Recent Posts

6501

DC Gamer Club / A Gaming Tablet?

« Last post by wraith808 on January 08, 2013, 01:11 PM »

OMFG... I WANT!  Only thing is the price... but a desktop i7 isn't much different...

http://www.razerzone...stems/razer-edge-pro

Tablet Mode

Home Console Mode

Keyboard Mode

Mobile Console Mode

Processor	Intel Core i7 Dual core w/ Hyper Threading Base 1.9GHz / Turbo 3.0GHz
Memory	8GB DDR3 (2x4GB 1600MHz)
Video	Intel HD4000 (DX11)
	NVIDIA GT 640M LE (2GB DDR3, Optimus Technology)
Display	10.1” (IPS, 1366x768)
	10-point capacitive touch
Operating System	Windows 8
Storage	128/256GB SSD (SATA-III)
Network	Intel WLAN (802.11b/g/n + BT4)
Others	Stereo speakers
	Codec supports 7.1 (via HDMI)
	HD Webcam (front-facing, 2MP)
	Array microphones
	Dolby Home Theater v4
	USB 3.0 x1 (green, SuperSpeed)
	Audio jack (3.5mm, 4-pole, stereo out / mic in)

6502

Living Room / Re: NASA Considers Putting an Asteroid Into Orbit Around the Moon

« Last post by wraith808 on January 08, 2013, 11:28 AM »

That said, I completely don't trust NASA to do this. The overall structure of NASA (some specific success stories like the Mars Spirit rover not withstanding) is entrenched in the top-down risk-averse structure that's dedicated primarily to ensuring its own continued existence. I'd be much happier to see it being attempted by an organization like Space X, or Planetary Resources.

-CWuestefeld (January 08, 2013, 11:01 AM)

+1000.  NASA is at its core a government agency.  With all of the negatives that implies.  I can't help but think that if they'd started incentives for private companies to get involved, we'd be much more advanced than we are today.  Just the number of accidents that we've had doing what should be routine (not to say that they aren't incredible accomplishments, but still), says a lot about NASA IMO.

6503

Living Room / Re: NASA Considers Putting an Asteroid Into Orbit Around the Moon

« Last post by wraith808 on January 08, 2013, 09:23 AM »

You, sir... win this thread.

6504

General Software Discussion / Re: Smart Edit (for Novelists & Creative Writers)

« Last post by wraith808 on January 08, 2013, 09:22 AM »

- learned something new, thank you! (You can't google for pictures if you don't have some search term, now you gave me the search terms needed for finding!)

-helmut85 (January 07, 2013, 09:01 PM)

Now learn something "new": Go to Google Images, drag a copy of my picture and drop it on the search box, and without typing any search terms, you will instantly get this:
 (see attachment in previous post)

-Curt (January 07, 2013, 09:28 PM)

The strange thing is, it's not searching on the image.  I 'edited' my avatar from a different image.  Even though it has been edited (the face removed), it still shows the images for the original image- not the edited one, even though I use it on several sites.

6505

Living Room / Re: MS Blocks Ability in Windows 8

« Last post by wraith808 on January 08, 2013, 03:02 AM »

http://www.windows7h...ndows-8-lock-screen/

http://news.cnet.com...ows-8-log-in-screen/

6506

N.A.N.Y. 2013 / Re: NANY 2013 Release - Skyrim Character Manager

« Last post by wraith808 on January 08, 2013, 02:00 AM »

I've posted it on Skyrim Nexus - it can be found at http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/29485/

6507

Living Room / Re: NASA Considers Putting an Asteroid Into Orbit Around the Moon

« Last post by wraith808 on January 08, 2013, 01:56 AM »

What I'm trying to say is, put the money to ACTUAL GOOD USE, and not into the pockets of the large corporations.

-Tinman57 (January 07, 2013, 07:00 PM)

Good use?  Government?  Isn't that an oxymoron? 

6508

General Software Discussion / Re: Rumors of Adobe releasing CS2 for free? (true or NOT true)

« Last post by wraith808 on January 07, 2013, 06:38 PM »

Wraith888: Technically, you're perfectly right, and I knew this even before I made my request. But since the thread starter insisted on his thread being NOT SPAM, then all of us had us in a big way, to change NOT SPAM into SPAM would be just retaliation and more elegant at that then saying something like, all those who did this to us are big a...

So why not change the subtitle to [ATTN: SCAM, WORSE THAN ANY POSSIBLE SPAM]

-helmut85 (January 07, 2013, 06:08 PM)

It wasn't by any means malicious or intentional- he was just posting a link to an article, and what he thought was helpful information.  And the NOT SPAM is because most of these types of posts are assumed to be so.

So no retaliation necessary.

6509

Shareware Discounts for Members / Cleaning up this section

« Last post by wraith808 on January 07, 2013, 06:34 PM »

One of the things that makes it hard for new members to figure out what software is currently available is the fact that there is a lot of noise from old discounts.  I'll be going through, pruning them, and moving them to expired discounts for posterity- from here, and shareware discounts for members.  I started with redirections, but figured that those cause just as much noise, so there won't be redirections in the future- they'll just be moved.  If you know of any that are expired, let me know so I can sort them appropriately.  Because of this, confine any discussion threads to the sub-board Member's Only Discount Discussion.

Thanks!

6510

Shareware Discounts for Members / Discount Request Thread

« Last post by wraith808 on January 07, 2013, 06:31 PM »

Hi everyone,

Hopefully I got the ball rolling on the new year with our current discounts in a satisfactory fashion.   But I don't want it to stop there!  Most of the ideas for companies to contact I got from threads here, recent recommendations, and my own experiences.  Help me out with any requests that you might have in this thread.  After I get a few in the pipeline, I'll start up a status thread to let you know how it's going with your favorite request.

Also, to make it a win-win situation for the companies involved, if you have a favorite that you've been using and want to tout it for other users- write a mini-review.  If someone posts a request here and you have the software and are in love with it- write a mini-review!  And if you purchase something with a discount (or win it in a giveaway)- write a mini-review!!  They really do help in securing new sponsors.

Thanks!

6511

General Software Discussion / Re: Rumors of Adobe releasing CS2 for free? (true or NOT true)

« Last post by wraith808 on January 07, 2013, 06:07 PM »

@40hz
I agree with you but we are living in he world where you subscribe games (Steam does not sell games any more) and some people need warnings on hot coffee cups.

-fenixproductions (January 07, 2013, 05:54 PM)

Valve hasn't helped themselves with their use of terms as they are on the fringe of what a subscription might be, but if you read the TOS, then it's pretty clear that they're selling you a revocable license.  A subscription usually implies that there is an ongoing payment, and that's what people that use it in the negative towards Steam like to imply.  Their terms are crafted to insulate themselves from a subset of customers (not agreeing with that approach).  But to dirisively say that you subscribe to games is IMO propagating the incorrect view of the TOS to solidify arguments that might not be applicable.

6512

General Software Discussion / Re: Rumors of Adobe releasing CS2 for free? (true or NOT true)

« Last post by wraith808 on January 07, 2013, 05:54 PM »

Could one of the moderators change the subtitle of this thread from (NOT SPAM) to (SPAM), please?

-helmut85 (January 07, 2013, 04:42 PM)

Why?  No matter what happens, it's still not forum spam.

-wraith808 (January 07, 2013, 05:24 PM)

+1 w/ Helmut85...

I think it would be more accurate (and fair to Adobe) if it read: Rumors of Adobe releasing CS2 for free? (NOT TRUE)

-40hz (January 07, 2013, 05:32 PM)

Changing thread titles is cool, and a good idea... but it's still not spam.  And there's still useful information to be found in the thread, IMO.

6513

General Software Discussion / Re: Smart Edit (for Novelists & Creative Writers)

« Last post by wraith808 on January 07, 2013, 05:26 PM »

-the program's full name is PageFour - Software for Novelists and Creative Writers and has nothing to do with a personal informations manager.

-Curt (January 07, 2013, 03:59 PM)

And in that capacity, I've found it top notch.  It helped me get organized enough to actually complete NaNoWriMo- no small help.  It also helped me to realize that source control is key for my writing endeavors as much as my programming endeavors.

6514

General Software Discussion / Re: Adobe CS2 for free? (NOT SPAM)

« Last post by wraith808 on January 07, 2013, 05:24 PM »

Could one of the moderators change the subtitle of this thread from (NOT SPAM) to (SPAM), please?

-helmut85 (January 07, 2013, 04:42 PM)

Why?  No matter what happens, it's still not forum spam.

6515

General Software Discussion / Re: Adobe CS2 for free? (NOT SPAM)

« Last post by wraith808 on January 07, 2013, 10:26 AM »

Still haven't been able to get to it.  But thanks for the heads up!  I'm still using a *really* old version of photoshop, so this is welcome!  (If I can get to it, that is.  )

6516

Living Room / Re: NASA Considers Putting an Asteroid Into Orbit Around the Moon

« Last post by wraith808 on January 06, 2013, 10:15 PM »

I totally agree- to a point.  I think it's really important that we start looking outward, and if we wait until we need to, there's just not going to be enough time.

6517

Living Room / Re: NASA Considers Putting an Asteroid Into Orbit Around the Moon

« Last post by wraith808 on January 06, 2013, 09:49 PM »

I don't know the numbers there, but it seems to me that putting an asteroid in orbit around the moon probably wouldn't support as many households as something like having an economy that actually supports manufacturing jobs rather than eliminating them.

-Renegade (January 06, 2013, 09:27 PM)

To do that, Americans would have to be willing to pay more for good produced.  And there are ways to make that more than a feel-good type of thing, by making gains on quality, time to market, and service.  But we're only willing to look at the short term bottom line.  And I suppose, to be fair, it's hard to look past that when you're already living from paycheck to paycheck, and someone is looking at raising prices for no immediately tangible benefit.

6518

Living Room / Re: NASA Considers Putting an Asteroid Into Orbit Around the Moon

« Last post by wraith808 on January 06, 2013, 09:46 PM »

While there is a lot of scientific value in space exploration and experimentation, and it does create jobs, it still seems to me that $2.6 billion could be better spent somehow to create jobs that get people off the dole.

-Renegade (January 06, 2013, 07:17 PM)

Really?  Look at the last time we spent money to get people in better positions.  How did that work out?  Despite the article I linked, we really don't know with all of the politicking, and I don't think we ever will.

Sorry...that's my cynicism showing through...  

6519

Living Room / Re: NASA Considers Putting an Asteroid Into Orbit Around the Moon

« Last post by wraith808 on January 05, 2013, 06:52 PM »

  I have a much better idea, let's spend that $2.6 billion on our own economy.  I'm not anti-NASA or anything, but this is somewhat extreme even for NASA, especially for that amount of money that could be better spent elsewhere....

-Tinman57 (January 05, 2013, 06:23 PM)

I have a feeling that this is just a hypothetical. They are looking at okay what would it take to do this, they're not going to actually do it.

Cause it doesn't really fit the pattern for what NASA would normally be doing.

Although building the rockets required to make this happen would most certainly be an economic stimulis. This is where people get the space program wrong.

Those billions of dollars spent on each flight?

It's not wasted. That money went into the hands of the engineers and scientists that made it possible, and the factory workers making the hardware. Billions of dollars into the US economy, and indeed the global economy for each rocket built regardless of if it succeeds in its mission or not.

A fair portion of that comes back as income taxes, and it also kicks up revenue from other sources as other industries move in to profit from the technology developed by the space program. Ultimately it could be a very profitable business even if only 1 out of every 2 rockets leaves the ground without exploding, although scientific success is far better than a high failure rate.

And I'd much rather see that kind of money spent paying people to build rockets as government employees or their subcontractors rather than being given away as handouts through Social Services because there aren't enough jobs.

Building rockets is a bigtime industry with a lot of work to be done.

-SeraphimLabs (January 05, 2013, 06:28 PM)

This.  Thanks for posting it so eloquently.  And there is a lot to be learned, and a lot comes to us also in the way of advances from the discoveries of the vast expanse that exists beyond our atmosphere.

6520

General Software Discussion / Re: Software that sounded useful, so you bought it, but then...

« Last post by wraith808 on January 05, 2013, 06:50 PM »

I think I am the prototype on the thread's subject. I have purchased hundreds of useful programs that weren't useful at all - at least not to me. And then I upgrade to the new version, because now I have it, so I must upgrade it, or the initial purchase would seem wasted...

Just like our DC member Darwin I have now changed my ways. I am down to 145 programs installed, and haven't made a single purchase.. ehh... more than a couple of purchases since November. Hello, my name is Curt, I am a softoholic...

-Curt (January 04, 2013, 10:26 PM)

I could have written that.  I'm so glad that BDJ has taken to sucking hard in their bargains.  It really saves me a lot of money spent on software I don't need.  And it's not just software- during this steam sale, I bought a couple of hundreds of dollars of game.  But I've only played one of them.  I have a problem...

6521

Living Room / Re: NASA Considers Putting an Asteroid Into Orbit Around the Moon

« Last post by wraith808 on January 05, 2013, 02:22 PM »

Considering they're talking about an asteroid 7m in diameter, I think the concerns are a bit overstated.  Definitely an easier way to study the asteroid... but not sure what we're supposed to be getting from the asteroid in the first place for the monies.

6522

DC Gamer Club / Re: Steam Holiday Sale

« Last post by wraith808 on January 05, 2013, 02:20 PM »

There's just a massive load on the servers.  I get that too... a refresh usually solves it.  That's the default 'skin' of the interface when there's no assets loaded.  No, no... not Steam, per say.  Just a glitch.

And the last day is a rehash of the best selling games from the sale.  So you especially shouldn't be seeing that if you've seen any of the games during the sale.

6523

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: GOG is reprising their "End of the World" sale for 2 Jan 2013

« Last post by wraith808 on January 04, 2013, 05:08 PM »

GOG is redoing the "End of the World" sale that they had on Dec 21 - there are a bunch of bundles at 75% off and nearly all of their games are 50% off if you decide not to go with a bundle.

If you like old, nostalgic games, it's a good time to buy.  I've been replaying Ultima Underworld the past few days, and I'm loving it (but my sleep cycle isn't).

All games on GOG are DRM free.

http://www.gog.com/

-mwb1100 (January 02, 2013, 01:21 PM)

  I've bought over 10 games through Gog.com  The only thing I don't like is having to use their downloader, I prefer my own.

-Tinman57 (January 04, 2013, 04:59 PM)

You can directly download- you don't have to use their downloader.



See the Gog downloader mode- notice how mine is off?  If you click with it off, it downloads directly.  I don't think it supports other speed up programs (especially those that download over multiple threads), but you can download directly.

6524

Living Room / Re: The Rant Thread!

« Last post by wraith808 on January 04, 2013, 07:56 AM »

I've had nothing but good fortune with Amazon proper.  Can't say that, however, for some of their third party vendors.  And some times ya hafta look pretty close to determine if you are purchasing Amazon direct, even though the payment is to Amazon.  As an aside, I wonder how big a cut Amazon gets from those third party purchases  ?

-barney (January 03, 2013, 06:35 PM)

There's a difference in the 3rd parties, also.  Look to see if they are fulfilled by amazon or not.  If they are fulfilled by Amazon, that means that Amazon has the product in hand, in their warehouse, and are fulfilling just as if it was from them.  The 3rd party pays for that privilege (having space in Amazon's warehouse, and they send to Amazon to store the product for sale), but it's even eligible for Prime.  The others... yeah.  They're really their own entity, just advertising on Amazon.  Haven't been burned yet, but I do pay attention to fulfillment rates and reviews on those.

6525

DC Gamer Club / Re: Stealth-focused Computer Games

« Last post by wraith808 on January 04, 2013, 07:54 AM »

I kept looking at getting it... just still too expensive for me, especially when I likely won't play it for a while because of Skyrim.