Recent Posts

4551

General Software Discussion / Re: Editing RM Audio files - anyone know any good software?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on July 03, 2007, 08:35 AM »

Thanks - solution found though ...

For anyone else that is interested RealMedia Producer comes in a Basic free version. It is designed to allow other formats to be converted to RM formats but hidden in the app folder is the Media Editor. It is a command line editor but there is a GUI application.

In the Pro version this is displayed in the Start Menu - but in the Basic version it isn't mentioned.

You can download it from: http://www.realnetwo...ucer/comparison.html

Note you have to register but you are immediately taken to the download site so unless you want RM emails for life you can give a temporary (or false) email address!

There is also an app called "Easy RealMedia Producer" at http://forum.doom9.o...=&threadid=73228

I haven't tried it (the download webpage is in Chinese and the download is currently running at 4.5K/sec over 4 streams!) but it may be worth a look.

4552

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Adobe Photoshop CS 2 Upgrade Discount?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on July 03, 2007, 07:37 AM »

If you are a student you can get a huge reduction by buying the Academic version (identical except that they don't include the stock art samples - no great loss). If you aren't a student enrol in a part time course at your local college (how about a photoshop course;) and then you can buy it at student price).

There isn't any limit on how many hours you have to study (or the level you study at) the only condition is that it must be an accredited education establishment.

Go to www.adobe.com and click on the store link. On the right hand side of the store should be a link to "Education Store" - it varies from country to country (as do the prices).

4553

General Software Discussion / Editing RM Audio files - anyone know any good software?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on July 03, 2007, 07:30 AM »

I have a few RM files that I would like to cut sections from. Does anyone know any freeware (or cheap shareware) that will do this effectively?

I don't particularly want to convert the files to another format to do it as I am going to burn them to CD in RealPlayer and so don't want to add another conversion step and the degrading of sound quality associated with that.

4554

Living Room / AllOfMP3 closes ...

« Last post by Carol Haynes on July 03, 2007, 07:12 AM »

AllofMP3.com closes

2 July 2007 23:53 by Dela
AllofMP3.com closesControversial Russian music download site, AllofMP3.com, closed its doors last week. The site, which sold music downloads for a fraction of the price that iTunes and similar authorized services charge, was the target of international legal and political attacks over the past two years. The site claimed that it was fully legal under Russian law, and for a time was the second most popular paid music download site in the UK.

The once "$30 million a year" site caused ripples across the world and at home, as it was painted as a huge block of Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization. Its business was particularly impacted when credit card and other online payment facilities withdrew their support for the site.

However, the company behind AllofMP3 followed the closure with the opening of yet another music download site, MP3Sparks.com, selling tracks for similarly low prices. The site uses the same legal arguments for its operations as AllofMP3.com.

Article at AfterDawn.com.

Also AllTunes.com still seems to be up and running.

4555

General Software Discussion / Re: A question about DRM

« Last post by Carol Haynes on July 03, 2007, 06:52 AM »

Check out a websearch on Fairuse WMV - I believe there was an app that could help but I don't know how it works or if it still works.

4556

Living Room / Re: ARGHH ... frustration -- anyone anyideas??

« Last post by Carol Haynes on July 03, 2007, 05:44 AM »

It has been going on for days now even after night time complete shut downs.

I had a backup profile which I have restored (about a month old or so - FEBE is really useful for this) and the problem seems to be resolved for the moment, though there are a couple of plugins that I have yet to reinstall.

4557

Living Room / Re: ARGHH ... frustration -- anyone anyideas??

« Last post by Carol Haynes on July 03, 2007, 04:51 AM »

I think it is just Firefox playing up - probably a rogue extension.

I have just created a new Mozilla Profile (Start > Run > Firefox.exe -profilemanager) and it seems to have cured the issue. Now all I need to do is try restoring my previous extensions one by one and see if I can avoid it happening again.

4558

Living Room / ARGHH ... frustration -- anyone anyideas??

« Last post by Carol Haynes on July 03, 2007, 04:12 AM »

I have a problem with my system.

As I type about every 10 characters the system pauses. I can carry on typing and it catches up but it is really frustrating.

Anyone any idea how to track down what is causing this?

It seems to be particularly bad in Firefox.

4559

Word Processor Roundup / Re: Has anyone tried Scribus?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on July 02, 2007, 06:31 PM »

It was mentioned in the following thread (started last October but still receiving comments last week):

https://www.donation...index.php?topic=5763

and also in the DC newsletter at:

https://www.donation...index.php?topic=5763

Not sure if this is the same Scribus or not though? You didn't give a link so there may be another application called Scribus for the Mac that is totally unrelated.

4560

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

« Last post by Carol Haynes on July 02, 2007, 10:42 AM »

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

-app103 (July 02, 2007, 10:07 AM)

ROFLMAO - actually all the links down the side gave me a half hour of merrimemt

How about Gaming

4561

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

« Last post by Carol Haynes on July 02, 2007, 06:31 AM »

Presentation is everything about sums it up ... maybe you have to return the box to Apple so they an open it for you!

4562

General Software Discussion / Re: A Guide to Trying Out Linux Distros

« Last post by Carol Haynes on July 02, 2007, 06:27 AM »

Here's a better GNU/Linux start page.

Ubuntu's got WiFi going pretty well. As for internet access, I take you you don't have a high speed connection, Carol, is that why?

-zridling (July 02, 2007, 05:52 AM)

No I have 8Mb broadband via a wireless router. Trouble is Linux just doesn't support the majority of WiFi clients. I have tried with both Netgear and LinkSys kit and neither are supported directly. OK there are some projects out there to 'get things to work' but life is too short to spend days/weeks/months working out how to install cryptic patches and recompile the kernel etc. which seems to be the Linux solution to everything. I tried UBUNTU (at least the run from a DVD version) and couldn't get network or internet access so I gave up.

One day Linux developers will start to realise that they need three Linux features above all others if there is any hope of it being accepted for many users:

1) Consolidation of efforts into a tiny (2 or 3) mainstream distros at most (preferably fully compatible in terms of software installation etc.) - not the ever growing plethora of distros that can achieve nothing but alienation of software companies and hardware manufacturers.

2) For the majority of users: install and it works (with most standard and common hardware combinations including network/WiFi, printers and scanners - at least by the most common manufacturers)

3) One click installation packages for software and drivers - not mind numbing "su ..." and "rpm ..." commands and then a mad hunt for the executable to make a shortcut to actually run the thing!

Once all three of those is sorted Linux will take off big time and scare the life out of MS!

If (1) is achieved alone there is a chance of convincing more manufacturers to provide Linux installed on new hardware instead of having to pay licenses for Windows OEM versions that no one wants  (effectively MS have, with Vista Home Editions, produced software destined to be licensed via the OEM and almost immediately replaced by a proper version as soon as the box is opened - so Vista is bought twice for a lot of machines - they are on a real gravy train as they no longer even need to supply a new discs - just a license code!)

4563

General Software Discussion / Re: A Guide to Trying Out Linux Distros

« Last post by Carol Haynes on July 02, 2007, 06:14 AM »

Carol Haynes: all that trouble is because of the EVIL KAPITALISTIK MANUFACTURERS! though, and doesn't have anything to do with the reluctance to make a stable ABI and accept closed-source drivers.

* f0dder ducks and covers.

-f0dder (July 02, 2007, 05:48 AM)

LOL - Actually it is chicken and egg syndrome ... small Linux user base => not worth writing and supporting drivers.

Also the sheer number of distros makes support practically impossible - esp. as most Linux users expect everything for free.

When will we see 'Open Source Hardware' (ie. you just pay postage and get your hardware free too )

4564

General Software Discussion / Re: A Guide to Trying Out Linux Distros

« Last post by Carol Haynes on July 02, 2007, 05:22 AM »

Linux is dead in the water until they get WiFi working properly (and encourage manufacturers to write proper drivers for printers and scanners).

I really want to like Linux but the only way I can use it is through VMWare - that is the only way I can get internet access.

Printer support is abysmal - if I buy a printer I want to use all the facilities it offers, not just basic printing. I have tried Linux with HP, Canon and Lexmark printers and none of them have been supported beyond basic printing (and even then it wasn't good quailty on my Canon). What about multiple paper sources, automatic duplex and CD/DVD printing etc.

As for scanners ...

4565

Living Room / Re: Anyone planning on buying an iPhone?

« Last post by Carol Haynes on July 01, 2007, 06:27 AM »

Can you change the battery?

(And no - I wouldn't have one if you gave it to me)

4566

DC Website Help and Extras / Re: My paid donation wasn't acknowledged

« Last post by Carol Haynes on June 29, 2007, 10:11 AM »

Right - I should have read that page 

4567

DC Website Help and Extras / Re: My paid donation wasn't acknowledged

« Last post by Carol Haynes on June 29, 2007, 08:29 AM »

It's a bit nerve wrattling from my perspective, but as a practical matter many people don't do anything with their donation credits and so they will eventually just go to the site by default.

-mouser (June 29, 2007, 08:09 AM)

I understand the first part of that statement but how does the last bit work? If they are just left unused presumably they still belong to the registered user?

4568

General Software Discussion / Re: Backup methods and programs.

« Last post by Carol Haynes on June 28, 2007, 05:41 AM »

How are you 'syncing' registry settings? If you sync program files and windows your registry settings will get out of step - unless you have some method of syncing the registry too. I'm not sure that simply syncing the Windows folder will do this as the active registry is not usually accessible at the file level ? (not sure about this).

You say:

Just a couple of glitches, had to reactivate windows, but didn't need a number.

Windows (at least XP - not sure about Vista) has a built in 90 day timeout on activation. This means that if you wait 90 days you can activate Windows XP again without the hassle of phoning MS and explaining. They also seem to allow a number of activations (2 or 3 I think) before the activation is suspect. I'd guess that next time you do this you will need to activate again and will need to call MS.

Just for the record your method will not work with some application vendors. Adobe (for example) has written their activation system in such a way that if you do an image of the original partition and then restore it (using normal backup methods) you lose the activation. You must deactivate the Adobe software before restoring a backup otherwise you cannot activate it again (unless you call them and have a good reason). I'd guess other vendors are likely to start developing activation methods that work like this too.

4569

General Software Discussion / Re: Free Photoscape: 5 stars from Snapfiles

« Last post by Carol Haynes on June 27, 2007, 08:21 PM »

I'm sure I have seen that logo somewhere else 

4570

General Software Discussion / Re: Songbird

« Last post by Carol Haynes on June 27, 2007, 07:57 AM »

Sorry - why are people complaining?

They are developing it as open source and it is free - where is the problem?

Here are another couple of articles:

http://news.com.com/...-1027_3-6004737.html

http://arstechnica.c...t/20060208-6144.html

4571

General Software Discussion / Re: Backup methods and programs.

« Last post by Carol Haynes on June 26, 2007, 10:49 AM »

Hmmm ... that is similar to a method I read about but that included reading the old partition ID and restoring it (along with the WPA files) on the new partition. Trouble is I have tried to do it a number of times and never found it worked!

4572

Living Room / Re: Please help

« Last post by Carol Haynes on June 26, 2007, 09:51 AM »

I can't help directly with the project but you might want to look at something like

http://darkbasic.thegamecreators.com/

which is a programming language (based on Basic which is pretty easy to learn)  designed to help you design and write games simply. There are loads of tutorials too to get you started.

4573

General Software Discussion / Re: Backup methods and programs.

« Last post by Carol Haynes on June 26, 2007, 09:35 AM »

Disadvantage of the suggested method is that the second copy will need to be activated - and some software won't work properly if you boot from the 'backup' copy disc (eg. Adobe software doesn't work from copies - even image based disc images without reactivation).

The problem with Windows activation is that each partition has a unique ID which is coded into the activation code. I don't think you can have two simultaneously active partitions with the same ID.

4574

General Software Discussion / Re: Songbird

« Last post by Carol Haynes on June 26, 2007, 08:23 AM »

Still says is open source on its homepage

4575

General Software Discussion / Re: Songbird

« Last post by Carol Haynes on June 26, 2007, 05:21 AM »

New article today on internet.com:

Looks interesting.

I missed this thread the first time round - but it looks interesting esp. if it will play DRMed Windows WMA and Apple's AAC files.

Anyone tried it?