Search results

  1. rivan

    Time for a new smartphone [Android]

    So my Verizon contract just ran out and I'm looking to replace my ultra-budget Galaxy S3 with something that isn't so sluggish. I know very little about my choices. I have a Project Fi Nexus 6P sitting next to me but I'm rethinking spending this much ($500) and have some second thoughts about...
  2. rivan

    Gas chainsaw recommendations?

    I borrowed a friend's 14" Craftsman chainsaw and it was stolen while in my possession. Now I need to replace it with something as good or better. It was 10-15 years old, no idea of the model #. What's something comparable for a light duty homeowner saw? Any brands to totally avoid?
  3. rivan

    HTPC/HDMI trouble

    Frequently when waking from sleep, my PC will lose audio, giving me an error that it's detected a DVI to HDMI adapter. It's attached to a lower end Yamaha receiver, which is in turn attached to a Visio lcd. The issue will always happen if I wake the PC before the TV, but will sometimes still...
  4. rivan

    HVAC pros: recommend a programmable thermostat

    I've got a new (installed 2012) 2-stage heat pump controlled by a non-programmable thermostat and want a programmable one that's smart enough to deal with 2 stages efficiently. Current wiring suggests a Nest may not work (their compatibility checker had me email support) and it also seems like...
  5. rivan

    Dropping cable...

    I'm looking to drop cable. I've got an antenna and a Roku along with Netflix and Prime. I'll be moving in the next few months and chances are relatively good that I'll start using my TV as main computer display (or may just build a lower power HTPC for it). I should get ABC/NBC/CBS/PBS ota. A...
  6. rivan

    Flooring for a basement?

    Concrete slab. Something durable and won't harbor mold should it ever get wet. I'd like something less cold/hard than tile. Inexpensive is important. I also don't want a 'hollow' sounding/feeling flooring like some of them are. Suggestions/experiences?
  7. rivan

    Gaming mic - recommendation?

    I'm currently using a wireless xbox headset for skype/vent when gaming. I only use the headset for the mic (and speakers for sound), and clip it to my shirt. The battery's starting to go out and I'm looking for a replacement. Pros: • pretty good voice pickup without background noise (I'm told)...
  8. rivan

    How to insulate the roof of a ~70-year old home?

    My house was built in the early 40s and there's very little attic over most of the second floor (only over the middle ~12-15 feet or so). The bulk of the ceiling/roof is whatever the thickness of the joists are. The roof is newer (less than 10 years old) and the ceilings are plaster/lathe. As...
  9. rivan

    Basic physics question

    So I was reading an XKCD what-if and wondered - is the amount of energy required to turn Voyager around the same in all scenarios? He seems to describe applying force pointing more or less directly back to earth, eventually stopping and re-accelerating Voyager back this way. Would it take...
  10. rivan

    Android: auto-sign-in to wifi with web login

    I'd like to get my phone to sign into the wifi here at work. It's not secured to connecting to the network is fine, but there's a web login that needs to be periodically signed through before you can hit the internet. Is there any way to get my phone to do this automagically?
  11. rivan

    What's the best way to buy music, in terms of getting money to the artist?

    I generally prefer getting the CD. Presumably artist stores will get the most revenue to the artist, but would buying digitally at their store (or, say, bandcamp) get them more money than that?
  12. rivan

    PC Decrapifier - Still useful?

    A buddy asked me to de-crapify his new lenovo Win 8 laptop. I typically just do fresh installs of OSs I have disks and keys for but I don't have Win8 media. What's my best bet? Is PC Decrapifier still decent?
  13. rivan

    Would you be alive today without modern medicine?

    For the purposes of this poll, answer 'yes' for any 'maybe' situation. Also assume that you made it through childbirth with no complications from the childbirth itself. Assume medieval European medicine. For me, I'm pretty sure I'd be dead; I was born very prematurely (10 weeks early) and...
  14. rivan

    ADD/ADHD folks: any perspective from lifelong medication users?

    After much ado, we've started our 5-yo son on Focalin. The difference is night and day, even with the lowest possible dose. Presumably there are some young adults here who grew up (or parents of those kids) who have had experience with the drug or drugs in it's class. I'm curious – how do you...
  15. rivan

    So ATOT dates models...

    I can see that.
  16. rivan

    Photo safari camera rental recommendation

    A coworker is going on photo safari in South Africa in May and asked me for tips on the trip, as I've done one. One of my primary recommendations was a great low-light camera. The excursions will be dawn and dusk, and many of the animals will be fairly far from the vehicles. Low light...
  17. rivan

    Apple TV vs Roku

    Considering dumping Dish, but based on Wife Acceptance Factor, the transition may be slow. What I need are: • trashy TV from Bravo (Flipping Out, Housewives, etc) • Food Network • Maybe DIY channel • local news (have to do OTA? any way on either device to integrate the interface?) Hulu covers...
  18. rivan

    Have you ever been arrested?

    Simple enough - have you ever been arrested? For anything - speeding ticket gone warrant (guilty!), nonviolent protest, anything at all?
  19. rivan

    ATOT lighting experts - how do I make my outdoor gas lamp brighter?

    I have a gas lamp above my driveway, but even with a new mantel the light output is really poor. I don't want or need it to be blinding, but it's putting out almost nothing. The lamp uses a single large mantel, like this one. Educate me, please. This is very similar to the one I have, except...
  20. rivan

    Question about Pigs in Space

    Why is it that a lot of pigs (Miss Piggy, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Link Hogthrob, etc...) that go into space don't seem as if they're built to survive in a vacuum or the harsh conditions of space? Shouldn't they be wearing respirators, at least?
  21. rivan

    Laptop to replace Dell Precision m6300?

    I'm casually looking at replacements for my long-in-the-tooth m6300. It's a 17" 1920x1200, c2d machine that's still generally acceptable for what I do with it, though the display backlight is dying a very slow death. After one in-warranty repair, I've had no trouble with it, despite a fair...
  22. rivan

    Oh, Japan. What will you think of next?

    Mind controlled furry tail.
  23. rivan

    Math & calculation order help

    So I have a common task that I'm going to try to code but need a little help on the structure and order of the problem. I'll probably end up in javascript for Adobe Illustrator (AI), if any of the answers get to a point where that would matter. Here's my problem: I have artwork of widely...
  24. rivan

    Home repair advice needed: refrigerator.

    I've got a very old Sub Zero fridge in my house, installed in the mid-80s. Still works great, but some of the enamel around the door seal is chipping off, and I want to repair and seal it. I'm thinking something like this would work? Is there something that would be way better?
  25. rivan

    Kickstarter: Planetary Annihilation

    Even though I'm mostly holding off on more kickstarters until I see my first few deliver... this just seems too awesome not to share. Planetary Annihilation
  26. rivan

    I just got a speeding ticket. I'm totally outraged...

    ...at myself for not knowing the speed limit was 35. I was doing 46. The cop pulled me over, was direct but polite and had the computer-printed ticket in my hands and I was on my way in well under 10 minutes.
  27. rivan

    Two versions of Adobe CS on one machine - how can I set the old version as default?

    I've got CS 5 and 5.5 on my machine. How can I set the 5.0 versions as the ones that launch when I double click files? I can set a single file to launch with the older version, but "Change All..." switches it back to the newer version.
  28. rivan

    Which ATOT member is this?

    What's your training regimen like? That's a serious forearm.
  29. rivan

    Power brick question

    I've got a bunch of external drives I'm trying to use, and don't have correct power supplies for all the drives. However, I have other power supplies that use the same plug type (similar to a PS/2 connection, except that there are 5 pins, not 6). The output voltages are the same on both...
  30. rivan

    Two Worlds II

    I picked this up on the Steam sale and gave a it a shot over the weekend. I really can't nail down why, but it's pulled me in. I really shouldn't like it. Some of the models are really bad. The (English) voice acting and translation is laughable - it's so bad in some spots I've had some...
  31. rivan

    70s mellow rock: help me fill in huge gaps

    I'm trying to flesh out my mid/late 70s tunes and need some suggestions. America Bread The Band Jim Croce Alan Parsons Project Supertramp Foreigner Toto .38 Special Dire Straits Jethro Tull Peter Frampton Santana Van Morrison ....?
  32. rivan

    Wanted: windows software to emulate two features from OSX

    I want to replicate two features from OSX in windows 7. First, is there a explorer replacement/modification that allows folder navigation similar to this? The triangles on the left can be clicked to expand/collapse that folder's contents, all in a single window. Second, I want the spacebar...
  33. rivan

    Sexy Nurse Wants to Sell You a Pizza Vending Machine.

    I have to admit. I sort of want one, after watching the pitch video.
  34. rivan

    Cary and Kill Devil Hills, NC in June, with kids

    I'm visiting family in Cary (outside Raleigh) for a week in June and have a couple days planned for the beach at Kill Devil Hills. We'll be driving there from STL; I'll have my wife and 2 kids with us (boy - 5 and girl - 8). The only other thing already on the agenda is the Nature Research...
  35. rivan

    Move over hot-dog-crusted pizza... there's a new player in town...

    It seems a gauntlet has been thrown down. http://www.q13fox.com/news/la-fi-mo-pizza-hut-cheeseburger-20120424,0,6799750.story What's next?
  36. rivan

    Cow Demolition Expert Needed

    Can't have them thawing... Ew.
  37. rivan

    Tablet recommendations:

    I'm looking at getting a second tablet for a kid's birthday later this month. We have a Fire and thinking about a second one but thought I'd check here for feedback, as I have some issues with the Fire. Price point is incredibly important - I might do $250. $300 would have to have a new I'm a...
  38. rivan

    Rename utility to replace R-name

    I've used R-name for years, but it's really out of date and as it's PPC code it no longer works in Lion. I need a free, no-install (I'm not an admin), lightweight utility that will: • find/replace • append • number sequentially File and folder names. Recommendations, please?
  39. rivan

    Font utilities - need to find duplicates

    My company has a bazillion fonts, and they're a mess. We have a need for a utility that can examine our fonts and tell us if we have duplicates, but it needs to evaluate on the actual contents of the font file rather than the filename. For example, if we have an OpenType version of Arial and a...
  40. rivan

    I've engaged a Craigslist scammer - need ideas for next steps. Updated!

    I sold a processor on CL. In addition to the normal lowballers, I got what was obviously a scammer and decided to string him along. I got the check via express mail today and need some next step suggestions. Here's the email chain, in chrono order: Obvious scam, but I've got one...