Recent Posts

276

Living Room / Re: KewlAid.net - Posted

« Last post by Darwin on November 27, 2010, 01:47 PM »

Excellent job, Renegade  I'll be buying my son an iPod Touch for Christmas (mother's orders - it was a compromise: I purchased the smartphone of my choice, instead of an iPhone 4, and we WILL buy our son an iPod Touch rather than a Zune/Archos 43 IT/Cowon player) so I'll be able to *enjoy* the new iOS first hand.

277

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows Security Essentials

« Last post by Darwin on November 27, 2010, 12:31 AM »

Whew! The VIPRE uninstaller BSOD my computer and it's been fun and games all evening. I've finally got VIPRE out, MSE b2 in and a functioning wifi card...

Anyway, just thought I'd ask if there are any recommended folder exclusions with beta 2? I know that in the current version it's deemed necessary to exclude MSE's own folders ...

278

Living Room / Re: Jeans pocket - the square-ish one on the right

« Last post by Darwin on November 26, 2010, 07:17 PM »

An interesting feature of the pocket is that on a pair of Levis the pocket is semi-circular - it curves from the mid-line toward the outside of the pocket making it perfectly shaped for a 16 line pocket watch.

279

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows Security Essentials

« Last post by Darwin on November 26, 2010, 07:15 PM »

Ah... I understand now. You were casting yourself in the role of Eve, eh? Very nice... [Sigh] Right then, off to download beta 2!

280

Living Room / Re: Robot Comes Back To Life After 45 Years!

« Last post by Darwin on November 26, 2010, 07:13 PM »

Heh, heh, that's pretty cool! Thanks, kyrathaba 

281

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows Security Essentials

« Last post by Darwin on November 26, 2010, 04:02 PM »

I'm SERIOUSLY tempted to try the beta of MSE 2 on my main notebook. The resource hogging issue has returned and I really don't care about the firewall

-Darwin (November 26, 2010, 01:45 PM)

I've been using the MSE beta 2 for a few months and even with the automated scans allowed/running I hardly notice it's there. I did see it fp on one of its own update files once...but I needed a laugh that day anyhow. Other than that it has worked perfectly at all times.

-Stoic Joker (November 26, 2010, 03:08 PM)

Sorry - I posted in haste... I meant the resource hogging I have experienced intermittently with GFI's VIPRE...

282

Living Room / Re: When you make your 100'th Post

« Last post by Darwin on November 26, 2010, 01:59 PM »

Holy carp, Batman! Congrats to both 40Hz and Stephen66515! Love it, love it, love it - keep those posts coming 

283

Living Room / Re: Well, this should get interesting... Novell sold for 2.2B; Microsoft benefits

« Last post by Darwin on November 26, 2010, 01:56 PM »

It was supposed to be Zune which was late to the party after the iPod pretty much had the market sewn up. Now it's supposed to be the WinPhone, which is once again late to the party and hoping to unseat the iPhone by hook, or Android by (legal) crook.

-40hz (November 26, 2010, 01:20 PM)

I can't see this happening. At best I think MS can hope to become a player in the Smartphone market but I don't think they'll ever dominate. Still, I'd love to see the iPhone/iPod hegemony given a run for its money (don't think it's going to happen, though).

I own a WP7 phone and love it but reactions to it are mixed. Some people are really impressed when I show it to them but others give it only the most passing glance and continue talking about how awesome the iPhone is... '

Regarding the Zune and the iPod, AFAICT everyone other than Apple is pretty much fighting over scraps. In small markets like Canada, most of the players pulled out several years ago. Today it is dominated by Apple with Sony, Sandisk, Archos, and Coby vying for the 0.5% of the market that is left to them. It's REALLY crazy and I hate it. HATE it. What I can't stand is not having much choice when I go out shopping.

Anyway, back to the Zune, I'm hoping the MS is going to start aggressively marketing them in Canada again (the ZuneHD is only available here on-line and isn't officially available) because the Zune looks really good and I'm sick of hearing about the iPod Touch.

Rant over...  

284

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows Security Essentials

« Last post by Darwin on November 26, 2010, 01:45 PM »

I'm SERIOUSLY tempted to try the beta of MSE 2 on my main notebook. The resource hogging issue has returned and I really don't care about the firewall (though the one the comes with VIPRE is good)... sad fact is that I'm the result of the union of two lineages: one Yorkshire/Darbyshire and the other Scottish/Northumberland and I keep thinking about the 15 months left on my household license for VIPRE 

285

Living Room / Re: Still holding out, won't join Facebook

« Last post by Darwin on November 26, 2010, 11:46 AM »

That letter is AWESOME, Zaine! Thank you for linking to it... Very apropos 

286

Living Room / Re: Acer 22" LED LCD $129 @ Newegg.com

« Last post by Darwin on November 26, 2010, 08:41 AM »

"Pardon me, 4wd, would you have any Grey Poupon?"

287

Living Room / Re: KewlAid.net - Posted

« Last post by Darwin on November 26, 2010, 08:38 AM »

Yeah! Good one, Stoic Joker (though it seems your legendary stoicism eluded you this time, no?!)  

288

Living Room / Re: Jeans pocket - the square-ish one on the right

« Last post by Darwin on November 26, 2010, 08:32 AM »

I've always used it to carry a pocket-watch (for which purpose it works well!). Don't forget, blue jeans were work pants (stop laughing, you Brits!) and were designed/in use long before the wrist-watch came into common use (or indeed, being).

289

Living Room / Re: Acer 22" LED LCD $129 @ Newegg.com

« Last post by Darwin on November 25, 2010, 12:04 AM »

Ouch! You're right - the shipping on the deal would render it more expensive than buying it locally!

290

Living Room / Re: Acer 22" LED LCD $129 @ Newegg.com

« Last post by Darwin on November 24, 2010, 03:39 PM »

Dang! I'd have gone for that...  Too bad they won't ship to the frozen hinterland north of the 49th and east of 140 degrees W...  

291

Living Room / Re: Still holding out, won't join Facebook

« Last post by Darwin on November 22, 2010, 09:21 AM »

Here it just got bigger.

-4wd (November 18, 2010, 06:37 PM)

Every man's dream...

I have a Facebook account but rarely use it. I find it rather invasive. Now that I have a Smartphone (smarter than me, anyway), I can appreciate why people like it - at a glance I can see what various friends are up to... However, I'm not interested in telling the world what I'M up to! I've suspended the account mulitple times because I never use it but wife, friends and family all pester me about it. Easier to just leave it up and do nothing with it. I think that the current generation will grow up to rue the day that Facebook and MySpace offered them the blue pill.

292

Living Room / Re: OK - lets get to know each other... who are you, what do you do, where from?

« Last post by Darwin on November 22, 2010, 08:51 AM »

Welcome, HorseDuck! I'm with phitsc - impressed by your instrumental abilities; I wish I had applied myself and learned to play an instrument well when I was younger. Of course, it's never too late... Anyway, enjoy the DC experience!

293

Living Room / Re: iPod - tell me why I should buy one

« Last post by Darwin on November 21, 2010, 04:43 PM »

cos i would always shop for electrical gear at 'London Drugs'

-Target (November 21, 2010, 04:38 PM)

Doesn't everyone?

294

Living Room / Re: Getting an HTC Desire HD -- Android Phone

« Last post by Darwin on November 20, 2010, 08:28 AM »

+1 on battery life...

Regarding "why" I got the phone... My wife and I have a private landline because of her job and I need a contact number for work. Because our jobs intersect, the number I give out cannot be our home number (otherwise it would quickly be in general circulation amongst the very people we are keeping it from!). My contract was up and I wanted something with scheduling capabilities (my work hours are all over the place and change week to week).

295

Living Room / Re: Getting an HTC Desire HD -- Android Phone

« Last post by Darwin on November 20, 2010, 12:03 AM »

So far, the battery life on my phone has been getting better each day over the past week. This, I understand, is to be expected. Actually, what's been improving has been the battery status indicator - I haven't really varied my usage much - if anything I've used it more today than in previous days - but the battgey icon is taking longer and longer to go down to one bar. I've yet to run out of juice.

Heh, heh, Renegade. You get more phone calls (and make more) thank I do!

296

Living Room / Re: Fake Coffee Shop in China (NSFW) (Can you guess?)

« Last post by Darwin on November 19, 2010, 04:04 PM »

I guess it it a nice joke, but likely fake.  Why would anybody in China add "p@@n queen" to the mermaid?

-Lutz_ (November 19, 2010, 09:38 AM)

Hah, hah! Hadn't noticed that - good catch. The shop's name reminds me of the Rolling Stones' song from "Goat's Head Soup"...

297

Living Room / Re: Getting an HTC Desire HD -- Android Phone

« Last post by Darwin on November 19, 2010, 03:53 PM »

From your description, I *think* that WP7 handles multi-tasking in much the same way. For example, if I start downloading and installing an app from the marketplace and then return to my start screen and open up my e-mail, the download and installation continues in the background (just confirmed this by installing the Twitter app while I read a couple of e-mails NOW who's multi-tasking, eh?!  ). My take on the multi-tasking issue is that the form factor of a phone doesn't lend itself to intensive multi-tasking anyway! However, I'm a neophyte user, so may find myself frustrated down the road!

298

Living Room / Re: iPod - tell me why I should buy one

« Last post by Darwin on November 19, 2010, 03:33 PM »

Hopefully, iTunes is more considerate these days?

-Darwin (November 19, 2010, 01:46 PM)

Maybe, but I wouldn't count on it.  I actually use that add-in, so it is actually a point of concern for me that it actually be in place.  But that is me....

-steeladept (November 19, 2010, 02:00 PM)

Heh, heh - it would be for me, too! When I developed my phobia, I didn't own any iPod, let alone one that need to interact with Outlook, so it was a point of annoyance. Having experience first-hand how well iTunes syncs Outlook with an iPod Touch/iPhone, I can appreciate your concern!

299

Living Room / Re: Getting an HTC Desire HD -- Android Phone

« Last post by Darwin on November 19, 2010, 03:18 PM »

Actually, No, most of my complaints are not email related.  They were calendar and contact related, though email is another.

-steeladept (November 19, 2010, 03:00 PM)

Just for the record, ditto! My issue with WP7 and Outlook sycning is almost entirely related to the calendar and contacts. I'm undecided how big a snit to be in about the lack of integrated e-mail viewing... I suspect that this will either be resolved with a future release of mobile office that includes Outlook (or an update to the existing e-mail client) or by a third party app.

Regarding GPS on the handset (wth WP7), there are a large number of apps that report direction, coordinates, altitude, speed (and I bought one for $1.09 - Tracker - before I realised that there are freebies out there, but I like it). As far as a GPS app that will guide you when you drive (I believe there's a TomTom app for the iPhone, no?), I haven't come across one and believe I read somewhere that directed GPS is not supported at the moment, but I could be wrong.

EDIT: clarifited what I meant by "ditto"...

300

Living Room / Re: iPod - tell me why I should buy one

« Last post by Darwin on November 19, 2010, 01:46 PM »

...
Yup - I can confirm that this is true (I've done it!). My issue is having to have iTuness installed at all. Of course, they could very well have tamed the beast, but when I ran it before it installed several services that I could not get rid of, including an Outlook add-in. Hence my irrational loathing of it.

-Darwin (November 18, 2010, 10:53 PM)

BTW, you may disable/re-enable any Office add-in easily with the right Nirsoft tool (www.nirsoft.net).

-MerleOne (November 19, 2010, 01:57 AM)

Yeah, I've used Nirsoft products in the past -very helpful. Really, however, my iTunes-phobia is possibly out of date. I had it installed a month ago while I played with an iPod Touch and everything seemed fine. I decided to return the Touch and uninstall iTunes before I had a chance to monitor what was installed with iTunes. Certainly, I noticed no performance issues with iTunes installed. My dislike of iTunes stems from running it under XP several years ago and being unable to stop services and remove the Outlook add-in I mentioned above. I did not try any Nirsoft solutions but I tired everything else! Hopefully, iTunes is more considerate these days?