Recent Posts

2876

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: Select Copy - Auto-copy selected text

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 26, 2014, 12:53 PM »

I'm trying it out now.  It seems like the idea is to select with mouse dragging left to right?  Because if I go right to left I don't get the tooltip saying "copied."

Also middle click paste it is hard to tell if SelectCopy misses it because so many other programs hook it.  I closed my catch all AHK script to avoid hotkey conflicts but many editors use middle mouse for auto scroll etc..

Also it might be a cool idea to keep a buffer of clipboard text so that one undo is possible.  Like I have something in clipboard and forget to hold the shift key while doing a "search google for..." etc..

I like the concept if it can be used smoothly.

What I noticed on middle mouse button.. I would click in an editor with no paste.  Repeating the click once or twice it would usually start pasting.

Edit:  I'm on Windows 8.0 x64 and use Firefox based browsers.  Editor tests were EditPad Lite 7 and notepad.

2877

Living Room / First Jazz at Wolfson Concert for me

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 25, 2014, 03:51 PM »

I attended my first Jazz at Wolfson concert yesterday.  I was happy to see they are free and open to the public.  MDC Jazz Faculty Quintet performed.  I enjoyed it quite a bit.  Last year it sort of slid beneath my jazz radar.  They don't publicize it heavily probably because the auditorium is nearly filled just sticking a placard on the side of a pillar in the main building.

The final piece in the set proved once again my contention that skilled jazz musicians can take any melody, Mary Had A Little Lamb for example, and make it sound great.  For juxtaposition the pianist played straight a few bars of 'Tis So Sweat to Trust in Jesus.  Then the quintet went to work with the guitarist and department head's arrangement.  It kicked ass as they say.

I look forward to upcoming concerts.  They are usually held Wednesday at noon around the middle of the month.  Makes it easy to sneak in for 75 or 80 minutes of audio escape.  No fuss at the entrance.  They ask you to sign in and if you are a student/visitor etc..  A Program and Survey are provided and you sit where you wish.

Several of the quintet members have albums published and they contributed most of the compositions.  Good stuff.  

2878

Living Room / Re: Rethink Smartwatch

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 25, 2014, 07:42 AM »

That's coming. The technology for thought control was at around 95% accuracy 10 years ago at an ETRI startup that I worked at. It was wired, but still... It's closer than many would think.

-Renegade (September 24, 2014, 10:42 AM)

Maybe then we can finally get to the computer doing what we want, not what we say. 

2879

Skrommel's Software / Re: MoveOut pop-up window when starting enabled.

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 24, 2014, 09:01 AM »

It looks like the variable "start" gets the value of the ini setting.  If start is 1 it sets "enabled" to 1.  If you don't care about the confirmation dialog when the program is set to enabled the easiest may be to comment it out except for a "return" statement.  After all, that was the last modification.  So it's likely it will run OK without the confirmation dialog.

Then you'd just have to comple it with ahk.  A new stable version was just released btw.

Edit:  If you search the source for "confirm" it should go right to the MsgBox that pops up the dialog.

2880

General Software Discussion / Re: Nobody reads Software licenses...not even the people who made my router it seems

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 24, 2014, 08:46 AM »

Who really does read software licenses?  I don't.  I ain't got time for that.  

-Janeldgrs67 (September 24, 2014, 07:27 AM)

Ah, and you're also signing blank checks to everybody you have to pay?

-Ath (September 24, 2014, 07:52 AM)

My favorite is the EULA that is inside the shrinkwrapped box with a sticker on the outisde "By opening this package you agree..yadda yadda" to terms you cannot read without opening the package.  Robert Ringer's Mentor would be proud. 

I guess I've already said a dozen times we need a plain language software licensing law.  Even some of the open source licenses are too arcane.  It should be way simpler.  Like "I wrote the base code for this so no matter how much you modify it you cannot exclude me from further development of my own software."  Simple terms like "at your own risk" should not be subject to litigation.  But I guess the license authors must aspire to be legislators and wish to demonstrate that they too can construct terms that no normal person can explain in plain English. 

2881

General Software Discussion / Re: Free Alternative to CopyWhiz (Piky Basket)?

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 24, 2014, 07:19 AM »

Have you tried wayback  ?

2882

Living Room / Re: Rethink Smartwatch

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 24, 2014, 07:13 AM »

Looking at the Neptune what strikes me immediately is the need for "flexible circuit boards." If the watch was made more to hug the wrist giving the appearance of a wrist band, and the screen 16x9 traveling a bit higher on the wrist, then it might not appear grotesque.  But I think it would cost a hell of a lot more than $350 if the "form factor" was flexible.  Instead of fiberglass circuit boards some innovation would be required so that the electronics could be anchored in some way that allowed the device to conform to the curvature of the arm.  The 16x9 screen would be very flat indeed!  

But I think voice commands or some direct thought control wireless manipulation would also be needed to avoid being handcuffed while walking along using it. After all,one may need a hand free to carry a briefcase with non-compressible coffee and sandwich. 

2883

Post New Requests Here / Re: Execute only if not running

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 24, 2014, 05:24 AM »

See number 12 on the page I linked.  It explains that if the Find command finds only white space ( " " ) then the program is not running.  Change "imagename eq notepad.exe" so that your program's exe file is substituted for notepad.

2884

Post New Requests Here / Re: Execute only if not running

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 23, 2014, 02:39 PM »

See the line that pipes from tasklist into the find command and the comment about ErrorLevel.

Basically tasklist gets the running programs and pipes it into find.  If the program title or whatever is not found it is not running.

If it doesn't have to be batch ahk Process command is probably easier.  Like
Process,Exist,notepad.exe ; sets ErrorLevel

2885

Post New Requests Here / Re: Execute only if not running

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 23, 2014, 07:47 AM »

http://stackoverflow...eck-if-process-exist

2886

General Software Discussion / Re: Looking for a new Anti-Virus and need you guys to help!

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 21, 2014, 11:22 AM »

I don't use a real-time shield.  I do regularly scan with Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware.  I do have to say though, my scans since installing Privacy Badger in Cyberfox have been extremely clean.  I think in the last month SAS has only reported one item.  Before Privacy Badger SAS regularly reported over 50 tracking cookies.  A vast difference(pun.. I plead guilty.)

2887

General Software Discussion / Re: How to repair zip files?

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 21, 2014, 10:45 AM »

The zip file structure has always been....fragile. Consider using rar instead as it will give the option to store recovery records with the archive that will give one a much better chance of archive repair should something go wrong.

-Innuendo (September 21, 2014, 10:16 AM)

Are there any free ports of Linux lossless compression tools that may be robust on Windows?  I'm just curious.  A few searches didn't bring up anything germane.

2888

Living Room / Re: IT Resumes

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 21, 2014, 10:39 AM »

The jerks who embellish and lie on their resumes would be getting all the interview calls....till the cat was out of the bag. Then everyone would start embellishing and lying on their resumes.

Isn't that what they teach in sales?  Say anything to get your foot in the door?  To me the abuse is that the entire process is a sham.  I was watching the PBS station that covers the Massachusetts House and Senate proceedings daily.  Before bringing the session to order Senate President Billy Bulger yells to one of the Senators "Hey!  Don't you have a son who needs a job?  My daughter needs a job but due to ethics rules she can't work on my staff.  So you hire her and I'll hire your son."  Then another Senator yells out "But first we'll have a Nationwide Search(tm)!"  That brought the house down, pardon the pun.

2889

General Software Discussion / Document Font Toggle

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 19, 2014, 03:18 PM »

Since I still have fuzzy text issues on my Toshiba I found one means to deal with it in Firefox at least.  It's Document Font Toggle

It's quite simple.  Set your custom default font in Firefox.  Check to allow sites to choose their own fonts.  When the site text looks bad hit the toolbar button to use the default instead.  I find a heavy font like Arial Black easy to read even if the page is a bit blurry.

Edit:  anyone have a favorite font for forum type web sites?  Arial Black I can see but the heaviness makes everything look unread.  Something crisp for text body as well as subject line.

2890

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

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 19, 2014, 09:27 AM »

@Space Station 76

Jack Plotnick Director?  There's got to be some laughs in that flick. 

2891

Developer's Corner / Re: Rewriting work for hire after the fact...

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 18, 2014, 04:13 PM »

Didn't ZeniMax/Bethesda/id Software recently sue John Carmack, saying all the ideas he had about VR Goggles while he worked at id belong to id? He is now working for Oculus Rift/Facebook.

-Deozaan (September 18, 2014, 01:18 PM)

I read advice somewhere that after designing a program of a kind for the first time, make a small prototype to learn how the code would actually function.  Then once you have a grasp of it, throw the original design away since it was conceived before you knew what you were doing.  In these lawsuits I have to wonder how many times the developer got locked into the original crummy design because management wants to start getting a return.  So it's possible rather than theft the "stolen" code may be the new design developed on the programmer's own time.  That's why when he goes to a competitor the new design kicks ass.

I bet it happens frequently.  Then the original sour grapes company wants to cash in on the new improved version it refused to fund.

Just speculation of a fun kind.  

2892

General Software Discussion / Re: How to repair zip files?

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 18, 2014, 08:11 AM »

If for some reason you would rather not use WinRar for a particular file set you can still build a file set with recovery info using QuickPar and PAR2 files.  For example if you wanted to include par2 files for a data dvd.

Although the most common use in my experience is with file sets posted to usenet.  In most cases the file set is rar files but it doesn't have to be. 

2893

Developer's Corner / Re: Rewriting work for hire after the fact...

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 18, 2014, 05:39 AM »

As far as I know they don't have a patent on your solution.  In the future it may be wise to have an attorney draw up some documents you can append to the contract with some provisos that "reusable code" or callable functions that have utility for similar problems are retained by you for future use.  The use of the functions in the particular code for hire doesn't impinge on your ownership.  Maybe throw in some stuff about programs written in C don't give away printf() etc.. to make the point clear.

If they won't sign the codicil then I would just assume that painting someone's office doesn't preclude ypu from paining other offices for money in the same town. 

I think the only time you would worry is if you signed a non-disclosure because your code had the secret how the bank's time lock worked or something similar. 

2894

Living Room / Re: Rethink Smartwatch

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 17, 2014, 07:52 AM »

I had an early digital watch that required holding down a button to light the LEDs to see the time.  Try that on a motorcycle with no accelerator lock.

-MilesAhead (September 16, 2014, 02:33 PM)

LOL Same problem as checking the time on an LCD watch at night now -(even with cruise control)- It does tend to be a real PITA.

-Stoic Joker (September 17, 2014, 07:04 AM)

Yeah.  If they did the watch I think it may be a case where you are better off using something like Dragon.  "Watch!  Call work.  Use fake sick voice to tell them I have the flu.  Then have pizza and beer delivered."

2895

Living Room / Re: Rethink Smartwatch

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 16, 2014, 02:33 PM »

I can see people driving with this thing now.  One arm across the steering wheel so they can touch/tap with the other hand while cornering.  Ay Yi Yi.

-MilesAhead (September 16, 2014, 12:51 PM)

And this is different from them currently staring at their lap while sending an SMS in what way?

-4wd (September 16, 2014, 02:25 PM)

Both hands are locked up.  I had an early digital watch that required holding down a button to light the LEDs to see the time.  Try that on a motorcycle with no accelerator lock.  I had to pull over to see what time it was.

2896

Living Room / Re: Rethink Smartwatch

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 16, 2014, 12:51 PM »

Problem solved  


Android Watch Phone

-4wd (September 16, 2014, 12:17 PM)

I can see people driving with this thing now.  One arm across the steering wheel so they can touch/tap with the other hand while cornering.  Ay Yi Yi.

2897

Living Room / Re: Rethink Smartwatch

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 16, 2014, 12:10 PM »

Hmmm, some guy was talking into his watch on the train platform this morning.  Either he has Dick Tracy delusions or the thing is out already?

2898

Living Room / Re: Stephens Weekly Tech/Science News Roundup

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 15, 2014, 04:28 PM »

The result? Well, among other things, they found that the people actually glued to their phones didn't even notice the markings at all.

I was going to say, for the thing to be of any use it would have to send out a signal to a phone app with a big arrow on screen to get the phoners to correct their direction while walking.

2899

General Software Discussion / Re: Daphne looks interesting

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 15, 2014, 01:30 PM »

Hmm, the Portable version seems flaky.  Trying the 64 bit installer.

2900

General Software Discussion / Daphne looks interesting

« Last post by MilesAhead on September 15, 2014, 01:08 PM »

http://www.drk.com.ar/daphne.php

The only thing "weird" so far was due to running it at the end of the DaphnePortable "install."  I quit it from the tray.  After that every time I tried to run it I was told it was already running.  I logged off, then back on.  Ran it directly.. then it seemed to act normally.  I haven't tried out the functions yet.  What intrigued me is it also has some sort of mouse drag kill feature, along with other info and debug stuff that one would expect in a Task Manager.

Some of you have likely used it for years.  But a search only turned up a reference requesting a FARR Plugin.  So I thought it may be worth a mention.

Edit:  I just watched a tutorial video for it.  It also has a window size and position "trap" where windows matching the window title set in the trap will be moved and sized.  For simple stuff there may be no need to run WinSize2.