Recent Posts

9151

FARR Plugins and Aliases / Re: Alias: Google Maps Directions

« Last post by tomos on September 11, 2008, 03:03 PM »

I hadnt really used googlemaps for a while I see they've much improved their printing options or I mean the quality, visually & the mini-maps relating to each step work much better,
but I really just wanted to say thanks again for this - it make the initial diving in there so much easier

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General Software Discussion / Re: How to get rid of the restart prompt afer win update?

« Last post by tomos on September 11, 2008, 02:34 PM »

Why not just configure Windows Update to: Download updates but let me choose whether to install them.

Your not gaining anything by running half the update as the reboot is required to update a system file with the new code. ...So you're still going to be running the same old has a bugg what needs fixed code that you had before running the first part of the update.

-Stoic Joker (September 11, 2008, 01:59 PM)

I do do that - I choose whether to install, but I cant remember now what choice it gives you *
anyways I clicked install this morning without thinking ...

* [edit] does that window keep popping up then (presuming I want to install something) - "please install me" - funny how easy it is (for me ) to forget this stuff if it's only once a month

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Living Room / Re: Win XP auto-update query

« Last post by tomos on September 11, 2008, 02:26 PM »

Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool Kit from Microsoft

via Windows Secrets - Don't let XP Service Pack 3 hose your system

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General Software Discussion / Re: How to get rid of the restart prompt afer win update?

« Last post by tomos on September 11, 2008, 07:16 AM »

CWuestefeld came up with this tip here by using Farr's Service Control plugin.

-lanux128 (September 11, 2008, 07:01 AM)

that's the one thanks lanux

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General Software Discussion / Re: How to get rid of the restart prompt afer win update?

« Last post by tomos on September 11, 2008, 06:39 AM »

thanks Josh - keeping me sane you are

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General Software Discussion / How to get rid of the restart prompt afer win update?

« Last post by tomos on September 11, 2008, 06:28 AM »

I know this tip is lurking in some thread somewhere here but I cant find the  §$%!° thing
I'm pretty sure (but not 100%) it works via FARR - an alias or plugin ?

How to get rid of the restart prompt that keeps cropping up after a windows update ?

9157

General Software Discussion / Re: List of newbie questions regarding software

« Last post by tomos on September 11, 2008, 04:44 AM »

... if Wikidpad is confusing I recommend trying that one out because it doesn't require any syntax ...

-Paul Keith (September 11, 2008, 04:40 AM)

so are you saying that you understand technically how to use Wikidpad/wikis, but want to see how it is used ???

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General Software Discussion / Re: Time to reinstall Windows? Or get a new desktop?

« Last post by tomos on September 11, 2008, 02:42 AM »

I suspect that SP3 is to blame for these, but they are so irritating that I'm considering rebuilding again (this time stopping at SP2)

-PPLandry (September 10, 2008, 08:21 PM)

can one uninstall SP3 ? (probably getting v.messy there but might be worth a shot if possible?)

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General Software Discussion / Re: List of newbie questions regarding software

« Last post by tomos on September 11, 2008, 02:28 AM »

Thanks gtoal but how do you use it?

-Paul Keith (September 11, 2008, 12:52 AM)

this might help:
have a look at the review of Wikidpad notetaker review here at dc

I'm completely ignorant of them but Perry & others tried to explain it to me - here

I'm presuming that Wikidpad is similar in how it works to other wikis but maybe not - seems very popular here anyways

9160

Living Room / Re: Microsoft granted patents for PageUp and PageDn keystrokes!

« Last post by tomos on September 10, 2008, 01:57 PM »

But tell me, isn't this the purpose of patents? To patent a way of doing something?

-Josh (September 10, 2008, 01:32 PM)

I think it's about money but, yes, of course you're right

Are ms going to have to be paid off now by every keyboard producer ? or is the distinction between the keys & the action enough to spare them (presumably not, otherwise why the patent ...)

9161

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

« Last post by tomos on September 10, 2008, 05:06 AM »

243rd post.... 

-CleverCat (September 10, 2008, 04:02 AM)

 

9162

Living Room / Re: Posture in sitting/standing ideas, tips & tricks

« Last post by tomos on September 09, 2008, 03:52 PM »

the image in Tomos' post shows poor posture.  Keep your spine in front of your butt.  The neck is reclined too far back as well.  Shoulders are also too far forward.

-kfitting (September 09, 2008, 07:13 AM)

EDIT2/ I superimposed the correct posture à la Esther Gokhale (8 Steps ...) onto the typing image

-tomos (September 09, 2008, 06:08 AM)

see above - just gives you a very rough idea

9163

Living Room / Re: First US City Goes Digital

« Last post by tomos on September 09, 2008, 03:33 PM »

I got rid of my tele here (germany) end of last year when they went completely digital

I knew if I finally got satellite I'd end up watching so much crap (c.f. pink floyd/the wall for the impolite version of that ) that it wouldnt be nice ... now I just spend my time on the internets - but definitely not as much time as I would have on the tele

9164

Living Room / Re: How many countries represented here on DC ?

« Last post by tomos on September 09, 2008, 03:14 PM »

Brett, I think you hadn't a hope of keeping this one country/one post/dont repeat the country
mine are there already

Ireland, Germany (resident), [Canadian citizenship too - oops dont tell the Bundesstaat or whatever they're called]

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Living Room / Re: How many countries represented here on DC ?

« Last post by tomos on September 09, 2008, 10:34 AM »

is there anything that works better than frapper, or has it gotten better in the last year?

9166

Living Room / Re: Posture in sitting/standing ideas, tips & tricks

« Last post by tomos on September 09, 2008, 06:08 AM »

For those who tried these, doesn't it make your neck hurt instead? From the pictures it looks like it can be a pain while typing in front of a keyboard with the lack of neck rest and lack of arm handles.

-Paul Keith (September 09, 2008, 05:47 AM)

Two points
(keep in mind I'm no typist and have to work with the mouse a lot)

1) You're not supposed to sit leaning very far back so the neck thing shouldnt be a problem
2) I think armrests engourage pad posture (leaning) & just get in the way generally

here's an interesting one
Ideal typing posture: Negative slope keyboard support



EDIT/ mind you he looks to me like he could tilt his head forward a bit !
And presumable the height of desk should be related to the length of your legs & height of stool (?)

EDIT2/ I superimposed the correct posture à la Esther Gokhale (8 Steps ../taken from reply #1 above) onto the typing image

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Living Room / Re: Invertebrate Animals Survive Vacuum and Cosmic Radiation

« Last post by tomos on September 09, 2008, 04:27 AM »

looks kind of cute too, well, I wouldnt want to live with them like ...



looks like it's made from velvety type cloth that you often see on sofas actually !

9168

General Software Discussion / Re: How do you manage your email?

« Last post by tomos on September 09, 2008, 04:19 AM »

(what happened to that one post about Groupwise??  I was looking for it)

-superboyac (September 08, 2008, 05:47 PM)

weird, it's gone -EDIT/ do you mean the one on the Outlook2007 thread ?? Yes, I see you found it ...
https://www.donation....msg128680#msg128680

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Living Room / Re: 32-bit Windows and the dreaded (and misunderstood) 4GB RAM limit

« Last post by tomos on September 09, 2008, 04:11 AM »

another question:
if this memory is not available to the 32-bit OS - does that mean it's also unavailable to programmes on the computer ?

9170

General Software Discussion / Re: Font managers reviews and opinions

« Last post by tomos on September 09, 2008, 04:07 AM »

I was lucky to get Advanced Font Viewer 4.42 for free from Givewayoftheday.
I have absolutely no idea if it even is among The Best, but it suites me. However, the new version 5 is $97, which is absurd. There surely must be something both better & cheaper!

http://www.styopkin....ed_fonts_viewer.html

-Curt (September 08, 2008, 07:08 PM)

their website sure doesnt make it look like $97 worth (visually or with info)
I think for that price you get a "professional" font manager like Suitcase/Suitcase Fusion

9171

Living Room / Re: Blog: Hacking Your Vote

« Last post by tomos on September 08, 2008, 05:26 PM »

lots of very ironic things going on there (everywhere?)
especially liked in the comments -

What's really grabbed me, however, is that it's pretty well accepted everywhere that Ohio was handed to Bush. The CEO of Diebold [company involved in voting soft- & hardware] himself "devoted the votes of Ohio to Bush" : http://www.nytimes.c.../05/12/politics/camp...
... and that's just a little chilling no?

sort of like the icing on the cake ...

9172

Screenshot Captor / Re: Grab Active Window - Grabs current screen instead

« Last post by tomos on September 08, 2008, 05:09 PM »

9173

Living Room / Re: 32-bit Windows and the dreaded (and misunderstood) 4GB RAM limit

« Last post by tomos on September 08, 2008, 04:21 PM »

Windows Customer Experience (or whatever it's called) reports that 4GB of RAM are installed. System Properties and Task Manager both report 3070MB... I had hoped I'd be one of those lucky people that gets 3.25 or even 3.5 GB of recognised RAM

-Darwin (September 08, 2008, 03:57 PM)

I thought Vista recognised "all" ram
I mean I thought the problem with not recognising ram was only with xp ? 

9174

Living Room / Crash course in MUSIC: mp3/meta_Data/compilations/download_sites

« Last post by tomos on September 08, 2008, 03:46 PM »

okay I'm asking a lot here - I'm a modern music virgin - I got as far as cd's and stopped evolving
If there's any sites out the that might help do let me know
Over the last couple years I've saved stuff on the topic from the web in Surfulater but it's more about ripping music - which I havent quite gotten around to yet ...

I've been downloading music from a site where people share music copied from old 78's (or even earlier stuff) The download is usually a mp3 file of some sort, then they have a metadata xml file 1)  Question: If I save both mp3 and meta.xml file, I presume I need some programme (player/organiser/both?) which also reads the xml file (hints/recommendations?)

Sometimes they offer Flac / Ogg Vorbis / Wave files e.g. 2)  General question: I want to know - if I wanted to produce a cd compilation that could be played on pretty much any cd player which format (if any of the above) would be the best to use ? - This may be too difficult for me in the sense if it's too much work I'll probably say feck it and use mp3s. (I'll ask at a later stage how to make the compilation - for starters I have the thread about how to standardise mp3 sound levels currently open)

I wanted to buy some music online came across two sites First, Amazon.com sounds good and reasonable - for albums at any rate, certainly a lot better than iTunes unfortunately the beggars only sell to the US Can international customers buy MP3 Music from Amazon.com? At this time music downloads are only available to customers using a credit or debit card issued by a U.S bank with a U.S. billing address. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. We're working to build a successful store on Amazon.com and hope to adapt it to our other Web sites in the future. Please continue to check back for additional information on supported locations. That credit cards are so international I didnt think it would be such a problem but maybe there's more to it than that .. Another site I came across which has a lot of interesting music (not so much top 40 I think) is Ligamusic.com I get the impression from the second link below that they actually make agreements with the labels they work with but this could very well be untrue (they apparently dont have some major labels but that could be just cause they're scared of them) - tracks I looked at were  $0.15 each ... Couple of reviews of sorts: http://www.mouthshut...ic.com-146008-1.html   - says music is reasonable quality "192Kbps+ VBR, LAME -alt-preset-standard" http://trig.com/kage...2008/6/20/post/49396 This the scary one - says it's a spam referrer: http://www.utahpictu...mp;ip=91.149.183.235 - 3) Any opinions/ other recommendations ?

-
thanks for any help,
Tom

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Living Room / Re: Posting time wrong since Forum update?

« Last post by tomos on September 08, 2008, 08:22 AM »

seems to be fixed hjere now