Recent Posts

826

Post New Requests Here / time/activity tracking tool

« Last post by Target on February 02, 2012, 05:09 PM »

this is less a request for a finished tool than it is for some input or discussion on how this might be done (a collaborative snack, if you will)

I have a requirement to track my activities during the day (I'm sure I'm not the only one), trouble is, my record keeping is undisciplined (at best) and I'm most assuredly not someone who can keep a diary or journal.

I have been using a little script that generates a simple popup every 5 minutes, allowing me to input a quick descriptive string of whatever it is I'm currently doing, which is then written to a log file. 

This works fine as far as it goes, but I now have a requirement to capture a little more info for some activity types, and I need to be able to record multiple concurrent jobs...

I've been working on a more sophisticated popup, but it's starting to become a bit more complicated than I was anticipating - basically it provides all the requisite detail for up to 3 tasks and with the output for each to be written as a separate entry in the log.  Trouble here is that I have no idea how to manage the analysis/processing of the logs, ie how to group the task entries together

I've also been wondering about the potential of using delimited strings (eg date/time - task 1 | task 2 | Task 3 | etc), but again analysing and/or processing the output could be problematic

I'm not ruling out an existing solution, if anyone knows one, but I've tried quite a few over the years (guilted into it by various posts banging on about GTD and productivity) and none of them do what I'm looking for (I suppose if they did I wouldn't be here now...)

so, over to you guys

827

Living Room / Re: As a counter-point to the SOPA/PIPA demonstration

« Last post by Target on January 19, 2012, 06:43 PM »

As a sidenote, the Anonymous have responded. Try accessing www.justice.gov or www.universalmusic.com now.

-tranglos (January 19, 2012, 05:29 PM)

Sounds like a good start. I'm all in favor of a scorched earth response from the masses.

-Stoic Joker (January 19, 2012, 06:31 PM)

but isn't that ground already barren?

828

Official Announcements / Re: DC going offline to protest SOPA on Jan 18

« Last post by Target on January 19, 2012, 12:52 AM »

I also fail to see the value of this, but I guess it makes a statement of sorts

I can't help wondering if there's a better way of registering a protest - I have no idea if it's possible, but is it possible to block access to certain domains (government, media, RIAA, etc).  While it could be seen as tit for tat, it's also a demonstration of what might be expected if the legislation goes through...

just a thought

829

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Headed List Builder

« Last post by Target on January 16, 2012, 05:08 PM »

what is the format of the output, eg is it columnar, or is it in blocks?

if it's columnar, will they be comma/tab separated, or some other schema?

830

Living Room / Re: When you make your 100'th Post

« Last post by Target on January 14, 2012, 03:10 AM »

A bit of anti-aliasing will clear that right up... 

-wraith808 (January 13, 2012, 04:46 PM)

Since we appear to be on a pirate ship — and I have the peg leg, the eye-patch, but no parrot — I must ask, where's my polygon?

-cranioscopical (January 13, 2012, 10:23 PM)

last I saw he said he was going for some fish and chirps

831

Living Room / Re: When you make your 100'th Post

« Last post by Target on January 12, 2012, 10:42 PM »

you're tilting at windmills (again...)

-Target (January 12, 2012, 10:23 PM)

It's pain sailing for me!

-cranioscopical (January 12, 2012, 10:28 PM)

aha, so now I see where the poop deck came from

832

Living Room / Re: When you make your 100'th Post

« Last post by Target on January 12, 2012, 10:23 PM »

Another milestone......or should that be millstone?
 (see attachment in previous post)

-4wd (January 12, 2012, 09:23 PM)

I guess that depends on who you ask 

-Target (January 12, 2012, 09:46 PM)

I had thought you made a point of being distant but that's quite a floury response.

-cranioscopical (January 12, 2012, 10:11 PM)

you're tilting at windmills (again...)

833

Living Room / Re: When you make your 100'th Post

« Last post by Target on January 12, 2012, 09:46 PM »

Another milestone......or should that be millstone?
 (see attachment in previous post)

-4wd (January 12, 2012, 09:23 PM)

I guess that depends on who you ask 

834

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by Target on January 12, 2012, 06:57 PM »

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this advice from Scott Meyer on purchasing a mobile handset

funny as I found the the comic, it was the comments that cracked me up...

835

Finished Programs / Re: IDEA: Copy Text From Error Windows

« Last post by Target on January 12, 2012, 04:59 PM »

I have no afilliation with the developer, nor can I vouch for it's suitability or functionality, but you you might also look at  GetWindowText

it's standalone and no install

836

Living Room / Re: Do things feel different today than in other decades?

« Last post by Target on January 11, 2012, 06:44 PM »

Actually the rich often pay with money they don't really have too, it is borrowed and carries interest, but they can afford it

-rgdot (January 11, 2012, 06:04 PM)

and given their disproportionate value as a customer to the lending institutions, they are also 'eligible' for far more favourable terms than the vast majority.

837

General Software Discussion / Re: Any way to embed a search box on the desktop?

« Last post by Target on January 09, 2012, 08:35 PM »

how would you handle an artist - start playing at the first entry, prompt for an action, display a list?

and what formats?

838

General Software Discussion / Re: handy security tool

« Last post by Target on December 21, 2011, 06:07 PM »

hehe, distrust is good

839

General Software Discussion / Re: handy security tool

« Last post by Target on December 21, 2011, 05:31 PM »

worth noting that I wasn't promoting this tool as anything other than potentially useful, nor did I vouch for it's effectiveness.

from the feedback it sounds like there might some issue with Win7 64 - a bit of research should confirm or deny that (let us know what you find out) 

the idea of being able to identify what's behind those processes is sound and useful (those processes have bugged me for years), but dumping it on the basis of cross promotion seems a little shortsighted

YMMV

840

Finished Programs / Re: Change a print job name currently in my print queue

« Last post by Target on November 22, 2011, 12:15 AM »

and another - Cobra Print Viewer

it's not free (though it doesn't appear to be too expensive) and I've no idea how good it might be, but it seems to cover the points you mentioned...

841

General Software Discussion / Re: handy security tool

« Last post by Target on November 15, 2011, 09:02 PM »

True, but I find it a bit hard to trust a program that says it can't find a file that I'm looking at.

-Stoic Joker (November 15, 2011, 08:54 PM)

 

I usually just go with:
tasklist /svc /fi "IMAGENAME eq svchost.exe"

didn't know about that one, thanks!!

842

General Software Discussion / Re: handy security tool

« Last post by Target on November 15, 2011, 06:52 PM »

It is interesting, but it flagged a bunch of things as can't find/suspect that were standard parts of Windows (Win7 x64 on Domain). *Shrug* YMMV

-Stoic Joker (November 15, 2011, 06:38 PM)

I guess I would probably ignore most of the warnings,

The interesting bit for me was being able to see what initiated or was using the service host process...

843

General Software Discussion / handy security tool

« Last post by Target on November 15, 2011, 05:59 PM »

saw this on Addictive Tips

if you're like me and you've been wondering just what all those service host processes were doing this may help - Service host Analyzer

Want to check which user application or Windows utility initiated a specific instance of svchost.exe process? The svchost is basically a small executable file that resides in system32 folder. It is a generic Windows host process that plays a vital role in keeping all the system and user initiated services stable. Since Task Manager doesn’t provide a detailed information on running instances of svchost executables, you may need Svchost Process Analyzer to analyze the services and applications that run multiple instances of svchost.exe and to identify all the svchost related malwares. It helps you prevent Windows from those malwares and viruses which create a fake svchost.exe file at different locations to exploit user’s access rights; it lists down all the running instances of svchost processes with detailed information, so that you can easily identify malware infected svchost.exe files.

disclaimer - I have nothing to do with the developer whatsoever, nor can I vouch for the efficacy of the app.  I posted it here simply because I figured the functionality may be of interest to others (as it was to me)

844

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by Target on November 13, 2011, 08:23 PM »

It's the original vocals with the music replaced. It's not a regular remix where someone mashes up multiple songs. The guy that does these actually plays the replacement music himself. He's quite talented.

Here are some other particularly good ones he has done:

Megadeth-Symphony of Destruction(Reggae Version)
Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train (Smooth Jazz Version)
Metallica-Enter Sandman (Smooth Jazz Version)
Kiss-Detroit Rock City(Reggae Version)

-app103 (November 06, 2011, 06:55 PM)

love that - then there's this...

845

General Software Discussion / spidering search results from a website

« Last post by Target on October 28, 2011, 01:03 AM »

I use the local library extensively and I want to be able to browse the catalogue off line, so I'm looking for some means of spidering or otherwise saving the output of whatever my search might be for further study.

Could be that there are only a few, in which case I'll just browse it, but it could also be that there are a few hundred (or thousand) if I'm doing very generic searches (their classification process leaves a bit to be desired )

I've used tools like HTTrack before, but I'm pretty sure they won't work with dynamically generated content like this

any suggestions?

846

General Software Discussion / Re: Do you know a GUI that does...

« Last post by Target on October 28, 2011, 12:54 AM »

a bit more detail might be helpful, maybe some examples

FWIW (and apologies if you already knew this) you can pipe the output of your CLI activities (assuming they have outputs) to a file for further procesing, eg dir c:\some_folder\*.txt > c:\som_other_folder\output.txt

847

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

« Last post by Target on October 26, 2011, 06:18 PM »

Something to help ye warm up for halloween
The Struggle (ScroobiusPip)
e that one here's another Introdiction - ScroobiusPip

-tomos (October 26, 2011, 06:02 AM)

nice find

I'm not generally one for rap or hiphop (YMMV), but I rather like these guys (not at all sure I understand the johnny Depp reference in that one though ). 

A scan through some other youtube postings turned up this one

not a music video, but thought provoking and indicative that there's a bit more to them than the usual pap we see from this genre...

848

General Software Discussion / Re: Taking ownership of files ... confused, irritated & discombobulated

« Last post by Target on October 17, 2011, 01:48 AM »

Yeah, that's a last resort kinda thing, but it won't help me find out what caused the problem in the first place.  I've gotten semaphore messages several times on this drive, but always cured with chkdsk - at least, so far.  It's not that I cannot move the files at all - I think   - with one of several recover CDs.  But I really wanna learn, if not what happened, at least how to recover from it within the current OS  .  Dumb, stupid, persistent - that's me  .  Sometimes it even works  .

-barney (October 17, 2011, 01:27 AM)

I'm not sure I necessarily agree with you on that one, but there's nothing wrong with that, so long as you recover the data.  

You've been getting warnings and while it could totter along forever, it could just as easily go phhhht....

Once you've got a copy of the data you can spend as much time as you like trying to work out the why's and wherefore's.  Maybe you'll tell us all and we'll learn something too (see, I'm really only thinking about myself )

849

General Software Discussion / Re: Taking ownership of files ... confused, irritated & discombobulated

« Last post by Target on October 17, 2011, 12:14 AM »

use a rescue disk - pretty much any of them should allow you to access and move files

850

Living Room / Re: Steve Jobs is dead.

« Last post by Target on October 12, 2011, 06:18 PM »

I'm looking at how moses is holding onto those tablets and I think I can see the problem...