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Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Whats the best to keep things passwords/CD keys/CC information secure but accessible?
Recently my Google account was accessed by a Chinese IP, and I want to see what I can do to prevent it happening again with something more important.

At the moment I mostly generate my passwords by banging randomly on the keyboard to get something like AI4ELN5EGO37NX13HEMA and then save it to a text file on my desktop and then copy and paste when I need something.

This strikes me as being pretty unsafe. I have heard about programs that can store/encrypt passwords and stuff, but I'm not sure which are legit and which are good.

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Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Dudebro posted:

Is there a problem with using sticky notes on your actual desk or just keeping papers with this info where it would be for your eyes only?

Mostly wanting to be able to quickly use them with copy/paste. I'm also worried about key loggers and while it seems like they might be able to read the clipboard too, I still feel like its better the typing things out. That may be BS and its impossible or maybe c/p gives no extra protection.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Clockwork Sputnik posted:

Disclaimer: NOT a math guy.

However, my bosses and I were trying to figure out what the name is for the process of 1+2+3+4+5....

We both remember seeing it in math books. It's got a name like Fibonacci but, obviously not.
edit: efb

Sounds calculating triangular number.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangular_number

You also might be thinking of factorials which are things like 5! = 1*2*3*4*5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factorial

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Abu-Saleh posted:

Are you sure? This is international transfer we are talking about. We paid our last quarter's fee the same way and it took just as long. Maybe we should look into a new bank.

Will I be missing much? I think I'll miss a couple of day's classes. Math, chem, and classics
Even if its not all worked out yet, still go to the classes. The chance of wasting a few hours if things fall through is well worth not getting behind from the start. For most big classes no one will notice or care if your officially registered or not yet.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Is there anything to be done about spam texts to my cellphone?

I just started a new job and moved out, and on all sorts of paperwork I've put my cell number down as my home phone since I don't have a landline. Now every couple hours I get texts for super cheap auto insurance, payday loans, fake at&t offers, ect. I also get constant calls from some scam called cardholder services.

I thought spam and unsolicited texts/calls to cellphones were made illegal a while ago and they are doing it anyway, so I doubt there is anything I can do.

Is my only option just to ignore them and hope they stop?

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

jackpot posted:

I haven't emailed them yet to ask, but I think I know what's going on; I just don't use windows enough to have noticed it.

If you only download the zip file, but don't extract the files, windows lets you browse the zip file as if it's a folder; it even shows up in the tree as a folder. So if you look at the files that way, they're read-only (because they're still in a zip file). But if you right-click and extract the files to a real folder, they're not read-only anymore. Dumb on my part for not noticing this when I looked at it the first time.

At least I think that's what's going on; if they extract them and it's still going on, I don't know what the hell's happening.

I know nothing at all about how zipping/unzipping is involved, but I do know that if you have something formatted in window's NTFS file system (Which has been the default since XP days) it is read only to Macs. The older file system Fat32 is read and writable by both Macs and PCs. Apple also has their own file system that PCs cant write to. Blame Microsoft/Apple for wanting their own proprietary file systems.

You could try formatting a thumbdrive as FAT32, and zipping it there and see if you get different results.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Is there a way, preferably in firefox, to block images/adds based on the url they link to when clicked?

The name of the image is something like www.goodsite.com/stringofnumbers.jpg. Mousing over it shows a link to www.badsite.com/whatever.

Adblock doesn't work since it only looks at the name of the image, not where it links to I guess.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Xenoborg posted:

Is there a way, preferably in firefox, to block images/adds based on the url they link to when clicked?

The name of the image is something like https://www.goodsite.com/stringofnumbers.jpg. Mousing over it shows a link to https://www.badsite.com/whatever.

Adblock doesn't work since it only looks at the name of the image, not where it links to I guess.

Any ideas on this, I found the firefox addon blocksite, which breaks the hyperlink of the picture, but the ads themselves still show up.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Disappointing egg posted:

Most of the energy used to knock over the next domino would come from setting up the current domino in the first place, not the initial push on the first domino.

Gravity provides most of the energy used to knock over the next domino. That amount of energy only needs to be enough to destabilize the next domino so gravity can make it fall into the next one ect.

Progressively larger dominoes could work, but would always be subject to weather the force generated by one falling would be enough to destabilize the one after it. This could go either way depending on the shape of the dominoes and how fast they are getting larger.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

I remember once playing with 9v batteries toward a similar goal. Plugged into each other all they did was get really hot and the dead battery stayed dead.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Whats the best way to get the smell of mildew (?) out of my tennis shoes?

About a month ago I went fishing with my dad for father's day. I didn't really know what I was getting into and just wore my regular tennis shoes. The day rained and our boat was filled with water so my shoes were more or less submerged for several hours.

Now weeks later they still smell like an old gym locker. I have to assume the water did something whether it be mildew or unlocking the scent stored up in them over several years.

I've put them through the washing machine twice, sprayed them down with Febreze and left them in a warm dry place for over a week and the smell isn't really improving. It's still strong enough that I can smell them just sitting here in my office chair.

Is there some secret easy method I'm overlooking?

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Helios Grime posted:

Throwing them in the trash.
A few people, including my mom when I asked her about it, suggested I just throw them away, but I really don't want to spend $100 on a new pair if I don't have to.

Very Strange Things posted:

Put them in a plastic bag to keep moisture out and freeze them. That kills the active cultures that are making the smell. Other than that, maybe try an enzymatic cleaner. I can't think of the name, but I think it has "fizz" in it, and it's a tablet that you dissolve in water. It's supposed to be for pet ofor.
This sounds good and I'll try it tonight when I get home. Should I put something in the bag like rice or baking powder? How long should I leave them in, overnight, a week, longer?

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

The Slippery Nipple posted:

Small questions for Americans, when I watch American talk shows like Jon Stewart, Colbert, Chelsea Lately etc, I notice they are broken up into 4 sections:
Section 1 - Ad break - Section 2 - Ad break - Section 3 - Ad break - 5 second bit where the host says good bye and the credits roll.

Do people actually watch the last bit? Why does it exist? In all of the shows I mentioned and I'm sure other ones it offers no factual or entertainment value. Is this some weird American tradition where you can't change the channel until the host as said goodnight to you? It really annoys me.

I'm guessing its just an excuse to cram more ads in but the real question is do you actually stick around the watch the last bit and if so, why?

Its also so people will watch that last section of Ads.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Scaramouche posted:

Ok this is going to sound dumb since I'm the person people usually ask computer questions of, but:
How do I ensure that a new window opens on one monitor consistently? I've got two monitors (Windows 7) and this keeps coming up:
1. Click email in Thunderbird in right monitor
2. Double click PDF attachment, click OK to open (still in right monitor)
3. PDF Opens in left monitor
4. Cursing as I drag new Acrobat over to the right monitor

It seems to happen about half the time. I thought I fixed it once using the Windows Key + Arrow Key trick but that isn't working now.

For me it seems that things almost always open in the monitor they were last closed on. One noticeable exception to this is Acrobat always opens on my side monitor regardless of where it was closed.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Golbez posted:

There's also the issue of vitamins: Just where are you going to get vitamin C in the open ocean?

This site seems to indicate that fresh fish are a decently good source of vitamin C (As is most any type of fresh meat).

http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/vitamin-c-in-fish.php

With the average fish having 2.26 mg / 100g and humans needing at least 10 mg / day to fend of scurvy, as long as they could get a pound of fish a day they would be fine.

Since historically they weren't fine, I would lean more toward fish not being available near the surface rather than the nutrition provided by the fish not being sufficient.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Malalol posted:

How much would it cost to ship a desktop computer aprox? Its a gaming comp, pretty big tower, a flatscreen monitor. Hoping it would be less than $100? Would it make a difference to take out parts inside (say vid card, its pretty big etc)? Doesnt really matter if its USPS or fexex or w/e, just as long as itll be safe during transport.

Anything you can wiggle a fair bit should be taken out and boxed separately. Definitely take out the video card, and maybe the hard drive(s) as well depending on how they are mounted.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

My dad just gave me two tickets to Saturday Mizzou vs Alabama game to sell asap since he can't go and don't have anyone to give them to. Whats a good site to sell these things quick, I've heard of stubhub, but I really have no idea. I'd prefer not to use ebay or paypal if possible, especially since the tickets will pretty much need to be picked up by hand at this point.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Al! posted:

What sort of disasters, man-made or natural begin with the letters U, W, X, or Y?

ready.gov lists wildfires, weather (space), weather (sever), and winter storms, nothing for the other letters though.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

When I turn out the lights to go to sleep at night about 30 seconds after I turn them out I hear a loud click from the hallway near my room. I also hear a similar click if I turn the lights back on, or turns AC comes on/off. I'm guessing this has something to do with switching to a low power mode when nothing is using power, but I've never heard of anything like this. Note, its not the circuit breaker itself, I'm two floors away from that. It not a single circuit on the breaker either since I'm pretty sure the AC is on a different one than the lights in my room. Its also not that no power is being used, even before vampire losses I've got my computer in sleep, clocks, and phone/mp3 player changers going. All those are probably 100W max compare to the 1000s of lights or AC though.

It's not really annoying, I'm just curious.

Xenoborg fucked around with this message at 20:37 on Oct 18, 2012

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Is there a good site that has side by side comparisons of policy stances for political candidates, especially for the less talked races for things like house seats or governorships.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

RFX posted:

I could have sworn there was a leasing questions thread but I can't find it.

A friend of mine has a lease signed with a roommate, but due to some issues, the roommate wants out. My friend can either find someone to replace her or just break the lease, which is preferable. However, the roommate refuses to pay her half of the $3000 lease cancellation fee. Is there any way to force the roommate to split this? Can the roommate even get a new lease on a different apartment while still on this one, considering she doesn't make enough to cover two leases?

Lease questions like this come up in the legal mega thread all the time, so you could ask there: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3266659

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

How do you add a new address to receive email from on gmail?

My gmail account from 10 years ago is basicly <gamingterm.@gmail.com, which doesn't look very professional on a resume. I want to make a new address along the boring lines of <name><lastname><birthyear>@gmail.com, and have emails to that go to my main account.

I can make another account if that is the only answer, but I already have 3 emails I need to check regularly, and I could swear I heard of a way to do this called nicknames or something.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

alnilam posted:

Send an email to a friend or another email address and make sure it really does say your own email, and not something like "Sent by old-one on behalf of new-one," which is what it used to say long ago. I think that's fixed now.

Working except for this bit. When I reply to an email that got forwarded the from line says from <Old Email> on behalf of <Name> at <New Email>.

That is kind of annoying, but not the worst thing. I can always go into <New Email>'s account and reply from there if I really need it to look good.

edit: Ironically, it only does this for replying as another gmail addresses, any other address and you have the option of turning it off. I have no idea why, but here is an angry thread about it: http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/gmail/0tu293V4tMA

It seems the official response is to just not link accounts at all and instead keep open and check individually all 5 of my accounts.

Xenoborg fucked around with this message at 21:40 on Nov 14, 2012

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Avocados posted:

In a nutshell, what are the arguments against vaccines? If vaccines work by putting a small, typically harmless dose of bad cells in your body so your body learns to create a defense against it, what is the cause for alarm in some groups? I know that definition is a gross simplification, but I assume there's some factor (real or imagined) that i'm missing.

There was also a single study that linked them, that has since be refuted by medical authorities and by 10 or 13 of its original authors as being fraudulent:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/05/vaccine-autism-study-report_n_805036.html

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

While playing Advanced Wars, I noticed that a lot of games with Japanese developers that rank things have letter ranks that go C, B, A, S, and sometimes SS. Does this have any basis in the Japanese education system?

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Fruit Smoothies posted:

I swear it ended in "-ian" which makes me think it's not a greek word, but one we use to describe the toned bodies they desired. Google suggests "Adonian" isn't a real word. I'm starting to think I dreamed Stephen Fry telling me this on QI.

What about (body of an) Olympian?

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

In today's fast paced world I find that I really only get time with my own thoughts in the shower, theres too much to watch/read/listen to other times. As a result I think of plenty of things I want to do later, but often forget most of them because I get distracted afterwards.

What I'm looking for is some kind of note system I can use in the shower.
Googling around I found these: http://www.myaquanotes.com/OrderNowSee5PackSpecial/tabid/92/Default.aspx but they seem kind of expensive at 14 cents a page in bulk. Has anyone ever used this or a similar product they could recommend?

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007


Yeah, the reviews on that didn't look so great.

Now I'm leaning toward http://www.amazon.com/Rite-Rain-Tactical-Pocket-Notebook/dp/B001CCMLL6/ref=pd_sim_sg_7 and a space pen.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Most of the time the post office here in St. Louis stamps an ink emblem over the stamp which would presumably limit reuse.

edit: Something like this for example: http://www.postmarks.org/members/examples/yap_corn.jpg

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Probably too obvious to be the case, but if they repick if the person isn't there, your chance is 1/200. If they don't repick your chance is still just 1/8937, and the person being there isn't irrelevant to your win chance.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

ToxicFrog posted:

Doubt it. Modern video formats store most frames as the difference between that frame and the previous one. If you split the video, it no longer has those previous frames to use, so the frames need to be decoded (using the original video) and then re-encoded (starting at the split point).
Ah that is really cool to learn. I assume this is the same reason why if you skip ahead in some media files there will be big blocks of static until those pixels move?

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Base Emitter posted:

It could be dehydration, but migraines can also be triggered by not eating, although the mechanism isn't well understood.

I don't know why it is, but I'll certainly vouch for this. Eight waking hours without food will give me a headache, almost without qualifiers. I could have had a huge meal beforehand and I'll still get one, or just a few crackers and it will prevent it, but my stomach needs something in it no matter how small. I think its more on the stomach side of things than the blood because of this, but I can't be sure.

edit: And I drink tons of water, so I don't think its dehydration.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

You can try going to the website of the company that made your glasses. Thats the only way I ever found clip ons for my current ones.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

I'm looking for the name of a series of books/pamphlets I had as a kind in the early 90s. Each one was a few pages and was about a specific airplane, like the B2 or SR71. They had diagrams and basic facts and maybe cut away drawings as well, but were definitely geared toward young kids. I had a binder that I collected them in. I might have gotten them from some school book program.

There was also another series of them about exotic animals that my sister had.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

juche mane posted:

The animals one was Zoobooks.

Yeah Zoobooks and that picture above both look about right for the animal ones, any idea about a similar thing by with airplanes and tanks?

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Sometimes cats won't use a litter box if there is already too much stuff in it. I'm not sure if this is by smell, sight, or feel, but what shes doing may help?

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Meat Recital posted:

France - Germany - Austria - Liechtenstein - Switzerland - Italy is 6 countries in about 400km. Germany - France - the Netherlands - Belgium - Luxembourg is only 5, but doable under 300km.

Keep in mind the first route is very mountainous in parts and even though it's low distance, can still be long on time.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

I'm looking for historical data on tipping rates. I'd like to see how rates differ over parameters like time, location, industry, and expense level. Primarily interested in the US, but other countries would be interesting as well.

Note: I'm looking for large scale data, not anecdotes, not your beliefs, and not a debate on the concept of tipping. I know the subject can be a can of worms and I would like to avoid that if possible.

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Crankit posted:

I googled this and people said yes and no, but is it normal for someone who is sleep deprived to hear voices? I have a friend who regularly stays up for 2 days instead of a one day period like normal and he's said he sometimes hears people calling his name when he gets tired. I was slightly concerned by that but he says it's normal.

I don't know about voices, but when I'm up for several days I get some mild hallucinations. Mine is mostly thinking I'm seeing movement in my peripheral vision.

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Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Make them into a two page pdf?

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