Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2007 January 4

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January 4

mp3 solid state music players

Can mp3 players record music (via line in or digital), is this a common feature.., are there any players that do this, can anyone recommend one that does.. Thanks..87.102.19.50 01:59, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Several mp3 players do this. However, if you want high quality recordings of live music, I suggest that you buy a recorder that has been designed for that purpose instead. I bought the Roland Edirol R09 , and am very happy with it. It works well as an mp3 player as well, but it is bulkier. --NorwegianBlue ^talk 03:35, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Good choice.. but I was really thinking about time-shifting/ not carrying CD's, so perhaps a lesser player would do.. any suggestions (UK available please)87.102.23.89 04:19, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Strange keyboard overload?

When I play certain games, I use the WASD format for updownleftright, and then I also have 0 and . (on the number keypad) as A and B. Everything is fine, except for some reason I cannot hold upleft and press another key at the same time. That is, I can hold down W and D (Up and right) at the same time while pressing 0, but if I hold down W and A while pressing 0, the computer makes a beep and the game does not register my keystrokes. No, this does not have to do with the games themselves, as even now as I type this, if I hold down W and D at the same time while pressing 0, this happens: wd0. But if I hold down W and A while pressing 0, this happens: aw[beep]. I mentioned the games because those are the only times where it is an inconvenience. Thanks. --Ķĩřβȳ♥ŤįɱéØ 09:15, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

This is a technical limitation of keyboards in general. I don't find the website anymore where I first read about this, but Google gave me this article, which explains the problems of the matrix circuits used in keyboards and partly confirms what I remember: It requires additional effort to allow many keys to be pressed at the same time, so normally, the circuits are only designed for standard combinations (like Ctrl-Shift-A or something). All other combinations may or may not work correctly.

I have an old keyboard with mechanical switches, which is capable of recognizing all keys at the same time (I've never actually tried, but it worked with about half of them, so I don't doubt my source on that). I had wondered what all the diodes on its circuit board are for; as I understand the article linked above, they allow all keys to be recognized at the same time. Speculating further I assume most keyboards don't support this because these diodes (a) make the keyboard more expansive and (b) probably can't be incorporated into the modern dome-switch keyboards because their circuit "boards" are flexible (and can't even hold diodes). --Dapeteばか 13:14, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Yep. Key jamming can occur pretty easily if your keyboard is (1) not old, or (2) not expensive. --Kjoonlee 13:43, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

So is there a solution to this problem that doesn't involve going out and buying a new keyboard? If not, what should I look for in order to have a keyboard that prevents key jamming? --Ķĩřβȳ♥ŤįɱéØ 19:04, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I'm afraid there isn't. The second best thing you can do, if you can find a program that lets you test all your keys, is to change your key config to something that doesn't jam. If you must buy a new keyboard, keyboard technology has some info, but I'm not sure which keyboards are free from key jamming. Mine doesn't have keyjamming; it's mechanical, heavy, expensive, and loud. (There are versions that are more quiet, but I didn't like their "feel," so to speak.) --Kjoonlee 00:53, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

AFAIK this is why many games use Shift, Ctrl, and Alt as buttons - you can hold down all of them AND another key, and the computer won't have any problems recognising it - as they are *designed* to be pressed alongside other keys. -- Chuq 05:16, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

an Apple 2 simulation game

Hi. I'm desperately trying to remember the name of a game I've seen back in 1980 or around that time. It was a game for the Apple II computer and I'm pretty sure that it had the name of an antique mesopotamian or persian king. It was a text-based game of management, some kind of a very rough sim city game. Did I dream that game ? Many thanks for any help, and please do excuse my quite lame english ! Jean-no 09:25, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

don't know the game but this link might be a good start...[1] Sandman30s 12:59, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I seem to recall a pyramid-building game named something like Imhotep, where you had to decide how much seed to plant so you could feed the workers, so they would build the pyramid and not revolt. StuRat 01:07, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Thank you, I think it might be that (I remember that people had to be fed correctly). I'm not sure it was egyptian but I was quite young then. Jean-no

Sounds like Hamurabi to me. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 16:45, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Yep, that's definitely the one I was thinking of, although that's not the name I'm familiar with. Perhaps I was using a rip-off of the original. StuRat 20:36, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Hamurabi !!! Thank you very much. It was a mesopotamian then, my memory is not that damaged. Jean-no 10:28, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Digital Time Lapse Phography

I just received an Olympus FE-170 digital camera. Is there a way that I could use this camera to take time lapse photography? (Does there exist alternate firmware for this camera that would allow more detailed control of camera settings, or is there a remote control attachment that could be used in this capacity?)

If not, are there any cameras within the price range of this camera, that is under 200$, that would allow this kind of function.

Thanks in advance 74.64.90.125 09:58, 4 January 2007 (UTC)jk14

gPhoto supports remote camera control; if it's supported (it's not on the list, but it can't hurt to try), you can use a simple shell script while the camera is plugged into a laptop to sleep $n$ seconds, take a picture, sleep, take a picture, and so on. An incomplete list of cameras which gPhoto can remote-control is here; if you're looking for a camera which can do time-lapse, the ones on that page definitely can. (If you're using Windows, see what the software that came with the camera will let you do; sorry, but I haven't used anything but Linux in a while.) grendel|khan 21:58, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

The Kodak P880 has a time lapse mode, and with recent sales (Especially at Costco) you may be able to find one at that price range. However, you will also want to invest in a power supply to keep it running during a long time-lapse session, which will bring the costs up quite a bit. --Mdwyer 20:06, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

Putting wikipedia into iPod

Can u put wikipedia into the latest iPod(video, 5th gen)? If so where can I download the latest version? Thanks!

See here to get a big folder with all the html files in it. However, I'm not sure if the iPod can read html saved onto its hard drive. That would be nice, though (Douglas Adams would be happy). yandman 13:07, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

AFAIK, you can't read HTML files with the original firmware, but no one said that was a requirement. If there isn't any browser for iPodLinux yet, you'll only have to port one. :) TERdON 17:25, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Many thanks :)74.64.90.125 23:14, 4 January 2007 (UTC)jk14

See Encyclopodia, since I'm almost positive iPods don't read HTML out of the box. Superm401 - Talk 05:26, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

iPod transferamation

Can music be taken off an iPod and put onto iTunes (i have my iPod and want to put some songs on it onto a friend's computer)?

Not with iTunes, there are 3rd party programs that can do this though, I've never used any personally however, so can't really recommend any program above another. This may be a good starting point. Cyraan 16:10, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I'd recommend YamiPod. It works on Mac, Windows and Linux. Plug in your iPod, and choose to copy all your music to your hard drive, where iTunes can see it. Pesapluvo 13:45, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Creating Wikis

I would like to see a wiki for non-profits, is this something wikipedia might create or that I could create on my own? Any direction would be much appreciated...

Kistine16:06, 4 January 2007 (UTC)16:06, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

There already is a wiki for Non-profit organization, you can feel free to edit it though if you think you can contribute something. Cyraan 16:18, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Do you mean an article (as Cyraan mentioned above) or a full site specific to NPOs? - (Nuggetboy) (talk) (contribs) 16:33, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

If you want to do it on your own buy some web hosting with PHP and mySQL available and install the mediawiki software. Alternatively, convince Wikia to host it for you. --froth^{T C} 01:51, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia founder Jimbo Wales started a wiki hosting service at Wikia (more here) which is free for free-content wikis. Alternatively, you can have a wiki on your website by using the free/libre MediaWiki software (more here) on your server. --h2g2bob 00:30, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

I'm at a loss.... (PC to Mac)

I got a Mac a week ago. (Its a Mac Mini with an Intel Dual Core processor and a super drive.) I've never used a Mac before, and would like to make it my primary computer. However, I have been completely unable to get my files from my Windows XP PC (a Dell Inspiron 1000 laptop with a CDR drive) to the Mac. I have tried burning CDs, but when I put them in the Mac, it thinks the discs are empty. I bought an Ethernet wire and tried networking them. Three hours and a dozen websites later and I can't get them hooked up to each other (though I think its my PC's fault). I got a new external hard drive for my Mac, and thought I could use that to store the files, but to do so is way outside of my abilities (namely partitioning and other stuff - and again, I don't think Windows is cooperating). I don't want to transfer much... my pictures, a couple of movies, and my documents... but it simply doesn't seem to be workable no matter what I try. Aside from emailing myself everything I want transfered (which will take... days), I am at a loss. Any suggestions? --Jeffrey O. Gustafson - Shazaam! - <*> 22:01, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Try this [2] It should help you,this might also help you [3] and this link as well [4]--67.68.25.159 22:33, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Doesn't really help. No matter what I do, the "Local Area Connection" on my PC has "Limited or no Connectivity." I'm pretty sure its a problem on my PC's end. I just cant get them connected. This is rather frustrating. --Jeffrey O. Gustafson - Shazaam! - <*> 23:10, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

If the machines are not 1000Base-T, make sure you are using an Ethernet crossover cable to connect them. There is also nothing to provide you with an IP address, which will cause that error message. You will need to go add static IP addresses, like the ones in the example here [5] (although gateway is not needed). Another mutant 00:09, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Gah - too complicated. Can anyone here figure out why my Mac can't read the discs I've tried to burn? --Jeffrey O. Gustafson - Shazaam! - <*> 01:41, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

What did you burn them with? If you used some kind of third-party software you may not have closed the disk session --froth^{T C} 01:48, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

By the way the ethernet crossover cable is probably the simplest option --froth^{T C} 01:49, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Damnit. Hmmm... would a USB Flash Drive work for Windows and a Mac? --Jeffrey O. Gustafson - Shazaam! - <*> 02:14, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

That's what I was going to suggest, I have a win based PC an my gf has a mac and I transfer files using my usb key. Vespine 05:29, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

On your PC how are you recording the cd's, are you dragging files directly to the cd-rom drive? If so you probably have packet writing software loaded, which would make it so your mac cannot read the cd's. Try opening up your cd-burning program and recording the files by creating a data cd, the mac should be able to read those. Or install a UDF reader to the mac to be able to read cd's written with packet writing software; although searching google i can't find any information on doing that thats free (sorry for my very limited Mac knowledge)--PiTHON 03:54, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Resizing an SVG.

I have a pretty complicated SVG that I converted from a PDF file. (It's one of those airport diagrams that the FAA makes.) It's convinced that it's about 300 by 500 pixels. I want it to display at a higher resolution by default. How do I adjust the scaling factor? I changed the width and height properties in the <svg> element, but this just put the diagram in the middle of a lot of blank space. Isn't there a simple, straightforward way to change the default scaling factor? grendel|khan 22:06, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Maybe an SVG editor like InkScape could scale the data points but you won't be able to do it by hand as you'd have to modify each point's coordinates --froth^{T C} 01:46, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

The tiny scale is good enough; it'll be resized properly when it's displayed on the page anyway. grendel|khan 14:34, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

jpeg/bmp/whatever files to pdf files

i've been trying to figure out how to create a pdf file out of image files. am i just stupid? i can't seem to figure out how to do it. and i used to think i was fairly good with computers.  :( please help. thank you! Coolsnak3 23:59, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Well you are talking about converting a bitmapped graphic into what is essentially a container for graphics (and text and whatnot). So the easiest way to "convert" a JPG into a PDF is to do something like inserting it into a Word document and then converting that to a PDF. --24.147.86.187 00:13, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

genius! i love you. thank you for not making fun of me for this. :D Coolsnak3 00:20, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

If you have Photoshop, that can save images in PDF. If you have Acrobat Professional, you can open the image in your favourite image viewer, and print to the PDF printer. For free software alternatives, I think ImageMagick can read and write PDFs as well. enochlau (talk) 04:26, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Imagemagick needs Ghostscript to read PDF files. It can write PDFs without Ghostscript, though. --Transfinite 05:52, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

If you're using Windows, you might want to look at PDFCreator. It makes a sort of virtual printer; you print the image from whatever viewer you were using, and instead of making paper pages shoot out of a printer, it just adds pages to a PDF. Might be the all-around easiest method for you. (If you're using Mac OSX or relatively recent Linux, this ability is already included.) grendel|khan 14:24, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

If your using a mac, the Preview application bundled with OS X can do it easily. Open the image in preview, and "Save As". PDF is one of the options.