Recent Posts

5276

Living Room / Re: Well, I got it: Nokia Lumia 920, Windows 8

« Last post by tomos on November 27, 2012, 10:23 AM »

theprawn!

-superboyac (November 27, 2012, 10:13 AM)

lol - that sounds like a man at work

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Living Room / Re: My experience ordering BT...Oh what a headache

« Last post by tomos on November 27, 2012, 09:11 AM »

You poor sod

Are you locked in already even though they've given you nothing???

5278

General Software Discussion / Re: A month with my Surface RT

« Last post by tomos on November 27, 2012, 09:08 AM »

^ yes I know what you mean! I was being a little ironic there (even though it may well be the case).
I didnt intend to bring the thread off-topic btw.
Desktop screen is a different topic really (i.e. -no offence intended- but seeing as it's so hard to keep win8 threads ontopic I would suggest it for another thread).

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General Software Discussion / Re: A month with my Surface RT

« Last post by tomos on November 27, 2012, 08:49 AM »

Just finished the second half of the review. They sound really nice all round.
It is a real pity that you cant install software (x86) - especially seeing as you can get such a nice keyboard - also considering that the new pro version "is rumoured to ... have a full-power Intel processor, a stylus/digitizer, and other PC-class hardware."

Maybe someone will fix that for them though...

5280

Living Room / Re: Oh Canada, your flu deaths are a farce

« Last post by tomos on November 27, 2012, 08:16 AM »

Hm. Trying to find the right reference, was, not all so easy... Had to wade through quite a bit,

-Renegade (November 27, 2012, 07:44 AM)

thanks Ren - I didnt mean to make you work so hard !

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N.A.N.Y. 2013 / Re: NANY 2013 PLEDGE - Contractor's Work Log

« Last post by tomos on November 27, 2012, 07:42 AM »

minor notes from today so far:

# close to tray should be default setting for an app like this imo
# I get a tray-popup after 30 seconds idle time [after two minutes inactivity it automatically stops the timer] - this is too soon imo, I find it pops up more often than I want and considering the (default?) two min limit on inactivity I think it would be better at the half-way (one minute) mark
# I right-clicked the app and added login details to prefs - I didnt get to see any image at any stage of the procedure. I prefer this myself it's a functional app, you just want to log-in and work.
# if you login in the initial window (rather than via prefs) does it offer to save the login details? If not, that would be a logical addition.
# ticking noise is nice but too subtle I find. I barely notice it unless the volume is quite high. (Volume currently @ 20 here - I can hear other stuff mostly quite well at that volume.) I got used to it

5282

General Software Discussion / Re: A month with my Surface RT

« Last post by tomos on November 27, 2012, 07:29 AM »

After just a few hours of using the Surface, I realized that I was reaching up from the keyboard to tap and scroll without thinking about it on a regular basis.

(author's emphasis)
cant comment much beyond saying that with win8 on a laptop without a touch screen I've more than once went for the screen in the tiled interface. Of course it didnt work for me

Having used iOS and Android tablets almost daily for a couple years, Windows 8 is the best tablet operating system I’ve used yet. There’s really no comparison. Once you learn the new gestures well enough to use them effortlessly, Windows 8 makes those older operating systems feel as dated as they look.

(author's emphasis)
Nice to see he rates it so highly


Gotta say though:
Using the Win8 desktop with a touchpad is a big PIA. Youre just moving mouse from a to b and things open and dont close (mainly I-think-it's-called the charmsbar with they time plastered big in the bottom-left quadrant of the screen).
They need to give the otion to deactivate certain stuff in the desktop.
Of course one day, all screens will be touch sensitive. Maybe.

5283

DC Gamer Club / Re: Mafia 1 and Mafia 2 - Atmosphere done right - Travel back in time to the 1940s

« Last post by tomos on November 27, 2012, 07:16 AM »

Both blocked here

here's one of Mafia II that's working here/now

edit/ I forgot to say - it looks great

5284

Living Room / Re: Oh Canada, your flu deaths are a farce

« Last post by tomos on November 27, 2012, 07:04 AM »

It seems we're lucky that the following sort of situation is not extremely common (yet?):

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffith%27s_experiment

-ewemoa (November 26, 2012, 09:40 PM)

do you mean along the lines of -
a vaccination (non-virulent) coming in contact with a mild virus producing a killer flu?
that would be hard ...

------------------------

Interestingly enough, "transformation" happens with organisms engineered to produce the BT toxin (GMOs), and they infect the flora in your stomach, cause YOU to produce the BT toxin thereafter. So, after eating Monsatan's corn, you are effectively slowly killing yourself.

-Renegade (November 26, 2012, 09:53 PM)

do you have any more info or reference for that?
(not hassling you for links :p just curious)

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N.A.N.Y. 2013 / Re: NANY 2013 PLEDGE - Contractor's Work Log

« Last post by tomos on November 27, 2012, 05:58 AM »

that's working fine now (with IE8)

5286

General Software Discussion / Re: Keyboard shortcut of the day

« Last post by tomos on November 27, 2012, 05:45 AM »

The 'Apps' key (between right Alt and Ctrl) gives you the context menu, but it wont toggle the *§$%* thing. So you have to use your mouse to click elsewhere if you raise the menu by mistake;

-tomos (November 26, 2012, 09:56 AM)

I use the Esc key

-ewemoa (November 26, 2012, 05:59 PM)

forgot about that option when posting
FWIW, the history:
I'm left-handed and am usually drawing with the mouse and trying to hit a Ctrl+Otherkey shortcut and I catch the corner of the apps key - then, using the keyboard, I would have to leave the mouse to hit escape, or hit it with my right hand, both of which are a pain, especially if it keeps happening.
For a long time I had the apps key 'converted' to the Control key but I missed it in other software - actually that was how I came across dc, trying to find out how to do that.

5287

General Software Discussion / Re: Tips for Windows 8 (got any?)

« Last post by tomos on November 26, 2012, 02:00 PM »

But I gotta ask where you got the impression the product key was stored in the BIOS? [...] It appears to be a straight registry query-->decode process.

-Stoic Joker (November 26, 2012, 01:41 PM)

maybe that's why people couldnt find it in the BIOS
It's something that was romoured at least - couldnt tell you where exactly, but I've read it a few places

5288

General Software Discussion / Re: Tips for Windows 8 (got any?)

« Last post by tomos on November 26, 2012, 12:27 PM »

This one (from phitsc) where you have to re-activate the OS

-tomos (November 24, 2012, 12:32 PM)

It was really easy though. Download. Copy/Paste product key into supplied text file. double-click. Done. The script does everything, including the re-activation.

-phitsc (November 24, 2012, 01:45 PM)

this one took a bit more work for me because I have a pre-installed (OEM) Windows 8. The serial number is no longer accessible anywhere. (It's in the bios, but apparently even there it's hidden.)
I came across this little app (*not* a 'tiles' app - the word app is being stolen from us...)
Windows 8 WDP Product Key Viewer´
http://forums.mydigi...P-Product-Key-Viewer
(My Digital Life forums)

it seemed to have a lot of happy users so I tried it and added the key number to the winaero fix.
Rebooted and, yes it went straight to desktop.

5289

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Postbox 3 - $9.95

« Last post by tomos on November 26, 2012, 10:01 AM »

What is the advantage of using a desktop client over the browser?

-edbro (November 25, 2012, 02:16 PM)

AFAIK gmail doesnt have the sorting capability of any desktop client.
I use sorting a lot (Thunderbird) to locate and/or group emails.

5290

General Software Discussion / Re: Keyboard shortcut of the day

« Last post by tomos on November 26, 2012, 09:56 AM »

The 'Apps' key (between right Alt and Ctrl) gives you the context menu, but it wont toggle the *§$%* thing. So you have to use your mouse to click elsewhere if you raise the menu by mistake;

or:

Shift+F10 toggles the context menu

I used AHK to change the Apps key to Shift+F10 (forgot to add it to this machine - just did, seems to work as intended)-

Code: Autohotkey [Select]

1. Appskey::+F10

5291

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by tomos on November 26, 2012, 09:51 AM »

[Florence + The Machine: "What The Water Gave Me"]

I especially like the contrast between the shy soft voice when presenting and the powerful singing.
And then there's the "Thank you" in the end!

-Mark0 (November 25, 2012, 08:35 PM)

that's powerful all right

5292

Living Room / Re: Show us the View Outside Your Window

« Last post by tomos on November 25, 2012, 03:35 PM »

(see attachment in previous post)
Its a tad foggy...

-Stephen66515 (August 27, 2012, 12:21 PM)

wasnt quite that bad here - plus I only took picture #1 as the sun came though



and another morning (lots of zoom)



both last week

5293

Living Room / Re: A free and open world depends on a free and open web.

« Last post by tomos on November 25, 2012, 01:06 PM »

(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.

-Renegade (November 24, 2012, 08:49 PM)

you emphasise the first clause - the second is very impressive if I understand it correctly:
the free and full development of your personality is only possible in the community
-
I'm not one who believes that being a hermit is particularly helpful, but to say we only develop our personalities fully in "the community" smacks a bit of society knows better.
Do they define "community"? No, they dont.

I'm very wary of the whole 'rights and obligations' approach to the world. What happens if they forget a 'right'? Do we not get it then?

To me, something is either acceptable or it's not.
That's enough.

#3 is impressive

5294

Living Room / Re: Gadget WEEKENDS

« Last post by tomos on November 24, 2012, 03:59 PM »

-- all coffee pots are pretty useless in power outage so you need to at least have a French Press!

-vrgrrl (November 24, 2012, 03:40 PM)

had to look up French press - I know them, but not the name.

These are suitable for stoves, and possibly suitable for gas cookers.

Expresso
well actually I always add whisked hot milk, so I guess homemade cappucino really.

5295

Living Room / Re: Why did it never occur to me.. You can wash a keyboard in water.

« Last post by tomos on November 24, 2012, 03:48 PM »

@Tao,
not at all wanting to be smug (I swear) - I always have a backup keyboard - either an old one or a cheap (10 euro) new one.


* tom roots under the desk where did I store the fecking thing ...


edit/ found it :p

5296

Living Room / Re: Off-the-wall ideas for Christmas presents?

« Last post by tomos on November 24, 2012, 03:48 PM »

^ I'm not suprised

he'll get all embarrassed now

5297

Living Room / Re: Off-the-wall ideas for Christmas presents?

« Last post by tomos on November 24, 2012, 01:54 PM »

We can easily produce 15-20 beautiful paintings in an afternoon.

-cthorpe (November 24, 2012, 01:49 PM)

which you could then use as presents if you wanted  
until he/she gets older and refuses to part with any of them (maybe not all kids are like that though...)

5298

General Software Discussion / Re: Tips for Windows 8 (got any?)

« Last post by tomos on November 24, 2012, 12:54 PM »

Added to "Tweaks" in post #1

How to disable the edge panels (Charms Bar and Switcher) - this is a registry tweak that disables the edge panels (Charms Bar and Switcher) - but still allows them to be called via hotkey.  (also from winaero.com)
[...]
Various Tweak Apps from winaero.com who seem in general to have a good reputation.

5299

General Software Discussion / Re: Tips for Windows 8 (got any?)

« Last post by tomos on November 24, 2012, 12:32 PM »

I followed these instructions to boot directly to desktop and it works:

http://winaero.com/b...ny-third-party-tool/

(note that it's not the same as mentioned in comment #8, although also from winaero)

-phitsc (November 23, 2012, 02:50 AM)

all the options I've seen for boot-to-desktop are quite, eh, 'heavy' for want of a better term.

This one (from phitsc) where you have to re-activate the OS
The one that uses sheduler to change the setting on each reboot,
and then they have an app that does this - it has to start with windows (which also disables the popup edge panels on the desktop)

Seems MS have made it quite difficult to change - but it is good to know when they work

5300

Living Room / Re: Off-the-wall ideas for Christmas presents?

« Last post by tomos on November 24, 2012, 10:45 AM »

oups, I forgot about this thread

And I've told my family not to give me any presents, since I kinda think it's a stupid thing to do(*) - stop giving superfluous gifts to people who have most of the stuff they need - you can't afford giving me the things I'd want to buy for myself (and I'd be dumbstruck and embarrased if you did), I don't want token gifts, and I'd rather have you buy something nice for yourself or some people who actually need it.

-f0dder (November 22, 2012, 06:41 PM)

that reminds me of getting a spray canister for vinegar one year - looked expensive too, but I was like WTF?!
I actually like cooking but have no idea -nor do I really want to know- what to use it for. Actually ended up finding a practical use for it - vinegar keeps martens (Steinmarder) from biting cables in the car engine. Eventually got a protective cover for the ones the martens favoured - the vinegar sprayer is probably still in the boot.

I'm getting very practical about presents - I mean I make requests. Generally for consumable things I either wouldnt normally buy (or not at all). There's a toothpaste I really like that's 4 euros - damned if I'm going to buy that for everyday, but if I get it as a present I'm happy as larry. Or something like pumpkin-seed oil.

During the power failure of Hurricane Sandy, I started a crochet project...slippers for my husband. He was complaining that his feet were cold while we were all playing board games.

They are of my own design and are a little sneaker-like, navy blue with white tongues and orange laces.

-app103 (November 22, 2012, 10:25 PM)

sound nice and colourful - 'groovy' came to mind ;-)

I accidentally came across this 2006 post in your (app's) blog today, makes for a nice read:
The perfect gift