Recent Posts

3176

Living Room / ESPN AutoPlay settings are fake

« Last post by superboyac on December 07, 2010, 08:56 AM »

ESPN's AutoPlay settings are nonsense.  AutoPlay is a setting on the video controls of all of ESPN's videos.  It basically allows you to toggle whether videos should play as soon as the website is loaded, or if it should wait until the user presses Play.  Well, obviously, I don't want ESPN's videos playing automatically because that's straight up obnoxious.  So I always turn AutoPlay off.  But in the last couple of months, I must have turned it off at least 20 times.  Why?  I don't use 20 computers!  It doesn't work.  Not only doesn't it work, but it always gets reset at the slightest little thing.  Like, if ESPN changes their website a little, it gets reset to ON.  If flash is updated, it gets reset to ON.  But what's worse now is that I have it set to off, as in the picture below, and the videos keep playing automatically!  Bullshit. 

And, of course, it's not like it accidentally ever is OFF.  It's always "accidentally" on, never off.

3177

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« Last post by superboyac on December 06, 2010, 10:50 AM »

johnk, you're right about that ipad screen, it's amazing.  This ipad is a wonderful supplement to my computing habits.  I still find it funny that for around $700, I think the ipad is the best GPS device you can find if you put the Copilot app on.  And the most expensive dedicated GPS units are in the $600-700 range.  On top of that, you get the amazing multi-touch.  Am I being a fanboy?  I hope not, this is the truth.  I'd say the same for PC hardware and software.  And with the jailbreaking option, the ipad is the most flexible and powerful tablet you can get right now.

3178

Official Announcements / Re: Preparing for a new master DonationCoder server

« Last post by superboyac on December 06, 2010, 10:45 AM »

It's amazing that this runs on donations.  I just keep thinking about people making so much money for doing so much less.  Ahhh....

3179

Official Announcements / Re: Preparing for a new master DonationCoder server

« Last post by superboyac on December 06, 2010, 10:32 AM »

well...mouser is right also.  I don't know...I shouldn't really participate in this, this is not my bag .

3180

Official Announcements / Re: Preparing for a new master DonationCoder server

« Last post by superboyac on December 06, 2010, 10:30 AM »

I agree with 40hz. I also think some of the people here can have their own blogs here that would be useful.  I think the idea to go from featured blog to discussion forum in some kind of unified manner would be really cool.

Anyway, this is very interesting to me.  So it costs roughly $400/month to run the dc servers.  Interesting.  Nothing good ever comes free, eh?

3181

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: 5 A'shampoos: $20

« Last post by superboyac on December 04, 2010, 02:37 PM »

yeah, the title probably should spell "up to ...". In my opinion, Burning Studio and UnInstaller will make a really fine deal, all the others are of less / little interest.

-Curt (December 04, 2010, 04:34 AM)

Very true.  I do like Burning Studio, it's a good product.

3182

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: 5 A'shampoos: $20

« Last post by superboyac on December 03, 2010, 09:03 PM »

How about this...I'll buy this package, but I will probably have no use for 4/5 programs I get.  I'm willing to donate them to DC as a giveaway or to people of my choice.  Yeah?
Ah...forget it.  Kind of a dumb deal.  The totla retail value of your package can't exceed $100.  So unless you pick the cheapest programs, there's no way you'll be able to get 5 total.  It's still a good value as far as the deal goes, just not as good as it sounds.  I don't care for it, there's nothing really there that I want.  Sorry, I'm grinching my offer back.

3183

General Software Discussion / Re: wireless (wifi) network connection manager with saved profiles

« Last post by superboyac on December 02, 2010, 04:54 PM »

Yeah, I'm not familiar with Windows 7 wifi stuff.  I'm glad to hear it's much better since I'll be upgrading to it next year.

3184

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« Last post by superboyac on December 02, 2010, 04:53 PM »

Also, the other weird thing now is that the Apple/PC lines aren't so clear cut anymore.  Apple has reached so many new users the past couple of years, that their way of doing things is slowly going to have to get a little more complicated than they are used to.  It's inevitable.  More users, more issues to resolve.  Like that configuration utility I mentioned, there are going to have to be more things like that.  Now that makes Apple a little more complicated, and less simple.  A few more of those and the line between simple Apple and complicated PC becomes grayer and grayer.

3185

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« Last post by superboyac on December 02, 2010, 04:50 PM »

I think the hard part for people like us to relate to is deactivating our computer minds when we use computers.  Other people just simply do what the screen tells them to do.  So for them, if you don't fight it and let Apple do whatever it wants to do with your iphone/itunes, it usually works just fine.  These people are not normally trying to do "complicated" things like secure wifi connections, etc.  Seriously.  They just plug their thing in and obediently follow the directions.  They don't question them.  They don't wonder why it has to be this way.  They don't try to think about better alternatives.  It's all very passive.  And that doesn't make them dumb or worse than us.  They just don't give a shit about computers.  That's the Apple crowd.  Just like I don't give a shit about cars.  I use my car, but I never think about tweaking anything, nor do I care, nor do I want to think about it.  I don't want to care.

So we can't really criticize Apple for making things simple and catering towards those users.  Apple is not designed for people like us.  I'd love to force it to do things I'd want it to, but I can't say Apple is wrong for doing it that way.  Apple doesn't care for people like me, just like car companies don't care about guys like me.

3186

General Software Discussion / Re: Microsoft's dropped feature is Linux's gain

« Last post by superboyac on December 02, 2010, 04:22 PM »

Who are these pinheads who make such idiotic decisions?

-timns (December 02, 2010, 03:48 PM)

Ultimately?

This guy.

Any questions? 

-40hz (December 02, 2010, 04:11 PM)

Holy crap.  That's pretty crazy.

3187

General Software Discussion / Adobe Acrobat's crop tool is garbage!!

« Last post by superboyac on December 02, 2010, 03:49 PM »

Did I say I was going to try to be more positive?  Oh well...
Adobe Acrobat's crop tool is a piece of shit.  What the hell is going on?!  Sometimes, you click the crop tool and you can drag a window around the area you wish to crop.  Then you press Enter, it opens up the crop dialog with a bunch of pretty useless options, and you can crop.  But even more often, there's no way to drag-select the area!!  As soon as you click the crop tool, it opens up the dialog, not giving you a chance to select the window.  And in the dialog, there's no button or anything to select a window.  There are controls to manually adjust the borders of the crop in each direction, which is tedious and useless compared to the window method.  And it's been like this for ages.  I still can't figure out when the window works and when it doesn't.  It's not clear, and/or it's just random.  And each version, they keep adding useless feature after useless feature, and never change the cropping method.  Adobe crop tool: you can kiss my fine ass.

3188

Living Room / Re: Should I buy a tablet pc, ipad, netbook, or other?

« Last post by superboyac on December 02, 2010, 02:46 PM »

OK, it doesn't really matter I suppose.  I just think it's pretty silly to have that slider be ONLY a mute switch.  Previously, it was to lock the screen's rotation, which is WAY more useful.  First of all, why doesn't Apple let the user decide what that switch should do?  See, this is a very good example of Apple just going a little too far with their nazi control.  Who is Apple to decide what that switch should be for ALL users??

What's even more ludicrous is that Apple decides to change the function of that physical slider at a whim.  Just whenever they feel like it.  In iOS v4.1, that slider was a screen-lock (you can prevent the screen from automatically rotating when you rotate the device physically; it's useful in my case in the car when the ipad is on the seat and you don't want the view to keep rotating around as it slides around the seat).  In iOS v4.2 that switch is now a mute-lock.  What??  And when they changed it, they didn't allow an option to select one or the other.  It's pretty insanely retarded behavior.  Not only do they not let the user decide what they prefer it to do, but they get them used to one way, and then change it in the next minor update.   Wow.  Stuff like that makes my jailbreak-nerve to tickle.

3189

General Software Discussion / Re: wireless (wifi) network connection manager with saved profiles

« Last post by superboyac on December 02, 2010, 01:45 PM »

I need to make a correction that will negate my previous complaint with the ipad's wifi.

The ipad DOES have secure wifi connectivity features, I just didn't do it right.  It's actually pretty easy, as expected.  if you tap on the correct option, it opens up a dialog with a bunch of secure settings.  Pretty nice.  So I didn't need the configuration tool after all.  i even got the certificate and everything to work.

Also, steel, to respond to the Proset application you mentioned.  I used to use it, and it was ok.  Not great.  But it couldn't do some things that the Windows manager did better, like selecting multiple certificates, which i had to do one time.  But even besides that, it was not organized elegantly.  The application interface elements seem to have been haphazardly put together.  The Apple one I showed above is way better organized.  But all in all, the Proset one is one of the better ones I've seen.  In fact, I could say I haven't seen a better one for Windows yet, but that doesn't mean it's good.

I wonder if this could be done with a coding snack?  All the features that need to be accessed are default windows things, so I'm guessing it's just a matter of creating a nice GUI for it.  No?

3190

Living Room / Re: Should I buy a tablet pc, ipad, netbook, or other?

« Last post by superboyac on December 02, 2010, 12:11 PM »

Um...there's both on the ipad.  A rocker for the volume, and a small switch slider directly above it.

3191

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« Last post by superboyac on December 02, 2010, 09:25 AM »

You definitely do have to be careful. My girlfriend just upgraded her iPhone4 firmware the other night, which was pretty much a disaster. The upgrading process didn't seem to start, making the Windows USB connect/disconnect sounds. So she unplugged the phone... which resulted in it half-bricking, just telling her to connect the phone to the computer to get the firmware updated. Problem being that she uses her iPhone for internet connection...

Luckily she was able to borrow a lil' bit of internet connection love from a neighbor so she could update&unbrick the phone. Only to realize that all her settings and files had been wiped (this is of course pretty normal firmware update procedure, but apparently iTunes hadn't warned her enough about this).

Fortunately, and this is the one saving grace for that piece of crap system, iTunes had made a backup (without asking, of course) of the device at some earlier point in time, so she didn't lose much/anything in the end.

-f0dder (December 02, 2010, 09:01 AM)

Yes.  This happened to me also when I first got my ipad.  I almost freaked out.  It's the USB thing, I think you have to fight the urge to unplug when the USB system tray guy starts wigging out during the update.  if you pull it out (lol) you mess everything up and you have to reset the ipad.

fodder, I didn't realize that about using other people's itunes.  I think I may just jailbreak this thing.  I really don't care much for itunes.

3192

Living Room / Re: Should I buy a tablet pc, ipad, netbook, or other?

« Last post by superboyac on December 02, 2010, 07:25 AM »

Good luck.  I had a great one for my iPod Touch that was subsequently removed and is now unavailable from iTunes (not sure if it was Apple or developer caused, but antidotal evidence points to Apple as the culprit).  It isn't made for the iPad, but will probably work for it if you can get it installed.  It is called WiFiTrak from Bitrino.  Haven't found anything comparable on iTunes or Cydia.  If you do find something, though, particularly on Cydia, then it is another reason to Jailbreak.  Personally I am seriously considering doing so to tether my laptop to the 3G network...Apple doesn't allow those apps.

-steeladept (December 02, 2010, 02:47 AM)

I am also considering it.  Yeah, I read that Jobs will not allow any apps in itunes that modify the desktop.  I was looking for something that would display which apps were currently running, like a task manager widget on the home screen.  But since that modifies the desktop, it's not allowed.  I'm also guessing he doesn't allow any apps that modify the core built-in functions of the device.  So that means anything that changes what the physical buttons do, like reassigning the sliding mute switch.  And that wifi program interferes with the ipad's own wifi manager in the settings.  So that's not allowed.  Yeah, all the more reason to jailbreak.

3193

General Software Discussion / Re: wireless (wifi) network connection manager with saved profiles

« Last post by superboyac on December 01, 2010, 09:57 PM »

I was having trouble connecting my ipad at to my work's wifi.  I find out that to do business type wifi stuff, you need to download Apple's "iphone configuration utility".

-superboyac (December 01, 2010, 09:39 PM)

So in short, what you're telling us is that an as delivered OOB iPad (with no wired connection options available) cannot connect to a secure WiFi network?

-Stoic Joker (December 01, 2010, 09:53 PM)

Well, that wasn't really my point, but yes, that's true.  The ipad doesn't have built in features for all that stuff.  And frankly, it was a little bit of a pain to get it working.  I had to download that utility, then get the right .net version, then some errors, try again, restart.  Anyway, it worked finally after 2 hours.  Haha.  Seriously, though, that wasn't the point.  The point was that Apple's utility for this is what I want for my Windows!  Please!

3194

General Software Discussion / Re: wireless (wifi) network connection manager with saved profiles

« Last post by superboyac on December 01, 2010, 09:39 PM »

Well, surprise surprise...
I was having trouble connecting my ipad at to my work's wifi.  I find out that to do business type wifi stuff, you need to download Apple's "iphone configuration utility".  As soon as I open it, I'm like "OK, this is exactly what I've been looking for in this thread."  How is it that there is no Windows software out there that will do it THIS NICELY??  I've attached a screenshot to show how nicely everything is organized:


I've searched so long for something like this, and I can't find it.  Wefi is pretty good, but still a hack-job in a lot of ways.  Not much thought put into it, and it's pretty gimimicky with it's "Ooh...find hotspots by logging into out network! bullshit."  And it's weird turn-dial.  I mean, it's better than nothing I suppose.

I also think something is out there, but forget finding it through google.  I was hoping someone here would know of one.  Freakin apple...

3195

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« Last post by superboyac on December 01, 2010, 07:20 PM »

OO...another epic by Oshyan!  Well, all good points.  It's funny, the strength of the PC is it's weakness: the modular-ness of it with distinct lines between OS/software/hardware.  There are infinite ways for people like us to use it.  Apple's strength is it's weakness also: tight-control, little flexibility, but pretty great overall product.

Currently...as in, right now...I think Apple has the advantage.  We're at a point where simplicity and elegance is very welcome.  This wasn't the case in the early 90's and 2000's.  Back then, we were discovering computers and everything we can do with them.  Then there was a huge boom, and an equivalently huge bust.  Now, it's Apple's turn.  They've come out of the ashes and have boosted up to the top.  Google and Microsoft are not the pristine companies they once were a few years ago.  Google's search is largely a chaotic mess. Microsoft has made a couple of significant blunders.  Apple is riding a streak of impressive successes.

But Apple will not last forever, of course.   I believe it's a cycle.  I think they are going to do really well in the near future, maybe for another decade or so.  But, their fundamental strength/flaw--the isolated, closed system that their products are in--will eventually have to change.  If they don't change, they will run out of innovations.  If they do change, it means they have to start opening up (like the Intel chip thing in their computers).  So as the years go by and they become more open, they will be less like the Apple of today, and more like the PC of last decade.  Then, other opportunities will open for other companies.  It's a cycle.

As manufacturing advances are made, smaller companies will be able to build competing products that will rival the big boys like Apple in build quality, and offer a more open structure.  That's what I see happening.  It's the one weakness Apple has.  It's the one that will be exploited.  Just like Apple exploited the complexity of the PC universe with their elegance...someone is going to exploit Apple's restrictive system.

But I don't think it will happen soon.  This decade belongs to Apple.

3196

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« Last post by superboyac on December 01, 2010, 02:44 PM »

Very very true, oshyan.  The other companies are playing big time catch up.  You are exactly right; it's not enough to offer equal quality now.  They have to offer something that is significantly different and better than what Apple offers.  Something that can be described in a few words that is "it" for that device that the equivalent Apple device is lacking.  Granted, this is easier said than done since Apple's done pretty well on that front.

In the Zune's case, I can think of a couple of things to distinguish it, if MS chose to do so.  One, make the file transferring to/from the device completely open.  No proprietary software.  Drag/drop files like you would for any USB drive...MTP/UTP whatever.  Do it.  Next, make sure the UI is awesome.  Not good...awesome.  You're going up against the itouch, it needs to be superb.  Next...allow support for just about every format out there, no restrictions!  mp3, flac, ape, avi, mpg, mp4, divx, xvid...everything!  Yes, they will step on some corporate toes by doing so, but how else are you going to distinguish yourself from Apple?  Creating an inferior itunes-like store is not going to work.  Create the device in a way where all most bugs and issues can be fixed EASILY using firmware or software updates.  Do it!!  That's the only way to attack.  You have to choose the few weaknesses that Apple has (which I just listed a couple of) and be the innovators and problem solvers for that stuff.  So when guys like me don't want to get Apple stuff because of their restrictions, we have another option to turn to that doesn't make us compromise on all the other stuff that Apple does well.  That's how you compete.  It's simple economics, business sense.

But i don't see that happening at all.  So year after year, we're going to see Apple get bigger and bigger.  And we will continue to have this debate.

3197

Living Room / Re: Should I buy a tablet pc, ipad, netbook, or other?

« Last post by superboyac on December 01, 2010, 11:40 AM »

For anyone following, I'm about to list my few annoyances with the ipad.  I'm not unhappy really, but a little annoyed.

Wifi issues.  The wifi connectivity is not as smooth as I have come to expect from Apple.  It's not bad, nowhere near as bad as Windows.  but it does ask for my password when I've already put it in.  usually, when I've been going around using multiple access points.  And, like my search on Windows, there aren't any really awesome wifi managers out there.  Man, I'd kill to have a great wifi manager on either Windows or the ipad.  But that's another story.

There's a slider next to the volume rocker.  before the latest iOS update, that slider could be used to lock screen rotation.  Very useful.  But now, it's function is to mute.  But the volume rocker also mutes if you hold it down.  So that useful function is now redundant and useless. Apple's excuse: to make its function mimic the same thing on the iphone.  Stupid reason.  At least let us toggle one or the other.  I've heard several complaints about that.

There's no way to disable the screen slide-lock.  I understand it's use, but I don't care for it.  Every time the screen turns off, you need to use the slide to turn it back on.  I'd rather just tap the home button and be returned to the exact same screen that I left it on.  Someone told me I may be able to do this with a jailbreak ipad.  But I'm going to wait on that for now.

3198

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« Last post by superboyac on December 01, 2010, 11:12 AM »

Haha!  Crazy.  I was going to have you get one for me!

3199

Living Room / Re: The SSL certificate industry is a messy business

« Last post by superboyac on December 01, 2010, 10:48 AM »

40hz is right.  A while back, I was thinking about all the helpful people here who are very knowledgeable and the programmers are excellent.  It's a great mix of friendliness and good, practical help.  I wish I could create an itunes like store for people here so that it could be a one-stop shop for PC stuff.  Good advice, good solutions, easy to navigate, no fuss.  Maybe sometime in the future, I don't know.  With Google becoming increasingly unreliable and chaotic there's a need for easy, hassle free PC solutions.  And I would love it if some of the people here could make a comfortable living providing their expert-level services to folks out there.  I strongly feel we have some special talent on this board.

3200

Living Room / Re: Five Reasons Why People Hate Apple

« Last post by superboyac on December 01, 2010, 09:22 AM »

Darwin has some good points.  The Zune was a well made product.  It's an uphill battle, for sure.  Once Apple created the ipod, everyone started playing catchup.  And nobody has really caught up yet, and it seems as though the gap is increasing.  If another company wants to make a dent, they have to innovate and they have to go beyond the expectations of the people.  At this point, you can't merely create something of equal value.  You have to out-Apple Apple.  That's what Apple did with the ipod.  They waited and waited and years after other companies started making mp3 players, they came out with the ipod.  And that has changed everything.  So companies now may have to create equal or better quality products and sell it for cheaper than Apple if they want to compete.  That's the risk they have to take.  That's the price you pay for playing catchup.  Sony?  Dell?  Where are you?

Dell just came out with the Duo convertible tablet/laptop.  The big complaint on Engadget is the screen quality.  You see?  They just can't do it.  It's going to fail.