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Recent Posts

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8751
Living Room / Re: Anyone want to write an eBook in 2011?
« Last post by wraith808 on January 03, 2011, 08:22 AM »
Pricing there is STEEP~!

Barnes & Noble may update or alter the Pricing and Payment Terms at any time and changes will be effective and binding on you on the date thirty days from posting, as described in the PubIt! Terms & Conditions.

Publisher will set a List Price for each eBook between $0.99 and $199.99.

Publisher will be paid a royalty off the List Price according to the following terms:

   1. For eBooks with a List Price at or between $2.99 and $9.99
          * 65% of the List Price
   2. For eBooks with a List Price at or below $2.98 or at or greater than $10.00 (but not more than $199.99 and not less than $0.99)
          * 40% of the List Price

Publisher will, at all times, ensure that the eBook List Price:

   1. Is no greater than the eBook's List Price at any other retailer, website, or sales channel.
   2. Is no greater than the eBook's print edition (if applicable).
   3. Complies with the minimum and maximum pricing policy as stated above.

Sample royalty calculation:

   1. List Price: $9.99 - Publisher Royalty: $6.49
   2. List Price: $20.00 - Publisher Royalty: $8.00

Especially for just listing your product. It's not like they're actually going to market it or do anything. 40% or 65% just to put on on the shelf? YIKES~!

Actually, I think you're reading that wrong :)  Look at the bold part... and you are the 'publisher'.

You *get* 65% if your book is between $2.99 and $9.99, i.e. 5% less than Amazon.  So Amazon is a better deal since they changed their rules (I believe after PubIt launched), but not by much.
8752
N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Pledge: "VeggieSquares" - Children's Game
« Last post by wraith808 on January 02, 2011, 07:38 PM »
Says it under the entry... IWBASIC
8753
Living Room / Re: Anyone want to write an eBook in 2011?
« Last post by wraith808 on January 02, 2011, 07:13 PM »
Actually, there's already fragmentation in this market... if I was going to do anything like this (and I had sort of planned to), I would use PubIt.

pubit.png
pubit_inst.png
8754

May everyone at DoCo have a
HAPPY, SAFE, and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

8755
N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Release: askapic.com - Photo Q&A Site
« Last post by wraith808 on January 02, 2011, 02:16 PM »
Suggestion: Integrate OpenID for sign-in.
8756
N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Release: WordCaster
« Last post by wraith808 on January 02, 2011, 11:08 AM »
Updated again, both the full package and the config file.  Now it works for all but a few cases; I think I know what the problem is, but how to fix it in the regex is a different story.  I also added freedictionary.com, which reinforced my future update to remove words added for anchoring the definition and getting more than one result (or perhaps being able to classify the lexical class that you're looking for).
8757
N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Release: WordCaster
« Last post by wraith808 on January 02, 2011, 12:08 AM »
I have it updated for your cases, but now I broke some that worked... create, verb, verbally... I'm going to try to fix those before I upload a new config file.

If anyone else wants to help with my limited regex skills, the regex I'm currently down to is

(?s:((noun *?.*?1\.)|(verb *?.*?1\.)|(—adj .*1\.)|(adjective *?.*?1\.)).*? *?2\.)

Much longer now as the adj case required special handling so I had to put some common code into the capture groups.
8758
N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Release: WordCaster
« Last post by wraith808 on January 01, 2011, 11:33 PM »
some of those I tried were in those two categories... I anticipated that.  Are you having problems with some specifically?

nevermind... I just tried the ones in your e-mail.  d'oh!
8759
N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Release: WordCaster
« Last post by wraith808 on January 01, 2011, 11:26 PM »
updated regex again: added create, satisfy, move, write, talk, type, shoot, tell, cast, parse, express, hardly, very, going, work to test cases.

8760
N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Release: WordCaster
« Last post by wraith808 on January 01, 2011, 11:06 PM »
Some I used for the first case include: bus, test, monkey, knight, moon, stream, donation, code, program, stream, desk, table.

For the second case, I used: blog, weblog

I didn't test the second case as much, putting it in there more as an example of what it could do than anything else, so I don't have any other ones offhand.  I did it on a couple of machines other than my development machines to make sure it was nothing on my computer also, though all of them were on my local network, though I don't think that should make a difference.
8761
N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Release: WordCaster
« Last post by wraith808 on January 01, 2011, 10:45 PM »
I just uploaded a new version of the config file and the zip.  The line you can check to make sure you have the latest in the config file has the regex expression "((noun)|(verb))1\..*?\. *?2\."  If it has a fixed number of spaces before the 2, it's not the latest config file.  It was a combination of my regex and dictionary.com not being consistent across definitions.  In all of my tests, there were 2 spaces before the second definition.  In the case of Monkey, there's only one space.  I'm sure there will be other cases that don't fit the examples I put in the config file... just let me know (or in the case of people better in regex, maybe you can correct it for me :)) and I'll update it.  If you add dictionaries to the file, send those too so I can update the base installation if you don't mind. :)
8762
N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Release: WordCaster
« Last post by wraith808 on January 01, 2011, 10:35 PM »
I broke the original definitions trying to fix the monkey case. :(  Download the config file and overwrite, or the zip, and the normal cases should work.  I have to figure out why it thinks that monkey doesn't match.
8763
N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Release: WordCaster
« Last post by wraith808 on January 01, 2011, 10:22 PM »
Hey... it was released on January 1st :)

Not really a bug, other than my regex skills suck.  What my regex expressions are is the html stripped down to the text, then I find something to anchor it at the beginning and end of the term.  That one seems like it should work... hmmm...

I created a new config file.  You can either download the zip again, or just get it from here.
8764
N.A.N.Y. 2011 / NANY 2011 Release: WordCaster
« Last post by wraith808 on January 01, 2011, 09:50 PM »
Ok... so it's a bit late, but I wanted to release something...  hope that's ok :)

NANY 2011 Entry Information

Application NameWordCaster
Version 1.0
Short Description Utility that checks definitions on multiple sites at the same time and displays them in one interface.
Supported OSes Windows
Other Requirements .NET Framework 3.5
Web Page My Software
Download Linkhttp://www.wraith808...files/WordCaster.zip
Configuration Filehttp://wraith808.com...ordCaster.exe.config
Version History
  • 2011-01-01 - First Release
Inspiration Credited To: this coding snack request, though this isn't what the asker had in mind. :)
Author wraith808


Description
N.A.N.Y. 2011 caught me in a bit of a rush. I didn't complete my original entry, but I had started on this because of a request that turned out to be specified incorrectly, so I finished it according to what I had originally specified it to be.

It uses a configuration file to specify several different dictionary type sites, and queries all of them on one word at the same time, showing the results. It uses regular expressions to parse the page, so is only as good as the regular expression specified in the site definitions. You can also specify different versions of the same site so that if a site might put it's definitions in more than one format, you can use the one that's appropriate (or query for more than one at once).

It's a bit rough around the edges still, and there are a couple of features that I haven't included that I want to include (for example the ability to remove spurious words that you might include to specify the definition, but that are not part of the definition). But it's currently functional, and a bit slick if I do say so myself. :)

Features
  • Free for personal or educational use
  • Very configurable
  • Can query from multiple sites, or the same site more than once

Planned Features
  • Remove extraneous words from the returned text
  • Edit configuration from within program
  • More default configurations

Screenshots
WordCaster.png

Usage
Installation
Requires .NET 3.5 framework, but other than that, unzip and run.

Using the Application
Add sites from the drop down, though no site definition can be added more than once.  Then enter the word to be defined, and click Get Definition.

The definitions are specified in the WordCaster.exe.config file in the executable directory in the following format.
<add siteName="<Unique Site Name>" description ="<Description of Entry>" definitionRegex="<RegEx for Definition>" url="<Enter URL Here, specifying place to put word to be defined by {Term}>"/>

Uninstallation
Delete application

Known Issues
Very minimal error handling at this point.
The regular expressions are rudimentary to be kind.  They don't handle a few cases, so I'll need to tighten them up.  As I do so, the configuration file can be downloaded separately at the link above.
8765
DC Gamer Club / Re: The Ball - Portal-like game with a err.. ball
« Last post by wraith808 on December 29, 2010, 01:00 PM »
^ And I still haven't played it LOL  :-[
8766
Living Room / Re: So, when you're working, do you...
« Last post by wraith808 on December 29, 2010, 12:57 PM »
I put on movies and TV shows that I've already seen while I'm working. They're not new DVDs or anything. I've already seen them, and in many cases, more than once.
This.  Background noise is what I term it.  It can still get distracting during the good scenes.  But in general, I've already seen it, so I can miss it with no harm.  This is also the reason why I don't use TV, but instead DVDs of movies or TV shows.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer S06E07 is a favorite as it's a musical, and probably one of the best TV shows of all time.
Nothing to do with the topic... but yes, I totally agree.

I've tried podcasts, and I find that too distracting.  It's new information.  It has to be something that has no real informational value.  And something a bit upbeat; if I get too relaxed, my attention wanders as I get sleepy.

Then there are those times that any sort of sound distracts me (and annoys me to no end).  I need some headphones that filter out noise for those times, I think, though I don't have any.
8767
At the bottom of the page there's also: Alert preference: Show an alert for unusual activity.

Turn this on, and it will show an alert if there is unusual activity.  I've found all on my account to be benign, i.e. my phone accesses my account from an I.P. that's located a couple of hours away from me for some reason, so a U.S. access isn't necessarily something malign.
8768
Living Room / Re: Why I Don't Want an iPad for Christmas
« Last post by wraith808 on December 27, 2010, 10:25 AM »
1. Browsing the app store, I found a game I loved, and when I saw it had 4 player multiplayer on 1 device, decided to buy it for my mom as a present (so I could play it, of course!). I saw the description, price, and lots of details and reviews about the game (Chu Chu Rocket) but I couldn't figure out how to buy the darn thing! Where's the big "Buy Now!" or "Install" button? I clicked on the game title, on the picture, scrolled all around the page looking for the buy button. Perplexed, I finally clicked on the price, which does not look anything like a button, and then was given the opportunity to okay the sale. But it didn't ask me for any payment details. So now my mom's credit card (or whatever) will be charged for the gift I gave her. ARGH!
Hmmm... that's the way that itunes is.  It's not a difference from any other platform. /shrugs.  And normally, people buy from their own device- if you want to gift her, you have to do it from your device.  I rather like not entering CC details on every purchase.

2. Since it's essentially a giant iPhone without the phone, browsing websites will automatically take you to the Mobile phone version of sites (that are smart enough to do that), which is stupid and annoying because a lot of the mobile versions of sites are limited in what they allow you to see or do. ARGH! (Though to be fair, I imagine Android tablets have this same problem.)
That is annoying, but Safari is annoying, and it's a function of the agent it sends.  I don't use it to browse, and the browser I use (iCabMobile) allows you to change your user agent string.  It's just also annoying that since Safari is so annoying, that the device doesn't let you change the default browser.

3. I really noticed the lack of a "back" or "cancel" button on the device. For instance, I was using the Fandango app to browse local movie showtimes, and I clicked the button to watch a movie preview. But my mom's internet isn't that great so it wouldn't load fast enough to stream. So I ended up stuck on a blank screen with no back button to get back to the Fandango app. Touching the screen wouldn't bring up any options, not even playback options like pause, rewind, seek, etc. I could press the "Home" button to take me back to the "desktop" but if I relaunched Fandango it would remember where I was and just take me back to the black screen. Where's the smurfing back/cancel button to go out of the video preview and back to the app? ARGH!
That's a function of the app.  The device doesn't really need a back button.  If the app starts not responding, if you hold the home button, it will show the running apps and allow you to kill them.  Their implementation of multi-tasking leaves something to be desired in the fact that you have to bring up the apps, hold one, then remove the one that you want to kill.  But it's there.  And it's not something that I do often enough to bother me.  There is also another way to force quit an application from the application, but I forget what it is, as I've not had to do it often.

4. The iPad's iPod mode is retarded. Now, I've never owned an iPod and don't like using them because the "easy and intuitive" wheel thing never works for me. I have to spin and spin and spin just to try to get it to move one place, but it doesn't go anywhere. Finally when it does move, it goes several spaces and I have to repeat the process all over again, but in the opposite direction, to try to get back to the option I want. So anyway, I don't use iPods, and I don't use iTunes, so maybe this is why this seemed so stupid to me, but while trying to select some music to play, I clicked the Albums button at the bottom of the screen and it popped up a little box showing a bunch of albums, and I selected one and told a song to play. Fine, easy, great! But after that as I wanted to browse the rest of the music, nothing on the screen would respond to anything except that little window with the current album open. I tried clicking off of the window to close it, but that didn't work. I looked for an X or close button (which other iPad apps use on popup windows like that one), but there was none. I clicked all over trying to get that little window to close so I could use the darn machine but there was no clear or visible way to get it to go away. I don't remember for sure now, but I think I ended up clicking on the album name to get it to go away. ARGH!
This isn't a function of iPods, because they don't do this as they don't have the screen real estate.  You have to click the album picture to get it to close.  Not the most obvious thing.  You can also click another one of the buttons at the bottom; they still respond.

It doesn't make sense. It's not consistent, and my "computer illiterate" mom who thinks Apple products are great because they're "so easy they're perfect for stupid people like [her]" still has to ask me questions about how to do stuff. Then when I try to figure it out for her I can't because it's so smurfing stupidly designed it doesn't make any sense.

ARGH! I hate Apple products so much!
I wasn't going to respond, but righteous hate I can stand... hate for hate's sake, I'm a sucker for.  I'm no Apple apologist.  They're devices, just like every other one (including Android tablets) are.  Any device is going to have a learning curve, especially as you cross into different hardware form factors.  And while apple devices aren't perfect, and they have several major problems, in general, I find them more easy to just use than other devices, when they're used in their narrow intended function (pointing to SB's argument after finally getting an iPad).  And this is from someone that at every turn has attempted *not* to get an Apple product.  My first music player was a Karma (which I still think was better), but after everyone else started trying to make iPod clones, I got one of those instead of one of the others... My first smartphone was a windows phone... finally got an iPhone after I couldn't stand the lack of direction on the platform.  Same with iPad... I finally got one after years of playing around with tablets.  I still use my tablet as it's more powerful, even if many years old.  But for instant media consumption, I pick up my iPad.

I've found over the years that they're tools.  Use what lets you do the task better.
8769
Living Room / Re: My Firefox Home Page is BING?
« Last post by wraith808 on December 25, 2010, 09:09 PM »
i'm used to using tab mix plus... I see that it's not compatible with it.  did you ever use it, and which would you say is better?
8770
Living Room / Re: My Firefox Home Page is BING?
« Last post by wraith808 on December 25, 2010, 11:54 AM »
^ The only extensions I found were verttabbar and vertical tabbar, and neither of them look like that... link?
8771
Living Room / Re: My Firefox Home Page is BING?
« Last post by wraith808 on December 25, 2010, 10:32 AM »
I just opened up a new Firefox instance and managed to get this:
 (see attachment in previous post)
WTF?

I like my about:blank page...

What's that bar on the left?
8772
N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 REMOVED: Dominion Rules Character Creator
« Last post by wraith808 on December 24, 2010, 04:46 PM »
I never got a chance to download it!  Need some help in design?  I was going to PM you once I got out from under work (and got a chance to work on my NANY entry... sigh.  I'm behind as usual)
8773
DC Gamer Club / Re: SteamPrices - a better way to shop for bargains on Steam?
« Last post by wraith808 on December 21, 2010, 08:36 PM »
I've seen that one, and didimatic.com, but I still go back to just the regular steam site.  These improvements that the third party sites give are pretty incremental, and the regular steam site is so convenient that I don't even peruse these sites any more.
8774
DC Gamer Club / Re: Humble Indie Bundle (pay what you want sale)
« Last post by wraith808 on December 21, 2010, 08:30 AM »
Anyone have any experience with Desura?  I hadn't heard of that... and a couple aren't available on Steam, but they said that they will be able to be registered that way when released on Steam.
8775
General Software Discussion / Re: I want a game for Christmas: turn-based
« Last post by wraith808 on December 21, 2010, 08:21 AM »
^ Not exactly turn-based... ;)
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