Super-sized Newsletter for Mar 2, 2015 - Codename: Freezing Feathers

[mouser]

Super-sized Newsletter for March 2, 2015

"Codename: Freezing Feathers"

1. Newsletter Editorial

Hello and welcome to another edition of the DonationCoder newsletter. It's been a whopping 127 days since the last newsletter, and in that time.. New threads started: 861; new posts: 8,995 (number of those deleted as spam: 242); new members who joined: 10,133; new donors: 609.

The first thing to talk about is the 2015 NANY (New Apps for the New Year) event, which wrapped up at the beginning of the year.  It's where we ask the coders who hang out on DonationCoder to create some new piece of free software and share it with the world.  We had a lot of fun as always, and there were some notable new tools created. I tried my hand coding an Android app and I'm interested in making some more -- if you have a good idea for an Android app, let me know.  Follow the link below to browse the NANY 2015 entries from this year.

The next thing to mention is a call for help from Martin Brinkmann, who runs the Ghacks software blog.  He's asking for donations to help run Ghacks.  Ghacks has always been a friend to DonationCoder, writing about our new software releases and events.  So I'm hoping you will join us in helping out a friend of small independent coders.  See the link below to read more.

Last on the agenda is a teaser for our big upcoming 10th anniversary fundraiser.  March 23, 2015 will mark the tenth year of DonationCoder (hard to believe it's been that long isn't it?).  After ten years, it's time for some real changes on the site, and we are going to need your help figuring out which direction to go in.  There's a link below to a thread for discussing the upcoming anniversary, but I'll be sending out a special mailing when the fundraiser starts, asking not just for your financial help but also your input on the future direction of the site.   I hope you'll join us while we chart our path forward.

• NANY 2015 - New Apps for the New Year Roundup
• Ghacks is dying and needs your help
• DonationCoder 10th Anniversary Brainstorming Thread

2. Skwire Empire Software Updates and New Releases

DC member skwire is one of the more prolific coders of utilities on our site -- he roams the coding snack request section and pounces like a jaguar when he finds something that catches his eye.  He's released a ton of updates to his software since the last newsletter, including some updates and a few brand new releases:

• NEW - Splat v1.1.5
• NEW - Arti v1.0.1
• ClipTrap v1.2.2
• Frameless v1.1.7
• Lucidity v1.0.6
• MPH (Media Player Hotkeys) v1.1.1
• sChecklist v1.1.3
• Sensatronics Tray Tool v1.0.5
• SFV Ninja v1.2.8
• Snap DB v1.5.0
• Spews v1.0.6
• sPlaylistMaker v1.0.9
• sStockQuote v1.0.9
• Steam URL Converter v1.0.2
• sWeather v1.5.4
• Text 2 Folders v1.1.6

3. Mouser's Software Updates

I've uploaded some updates to many of my large applications since the last newsletter.  As always, you can find the list of what's new both in the online help pages (linked from each program homepage) or in the forum thread about the application (also linked from each program homepage).

• WhenLast (Android app) - v1.82 - Feb 10, 2015
• Other app ideas based on WhenLast code?
• Screenshot Captor v4.9.31
• Clipboard Help+Spell v2.27
• URL Snooper v2.37.01
• LaunchBar Commander v1.144
• Form Letter Machine v1.15.01

4. User-to-User: Your Input Requested

We love nothing more than having interesting discussions on our forum -- and we love when new people participate in the discussions.  In each newsletter we try to highlight a few topics that we think might interest casual readers and that are good candidates for making your first post.

• Lets get to know each other -- who are you, what do you do, where are you from?
• Show us the View Outside Your Window
• Gadget Weekend suggestions?
• Show us a photo of your mutt or other creatures
• Android app ideas?
• DonationCoder 10th Anniversary Brainstorming Thread

5. Coding Snacks, Mini-reviews, and other Member Projects

We love to keep up with projects that our members are working on, and hearing what our forum members think of software they use.  If you're working on something interesting -- let us know!

• Screen Calculator: Monitor, Mobile & Notebook PPI and Screen Size Spreadsheet
• Logitech G910 Keyboard Review
• Portable Extension Warlock update
• Sumatra Highlight Helper
• MilesAhead new freeware domain
• IDEA: Convert sequence of images to video (with ffmpeg?)
• Power Cord Falling Out
• Open websites inside a folder from windows explorer?

6. Website Discoveries, Debates, Essays, and Discussions

What's new in cyberspace? What exciting new sites have been discovered by forum members?  What's the current hot topic and debate? Read on to find out..

• Beware of download sites
• 10 Web Application Security Scanners To Monitor Your Internet Activity!
• Farewell, Dr. Dobbs
• Preloaded spyware, courtesy Lenovo
• Internet Lynch Mobs
• False Positives OpEd from WinPatrol
• This Robot Is the Best Limit Texas Hold'Em Player in the World
• Web Essay: Never trust a corporation to do a library's job
• Website Find: 7CupsOfTea.com
• Spliddit - Fair ways to split things
• Everything You Need To Start Making Webcomics For Free
• Two of the best commentaries I've seen about GamerGate
• FreewareBB shutting down. And with a warning from Marko?
• Your own paper planner and calendars for 2015
• These 9 Studies Show Why Print Is Better than Ebooks

7. Software Discussions

Some noteworthy software discussions on the forum since the last newsletter.

• Remote control of pc via android phone
• Removing images when printing?
• Looking for program that can copy folder hierarchy with checkboxes and size est.
• Location triggers for android
• Stickies Notezilla memoboard as full-blown personal note system
• I've not been happy with Macrium Reflect Free, and perhaps their paid versions..
• QTTabbar (now at version 1024) is once again my favourite
• Android: looking for good/working way to text from computer
• Looking for a good Android launcher
• Software find: Utility for fast user switching in windows
• Mischief 2.0: very promising drawing software ($25)
• Perfect Effects 9 Premium Edition free

8. Entertainment, Games, Humour, and Loss

Here's a collection of some diversionary web browsing links posted on the forum recently.

• Article on the design of "the best" board game
• Far Cry 4 was amazing
• Dying Light
• DOOM on Mythbusters
• Ludum Dare 31: December 5th-8th, 2014
• It took 2 years to build this functioning word processor in Minecraft
• The Untold Story of the Invention of the Game Cartridge
• Every Episode Of Every 'Star Trek' Series Ever, Ranked
• If Only Once, If Only For A Little While - Comic about loss
• Leonard Nimoy, Dead at 83
• Watercolorbot - $300 watercolor painting printer
• Game: The Old City

9. Developer's Corner

This section highlights some discussions that might be relevant for not just coders and developers, but also people interested in entrepreneurial issues.

• Long essay on the business of starting (feminist) collaborative publications
• Artificial intelligence bests humans at classic arcade games
• A comprehensive commentary on (mobile) app/site "onboarding"
• Handmade Hero - Game made from scratch with each line of code explained
• Visualization of Algorithms
• Coding at a rate of 240 words per minute
• The Grumpy Programmer - great blog by a well-seasoned programmer
• OS News on The Devaluing Effect of the Application Store Model
• Announcing .NET 2015 - .NET as Open Source, .NET on Mac and Linux
• Experimenting with Other Programming Languages
• Code fight club
• Code Combat!
• Google Contributor: A New (not so new) way to fund the web
• Worm's neurons mapped, simulated in robot

10. Hardware and Non-Windows Hangout

While the lion's share of technical discussions on our forum involve Microsoft Windows software, hardware and linux threads are becoming increasingly common.

• Google Glass dead, already ?
• Raspberry Pi 2 Model B on sale now. Lots more for the same $35
• Raspberry Pi 2 out now; includes support for Windows 10
• Hard Drive SMART Stats - from the BackBlaze Blog
• 2014-2015: Best tablet specs for ebook reading
• Destroying your hard drive is the only way to stop this super-advanced malware
• Wierd mouse click problem
• New square monitor (27" 1920x1920)
• List of 40 inexpensive single-board Linux friendly computers
• LINUX: #! CrunchBang Linux is no more. RIP
• Quick list of 7 FOSS Cloud Storage Products for Self-hosting
• ALERT! How to test for GHOST security hole now affecting major distros
• Three articles on what kind of high quality (gaming) monitor you should buy
• Best Linux Distro for Windows HDD recovery
• Wireless networking and wifi printer help
• Microsoft 'Signature' PCs

[mouser]

IMPORTANT!

Whether you've signed up at the forum or not, we now use a separate mailing list for the newsletter that you will ONLY receive if you have manually signed up to receive it.  You can sign up for the mailing list here:

• https://www.donation...om/plist?p=subscribe

[tomos]

Thanks mouser

[mouser]

Thanks Tomos.
Doing these newsletters makes me realize that Skwire has been on fire updating his apps lately!

[Deozaan]

Thanks for putting together the newsletter!

Doing these newsletters makes me realize that Skwire has been on fire updating his apps lately!

-mouser (March 02, 2015, 12:54 PM)

If by lately, you mean the past couple of years (or longer), I agree with you.

[pencoe]

Thanks mouser! 

BTW: one more to add to 8. Games: https://www.kickstar...underworld-ascendant

If there is anyone out there who loved Ultima Underworld, System Shock, Thief, ... or who thinks that Looking Glass was one of the best game making software studios out there: Paul Neureuth and Warren Spector are doing one more game 

Have a look!

Peter

[zxcvbn]

Many thanks.  Another interesting read.  Martin Brinkmann now has one more supporter   

[ewemoa]

Thanks for the newsletter

[grandpastan]

Many thanks Mouser. Appreciate all the work.   

[bernie]

Hi Mouser,
Re your wanting ideas for an Android project.
I and others, from reading through queries via Google, have a problem that the sync between Google calendar and our smart phones sometimes "chokes up".
To fix this one has, on the phone, to stop the "Calendar Storage" app, then clear the data of the same app and then reboot the phone,  I find that I am doing this at least once a week.
I have found an app called "Fast Reboot" that just reboots a number of apps including the "Calendar Storage", but it still takes a number of repetitive keystrokes to do the tedious job of stopping and clearing the data.
Would you not like to create an app so that a one button click could do the job.
I am now in my eighties and find that my programming skills have dwindled.
Thanks in advance.
 

[Godric]

Thank you so much Mouser! 

[tomos]

^double-post
ouch - triple-post   double-ouch - quadruple-post

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