LeSinge.org

Licensing - 23/07/2008 - 12:41 GMT - [Link]

I had an interesting experience in work the other day.

(Whoah, Dave - you're actually going to write about something that happened in your life?)

Don't worry, it's not actually interesting at all. It goes like this:

I used to have Flash 8 installed on my work PC but, when I got a laptop and the PC went to a colleague, I never moved the installation because I had no need for Flash - until a couple of days ago.

So we dig out a random Macromedia Studio 8 CD from the software "locker" (read: unlocked plywood press) and install Flash on the laptop with the intention of somehow deactivating it on the old PC so that it can be reactivated on the former. I've done this with Photoshop so it shouldn't be too much hassle. After installation, I'm prompted for the license key and, as I type in the last digit, a little green tick appears beside the field. All good, click Continue...

I get "A problem was detected with your serial number" and a link to click marked "Customer Service" which leads to a 404 page on Adobe.com because, since Flash 8 was released, Macromedia have been bought by Adobe and Flash 8 is now being packaged as Flash CS3.

So I root around and find the Ireland support number and get through to an English call centre. Andy is an affable chap who, it quickly becomes apparent, has no idea how to transfer a Macromedia license from one machine to another because "it's been so long".

He puts me on hold for a couple of minutes and then comes back and tells me that because my serial starts with "WPD", I can install it on as many machines as I want and, er, this is because Macromedia relaxed their licensing conditions, er, shortly before Adobe acquired them so, er, I don't have to do anything.

The upshot is that every time I start Flash, I get the serial number error dialog. I hit Cancel and Flash continues to load.

So my interpretation of this is that either Macromedia set fire to their server rooms before the Adobe guys took over operations properly or Adobe just can't be bothered chasing Macromedia licenses. I'm not complaining - now everyone in the team can have Flash, and isn't that super.

And I just checked and the exact same thing happens with Dreamweaver. Score.

• Aidan Kehoe said:

  Hahah, good to know!

  [2008-07-23 13:22:51 GMT] [Reply to this comment]

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Some context-free imagery - 17/07/2008 - 15:34 GMT - [Link]



Make of it what you will and enjoy the pretty music (UNKLE remix of "No One Knows" from Queens of the Stone Age).

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Paint the Line - 09/07/2008 - 23:06 GMT - [Link]

Penny Arcade's Cold War ping pong epic has drawn to a close and I, for one, will never look at that noble sport the same way again.



First episode here, then keep hitting the "Next" buttons under each strip. Stirring stuff.

• deadmoan said:

  I don gettit. It's too much for my scrawny brain.
  How's the soupped up motor doin?
  Have you filled the flux capacitor with old nappies yet?

  [2008-07-16 15:10:14 GMT] [Reply to this comment]



• Dave said:

  The motor remains unsouped, although maybe I'll broach the subject when the big service is due in 6ish weeks.
  
  And if you don't understand a simple Cold War table-tennis saga from the makers of a video game comic, what do you understand?

  [2008-07-22 11:32:53 GMT] [Reply to this comment]

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The EU Gravy Train - 01/07/2008 - 13:38 GMT - [Link]



via ocaoimh.ie

• Jas said:

  Our Kathy was working hard, unexpectedly she did kind of convince me.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvcICF5rx_o&feature=related

  [2008-07-02 10:19:03 GMT] [Reply to this comment]



• Aidan Kehoe said:

  I’ve actually had people here thank me for the Irish no vote, hilariously enough.
  
  That Guardian article on ß that you linked to is a bit gruel-brained, btw. In particular this:
  
  “In practical terms the ISO ruling now means that in future it should be easier to find the Eszett on computer keyboards and in programmes.“
  
  is totally bullshit. The inclusion of a capital ß will not change computer keyboards at all, since almost no-one wants to type it, and since the uppercase ß is god-knows-where (though, right, in the BMP), and since the lowercase ß is in Latin-1, how easy the letter is to find in programs (sorry, dear, we switched to -grams in that meaning a couple of decades ago) hasn't changed in real terms.

  [2008-07-02 20:44:20 GMT] [Reply to this comment]

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A pipe dream - 26/06/2008 - 13:47 GMT - [Link]

This is going to come across a bit Max Power, but I'd love to change the gearbox on my 1.2l Corsa from the standard issue close-ratio one to the wide-ratio box that I think is fitted on the 1.7 diesel. My reasoning is that I clock up most of my miles commuting on the M7 at 100-120km/h and I hate that, at 120km/h, the engine is screaming at 4000rpm like it's going to jump out through the bonnet.

The Scenic has the opposite problem; it's too big and heavy (and brick-shaped) for its little 1.4 (especially going between 50 and 80km/h) but its 5th at least is noticeably longer - 3500rpm at 120km/h.

Their respective kerb weights are 1024kg and 1235kg, so surely the Corsa has enough grunt to handle the bigger gaps between gears, especially since it's usually only me in it? I don't care if it takes me a little longer to get to 120km/h, as long as I'm not thrashing the engine as much when I get there.

According to this page, the wide-ratio box has a top ratio of 0.71 compared to 0.89 on what I have now, but it also says there's only one box you can fit on an X12XE engine. As standard, anyway...

So yeah, like I said, a pipe dream and probably far too costly in the short term to justify what I might save in petrol down the road. It's just that my last fill-up cost me €60 and fuck knows what the next one will be in a couple of days. I could just drive at 57.6mph, I suppose.

• jules said:

  I just want a pony. Wif a pwetty mane & tail I can comb & plait & put wibbons in. But you know, whatever floats your boat.
  
  [cars are EVIL, evil I tells ye!]

  [2008-06-28 13:26:46 GMT] [Reply to this comment]



• deadmoan said:

  dave, mess with your car to put in non-standard parts and you'll never be able to sell it again.
  Why not try a gas conversion instead.
  

  [2008-06-29 08:48:33 GMT] [Reply to this comment]



• Dave said:

  It's a seven-year-old Corsa with over 70000 miles; how much do you think I'd get for it anyway?
  
  If I could do this I would keep the car.

  [2008-07-01 15:19:08 GMT] [Reply to this comment]



• deadmoan said:

  In that case, add an afterburner.... it'll get you up to speed faster!
  And...erm not be efficient.
  
  And 29" wheels...

  [2008-07-05 06:21:27 GMT] [Reply to this comment]



• Dave said:

  A pony would be superfun but I don't think it would like the daily 50 mile round trip to work.
  
  And no there is no realistic public transport option for me. This is Ireland, after all.

  [2008-07-01 15:20:18 GMT] [Reply to this comment]

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About

This is LeSinge.org v3.0. It's on its sixth* server since I registered the domain name in November of 2000 and it has gone through several drastic facelifts in that time, usually prompted by some cataclysmic event like someone deleting a load of files they shouldn't, or a server being shut down. This is the maddest layout yet; I'm trying to fit the entire weblog (apart from diary archives and the gallery) into a single loading page using all sorts of PHP-generated DHTML jiggery-pokery. The idea is to make it more inviting to look around since there's no loading between "pages". It's still a work in progress (more a proof of concept than anything), so be patient!

I'm Dave Whyte, an Irish CS graduate, German speaker, linguist and incredibly talented web developer. I'm originally from Cork but I now live in Kildare with my wife Beth. I'm currently working for these fine folks and enjoying it greatly.

"The Monkey"? Eh?

My nom de guerre comes from an old Eddie Izzard comedy sketch.

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