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00:00 - 03:0003:00 - 00:00

3:00 AM
@JourneymanGeek oh?
 
Turning off the case fans doesn't change much.
 
oh, windirstat is another useful program
 
For idle temps, anyway
 
@RebeccaChernoff I like SpaceSniffer better, it is soo much nicer :)
 
o: really?
 
3:02 AM
it's free and similar, yet I like it better
 
ugh, once i can remember my password
 
@JourneymanGeek you can delete :P
I'm a mod, I can read everything deleted :P
 
ya, i sort of remembered ;p
also, i'm slowed down cause i can't remember my password ;p
 
Wow, SpaceSniffer is really cool :o
 
what does a folder blinking mean?
hmm, I need to find a new twitter app too. TweetDeck has gotten kind of crappy lately.
 
3:05 AM
ugh
 
@RebeccaChernoff oooh, not sure
@JourneymanGeek sent
 
@studiohack: darn, i can only download one copy
 
@RebeccaChernoff Really? I use TweetDeck. I like it.
 
see, I'm the resident software-rec guy :P
 
sorry about that ><
 
3:05 AM
@JourneymanGeek no worries - by download, you mean the key, right?
 
ya
i can't get any more keys
 
well, you have my email :P thanks anyways, very generous of ya :)
 
media isn't an issue, its stored on the computer thats currently down with a bad video card ;p
 
TweetDeck is good...I'm a big fan of separation into groups like that, but I much much much much much preferred their Groups over Twitter's lists. and they've slowly been ripping groups out...last update ripped out the last piece of functionality from them...which was the feature I used them for
 
I have a license for XP Home and Pro, and the media (the licenses are from scrapped Dell systems) so, I could use those, but A, I don't think they will work, and B) I can't install it on my system - flash drives are junk - the dvd drive doesn't see the .iso CD
 
3:08 AM
@RebeccaChernoff Ah. I never really used groups.
That's just neat.
 
@RebeccaChernoff Ah. I never really used Twitter. ;P @sidran32
 
@studiohack Pff :P
 
does spacesniffer let you see a folder structure tree? like windows explorer style?
 
@RebeccaChernoff I don't think so, but there is something similar - another software that I know of, trying to find it
 
@studiohack: they would, in theory, with the right media
 
3:10 AM
windirstat has it...you get both views
 
windirstat also has pacman ;p
 
@RebeccaChernoff here you go, another version: lifehacker.com/5083172/…
though, that's not what I'm looking for
 
@RebeccaChernoff there you go :P
 
3:12 AM
takes away @studiohack's software-rec badge q:
apparently the blinking means stuff has changed in that folder
 
@RebeccaChernoff noooo! :)
that's right, makes sense
 
hehe, just kidding. I'll give SpaceSniffer a fair chance (:
hmm, what about archive files?
 
archive files? what do you mean?
 
Why do you need all these software recs, @RebeccaChernoff? :P
 
@studiohack zip/rar
 
3:15 AM
@RebeccaChernoff 7-zip!
 
7zip is what I use @RebeccaChernoff
 
Can do everything
 
wheee! :P
 
@sidran32 installing stuff on new pc
 
like the VLC of archives :P
 
3:15 AM
@RebeccaChernoff Ah
Yes, @studiohack :P
 
hmm I had problems with 7zip before
 
okay, what about WinRAR? no, never mind, I hate that program
 
I think it was that I would open a .zip or .rar, and a command window would come up, but the files wouldn't extract or give me the option to do so
I'd have to go to windows explorer, right click on the archive, and select extract to folder from the 7zip menu
 
Though I prefer Windows Media Player + ffdshow tryouts :P
 
give it another shot, I would say. now that you're on a new PC
 
as for other stuff for my PC that I'd like would be another HDD ($60 when the prices come down, if they do) an SSD ($80 about), and a card reader ($30) @JourneymanGeek
 
Oh, and for mkv files, I use the haali media splitter so I can get Windows Media Support: haali.su/mkv
 
The monitor I'd like is ~$150, it used to be $115 :(
 
My backup is VLC. But I prefer getting WMP working if I can :P
 
three of them = $450 :(
I like WMP better for movies, honestly
music? ZUNE FTW!
 
3:20 AM
I use WMP for music, most of the time, because Zune doesn't have a scrobbler plugin :P
But I switch off
 
i use use cccp with MPC, with the default windows 7 .264 plugin cause it works better with intel video
@sidran32: i use foobar , which does have a scrobller plugin ;p
 
does foobar work with the iphone4s yet? I used to use it on my 3g
ooh, here's a category: text editor
 
I've heard Notepad++ is good @RebeccaChernoff
I've never used it, don't see a reason to. I like MS Word
 
@RebeccaChernoff: donno. I just use it to play music
notepad++ if you need syntax highlighting, q10 if you want a distraction free editor
 
eh, for just opening a quick config file or text file or something, ms word is way overkill
yeah, notepad++ is what I've used in the past
 
3:29 AM
sure, true
 
@JourneymanGeek I don't use Fubar
:P
I use Notepad++ for everything. It's great.
 
@sidran32: its awesome
 
It's my text editor of choice, for programming.
 
hmm, windows won't let me delete windows...even though I'm trying to delete it on another drive, not the current os drive (;
 
@RebeccaChernoff nice!
 
3:29 AM
err |:
 
These anime files don't get the subtitles with WMP. Dang mkv. It's such a weird format. :P
On to VLC
 
@RebeccaChernoff Thought so hahahaha. I didn't think that would work :P
 
@studiohack I suppose it helps if I include all the words, eh?
 
(sorry, couldn't resist :))
@RebeccaChernoff can you format it?
 
yeah...just figured ctrl+a -> shift+delete would be faster (:
every time I reboot, my raid array loses its drive letter and I have to go into disk management and add it back. |:
 
3:46 AM
@RebeccaChernoff still problemos? :/
 
@RebeccaChernoff Folder blink is when there are changes inside that folder.
 
@TomWijsman yeah, I googled. (:
@studiohack just the drive letter, everything else is working great
 
@RebeccaChernoff yeah, but still. a pain when your build isn't purrfect q:
 
lol
@studiohack: Its a little more fun tho
 
lol
 
3:50 AM
and beats working off salvage of unusual/unknown providence ;p
 
eh, considering I want to point my libraries folders to this data drive instead of C:\...yeah, it'd be kinda nice not to have to assign the path every boot. (:
 
4:33 AM
> .. including shipping for $39.39.
daFuq
any SU folks in the US, if you want a $35 voucher on Stack Exchange store, ping me. I can't afford the shipping prices the store is quoting :\ :|
 
@Sathya
 
are you ordering more than the coupon? if your subtotal is $0 you should have a free shipping option.
 
@RebeccaChernoff I don't get to apply the coupon till I select the shipping
 
the discount code is above the shipping
and there's an apply button next to the coupon
 
applied the coupon ($35 coupon for a $15 item) and it's still asking me $40 for the shipping
 
4:48 AM
that's...not right...
I guess maybe the international is throwing it off, but hrm
 
this was back when the store launched
 
are you sure the coupon is applied? |:
 
@RebeccaChernoff oh yeah
> You have successfully applied the coupon
 
hrmph q:
 
@soandos should I send it over to you in the email listed in your profile?
 
4:57 AM
@Sathya you could check with Alex
 
@RebeccaChernoff na, that's ok. I've given my word here.
@RebeccaChernoff but yes I have asked a Q on meta
0
Q: What's up the shipping rates on the Stack Exchange store?

SathyaAnd I mean $40 shipping for a $15 T-shirt? I have this image here from a previous quote(didn't place it then) where 2xbeer steins and a T-shirt resulted in $24 shipping.. which is reasonable considering the items, but, golly $40 for a T-shirt? Rebecca Chernoff mentions if your subtotal...

 
all the shirts now come with the person wearing them in the picture, it is part of the SE benifits package :-)
4
 
@Sathya If and only if you can't get it resolved
yes
 
@Psycogeek haha
 
@Psycogeek lol (:
 
5:05 AM
@soandos ok. let's see.
 
it costs ~$17USD to send from the us to india , using a USPS "flat rate" international box, which is often about 1.5X cheaper than other methods
if this link works ircalc.usps.com/…
 
@Psycogeek: the postage on my sweatshirt was ~19 usd
so.. it seems semi consistant with what they're paying
 
yup
 
6:08 AM
wow when i showed up here this day, I thought somone was going around just downvoting everything for fun. The longer I am here , the more it looks like there is a contest going for Weirdest and stupidest question of the week :-) I think i need to get my entry in.
Which ones of these would win this contest: Where can I find the metal in Chrome? How can I make it so my cable modem sounds like a phone modem when it connects? Where do I get a monitor for left handed people? Why wont my toaster work when it is plugged into the USB port?
 
6:29 AM
How do I get the UPS driver in windows to send packages, is there more software i need to install? Why does My Wi-Fi connection work so slowly after I get on the freeway?
 
6:41 AM
My Cpu is very hot, how often are we supposed to change the duct tape that holds the cooler on it? Will my computer run faster if I set the power supply for 110V and plug it into the 220V socket?
 
 
2 hours later…
8:51 AM
@Psycogeek My mouse doesn't move the cursor on the screen and sometimes it bites me
 
back in my foruming days
I'd wait for threads like those
and celebrate it with a
NOTW
aka
n00b of the week thread :P
 
 
2 hours later…
10:34 AM
superuser.com/questions/381303/3d-video-on-normal-lcd-monitor if i understand this correctly... you can use active 3d glasses with a regular screen? o0
 
10:53 AM
@JourneymanGeek Yeah as I understand it - this is why you need the high refresh rate
The glass shutters are synced to the refresh rate, so that only one eye is "open" for each alternate frame
 
ahh
hm. darn it, now i'm curious about another new fangled tech i can't mess around with yet ;p
 
Hmm. I stopped there because when describing the model of how I expect it works, I find my model is incomplete
 
well, as i understand it, they need to sync the glasses with the system somehow...
and some voodoo to do with IR
 
Because it is all very well needing a high refresh rate on the monitor, but you would also need the game to show the right frame at the right moment
Yeah exactly
So the IR tells the glasses which shutter to open depending on whether a left/right frame is being displayed, and presumably the monitor refresh speed is just to avoid tearing
 
o0, and its been around since 06
well and you're losing half the refresh speed
 
10:59 AM
For sure
120 = 60 effectively
 
shows how out of touch i am with hardware ;p
thats cool tho, and active glasses makes more sense with that
 
Yebbut, you lose half the refresh rate of the monitor, but it must be more important to consider the FPS loss
 
which is also halfed -so you'd need, if i recall, 60 fps, to get the minimum 30 fps?
 
Yeah
Seems like SLI would be a must-have
 
though, i'd probably take into account a 3d capable card should be sufficiently powerful to handle that anyway
naw, my brother's laptop can do 3d out of the box
 
11:05 AM
Sure - but how effectively with CoD in a big set peice
 
lol, thats true
 
I have a fairly powerful graphics card, but it still drops fps during busy scenes (perhaps cpu limited but it still occurs)
To have it drop, but then half it would look pretty 90s :)
 
eheh
I don't have any proper gaming systems at the moment, other than my brother's asus
 
It would be great to show a modern game to my 15-years-ago self
 
lol
or my ten year old self
I'd also warn him to work harder, and don't try to frigging go into engineering
 
11:12 AM
I would tell my young self to ignore all those people who said "everyone is getting into computers, there won't be enough jobs, go get a qualification in something related like electronic engineering"
 
lol
I was an EE student, didn't work for me
 
I was an EEE student. I was about three weeks in before I realised what a mistake it was, and a couple of weeks more to request a transfer. Denied.
 
@Paul ditto
 
I spent a year, dropped out
and various other mistakes after that ;p
... how many ex EEE students are there here...
 
I dropped out after a year too. But I didn't attend very many lectures, I was in the computer labs learning to program
 
11:21 AM
I can't code, sadly, my main passion is hardware
Which, of course, isn't the easiest thing to actually do for your average only not starving cause he lives with the parents student
NTU's EE has little to do with actual electronic things of any sort
 
 
2 hours later…
1:47 PM
Posted by sidran32 on January 23rd, 2012

So, at this point, I had a usable computer. Since I was pretty burned out by the hours I spent working on it already, I didn’t want to dive right back in and started using it a bit more. Besides, I didn’t know I wasn’t done yet (aside from knowing I was missing a multi-card reader, which I need). There was also the fact that the hard drive cage was laying out on the floor and it was somewhat annoying. But that was stuff I was willing to deal with in the short term, as I wanted to get working on setting up the software in my newly built PC. After using it for a few days and discussing the proje …

 
 
3 hours later…
5:08 PM
I got into CS. Perfectly fine with that. :)
 
5:39 PM
I'm at work with my Das Keyboard Professional S. Typing bliss. :)
Silent model, of course. Cherry MX browns. :)
I would not inflict loud clicketyclacks on my coworkers :o
 
I wish there was a place I could go to test keyboards ):
 
Back in the day, I think they used to put display samples for keyboards out in stores like Staples and whatnot. I don't know if they still do, though. And the good ones aren't being sold there anyway. :(
Wow, I just had a brain fart... I use ctrl+arrowkeys to scroll up/down in Visual Studio without moving the cursor, all the time. I just tried pressing ctrl+alt+arrowkeys to do the same, and it didn't. I thought I had a stuck key or something, until I realized I was doing it wrong.
 
6:06 PM
Does the grammar in that snippet from the latest SU blog post make you cringe or is it just me?
Maybe I should fix it...
 
6:27 PM
@RebeccaChernoff I have thought the same thing many times :)
 
I need a new mouse...and the keyboard is iffy too, but I've never paid attention to keyboard types.
 
@RebeccaChernoff I've heard mechanical keyboards are really nice, but I'm not willing to spend the money right now
as for a mouse, if you want a drop dead simple, quality wired one:
I use this one, I really like it. comes in white too
 
nah, mine are wireless
 
:P can't stand those
for wireless, this is awesome:
never used it, @RebeccaChernoff, but seems pretty nice
 
I have the Microsoft Wireless Keyboard/Mouse 6000
 
6:34 PM
like it?
 
sure it's been good. some range problems.
but like, I kind of keep just using it even though I can't scroll up on my mouse because that's easier than figuring out wtf to buy q:
 
For may laptop (and subsequently, work), I have a Microsoft Arc Touch wireless mouse. The thing is nice. :)
It's thinner than a deck of cards when you pack it, and to turn it on, you bend it so it fits in your hand. :P
But I'd only recommend it if you're carrying the mouse around a lot, like with a laptop (as I do). :P
 
6:55 PM
Hey all. Wanted to raise this one up as possible off-topic/too localized.
0
Q: Excel ranking formula and NFL tie breakers

MikeI have a spreadsheet that I would like to use to track the NFL seasons. I'm having trouble figuring out the formula to use when there is a tie (either a 2-way, 3-way, or more). I have attached a screen shot of my spreadsheet. I have columns set up and I would like the ranking formula to be p...

 
7:14 PM
@Iszi I agree it's localized, but I'd definitely love to learn how to do that sort of thing in Excel just in general
 
@sidran32 funky...but yeah, just looking at desktop usage
 
@RebeccaChernoff That's what I thought.
 
@Luke I'm calling it off-topic as well, at least until they add in the necessary NFL rules details.
Once you've got the rules, I'm sure a certain level of nested IF() statements will do the job. There might be a prettier way to do it, but there's really not much you can't do with that.
 
7:48 PM
@Iszi Definitely not too localized.
I posted a question about something similar on Meta a while ago. From what I can tell, special interests as a foundation for questions are never too localized.
7
Q: Are languages too localized?

Daniel BeckAre questions related to specific natural languages too localized? One of the reasons questions are closed as too localized is geography as stated e.g. here, even if the question is possibly relevant to all of China (population 1.3B) or all of India (1.2B), both of which have a greater populatio...

While we had questions closed as too localized because it was only relevant to people in India, I believe this was a wrong decision. On MSO, the site operators once stated that e.g. something specific to programmers in Montreal (IIRC) was OK on SO.
 
@DanielBeck There could also be a case made for time localization of this one. Sports league rules are very much subject to change.
 
 
3 hours later…
11:06 PM
I'm getting bored... Who wants to actually chat?
 
lol
 
Any ideas why the chat link has gone from SU? Or is it just me?
 
When there is a new blog entry, for the first 24 hours, the chat link disappears
 
I see. Interesting.
Would that be to focus our attention?
 
I think so
 
11:17 PM
sidran32 is reminding me of all the things that bug me when opening up a case
 
11:31 PM
lol
 
Too short cables, motherboard->case headers that you can breath on and the connections come loose, PCIe cards overhanging memory, no place to store unused PSU cables, the thing you need to get to being behind absolutely everything else, connector labels that you cannot see once the mobo is in the case, yet can only be connected to once inside the case
 
I think i've bitched about the dell a few times
@Paul: least for the unused PSU cables.... modular PSUs are nice
 
Yeah, all of these things can be solved if you get the right gear. Headers too where they give you a interconnector that you can connect to first outside of the case, that fits over the header
But you have to know about them before you begin
 
I've not had too many issues with self builds. now, things like dells and acers are ugh
 
@JourneymanGeek Yeah for sure. Though the earliest Dells had a great modular build where you could just pop out various parts of the innards. That was back in the day when manus were happy with tinkering.
These days the design ethic seems to be to make it as hard as possible to service
 
11:41 PM
@Paul yeah, I scrapped an older Optiplex like that
had plastic tabs, that I could just remove the HDD
 
@studiohack Yeah the old optiplex ones
I am thinking of the 286 era here mind you
Did my first overclock on one of those optiplexes. I noticed a jumper on the motherboard that said "25Mhz / 33Mhz" - and I thought "you are kidding right", and switched it over. 30% speed increase! (so in todays measure it went from extraordinarily slow to imperceptibly less slow)
 
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