Search results

  1. K

    ATOT effect needed - help support some troops

    My younger brother joined the Marines almost 2 years ago, and just got his first deployment out east this month. Since then various family members have been forwarding me all sorts of "support the troops" types of messages, but this one really stood out to me...
  2. K

    Good source control solution?

    Anybody have any opinions on worthwhile Source Control solutions that work well for a casual coder? I need: -Free (this part is key :)) -Can be hosted on Windows Server 2008 64 bit -It'd be great if it could integrate with Visual Studio 2010, xCode, and Eclipse. -Client component(s)...
  3. K

    Canon 430EX II or Sigma EF-530 DG Super for Canon 7D?

    Looking to pick up a mid-range flash for some non-professional portrait work (friends, family, etc) for my 7D. I'm leaning towards the Sigma, as it seems like I can get more features for a better price, but I'm not 100% convinced yet. Anybody have any input? Going to pull the trigger on...
  4. K

    ~$1250 for lenses/equipment - input?

    So I recently bought my first house with my girlfriend, and we decided to each take ~$750 of that $8k tax rebate and use it for something nice/fun for ourselves before dumping the rest back into savings/home stuff. I'll be combining the cash with some Amazon gift cards I received for xmas, or...
  5. K

    PC user looking for a mac

    I'm looking to pick up a Macbook. This will be my first in-depth experience with the Mac OS in the last decade. It's not that I've hated macs; I've just never had a use for them. Mostly I'm looking for a laptop that I can do the following on: -Minor photo editing (currently use Lightroom 2 on...
  6. K

    PC keyboard similar to the Mac wired USB keyboard?

    Just moved into a new house, got a new desk, looking to tone down the clutter. One thing I need is a less bulky keyboard. My Logitech G15 has been great; but it's huge, garish, and I haven't used the macro buttons in ages. So what I'm looking for is a slim, no-frills keyboard. The Apple...
  7. K

    Any 7D owners here? RAW Files not working in Lightroom 2? :(

    Picked up a 7D last night (love it), took a bunch of shots, got home... and discovered that Lightroom can't handle the RAW files from it yet. Anybody know if there's a workaround for this yet?
  8. K

    Starting weight loss & better eating

    So, I'm 24, going on 25, and realized that I'm seriously f*cking up my body, in a bad way. 10 years ago I was the typical skinny teenager, riding my bike everywhere, and eating all the junk food I wanted. 5 years ago I wasn't 'fat', but I was no longer skinny. Some flab had built up, and my...
  9. K

    Affordable iPod Docks?

    So, after years of hating on Apple, I ended up buying my girlfriend a 16GB iPod Touch 2G on clearance at Best Buy, as I was tired of listening to her complain about her Sansa View (worst mp3 player either of us have ever owned, I sold mine long ago), and of all my friends with iPods, I've never...
  10. K

    SQL Server Administration

    Looking for a temporary fix for the environment while we overhaul security. Presently we have some machines that use Mixed mode authentication; local accounts were created for reporting & application purposes. Over time some users managed to get a hold of the passwords of said accounts, and...
  11. K

    Virtual Drive software for Windows 7?

    I need to reinstall some of my development tools, and it seems that Daemon Tools doesn't work in Windows 7. Anybody know of any other (free) utilities that do? Need to install stuff on both x86 and x64 version.
  12. K

    ASP.NET/MSSQL Web Host?

    A lot of the "webhost reviews" sites I come across seem like paid-for advertising for hosts, so I figured the techies of ATOT might have some better insight. I'm looking for a webhost for a .NET based site; a custom app I made for an MMORPG I play, and then some sort of community portal...
  13. K

    New Nikon toys

    Fun night for you Nikon users... if you're in the market for an upgrade :) D300s D3000 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II 18-200mm VR II
  14. K

    Does Nikon have the same lens lineup split that Canon does (EF & EF-S)?

    I'm been considering a full frame camera for awhile now, but decided none of the current generation is for me. I do, however, want to start trying to stick with lens purchases that I can continue to use when I do finally upgrade. At the same time, I'm considering a brand switch to Nikon before...
  15. K

    So, what're some good alternatives to Pandora?

    E-Mail below. I thrive off Pandora at work, where some recent security initiatives have forbidden the use of portable storage drives (thus killing the fallback media collections on flash drives). Are there any other online radio stations anywhere near as useful as Pandora? I'm fine with a...
  16. K

    How do you organize & store your photos?

    It seems the number of pictures I take a month has been steadily increasing. While during my first month with my camera I took about 2 gigs worth of pictures, last month I took 30. I'm going to Hawaii in a week, taking 34GB worth of memory cards, and am somewhat worried that that won't be...
  17. K

    Just picked up a Pentax body for cheap, need lens suggestions...

    I already have a bunch of Canon gear that I love, so the Pentax is just for fun, and for the girlfriend to use instead of her Powershot SD1100 when we go hiking. Not interested in spending much on lenses; Craigslist is pretty barren in my area, so I'll likely be going the ebay route. I'd...
  18. K

    What portable gaming system?

    My girlfriend has expressed an interest in getting a handheld video game system so she has something to play while I'm hogging the 360, or while travelling on our vacations, so for an upcoming anniversary I'm hoping to get her one. And one for myself :) Problem is, I'm not sure what's the...
  19. K

    Some shots from Catalina Island

    Went out to California for my younger brothers graduation from the Marines a couple of weeks ago, opted to exploit the parentally-purchased plane ticket and took a few days off from work to putz around Catalina Island. This was my first trip with my DSLR since buying it last fall, so I got a...
  20. K

    Quick (Stupid) expression about variable scope in PHP

    I have a simple class in PHP that I want to hold some "global" variables if you will, so that I can use them immediately with a default value. However, the values I set don't seem to stick. Can anybody help me out here, and let me know what I'm doing wrong? I've tried a constructor (that...
  21. K

    Waterproof camera?

    Going to be going on a trip involving kayaking, snorkeling, rafting, and other such fun. Rather than waste my limited bag space on a bunch of disposable waterproof cameras, I figure I'd rather just buy a digital one I can use on future trips. In a perfect world, I'd like to spend as little...
  22. K

    Any idea what kind of spider this is?

    Mostly just curious, I've found a few of these inside now. My girlfriend saw the pic I took of this one and freaked out, so I've been instructed to identify it :) Pic here
  23. K

    Best affordable upgrade from a 9600 GT?

    Not playing many cutting edge/system pwning games here like Crysis, but my 9600 GT is hitting its limits with the games that I do play, since I try to play everything at 1920x1200. I'd like to run WoW and EVE at max (aside from raids/fleet events, which are going to kill any system :()...
  24. K

    Hot Pixels?

    I got a Rebel XSi back in October - it was great, till I started taking longer exposures for some night shots, and noticed I had some stuck/hot pixels on the sensor. There was a rather giant spot, spanning several pixels, in the upper left corner of my images, that was white in the center, and...
  25. K

    SSIS books/resources?

    I'm looking at using SSIS 2008 for my companies ETL solution; we currently use Informatica and have not been impressed with it at all after a couple years of use. Does anybody know of some good online resources that walk you through creating a workflow/dataflow/whatever the term is in SSIS...
  26. K

    So you investment geniuses out there...

    I'm looking for somewhere safe to stick a little bit of my spare cash for the next few years. I Bonds from the treasury right now are at a 5.64% interest rate. So, I'm curious: 1) Given the state of the economy and the upcoming stimulus package, can I expect the interest rate to plummet...
  27. K

    Which computer to use in which role (specs inside)?

    Got 3 machines here, and 4 roles to fill. I'm really not sure which things are going to be most hardware intensive in what ways, so I'm looking for some input. I'm (obviously) OK giving one computer more than one roll, and ideally I'd like to not use the slowest machine at all, but can if...
  28. K

    Onboard LAN or dedicated card?

    I've always used my onboard LAN port for networking purposes, but I've recently heard that getting a dedicated NIC can increase network performance. I tend to move a lot of large files around my home network on a somewhat regular basis, so I'm curious if there's any truth to what I've heard...
  29. K

    case help?

    I'm going on a few trips soon, including a multi day canoe trip, and want to get a protective case for my equipment for when it's not in my backpack. Impact/shock protection is most important; some sort of water protection would be an excellent bonus. My camera will not end up in a shower with...
  30. K

    Upgrade now or wait?

    Specs: Xeon e3110 (C2D e8400) - not Overclocked 8GB RAM 9600 GT 24" LCD @ 1920 x 1200 The 9600 is great, but I feel like it just can't keep up with some of the games that I play - it can't even sustain 60 fps in WoW anymore; there are some areas that drop me down below 20. So, I'm...
  31. K

    How do you 'test' a lens?

    I found a 28-210mm lens from "Cosina" for a whopping $40, and figured that at that price, I could risk having a lens that produced painfully blurry pictures. The lens is labled f/4.2-f/6.5, but my Rebel XSi is showing f/4.5 at the 28mm end, and f/6.3 at the 210mm end. Don't know which one is...
  32. K

    Eliptical or treadmill for home

    I've finally decided that I need to get some more physical activity in. Going to a gym is not an option for me right now, and won't be for a couple more months. So instead, I'm trying to find a way to be active at home. I have an unfinished basement I set up for my work and play area, and...
  33. K

    C++ project issues

    I'm working on a game for my final project in my entry level c++ class. I've run into two issues that are totally kicking my ass at the moment: 1 - I can debug my program from within Visual Studio 2008 just fine. I hit F5, the program compiles, it runs, and everything works perfectly...
  34. K

    Pass login info from one website to a login popup on another?

    Trying to help a friend out and I'm totally lost - I have some login credentials stored in a database, along with links to sites. When you first go to these sites they display a popup login box that you need to fill out before you can get into the site. What I need to do is send the...
  35. K

    dead pixels?

    So back in July I got a Nikon d60, and promptly returned it the next day, due to multiple dead pixels at the center of my image. I bought a Rebel XSi around 2 months ago, and when I got home, immediately snapped a few pics with the lens cap on. All looked good, so I thought I had a good...
  36. K

    Yet another "best camera to buy" thread

    I've been instructed to find my dad a camera for Christmas, with a fairly firm budget of $150. I'm a huge fan of Canon's powershot series, however I have no problems trying something else. The only requirements I have are that it use SD/SDHC memory cards, and be relatively pocketable - no...
  37. K

    Best photo printer for under $100?

    cNet seems to point towards the Canon Pixma ip2600 as one of the best photo printers, and it comes in at a respectable $50. Amazon user reviews seem to indicate that it churns through ink painfully fast. I'm looking for something to print great 4x6 and 5x7's with, and still retain decent...
  38. K

    Digital Photo frame w/ wifi?

    I've been seeing a few wifi enabled digital photo frames around lately, though their descriptions seem to be vague. I'm looking for one that can connect to a wireless network, and be accessed from the web to add new pictures to the rotation. The ideal situation being so that my brothers...
  39. K

    Current and ex military - What to get a soon-to-be-enlisted sibling for xmas?

    My younger brother recently signed on for the Marines, and ships off to basic training March 3rd. From what I understand from him, he's not allowed to take any personal possessions with him, and he doesn't know at what point he'll be able to have his own stuff again, and even then, what items...
  40. K

    OpenGL or Allegro for simple school project?

    More or less a continuation of my last thread asking for project ideas for my entry level C++ class. I've elected to go the simple RPG route, with a few basic requirements: Player be able to walk around a map Player be able to transition between 2 maps (i.e., enter a store) Player be able...