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2851

General Software Discussion / Why is my computer hiccuping every few seconds?

« Last post by superboyac on February 08, 2011, 07:45 PM »

I had this problem once before, and the culprit was Spy Sweeper, which I uninstalled and never looked back.  Now, with my new Winows 7 installation, I'm getting the hiccuping regularly every few seconds again.  Everything stops for a millisecond, and the goes on.  I notice it most clearly when I am scrolling down a webpage, and the scrolling pauses a little bit.  How can I identify the problem?

I tried using Process Explorer, but I can't figure out how to use it to help me here.  This is the only visual from there that shows my problem:

2852

General Software Discussion / Re: Is there a right-click menu tool to quickly resize images?

« Last post by superboyac on February 06, 2011, 07:57 PM »

deano, this doesn't exactly match what you are looking for as far as a one click solution, but you may find it handy.  i used this program when I had to do a lot of fiddling with image sizes and what not when i first made my website.  Now, I just do it manually because I have more control for cropping in particular.  But check it out, I mentioned it in a thread here:
https://www.donation....msg121947#msg121947

The program is called Thumbnailer.

Oh!!  I totally forgot about a great program I bought several years ago and never used.  To answer my question above, there's a program called Thumbnailer that is amazing for this sort of thing.  And the last time I used it, they were on version 6 or something.  Now it's version 9.  It's awesome.  It can resize images just the way I was describing above with a couple of clicks.  Awesome awesome awesome!!

I highly recommend this program.  I remember researching similar programs back then, and this was hands down the most powerful, customizeable thumbnail creation program.

2853

Living Room / Re: Please recommend beautiful websites with simple, elegant designs.

« Last post by superboyac on February 06, 2011, 05:35 PM »

well, just FYI (even though I know most of you won't care about this), I've made a lot of changes to my website's "look", you can see it here:
http://aram.dcmember...ts-parity-rules-all/

I'm pretty excited about this design.  I love the earth tones, I love the font styles, and I like how simple and elegant it looks.  I stole a lot of ideas from ethervane's site, alistapart, and some ideas from myself.  I'm still having trouble choosing the best colors for the special styles like the comment box, quotations, etc.  If anyone has ideas, please let me know.  I'd like it to match well with the brown tones I've already chosen, but I'd like them to stand out in a subtle way with a little extra color.  I feel like the pastel blues and oranges I've chosen currently are a little TOO colorful and don't match the spirit of the rest of the site.  But I've run out of ideas.

Thanks 40 for the kuler suggestion, it came in handy.

2854

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: A powerful free video & audio converter

« Last post by superboyac on February 05, 2011, 08:27 PM »

ilioyu, this is good software!  Good job.
I'm now using iwisoft's converter instead of Format Factory.  i think it's a good program, FWIW.

2855

Living Room / Re: Wow!! Are Any of You THIS limber?

« Last post by superboyac on February 03, 2011, 07:49 PM »

Probably would make for a very interesting evening if you and she were ever to...uh....never mind!   

-40hz (February 03, 2011, 06:34 PM)

My freshman year in college, we had a couple of the girl's gymnasts on my dorm floor, so our crew got to know the team pretty well.  Anyway, the flexibility is cool and all, but every single one of those girls was jacked up from gymnastics.  i don't know if it's the intense training or the fact that that kind of flexibility is just plain too much on the body.  But it was nearly 100% rate of just odd injuries.  knees, shoulders, hips.  It was quite shocking to me to see that happen in 4 years.

2856

Living Room / Re: Unable to compete with the Kindle, Apple wants a cut of ebook sales

« Last post by superboyac on February 02, 2011, 11:28 PM »

nah, nah...forget i said anything.  I was just in a mood.

2857

General Software Discussion / Re: How to create a shortcut for the "wireless network connection" in Windows XP?

« Last post by superboyac on February 02, 2011, 10:26 PM »

Man, this doesn't make sense with how Windows usually works.  Do you think they have done this network adapter thing intentionally?  Or did they just forget to offer a way for programmers to access the network adapters?

2858

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Block/Unblock all network traffic button (one-click)

« Last post by superboyac on February 02, 2011, 10:24 PM »

sweet!

2859

Living Room / Re: Unable to compete with the Kindle, Apple wants a cut of ebook sales

« Last post by superboyac on February 02, 2011, 10:20 PM »

I wish there was a way to like a reply. Renegade's sums up my feelings

A huge resounding +1

-Josh (February 02, 2011, 08:30 AM)

3 drinks in on an empty stomach and I start to express my true inner feelings. All warm and fuzzy and unicorns and rainbows. Apple, Sony and a few others just tend to force my unicorns to start impaling people and turning the rainbows to beautifully gasoline covered ponds. The warm comes from them throwing a lit match on the pond. The fuzzy then comes from what happens to my vision as my eyes begin to melt.

-Renegade (February 02, 2011, 07:12 PM)

yes, you're right.  That was a bit of an exaggerated response on my part.  I shouldn't say that the e-ink is bullshit, i have no grounds for that, and a lot of people agree that it is a more pleasant reading experience.  Here's what I really intended to say: the kindle and other purely e-readers are going to die quickly when the other tablet manufacturers start offering a lot of decent tablets.  Why would you get a pure e-reader, when you can get the same type of screen (the Adam comes to mind) but with an OS that allows other software also (iOS, Android, Windows).  So if the screen was the same, why would I choose a kindle over an ipad?  It's like paying for a portable video player that can't play mp3's.  Why would i do that, when I can just get the thing that plays everything?  I may be wrong here if the price differences between the readers and fully featured tablets are significant.  Anyhoo...i didn't put much thought into that.  Sorry.

2860

Living Room / Re: Unable to compete with the Kindle, Apple wants a cut of ebook sales

« Last post by superboyac on February 02, 2011, 04:26 PM »

But Sony never gave in to that.

-superboyac (February 02, 2011, 01:05 PM)

Largely because the American recording industry threatened to sue and legislate Sony into oblivion if direct digital to digital copying was implemented on the minidisc system.

This was right after the major labels had effectively prevented DAT tape decks from finding an American market via a combination of legal threats and political pressure to get legislation passed restricting its use. So Sony was more than a little nervous. Especially since they also wanted to start selling commercial music recordings on the minidisc format, and therefor couldn't afford to alienate the rest of the recording industry.

Sony may have been shortsighted in caving in. But at the time it was probably the only option they had, even if it did ultimately doom their snazzy little disc.

-40hz (February 02, 2011, 02:53 PM)

Thanks for that info.  Then how did Apple get away with it?  or any of those early digital players?  What was the difference then and in the early 90's?  Was it just a matter of time, and the recording industry had just accepted the fact?

2861

Living Room / Re: Unable to compete with the Kindle, Apple wants a cut of ebook sales

« Last post by superboyac on February 02, 2011, 01:05 PM »

in my opinion, the best example of all of this is Sony's ultra-FAIL of the minidisc.

-superboyac (February 02, 2011, 10:51 AM)

Who ever would buy into the sony minidisc? Certainly not I...........

-Josh (February 02, 2011, 12:05 PM)

before the mp3 players came out, it was the most kick ass technology out there.  you just didn't have freedom to use it the way you wanted to.  It all comes down to one thing: transferring audio back and forth conveniently.  So you're comment may apply now, but you have to consider how things were 20 years ago.  Shit, has it really been that long??

So back in the day, if you wanted to get audio onto a minidisc, you either had to buy a pre-recorded minidisc album (like you would buy a cd or tape album back then).  You couldn't get it off the disc, however.  So there was no real advantage over cd players, other than size and the cool-factor of the minidisc.  So minidisc offers nothing to most people there.  So how about recording?  This is where minidisc really shined.  You could record excellent quality onto the minidisc.  But you couldn't get it off easily.  If you wanted to, you had to attach the minidisc to a computer or tape recorder and record (in REAL TIME; dub) the audio.  So it wasn't a true digital transfer, it was more like trying to dub tape audio onto your computer as a wav file.  So that was not convenient.  All they had to do there is allow users to copy the file off the minidisc onto the computer.  But Sony never gave in to that.  That was their mistake.  That was it right there.

2862

Living Room / Re: Unable to compete with the Kindle, Apple wants a cut of ebook sales

« Last post by superboyac on February 02, 2011, 11:07 AM »

Not a week goes by without something reassuring me I made the right decision by not investing in a proprietary ebook reader.

This week's no exception. 

-40hz (February 02, 2011, 10:53 AM)

Don't do it man!  By the end of 2011, i don't see how those readers will be doing.  If the Android and Windows tablet market actually starts producing decent products, who's going to buy kindles and stuff?  They're going to keep saying that the e-ink displays are better on the eyes vs the tablet screens, but that's a bunch of bullshit. Whatever little truth there is in that, it's the only point they are hanging on to.  i read pdf's on my ipad, and it's a great experience.  I know that I can put any pdf on there and read it in whichever reading app I happen to prefer.  i don't need to read it in Sony's or Amazon's reader in case there are features in it I don't like.

Oh wait, price point is an issue also, I guess.  Still, I can see some $100-300 cheap tablets coming out specializing in just reading pdf's and basic stuff like that.

2863

Living Room / Re: Unable to compete with the Kindle, Apple wants a cut of ebook sales

« Last post by superboyac on February 02, 2011, 10:51 AM »

^ That sums up my thoughts.  At least the first part about how other companies waste (and I mean WASTE) opportunities, and Apple comes along and 're-innovates' old ideas to make something that completely changes the game.  How many years were the *same* companies that are making *killer* smartphones *now* in the game before Apple arrived?  Why couldn't they do *then* what they're doing *now*?  The same with *anything* that Apple produces?  It's like they need Apple to lead the charge to usability before they'll waste their time on something so inconsequential.  It's *so* frustrating!

-wraith808 (February 02, 2011, 10:40 AM)

in my opinion, the best example of all of this is Sony's ultra-FAIL of the minidisc.  Think about it.  Sony invented the minidisc in the early 90's.  When did digital music players really become mainstream? circa 2002.  Don't mention rio and stuff, because it wasn't that mainstream.  The ipod is what made portable audio mainstream.  The point is, Sony had a DECADE head start.  A freaking decade!!  In those 10 years, all they had to do was make it easy for people to transfer music from their computers to the minidisc and ipod would probably have never happened.  But they never let go of the restrictions.  Then the ipod came along and allowed you to dump anything into it (but not get it out!), and that changed the world.  Apple was revived, and we've seen how a smart company takes advantage of their luck or whatever.  unlike Sony who consistently destroy's any leg up they have.  Fortunately, their stuff is amazing and usually stands the test of time, where Apple's stuff usually gets old pretty quick (which is on purpose, to keep the hype up on all their annual updates, smart).  Sony F'd up really bad there.  All they had to do was that one thing market it properly.  Everything else was in place.  But no, they made it super hard to get your own stuff on a minidisc.  And they made it equally hard to get it off.  Hmmm...that last sentance is a little dirty...that goes in my dirty talk quotebook.

2864

Living Room / Re: Unable to compete with the Kindle, Apple wants a cut of ebook sales

« Last post by superboyac on February 02, 2011, 10:31 AM »

I wonder how long Apple can keep this up.  They make good stuff, but it's only a matter of time before they have to let go of their closed system little by little.  Their userbase is growing a lot, and they are going to be asking for this and that, which means more options and capabilities are going to be demanded.  And Apple will have to satisfy them somehow.  If they want to keep this success they have going on, they have to let it go a little.

-superboyac (February 02, 2011, 09:15 AM)

Quite to the contrary... I think Apple should clamp down as tightly as they can on their little nut. That way there wont be any chance of them falling of while they ride it straight to hell.

...Afterwhich we can all be free of their foolish money-grubbing nonsense.

-Stoic Joker (February 02, 2011, 10:08 AM)

I can't agree completely with that, but I do enjoy the sentiment!  I'm all for Apple going straight to hell if any other company starts making stuff as well-made as the Apple stuff.  If another company can make a $700 tablet that is as awesome as the ipad, then please, please do.  I beg you!  No cheap, plastic stuff that doesn't even work half as well.  (well, my ipad alarm has failed me the last two days...).  I don't know what Sony's problem is...make a tablet already, shit.  My techno-geek fantasy is Apple/Sony merging into the ultimate super company.  In the fantasy, Sony would be in charge of the technology R&D, and Apple would do all the marketing and design, Interface.  And I would be CEO, and would not allow anything that restricted basic conveniences.  I would make it hacker friendly.  Ok, maybe not....I may prove to be a hypocrite if I ever become a big wig.

2865

Living Room / Re: Unable to compete with the Kindle, Apple wants a cut of ebook sales

« Last post by superboyac on February 02, 2011, 09:15 AM »

I wonder how long Apple can keep this up.  They make good stuff, but it's only a matter of time before they have to let go of their closed system little by little.  Their userbase is growing a lot, and they are going to be asking for this and that, which means more options and capabilities are going to be demanded.  And Apple will have to satisfy them somehow.  If they want to keep this success they have going on, they have to let it go a little.

2866

N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Release: List Numberer

« Last post by superboyac on February 02, 2011, 08:39 AM »

Website | Download
v1.0.3 - 2011-02-02
    + Added "Strip leading whitespace" options.  This will strip any spaces
      and/or tabs from the leading part of a line.
    + Added "Strip leading numbers" option.  This will strip any
      numbers, periods and the right parenthesis from the leading part of a
      line.  (Thanks, J. Fitzsimons & Antonimo)

-skwire (February 02, 2011, 08:13 AM)

Very Nice!  Now I can use it to renumber existing lists without having to remove all the existing numbers beforehand!

2867

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Block/Unblock all network traffic button (one-click)

« Last post by superboyac on February 01, 2011, 08:36 PM »

Man, this adapter ID thing is totally the reason why there are no good third party network software for windows.  I've always wondered why there were no cool little software out there to improve on little annoyances like this related to networks.

2868

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Block/Unblock all network traffic button (one-click)

« Last post by superboyac on February 01, 2011, 05:58 PM »

i don't think you're a cracker failure.

What if you try devcon, from 40hz' suggestion above?  In case it requires downloading a file, I have an elegant solution for you.  Now, most developers in that case would have an instruction in a forum saying you have to download this file and put it here to make it work, etc.  They might even go so far as providing the link to the file for you.  but the best way would be to have the program's installer offer to download the file and install it for you in case it's not installed yet.  I've seen .net programs do this, so it's not unprecedented.

Then, you can use the codes for devcon to do the network blocking thing.  Yeah?

2869

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Block/Unblock all network traffic button (one-click)

« Last post by superboyac on February 01, 2011, 05:20 PM »

If the gods of brewing make anything better, they're keeping it for themselves AFAICT.

-40hz (February 01, 2011, 05:16 PM)

The other gods might have better stuff...

2870

Living Room / Re: On websites: why do sans-serif fonts sometimes look great, sometimes not?

« Last post by superboyac on February 01, 2011, 03:51 PM »

What if it's just a little fun to change things around?  That's why I'm doing it now, it's like stress relief for me.  I like to practice making my websites look like other ones that I find nice.

-superboyac (February 01, 2011, 02:53 PM)

Absolutely nothing wrong with that, of course, particularly if you enjoy it. I was just talking about people I've seen wasting huge chunks of time on re-designs, thinking it would get them more readers, when what they really needed was better content.

-johnk (February 01, 2011, 02:57 PM)

My business partner would say the same about me.  That's why I secretly fiddle around with my personal site, and then I'll apply it to the business site.

2871

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Block/Unblock all network traffic button (one-click)

« Last post by superboyac on February 01, 2011, 03:49 PM »

Thanks for the wisdon, 40hz.  With your intuition, I'm sure gut feelings are more reliable than not.  I need a gut...

2872

Living Room / Re: On websites: why do sans-serif fonts sometimes look great, sometimes not?

« Last post by superboyac on February 01, 2011, 02:53 PM »

A footnote from the Johnk rule book of life. Rule #3458: Re-designs are a waste of time.

I did quite a few newspaper "re-designs" in my time (always at someone else's request). I have seen countless re-designs of newspapers and web sites.

Very, very rarely have I ever felt that a re-design was a good use of time. Unless a design is really, very badly broken (in terms of readability, legibility, signposting etc), then time spent improving content is always a better use of time than time spent on design.

Just my 2p.

-johnk (February 01, 2011, 02:47 PM)

What if it's just a little fun to change things around?  That's why I'm doing it now, it's like stress relief for me.  I like to practice making my websites look like other ones that I find nice.

2873

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Block/Unblock all network traffic button (one-click)

« Last post by superboyac on February 01, 2011, 02:44 PM »

It's usually a troubleshooting reason.  The most recent example is I'm trying to troubleshoot my email program, and I don't want it accidentally sending recieving any email until all my settings are the way i like it.  because if i don't like it, I'm going to move certain files around and i don't want an email or two slipping in there during the interim, because then my last "good" files are not the latest and greatest.  So stuff like that.

2874

Living Room / Re: On websites: why do sans-serif fonts sometimes look great, sometimes not?

« Last post by superboyac on February 01, 2011, 02:35 PM »

Ywah, johnk.  You're right, it's not the font, but the styling.  I forgot that i could just look at the actual css file.  I'm so used to just firing up firebug, and browsing the elements.

2875

Living Room / Re: On websites: why do sans-serif fonts sometimes look great, sometimes not?

« Last post by superboyac on February 01, 2011, 01:06 PM »

I really like this font, spacing, the whole thing:

It's from this website:
http://www.alistapart.com/

I'd like to copy that.  I have Firebug, how can I figure out what the font settings for that is?