Recent Posts

5426

General Software Discussion / Re: Switch power profile based on which program is active in windows

« Last post by 4wd on October 05, 2008, 07:01 PM »

For example, if I'm running a graphics program like Corel Draw in the currently active windows, I may want to Switch to full power.

But if I'm just reading a long text file in Notepad, I may want to switch to a much lower power profile.

What I'm looking for is a generic software that is not tied to a particular brand of laptop.

-patteo (October 01, 2008, 02:52 AM)

In XP, the recommended Power Option is normally Minimal Power Management - this lets the CPU driver handle all power management for the system.  You still set monitor, HDD, Standby and Shutdown timeout yourself.

eg. My 5000+ X2 runs at 1000MHz and 1.1V pretty much all the time - when I start video encoding or playing a game it kicks back up to 2600MHz @ 1.325V - happens within milliseconds.

And actually, most programs that I'd have thought would kick it into high-gear, don't cause a high enough CPU load to do so but I don't notice any difference.  In fact, the only way I can tell whether it's running at high/low load settings is to run the AMD Power Monitor which tells me the frequency and voltage it's currently running at.

ie. Why would you need the CPU running flat out when in Corel Draw if all you're doing is drawing lines and circles with a mouse?

5427

General Software Discussion / Re: Programs you can use during a financial meltdown!

« Last post by 4wd on October 05, 2008, 06:05 PM »

The Free Software Foundation's definition of "free" goes beyond being free of charge. To be considered "free" in the FSF universe, a product would have to be released under GPL. Any licensing restrictions would make it "not free" even if it were otherwise given away.

-40hz (October 04, 2008, 07:33 AM)

It's a bit like saying I'll buy you a drink but the drink isn't free unless I provide you with the keys to the brewery.

-Carol Haynes (October 05, 2008, 04:25 PM)

Actually, it's more like:  I'll make you a drink (program) but it isn't free unless I provide the list of ingredients (requirements, eg. libs, etc) and mixing instructions (program code).

It's up to the end user to provide the equipment for mixing it, (ie. compiler, etc).

You're implying you'd being giving away the compiler (brewery) as well to qualify as FSF free.

Now I'm getting thirsty.....

FSF approach is just plain stupid (IMHO).

-Carol Haynes (October 05, 2008, 04:25 PM)

IMHO, it isn't.  Simply for the fact that if I have a piece of GPL software, (assuming compliance), that has stopped development and that I use, I know that if I require a bug fixed, feature added/removed, etc I can:
1) do it myself, (even if I have to learn the language - something I've done before);
2) get a friend to do it;
3) ask on the internet if there is someone willing to do it;
4) offer a donation/money to someone at DC to do it;
5) pay a programmer to do it;
6) etc, etc, etc.

A far cry from trying to get closed source, non-developed software modified or having to create a program from scratch.

Give me a program that does what I want and I have the possibility to adapt to my needs over closed-source any day.

5428

Living Room / Re: Tech News Weekly: 41

« Last post by 4wd on October 04, 2008, 07:20 PM »

The scary thing about no 7 is not the actual monitoring itself (because it only affects the Chinese), but the fact that e-bay entered into this agreement voluntarily. Makes you wonder what they're doing with your Skype conversations.

-Ehtyar (October 04, 2008, 07:59 AM)

Given eBay's recent "F*** YOU!"¹ attitude here to their customers, (you know - the people who pay them), why should you be surprised at all ?

Thankfully, this deranged attempt to grab even more money was put down, however the advertising on eBay is still unfairly skewed towards PayPal for payment.

1 - Disclaimer: If the *** offends, then please replace them with the ROT13 encoded letters: H, P & X.

5429

General Software Discussion / Re: Programs you can use during a financial meltdown!

« Last post by 4wd on October 04, 2008, 07:01 PM »

Lots of FLOSS is really dross.....

-Dormouse (October 04, 2008, 04:23 PM)

DROSS = Dearly Requested Open Source Software

Pretty much everything on Donation Coder could be called DROSS¹ then

1 - DROSS is trademarked by me!  You use it, I sue!   So there!!!!!

5430

General Software Discussion / Re: Programs you can use during a financial meltdown!

« Last post by 4wd on October 03, 2008, 07:25 PM »

Or maybe when you just don't have any money to spend on software because you need to buy groceries, or pay the rent this month...

-40hz (October 03, 2008, 02:39 PM)

If paying rent is a problem: Rent A Farmhouse

Live far away from the ratrace¹.

1 - Disclaimer: I'm in no way implying that you live near or within a rat infested society.  But if you did, you can rest assured that here in Australia we can provide you with the comfort of fellow rats if you so desire.  Indeed, I've known some quite big rats.

5431

Living Room / Re: The Weeklies: 40

« Last post by 4wd on October 02, 2008, 01:13 PM »

The new format will include numbering, and I will ask replies to reference the post they're responding to by number.

-Ehtyar (October 02, 2008, 07:08 AM)

The very first line of my post was:

I wonder if the "Hostile Thoughts" detector will be picking up:

As easy as typing /host in Firefox to search the thread to see what I was referring to.

Honestly, I don't see how adding a number is going to help unless people have actually read the thread in the first place, (not having a go at you houseteir, just a general observation).

Much better would be anchors in the initial post that followups could point a URL at.  Probably beyond the ability of the board software.

So I guess, by default, numbers are the poor man's¹ method.

1 - Disclaimer: Not implying the Ehtyar is any way, shape or form poor - just that given a choice, he chose the poor one..........errrrr........that didn't come out right.........oh crap, I'm in the same country.........quick! HIDE!
Disclaimer: Brain numb........04:12 in the morning.........can't think of anything..........ignore me......................please.

5432

Living Room / Re: The Weeklies: 40

« Last post by 4wd on October 02, 2008, 05:01 AM »

4wd: what are you talking about? It makes no sense to me. No sense at all.

-housetier (October 02, 2008, 04:44 AM)

You didn't read the initial post by Ehtyar?

Item number 6 is about the future ability by the U.S. DHS to detect "Hostile Thoughts" at border control.

I just pointed out that given the rather unsatisfactorily soothing environment provided by airlines in Cattle Class, (Economy if you must), it's most likely that most people arriving by said means are likely to have "hostile thoughts".

The disclaimers were just to remain politically correct ²

But it did get you thinking, even if it was only to say to yourself, "That character is a loon¹."

1 - Disclaimer: I'm not implying that loons are....well....loony.  Honestly, some of my best friends are birds.
2 - Disclaimer Notice: Being an Australian I have a rather dry, (and some would say strange), sense of humour - this can probably be blamed on the weather since I happen to live on the driest continent on the planet.

5433

Living Room / Re: The Weeklies: 40

« Last post by 4wd on October 01, 2008, 06:55 PM »

I wonder if the "Hostile Thoughts" detector will be picking up:

1) "The b@st@rds⁵ just confiscated my laptop!  I'm gonna kill⁴ them!"
2) "A bl**dy 6 hour wait just to get through customs?!"
3) "There's that idiot that kept elbowing me on the plane!  Boy is he going to get it!"
4) "Oh damn!  I'm $50 over my Duty-Free allowance..."
........

Considering most people's reactions, mind-state won't yet be normalised after an international flight, I really fail to see how this is going to work with any accuracy at all.

Of course, Business Class and above now get beds, decent screen/headphones and somewhere to plug in their laptop.

Whereas Cattle Class have to make do with no sound, (even if you could hear it above the background noise), screens with dead pixels/off colour/etc, the moron in front reclining his seat halfway through your meal, worry about DVT, no power for your laptop (even if there was room to use it), etc, etc.

So in that case, it will probably be running with really good accuracy.......god¹ knows I've wanted to kill⁴ the b@st@rd⁵ sitting in front of me often enough...and the little sh!t sitting behind me who keeps kicking the seat

1 - Disclaimer: In no way is this meant to imply anything religious on my part.  And I'm sure that if he wasn't fictitious² he would not condone the use of force to reinforce your point of view.
2 - Disclaimer: In no way is this meant to imply that god is fictitious...unless you're an atheist³.
3 - Disclaimer: If you are an atheist, then I in no way imply anything religious in this post at all
4 - Disclaimer: I mean this in the most generic sense.
5 - Disclaimer: The word 'bastard' is an accepted Australian colloquialism as ruled by an Australian Court of Law....live with it.
6 - Disclaimer: Everything I've said here needs to be taken with half a teaspoon of salt, two cups of self-raising flour, 1^1/4 cup of milk, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of butter.  Mixed then baked.
7 - Disclaimer: If you're really going to take everything I say or do seriously then I honestly don't think you should read my posts.

5434

General Software Discussion / Re: File synchronization: moving away from incremental backup (HELP!)

« Last post by 4wd on September 30, 2008, 02:35 PM »

I can't tell for sure from the MirrorFolder site, but it seems that it does not support bidirectional sync. Is this correct? This is a very important feature as the primary use for me would be to keep my files synchronized across all of my pc's, andhaving them in sync automatically means they are backed up in multiple locations as well.

-MrCrispy (September 30, 2008, 01:35 PM)

From their website:

Synchronization between laptop and desktop computers - You can use MirrorFolder to synchronize files between your laptop and desktop computers using bi-directional automatic synchronization mode.

5435

Living Room / Re: Small World: Check out these Images of the Microscopic World

« Last post by 4wd on September 29, 2008, 07:24 PM »

I have a couple of those myself.

-Deozaan (September 29, 2008, 06:54 PM)

I've been told anti-fungal spray is a good treatment 

5436

General Software Discussion / Re: Best corrupted file recovery software for .qex files?

« Last post by 4wd on September 29, 2008, 07:16 AM »

Given a few corrupt copies of the relevant file, then Corruption Corrector can try to give you a fixed copy.

5437

General Software Discussion / Re: Warning. XP service pack 3 hosed my mouse settings.

« Last post by 4wd on September 27, 2008, 06:35 PM »

thanks for the warning. i have a logitech mx518 on a PC still on SP2.

-lanux128 (September 27, 2008, 04:29 PM)

MX518 here also.

The latest SetPoint 4.60.122 + XP-SP3 are working fine here, however I did find that uberOptions seemed to cause SetPoint to lockup and then BSOD.  I haven't had a chance to reinstall uberOptions yet to try and get it to work again.

But then I always integrate the SP into XP using nlite, remove the bits I don't want and add the drivers I do.  Then do a complete reinstall.

Personally I recommend doing a complete reinstall, (preferably with the new SP slipstreamed in), rather than just applying an SP over an existing installation.....if nothing else, it will get you to do a backup of all your data

5438

General Software Discussion / ASUS mobo dead

« Last post by 4wd on September 27, 2008, 05:38 AM »

I decided to ask for an RMA anyway at the supplier (Overclockers UK) and they said OK. So  now I have to box it up and send it back for testing. Last time I did that they couldn't find anything wrong with it. How do you ensure a motherboard doesn't work without any obvious physical damage?

-Carol Haynes (September 26, 2008, 06:09 PM)

Put some electrostatic discharge into it

Make sure the board is not grounded in anyway, sit it on some polystyrene foam.  Charge up something that you know will generate a decent ESD spark and zap it a few times.  If you can't get a spark to jump, try connecting a ground wire to one of the mounting screw holes.

eg. Our vacuum cleaner has metal tube for the wand, I know if I wear the wrong socks while doing the vacuuming I can generate up to a 1/2 inch spark when I put it near a metal fixture, (bed frame, piping, etc).
Not to mention it gives me one hell of a wallop if I forget to discharge the b*gger before touching it.

If you've got a peizo gas igniter gun, use that a few times on it.

Shouldn't leave any trace but will probably kill a couple of ICs.

5439

General Software Discussion / Re: CCleaner Or Not?

« Last post by 4wd on September 25, 2008, 06:37 PM »

If you are going to use CCleaner then yoiu should consider going to the 'Other Builds' download page: http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds

-mwb1100 (September 23, 2008, 01:05 AM)

I would also suggest going here and either download winapp2.zip, (need to register), or copy/paste out of the code box.

It will add a lot more programs to the list that CCleaner can do.

5440

General Software Discussion / Re: New Windows boot manager available

« Last post by 4wd on September 25, 2008, 06:09 PM »

Don't forget GAG if you'd like a nice Win95 feel to your boot manager

Its main features are:

    * Allows boot of up to 9 different operating systems.
    * It can boot operating systems installed in primary and extended partitions on any available hard disk.
    * Can be installed from nearly all operating systems.
    * GAG doesn't need its own partition. It installs itself in the first track of the hard disk, wich is reserved for these kinds of programs. It can also be instaled on a floppy disk, without using the hard disk.
    * It has a timer to boot a default operating system (selectable by the user).
    * The configuration menu can be protected with a password.
    * The program works in graphic mode (needs a VGA or better graphic card), and has a lot of icons.
    * Hides the primary partitions which allows the user to have instaled more than one DOS and/or Windows in the same hard disk.
    * Allows a password to be put on each operating system, denying access to non-authorized people.
    * Allows the boot manager text to be translated to all languages.
    * Can exchange disk drives, allowing to boot from the second, third... hard disk operating systems such as MS-DOS.
    * Has the SafeBoot system, that allows to boot your hard disk even if GAG is accidentally overwrited.
    * Supports a great variety of keyboards (QWERTY, AZERTY, QWERTZ and DVORAK keyboards).
    * Fully support for hard disks up to 4 terabytes (4096 gigabytes).
    * Full version and free software (distributed under GPL licence, with source code)

5441

General Software Discussion / ASUS mobo dead

« Last post by 4wd on September 25, 2008, 05:55 PM »

In the UK the supplier handles the RMA process normally for a period of time. ASUS boards are guaranteed for 3 years but few shops/retailers are going to provide RMA support for 3 years.

-Carol Haynes (September 25, 2008, 09:45 AM)

Thanks for the info Carol.

Good luck with ASUS.

5442

General Software Discussion / ASUS mobo dead

« Last post by 4wd on September 25, 2008, 07:48 AM »

The knackered mobo is still under guarantee so now I have to do battle with ASUS tech support - not a happy prospect!

-Carol Haynes (September 24, 2008, 06:25 PM)

Why do you have to deal with ASUS?

Is UK trade practices that markedly different from Australia?

ie. In Australia a sale agreement occurs between the retailer and the customer, not the manufacturer and the customer, (unless the retailer is the manufacturer of course).  Therefore if the product fails within the warranty period, you return it to the retailer and it's up to them to repair, replace or refund.

Of course if they test the item as OK, you're up for technician time and postage.   

5443

Living Room / Re: News Article: Two Arrested For ATM Fraud

« Last post by 4wd on September 25, 2008, 06:11 AM »

Not to worry, what goes around comes around.
Given the current economic situation, a withdrawal of $380 will soon be worth $20.

-cranioscopical (September 24, 2008, 09:26 PM)

Cool!!  I have a few things I want to order from the USA 

5444

Living Room / Re: News Article: Japan Unveils Green Train Faster Than Shinkansen

« Last post by 4wd on September 25, 2008, 06:05 AM »

I'll be impressed about trains as soon as maglev becomes the norm.

5445

Living Room / Re: News Article: Aussie Speed Cameras To Become Surveillance Devices

« Last post by 4wd on September 25, 2008, 01:41 AM »

In my opinion, the use of these speed cameras despite repeated cases of fault, and irrefutable proof that they are not accurate, coupled with the increasing difficulty in which the fines issued by them can be fought, their use is a blatant perversion of the course of justice. A quick Google will get you this, this and this, with plenty more where they came from.

-Ehtyar (September 25, 2008, 12:59 AM)

Actually, those stories you point to describe the operation of the camera and/or the interpretation of the picture as being at fault, not the speed camera itself.

I'm not saying they're a good/bad idea just that people tend to focus on the camera itself being at fault rather than the operation/interpretation/location of it.

eg. Victoria's zero tolerance speed limit is just plain wrong when ADR 18 specifies a +/-10% tolerance for speedometers.

hardly a perversion of justice, more like another example of a poorly executed response to a perceived problem that is typical of most governments.

-Target (September 25, 2008, 01:04 AM)

Australian governments, (both Federal and State), have demonstrated their preference for knee-jerk reaction rather than rational thought.

5446

Living Room / Re: News Article: Aussie Speed Cameras To Become Surveillance Devices

« Last post by 4wd on September 25, 2008, 12:06 AM »

As if speed cameras in this country weren't already a spectacular indicator of our government's disregard for the rights of its citizens, the state and federal government want all fixed a mobile speed cameras to take photos of all passing vehicles clear enough for positive ID of the occupants. Can anyone say "surveillance society"?

-Ehtyar (September 24, 2008, 07:20 PM)

Apart from saying how is this different from the CCTV cameras that infest city centres, what rights are being infringed by the use of speed cameras?

5447

Living Room / Re: Should I Stay Or Should I Go -- A Social Networking Dilemma

« Last post by 4wd on September 24, 2008, 06:09 PM »

I am sure that, for specific purposes, these sites have been extremely useful to many people. However, I don't see these things as very usefull to me in general.

-tinjaw (September 24, 2008, 03:19 PM)

You've already said it's not useful to you....so why bother with it?

Personally I can't imagine anything more boring than a Social Networking site.

Then again, I'm not a "look at me" kind of person.  I'm more your Repairman Jack type who shuns the limelight, (or indeed any light some would say ).

5448

General Software Discussion / Re: CCleaner Or Not?

« Last post by 4wd on September 23, 2008, 12:37 AM »

RevoUninstaller - It'll also try to remove any files or registry entries left by the program.

5449

Living Room / Re: What Sports Do You Participate In?

« Last post by 4wd on September 22, 2008, 07:40 PM »

None. It could kill me

-fenixproductions (September 22, 2008, 05:13 PM)

I'm with you!   

Who wants to die healthy?   

ie: things that get your heart rate up for sustained periods of time or spike your heart rate to it's max like in sprints.

-VideoInPicture (September 22, 2008, 06:23 PM)

Kind of like setting up a big quarry explosion and lighting the fuse.......only to realise you made it too short 

5450

Living Room / Re: News Article: Comcast Discloses Bandwidth Throttling Practices

« Last post by 4wd on September 22, 2008, 07:25 AM »

Welcome to Australia fellows, throttling is standard practice here - unless you're lucky enough to choose the right ISP