Recent Posts

4501

Living Room / Re: OWNING "hacker tools" illegal in Germany as of TODAY (jail & fines for everyone)

« Last post by app103 on July 07, 2007, 12:48 AM »

I guess this outlaw's complete linux distros like nUbuntu.

4502

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Snailware: Newer Software for Older Slower PC's

« Last post by app103 on July 06, 2007, 12:08 AM »

Snailware is software for snails. Snails are older slower PC's that can't run the latest and greatest because of hardware or operating system limitations.

I have started a blog targeted at the owners of older PC's, that for their own reasons choose to still run them. I will be presenting articles related to software that will run on these computers and some of the software issues that their owners may face.

Everything I write about will be tested on my own ancient Pentium I, Windows ME machine. I will try where possible to present the newest versions of everything I write about.

Even if you don't own an old snail, this may be of interest to you, as the software I write about should run blazingly fast on a newer computer.

I would like to eventually add more writers that own older machines. I think a team of writers with snails could really make this blog into something special that could be an asset to the world of computing, for both developers and PC owners.

If this blog has a future, we could be looking at writing about software that will run on P4's with XP, within the next few years. Today's latest & greatest is tomorrow's snail.

http://snailware.blogspot.com

4503

General Software Discussion / Re: You Should Pay Me to Read This Post (It's worth it...)

« Last post by app103 on July 05, 2007, 05:20 PM »

That seems to only happen if the browser window isn't maximized. (I just tested it in AOLex)

4504

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: OnScreen Display for Mute Status

« Last post by app103 on July 05, 2007, 01:55 PM »

This can also be done without a script. Go to Sound and Audio Devices Properties > Volume > Device Volume: Place volume icon in the taskbar. The tray icon automatically changes when mute is on/off. For this to work the tray icon must be visible all the time so the script is more sophisticated.

-Nod5 (July 05, 2007, 01:50 PM)

I have the tray icon, but I keep my taskbar on autohide, so it's generally not visible. Even if it were visible, that icon is pretty small and the status easy to miss. This script makes it very obvious, like when you have your TV on mute. 

4505

Living Room / Re: totally pathetic comparison about apple and microsoft

« Last post by app103 on July 05, 2007, 12:02 PM »

apple can get away with minimal design on the packaging because EVERYONE on the planet already knows what the product is about without having to read the box. the box could be completely faceless and just have the word ipod and apple stamped on it on the underside where no one will see it and the product would still sell.

-nudone (July 05, 2007, 03:55 AM)

There was a time, not that long ago, when plain packaging like this was considered 'cheap, no frills, generic'.

It wasn't what you thought of when you thought of the word 'quality'.

Just told you what was inside.

It was often of lesser quality and price than even the basic store brand.



A plain white box with the word 'ipod' wouldn't be much different, except for the price. 

4506

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: OnScreen Display for Mute Status

« Last post by app103 on July 04, 2007, 10:54 PM »

app, what is that fancy program you are using for your windows background -- are you sure it doesnt have the ability to show mute status?

-mouser (July 04, 2007, 09:13 PM)

Those are Yahoo widgets. I haven't found one that will do what I want.

lanux: This is great! Just what I wanted. 
Thank you so much! (credits are on the way)

4507

Post New Requests Here / IDEA: OnScreen Display for Mute Status

« Last post by app103 on July 04, 2007, 06:27 PM »

Too many times I am interrupted and have to hit my mute button. Then I forget it's muted and wonder a little while later where my music went, or why I am not hearing alerts for incoming messages.

When I hit the mute button on my keyboard, there is an onscreen display, but it only lasts a second or 2:



What I would like is a utility that will show when the pc's volume is muted, only while it is muted, until it is not.

Whatever image or text is used, should show up well on both light & dark backgrounds.

4508

Find And Run Robot / Re: Need help to find Windows XP Services that run FARR

« Last post by app103 on July 03, 2007, 04:33 PM »

If you are running XP and you didn't turn off System Restore, you may be able to roll back to a restore point from before you made the changes...like maybe yesterday. (just remember it will undo everything you did to your system since then, such as installing programs)

4509

Post New Requests Here / Re: Folders with "expiration date"

« Last post by app103 on July 03, 2007, 11:40 AM »

Or a program that would allow you to drag & drop folders to it and set an expiration date for that folder, and when that date hit, it would move them to a 'smart bin', adding the delete date to the folder name, rather than moving them to the recycle bin or complete removal. (it would just be a special folder somewhere for this purpose)

After the size of that folder hits a certain mark, the application would warn you and show you a list of what was deleted & when, and you could choose which to permanently delete. This list and 'smart bin' would also allow you to restore stuff if you needed it.

4510

Living Room / Re: New iPod ad says it all ...

« Last post by app103 on July 02, 2007, 10:07 AM »

Wait a minute...you can now get an iPod AND an iBox? Together? Sweeeet! 

4511

Site/Forum Features / Re: DonationCoder forum search plugin

« Last post by app103 on June 30, 2007, 06:20 AM »

Unfortunately, the code used to install the AOL version only works with AOL Explorer 1.5 and higher. I kind of lifted the installing code off of AOL's website.

They don't have many official search plugins available for AOL Explorer and absolutely no 3rd party ones and I wanted to change that, so I started snooping around and found out how they worked.

It turns out they are slightly modified versions of Firefox plugins that more or less follow the Sherlock standard, so I didn't have to change much to make it work with AOL Explorer. The biggest difference is the code used to install them.

Unfortunately, it was never intended for Maxthon or any other Internet Explorer based browser and I don't know anything about making Maxthon search plugins...yet.

If you can wait a bit, I will start snooping around for some Maxthon info some time next week and see if I can make one that will work.

4512

Developer's Corner / Online Tool Alphabetizes HTML links

« Last post by app103 on June 30, 2007, 03:14 AM »

While working on a new project (which will be revealed soon  ) I realized I was going to need a way to alphabetize links by their text description. Since I was going to have to do this frequently, I figured I would go hunt for a tool to do it.

I found this little gem.

Just paste in the html list of links, select the option you want, and click the button. Like magic, they will be alphabetized and formatted just the way you want with either bullets, numbers, in a table, etc.

Nice & easy. 

http://www.i-fubar.com/order-links.php

4513

Post New Requests Here / Re: Request: Force NUMLOCK always on

« Last post by app103 on June 29, 2007, 02:44 AM »

I was just taking a look at that Klocks thing (didn't try it though).

Is that just some sort of switch that turns it on & off that needs to be run each time you want it done?

He said that some application keeps switching it off and he doesn't know which one it could be. If he were to run that Klocks thing to turn it back on, exactly how could he do it and it be in any way effective and automated? On a timer, as a scheduled task? If so, how often?

I have been thinking about this little problem and how to solve it. I think what needs to be done is some sort of application that can run in the background that has a global keyboard hook that on every keypress will check to see if the numlock is on, and if not then turn it on. Then if some application turns it off, the next key that is pressed would turn it back on automatically. It would be turning every key on the keyboard into a 'numlock on' key, in addition to the normal key functionality.

Then at the very worst it would just be one keypress that would be affected if he were to use the numpad without it being on. (which is a bit unlikely to happen if he is a keyboard freak that switches windows with alt+tab or uses something like FARR to run applications)

4514

Post New Requests Here / Re: Request: Force NUMLOCK always on

« Last post by app103 on June 28, 2007, 02:33 PM »

I found this:

http://www.petri.co....ck_default_state.htm

To control the state of the NumLock key follow these steps:

1. Open Registry Editor.

2. In Registry Editor, navigate to the following registry key:

[Select]

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard

3. Create the following value (DWORD):

[Select]

InitialKeyboardIndicators

and give it a value of 0 (zero) or 2 (two)

• 0 = NumLock is turned off after logon
  
• 2 = NumLock is turned on after logon

Note: As always, before making changes to your registry you should always make sure you have a valid backup. In cases where you're supposed to delete or modify keys or values from the registry it is possible to first export that key or value(s) to a .REG file before performing the changes.

4. Close Registry Editor and reboot the computer.

Have you tried something like this yet?

Also check here to see if the setting is 0 or 2:

[Select]

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard\ [InitialKeyboardIndicators]

If you have a 2 in the first key but a 0 in the 2nd one that could be the problem.

4515

Living Room / Re: Humorous, perhaps informative, article on forum trolls

« Last post by app103 on June 25, 2007, 09:35 AM »

I was just thinking of some of the trolls I have known over the years...from both forums and chatrooms.

It might seem a strange thing to say, but honestly speaking I haven't met a troll that I didn't somehow like in some way. I find them quite amusing most of the time.

There was this one troll known as Ace. He began every sentence with an uppercase letter and ended it with a period...and used perfect grammar and spelling...in a chatroom! (this is an odd thing to do)

If there was such thing as a professional troll, Ace was one. He would go from chatroom to chatroom and flame and annoy people in every channel on the network...with no group being safe from him. He had an argument against everything.

At the time I was a regular in a chatroom known as the Las Vegas Hackers Club. We were a bunch of computer freaks. Most of us were into programming, web design, OS's, case modding, or taking things apart to see how they worked, etc...a harmless bunch with an insatiable appetite for knowledge.

Because of the term 'hacker' in our channel's name, and the fact that the mass media has brainwashed the public into believing that hackers are the bad guys that break into systems, destroy data, and create viruses & trojans, our channel had an undeserved reputation as being a home for such people even though that type was much unwelcome and would generally end up the victim of 'reverse trolling' if they dared to step foot in our channel. They were fodder for us and we took joy in making the little script kiddy wannabe crackers cry. The ones that kept coming back usually got an education that would change their lives for the better.

But we also had our share of those that came in just to insult us and tell us what they thought of 'hackers' (by the media's definition). We welcomed them too...and attempted to educate them as to what we really were and how we defined the term 'hacker'. We used the term to mean 'highly respected expert', regardless of the field of expertise. By our definition of 'hacker', a master chef could hold the title of 'food hacker'.

But Ace was the best...by far my favorite troll. He would come in and immediately announce "All hackers must die." I don't know about anybody else, but that would put a smile on my face. I knew we were going to be in for some fun. Back then there wasn't any kind of admin control in channels on the network. It was decentralized chat and only the channel host could kick and ban people. The host of our channel was often not around to police things, so we had to do it ourselves, with our wits.

Ace came in about once a week with his crap and we decided we were going to make a game of him with the 'prize' going to the member that could get Ace to agree that hackers were good people.

It took massive amounts of debating skill and psychological trickery to play this game. I am in awe of Martin, the one that managed to get Ace to agree that hackers are good people.

I wish I had been there that day to see the whole thing with my own eyes. I have only heard the story from the room regulars that were there that day. It's the stuff that legends are made of.

I haven't seen Ace on the network in a few years. I actually miss that troll. He was a lot of fun. 

4516

Developer's Corner / Re: Integrating Google Search into SkyIDE - Am I allowed to do this?

« Last post by app103 on June 24, 2007, 07:37 PM »

If you can support the Sherlock standard, you can use any/all of the ones from this page in addition to google:

http://mycroft.mozde...ch=no&category=9

4517

Activation/License/Language Help / Re: I really need a XoftSpySE license key

« Last post by app103 on June 23, 2007, 08:10 PM »

This section is for help with license keys for DonationCoder software.

If you need a license key for XoftSpy, you'll have to go here and purchase it: http://www.paretologic.com/buy/

This forum doesn't give out license keys to other developer's software. That would be illegal.

If you can't afford to buy it, there are free alternatives like Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware.

4518

Living Room / Re: Humorous, perhaps informative, article on forum trolls

« Last post by app103 on June 23, 2007, 07:32 PM »

Eóin: Thanks for that comic. It will make a fine addition to my 'wtf' image folder. 

4519

General Software Discussion / Re: Is the Windows start menu dead?

« Last post by app103 on June 22, 2007, 07:19 AM »

Two of the very first applications I ever created were for organizing shortcuts and cleaning up your desktop.

They could be useful for avoiding the start menu as well.

The first is ClutterBuster. It holds 100 application shortcuts.

screenshot:


The second, Programmers Toolbox, is basically the same but a bit more specialized. It only holds 50 shortcuts and is aimed at programmers and web designers.

screenshot:


Both of these will only create application shortcuts (.exe) and the application must have an icon in the .exe file or the button will be blank. the buttons will show a tooltop on hover for the file associated with it.

All you have to do is right click a blank button, find the .exe file you want to associate with it and select it. Once you have it set up the way you like, close it and it will save your button preferences to an .ini file.

You can manually edit that .ini file in notepad if you would like to remove a button association and have a blank button, rather than change it to point to another application.

This can also be used on a thumbdrive, as it will accept a relative path to an .exe file. (you will have to manually edit the .ini file to do this though)

4520

Developer's Corner / Re: Here's Why You Shouldn't Program Alone

« Last post by app103 on June 21, 2007, 08:25 PM »

Getting people to work together isn't easy.

I host a channel for a group with about 60 members, most of which are teaching themselves programming, with a few that hang around to be helpful to the less experienced. (and a few that stick around because they love us crazy geeks)

It happens so often in my channel that someone will get a great idea for something that is just too big for them to handle alone.

A few others will get excited about it and offer to help...even with something specific sometimes. Then we have 2-3 coding... contributing(as soon as they finish fighting about what language to write it in) and then the real fights begin.

Each one thinking that they can do a better job at something that one of the others have done...and they stop working together and begin to compete, rewriting each other's code and going in circles and not going forward to get the project done.

Then the insults start because they are stepping on each others toes.

By the end, they all decide to do it on their own, and we have 3 similar projects in the works...and it's a competition instead of teamwork.

Then they get fed up and quit because the project is too big for one person...and we have a bunch of abandoned projects.

I have had to play peace keeper and referee many times over the last few years. I love them all like family and I hate to see them fight like that. But I haven't found a way to cut their fuses.

When the idea for a small project comes up and it's one single member doing it, I love it...and things go fairly well, and there is usually a finished application for that coder to be proud of.

When it's a big project...it makes me want to run for the hills because I know how it's going to turn out. 

4521

Living Room / Re: what is the potential capacity of the internet?

« Last post by app103 on June 21, 2007, 05:55 AM »

I also wonder if there's multiple "internets", or if everything is so interconnected today that we only have The Internet^TM.

-f0dder (June 18, 2007, 06:43 PM)

Any AOL user will tell you there are multiple internets. It's very possible to be on one and not have access to the one you know of.

What this means is that if you have something wrong on your pc, only things that are aol:// are accessable..the rest is as if it doesn't exist.

There is a whole world there...chat, email, news, weather, music, software, video, blogs, forums, special interest communities, etc.

For a long time, that was all AOL users had...that was how they got the reputation of being 'the walled garden'. Then they opened up access to the real internet, outside the wall, to their members. Now they have opened up access to the AOL content to the rest of the world, for free. You still need their software to get the 'AOL only' content, though.

Even though they have done this, it's still possible that a dialup AOL member could have something wrong on their pc and only get the AOL content. At least there is enough there to keep you sane while you find a solution to your problem, which can be found either in the help community, some of the geek chats, or on one of their forums.

4522

Living Room / Re: What's the most complicated wristwatch?

« Last post by app103 on June 20, 2007, 04:07 AM »

app103, that's one funky watch...I don't understand how you can actually play the wheel of fortune on it.  You know what would be cool, if Vanna White came with the watch...

-superboyac (June 19, 2007, 11:06 PM)

The wheel spins (and will hypnotize you if you stare at it too long). And the games included are more like the classic pencil game of hangman with points...pretty low-tech. It's not meant to be single player game either.

It was the 80's...what can I say? 

4523

Living Room / Gateway Inc. Recalls Notebook Computer Batteries Due to Fire Hazard

« Last post by app103 on June 20, 2007, 03:17 AM »

Just another in the long list of laptop batteries that have been recalled.

Name of Product: Gateway Lithium Ion Battery Packs

Units: About 14,000

Battery Distributor: Gateway Inc., of Irvine, Calif.

Hazard: These lithium-ion battery packs can overheat, which could pose a fire hazard to consumers. This is not an internal battery cell defect.

Incidents/Injuries: Gateway has received four reports of battery packs overheating, including minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recalled battery packs were shipped as the primary or spare battery pack for some Gateway 400VTX and 450ROG series notebooks, and are identified by part numbers: 6500760 or 6500761. The part number and “made by SMP” are printed on a label on the underside of the battery pack.

Sold through: Gateway’s professional and direct distributors and Gateway Country stores nationwide from May 2003 through August 2003. The computers with these batteries sold for between $1,200 and $2,400 and individual batteries sold for between $60 and $90.

Remedy: Consumers should stop using these recalled batteries immediately and contact Gateway to receive a replacement battery. Consumers can continue to use the notebook computers safely by turning the system off, removing the battery pack, and using the AC adapter and power cord to power the system until the replacement battery is received.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Gateway at (800) 292-6813 between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. CT seven days a week or visit the company’s Web site at www.gateway.com/battery

Complete info from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

4524

General Software Discussion / Re: Are you a hardcore software fanatic or a poseur?

« Last post by app103 on June 20, 2007, 01:03 AM »

4 persons with more than 350 programs????

To the crazy guys there (yes, App and Curt), do you really need that amount of software?

-Lashiec (June 18, 2007, 01:25 PM)

Yes, I do.

It depends on what you do with your computer as to the type of software you will have installed and how much of it. And I tend to have tools to do everything. It is rare that I want to do something and not already have the tool to do it.

If I only did one thing with my computer I wouldn't need it all and would have a pretty empty taskbar like my daughter's laptop which is used mostly for webmail, web browsing, and communicating with friends over AIM. She could be quite happy with just Firefox, AIM, Winamp, and Paintshop Pro.

But I can't be happy with that because I use my computer for a lot of stuff.

You also have to consider that I love small single purpose freeware tools. I was stuck on an old slow pc with not much ram for a long time and couldn't run a lot of the larger bloated applications...or afford to buy them. I had to resort to using 10 smaller tools to equal one application someone else could run on a newer pc. I got used to doing that and it's a hard habit to break....and I am not entirely sure it's a bad one that needs breaking.

I still don't understand why anybody would open Photoshop or Paintshop Pro just to use the eye dropper tool to find the color in an image when something small like Color Cop can do it.

Imagine trying to run Dreamweaver 4 and Paintshop Pro 7 at the same time on a 233mhz machine with only 64mb ram!  (and the pc didn't meet the min requirements to run Dreamweaver 4 by itself)

Now you know why I have tons of tiny tools. 

4525

Living Room / Re: What's the most complicated wristwatch?

« Last post by app103 on June 19, 2007, 06:49 PM »

Mostly because of my dad (he's a watch collector) I own some really weird watches.

Most of them are packed away and not accessible for photographing.

The only one I could find on the web is this one:



A real collectors item from the 80's. It came with a game book so you could actually use it for playing.