Recent Posts

2701

Living Room / Re: Mobius Strip Chess Problem

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 09, 2013, 11:24 PM »

Damnit Renegade...

I read Strip Chess...AND YOU DIDN'T DELIVER THE GOODS!

* Stephen66515 is bitterly disappointed.

-Stephen66515 (January 09, 2013, 11:21 PM)

Plus it's only good for like 15 problems, because past that with a Mobius strip the "infinite long pieces" win, thus totally crushing the Knight and King balance.

I shall pass.

2702

Living Room / Re: Animal Friends thread

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 09, 2013, 11:08 PM »

Eew Rotating Pics. Sorry, those send me away. If not for Adblock!

2703

Living Room / Re: An interesting article on tablets

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 09, 2013, 11:04 PM »

Somewhere between your comment and mine Renny.

Absolutely everyone is mashing/smashing hardware and OS. There is absolutely no reason not to stick "Windows Blue" (Yes, early press has that just around the corner, amazing no press wants to speculate on Windows Semi-Vaporware like theyused to!) (I know, grammatically flawed line there. Go away.)

It's "not that hard". Just make the goddamn OS accept DUAL INPUT. Both modes - classic and touch. I'm just tired of things like not being able to get 1000 Librivox stories on my iPhone because that platform absolutely refuses to save files anywhere outside of an app. Skies help me if I decide to update a webpage with matching text and html file extensions. Oh wait, on phones and tablets you're just supposed to consume $hit. Right. Got it.

2704

Living Room / Re: Don't You Want to be "Safe"?

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 09, 2013, 10:53 PM »

In the midst of the budget junk, I lost track who was worse on privacy, Dems or Repubs.

-TaoPhoenix (January 09, 2013, 10:23 PM)

Huh?  You mean there's a difference?

-Renegade (January 09, 2013, 10:48 PM)

Very minute. If you take a scientific measurement, you can discover it. My opinion at the moment is that the Dems are *slightly* less crazy than the Repubs. (I don't know the units for Political craziness!) It was the Repubs who a year and a half ago engineered these series of budget "crises" (despite it never mattering while they were in office!) and Joe Biden who got *something* done  (for disappointingly small amounts of something, I get it, but better than the year and a half of zero!) Sometimes ya gotta take the Lesser of Two Weevils. Or Evils. Or something. Even a crap bill is better than silence and the Repubs went for total broke and lost.

2705

DC Gamer Club / Re: A Gaming Tablet?

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 09, 2013, 10:41 PM »

I still believe this false distinction of "tablets must have a new OS" is false, only an artifact of current development. The way I see it, there is absolutely nothing that stops a "tablet pc" from being a legit PC except that apparently people LIKE being locked down into the OS. The rest is just a size factor. Supposedly Motorola had a prototype last year of a docking tablet, but all newcomers (including MS!) have to contend with an Apple-Android World.

My desktop happens to be larger and so the larger components have better fail-safe ratios, but in front of it is a wireless keyboard and mouse, so there is absolutely nothing stopping a tablet (or even a phone!!) from being a legit comp. It's all size vs stability of parts.

So Tablet OS'es are because apparently the mass populace LIKES being locked in, because most of their hard decisions are taken away from them in those use cases when they "just want to check email, the weather, and FarmVille".

2706

Living Room / Re: Don't You Want to be "Safe"?

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 09, 2013, 10:23 PM »

Judge Rules Against Texas Teen Who Refused to Wear SmartID Badge
In a closely watched case, a federal judge today ruled against a high school sophomore who refused to wear a student ID embedded with a radio frequency chip that tracks students' movement on campus.

http://threatpost.co...smartid-badge-010813

-Tinman57 (January 09, 2013, 08:08 PM)

In the midst of the budget junk, I lost track who was worse on privacy, Dems or Repubs.

2707

Living Room / Re: An interesting article on tablets

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 09, 2013, 10:22 PM »

IMHO, a tablet is for whatever you want to use it for, not for what someone has decreed it should be used for. 

-xtabber (January 09, 2013, 10:11 PM)

In a way, yes - see the other thread about a Gaming Tablet.
Tablets are "what they are" (and how I despise that saying!) So if you get some funky app that makes you deadly a gaming because you are touch-sliding your guys by sliding your fingers all over it, have at it!

2708

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 09, 2013, 05:39 AM »

This one is ewemoa's fault.

wat hee sed

-ewemoa (January 09, 2013, 03:14 AM)

2709

Living Room / Linguistics identifies anonymous users

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 09, 2013, 01:36 AM »

Linguistics identifies anonymous users
http://www.scmagazin...anonymous-users.aspx

They just really can't stand people having anonymous speech!  

2710

Living Room / Re: New Desktop parts list (RFC)

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 08, 2013, 11:37 PM »

I forget exactly what it was called, but I think I had my buddy put in a second special purpose data processing chip of some kind especially for media conversion. Top 10 of my hobbies is fiddling with songs - changing speed and tempo and adding echo. Last I recall it wasn't all that expensive, and I think it's faster than just ordinary processing at the time, though of course with Moore's Law and all, 6 years later, maybe it doesn't matter but at the time I noticed an improvement over an older single core comp.

2711

Developer's Corner / "NTLM 100% Broken Using Hashes Derived From Captures"

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 08, 2013, 07:27 PM »

I'll leave this one to my betters:

"NTLM 100% Broken Using Hashes Derived From Captures"
http://it.slashdot.o...erived-from-captures

"Microsoft has posted a little guidance for those who need to turn off NTLM."
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2793313
Systems that are affected in a default configuration are primarily at risk, such as systems that are running Microsoft Windows NT 4, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. For example, by default, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 both support NTLMv1 authentication.
To have us fix this problem for you, go to the "Fix it for me" section.

Fix this problem
Microsoft Fix it 50969

------------------

So how serious is this for ordinary home users? If I click "Fix it" will I suddenly lose my Wifi connection?

2712

Living Room / Re: The Rant Thread!

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 08, 2013, 06:50 PM »

This is more of a sideways observation not a rant, but there aren't many Food threads, so it can go here.

Diners are supposed to be about ____ & Fries. Burgers, maybe steak tips, maybe fried fish, your choice of other things. So why are a lot of Diner fries really nasty? I don't care for Home Fries, Paprika Fries, Vinegar Fries, weird little skinny fries, square lumpy fries with messed up textures, and more. Yes, lots of diners DO make good fries, but enough of them don't to make this rant.

Yet you know who does good fries a lot of the time? Pizza places. Except half the time pizza places can't make good pizza. But watch that same joint do amazing fries.

And then comes the surprise entry. Chinese restaurants?!  Better than the Diners? 

2713

General Software Discussion / Re: Software that sounded useful, so you bought it, but then...

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 08, 2013, 06:40 PM »

Don't get me started on Nuance! They do a lot of cold-calling if you're dumb enough to provide a phone number when you register anything with them. I had to get quite impolite before they took me off the list.

-timns (January 08, 2013, 03:33 PM)

I get very leery of registrations asking for phone numbers.

2714

General Software Discussion / Re: Is there a decent youtube downloader?

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 08, 2013, 08:31 AM »

My afterthought becoming: ... hence the incredible non-professionalism and the sharp colors of the relevant sw here. Otherwise, I'm accustomed to business sw, so the shock seeing vid download / converting sw in action was a heavy one.

-helmut85 (January 05, 2013, 05:23 PM)

Hi Helmut,

I'll say that for what is ultimately a "small amount of dev dollars" there really are gaps in the Utility category of software. I bet it's not the answer you need but it's sounding like you're close to needing to commission something to put in the special features you want.

2715

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: Web Research Data Management Collection

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 08, 2013, 05:15 AM »

II: PDFs and folders
This is where my NANY entry comes in. It's a Pdf batch saver designed to work off the list of URLs that came out of Miles' program.
https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=33349.0
http://www.freevoteu...20Alpha1%2012-19.zip

Select the inbound text file with the URLs, and the output directory somewhere in your project folder.
When it's done, there should be a list of numbered PDFs in the same order as the URLs in the text file and on your spreadsheet. It appears to work with Trandesk, which is a multiple desktop splitter, found here:
https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=4793.0
The PDF exporter has some code to attempt to handle duplicate copies of a webpage, so as not to halt the batch export just because of a usual windows double. So you can try opening the PDF exporter in its own desktop, then go back to working while it processes out.

Now that you have your list of PDFs, you can use one of the File-to-Folder programs from this snack thread:
Skwire's version is here:
https://www.donation....php?topic=19770.125

My machine misbehaved with it, so I found some alternate versions of the concept here:
https://www.donation...;topicseen#msg313429

-----------------------

Result: A complete set of folders, with a starter PDF inside, ready for further documentation, a pair of raw source text files, a browser session, and a spreadsheet! Here's a screen shot based on Monster.com job lists:

2716

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Web Research Data Management Collection

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 08, 2013, 05:03 AM »

Okay gang,

Time to pull together a post on a larger theme spread among some of the components I have been working on.

Problem: How to start a web research project with as little of the rote maintenance of hand-creating pieces as possible.
Note - Focus on Firefox. Tweaks may be needed for other browsers.  Start by creating a simple master project folder in Wndows.

I: Browser
1. Firefox Extension - Session Manager
In Firefox, either under Tools/Addons (or possibly a different path if you use one of the altered menu bars) install the Session Manager addon. This will probably require "restarting" Firefox so try not to do this with any sensitive windows open because it might break the connection. In Tools-Session Manager-Session Manager submenu-Session Manager Options, you might be interested in changing the location that it saves the sessions. (I happen to hate "My Documents".)

2. Open your batch of research as a series of tabs. Rearrange them as you like, etc.

3. Tools-Session Manager-Session Manager submenu-Save Current Window (or save the whole session.) So this means that you can reconstitute the browser with the tabs to review again later.

4. MilesAhead put in something called "BBSS" aka "Browser Bunch Session Save".
From this thread -
https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=30913.0
https://www.donation...30913.0;attach=68638

This makes a paired list of browser tab titles and URLs that you can paste into a spreadsheet. Importantly, the text file of URLs has a second use below.

2717

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Right Click any file and create New Folder by its Name

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 08, 2013, 03:17 AM »

Hi Skwire and gang,

Since whatever quirk of my system is making this Snack misbehave for me, but I need the effect, Beyond Lies the Web! (Pun!)

First, to do the basics of your Snack, here is a SevenForums posting with a BAT file that works for me.
http://www.sevenforu...e-folders-files.html
http://www.sevenforu...iles-file2folder.bat

Here's a GUI version of the idea, though it's a bit "noisy" on my machine where some features don't work right, but the basic part does. ("No internet error"?! and also the Folder Monitor doesn't work for me.)
http://www.thehtpc.n...le-to-folder-script/
http://code.google.com/p/file2foldergui/
http://code.google.c...ergui/downloads/list


Edit: 20 Day Trial Only for this next one, and clearly an older back end.

For an interesting spin on the theme, take a look at this item:
http://www.monkeyjob.com/FoldMonk.html
FoldMonkey
This one adds the extra twists of automatic monitoring of a specific folder and some process filtering. So it's interesting as a study example. I'm not sure I trust their payment back end to still be safe after this many years given they haven't updated their copyrights, but it claims to be good on Win7, which of course is Quasi-New.

------------------

Whew! But the options are interesting.

2718

Living Room / Re: Animal Friends thread

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 07, 2013, 06:22 PM »

From a more serious thread elsewhere:

Forbes has now Schrödinger's cat on their page

YOU CAN'T USE IT
YOU CAN USE IT

They should,  least, use < s > tag for old info…

-fenixproductions (January 07, 2013, 04:24 PM)

While staying with family after my move, I am around pets more - a dog and a couple of cats. If I ever decide to get a cat later I think I really might name it Schrodinger!

(Cue the fun! Schrodinger is the cat, and you all know cats own you!)

2719

Living Room / Re: Will you try an Ubuntu smartphone?

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 07, 2013, 06:06 PM »

It's an interesting step in the process. I'm not sure I like what ubuntu has been doing in the desktop space, but if the new hotness is in mobile, then if they can actually wedge their way in to become a new player, let 'em have at it!

2720

Living Room / Re: NASA Considers Putting an Asteroid Into Orbit Around the Moon

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 07, 2013, 02:26 AM »

The tough part is that stuff like asteroids are such a "long game". The US is busy being wrapped up in artificially made budget crises as a political game, as shrill as anything ever created because they're literally attempting to hold the entire country hostage in a game of budgetary chicken.

While in Congress it's called "Pork", sometimes smaller groups really don't need all that much of a grant to produce lower-level benefits. Unfortunately all the money being sunk into hyped up Security junk is a big cause of why we can't look forward into the future. I would bet you that if we have this much trouble with security in "easy peasy ol' Earth" I can't imagine the security processes needed for a MoonBase!

2721

Living Room / Re: Probably the single best idea I've seen in a *very* long time.

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 07, 2013, 02:16 AM »

I have to say I'm midline to all y'all, I carry my phone everywhere, because I had a bad enough incident when my car broke down in the middle of a big road trip that having a phone turned it from a disaster into just a nuisance. And my family has a culture that you're not really supposed to just randomly ignore calls. If you're really busy such as in a theater show, or unreachable underground in the subway, or even in a conversation with someone important, sure, but not "ho hum I don't feel like talking to you" isn't a good idea for me.

2722

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 07, 2013, 02:05 AM »

One of the underlying principles there is that makes it so funny is that we understand how a priori knowledge is a kind of trump card.

-Renegade (January 07, 2013, 01:15 AM)

Especially when that "knowledge" is Religious!

2723

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: A Spider Logic Game like cells for Donation Coder members

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 07, 2013, 02:02 AM »

Hi TaoPhoenix,
...
When you play the game you realize that near the end things can change either way. Anyhow I thought I'd share the program with anyone who is interested in Logic type games, instead of the ultra-violent shooting games. Don't get me wrong, the shooting games are good fun, but I prefer something less violent and more logic based.

I was thinking of improving the graphics and adding sound effects and possible having 2 teams play across the internet, but I really like the programs small size and it's simplistic gui interface. A possile use is to be played on a tablet.

Anyhow, enjoy!

-justabeginner (January 07, 2013, 01:20 AM)

Don't be fooled by the name! Ataxx is not a shooting game!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ataxx

It's the same family concept of logic games as yours, except that in that one you can't place markers anywhere - they have to "grow" out of existing ones. In yours, it's more of a wildcard "place anywhere" effect that changes what counts as a good move.

But I can't enjoy it! I have no one to play it with!   That's why I suggested making a program AI - these kinds of logic programs are usually played by single people themselves in a spare hour. I know I for one don't have much interest right now in trying to deal with internet servers for opponents for this.

2724

Living Room / Re: Don't You Want to be "Safe"?

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 06, 2013, 08:03 PM »

30 seconds until that novel assistant software starts being used to find "Terrorists"! 

2725

Living Room / Re: How Much Do You Trust Wikipedia?

« Last post by TaoPhoenix on January 06, 2013, 01:50 AM »

Heh then there's this:
Bicholim Conflict

http://www.dailydot....nflict-hoax-deleted/
" Up until a week ago, here is something you could have learned from Wikipedia: 

From 1640 to 1641 the might of colonial Portugal clashed with India's massive Maratha Empire in an undeclared war that would later be known as the Bicholim Conflict. Named after the northern Indian region where most of the fighting took place, the conflict ended with a peace treaty that would later help cement Goa as an independent Indian state.

Except none of this ever actually happened. The Bicholim Conflict is a figment of a creative Wikipedian's imagination. It's a huge, laborious, 4,500 word hoax. And it fooled Wikipedia editors for more than 5 years."