Author Archives: Jeff Fitzsimons
Steam Connection Error (“you must first connect to the Internet”)
I was able to download and install Valve’s Steam client on my Windows 7 64-bit machine, but when I tried to run the client I would instantly receive this error: Steam.exe (main exception): To run Steam, you must first connect … Continue reading
Posted in Network, Technology
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Flents Econo-Mate Contact Lens Case
I can never find these when I need them: compact, low-volume, contact lens cases. The cases sold by contact solution companies are positively cavernous, sucking up a relatively tremendous quantity of solution every time you use them! I had an … Continue reading
Posted in Other
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Fixing Camcorder IEEE 1394/Firewire Connection Problems on Windows 7
I’m running Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit on my Toshiba A505 Satellite, which has a Firewire port. If I connected my Sony camcorder (DCR-HC40) I would just get either an endless connect/disconnect cycle, or simply nothing at all. Firewire just … Continue reading
Posted in Technology, Windows
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Word of the Day: Fremdschämen
Fremdschämen is a German word which means vicarious embarrassment on behalf of others. For examples, refer to almost anything that Ricky Gervais has made.
Posted in Other
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Photo Journal: Dempster Highway to the Arctic
Dempster Highway to the Arctic, Vancouver to Inuvik is an interesting photo journal by David Cambon.
Posted in Cycling
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MicroSD Card Sleuthing
I just read a fascinating story about investigating a bad batch of Kingston MicroSD cards. Some of the things I learned: Toshiba and Sandisk co-own the same fabrication facility. Samsung does not sell their own cards retail, only through resellers … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
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IME Functions Fail From Separate Process
I wanted to change the behavior of the Microsoft IME bar using AutoHotkeys, a utility which can be used to create macros, remap keys, or do any of a variety of other related tasks. This led me to ime_func.ahk, which … Continue reading
Posted in Technology, Windows
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Publishing GPG Public Key in DNS Records
Publishing GPG/PGP keys to public keyservers has one glaring fault: once you commit something, you can never remove it. I made the mistake of adding my email address at an employer’s domain. Now it is permanently tied to my public … Continue reading
Posted in Network, Security, Technology
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GnuPG Not Working Under Cygwin
I was having trouble using the GnuPG plugin for vim under Cygwin. The GnuPG plugin allows seamlessly integrated decryption, editing, and re-encryption of GPG-encrypted content within vim. However, on my Windows 7 box, it just showed gibberish. Attempting to edit … Continue reading
Posted in Technology, Windows
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Converting MP3 to AAC
Here is a Windows command shell script I wrote to convert MP3 files to AAC for my Softbank 821SC phone. The script uses FFmpeg, which I downloaded from here. @echo off REM ————————————————————————— REM Set the following variable to the … Continue reading
Posted in Scripting, Technology, Windows
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