BlackBerry Storm shortcut keys

Hold the Phone/Make Call button
- Opens the Phone and goes directly to Address Book in the phone

Press the Phone/Make Call button (while not on a call)
- Opens the Phone applicationPress the End Call button (while not on a call) - Goes to the Home Screen

Hold the End Call button
- Shut down the device

Hold the Menu button
- Opens Application Switcher (like ALT+Tab)

Hold the Back button (in Browser)
- Closes Browser

In Messages or Address Book, hold down the Scroll Up button.
- This will take you to the top of the messages list.

In Messages or Address Book, hold down the Scroll Down button.
- This will take you to the bottom of the messages list.

Show keyboard:
To show the keyboard - On screen a with bottom button bar, hover over the bar, and swipe up.
To hide the keyboard - On screen a with bottom button bar, hover over middle of the keyboard, and swipe down.


SureType keyboard:
Show Keyboard, Hold ALT key till it locks, press
Lock ALT, then type ",5,5"
- Bring up the Event Log.
- "ALT + LGLG" on other BlackBerry devices.

Lock ALT, then type "889,,"
- Show signal strength on Home Screen in numbers/bars
- "ALT + NMLL" on other BlackBerry devices.


QWERTY Keyboard:
Lock ALT, "/"/
- Bring up the Event Log.
- "ALT + LGLG" on other BlackBerry devices.

Lock ALT, then type "!,""" (Yes, there are 2 quotes in the keyboard shortcut)
- Show signal strength on Home Screen in numbers/bars
- "ALT + NMLL" on other BlackBerry devices.

Zombie Killing theme music

With 'Left 4 Dead' out, a friend and I got talking about killing zombies to the theme of some great songs. I found lots of web sites that already talked about this topic for other zombie killing games. I thought I would make myself a playlist, and share it with everyone.
Note: In no specific order and feel free to remove the Richard Cheese covers.
Enjoy!

1. Jimi Hendrix - Fire (9:49) -(song title corrected)
2. Metallica - Devil's Dance (5:25)
3. Queen - Don't Stop Me Now (3:31)
4. Slipknot - Wait And Bleed (3:04)
5. George Thorogood - Bad To The Bone (4:50)
6. KoRn - Dead Bodies Everywhere (4:44)
7. Queen - We Are the Champions (2:57)
8. Motley Crue - Shout At The Devil (3:14)
9. Killswitch Engage - Breathe Life (3:18)
10. My Chemical Romance - I'm Not Okay (3:08)
11. Cake - Sheep Go To Heaven (4:44)
12. Queen - We Will Rock You (2:00)
13. Sia - Breathe Me (3:09)
14. Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper (5:07)
15. Black Sabbath - Paranoid (2:52)
16. Theme Song - Benny Hill Show (1:04)
17. Richard Cheese - More Human Than Human (White Zombie) (3:02)
18. Disturbed - Down With The Sickness (4:38)
19. Andy Taylor - Sympathy For The Devil (5:20)
20. Ministry - Breathe (5:40)
21. Audioslave - Cochise (3:42)
22. ZZ Top - La Grange (3:52)
23. AC/DC - Highway to Hell (2:21)
24. System of A Down - Ddevil (1:43)
25. Nonpoint - Alive And Kicking (4:01)
26. The Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop (2:13)
27. Queens Of The Stone Age - No One Knows (4:38)
28. Rammstein - Du Hast (3:55)
29. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil (6:27)
30. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirt (5:01)
31. Nine Inch Nails - Big Man With A Gun (1:36)
32. Michael Jackson - Thriller
33. Sublime - Sunday Bloody Sunday (U2 cover live) (3:49)
34. Kernkraft 400 - Zombie nation (3:30)
35. Queen - All Dead, All Dead (3:06)
36. Van Halen - Runnin' With The Devil (3:33)
37. Creedance Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising (2:19)
38. Richard Cheese - Down With The Sickness (Disturbed) (2:21)
39. Nazareth - This Flight Tonight (3:21)
40. White Zombie - Thunderkiss '65 (4:18)
41. Nazereth - Hair of a dog (4:07)
42. Rob Zombie - Dragula (3:42)
43. Children Of Bodom - Living Dead Beat (4:51)
44. Weird Al Yankovic - Polkarama! (4:17)
45. Nine Inch Nails - Mr Self Destruct (4:30)
46. Motorhead - Ace of spades (2:49)
47. White Zombie - More Human Than Human (4:28)
48. Theme Song - Monster Mash (3:48)
49. Richard Cheese - Sunday Bloody Sunday (U2 Cover) (1:37)
50. U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday (4:41)
51. NOFX - Happy Guy (1:58)

51 tracks in playlist, average track length: 3:46
Playlist length: 3 hours 12 minutes 29 seconds


Update:
I missed some really good ones. I found them on more forums. They are:
Slipknot - Left Behind
Soulfly - Bleed
Dropkick Murphys - Never Alone
Sublime - Devil Went Down To Georgia
Afi - Miss Murder
Machinehead - Block
Ozzy Osbourne - Bark At The Moon

Synchronized Presidential Debating

Ever think they say the same things over and over?
That’s because they do. And this site has made it really fun to watch!

http://www.236.com/video/2008/watch_synchronized_presidentia_9857.php

RSS/podcatcher aggregator/reader - Part 2

I am back at it, trying to find a good program. That's it, a good program.

Okay, the features I want a re fairly specific, but also very common. The problem is finding them in one program.

I have now tried these apps as well:
Floola - Only works if an iPod is connected. Likely only for managing what is already on the ipod. Not what I am looking for.

Songbird - Not bad, except that there is no way to manage existing podcasts nor to even see them. Looks like this is just not part of their feature set yet.

MediaMonkey - Nice features, good options, even a new feature I didn't know I wanted -- Folder naming based on artist and title of podcast!
However, it (like iTunes) renames the file to the title of the episode. With most podcasts this gets rid of the episode number!!! That makes managing what I have watched and what I ahve not watched much harder.
I am gonig to use MediaMonkey a little more and make sure it will let me do what I need with taking files home, and removing them from the laptop. If so, I may start moving all my subscriptions to it, and forget about iTunes. The download speeds in MediaMonkey alone make it a hands-down winner over iTunes for anyone who has a lot of subscriptions, or large video files in subscriptions.

Note: Miro keeps the file name the same as it is on the server. This would make it the winner if it didn't have these other flaws:
- Slow UI
- No ability to remove episodes that you have watched or do not what to see (all exisodes in the feed are always shown as availalbe to download).
- No ability to launch an external media player from in Miro. Like MPC.

Windows can't stop your 'Generic volume'

I hate this message.
I know all about it, and that it is generally due to an open handle on the system for the drive. However, I ahve had some issues where there is no open handle and it still will not remove the drive. This issue seems to be new to Vista.

A few things I have tried:
handle.exe : --- Results in no open handles. Can't remove the drive.
ProcMon --- Results in no open handles. Can't remove the drive.
RemoveDrive.exe --- Results in no open handles. Can't remove the drive.
Unlocker --- Results in no open handles. Can't remove the drive.
Device Manger ito unstall the drive --- Requires a reboot. I am sure a reboot will fix the issue. Without a reboot, san't remove the drive.
Disk Management to remove the drive letter --- Says the drive letter was removed, but still shows up in Exporer. Can't remove the drive.
Restarted many services... MS and non-MS (like antivirus). However, if it was non-MS there would be a handle showing up. Only real option is an issue atthe OS level or something else MS that can access the drive at a very low level.

Anyone have any other good ideas?
I can't even find anything in ProcMon that will tell me how Windows knows that it can't remove the drive... lots of RegReads, and nothing that seems useful.

Well, I guess it is time to reboot so that I can work on this other drive....

Time travel

I hate when movies and TV shows try to involve time travel, but don’t really think about what would happen. A few good examples of this are Back To The Future, and Heroes.

Think of this scenario that often comes up, but indirectly:
I go back in time to meet myself somewhere 5 min ago, and tell myself not to go back in 5 min.

…If I did that, then I never went back. So I never stopped myself from going back to stop myself?
So then I did go back, but then I didn’t…

I hate when movies try to pass this off as:
1. Not affecting anything
2. Fixable
3. Fixable, as long as I can get myself to go back again and tell myself to go back after I told myself not to go back…


These are the things I think of while watching TV/movies.

On the other hand, I need to watch Primer again to make sure that I fully understand and agree with its time travel practices.

PlayStation3 - Wireless Connection - WEP

When entering a WEP key on a PS3, there are 2 things to keep in mind:

1. Even though you type in all the characters, it only shows you 6 (or 8) when you exit the WEP key editing screen.
This is normal!! It is for security (so no one watching you can see the length), and becuase it is easier for them to make an interface with a specific length.


2. WEP keys must be entered with UPPER case letters. I learned this the har way (typed it in lower case twice.) I figured, 'hey, it's Sony. they are lazy, and likely require upper case.' and I was right.

For example, if you WEP key is:
60dgaa294781a973118388f2bb
It MUST be entered list this:
60DGAA294781A973118388F2BB

Sony should fix this in the software. There are two ways they could fix this:
1. Make in imput method that forces upper case letters
or
2. Make the PS3 convert all lower case letters to upper case in the background.


Here are a few forums and stuff that talk about the problem as well:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=497170 http://www.3dgameman.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53322
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=867199 http://www.pregamelobby.com/forum/sony-reviews-tips/5618-how-get-type-2-open-nat-your-ps3.html

Dual monitor in Windows

I always have this question a few times a year. So here are a few links to explain how and why you would want to use multiple monitors. This is how to do it in Windows, using Display Settings in the Control Panel.
This does not cover video card manufacturer specific settings (likenVidia and ATI. Please use their web sites to see how to do it with their software and cards. There are just too many different software versions to cover here.

How to Install Dual Monitors (Video)
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/howstuffworks/30-how-to-install-dual-monitors-video.htm

Two monitors are better than one
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/twomonitors.mspx

How to set up dual monitors
http://lifehacker.com/software/dual-monitor/how-to-set-up-dual-monitors-218991.php

DIY TV HACK - How to hook up your TV to your computer! (Or 2 Monitors)
http://zedomax.com/blog/2008/04/14/diy-tv-hack-how-to-hook-up-your-tv-to-your-computer-or-2-monitors/

Online gaming services for old games

You go to the store to buy a game. Say the one you wanted isn't there, or you don't know exactly what you want. For whatever reason, you buy a game for $30 or less. Graphics on the box look okay, but you figure it is cheap, maybe low budget, but the gameplay seems interesting.

You get home, install the game. Looks like a cheesy installer, but whater. Fire up the game. Maybe you paly it alone for a bit, whater. Then you figure you will try online.

Now most PC games have some kind of online backed run by a publisher, developer or other company. Back of the box usually says what it is (MSN Zone, Battlenet, Heat.net, Steam, EA Online).

So anyway, you fir this thing up and start to make an account. No go, the game throws an error, or times out. Maybe you start to check your connection and network setting. Maybe you strait to google. But what do you do when the online service no longer exists????

Personally, I think this is bunk. If it is still in stores, and still says "Online play" on the box, then they have to continue to offer the online services. How can they stop the service unless maybe there was NO ONE using them.

I actually purchased Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3 this year. Only to discover that Microsoft had "retired player matchmaking services" for it. It also had graphics issues, but I could likely get it working fine in a Virtual PC.

There is such a long list of services that I don't really see the nned to have removed. A few examples I can think of:
Heat.net
Westwood online
Jane's
Mplayer.com
TEN.net

Here is a list of a few more, including some I have never heard of.
http://www.geocities.com/irwinav/game.htm?200824#3

UK cell phone users receive calls for free

Currently in the UK (and likely other places that I don't know about) if someone calls your cell (mobile) phone, you do not pay for the call. That is much different than here in North America.

There have been talks as of late that the UK may be changing to our model, but if seem consumer out-rage may have that at-bay. Lost of links about that:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2140132/Mobile-phone-users-may-pay-to-receive-calls.html
http://www.pocketpicks.co.uk/latest/index.php/2008/06/18/uk-mobile-users-might-pay-to-receive-calls/
http://networks.silicon.com/mobile/0,39024665,39248823,00.htm
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/more-news/technology-gaming/2008/06/17/mobile-phone-owners-may-have-to-pay-to-receive-calls-115875-20610005/
http://www.cellphonedigest.net/international/Mobal%20GSM%20World%20Phone%20Service.htm
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/05/eu_termination_fees_report/comments/


However, in NA we are getting double charged!!
Doesn't seem fair does it?
Anyone have any ideas of how to get this changed here? I have a feeling the big carriers won't care. We are too attached to our mobile devices to give them up and protest. Like the current gas prices :P

iTunes = overweight software

The iTunes install adds these processes (Descriptions from http://searchtasks.answersthatwork.com/ ):
AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
Apple Mobile Device Service. Service installed with Apple's iTunes 7.3 onward. It enables iTunes to interact with the Apple iPhone and the Apple TV.

iPodService.exe
In the later versions of iTunes, such as version 6 or later, the iPodService is used by iTunes itself to communicate with connected iPods.
iTunesHelper.exe
ITUNESHELPER is no longer a 3rd party add-on, it is now an Apple program and part of the iTunes software itself, and our guess is that it is now iTunes' main CD writing interface.

mDNSResponder.exe (bonjour)
Bonjour, also known as zero-configuration networking, enables automatic discovery of computers, devices, and services on IP networks. Bonjour uses industry standard IP protocols to allow devices to automatically discover each other without the need to enter IP addresses or configure DNS servers.
Problems with the services/process that iTunes installs:
1. Unclear exactly what they all do.
2. If all are installed by default, make them all one process, not four different ones.
3. Make the install of them OPTIONAL
4. If they are not installed or are removed, don't nag me every time I open iTunes to tell me it was removed (like Bonjour)
5. Not everyone has (or wants) an iPod.
6. Not everyone has (or wants) an iPhone.

This install of iTunes also requires closing/re-opening Outlook if you have it installed. The reason for this is the "iTunes Outlook Add in". It is believed to be used to be used to synchronize your iPod/iPhone with your Outlook contacts.
http://wildermuth.com/2006/09/30/iTunes_7_x_Installs_Outlook_Addin_-_No_one_seems_to_know_why!
The Apple Update software is another piece of software that should be changed.
They release updates too often, likely not including many fixes. It has to reinstall every time there is an update. It tries to install Safari by default every time.
Seem more info (and some fixes) from these links:
http://john.jubjubs.net/2008/03/21/apple-software-update/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9922267-7.html
http://dcunningham.net/2008/03/25/disabling-apple-software-update-items/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13880_3-10002257-68.html


I really hope someone makes something better than iTunes soon. I may have to stop purchasing music from the iTunes store soon so I am not encouraging this crap software.


(Update: Now they also include MobileMe software in iTunes. Great, make it MORE bloated!
Apple is worse than M$! At least MS knows that they need to make stuff like this optional!)

(Update 2: Found more applications running;
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\bin\distnoted.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\bin\AppleSyncNotifier.exe

Under C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\ there is a total of 27 EXEs. Crazy.)

DataPlay?

You ever heard of DataPlay? I had not.
The story of it's life (or lack of) seems alot like Sony's MiniDisc (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minidisk).

You can read a bit about DataPlay here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DataPlay

DataPlay had some DRM built into the disk (and players), and the musi industry wanted to make it the new media of music.

A little about it from a Google Book:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=4kaOT8SdfkYC&pg=PA203&lpg=PA203&dq=dataplay&source=web&ots=alc3c7lg6f&sig=q-QNhzSDqNQjAqPlXlsw45kLMHw&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result#PPA203,M1

From NY Times (August 29, 2002):
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F05E0D8163FF93AA1575BC0A9649C8B63

PC World (Oct 8, 2004):
http://www.pcworld.com/article/118108/dataplay_discs_stage_a_comeback.html

From G4 TV (2006):
http://www.g4techtv.ca/callforhelp/shownotes/0454.shtml?regular

TechWeb's TechEncyclopedia article on DataPlay:
http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=DataPlay

Gotta love failed technology!

MSN SPAM bot

Microsoft sucks, once again.

This stipid SPAM bot added me to MSN.
fredaxodyxuc (at) hotmail (dot) com

Doesn't MS ask for human verification or some crap for creating accounts?

Anyway, this bot is a bad script that pretends to be a girl with a web cam that wants you to watch :O
Then it sends you a URL and says you need a credied card to verify your age.... lol
See the conversation below (I changed the link so no one reading it here will click it):

Chew says:?

Freda says:hey, A/S/L?

Chew says:you an automated spammer?

Freda says:hey whats up babe, U got a webcam? finally someone adds me, I am soo fuckin horny today for some reason lol

Chew says:gay

Freda says:listen hun, I am just about to start my webcam show with jen, come chat me there in my chat room? We can cyber, I will get naked if u do..lol!

Chew says:you suck

Freda says:I can show u how to watch if u promise not to tell anyone else how to do it???PLEASE

Chew says:now you will send me a URL

Chew says:cause you are stupid.

Chew says:stop pretending to type, and send the message already

Chew says:wanna see how bad your script is.

Freda says:well since its the law that u gotta be 18 (nudity involved), u have to sign up with a credit card for age verification! BUT.. Once you are inside, just clikc on "Webcams" let me know what name you use to sign in with so I know it is you babe! http:// www (dot) lovelocalgirls (dot)com/janeroom fill out the bottom of the page then fill out the next page as well and u can see me live!

And MSN's SPAMer reporting form is down. Stupid Microsoft.

Update:

Another one:

shannanoxixe@hotmail.com says:
Hi
Chew says:
oi
shannanoxixe@hotmail.com says:
hey, Age/Sex/Location?
Chew says:
no, yes, meh
shannanoxixe@hotmail.com says:
hey whats up babe, U got a webcam? finally someone adds me, http://www.theselocalgirls.com/janevocation I am soo fuckin horny today for some reason lol

Red Alert 3 Beta :D

I just got my beta key for RA3. I am now in the download queue on FilePlanet.
What a SWEET birthday gift for me from EA :P

I will add more info when I get it installed and play it a little (or a lot).


Update 04/08/08:
I have played 3 matches now. I have submitted 19 issues. That includes 1 hang and 2 FE/FRs.

Now I have to report a hang and a crash.
Still a very good game. I sure hope they fix these issues.

Done. 22 issues logged.

RSS podcatcher aggregator reader

Are there any really good programs to receive podcasts/RSS feeds with media enclosures?

Juice and Miro are okay, but are both buggy and lack basic features that iTunes has.
I ahve submitted feature requests for Jpodder, but I am sure we will never see them.

iTunes just plain sucks. Some any issues, very few configuration options, and performance issues with downloading.

Zune software looks good, but lacks most features the others have and doesn't have basic configuration like 'download only newest'. It is full auto (download ALL ever), or full manual (manually select what it should download) with that one.

I have found any tried many more apps as well. Hereare a few lists and wizards to find one that works for you:
http://www.daniels.net.nz/?s=podcatcher
http://www.podcatchermatrix.org/
http://www.sitecreations.com/podcast-software-list.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_feed_aggregators

Here are some more I have tried:
HappyFish
Podcatcher
Doppler
Ziepod
VPodCatcher
WinAmp (great for music, not for podcasts)

I have not yet found any with the features I want. Jumping between these things has become a past time! I cannot find one that works for me, or even one I can live with for now.


The features I want are:

• Keeps track of what I have watched, and what I have not. Or will at leact let me mark something as 'watched' manually
• Downloads only the newest item(s). Idealy anything new since the last time it checked for new ones from that feed
• Can configure it NOT to delete any files
• Works with video and audio files
• Has a GREAT media plaer OR lets me launch the files to an external player of my choice (MPC for me)
• Keeps the file name of the media file that the downloaded file was named OR lets me give a name basted on date and time of publish or download
• Each podcast goes to it's own folder under one main (configurable) folder for all podcasts

Useful features:

• Import and exporting list of feeds for backup would be nice
• Easially move the download folder
• Good support, or good forum, or at least add suggested features
• Supports sync of files to removeable media (like media device or USB drive)
• A screen to view current doownloads
• Sortable list of your subscriptions
• Freeware...

That is all I can think of right now. I am SURE I will think of more later, as I deal with iTunes for the next couple week... until I look for another alternative.

Anyone have any suggestions for another application I can try?? Please?
I'd make it myself if I knew VB .NET better :(

My quotes

I think of a lot of weird things.... I thought I would wrote some of them down here.

Here are original quotes/sayings/thoughts that I have thought of. I will update this with new ones as they happen :P


Stephen Hawking is British?
I must have missed his accent.

Microsoft, putting sugar in the gas tanks of our PCs for over 20 years!

Do old computers have alzheimer's?

Teach a man to search Google, and he will stop bugging you with stupid questions.

IE SearchURLs

Internet Explorer was created to allow anyone to add their own searches with keywords to the functionality of the Address Bar. I am sure this was originally for Microsoft and other companies to use with their products, be we can also create our in the registry. Here is an example of one:



This uses the keyword 'g' (or capital 'G') to search for whatever you type with Google. You set the URL to anything with a variable in it, and you replace the word with "%s". This tells Internet Explorer to use the text you entered and put it where the "%s" is in the URL listed under "(Default)".

Each of the other registry values below the URL are like a 'find and replace' for the text entered after the keyword. For example, the first one with replace any " " (spaces) with the character "+". This is because Google's search replaces spaces with plus signs. The rest of them are all just to replace text that some URLs may not support with their HEX representation so the web server can understand it.

As you can see, the Registry key for all SearchURLs is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl\
This is where you can go to edit or remove existing ones, and to add new ones. I have created the .reg file at the bottom of the page (copy into a file and save as .reg) to give you a place to start with the ones I have created.


Please feel free to post comments with ideas for more sites you have added or would like me to add.

Here is a full list of sites in the .reg file:
A - Amazon search
BB - blackberry.com search
BBF - BlackBerry Fourms search
BBiKB - internal BlackBerry KB search
BBKB - public BlackBerry KB search
CD - Computer Dictionary online search
D - Dicrionary.com search
EID - EventID.Net search
G - Google.com search
G1d - Google.com search in the past 1 day
G1m - Google.com search in the past 1 month
G1w - Google.com search in the past 1 week
G1y - Google.com search in the past 1 year
GB - Google Book Search
GBL - Google Blog Search
GF Google Finance Search
GG - Google Gourp Search
GI - Google Images Search
GL - Google Im feeling lucky
GM - Google Maps Search
GN - Google News Search
GP - Google Picasa web search
GS - Google Scholar search
GV - Google Video Search
IMDB - IMDB search
MSDL - Microsoft Download Search
MSKB - Microsoft KB search
MSS - Microsoft Support Search
MSSB - Microsoft Security Bulletin search
MSTN - Microsoft TechNet Search
TG - ThinkGeek search
UD - urbandictionary.com Search
WP - Wikipedia.org search
YT - YouTube Search


A few of my sources:
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/02/10/529950.aspx
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/08/31/733821.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Zondor/IE-address-short-cuts-install.reg
http://www.commandline.co.uk/searchurl/index.html
http://geeklit.blogspot.com/2006/09/ie-command-line-searches.html


Contents of REG file:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl\A]
@="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-3958774-5019106?field-keywords=%s"
"#"="%23"
"&"="%26"
"?"="%3F"
"+"="%2B"
"="="%3D"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl\BB]
@="http://na.blackberry.com/eng/navigation/search.do?q=%s&searchMode=simple&pageServletPath=%2F&pageQueryString=&domainID=47&firstTime=true"
" "="%20"
"#"="%23"
"&"="%26"
"?"="%3F"
"+"="%2B"
"="="%3D"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl\BBF]
@="http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=%s+site%3Ablackberryforums.com&meta="
" "="+"
"\""="%22"
"#"="%23"
"&"="%26"
"?"="%3F"
"+"="%2B"
"="="%3D"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl\BBiKB]
@="http://support/knowledgebase/php/main.do?searchMode=GuidedSearch&confirmNodes=&constraints=&docSortOrder=relevance&numDocs=25&dpref=&searchString=%s&product=&document=&product=&product2=&published=All"
" "="+"
"#"="%23"
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Who Owns Who - Auto Makers

I really wanted to do a port on this topic, but in looking for into, I found a few other places that have already done this topic. So, I thought I could link you all to them so you can get it from their sites and you could even get in on their comments.

Cars! Cars! Cars! - Who owns who
http://carscarscars.blogs.com/index/2004/03/who_owns_who.html

CalList - Who owns whom
http://www.carlist.com/autonews/2005/autonews_149.html

Windows File sharing in Windows - Focus: Permissions

"I am getting a permissions error on those 2 files"
"But the permissions are setup fine. It works when I go to it"
"It is because you Moved them to that folder, so permissions are not inhereted. You need to force the permissions on the folder again"
"What?"

Keep in mind that I was talknig to a Mac fan-boy. But he is also very good with Windows, and supports a server application for Windows for a living.


The basics:
How to configure file sharing in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304040

The "Managing levels of access to shares and to files" section touches on permissions. The important this to note from this is: There are two types of permissions on Windows NT-based file shares: Share permissions and NTFS permissions.
This only applies if you have an NTFS formatted hard driver, but that is the default format in Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Vista (and I think in Windows Server 2008).

There is no point in me making a guide with screenshots when many already exist:
Build Your Skills: NTFS permissions in Windows 2000
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-1056389.html

Step-By-Step: How to set and troubleshoot NTFS permissions in Windows XP
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-1055994.html

Windows Vista - File sharing essentials
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/help/e20e6875-7210-47bb-bf19-5c60e6ae86151033.mspx


However, the thing the everyone seems to miss is:
A copy of files to a folder inherits the new folder's permissions (within the same NTFS partition)
A move of files to a folder retains the old folder's permissions (within the same NTFS partition)


Acroos NTFS partitions is different:
A copy of files to a folder inherits the new folder's permissions (across different NTFS partitions)
A move of files to a folder inherits the new folder's permissions (across different NTFS partitions)


All copy of moves to non-NTFS partitions loose permissions, cause non-NTFS partitions don't have permissions (like FAT). If your OS supports a File System other than NTFS that does support permissions, then it may do some conversion or something. I dunno.


For more info, or see if explaimed another way, go here:
What happens to NTFS permissions when you copy
http://www.tech-faq.com/ntfs-permissions-copy-move.shtml

Multi-platform/cross-platform gaming

I want to play my PC games with friends that have consoles.

The only game I know of that has done that is Shadow Run. I played the game a bit on a friend's Xbox 360, and it was fairly fun (as far as a console FPS goes). Why hasn't anyone else done this? You know consumers would like to be able to play COD4 between PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. Or even just PS3 and Xbox 360, just to keep mouse haters out of the picture. However, you know that console makes would not encourage this type of thing, because it boosts the usefulness of both consoles, and they all want theirs to be 'the console' to buy. Why would game developers want to piss off the console makers jsut to make customers happy? So they don't.
(Note: UT3 was supposed to be cross-platform network playable too, but they changed their minds before release)


Just doing a google search on PC games dieing you see that it is no small discussion. A great blog post on this can be found here:
http://www.blogohblog.com/is-piracy-killing-the-pc-gaming-industry/
It also has lots of good comments, including one from me :P
This also crosses into the gaming on pc vs consoles talk. I think it is covered well, and I won't get into it here.

There are also lots of talks about 'middlewear' to power games so that cross-platform with be easier on developers. This could also open up the cross-platform network play on these games. See there for more info:
http://www.gtawh.com/forums/index.php?s=b42fdea27ec3e94321df5db1056dcb06&showtopic=23413&pid=655175&st=0&#entry655175
http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1230049
http://pc.gamezone.com/news/07_03_03_05_33PM.htm


Here is a good (but out of date) post about 'The Next Generation of Multiplatform Games', from January 25th, 2006. But it is in a light I have not really looked at before; Game maker don't use the console's full power so that the games can also come out on ther last generation's hardware. Interesting. I would like to see the same person look at this again today and tell us what they see. Is it better with PS3 and Wii out?
http://community.teamxbox.com/xbox/1460/The-Next-Generation-of-Multiplatform-Games/p1/


Lots of people asking about this, and Shadow Run is the only answer (and Quake 3 for DreamCast I guess):
http://forums.hexus.net/hexus-gaming/129012-call-duty-4-cross-platform-multiplayer.html
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=183478
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=170214
http://www.fragland.net/news/Team-Fortress-2-no-cross-platform-multiplayer/16725/
http://kotaku.com/350620/halo-wars-to-offer-cross+platform-multiplayer


So, what I get out of all this:
Buy Shadow Run and support cross-platform network gaming.
I am going to go buy it today for PC.

Read this for some hope in game developers doing what the consumers want:
"1st June for first cross-platform multiplayer game for 360" (11 May 2007)
http://old.gameplanet.co.nz/mag.dyn/News/11782.html

Exchange 2007

I don't usually post server related stuff, but that is what I do every day....

Microsoft sucks. I know, it isn't new news... more this is more supporting data. Case in point; Exchange 2007's use of the PowerShell.

- PowerShell is required for Exchange 2007.
- The Exchange 2007 'GUI'/console is simple a front end to the backend commands being sent through PowerShell. This makes the GUI VERY slow.


PowerShell should have been an add on to make Exchange 2007 manageable via the command line. It should not be a required part of the Exchange 2007 server.
This is where they should have taken tips from the creators of WMI or something.

Reminds me of the changes in Vista....
MS Exec: "Customers want us to add something they want...'
MS Dev: "Well we can add the feature, but we will need to remove the way it works now"
MS Exec: "That makes complete sense. Make it so."
MS Dev: "Suckers... they will never ask for more features again after this."


Microsoft needs to think before changing anything. You do all these usability studies... maybe you should include more than just NEWBIES in the study.

Vista...

So, I have used Vista before and it was okay. However I was not ready to switch to it yet. Then I started having some problems with directx. So installed vista to see you there was a hardware or software problem. Turned out it was a software problem, directx or driver related. Shouldn't the drivers because I tried three different versions, but whenever.

So I had a dual boot of windows XP and a and vista. Too bad I didn't have enough room on the partitions to keep either one. Long story.

I decided to reinstall both. Deleted both partitions and installed XP then vista. Please let me use the vista boot manager, but still keep XP just in case.

So I've been using vista for a few weeks and it's OK. My only booted XP once to make sure it worked before installing vista. The biggest problem with vista is stupid little changes to the UI. There are so many things they changed for no real reason, they say it's to improve UI for new users. About that...

Trying to find if how to fix these UI changes I also found lots of tweaks for vista. I still am found any way to change the changes to this vista's UI. However, I did find all these tweaks and tips. Here are some links:

Windows Help and How-to: Change folder views and behavior
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/help/3a3bfe59-5268-4fb3-81c5-7972c28939cd1033.mspx

Windows Help and How-to: Folders: frequently asked questions
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/8eb3b0f8-533a-4e63-b967-b090a7912cc71033.mspx#EWD

Windows Help and How-to: Working with the Navigation pane
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/d4040ef3-f24d-44e5-b5fe-244ab61585e11033.mspx

Windows Help and How-to: Navigate using the Address bar
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/ddd07224-70eb-4078-bb9b-ecc90d00ee571033.mspx

Vista User Account Control: ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin
http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/vista/ConsentPromptBehavior.htm

Vista Registry Editor - Examples of .Reg Files
http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/vista/vista_reg_examples.htm

Vista Registry Tips, Hacks, and Tweaks...
http://www.tuatm.net/winvista_reghacks.html

Windows Vista Forums: Tweaks and Tips
http://thevistaforums.com/index.php?autocom=ineo&showcat=4


Ultimate Linkfarm for Vista Tips, Tweaks and Fixes, A comprehensive (Work in Progress) list of Tips
http://thevistaforums.com/index.php?autocom=ineo&showarticle=41


BTW, I did all of this (minus the links) with the Vista speech recognition software.

Weird Al

Weird Al is still great. I have got tickets for me, my girlfriend and two friends to go see him in July. Floor seats, dead center stage. Can't wait!!!

Now I have to find (or make??) the perfect t-shirt to wear to the show.

Where's Willy?

I re-discovered a great web site today. whereswilly.com
It lets you track your Canadian money where ever it travels. Just enter the serial number, put the web site on the bill, and wait for someone to add it in their location.

Click the image to go to the site:


And no, writing on Canadian bills in not illigal. Read this


American site, by the same people:
WheresGeorge.com

Sex-ed podcasts

Midwest Teen Sex Show

Man And Wife

Both very funny and often informative.

Games that force hardware upgrades

I hate games that require better hardware than games like them. There is no need for it if you have not done anything "great!!". So far I have never seen (or played) a single game that is worth buying a new computer for.

Here are a few games that should have been made better to either allow for setting to be turned off for it to play better on 'older' hardware, or just fix the code!
- Supreme Commander
- Guitar Hero 3 (for PC)
- Crysis
- NFS Pro Street

Fix your code!!!!!
You could all still fix the issues in a patch, but you're not going to :(


These areticles are very useful to tell what the average gamer has:
2007 in PC Hardware (includes user comments)
http://www.digg.com/pc_games/2007_in_PC_Hardware
It links to this article:
http://www.yougamers.com/articles/16000_2007_in_pc_hardware/
Many users comment. One of the best is a like to Valve's hardware survey:
http://www.steampowered.com/status/survey.html

Anyone making a game NEEDS to make it work with the average machine. 'Work' means at least 30fps on average.

Do it!

Video card!

What should i get?

I have not got a new system for a few years, and I am thinknig of getting one. But what video card do I get, or what manufacturer even?

I have always been an ATI fan. (Had a Rage, Rage Fury Pro VIVO, Radeon 9500 Pro and Radeon 9800XT)
I once owned a VooDoo :P
I once owned an nVidia GeForce....

But things have changed. AMD owns ATI now. Is that good or bad?
I like AMD, but is it for for ATI, I don't know.

I had a friend with a new GeForce back in the day and BF1942 had bad graphics/texture issues. See picture.



Another friend has an AlienWare laptop. Get got it 1 year ago. It runs Vista. But the driver for ithas some issue as well. For example, in COD4 he cannot see people. He only sees their gun... not so useful.

So I did some 'research' :P Google searches.
Results 1 - 10 of about 207,000 for nvidia driver issue problem
Results 1 - 10 of about 1,100,000 for nvidia driver issue
Results 1 - 10 of about 956,000 for nvidia driver problem
Results 1 - 10 of about 348,000 for nvidia graphics problem
Results 1 - 10 of about 216,000 for nvidia graphics issue
Results 1 - 10 of about 37,700 for nvidia video corruption
Results 1 - 10 of about 258,000 for nvidia corruption

Results 1 - 10 of about 203,000 for ati driver issue problem
Results 1 - 10 of about 458,000 for ati driver issue
Results 1 - 10 of about 410,000 for ati driver problems
Results 1 - 10 of about 307,000 for ati graphics problem
Results 1 - 10 of about 214,000 for ati graphics issue
Results 1 - 10 of about 47,300 for ati video corruption
Results 1 - 10 of about 275,000 for ati corruption


So, some reviews to compair:
DirectX 10 Shootout: Nvidia vs. ATI
http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/10/09/directx_10_shootout/

ATI vs nVidia
"but nVidia really seems to be pretty flaky with Windows Vista"
http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/06/18/ati-vs-nvidia/

I don't plan to use Vista.
I do plan to use an nVidia chipset on the mothboard. But i have used the nForce chipset with ATI video cards before and not had issues.

Well, I don't need the best out there. So no 8800, or the 3870. So it's the 8600 vs the 3850.
Google....
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3151&p=8
http://www.incrysis.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=279416
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/247874-33-3850-8600gt

http://legionhardware.com/document.php?id=704
"Those looking at buying a sub $300 US graphics card should still turn to the GeForce 8800 GT, while those looking at spending anything less than $200 US should consider the Radeon HD 3850, no actually they should only consider the Radeon HD 3850!"

There we have it. I am set on the ATI Radeon HD 3850. I was actually looking at getting this card to start, and thatwas based solely on price and model numbering :D

Now to pick a manufacturer.... (ASUS, Sapphire, Colorpower, Diamond, ect)

Guitar Hero 3 for PC

I have lots to say about Guitar Hero 3, for the PC.

1. I hate ports. Ported games with no work put into improving performance is just a money grab. I hate you all for doing this. Too many companies get away with this bullshit.
Put some effort into it! Earn the money!!

2. Also to do with ported games.. but more to with just the performance. Here are the specs of the box I play on right now (it cost me $40 because I got it for free as it needed a motherboard).

Intel Celeron 2.5Ghz

1GM of DDR 333Mhz RAM

ATI Radion 9600 Pro (128MB)

40GB 7200RPM IDE HDD

And the game runs like Half-Life 2 on a PII 700Mhz P.O.S. WTH?

You can make the game run better! This box played COD4 at 1024x768, but GH3 is not even smooth at 800x600 with the 3 graphics options turned off!

I even removed the 3D animated backgrounds using this hack:

http://www.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=39719&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=a117e43aeda25a215fa83cd2b859e4cf

This 'hack' made things playable... but it still lags up a lot.

Fraps (without recording) usually shows a frame rate of 35-40. At times it gets a low as 28 FPS

3. The PC version comes with an Xbox GH2 guitar. This is both good and bad.

The bad is, why not give us something better?

The good is that it should work with an Xbox (I have not tried yet,but I hear it does) It even has the Xbox button on the controller, used on an xbox to bring up the Dashboard menu thing.

I am also told that if you get the wireless game receiver for the Xbox 360 controllers, you can use the wireless Xbox 360 guitar on the PC version of the game. Though it is not 'supported' by the makes of the game on the PC.

Here are a few screen shots of the GH2 wired guitar/controller in Windows, showing that it works like normal Joystick or gamepad.

This image shows the buttons and the axises available:

I have made this image to show how everything maps to buttons and axises in Windows:

For an Open Source and free alternative to Guitar Hero for the PC, check out Frets on Fire:

http://fretsonfire.sourceforge.net/

You can use the Xbox 360 wired controller for this game as well. However, I have not tried the wireless one with it. It will also let you use a computer keyboard to play (as does GH3 for PC).

Honest Game Reviews!

This guy hits the nail on the head every time.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation

I personally only disagree on one thing he says, and that was about Guitar Hero 3... I enjoy the game (for now) and he does not. I agree with everything else he says about it though. It is annoying and 'main stream'.

He is very fast and whitty, and the animations are pricelessly funny.
And no "9 out of 10" rating bull shit.

Enjoy.