2015, 09:11 PM)

The problem with that is I don't even know what is or is not a life hack until someone has a problem that needs solving and I look at how I solved a similar problem or how I would solve it. It just comes so naturally to me that I don't really give it much of a thought. And apparently, it's something that runs in my family, and none of us consider it to be much of a special skill. We are all just natural problem solvers and will use whatever we have access to, to do it.

-app103 (July 05, 2015, 01:28 AM)

I've been wanting to start a thread titled something like "Does this exist" - which could probably give you a few ideas. I have two requests along hackable lines at the moment, so will try and get that thread going later today.

2607

Living Room / Re: Laptop tray - for your lap [Recommendations?]

« Last post by tomos on July 06, 2015, 05:39 AM »

If you have a flat, level tray of some sort, that is comfortable to your lap, you can just stick a cookie cooling rack on top to provide better ventilation for your laptop. My daughter and I use one on a table, with our laptops. (it was her idea, so I bought a 2-pack)

http://www.amazon.co...stick/dp/B00091PNTI/

-app103 (July 04, 2015, 06:33 PM)

I'll have to find out what these things are called in German so I can order here :-)
(Not being a baker of things, I wouldnt even have known what to call them in English.)

Cause I like the idea -
I was thinking I could lay one above the other, with something in-between so they stay separate - that way I'd be kept cool as well as the laptop. (It's been over 100°F / 38°C for the last few days now - and it's still not air-conditioning country...)
Also the angle would be better: if I work even for a short while with my hands bent at the wrist, my wrists start complaining (and they're [I'm] having to work extra hard at the moment being on crutches).

2608

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by tomos on July 04, 2015, 04:46 PM »

Snarky Puppy, I'd assume... name of the band?

-wraith808 (July 04, 2015, 04:31 PM)

I'm a bit on the slow side at times - thanks wraith

2609

General Software Discussion / Re: Looking for Software with this feature

« Last post by tomos on July 04, 2015, 04:41 PM »

Dopus also does a reasonably advanced sync - and could be used as IainB suggests with xplorer2
but I dont know if sync or backup is what is required @ednja ?
_________________________

-tomos (July 03, 2015, 05:15 AM)

First off, I have suggested that the redundancy in Filter #1 be addressed/eliminated.
Second, whether what is required is "sync" or "backup" would probably depend on the definition of those terms.
In any event, I was not advocating either "sync" or "backup" per se at all, it was merely that the image I posted showed xplorer²'s two-pane Sync Wizard's options (filter) being used (used with other settable filters, it's a very powerful tool for comparing/amalgamating files in separate directories/media).

-IainB (July 03, 2015, 09:55 PM)

yes, points taken.

I was also at the time thinking that I had been recommending sync software (very flexible sync software, but still), and was hoping @ednja would chime in with some more info (and general feedback on suggestions made).

2610

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by tomos on July 04, 2015, 04:23 PM »

http://www.youtube.c.../watch?v=kk0WRHV_vt8

<3 SP!

-Gwen7 (July 04, 2015, 08:59 AM)

enjoyed

btw what does 'SP' mean?

2611

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by tomos on July 03, 2015, 01:44 PM »

Didgeridoo often doesnt do much for me - but I enjoyed this one

2612

Living Room / Re: Laptop tray - for your lap [Recommendations?]

« Last post by tomos on July 03, 2015, 12:07 PM »

I use this one with my 14" laptop: Fellowes Portable Laptop Riser GoRiser Notebook stand.

It's plastic, so it's OK to use in the summer, and it folds, which makes it portable.

-dr_andus (June 27, 2015, 04:09 PM)

okay,
been using this a couple of days now:

# it works fine with my 15.6" laptop - the weight of the laptop pushes it down at the back - which makes it approach my 'level' surface ideal
# is stable here, and has good grip at the back - I mean where it rests on your legs
# it is nice and cool for me - I think it's okay for the laptop too: the vents dont match those on the machine but it seems to be alright

so, five stars

2613

Living Room / Re: reverse smilie (:

« Last post by tomos on July 03, 2015, 10:13 AM »

I think it also makes great counter-culture. (:
[...]
A search for (: at both DuckDuckGo and Google turns up 'no results'.
This means I've learned how to 'drop out' with a smile. (:

-bit (July 03, 2015, 04:09 AM)

I've noticed deozaan has been doing that for a while, let's see ...

(c:

-Deozaan (February 10, 2015, 12:55 PM)

his one is an extra happy drop out 

2614

Post New Requests Here / Re: Request: Power alt-tab

« Last post by tomos on July 03, 2015, 08:59 AM »

^ many thanks for those tips lanux

item #1: that has something to do with SC itself. i have highlighted this to mouser

-lanux128 (July 03, 2015, 07:59 AM)

that could well be the case,
but the main Screenshot Captor window does show in the regular Alt-Tab (and does not show in the AHK script version of AltTab).

I do remember there being some problem alright with SC though
was it that it disappeared from Alt-Tab when a dialogue (e.g. preferences) was open?

2615

General Software Discussion / Re: Looking for Software with this feature

« Last post by tomos on July 03, 2015, 05:15 AM »

Dopus also does a reasonably advanced sync - and could be used as IainB suggests with xplorer2
but I dont know if sync or backup is what is required @ednja ?

2616

Post New Requests Here / Re: Request: Power alt-tab

« Last post by tomos on July 03, 2015, 05:07 AM »

Sorry for the flurry of edits to previous post:

attached below is the file AltTab.AHK - as shown in screenshot above, but a more recent version.



Note:
# it misses my open Screenshot Captor window.
# I cannot figure out how to access the settings tab
# it is not showing in the tray here (AHK scripts normally do)

I havent explored the context menu (as shown in previous post - you can access and modify hotkeys from there.

(Win 7 x64)

2617

General Software Discussion / Re: Looking for Software with this feature

« Last post by tomos on July 03, 2015, 04:41 AM »

Filter #1:  If the file being moved has the same name, extension and size as a file already existing in the target folder, then overwrite the existing file.

Filter #2:  If the file being moved has the same name and extension as a file already existing in the target folder, but the two files are different in size, then move the file, but keep both files.

-ednja (June 29, 2015, 11:22 PM)

I *think* the requests in OP could be done with Syncovery (formerly SFFS - syncing & backup software).
Can check tomorrow on desktop.
Disadvantage is you would need to set it up a sync 'job'.                                            

-tomos (July 02, 2015, 04:40 PM)

No, I checked, and Syncovery does not seem to be able to do both of these.
The relevant choices for move are shown below - it's not as detailed as you want (only one choice possible in this dialogue)



edit: to be honest, I find the options here in Syncovery not fully clear - it doesnt in this dialogue differentiate between identical and different files. I find it a little confusing...

2618

Post New Requests Here / Re: Request: Power alt-tab

« Last post by tomos on July 02, 2015, 06:41 PM »

I think this one might do the job - if you follow the link [edit] you'll get a 404 in the end :-/ I'll check tomorrow to see if I still have a copy of it [/edit] you'll see it was last updated 2013 (I think).

also try this alternative Alt-Tab replacement, coded in Autohotkey.

-lanux128 (October 29, 2007, 10:36 PM)

IIRC, I didnt use it for long because it showed too much stuff...


[edit] unfortunately I dont have a copy of that - maybe lanux128 or someone else might (?) - will attach to next post - at a quick look, it works fine here on Win7. I can see a settings tab in my version, but could not figure out how to access it. [/edit]

2619

General Software Discussion / Re: Looking for Software with this feature

« Last post by tomos on July 02, 2015, 04:40 PM »

I *think* the requests in OP could be done with Syncovery (formerly SFFS - syncing & backup software).
Can check tomorrow on desktop.
Disadvantage is you would need to set it up a sync 'job'.

I'd love some kind of manual & very flexible copy/sync programme myself, where these things could be done on the fly, but I haven't really looked at any of the copy programmes out there...  I use Dopus as file manager & love it, but copy/move is limited at times I find.                                                

2620

General Software Discussion / Re: Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

« Last post by tomos on July 02, 2015, 03:05 PM »

I love it

2621

General Software Discussion / Re: Softmaker Office 2016 released

« Last post by tomos on July 01, 2015, 10:07 AM »

Softmaker have uploaded a couple of reviews:

c't 15/2015 »Summary: "SoftMaker Office 2016 convinces with sheer speed and compatibility with Microsoft Office." About TextMaker: "Exchanging documents in Word format works much better in TextMaker than in OpenOffice Writer. TextMaker renders all formatting, including the page layout, true to the original. Plus, TextMaker 2016 now also displays SmartArt graphics from Word 2007 and higher." About PlanMaker: "Especially the introduction of pivot tables makes PlanMaker an interesting proposition for companies. Thanks to the improved conditional formatting, worksheets with huge columns of figures can now be formatted as clearly as in Excel." About Presentations: "The new magic guides make it much easier to automatically align text frames, picture frames etc. exactly to other objects. The objects snap automatically to the magic guide."

Tom's Networking Guide » In our tests, SoftMaker Office 2016 ran with breathtaking speed. Compatibility with Microsoft Office was very good – something that free applications such as OpenOffice cannot deliver at this level. SoftMaker Office 2016 is the perfect alternative office suite if you value comprehensive technical support. This is an important issue when you use an office suite in your job, but especially if you deploy the software in corporate networks. Here, reliability and service play a pivotal role for network administrators. The price-performance ratio of SoftMaker Office 2016 is excellent.

2622

Find And Run Robot / Re: IE says FARR "Signature invalid" [?]

« Last post by tomos on July 01, 2015, 06:22 AM »

I thought that would be the case -
thanks mouser (and sorry for your troubles)

2623

Find And Run Robot / IE says FARR "Signature invalid" [?]

« Last post by tomos on July 01, 2015, 04:30 AM »

IE (versions 11 & 10) says that:
"The signature [of FARR] is corrupt or invalid"

(I downloaded SC and ran it from IE with no problems. [edit] LBC also triggered a warning. [/edit])

[another-edit] Windows 7:
Just windows defender on one machine, MSE on the other. [/another-edit]

2624

General Software Discussion / Re: Looking for Software with this feature

« Last post by tomos on June 30, 2015, 03:23 PM »

Tomos, I already moved it here

-mouser (June 30, 2015, 02:11 PM)

   

2625

General Software Discussion / Re: Looking for Software with this feature

« Last post by tomos on June 30, 2015, 02:07 PM »

hi ednja,
welcome to dc :-)

in case you want more suggestions:
this board is frequented very little (it's more for topics that are considered unacceptable in the main forum), therefore it's going to get very little attention -
you'll get much more views, with better chance of more feedback, if you post in the Software forum:
https://www.donation.../index.php?board=6.0