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526

Living Room / Re: The pleasure and possibilities of living a time-shifted life?

« Last post by barney on August 06, 2012, 11:23 PM »

Under a bit of flair, it looks like this is largely talking about "media entertainment" in general. It doesn't work as well for almost any other category. You can't randomly not do "required" tasks and then decide you're bored and go serve your Jury Duty for the O. J. Simpson case.

-TaoPhoenix (August 06, 2012, 11:03 PM)

Oh  ?

I wonder if this approach can't be extended to other less-obvious domains of life?  What would life be like if one purposefully shifted their entire focus of life back 5 years?

-mouser (August 06, 2012, 07:03 PM)

I read that as a bit more than media, don't you?  With that in mind, my comments stand  .

527

General Software Discussion / Re: In search of ... desktop/mobile calendar/task list/appointments app

« Last post by barney on August 06, 2012, 09:30 PM »

*Professional, at bottom, means you get paid for it.

-barney (August 06, 2012, 06:19 PM)

I always though it meant you charged for it. Actually getting paid, in my experience, is a whole separate issue.

-40hz (August 06, 2012, 08:31 PM)

Nope, misconception on your part   :  you're still an amateur when you bill/charge - you're only a professional iff you get paid  

Another option might be EssentialPIM.

The Windows Pro edition is licensed per computer, but there is a free version that is probably good enough to see if you like the way it works.  The Pro edition also provides a fully functional portable version. There are free apps for both Android and iOS.

On Android devices, EPIM uses its own tasks, notes and password modules and the built-in (Google) calendar and contacts, but you can synchronize those directly if you prefer not to use Google.

-xtabber (August 06, 2012, 08:31 PM)

That's a right cogent thought.  I have EPIM Pro Win & Android.  I might have had the answer on my own HDD and not known it.  Never played with the calendar aspect of EPIM, so looks as though I'm gonna be busy  

Edit:

Another option might be EssentialPIM.

-xtabber (August 06, 2012, 08:31 PM)

Just an FYI. When I evaluated Essential PIM a few months ago I had it lose information that had been previously entered and saved to the calendar. Don't know if this was an anomaly or something specific to the machine I was running it on. But it spooked me enough that I removed it from further consideration after that happened. Which was a shame. It looked to be a very capable PIM. YMMV.

-40hz (August 06, 2012, 09:02 PM)

Will definitely keep an eye out for that!  Thanks  !

528

Living Room / Re: Casio Paper Writer Tablet - new technology (Android 4.0)

« Last post by barney on August 06, 2012, 09:18 PM »

  ditto! 

529

Living Room / Re: The pleasure and possibilities of living a time-shifted life?

« Last post by barney on August 06, 2012, 09:14 PM »

Well, I can see the advantages/benefits of the approach, but there might be a disadvantage or two (2)  .
Like dental appointments, maybe?  Or cancer surgery?  Or jury duty?  Granted, that's an extreme, but ...

On the other hand, Baby Daughter has been hooked on several series that she'd never have watched in real life.  She's been using our NetFlix subscription to examine a number of series, most multi-season and most Sci-Fi stuff that she'd never have watched otherwise.  Currently fixated on Heroes, a series that definitely benefits from back-to-back-to-back viewings  .  She's gone through several vampire series - got hooked on Twilight (the book, not the visuals), and started checking out most anything that's outre, paranormal, fantasy.  So, in that respect, she's interested in venues that she would never have considered otherwise, gaining experiences that she'd never have had. 

Suspect the whole concept is Damoclean  .

530

General Software Discussion / Re: In search of ... desktop/mobile calendar/task list/appointments app

« Last post by barney on August 06, 2012, 07:18 PM »

Not overly fond of Java ... too many disappointments, too many hacks ... but I'll give Pimlical a try - the published feature set fits mostly with what I'd like to have.  Need to check for licensing issues, though, or it could get expensive  .

531

General Software Discussion / Re: In search of ... desktop/mobile calendar/task list/appointments app

« Last post by barney on August 06, 2012, 06:42 PM »

Perhaps Tim's thread here will give you some ideas?

https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=30298.0

-skwire (August 06, 2012, 06:27 PM)

Oops, sorry ... should have mentioned that I'd read it, but it's not what I'm seeking.  Nothing wrong with server-based, but not always near a/the server.  Sync needs to be Wi-Fi direct or maybe Bluetooth ... 4G might work in a pinch, but not all devices have provider connectivity - and I wouldn't want to pay for connectivity for each one (1)  .

532

General Software Discussion / In search of ... desktop/mobile calendar/task list/appointments app

« Last post by barney on August 06, 2012, 06:19 PM »

Been trying to find a reasonable calendar program that

• runs on (Windows) desktop
• runs on tablet (Android, for now)
• runs on smartphone (Android, for now)

but not having much luck.  I'd like to be able to show appointments, tasks, schedules, and the like.  Most of 'em would be entered on the desktop/laptop, but there'd be times when the only entry point available would be a tablet or the phone, so multiple synchronization would be a must.

I'm averse to cloud-based solutions  , so Google Calendar or the like is out  .  Ideally, input would be allowed from any platform and shared with all other platforms.  Right now, that would include a B&N Color Nook, a Toshiba Thrive, a Nexus 7, a Samsung Galaxy SIII, and various Windows 7machines.  That hardware might change - I'm considering a Win8 tablet if I can stomach Win8 and if the price can be justified.  Ditto, Win8 phone.  Prolly won't use a *nix-based system, as those are mostly play/experiment systems for me, not long-term work systems.  (Not trying to start anything - *nix distros just don't fit into my professional* usages  .)

[sidebar]
Why not cloud?  Just today there was a piece of mail from the Republican National Committee (on the back flap) with a (front) return address of Mitt Romney.  It was addresses to Databarn Databarn.  (databarn is an alias I've used off and on when subscribing to various online elements.)  That name, along with my correct address, was hijacked from some Web site - it's never been used for shipping.  And I've never, knowingly at least, subscribed to any political entity.  (At one (1) point I did have a Web site published under that name - a decade ago!)  That's just one (1) reason I don't use cloud services, no matter how convenient.  There simply is no security that cannot be broken (as I learned when I spent a few years in cryptography).
[/sidebar]

*Professional, at bottom, means you get paid for it.

533

Living Room / Re: Olympic coverage this year SUCKS!

« Last post by barney on August 05, 2012, 11:14 PM »

Man, i remember growing up in the 80s and just seeing the Olympics 24/7 on the TV...any TV, anyone's house.  Now we have more technology, more channels, more people, more events, more TV's, more everything!!

-superboyac (August 05, 2012, 05:23 PM)

You left out, "...more networks...," as opposed to one (1) proprietary outfit that won't allow anyone else to broadcast.  But, in fairness (?!?  ), that's the Olympic committee, the same fold that shut down anyone online trying to promote their cause under the guise of patent and copyright.  I remember seeing the Olympics on all three (3) major channels (after there were three (3) channels  ) ... but it's a very dim childhood memory  .  But, then, TV happened after I was born, so they hadn't quite figured out all the revenue paths when I first saw the event(s)  .

534

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Sticky window-specific reading guide.

« Last post by barney on August 01, 2012, 09:13 PM »

how about this...
 (see attachment in previous post)
runs in the background, and applies a 'cross hair' to the nominated window (only).  'Cross hairs' are hidden when that window is not active

Hotkey WIN+F1 toggles the 'cross hairs' on and off, ie to switch to another window/application, activate that window then toggle the hotkey off then on again.

Hotkey WIN+Right Mouse Button 'freezes the 'cross hairs'

Hotkey WIN+X to exit

-Target (August 01, 2012, 08:48 PM)

That works reasonably well.  First tried it in Windows Explorer ... went full screen.  After a moment's reflection, that makes sense, since explorer is the desktop  .

Tried it again in Firefox ... worked just fine.  However, those lines are just a bit too fine for these old eyes.  Guess I could go in and play with it, since the .ahk file is part of the download.  Have to make the hotkeys adjustable - I hate hotkeys  - since those are occupied on my system.

535

Living Room / Re: OK - lets get to know each other... who are you, what do you do, where from?

« Last post by barney on August 01, 2012, 01:01 PM »

-did you pick that marque, by inspiration from Steve McQueen?
...
One of my brothers drove Triumph Bonneville 650. My mother would close her eyes and start praying, every time she saw him take off.

-Curt (August 01, 2012, 03:35 AM)

Nope, can't blame it on Steve.  It was a swap out deal with a coworker when he wanted four (4) wheels - Lover's Lane is awkward on a bike  .

Luckily ( ?), my mother never new anything about it ... at least, not 'til my impromptu parking session.

536

Living Room / Re: OK - lets get to know each other... who are you, what do you do, where from?

« Last post by barney on August 01, 2012, 12:40 PM »

I remember reading somewhere that, in "proper" writing, one should spell out numbers, up to a certain limit (four or five?) and then use numerals (e.g. 6 or 7 - is numeral even the correct term for those?)

-tomos (August 01, 2012, 08:50 AM)

Should be spelled up to a hundred, numeric OK after that.

That's an old school formal writing guideline (and one I like!).

See for example:
http://answers.yahoo...0060719082151AAkfEeo

-mouser (August 01, 2012, 08:39 AM)

Yep, me too  .  My early grounding in formal English was also reinforced by the military.  One does not always equal 1, but one (1) does  .

537

Living Room / Re: OK - lets get to know each other... who are you, what do you do, where from?

« Last post by barney on July 31, 2012, 10:54 PM »

Hi Barney,

Nice to learn a bit more about you than can be deduced from your other posts    

-cranioscopical (July 31, 2012, 10:15 PM)

Hey!!!   I didn't think anyone was gonna read it  .  Ambusher  !

Addendum:

Just found/noticed this topic.  Glad I found it, but it's gonna take a long time to read 31 pages  .

538

Living Room / Re: OK - lets get to know each other... who are you, what do you do, where from?

« Last post by barney on July 31, 2012, 06:44 PM »

Gee whiz, golly, shucks, gosh!  I just found this place - this thread, not DC  - and now I'm wondering just what else I've been missing, just how dumb I am - speculation, does not require an answer  .

Oh, well, a few years late but ...

Name is barney, live in Corpus Christi, just about in the middle of the Texas Coastal Bend.  Preteen years in Poplar Bluff/St. Louis/Forissant (all in Missouri), teen years ~30 miles east of Dallas, TX.  Grew up - mentally, morally, responsibly - in Vietnam, returned to Tucson, Arizona, back to DFW area, then to Corpus Christi.  There have been a few forays into other regions, but none long-term.

Spent 18 years in bindery/bulk mail services, mostly training other folk to run machinery better than I could.  Spent summers, weekends as a teen working in a fibreglass shop (my dad's, so not certain that counts) or wiring new houses.  Last three (3) decades have been pretty much computer, from IT to programming to hobby (vocation and avocation at the same time).

Now, retired, I do pro bono work for the odd Website or for friends, build database backends for Websites, and the like.  I'm an old cripple - parked a Triumph 650 TT Scrambler in the radiator of a Plymouth back in Tucson - but I go sailing every chance I get (close friend down here has a sailing school  )

OK, all that's prolly TMI (Too Much Information), but if I'm gonna let it hang out, I might as well let it all hang out  .
Sorry to be so late with this  .

539

Living Room / Re: esata vs. USB...fight!

« Last post by barney on July 30, 2012, 03:47 PM »

i don't think we should dismiss as easily as that.  Sure, there are differences.  I'm trying to delve into those differences to see what the advantages and disadvantages are for multiple issues.  Yes, in the issue of convenience, USB wins hands down.  In real-life speed tests, esata wins hands down.  We don't have to dismiss that so easily.

-superboyac (July 30, 2012, 02:52 PM)

OK, wasn't dismissing it, per se, merely pointing out that differing requirements and attitudes make any real comparison moot.  You've had USB issues - I haven't.  You have multiple esata ports - I don't.  For me, the convenience of USB far outweighs the speed of esata.  For you, the speed of esata outweighs the convenience of USB.

I recall a similar discussion regarding USB vs. FireWire when they first came out.  FireWire was faster, more reliable. USB won. 
Same thing with VHS vs. BetaMax - VHS won, although BetaMax provided the better experience. 
Similar contests have occurred regarding programming languages,with no clear resolution and no consensus.

The winner in this contest will be determined not by our preferences, but by what manufacturers decide to provide, and their decision will be based upon cost and convenience, not upon performance.  It will only marginally be influenced by public preferences - mostly because that public tends to be singularly quiet about such things.

540

Living Room / Re: esata vs. USB...fight!

« Last post by barney on July 30, 2012, 02:31 PM »

Strikes me that this is another Ford vs. Chevrolet discussion.  No one (1) solution will be ideal for all folk.

It also strikes me that a discussion of just speed is rather pointless.  OK, there is the reliability issue, but the primary concern seems to be speed.  Yeah, I want things done fast.  And I want things done reliably.  But all the systems I currently possess have one (1) [non-shareable] esata port.  Some of 'em don't even have that.  But every one (1) of 'em has multiple USB ports (tablets not included).  So 'twould seem that our concentration should be on maximizing use of available resources, not on which resource is faster. 

As I said, it's a Ford vs. Chevrolet discussion which will never be resolved.

541

Living Room / Re: Is Linux just a hobby?

« Last post by barney on July 30, 2012, 01:43 AM »

Spot.
Fecking.
On.

As dedicated a Linux fan as I am, I will never hesitate to give an answer to a question honestly asked, and for those very reasons.  I DID RTFM, I DID STFW, and I STILL had to ask stupid questions, (as in, it was stupid I had to ask because the documentation was so spotty), so I know what an uphill battle it can be, even when it really isn't, or doesn't have to be. 
Even though I agree with most of 'How to ask questions the smart way', it pains me that so much gets made of it, while 'How to answer questions the helpful way' gets short shrift in general practice, and that section could use a little expansion besides.

-> $0.02

-Edvard (July 30, 2012, 01:26 AM)

When I was active on Tek-Tips a decade or so ago - it was just getting started - I had one (1) overriding rule:  answer the question that was asked, if at all possible, then suggest alternatives if the question seemed to be a bit askew.  Got chastised for it, from a few other answerers, but mostly accolades from the folk who'd asked the question.

The chastisement is all too common in most forae  , and the accolades, should they happen, don't always make up for that.
(One (1) of the reasons I stay on DC ... the question asked usually gets an answer, or at least a resource ... and let us not forget the [frequent] times that the answer gets created on the spot    )

542

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Clipstory - Free today 2012-07-28

« Last post by barney on July 29, 2012, 02:51 AM »

Problem with Clipstory is that it's licensed per machine, not per user  .  Apart from the obvious drawbacks, an unstated (or under-emphasized?) one (1) is that you have to be Web-connected in order to get a good install  .  So ya can't install it on a Web-free machine  .

543

Living Room / Re: In search of ... cookie viewer w/create date

« Last post by barney on July 28, 2012, 03:10 PM »

Ack!  Found it, thanks both of ya.  Old eyes  .

That works rather nicely ... now to try to find a standalone that'll do the same for at least the mainstream browsers  .

I noticed two (2) things that are problematic, at least from within the browser:

• some cookies keep replicating as long as the browser is open
• some cookies simply cannot be deleted (but haven't checked for LSOs for them yet

Ah, well, back to the hunt ...

544

Living Room / Re: In search of ... cookie viewer w/create date

« Last post by barney on July 27, 2012, 08:19 PM »

E-e-e-e-e ... Cookies Manager + doesn't seem work that way on my system ... no creation date.  (I thimk I have it configured properly  .)  If I could get it to work, that would be a good start, but we need something external that would encompass all/most browsers ... at least the mainstream browsers  .

When we started this, I thought it would be the very essence of simplicity ... I've been reeducated in that respect  .

As to the LSOs, Flash Cookie Cleaner, Flash Cookies View, and Flash Cookie Remover seem to work well enough.  I'd love to see something that would incorporate all cookies, regardless the source, but, suspect that would border on being a major programming project .  That's gonna be expensive if I have to commission someone to build it  .

I'll see if the Cookie Spy folk might be amenable to an addendum.

545

Living Room / Re: In search of ... cookie viewer w/create date

« Last post by barney on July 27, 2012, 07:44 PM »

Already did.  Cookie Jar shows a list of cookies, which you can ban, allow, or remain undecided.  No dates whatsoever, nor does it show content  . 

(I really liked that about Karen's product, but while it'll install and load, it doesn't know where to look on Win7.)

Just tried Cookie Monster:  won't run, thinks Firefox is open, must be terminated with a task manager  .

546

Living Room / Re: Office Chair Curling - a new olympic sport?

« Last post by barney on July 27, 2012, 04:33 PM »

Triple points if every occupant answers the knock.

-cranioscopical (July 27, 2012, 08:30 AM)

Too easy, you just have to yell "fire! fire!" as loud as you can

-jgpaiva (July 27, 2012, 08:31 AM)

Yeah, and then all the little prairie dogs pop their heads up to ask, "Who got fired  ?"

547

Living Room / In search of ... cookie viewer w/create date

« Last post by barney on July 27, 2012, 04:29 PM »

Folk,

I'm a bit embarrassed to ask, since I can so seldom contribute, but I've got another dilemma  .

I need to find a universal, i.e., works with most/all browsers, cookie viewer application that shows, as well as expiration date, the date the cookie was installed on a particular system.  I've looked here and online, but nothing quite seems to fill that particular bill  .

As an example, we want to see all cookies that were added during today's browsings (a time stamp would be nice, but prolly too much to expect).  Or, maybe, all cookies that were written last week.

I've tried several, Cookie Spy and the late Karen Kenworthy's Cookie Viewer being the last couple.  Most all of 'em do a fine job of showing origin, content, expiration, and the like, but none that I've tried to date list creation date.

Do any of you know of such a beastie?  

(While I'm at it, is there a way to consistently redirect new cookies to a specified location?  Never really thought about that before.)

(If we cannot find this soon, I may have to commission one (1)  .)

548

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Sticky window-specific reading guide.

« Last post by barney on July 25, 2012, 08:10 PM »

Stationary hotkey: press to make the crosshairs remain fixed at your mouse cursor's current location. The default stationary hotkey is Control+1. (The 1 key is adjacent to Backtick on most keyboards.)

That will take care of one (1) item.  Cant help with the window limit - might try contacting Mike - he's generally pretty helpful.

549

Living Room / Re: Is Linux just a hobby?

« Last post by barney on July 24, 2012, 12:09 PM »

It is the elitist attitude that is still present in several old-time Linux users that really detracts from the overall Linux movement.

-Josh (July 19, 2012, 11:24 AM)

I would change several old-time to many experienced  , but otherwise am in complete agreement with that statement.  That is what has turned me away from most forms of Linux every time I've tried to mainstream it, not just use it for tech/recovery purposes.

I mentioned the RTFMs earlier that I got in the forae.  There's a little more to that than just the statement.  Almost every time someone makes that recommendation, they are making a number of assumptions.  First, they assume that you have not read the manual - or man pages.  Second, they assume that if you do read that documentation, you will come away with the same understanding they have.  And, to a lesser extent, they are irritated that your questions intrude on reading the really important stuff in that particular forum.

But the bottom line, for me at least, is the quality of the documentation.  There's a lot of information there, but most of it is written by experienced users for experienced users.  I spent a few years as a technical writer, and believe you me, there is an art to it, an art that many people just don't have.  Writing about technical matters in such a manner that non-technical people can read and make sense of the material takes a lot of work.  I understand why the docs are written the way they are, but that does not make them easier to read/interpret.

550

General Software Discussion / Re: Fast Network Notetaking...

« Last post by barney on July 21, 2012, 02:28 AM »

@Barney - I think the "on-the-fly" tagging in CintaNotes has its uses but to be the most effective needs to be automatically picked from what is typed in the body of the note rather than retyped into a separate field.

-davcom (July 21, 2012, 12:41 AM)

Yep, yer right.  Establishing that convention (for the developer) might be a bit tricky.  It'd need to be easily typed, and not [often] misinterpreted.  As an example, I use the ` symbol in ShortKeys (a text expander) as a trigger for the abbreviations.  But that character is a part of some languages, so it wouldn't work for everyone.  Language and keyboard constraints make that assigning a trigger symbol a problematic thing.

However, when you have several tags already selected, those tags automagically appear in the tag window for the new note.  Not the best solution, I'll grant, but it tends to work well for my needs.  Thing is, I tend to work within the limitations of the software I'm using - that's why I'll never be a good beta tester   - so a lot of potential improvements never occur to me   .

I'd love to see an app built to your requirements, though ... suspect that would be mucho grande.

Edit for clarification - see strikethrough.