I have a question. Volume 19 - Mark (RLBS)
******* Thread now closed, please see volume 20 ********

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=17...2


In this thread you may ask any question for which you need help, advice, suggestions or whatever.

It does not need to be motoring related. In fact, in this thread it should not be.

No politics
No Speeding, speed cameras, traffic calming
No arguments or slanging matches
Nothing which I think is not following the spirit of the thread.

Any of the above will be deleted. If the thread becomes difficult to maintain it will simply be removed.

However, as has been said a couple of times, there is a wealth of knowledge in here, much of which is not motoring related, but most of which is useful.

This is Volume 19. Previous Volumes will not be deleted.

I have a question. Volume 19 - Mark (RLBS)
I will be posting a reply to all the previous "I have a question...." threads to bump them together.

Briefly irritating, but ultimately useful

Mark.
I have a question. Volume 19 - Mark (RLBS)
Right, I know it looks a mess now, but it does help me and it'll clear up by tomorrow.

Thanks.
I have a question. Volume 19 - Hugo {P}
Mark,

If I could be so bold to suggest the following....

Links to previous volumes to help prevent repetition;

I have a question?.

Vol 1
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=82...2

Vol 2
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=83...0

Vol 3
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=87...8

Vol 4
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=93...3

Vol 5
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=10...5

Vol 6
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=10...0

Vol 7
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=11...1

Vol 8
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=12...9

Vol 9
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=12...6

Vol 10
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=13...0

Vol 11
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=13...3

Vol 12
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=13...2

Vol 13
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=14...2

Vol 14
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=15...0

Vol 15
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=15...0

Vol 16
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=15...7

Vol 17
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=16...4

Vol 18
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=16...7

Hope this works, but if not - you get the idea!


Hugo

"Forever indebted to experience of others"
I have a question. Volume 19 - Hugo {P}
PS,

Just to be really tidy, could these threads go in the archive, where we can still access them via these links??

Hugo
I have a question. Volume 19 - L'escargot
Earlier this year I bought a rotary lawnmower which is powered by a ubiquitous Briggs & Stratton engine. After a few weeks the ("Reliable Starting") engine became difficult to start. Inspection of the Champion RJ19LM spark plug revealed that it had a hard black glaze. I fitted a new plug and after a few weeks the same thing happened. I assume that the glaze is the result of the plug not running hot enough. The engine speed is governed so that it is roughly constant whether the engine is under load or not, and this probably doesn't help. Anyone out there had this problem, and what was the solution? My feeling is that fitting a spark plug that runs hotter might help, but I am at a loss as to what plug would be a suitable. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
HEARING AID COSTS - malteser
I am in the unfortunate position of needing a new hearing aid after SWMBO failed to check my shirt pocket before washing the shirt!
I cannot understand why a relatively simple piece of electronics such as an "in ear" aid can cost up to £2000, when a state of the art PC, capable of running a medium size company's systems can be had for about £1000.
Is this a rip off? I think so. If there are any "Registered Hearing Aid dispensors lurking on this forum I would be really pleased to hear! their side of the story!
Why work when you can sleep?
HEARING AID COSTS - Altea Ego
Well if you want a big beige unsophisticated noisy box stuck in your era then why not. PCs are cheap because they are badly made.
Hearing aids are very high quality, minaturised devices, and suprsingly not sold in huge numbers, so there is no economy of scale

Right your hearing aid? does your house contents insurance not cover this?
HEARING AID COSTS - Kuang
'PCs are cheap because they are badly made'

Oh, I dunno - my self-built one here was less than half the high street price at the time for kit of this level, and works like a dream. It all comes down to the builder.. ;)
HEARING AID COSTS - No Do$h
Oh, I dunno - my self-built one here was less than
half the high street price at the time for kit of
this level, and works like a dream. It all comes down
to the builder.. ;)


Which explains my absence in the BR over the weekend, as my laptop remained in Peterborough and I used my homebuilt AMD 2800 Barton to access the site. Or I would have done if it were behaving.

Methinks a stripdown and reinstall may be in order.
HEARING AID COSTS - smokie
PCs are badly made? They seem generally pretty good to me. Well, except maybe some of the lower end of the branded market. Mean time between failure is measured in ten's of thousands of hours with most components.

Like all consumer products, the emphasis is on reducing costs - isn't that what we want? But as with all consumer products you have a range to choose from, with quality attracting a premium.

When you think back to what computers cost even, say, just 5 years ago there is no doubt that they have come down in real terms. And, of course, you get considerably more for your money.

I'm not qualified to talk about hearing aids though...
HEARING AID COSTS - Altea Ego
Badly made? Yes indeedy. Bin in the PC business since 1983. The first one (ignoring apple) the IBM PC was built like a boat anchor, and of high quality components. The first portable from compaq, was an engineering marvel.

I build my own PC's, and yes I buy the best bits I can, and the price is amazing for what you get. Compared to a 1.5 million pound mainframe tho the PC is made of rice paper. The average PC could be built into a matchbox if manufacturers were to employ the best available. They dont and is still mainly (yes I know about shuttle type boxes) big tin, poorly made. The average life expectency of a PC is now about 2.5 years. I am not knocking it, the quality and price is what I need for 2.5 years use (Well actually my rebuild cycle is now about 18 months junior on the other end of the home network gets the hand me downs)

Medical devices (like hearing aids) do employ the best design going, need to be high quality, and in relatively small numbers. Hence the cost.
Call Waiting? - drbe
I use my domestic phone line as my dial-up line. I have call waiting enabled - I believe - but my surfing is not interrupted when someone rings me.

The caller gets the message "The caller knows you are waiting", or words to that effect. Can I configure things so that my incoming calls get through, they may be important and I can always dial up later.

Incidentally, I am resisting broadband and the like, mainly because of the cost.

Any advice would be appreciated

Don drbe
Call Waiting? - Doc
Incidentally, I am resisting broadband and the like, mainly because of
the cost.



How much do you pay for dial-up?

NTL do broadband for £17.99 a month .
This gives a fast connection 24 hours a day and it frees up your phone, which is why I changed.
Once you have tried BB you won't want to go back to unreliable dial-up.
Call Waiting? - eMBe {P}
.. NTL do broadband for £17.99 a month . ..>>


But if you are not on Ntl, how about this cheaper alternative at £15.99 a month :

www.tiscali.co.uk/products/broadband/build/index.h...Y
Call Waiting? - Kuang
I'd personally say that the 150k services that NTHell and Tiscali offer are barely broadband by any recognisable standard. I know broadband refers to the transmission method rather than the speed, but you still expect a little more than that. it's like BT's 'ten times faster than dialup' ADSL claims, even though ADSL is capable of around forty times the speed given a suitable conductor..

There is a new provider that'll hook you up with a one meg line on a 3 month contract for £27ish, and a two meg one for £35, but I can't remember the name currently... I'll rack my brain cell. :)
Call Waiting? - smokie
...but Kuang they are still faster than dial up at about the same overall cost (though I think with NTL you are still expected to take either the phone or TV service to be eligible).

I find with broadband that not only is the line speed nominally faster, but the data "flows" better, at a more consistent rate, and doesn't suffer from the peaks and troughs of dial up.

So the overall feel and effect is is to greatly enhance the "web experience" - the actual line speed and quoted multiplier really are beside the point. Unless of course you are downloading lots of data...when the bandwidth really DOES count.
Call Waiting? - Kuang
I agree that faster is definitely better, but the costing is still a bit off for me - I work in the day and so can only use the net at the evenings and weekends, and BT charge me just under a tenner for unlimited dialup access during those times. Following the upgrades they did a while back, the dialup service really is very good and quite consistent - it connects at 50,666 (52k on my laptop) and only suffered peaks and disconnects when the phoneline itself was hit by lightning! :)

I also have *many* issues with NTL following a nasty redundancy a couple of years back, not least of which is a knowledge of the way they work and alter services as it suits them. I wouldn't trust them to maintain the service I paid for.

Still, I'm lucky and can afford to hold off for the moment - my workshop hangs off a ten meg pipeline, and I have a CD burner for the big stuff :)
Call Waiting? - Kuang
If you have a V92 modem and your ISP supports V92, then you can often activate call waiting so you can suspend your browsing to answer the phone. It's not always that simple though, as many ISPs are reluctant to move across due to the perceived lack of interest as a result of broadband. The main advantage (apart from the call waiting facility) is that you get a faster upload speed than with V90 (the current standard). The dialler software should notify you of any incoming calls, but many manufacturers make a little piece of kit that plugs into the phoneline and flashes a light at you when it detects someone trying to get through.

If your ISP and your modem both support V92 you'll still have a bit of reconfoguration to do, and possibly a small utility download - the FAQ section of your ISPs homepage should clear that up a bit.

Quick note though - many modern modems are sold as 'V92 ready'. This means that they are capable of using the V92 standard but need to be updated to do so, usually through a simple firmware upgrade.
Call Waiting? - frostbite
If you read the comments on Tiscali's own forums about their service, never mind elsewhere, you will not choose them as your ISP.
Call Waiting? - THe Growler
RE Tiscali they need to clean up. I have had about 30 Nigerian 419's from them in the last 10 days. I reported them all but they're still coming.
Call Waiting? - Phil I
Telewest just this month upgraded their systems to take full advantage of the v92 protocol. Their Surf Unlimited gives 24/7
56k dial up for 13.99. Needs Call Waiting enabled (extra £1 p.m.)
Latest true V92 modems give on screen detail of caller i.d.(if enabled on phone line) and TW allow 4 minutes hold time, gives ample opportunity for quick conversation and straight back onto browser. Internal V92 with these features (Modem on hold plus caller id) quite cheap around £18/19, External 35/40.
Can only agree with Chris R. answer to all your spam and virus problems is solved by defecting from MS to Linux. I use Mandrake v9 and it is simplicity itself. Great support from Local Linux User Groups.

Happy Motoring and spam + virus free browsing Phil I
Call Waiting? - frostbite
Telewest sounds really useful - but do you not need to reside in a cabled area to take advantage? Many of us do not.
Call Waiting? - Phil I
Sorry Frostbite. did not see your query till now>

Yes it is only available within certain areas - mostly urban of course as the costs of laying cable can only be partially covered by revenue generated. Pity not more widespread as I find it really excellent service - no drop outs - good fast connection.
Call Waiting? - Dynamic Dave
I use my domestic phone line as my dial-up line. I
have call waiting enabled - I believe - but my surfing
is not interrupted when someone rings me.
The caller gets the message \"The caller knows you are
waiting\", or words to that effect. Can I configure things so
that my incoming calls get through, they may be important and
I can always dial up later.


drbe,

There are a couple of devices listed below that may help you. Scroll down the page until you come across \"Internet alert\" and \"Internet Alert Call Manager\"

www.deltacom.co.uk/acatalog/CLI_devices_and_Call_r...l

Being Pedantic? - eMBe {P}
My question "Is it worth being pedantic?".

Eg.

"vertigo" is not the same as acrophobia - but most people seem to think it is.

"brownie points" has nothing to do with Girl Guides or Brownies, but most people seem to think it does.

"quantum" in quantum leap has *nothing* to do with quantum as in quantum-physics but in fact has everything to do with the latin meaning of the word, i.e. a discrete, measurable, amount.

We all know that the earth is flat but still people keep insisting that it is round.

So, is it worth correcting those who have the wrong idea about these words/phrases ?



Being Pedantic? - Kuang
I'd say it all depends on what you stand to gain by doing so - if it's just for the sake of one-upmanship then probably not, but if the difference of opinion comes about as part of an ongoing discussion it may be worth setting out your stance so that further comments can be taken in the correct context.

It has to be said though that most misunderstandings of that type are about relatively trivial issues, and as long as you can understand what the other person is going on about, you probably shouldn't lose too much sleep over it :)
Being Pedantic? - Baskerville
eMBe

I suppose in some ways I'm a professional pedant: an editor. But I think current meaning is what counts. After all who checks before using them what words "originally" meant if their current meaning is quite different yet commonly understood? It's a pub quiz curiosity and not uninteresting, but who cares, really? Communication is all about simplicity, speed and efficiency and if there is no misunderstanding in the given context then it doesn't matter--leaving aside appropriateness and register of course. Language has to be fit for purpose.

Incidentally editors use a whole range of different style guides that give differing and conflicting advice about grammatical and other usages. These are applied according to the needs of the particular publication they are busy with. Pedants are useful in other ways but they tend not to be flexible or imaginative thinkers in my experience: pedantry in a writer is the kiss of death for writing. So I'm going to go back on my first sentence since part of my job as an editor is to revive the prose of terminal pedants.

Chris

PS All languages are "funny" like this, not just English.
Being Pedantic? - malteser
Yes - it is very important to be pedantic!
My pet hates are (1) Calling our National Flag the "Union Jack" - properly it is NOT a "jack" unless flown fron the jackstaff of one of the Royal Navy's vessels. Consequently, when flown anywhere else, it is the Union Flag
(2)Flying aforesaid Union Flag UPSIDE DOWN! Correctly the side of the flag nearest to the flag pole should have, in the bottom left hand corner, the BROAD white stripe to the top!
Calling the British people "BRITS" is sloppy and offensive
..........................................................
"Rude, crude and socially unacceptable"
Being Pedantic? - jeds
You also have to be very careful when choosing to be pedantic. In a friendly discussion recently the old chestnut of the 'World' baseball series came up. As per usual it started with somebody mentioning that the World series was in fact an American series.

The pedantic one says; 'oh no, it's got nothing to do with the World as in the Earth - it was named World series because it was sponsored by the World newspaper'.

Sounds very clever but is in fact wrong. It is so named because the champions many years ago were dubbed the 'champions of the World'. This eventually became the World champions and from that came the World series.
What's your favourite trivia? - jeds
Mine is the origin of the word itself, which I reckon must be the ultimate trivia.

It comes from the Roman practice of locating information posts at the point where three roads met (tri-via)
Being Pedantic? - Altea Ego
I am british and not at all offended by being called a brit
Conspiricy theory N0 99 - Altea Ego
Due to the alacrity of a type not seen before on these pages in locking the Diana Thread I have to ask.........

Is Mark RLBS (Live in RLBS & Bicester Work in Watford & Coventry) a secret member of MI5 and therefore a party to this cover up? BIG ;-)
Being Pedantic? - L'escargot
I am british and not at all offended by being called
a brit


Without wishing to be pedantic, surely (like me) you are British, not british. I wouldn't be offended to be called a Brit, but I would probably object to be called a brit.
--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
Being Pedantic? - THe Growler
>>>>>but I would probably object to be called a brit.
--

...which is probably where the capital letter will go once T. B. Liar has given away the farm, as he plans to do over everybody's dead body without so much as a by your leave.

Being Pedantic? - Robin
<"quantum" in quantum leap has *nothing* to do with quantum as in quantum-physics but in fact has everything to do with the latin meaning of the word, i.e. a discrete, measurable, amount>

Ah well, the pedantic physicists and chemists amongst us would point out that quantum physics is ALL about discrete, measureable (Heisenberg notwithstanding), amounts. Quite what is meant by Quantum Leap is beyond me really as quanta, as used in the physics and chemistry sense of the word, are really rather small things. A single quanta of red light has an energy of about 2 times 10 raised to the power of -19 Joules. ie 2 with 19 zeros before it! Energy changes between energy levels are similarly small so how come the term quantum leap in common parlance refers to a gigantic step change. Perhaps it refers to the change in understanding that occured with the development of quantum theory?
Model Herbie - BobbyG
Guys, SWMBO collects model Beetles and I am trying to track down a model Herbie. I have searched the net and even hunted last week when I was in Euro Disney but couldn't find one.

Anyone any contacts?
Model Herbie - Martin Wall
cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3559...0

cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3560...3

:-)
Model Herbie - BobbyG
Interesting though would prefer a straight forward purchase from a retailer, can't be bothered with ebay!!!

Maybe I shouldn't say that on here!!
Model Herbie - No Do$h
store.yahoo.com/showcasetoys/schuchervwbe.html

store.yahoo.com/showcasetoys/jolihlobu1sc.html

Two models available from a retailer in the US. I'm sure I've seen something here in the UK whilst scouring for scalextric retailers so will have a rummage and see what else I turn up.

May be worth picking up a copy of Volksworld magazine. There are loads of ads for scale model beetles.
Model Herbie - BobbyG
Exactly what i want No Dosh, if only there was a UK supplier!

Keep looking for that Scalextric retailer!!
Lawnmower spark plugs - L'escargot
Pardon me for repeating this post, but I suspect that the first offering was rather hidden earlier in the thread.

Earlier this year I bought a rotary lawnmower which is powered by a ubiquitous Briggs & Stratton engine. After a few weeks the ("Reliable Starting") engine became difficult to start. Inspection of the Champion RJ19LM spark plug revealed that it had a hard black glaze. I fitted a new plug and after a few weeks the same thing happened. I assume that the glaze is the result of the plug not running hot enough. The engine speed is governed so that it is roughly constant whether the engine is under load or not, and this probably doesn't help. Anyone out there had this problem, and what was the solution? My feeling is that fitting a spark plug that runs hotter might help, but I am at a loss as to what plug would be a suitable. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
Stolen Mobile Phones - 007
As may be revealed by this message, I am not an expert on this subject but I wonder whether all Backroomers are aware that, if their mobile phone (carphone, for motoring connection) is lost or stolen they can have it put out of service in the same way that a credit card can be cancelled.

To do this, the owner must notify the mobile operator, quoting the unique IMEI number of his / her phone.

Owners are advised to keep a separate note of the relevant number. To find yours, simply dial *#06# (that’s star hash 06 hash)…apparently not many people know that!

All Service Providers share the info once you have reported the IMEI number. This will not recover your phone but it may be of some consolation to know that it will be useless (I gather) to anyone else.

Hope this helps.
Stolen Mobile Phones - Jonathan {p}
Unless the 'thief' gets the IMEI number changed (illegally) then the phone is effectively unlocked and can be used by anyone on any network.
Stolen Mobile Phones - Ian (Cape Town)
Jonathon is correct - big business here - "unlocking" phones. However, there are ways to trace YOUR phone, but very costly indeed.
Also, many stolen phones get fenced for a bag of shertbert,, and are then cannibalised to provide spares for the fix-it shops.
Stolen Mobile Phones - henry k
Jonathon is correct - big business here - "unlocking" phones.


Ian. I know of the "modification" available to cars, locally to you, that warms peoples legs if they request the keys. Any sight of a similar device for a mobile phone?

A new form of GBH of the ear?
Stolen Mobile Phones - 007
Unless the 'thief' gets the IMEI number changed


An article which I have read says:

"The IMEI number can only be changed with specialist equipment which (as you say) is illegal in the UK. Reprogramming the IMEI number is punishable with up to five years in jail"!!
Stolen Mobile Phones - Altea Ego
Get it changed at any car boot sale, sunday market or computer fair.
Stolen Mobile Phones - THe Growler
In the Philippines any guy in a hole in the wall shop will unlock your cellphone, convert it to another network, anything you want for about fourpence.

What I would like to know is if I download from WinMx a very long CD which is too big to burn on to a regular disc, how do I split that file so I can transfer it to 2 discs? Apologies if this has already been covered.
Editing MP3s - smokie
A long time ago I found a little program to edit MP3s. It was very rudimentary but let me clip them short (at start or end) and re-fade. You chose clip point by frame or time I recall.

Hvae a search through zdnet.com for MP3 editors, there's probably a whole range there now. Any of those should do the trick. If you have no success I will look later when I'm not supposed to be working!
Charging mobile phone batteries - L'escargot
Is there any advantage to continuing to charge a mobile phone battery beyond the point at which the phone says "Charging Complete"? I seem to recall reading somewhere that the battery should preferably be charged for 18 houurs.

--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
Charging mobile phone batteries - SprinterJK
My phone always says it is fully charged after about an hour, but if I unplug it the battery never seems to last as long as if I leave it charging for a long time, such as overnight. No doubt someone more technically minded will be along shortly to explain this or tell me I'm just being silly...
Charging mobile phone batteries - Clanger
Depends n the type of battery and charger. I've no science to offer this post, only experience, but new Ni-Cd batteries or ones that have been discharged over time seem to benefit from a 12-18 hour charge. Then they should be charged when nearly exhausted, never "topped-up". Li-ion batteries and Li-polymer batteries can just be charged when the battery is low, or on a regular weekly schedule, whichever suits.

Remember that Ni-Cd batteries have a finite life and can be replaced cheaply buy buying from Ebay.


Hawkeye
-----------------------------
Stranger in a strange land
Charging mobile phone batteries - eMBe {P}
Old type batteries used to suffer from "memory effect", which, according to urban-legends, can be wiped back to zero by placing the battery in a frezer overnight. Search Google for an explanation, and make up your own mind whether this is worth a try, and if so how to do it.
Charging mobile phone batteries - THe Growler
My IT man when he presents me with my new phone every year or so tells me it must be charged for 18 hours. After that I am told I should let the battery go flat before recharging to avoid the memory effect. It does seem to work and that way I get a good 2 days' use out of the thing before the next recharge whereas if I top it up I get less battery life. I think the 18 hours (the same figure I am always told) relates to the new unused battery and not to a battery already in service.

My Acer lap-top seems to conform to the same principles, i.e. I get more life if I charge it from a dead state. Likewise the Philips trimmer I use to shave my whiskers.

I remember being told this way back in about 1982 when I bought a Sony Betamax video camera so it does have some historical support.
Putting CDs onto computer - BobbyG
I have just bought Dido's new album but when I tried to play it through my computer so that I can save it to hard disk, along with all my other cds that are on it, I discover that it has some sort of technology built into it to prevent your normal player (in my case Musicmatch Jukebox) from recognizing it.

It "pops" up its own media player that plays the CD but I am unable to copy it to disk. I realise that this is to prevent pirating through the net but, as with all these technological advances, there must surely be a way round it?

Anyone know? I run Windows 98 and Jukebox, although I do also have WinOn CD.

Anyone able to assist?
Putting CDs onto computer - No Do$h
\'s not anti-pirating software, tiz the taste police.

In all serious, have you tried right-clicking and \"exploring\" the cd rather than playing it? This may allow you to copy the files as if they were data, but unlikely.

I\'ve found Nero 5 combined with XP allows most cds to be backed up, including a number that were supposedly protected against piracy, for use in the car (those single play head-units eat cds for breakfast, so I\'m darned if I\'m going to use originals in the car)
Putting CDs onto computer - smokie
From ukcdr.org/issues/cd/bad/

"Life for Rent" by Dido: Reported corrupt in Ireland, and in the UK as supplied by CD-WOW, Amazon UK and 101CD. Amazon carry a warning, but CD-WOW don't. However, we have a report that one copy bought from PLAY.com is clean. The BMG labelling on the packaging of this disc is reportedly not entirely clear. The disc refuses to play on a Philips 779 twin CD player and an Alpine car CD multichanger. A reference quality CD player just about manages to play the disc, but the output is full of clicks, pops and jumps, and 'sounds awful'. There are also playback problems on a JVC DVD player. The disc also refuses to play in one tested Windows machine, and a Mac user reported that the disc was unrecognised on a couple of drives. However, several people have reported success extracting the audio on both DVD-ROM and CD-ROM drives.
Putting CDs onto computer - Stargazer {P}
>>(those single play head-units eat
cds for breakfast, so I\'m darned if I\'m going to use
originals in the car)



No Dosh

Have you experienced this? I ask since I have used several single CD head units and have never lost an original CD, some CDRW refuse to play however. What is the difference to a multi-CD unit in this regard?

cheers

Ian L.
Putting CDs onto computer - No Do$h
Ian,

I've had a number of cd's scratched by the loading mechanism on a Kenwood, Pioneer and now a Blaupunkt head unit. I'm toying with the idea of getting a mult-player but have no experience of them up to now.

Some head units have problems with CDRW and to a lesser extent CDR but I've not had a problem to date.
Putting CDs onto computer - Stargazer {P}
I've had a number of cd's scratched by the loading mechanism
on a Kenwood, Pioneer and now a Blaupunkt head unit.
I'm toying with the idea of getting a mult-player but have
no experience of them up to now.


Thanks ND,

Not sure what make my CD players were/are (standard fit in Subaru, Vauxhall and Volvo). I would guess that the multi-play might help since the CDs are getting loaded less frequently. (Showing my ignorance here....is the loading mechanism similar?)

My daughter's nursery rhyme and mary poppins CD's which are the most often played show no problems so far.

cheers

Ian L.



Putting CDs onto computer - pdc {P}
Try holding down the shift key as you put the cd in, so as to stop the autorun program from running.
Putting CDs onto computer - Baskerville
I've had this anti-piracy problem with a couple of CDs. In both cases I've managed to unpack most of the tracks to .WAV files, which of course can then be saved any which way you like. But in both cases there is at least one track that cannot be unpacked--and believe me I've tried every one of about twenty hacker special CD Rippers available for Linux. The answer is to get software that will record the soundcard's output in real time: I've managed to figure out how to do this in Linux now and while back someone pointed us to some commercial programs to do this in Windows but I can't remember what they were.

The original CDs are just inconvenient as they play perfectly on one CD player, a bit on others and not at all in the car. Weirdly the one that works perfectly is almost three years old, but it is the most expensive of the lot by a margin of several hundred pounds. The stupid thing is if the CDs played properly on all my CD players I wouldn't be trying to hack them. Duh. Apple's iTunes may well be getting my business in future.

With regards Dido, this is a bit like that old Duckhams advert: If a CD player could choose its own playlist...
Placeholders in IE - smokie
I know this protection is a sore point for many (me included) but I'm not sure that this site is the best place for discussing how to hack it...

Anyway - to my question...

I have an HP All in One on a JetDirect box. To use the scanning function I enter the IP address of the device, and it then loads Java applets to build me a menu. My computer trashed itself a few weeks back, and since rebuilding (XP Pro, IE6) all I get is placeholder where the menu items should be. In fact a website I use won't display Java applets either.

I've browsed through various options in IE but can't find where to allow whatever is disabled. I get pictures fine on (most) web sites, and everything else seems OK.

Any ideas?
Placeholders in IE - Welliesorter
Do you definitely have a Java runtime environment installed?

If you have, you should be able to find the setting under the 'Advanced' tab in your IE settings. Microsoft has been engaged in legal battles over the use of Java for years. The consequence of this is that Java support has and has not been included in Windows and IE at various times.

You could try downloading the latest Java runtime environment from Sun Microsystems at java.com/en/index.jsp .

Alternatively, get the Microsoft Virtual Machine. This is no longer available from Microsoft but see java-virtual-machine.net/download.html for info.

If you install both, you should be able to toggle between the two using the advanced settings in IE.
Placeholders in IE - smokie
Thanks Wellie. I have XP SP1 and IE 6 SP1. I downloaded the Sun one you suggested and now get coffee cups instead of red crosses, but the Java website now works.

I reckon it's a security policy issue so when I have some time I will tweak some settings to see if I can get it to work. (It also couldn't find the JetDirect box since I put a Proxy Server in, because I hadn't told it to bypass the proxy for local addresses...)
Putting CDs onto computer - THe Growler
I stopped buying off the shelf CD's long ago because of their obscene pricing. Now I download what I want from the Net or buy local pirated versions. Legality, morality I don't give a toss. Those companies make plenty of money without my help.
Translation site - No Do$h
Anyone know of a site that will help with French translation (English to French). My spoken French is passable for the basics, but I need to drop a line to a small family-run hotel confirming a reservation we made on their website. They emailed back to ask for written confirmation and I would like to make the effort!

On a related matter, anyone able to recommend any CDs or CDroms for learning / improving French?
Translation site - smokie
Not sure how good it is, but www.freetranslation.com translated your post above as:

N'importe qui sait d'un site qui aidera avec la traduction française (anglais à Français). Mes Français parlés sont passable pour les principes fondamentaux, mais j'ai besoin de tomber une ligne à un petit hôtel de famille-course confirmant une réservation que nous avons faits sur leur site web. Ils ont envoyé un e-mail à postérieur pour demander la confirmation écrite et j'aimerais faire l'effort!


I think tomber une ligne is a bit dodgy, but then dropping a line is somewhat colloquial...
Translation site - PhilW
And Altavista Babelfish did it like this

N'importe qui savent d'un emplacement qui aidera avec la traduction française (anglais-français). Mon Français parlé est passable pour les fondations, mais je dois laisser tomber une ligne à un petit hôtel de famille confirmant une réservation que nous avons faite sur leur website. Elles emailed de nouveau à demandent la confirmation écrite et je voudrais faire l'effort!

babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/

Take your pick (Prenez votre sélection)
Translation site - Dynamic Dave
Anyone know of a site that will help with French translation
(English to French).


Altavista's Babel Fish.

world.altavista.com/
Putting CDs onto computer - billy25
hi bobby g,
i too have just got my hands on dido's cd, the easiest way i found to copy it to h/drive, as computer wouldn't recognise it as an audio cd was:
select your sound cards recorder program,(mine was creative recorder)

select: record from wave/mp3

set EAX: concert hall 90% (optional,but great sound effect)

use the player that came on the dido cd, play the track(s) you want individually (so that you can edit title etc)and as track starts, press the record button.

this saves the tracks as .wav files, but you can convert them to mp3 later.

hope this is some help,

billy.
Putting CDs onto computer - BobbyG
Guys, thanks for all your replies and ideas, will try and give some of them a go,