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Recent Posts

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776
Sent the info to a (Windows hosting deployment) colleague, and he was a bit worried it might have a backdoor, now that it's turned into freeware... Anyone tried it in a walled garden yet, to see if it phones home?

I just compared the installer I downloaded 20180626 to the installer I downloaded 20160430 and that has a Content Created date of 28/05/2013 01:20 - they are binary identical.

ie. w.r.t. your question, there's been no change in the binary since I downloaded it a year before it went freeware, (and probably since 2013).

No guarantee it doesn't have a backdoor but if it has it's been there a very long time with no-one the wiser.
777
Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone
« Last post by 4wd on June 28, 2018, 06:15 PM »
The deletion of stored fingerprints when you remove the PIN is a safety feature.

ie. If the reader fails or your fingerprints change (scratches, burns, etc), how else will you unlock your phone?
The PIN is a backup.

Also, about once a week, it will ask you for the PIN to reauthorize the use of fingerprints - security feature.

HDR is on by default in the Moto camera, (HDR+ in the Google camera), you can turn it off when you're in the app.
778
Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone
« Last post by 4wd on June 27, 2018, 08:06 AM »
[Moto G6]
A double twist of the wrist opens the camera app, even if the phone is locked, very quick, the app is running by the time I hold it up for a photo.
it's not ideal for my wrist (have problems with both after years of drawing with a mouse), but doable for those occasional important moments.

I don't know about the G6 but there is also another way to fast start the camera app, Settings->Display->Press power button twice for camera - unfortunately no good if you've got it locked with a PIN or Pattern, it'll ask you for it.

There's some apps on the Play Store that let you assign actions to the fingerprint reader, might be possible to use that, eg. swipe up on the reader to open the camera.

eg. Fingerprint Gestures

Other apps let you draw gestures on the screen to perform functions, one of my old phones let you draw a C on the screen to open the camera, (even when it was unlocked).

Then again, you could go high tech:
Buy a ring with RFID, use an app, (eg. Tasker), to unlock the phone and run the camera app when you grab the phone.
779
General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 Announced
« Last post by 4wd on June 27, 2018, 07:42 AM »
Incidentally: Anyone have a link to Windows 7 Ultimate x64 ISO with SP1?

Via Raymond.cc - few methods to get a Windows 7 ISO from MS servers on the page, below is the Microsoft way.

Windows 7 ISO @ Microsoft - you need to enter your valid product activation key to verify before download, (Retail only).
780
I used it for 30 minutes or so today fixing permissions, it didn't access the network at all.
781
Trying to recover files from an external today and was running up against permission problems so I thought I'd install SetACL Studio.

It's been mentioned a few times on DC, last being in 2015.

It was a commercial product with a 30 day free trial period, since January 2017 it has been free for personal and commercial use.

License code for SetACL Studio is on the Download page.

SetACL Studio is a management tool for Windows permissions. It combines powerful features with an extremely intuitive user interface. It works with files, folders, registry keys, printers, network shares, services and WMI objects. It supports very long file system paths and bypasses security to display information about the remotest corner of the system. And it has undo.

Delprof2 – User Profile Deletion Tool - Used to be free for personal use, now free for commercial use also.

Delprof2 is the unofficial successor to Microsoft’s Delprof which does not work with operating systems newer than Windows XP. Here are the main facts:

  • Delprof2 is syntax compatible to the original Delprof, but more powerful
  • Delprof2 lets you explicitly specify which profiles to delete
  • Delprof2 bypasses security to delete profiles regardless of current permissions/owner
  • Delprof2 supports very long paths
  • Delprof2 works on all modern versions of Windows
  • Delprof2 is free for personal and commercial use
782
General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 Announced
« Last post by 4wd on June 25, 2018, 08:43 PM »
Did it a couple of weeks ago, Win7Pro x64 -> Win10Pro x64 - worked without a problem.
783
Re. Google Timeline - just looked back on what I had to do.


If you're not interested in logging GPS co-ords you can just use Timeline, log in via a browser and then you can use Snap to roads to smooth out the track, (the RAW data doesn't get deleted or modified unless you specifically tell it to).  Obviously only really good if you stick to roads, doesn't work for footpaths, tracks, etc.

If you want to have a look where you spend your time you can upload your Location History JSON file and get a heatmap: Location History Visualizer

2018-06-26 11_16_32-Location History Visualizer – Heatmap.jpg
784
Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone
« Last post by 4wd on June 25, 2018, 07:21 AM »
Also camera not quickly accessible, something I really should have considered in advance.

A double twist of the wrist opens the camera app, even if the phone is locked, very quick, the app is running by the time I hold it up for a photo.
If it doesn't, open the Moto app, goto Moto Actions and enable Twist for Quick Capture.

Doing it while the camera is running will also swap between the front/rear camera.

You can also enable Double karate chop for torch if you want.

There's a few other things in there that are useful as well as the settings for Moto Display.

If the Moto app isn't installed it's available from the Play Store.
785
Sometimes I've simply had my phone in my pocket while out taking pictures, and then went to Google location history (think it's called timeline now), which automatically tracks your movements, and exported the data and imported it into Lightroom.

I haven't done that for about a year or two though, so I don't know if this is still possible.

It is, I mentioned it above, but it's not as accurate as something that logs GPS co-ordinates, (program or device).

Not sure if you can export just part of your Timeline, when I was doing the timelapse I think I had to go to Google Takeout, export my whole Location History then use another program to convert the date range I wanted.
786
^ +1.  I agree  :P
787
Yes, I've done it for years.

I log my trips/drives/etc and export the tracks as GPX files, these are then imported into a program that matches the EXIF metadata against the GPS tracklog.

The track log:
I used to use a GPS datalogger, specifically the Holux M-1200E, the battery was good for about 12 hours and I set it to log every 3 seconds or 5 metres, whichever came first.
The program that came with it, (HOLUX ezTour for Logger), downloaded the tracklog from the device and displayed it, you could then add photos and it would plot them against the track.  You could then export that to HTML as a ready made web page, view it in Google Earth, etc.
I just exported the tracks as GPX data.

Now I just use my smartphone and the app GPS Logger set to log in GPX format, then I transfer the files to my computer.  (eg. Cruise 2014, Ukraine 2017 - both just using the smartphone for the tracklog)

I also use other means to save a tracklog, when I go 4wd'ing the software we use for mapping automatically plots and saves a tracklog and I usually have another smartphone logging also.

If you think it's overkill, it isn't, there are times, (especially 4wd'ing), when satellite reception is minimal, (mist enshrouded wet tree cover for example), so the more the merrier.

Geo-tagging:
On the computer I use Geosetter, (it's free):
Browse a folder with images, (my example already has geo-tagged images but you'll get the idea).
Open a GPX tracklog(s) for those images, it'll display the track on the map.
2018-06-25 15_14_09-GeoSetter 3.4.82 (Build 2184 - beta) - BETA.png

Hit Control + G to bring up the interface to synchronize the photos to the track, adjust the timezone if you need to.
If the clock on the camera is/was wrong you can add a time adjustment if required, (eg. I've corrected for the battery being flat in a camera and the clock reading 2011-01-01 00:00:00 - about 5 years out of date in one case).
2018-06-25 15_23_43-Greenshot.png

Hit OK and it'll plot the photos against the track.
2018-06-25 15_22_55-Greenshot.png

You can keep repeating/adjusting until you have the photos where they should be and then save them, by default it renames the original to *.jpeg_original so nothing is overwritten

Geosetter can also do files that don't use internal metadata structures by writing an XMP file, eg. it can't write to MP4 metadata directly so it will create a companion XMP file.  It can do it for pretty much any file, just need to add the extension to recognised file types.

What happens when you forgot to log?
Google comes to your rescue providing you have an Android phone and have Location History turned on.

When I was in Ukraine last year I forgot to turn on the GPS Logger on the phone for the first ~200km one day which was a little annoying.

Log into Google, go to Maps and explore your Timeline:
Screenshot_20180625-153755.png

The part in the square above was missing from my GPS tracklog.

The screenshot is from Maps on my phone, if you log in via a web browser you can do basic editing of your route along with adding points, etc.
You can then export that as a KML/KMZ track which you can convert to GPX using GPSBabel (program) or GPS Visualizer (website).
See below.

This all depends on how much you want to get into logging your itinerary, I like to know where I've been ;D

NOTE: If you're going to go this way, separate GPS logger and amalgamate the photos and tracklog using another program, I suggest you get into the habit of either checking the camera time every day or taking a photo of your watch before you take your first picture, (assuming your watch is correct - phone clock would probably be better).  It makes it a lot easier when it comes to syncing the photos with the tracklog if you know the time differential.


What else can you do with tracklogs?

Google Streetview timelapse of the route I took the first day in Ukraine which brings it back far better than all the photos I took, (8 hours, 498.8km in ~11.5 mins) (file size is ~224MB).  Especially the deterioration in the roads the further east I went.

NOTE: Couple of sections where it'll say "No image available" - I'm lazy and didn't bother cutting them out.

In case you're wondering, that took a few hours of data massaging and various other software to get the tracklog to the point where it would generally grab the correct image from Streetview.
788
Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone
« Last post by 4wd on June 24, 2018, 10:22 PM »
... I have owned a few (G5 and older) and camera is probably the biggest weakness, if anything.

There are mods, (Chromatix), you can apply to the G5+ to improve the camera, it uses the same hardware as the S7 but the Motorola software applies aggressive sharpening, the mod tones that down a bit.

They require an unlocked bootloader (and root access would make things easier) though.  NOTE: Unlocking the bootloader will factory reset the phone.

You can also sideload a build of the Google Camera that uses HDR+ for which you need to enable Camera2 API, (a change in build.prop).

See here for more info.
789
RoboCopy was designed to be safe, can copy anything related to a file, (dates, ADS, security, etc), is multi-threaded, can skip corrupted files, can move or copy, and is native to the OS.

An option might be to use the GUI to set up the parameters and call the RoboCopy command and parse its output back into the GUI output window?
790
NOTE: On sale for ~37 hours more

Currently 67% off on Steam and for that you get the game plus basically everything they've released for it up until now, all DLCs, etc.

Great game if you like open world, survival, zombies, parkour, etc.

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DYING LIGHT ENHANCED
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DRIVE TO SURVIVE
Discover the untold chapter of Kyle Crane’s story thanks to this massive expansion. Leave the quarantine zone and investigate a mysterious cult that has asserted itself in the seemingly serene countryside – a region bigger than all areas of the Dying Light game combined. Take the wheel of the dirt buggy that you can freely customize and upgrade with special weapons, attachments and decals to create your deadliest weapon yet.

SEASON PASS & MORE
Get all the additional content released for Dying Light throughout the first year of support. Play as the formidable Night Hunter in the asymmetric PvP mode Be the Zombie, take on hardcore challenge missions in Cuisine & Cargo, get access to unique outfits and weapons thanks to the Ultimate Survivor Bundle, conquer the Harran Stadium in The Bozak Horde game mode, and more.

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Dying Light is a game that keeps on giving out new content. Thanks to the 10-IN-12 campaign the game is expanding with 10 free DLCs within 12 months - starting August 2017. Available to all Dying Light players, the new content includes the Gun Silencer for stealth gameplay, the playable Harran Fighters, the Prison Heist mode set in a brand-new location, and much more to come.

2018-06-20 13_55_35-Save 67% on Dying Light Enhanced Edition on Steam.png
791
DC Gamer Club / Re: Find out how much you've spent on Steam
« Last post by 4wd on June 19, 2018, 10:50 PM »
I'm an amateur I guess: 178 games @ $2.74 each
792
Living Room / Re: Beware of punycode phishing attempts
« Last post by 4wd on June 19, 2018, 10:25 PM »
Strange.  Mine worked - it just pasted the url direct.  Do you have something else in the background that might be the cause of it?

Just seems to be when copying it out of Edge, (and maybe IE)  ... seems more like Edge is 'converting' it before it hits the clipboard since it copies out of other browsers OK.
793
Living Room / Re: Beware of punycode phishing attempts
« Last post by 4wd on June 19, 2018, 10:11 PM »
Actually the point I was driving at is the Windows shell itself fell for the exploit when I put the link on the Windows Clipboard and pasted it into the FireFox address bar. FF never got a chance to pass/fail, it was just being used for an edit field.

Case in point, copy the link to the clipboard and paste it into Notepad … It comes off the clipboard as apple.com

That might be Notepad, pasting into Notepad++ shows http://xn--80ak6aa92e.com/ (unless I've misunderstood something).

Ah, I see what you mean now, copying out of Edge it shows as apple.com, I was copying out of Vivaldi which gave the correct link.

FWIW:
Vivaldi - OK
K-Meleon (Goanna engine) - OK
Iridium - OK
SlimJet - OK
Puffin - OK
Edge - OK
Firefox 52 ESR - Fail
Basilisk - Fail
Chromium - Fail

Last 3 aren't the absolute latest version.
794
Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone
« Last post by 4wd on June 08, 2018, 09:31 PM »
Very good article:

https://www.review-h...mazing-battery-life/

Not really, all they've done is put a bigger battery in, nothing really contributing towards the better solution of power efficiency.

FWIW, of the 2017/18 phones listed:
11/14 use MTK SoC - Generally limited firmware upgrade.
03/14 use Snapdragon SoC of which only one uses the more power efficient 625, the other two use the 4xx series.
02/14 have NFC
10/14 have no TDD-LTE connectivity
02/14 only have 2G on 2nd SIM if the 1st is in use with 4G, (pretty useless where 2G is being shut down)
12/14 give no info on whether the Dual SIM is 4G/3G or 4G/2G

Most have limited connectivity regarding 3G/4G bands.
795
Living Room / Re: Looking for smartphone
« Last post by 4wd on June 05, 2018, 06:02 AM »
ZTE Nubia Z17 Lite - Lite version of the Z17s, very decent hardware specs for $200 - currently pre-order though. Not too bad if you can live with only 64GB of storage.

As a bonus POTUS has put his name behind the company ;)

The other side of the coin.

EDIT: DOH! Just noticed you mentioned it back here :-[
796
One for the tower defence fans.

Element TD

unnamed.png

Element TD returns in this tower defense game based on elemental combinations. The elements you choose determine the towers that you can build. Countless combinations offer more strategies to discover.
797
Living Room / Re: Windows 10 April 2018 upgrade woes - anyone any ideas?
« Last post by 4wd on June 03, 2018, 08:45 PM »
You have no option to prevent WU from installing updates in the Home version.

That's indeed what I've found in practice.  I've been able to fight with it to delay for a while (sometimes a long while), but in the end, it always wins.  I could disable it, but that has never been tenable to me.

Yep, always been the case with W10Home, it's why I avoid it.

Seems to be a long thread about it here ion Windows 10 - doesn't seem to be a panacea: https://www.tenforum...update-minitool.html
-Carol Haynes (June 03, 2018, 01:12 PM)

All except the last page and a half pertain to previous versions that required another piece of software to run, (as mentioned by IainB back here), the last version (2016-12-20) is basically standalone.

It's too bad wsoffline won't let you pick and choose what updates to install since you could leave the update service permanently disabled then.

Re. OP problem with the drive, I have one computer here that uses a Seagate 2.5" 500GB HDD, it has to run with the HDDs set to not spin down because the Seagate will lock up the machine when it tries to spin up after sleep, hibernate, etc.  Works absolutely fine from power on and it's been like that since it was installed as a new HDD on Windows 8.1.
Very strange considering it's basically a laptop HDD and designed for that ... must be a BIOS thing but unfortunately it's an old board so no new updates.
798
Living Room / Re: Windows 10 April 2018 upgrade woes - anyone any ideas?
« Last post by 4wd on June 03, 2018, 02:22 AM »
Windows Update MiniTool still works, you can use it to choose, (un)hide, and install updates.

2018-06-03 13_53_43-Windows Update MiniTool.png

Install via Chocolatey or download from a software repo, eg. MajorGeeks
799
Found Deals and Discounts / On1 Effects 2018 *free* until Aug 31, 2018.
« Last post by 4wd on June 02, 2018, 10:36 PM »
On1 Effects 2018

ON1 Effects 2018 is the ultimate tool for adding effects or style to your photos. Effects 2018 includes hundreds of stackable filters, presets, borders, and textures to help create your style. Whether you're looking to add an HDR look, convert to B&W, bring out more detail, reduce noise, or enhance a portrait, don't use five separate plug-ins when ON1 Effects 2018 is your one-stop solution. Effects 2018 works as both a plug-in for Lightroom® and Photoshop® and as a standalone application.

NOTE: Requires you create an On1 account for product activation.
800
Living Room / Re: From the Tinfoil Hat Department - FaceBook Listening?
« Last post by 4wd on May 26, 2018, 11:42 PM »
Recent BBC Panorama episode:



Thought it was interesting using the TV to order stuff via Alexa and for those of you with IP cams, it may pay to check access to them.
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