Author Topic: A random thread for small computing things that don't really warrant a thread of their own (Read 300265 times)

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #125 on:** 26 February, 2015, 01:56:55 am »

I aten't got any of them either, though a USAnian petrol station loyalty card might do the trick

All this talk of spudgitude has reduced the fan noise by about 75%.

Biggsy · « **Reply #126 on:** 02 March, 2015, 09:48:15 pm »

I've got a first world problem of deciding what SSDs in my collection to use with what PCs in my collection. (The riches amass thanks to the second-hand market).

It's interesting that the SATA II limitation in my old laptop doesn't make all fast SATA III SSDs go the same speed, for large as well as small transfers. It's not a simple bottleneck. It's a complicated bottleneck!

Gattopardo · « **Reply #127 on:** 03 March, 2015, 06:13:27 pm »

Got any skinny 7mm? 2.5 sata hard drives

ian · « **Reply #128 on:** 03 March, 2015, 07:16:49 pm »

The American voices in my Mac can't pronounce Irish names like Siobhan and Niamh, but the British ones can. It's just like real life.

Dibdib · « **Reply #129 on:** 06 March, 2015, 10:42:49 am »

Got an email from Plusnet last night telling me that I was getting close to my bandwidth allowance for the month.

Annoyingly the email doesn't say how close, or when the billing month ends, so this morning I logged into the control panel to take a look. I've got about 3gb of the 40gb allowance to last me until Monday, or it'll cost me a fiver for another 5gb.

Ho hum, I think, but with the spring classics starting I can see me using plenty of Eurosport Player over the next few months so I might as well see what my upgrade options are. Turns out that not only can I get unlimited bandwidth at my current speeds (40 down, 20 up) but it's a quid a month cheaper than what I've been paying.

Would have been nice if they'd told me, non?

TheLurker · « **Reply #130 on:** 06 March, 2015, 09:24:22 pm »

Oddly enough plusnet called on Monday evening to talk to me about cheaper options, I was busy and asked them to call back in half an hour... still waiting.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #131 on:** 09 March, 2015, 12:42:50 pm »

I have scanned something over teh Network

Hurrah for SCIENCE!

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #132 on:** 09 March, 2015, 03:00:37 pm »

Ur DVD-RW drive may not work if connected via a USB hub, say Asus.

They lie. It does.

Biggsy · « **Reply #133 on:** 09 March, 2015, 03:13:10 pm »

To be fair, may not doesn't mean will not. It depends on the hub and what's powering it, and cable length.

Biggsy · « **Reply #134 on:** 12 March, 2015, 05:11:48 pm »

The sheer amount of graphics in simulators like this blows my mind. Thousands of miles worth of background landscape and urbanscape. How do they do it?

https://youtu.be/JFz7xhHxbek

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #135 on:** 13 March, 2015, 01:11:02 pm »

Plan to route AV output from Babbage-Engine direct to Anbaric Distascope thwarted by lack of length in HDMI cable. Arse.

TheLurker · « **Reply #136 on:** 13 March, 2015, 04:42:51 pm »

Quote from: TheLurker on 06 March, 2015, 09:24:22 pm

Oddly enough plusnet called on Monday evening to talk to me about cheaper options, I was busy and asked them to call back in half an hour... still waiting.

They called back. So now we get unlimited broadband (no usage cap - I checked, repeatedly) for not quite 13 quid a month instead of 60Gb/month for not quite 20 quid a month. Means I no longer need make a point of making sure large downloads (Windows Update I am looking at _you_). are finished before 08:00. Nice.

Biggsy · « **Reply #137 on:** 17 March, 2015, 04:43:01 pm »

In case not everyone realises this is possible and easy.........

With many ordinary laptops (maybe more so with older ones?): after undoing a screw or two on the bottom (without having to open the whole laptop), you can prise out the CD/DVD drive and push in a second hard drive in a caddy*. It's particularly handy after you've upgraded the main drive for an SSD with limited capacity. It only works at USB 2 kind of speed in my old Dell Inspiron 1501, but it's more convenient than using an external drive. It's quick enough to bung back the DVD for rare needs, or you can get a cheap external USB DVD drive.

* Search eBay for "laptop caddy" + "SATA" or "IDE", depending on what type you need, and perhaps the laptop model. There are even combinations to take SATA drive in an IDE computer.

* eg. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181419531576

Dibdib · « **Reply #138 on:** 18 March, 2015, 11:28:01 pm »

Epic want.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #139 on:** 19 March, 2015, 12:24:52 am »

Don't see anything computery there, unless that's an iWelly just poking into shot

Kim · « **Reply #140 on:** 19 March, 2015, 12:36:43 am »

It's a video game reference, m'lud.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #141 on:** 20 March, 2015, 11:09:05 am »

VLC! If Windows can find a directory called "1997 - F♯A♯∞" then I don't see why the SCIENCE that does your playlist Stuffs can't

Gattopardo · « **Reply #142 on:** 21 March, 2015, 10:30:23 pm »

Has picked up a microsoft phone Lumia 435 £25 on pay as go upgrade and will go to windows 10...

Interesting that the phone says to go to windowsphone.com and the phone isn't listed.

Kim · « **Reply #143 on:** 22 March, 2015, 05:55:39 pm »

Barakta: "I've never actually been in an Apple Store, have you?"
Kim: *thoughtful look*
Kim: "We must troll them immediately!"

Pickled Onion · « **Reply #144 on:** 24 March, 2015, 11:31:51 am »

Quote from: Kim on 22 March, 2015, 05:55:39 pm

Barakta: "I've never actually been in an Apple Store, have you?"
Kim: *thoughtful look*
Kim: "We must troll them immediately!"

Advice from Apple Employee on how to get an appointment at an Apple Store:
Go to the website at midnight when the slots are released, if you're lucky you might get one...

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #145 on:** 24 March, 2015, 03:23:34 pm »

How is it that I am able to post this without, at least according to the wossname in the system tray, an internet connection

Pickled Onion · « **Reply #146 on:** 26 March, 2015, 01:47:38 pm »

Why:

When I plugged a network cable directly from computer to router, only the router end lit up to say it was connected (and it didn't work)

but

When I put a switch in the middle, all four network ports lit up properly, and it worked?

pcolbeck · « **Reply #147 on:** 26 March, 2015, 01:53:55 pm »

Quote from: Pickled Onion on 26 March, 2015, 01:47:38 pm

Why:

When I plugged a network cable directly from computer to router, only the router end lit up to say it was connected (and it didn't work)

but

When I put a switch in the middle, all four network ports lit up properly, and it worked?

Cat5 or fibre cable ?

neilrj · « **Reply #148 on:** 26 March, 2015, 05:26:16 pm »

Quote from: Pickled Onion on 26 March, 2015, 01:47:38 pm

Why:

When I plugged a network cable directly from computer to router, only the router end lit up to say it was connected (and it didn't work)

but

When I put a switch in the middle, all four network ports lit up properly, and it worked?

Wrong cable with old hardware at one end, the new switch in middle doesn't care about crossover and translated for the old hardware end?

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #149 on:** 26 March, 2015, 11:15:24 pm »

Lt. Col. Larrington (retd.) has b0rked his trackball. I do not know how. In searching for a replacement I came across this on Nozama:

HOW much???
by Mr Larrington, on Flickr

Yes, four hundred and fifty smackers for a fifteen year old NOS rodent