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2751

Living Room / Re: DRM in your coffee maker, to stop you from brewing unlicensed coffees

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 04, 2014, 10:21 AM »

And as App pointed out, she can get an excellent result with an inexpensive kitchen strainer. All it takes is a little feel for the brewing and an appreciation for good coffee.

True enough if you have a steady hand.  I used Melita Filters for a while.  But it just seemed like I'd get a little nervous tick just as I'm pouring the water through.  I don't make many coffees a day so the touch is slow to develop.  Meanwhile money is going into the kitchen trash bag.  Only making a couple of mugs a day I found the Mr, Coffee easy to get right consistently.

Of course when I get my own digs I'll have to check out the available gear to decide if I make my own or continue to be supplied by hot babes who know how to steam thing up fast.  

2752

General Software Discussion / Re: What's your preferred File Manager

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 04, 2014, 05:44 AM »

Some of these file managers look cool but I don't like the idea of multi-tabbed with only one window pane.  I like to use the original freeCommander with the target tab active in the opposite pane.  The most annoying thing ever is dragging stuff to a tab in the same pane and it hides in some subfolder in that tab forcing me to waste time searching for it.  That drives me nuts.



Unfortunately the FreeCommanderXE seems like it will never have all the features implemented like
file Renamer and FTP client.  I'm hobbling along with Explorer until I find something similar to the old FC.

2753

Living Room / Re: Who is your Favourite "Doctor"?

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 03, 2014, 06:02 AM »

But none of the others even when The Doctor diddybops around in time including like, before they were destroyed?

-MilesAhead (November 03, 2014, 05:35 AM)

The Rani - renegade Time Lady (1985)

And I think there was another Time Lord(?) during Patrick Troughton's era who I seem to remember tried to trap him in his TARDIS by stealing something to fix his own.

-4wd (November 03, 2014, 05:58 AM)

Yeah I remember The Rani.  Pretty scary looking.  Woe to him who refuses to take out the garbage. 

2754

Living Room / Re: Who is your Favourite "Doctor"?

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 03, 2014, 05:44 AM »

They weren't destroyed nor killed, they were just moved into a different universe.
Technically, The Doctor isn't "the last of the Time Lords", he just happened to be the only one who was outside the Moment's sphere.

-Tuxman (November 03, 2014, 05:39 AM)

Ok.  But if plucking them out removes them from all time then everything they ever did is gone and the jazz about not changing history is kind of moot.  Sorry.  Don't mean to bog it down in details.  I don't see much TV these days and the TV and movies I watched is starting to feel like another universe.

Fortunately I can pick up a Japanese or Korean TV show here and there with English Subs.

2755

Living Room / Re: Who is your Favourite "Doctor"?

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 03, 2014, 05:35 AM »

-rjbull (November 02, 2014, 04:58 PM)

Because there aren't any Time Ladies?
[/quote]

I guess regeneration isn't as much fun as the other form of reproduction. 

But anyway, The Doctor is there and The Master.  But none of the others even when The Doctor diddybops around in time including like, before they were destroyed?  When they pitched the series maybe that was the selling point.  But it doesn't make sense. 

2756

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox windows and CPU slow-downs and restarts

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 02, 2014, 07:11 AM »

So far Firefox 33.02 installed 32 bit for Windows is much snappier in Hotmail.  Of course it will still bog if I'm loading 8 or 9 tabs with Tab Grenade.

I'm curious.  Has anyone tried FF portable out of a Ramdisk?  I tried it in the past for faster launching.  But I didn't try it as a solution/work-around for bogging once loaded.

Edit:  Here's the guide I used if anyone is curious:
http://www.wikihow.c...by-Running-It-In-RAM

I found it better to load from a FF Portable on disk as shown in the guide.  For modifications, such as installing a new AddOn I would just run from the HD.  Saving changes by saving the Ramdisk image on shutdown seemed too cumbersome to me when I could just dump it and load on next boot from the FF Portable folder tree.

2757

General Software Discussion / Re: How can I back up and restore tray configuration, please>

« Last post by MilesAhead on November 01, 2014, 05:57 AM »

i wouldn't mess with any registry restoration unless you are damn sure its not changing other settings..

-mouser (October 31, 2014, 06:36 PM)

I've been using this since NT.  In the readme it details how to set up a rotating backup of 7 days(or you can set another number) so that every first boot of the day you are backed up.  The oldest is deleted on wrap around.  The hives backed up are described and you can choose which to back up.

If the specific settings can be isolated that's fine.  But most find ERUNT another layer of protection. There used to be an ERU command in Win9x which is what this emulates.

Even if set up for automatic run you can always run it manually after a program install or whatnot.  Hasn't burned me yet.  As noted in the readme the main issue is if you run the restore after booting from other than the HD.  In which case you need to change the restore batch file to use the correct drive letter.   Step by step is given in the readme.  It's a bit densely packed with info.  But in most cases to restore you just open the C:\erdnt folder and double click inside the saved folder(they are saved with date/time names by default) that you wish to load from.

2758

General Software Discussion / Re: How can I back up and restore tray configuration, please>

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 31, 2014, 06:17 PM »

I don't know where the settings are kept.  My first thought would be try ERUNT registry backup.

Note that it talks about NT but I still use it on Windows 8. If it gives an error try running it as Administrator.  Restoring with it changes fewer things than using a Restore Point.

2759

Living Room / Re: Movies or films you've seen lately

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 31, 2014, 05:41 PM »

Lolligag - to be busy doing nothing, just sitting around, making haste slowly

IOW what the people walking in front of me at the mall do. 

2760

Living Room / Re: Movies or films you've seen lately

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 31, 2014, 01:53 PM »

I much prefered 'The Guard'

One of my favorites.  I used to watch it with the English subs on to catch all the dialog.  The type of flick I could watch every 3 or 4 months or so.  

-MilesAhead (October 30, 2014, 04:37 PM)

you'll be able to understand the locals now when you visit

-tomos (October 31, 2014, 08:51 AM)

To take inspiration from a US Supreme Court Justice, I can't define lolligaggin' or galavantin' but I know them when I see them. 

2761

Living Room / Re: Movies or films you've seen lately

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 30, 2014, 04:37 PM »

I much prefered 'The Guard'

One of my favorites.  I used to watch it with the English subs on to catch all the dialog.  The type of flick I could watch every 3 or 4 months or so.   

2762

Post New Requests Here / Re: Power Cord Falling Out

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 30, 2014, 04:23 PM »

It just so happens I notice my Toshiba AC adapter has a short in the wire output from the transformer block thing.  Right now I'm able to keep it charging by twisting the wire just so.  But that won't last long.

Talk about future shock.  I seem to remember these types of gadgets selling for $5 or $10.  I hit a bunch of stores today.  The range for some "universal Laptop adapter" seems to be $35 to $85.

I found clones for it online at $24 but naturally when you go to the brick and mortar store they don't carry it as they want the bigger markup.  Yet again I'm hampered by not having a trustworthy mailing address.

This machine is so heavy to lug I'm half tempted to start pricing a new lighter Laptop before putting $65 into this for an AC adapter.  They really hammer you on the accessories. 

2763

Post New Requests Here / Re: Power Cord Falling Out

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 29, 2014, 05:17 PM »

...BattCursor

-MilesAhead (October 29, 2014, 02:02 PM)

Thanks @MilesAhead, that looks like it could be rather more useful than any laptop power system software that I have yet come across. I shall have to try it out now.

-IainB (October 29, 2014, 02:52 PM)

I'm glad yellowiscool asked for this.  Just today I was plugged into a very loose outlet at the library.  With the power boxes on the floor it's very easy to pull the plug out of a loose one without noticing.

Edit:  If you set the OSD to only show when on battery power then it's more obvious what's going on.  If the battery is showing I know I lost my A/C.

2764

Post New Requests Here / Re: Power Cord Falling Out

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 29, 2014, 02:02 PM »

This one looks like it.

BattCursor

One of the features is it can popup a tray notification when the power source changes.  I'm going to try it myself.

Edit:  there's a writeup on Addictive Tips

Edit:  I seem to have found one bug.  If you set cursor to never show the battery percentage charge, it shows even if you close the program.  Log off and log back in seems to fix it.  I like it.  After 5 minutes of messing around I got rid of the big battery display.  The power change notification is on by default.  It seems to work.

A freeware. 

2765

Living Room / Re: The Emergency Broadcast System ?

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 29, 2014, 11:24 AM »

The girls had magically lost their cooties and gained some makeup.  What a nice change.

-crabby3 (October 29, 2014, 10:37 AM)

Is that what they call it now?  Losing their cootie? 

2766

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox windows and CPU slow-downs and restarts

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 29, 2014, 10:26 AM »

Just for grins I'm trying 33.02 installed Firefox 32 bit.  Hotmail seems snappier.  But moving the vertical scroll bar is still horrid.  It keeps snapping to the top if new content is added.  It's like I have to fight it.

I'll see how it goes. 

2767

Living Room / Re: The Emergency Broadcast System ?

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 29, 2014, 09:51 AM »

I had forgotten uniforms.  Public school detention, suspension and expulsion are worse.  Of course by 9th most have matured?

-crabby3 (October 29, 2014, 06:41 AM)

In the old days, in the city, even the public schools had corporal punishment.  I remember one day I was walking by the public elementary school, since School Street went right across the top of my street.  I noticed something was up.  The whole schoolyard was filled.  But it wasn't recess.  It looked more like a graduation ceremony.  Each class was grouped as a rectangle.  Turns out it was a punishment ceremony.  The entire student body was turned out like on the deck of The Bounty to witness the wrong doer taking his lashes.  In front of the whole school the kid had to hold out his hand as the principal swatted it with a wooden rod.  Pretty medieval.

Afa maturity by 9th grade, the ones who didn't run for Congress, President etc..  

2768

Living Room / Re: The Emergency Broadcast System ?

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 29, 2014, 06:11 AM »

Do or did nuns actually smack with rulers?  That seems to be the Standard Catholic Nun behavior in tv comedies.

At my school they were sicker than that.  They made you smack yourself across the knuckles with the ruler.  As you are hitting yourself the nun tells you "Harder.  Harder.  More." etc..

I refused to do it.  It was just too pervy.  It was better to let them call my house and have my father kick my ass when he got home from work.  At least I wasn't beating myself up.  When I got to 8th grade the nun who was home room teacher just laughed when I clowned around.  She was cool.

-MilesAhead (October 29, 2014, 05:33 AM)

Yes... to too pervy    Nuns all the way to 12th?

I don't think I've ever seen a live nun.   

-crabby3 (October 29, 2014, 05:57 AM)

Nope.  In highschool they had Brothers to smack you around.  I was informed by my older brother who attended a Catholic highschool that they were skilled at giving you a short punch in the ribs in the corridor while shielding it from view.  I was signed up to attend the same school.  Fortunately for me we moved to the burbs and I switched to regular public school.  No uniforms.  The desks weren't bolted down.  No corporal punishment.  Nirvana. 

2769

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 Announced

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 29, 2014, 06:02 AM »

I'm not all that thrilled either with the idea of having to update by being hooked to MS on some network.  People keep forgetting about the index.dat files.  If they did sneaky spying that way just image how much time is spent "looking around" on your system while "updating" your software.

From what I've heard they've stopped making index.dat files on the new flavors since everyone is wise to them and knows how to delete them.  I'm not sure what the new method of browser tracking is but there must be a blog about it somewhere.

2770

Living Room / Re: The Emergency Broadcast System ?

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 29, 2014, 05:33 AM »

Do or did nuns actually smack with rulers?  That seems to be the Standard Catholic Nun behavior in tv comedies.

At my school they were sicker than that.  They made you smack yourself across the knuckles with the ruler.  As you are hitting yourself the nun tells you "Harder.  Harder.  More." etc..

I refused to do it.  It was just too pervy.  It was better to let them call my house and have my father kick my ass when he got home from work.  At least I wasn't beating myself up.  When I got to 8th grade the nun who was home room teacher just laughed when I clowned around.  She was cool.

2771

Living Room / Re: The Emergency Broadcast System ?

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 28, 2014, 02:22 PM »

@Miles - Those were the bad old days weren't they? Remember when the two civil defense radio frequencies were marked with a CD logo right on the AM dial of every radio sold in the USA?

I totally forgot about that until you mentioned it.  I remember the siren tests though.  In the Catholic elementary school I attended "duck and cover" was no easy task since the desks and chairs were bolted to the floor.  Those nuns didn't take any chances on us getting out of line. 

2772

Living Room / Re: The Emergency Broadcast System ?

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 28, 2014, 01:05 PM »

This is not a drill.

You sure know how to hammer your point home.  I'd say you nailed it nicely. 

2773

Living Room / Re: The Emergency Broadcast System ?

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 28, 2014, 01:03 PM »

This is not a test

 Most answers seem logical to me.  

If I ever wrote a multiple choice test A would always be None of the Above.

2774

Living Room / Re: The Emergency Broadcast System ?

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 28, 2014, 12:54 PM »

2775

Living Room / Re: The Emergency Broadcast System ?

« Last post by MilesAhead on October 28, 2014, 09:18 AM »

You can't have an EMS on something like the Internet as the Internet doesn't guarantee transmission.

Radio waves are more reliable. Blah. Stuff like that.

-Renegade (October 28, 2014, 08:43 AM)

How would radio waves inform anyone if they are staring at a computer screen or cell phone?

The internet is already clogged with useless crap... why not a little more?

-crabby3 (October 28, 2014, 08:56 AM)

I can see it now.. Alert!  This is not a test!  This is not a drill!  Emergency information vital to your survival is available now.  But first please update to the most recent version of your browser.