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ComputorEdge™ Online — 09/19/14

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Apple Plays Catch Up

Apple finally introduces a larger size iPhone, plus a smartwatch for next year.

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Digital Dave

by Digital Dave

Digital Dave answers your tech questions.

Changing Security Protocols ATT 2wire; How to Print to a File; Icon Freeze in Win 8.1.

Finally! The Larger iPhone 6 Is Unveiled

by Jack Dunning

The iPhone 6 Comes Available for Upgrade Hungry Users, Plus the Apple Watch Intro

Apple has been losing market share to Samsung for years. Now the iPhone 6 with a larger screen might even the playing field. Plus, will the Apple Watch be another game changer or marketing dud?

Simplified Regular Expressions in AutoHotkey Continued

by Jack Dunning

More Regular Expression Tricks with Numbers for AutoHotkey Validation

This time there are more simple examples of how to use RegEx functions to manipulate data in AutoHotkey.

Wally Wang's Apple Farm

by Wally Wang

The Overlooked Future at Apple's Last Event

The Overlooked Future at Apple's Last Event; T-Mobile Enticements; The Next Apple Event; MacWorld Magazine Goes Digital; Share a DVD Drive.

Editor's Letters: Tips and Thoughts from Readers

by ComputorEdge Staff

Computer and Internet tips, plus comments on the articles and columns.

"Calling for Support with Google Searching?" "Tax Fiction as a Barren Truth," "VLC vs KMPlayer," "Recording Audio"

Send mail to ceeditor@computoredge.com with questions about editorial content.

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Digital Dave

“Digital Dave answers your tech questions.”
by Digital Dave

Changing Security Protocols ATT 2wire; How to Print to a File; Icon Freeze in Win 8.1.

Changing Security Protocols ATT 2wire

Dear Digital Dave,

Thanks for the years of interesting information. I want to switch my ATT 2wire gateway Router/Modem to WPA-PSK security protocol. I have a home network with one Toshiba L855 Satellite Laptop Windows 8.1, one Acer Aspire T180-E360 Windows 7 Ult, one Brother MFC7860DW laser printer, one Canon Pixma MX432 inkjet printer. Every time I try to switch the ATT to WPA-PSK and set up the Brother likewise, they refuse to communicate with each other. Can you provide any light here? I have tech experience, but was out of the loop for years and am studying a lot trying to catch up.

Thanks, Dave

James Wing

San Diego, CA

Dear James,

Assuming that both the router and the printer have the same encryption capabilities, make sure that they match. There is both a WPA option and WPA2 option. The encryption keys (password) should also match as well.

While I'm not familiar with your particular setup sometimes equipment doesn't connect because it won't release the old settings. Turn off the printer and disconnect the power from the wall. This will often clear any stored Wi-Fi setting. (A number of times I've found that cutting the power to a printer—not just turning it off—will get a stuck printer going again.)

Make sure the router is on and operating before turning on the printer. Once the printer is turned on and ready, there should be a way to both select the name of the Wi-Fi source (the router) and set the encryption key. (If your neighbor's router has a strong Wi-Fi signal, the printer could be trying to connect to it.) If the printer automatically detects Wi-Fi sources, then you should see a list of options. Once you've set the correct router name and key for the right security setting, then the printer should connect. It should be that simple. (There may be a trick that I'm not aware of with this setup.)

If it still doesn't work, then I'm at a loss. I might suspect a problem with the Wi-Fi card in the printer—assuming that you have been able to connect all the other computers and printers to the Wi-Fi router.

Digital Dave

How to Print to a File

Dear Digital Dave,

I know that to print what is on screen you hit CTRL-P. I was wondering how can I get the computer to print to file instead of the printer, and also how would I view the file?

Mark

Denver, CO

Dear Mark,

While CTRL+P is generally accepted as the shortcut for invoking printing, it is not universal in the same way as CTRL+C for copy and CTRL+V for paste. How CTRL+P behaves depends upon the program you are using at the time. In most programs it will open a print dialogue which allows you to select the print drivers you want to use. In many cases you can opt to "Save to…" a file, but most often that is a PDF file. How you would save to other types of files depends upon what you want to save. For example, if you are using your Web browser, there are a number of different ways to save the data on the page. Most do not involve using CTRL+P.

First, if you wanted to save the Web page itself with all of the HTML code, then right-click and select "Save as…" A dialog box will open allowing you to save the file at any location. You can later view the saved HTML file by double-clicking on the filename in Windows Explorer. The file will be displayed in your default Web browser.

If you want to save an image from the same Web page, right-click on the image and select "Save as…" Another dialog window will open allowing you to save the file. A double-click of that filename in Windows Explorer will open the image with your default image viewer. (Note: It is important to click over the image when saving just the image. For the entire Web page do not click over an image in the page.)

Sometimes the "Save as…" option will not appear for an image in the right-click menu. In that case, use the "Copy image" option, open a graphics program, paste the image into the program, then use the "Save as…" option in the file menu to create a file.

If you just want the text on a Web page, select the target text (click and hold the left mouse button, then drag the cursor to the end to the text), right-click and "Copy" (or CTRL+C), then paste (Paste in the File menu or CTRL+V) the text into a text editor or word processing program and Save. Double-clicking the new filename will open the text in the default text editor or word processor.

If you want to copy a link address, right-click on the link and select "Copy link address." Paste into a text file or Web browser.

If you use CTRL+P, the print program for the Web browser will open, normally in a preview mode. You can change the setting for the print driver (Change printer) and select options such as "Save to PDF", "Microsoft XPS Document Writer", or any other driver which writes to a file.

You can also use any screen capture program such as the Windows Snipping Tool or even the PrintScreen key to capture an image of the screen and paste it into a graphics program.

As you can see, there are numerous ways to save screen content to a file. Which one you choose will depend upon how you will later use the file or data. I never use CTRL+P because that and other options are almost always found in either or both the File menu and a right-click context menu. Depending upon the program you're using, you may find various other options for doing the same thing. For example, in many programs an Export option found in the File menu will create new files in a variety of formats.

Digital Dave

Icon Freeze in Win 8.1

Dear Digital Dave,

A few months ago I updated Win 8 (64 bit) to Win 8.1. The installation worked flawlessly and all went well until an automatic update by Microsoft caused the Win 8 modern tiles to freeze (Ref: Microsoft Article 2941326). I think that loading updates out of the Microsoft-recommend sequence may have triggered the problem—but from day one I had auto updates turned on. A Dell tech rep and I tried to restore the computer to normal operation, but the Microsoft how-to articles did not resolve the problem. We first tried System Restore and removing certain updates and reinstalling in the recommended sequence, to no avail. Under the guidance of the Dell tech rep, we had to erase the hard drive and reload everything, and stop short of Win 8.1.

Microsoft messages keep reminding me to update to Win 8.1, and the only options offered have been to proceed or "remind me later." Two days ago, when I was back in front of the computer, a Microsoft message was on the screen, giving me the options of installing 8.1 now or delaying not longer than 4 hours. Without any response from me the downloading was already underway. I quickly turned off the computer, and on restart, the downloading continued.Next I turned off automatic updates. Now it appears that Win 8.1 has been downloaded and I am back to being given the option to "remind me later"—not to download and install, but to install.

That arbitrariness by Microsoft is very annoying, but aside from that, I just want a properly working operating system. Going back to 8.1 is fine with me if I can avoid the freezing icons caused by Microsoft automatic updates.

I am beyond the warranty stage, limiting my free access for tech advice. I have found no new posts by Microsoft or Dell about the icon freezes. Based on posts on the Internet from others, this is not a rare problem. Some responders posted "cures" but none worked for me or apparently anyone else. The Dell rep assisting me on reloading everything was reluctant to advise.

Don

San Diego, CA

Dear Don,

It seems that Microsoft wants you all in for Windows 8.1. It's obvious that Windows 8.1 is downloaded and the system plans to install it. Outside of the benefits to Windows 8.1 (especially Windows 8.1 Update 1) over Windows 8, you may need the current version installed to upgrade to Windows 9 when it comes out next year. (This is not definite.)

Maybe I'm a little more daring, but I would take a chance with the upgrade. The upgrade has likely changed with numerous fixes which have been applied since your last attempt. There is no guarantee that it will work this time, but you are gaining little by not attempting it. I guess you run the risk to being forced to start all over again, but there is just as good a chance that all will work fine—especially since you started with a clean install this last time.

If you don't want to the take the risk, then don't. But without venturing forward you're likely to continue getting the same messages.

Digital Dave

Finally! The Larger iPhone 6 Is Unveiled

“The iPhone 6 Comes Available for Upgrade Hungry Users, Plus the Apple Watch Intro”
by Jack Dunning

Apple has been losing market share to Samsung for years. Now the iPhone 6 with a larger screen might even the playing field. Plus, will the Apple Watch be another game changer or marketing dud?

The word on the street is that Apple iPhone lovers can thank Samsung for the new bigger screen iPhone 6 models. The sentiment seems to be "It's about time!" and preorders are flooding in. According to AppleInsider, "It appears Apple has sold out of stock allotted to preorder customers and is now quoting ship-by dates of up to three to four weeks for the iPhone 6 Plus." The same article shows how Samsung is attacking the new iPhone in a video ad by claiming it's an imitation of the Galaxy Note introduced in 2011. It's been a long wait for iPhone users.

In 2011, Android smartphones and tablets were about 15% of the total mobile market while iOS (iPhones and iPads) accounted for over 52%. This year Android caught up with Apple iOS as shown in Figure 1 (source NetMarketShare.com). The inroads made by Android (particularly Samsung products) have cut into what was once exclusively an Apple domain.

Figure 1. Market share has grown for Android mobile devices while Apple iOS has dropped. (NetMarketShare.com)

A huge portion of the Android smartphone market growth was due solely to Samsung (see Figure 2) and its build it, then throw it against the wall and see what sticks approach to the mobile market. It wasn't brilliance on Samsung's part, but a policy of building everything possible until something works. There were plenty of failures, but the larger screen on the Galaxy Note was a huge hit. Who knew someone would want a larger screen on a smartphone? (Maybe the Samsung build anything and everything approach was brilliance after all.)

Figure 2. Samsung has become a dominant force in the mobile market.

Samsung has lost market share recently due to other Asian companies making headway, but it's still at the top of the heap. In the meantime, Apple iPad and tablet sales in general are experiencing a slowdown while PC sales are growing. So much for the prediction that tablet computers would wipe out PCs. It seems that most people who wanted a tablet by now have one—and there is no compelling reason to upgrade. Unlike the smartphone market where cellular companies subsidize the sale of hardware with contract renewals, very few tablets have an active mobile data plan. Wi-Fi works just fine.

Apple's Dilemma

When Apple introduced the iPad Mini many (including myself) predicted that it would cannibalize iPad (regular size) sales. The Mini was smaller, lighter, and less expensive. My own informal testing of the Mini at a local Apple Store convinced me that most buyers would prefer the Mini—even though it sported a smaller screen (see "Apple iPad Faces a New Challenge"). That is in fact what happened and regular size iPad sales have suffered ever since. There are other contributing factors to the sagging iPad 2 sales which include the rise of Android tablets (again mostly Samsung) and the "good enough" attitude of current owners which is growing around the existing iPads. Who needs a new iPad when the old one works just fine?

This is the same problem that Apple encounters with new iPhone 6. By adding the larger screen, the iPhone 6 plus starts to encroach onto iPad Mini territory. People don't want to carry around both a tablet and a smartphone. Previously the Samsung Galaxy Note was the primary alternative. Now, the iPhone 6 fills that same gap for iPhone lovers. There is pent up demand among Apple iPhone users for a larger screen—which is impetus behind the huge number of pre-orders. These people would never dream of switching to Samsung, but they have watched their friends (who own a larger Galaxy) for years with a little bit of hidden envy. Now they can have what they truly want—a bigger screen—and it's still Apple.

The downside for Apple is that the iPhone 6 is likely to cannibalize both the sale of iPads and that of the smaller iPhones. There will be less need to own both a smartphone and a tablet. (Besides the iPad they already own works fine.) These orders rolling for the iPhone 6 are not likely new sales to new customers, but introducing the larger screen was a catch up step Apple had to make. Otherwise, it would risk losing even more customers to the Android world.

As for introducing the two new iPhone 6 models (4.7" screen for the iPhone 6 and 5.5" for the iPhone 6 Plus), I would have thought that 4.7" model would be a loser. If someone wants a bigger screen, then they want a bigger screen. Why would any Apple buyer pick the smaller of the two? The $100 difference is not likely to mean much to people who buy Apple. Users would likely either stick with the smaller iPhone 5 because they don't want a bigger phone or they will go to the larger of the two new smartphones—the iPhone 6 Plus. Look at the relative size of the iPhones in Figure 3. Which one would you pick?

Figure 3. Looking at the relative size of the iPhones (iPhone 5, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus), buyers are likely to either want the smallest, convenient size or the largest, easier to see and use size.

Update: I did some anecdotal checking with a local Verizon store and it seems that the 4.7" midsize iPhone 6 is doing pretty well. That may be due to the fact that the iPhone 6 Plus will not be available until a few weeks later, but there are customers commenting that the iPhone 6 Plus is too big. Maybe the real problem is that the iPhone 5 is too small and it will disappear in deference to the two iPhone 6 models. Although, my guess is that there will always be people who want a smaller phone.

Regardless of any quibbling over Apple products, the company will continue to make billions each year on mobile devices. Over 75% of Apple's revenues come from mobile devices (56% iPhone and 20% iPad). You can bet that this is where Apple will keep its primary focus. Apple will continue to introduce new products, but the question is whether the people running the company have enough vision to create the future a la Jobs. I'm not convinced that the Apple Watch is such a product. (I wanted to call it an iWatch, but apparently it isn't.)

The Apple Watch

The Apple Watch is merely an accessory for the iPhone. It is not a standalone smartwatch. This is an important distinction because if you don't own (or plan to own) an iPhone, then there is little reason to even look at the Apple Watch—regardless of any charm it may display. That means almost by definition, it is not ground breaking on a marketing level. It is an extension of the iPhone with a nice interface and some sensors. That's all.

Having said that Apple has worked hard to pack the right type of interface and technology into a small package (see Figure 4). Realizing that a watch is just too small for two-finger zooming a "Digital Crown" button has been added on the side to aid in navigating the interface. This is a reasonable compromise when there is so little screen space for poking and prodding.

Figure 4. Apple Watch has a touch interface with a "Digital Crown" button built into the right side for zooming, scrolling, and selecting.

There are three different models of the Apple Watch, each of which comes in two sizes: large and small. The standard watch has a stainless steel case, while the sport watch uses aluminum—presumably to lighten the load while jogging or playing rugby. The high-end Edition Apple Watch has an 18-karat gold case for people who want to spend more on a functional device than is necessary. Humm.

The fact that the Apple Watch is even offered with an 18-karat gold case is silly. The supposed statement is that a piece of technology can be high-end jewelry and command a premium price. This comes from the fact that the watch industry has managed to create an exclusive image with expensive watches, but those watches are actually jewelry. No one spends $3,000 - $10,000 to strap a timepiece to their arm just to know the hour. If someone owns a Rolex, they look at their watch to remind themselves of how successful they are. The time is merely a bonus and an excuse to look at the watch. No digital watch will ever fall into this category—even if it's produced by Apple.

The problem is that any smartwatch is an informational device which delivers data. Eventually, it will become obsolete technology, whereas a precision mechanical time piece is timeless. It is foolish to think that any smartwatch will become an exclusive work of art. It's just a smartwatch.

Is there a market for the Apple Watch? Maybe, but let's look into the future. Today we are plagued with people continually checking their smartphone for messages, playing games, looking up restaurants, and sending photos to Facebook. When they own an Apple Watch they will be constantly fiddling with their wrist device to check messages, play games, look up restaurants, and send photos on the tiny little screen—possibly lamenting the fact that they must use such a small gadget, but… Wait! They don't need to mess with the smartwatch because an iPhone is right there sitting in their pocket! Just pull it out and there is no more hassling with a digital watch. (Do I sound too cynical?)

It was pointed out to me that a smartwatch could be a good substitute for digging through a purse (or European carryall) looking for a smartphone whenever a text message is received.

The question nagging for the Apple Watch is battery life. A smaller device means a smaller battery. Right now people are guessing that it will need recharging every night. (That may not be a problem. I need recharging every night.)

I do believe that there are many iPhone lovers who will immediately buy the new Apple Watch when it comes out. The question is whether the multi-millions of other iPhone owners will follow suit. But even an initial quick start is by no means a guarantee that Apple will change the world the way it has in the past. Many people no longer wear watches at all since the time is always available on their smartphone. Will they start wearing a watch now just to add a little more convenience to their iPhone? This could well be a niche market for joggers and the nerds who used to wear calculator watches. (I'm one of the latter.) I'm not sure that new Apple introductions have quite the luster that they once did.

Don't get me wrong. I think it would be cool to own an Apple Watch—especially if I didn't need to also buy an iPhone (and a data package from a cellular company). I love toys. But I may wait until someone delivers a real stand-alone smartwatch. With so many unknowns about the Apple Watch (battery life?), I wonder if Jobs would have let the introduction go forward. I don't see any game changers here. Plus, the Apple Watch starts at over $300. Who wants to buy an accessory that costs almost as much as the parent iPhone?

Apple's cash cow is the iPhone. The smartphone industry through its wireless data contract subsidies is conducive to upgrading the hardware every couple of years. This is practically built-in income. However, if Apple doesn't keep hustling it could fall victim to the fickleness of the cellular users. The downside to the two-year mobile contract renewal is that it is also an opportunity for users to switch to different hardware. The mobile market does not support the same level of customer loyalty as the Macintosh computer community—or even the Windows PC. (Actually, the smartphone market is getting more like the PC market in that the installed apps tend to make people prefer the same type of phone that they already use, but virtually the same useful apps are available on all devices.) You don't think that Apple's fortunes can recede? Just ask Nokia, Blackberry and Motorola.

In a few years when Apple Watch is a fabulous success, I'll be added to the list of naysayers who predicted that the results would be mediocre at best. By then I may even be wearing an Apple Watch myself. But that's the type of person I am—even if it means buying an iPhone to make it useful.

Jack is the publisher of ComputorEdge Magazine. He's been with the magazine since first issue on May 16, 1983. Back then, it was called The Byte Buyer. His Web site is www.computoredge.com. He can be reached at ceeditor@computoredge.com. Jack is now in the process of updating and compiling his hundreds of articles and columns into e-books. Currently available:

Recently released is Jack's FREE AutoHotkey book, AutoHotkey Tricks You Ought to Do with Window, available exclusively at ComputorEdge E-Books in the EPUB for e-readers and tablets, MOBI for Kindle, and PDF for printing formats.

ComputorEdge E-books offering is his AutoHotkey Applications, an idea-generating intermediate level e-book about using the AutoHotkey Graphical User Interface (GUI) command to write practical pop-up apps for your Windows computer. (It's not as hard as it sounds.)

Hidden Windows Tools for Protecting, Problem Solving and Troubleshooting Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP Computers.

Jack's A Beginner's Guide to AutoHotkey, Absolutely the Best Free Windows Utility Software Ever!: Create Power Tools for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 and Digging Deeper Into AutoHotkey.

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Getting Started with Windows 7: An Introduction, Orientation, and How-to for Using Windows 7,

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and That Does Not Compute!, brilliantly drawn cartoons by Jim Whiting for really stupid gags by Jack about computers and the people who use them.

Simplified Regular Expressions in AutoHotkey Continued

“More Regular Expression Tricks with Numbers for AutoHotkey Validation”
by Jack Dunning

This time there are more simple examples of how to use RegEx functions to manipulate data in AutoHotkey.

This is not a beginning level AutoHotkey column. It's built upon not only last week's introduction to RegEx, but the many books and columns I've written over the last couple of years. If you're new to AutoHotkey, then it may worthwhile to check out this Introduction to AutoHotkey. This column might make you believe that AutoHotkey is difficult, but I assure you that it's not. There are many useful things that you can do immediately with very little work. AutoHotkey can be either a quick trip or a fascinating journey. How far you go totally depends upon you.

*                    *                    *

This week I continue digging into Regular Expressions (RegEx) in AutoHotkey. Last week, I gave a short, simplified tutorial on what RegEx does and how it works. The power of RegEx comes from the many things that it can do when searching for matching strings. This variety of options is also the source of confusion which causes many people to give up. By adding only a little at a time, it's much easier to see how RegEx does its job.

As an example for this column, I'm using the Number Servings field in the Calorie Count script which has occasionally caused me problems. When multiplied by the Calories/Serving it yields the total number of calories for any given food (see Figure 1). In particular, whenever I entered a comma rather than a decimal point the calculation stopped working because it was no longer a number.

Figure 1. Using Calories/Serving and Number Calories, the total number of calories for a food item is calculated.

I looked for a built-in solution such as the Number option available in the Gui, Add, Edit command. When the Number option is added only digits can be entered into the field (see Figure 2)—not even a decimal point will be accepted. This works fine for Calories/Serving since it is an integer and doesn't need a decimal point available. But, when the Number Servings edit field must accept a fraction of a serving, the Number option is useless.

Figure 2. When using the "Number" option in the Calories/Serving field only digits can be entered.

In an earlier column, I showed a partial fix which would change the accidental comma into a decimal point. While this worked, it still allowed the entry of other characters which could cause a problem with the calculation. I decided to investigate using RegEx to solve the problem. The goal is to validate the Number Servings field so that only a number (with or without a decimal point) can be entered. This will eliminate the accidental keys and commas from the result. I don't know that I found the best solution, but it works. The new TotalCalCalc subroutine includes a number of uses of the AutoHotkey functions RegExMatch() and one of RegExReplace():

TotalCalCalc:        ;Calculate total calories

Gui, Submit, NoHide

StringReplace, Food5, Food5,`,,.,all                 ; turn commas into decimals

NewValue := RegExReplace(Food5, "[a-zA-Z]", "")      ; remove letters

NewStr := RegExMatch(NewValue, "[\d.]+", NewValue)  ; match all numbers and decimals

SetFormat, float, 5.2                                ; set number format to two decimal places

NewValue += 0                                        ; forces the variable to be a number

NewStr := RegExMatch(NewValue, "\.00$")              ; detect double zeros after decimal

If NewStr                                            ; remove double zeros after decimal

NewValue := SubStr(NewValue, 1 , NewStr)

NewStr := RegExMatch(NewValue, "\..0$")              ; detect single zero at end

If NewStr                                            ; remove single zero

NewValue := SubStr(NewValue, 1 , NewStr+1)

GuiControl, ,Food5, %newvalue%                       ; update value of Number Servings

SendInput, {End}                                     ; place cursor at the end of the field

TotalCalVal := Round(Food4 * Food5)

GuiControl, ,Food6, %TotalCalVal%

Return

It's pretty long compared to the original label (subroutine), but it illustrates a few ways that RegEx can be used in AutoHotkey without making the RegEx expressions too complicated. Remember that TotalCalCalc activates every time there is a change in either the Calories/Serving field or Number Calories field to recalculate the total Calories seen in text field on the right side.

Note: This discussion builds on the previous articles. If something is not explained to your satisfaction, then please check any referenced article for more details.

The first line encountered after the Gui, Submit, NoHide which saves the current field data into the variable Food5 (or Food4 if activated from the Calories/Serving field) is the StringReplace, Food5, Food5,`,,.,all line of code (added to the script two weeks ago) which turns any accidental comma into a decimal point. It was just as well to keep the line since it totally eliminates the problem of accidentally hitting the comma key—which sits right next to the period (decimal) key. Next, we meet the first of our RegEx functions. This subroutine uses a number of RegEx functions to manipulate the data in Food5 (number of servings) until it satisfies our requirements.

RegExReplace() Function

The RegExReplace() is a simple yet powerful tool for changing matching expressions. While RegExMatch() returns the starting position of only the first match, by default RegExReplace() substitutes the new string for any and all occurrences of the match unless the number of times parameter is change to limit substitution. This makes RegExReplace() ideal for removing unwanted characters.

The line of code NewValue := RegExReplace(Food5, "[a-zA-Z]", "") removes all of the letters (upper and lowercase) from the variable Food5 by replacing it with a blank, "", and places the result in NewValue. This does most of the work of cleaning out unwanted characters from the number variable. However, we want to exclude anything which is not a digit or decimal. A more comprehensive expression would be:

NewValue := RegExReplace(Food5, "[^\d.]", "")

If you remember from last week, the expression [\d] matches any digits found in the string. But, we want to match anything which is not a digit. When the caret ^ is placed inside a range in square brackets it means include anything that is not within that range. In this case, anything that is not a number will be removed from the string. Note that the decimal point is added to the range to prevent it from being removed from the string.

To illustrate how this expression works the following test script extracts the number from a string with other garbage mixed in:

Haystack := "a1s1?d.f0!@#$%^&*()_+g0h0j"

NewValue := RegExReplace(Haystack, "[^\d.]", "")

MsgBox %NewValue%

This snippet scans the string "a1s1?d.f0!@#$%^&*()_+g0h0j" and removes all the non-digits and non-decimal points placing the results in NewValue (see the actual results in the Figure on the left).

Part of what makes RegEx confusing is that the caret (or circumflex ^) has a completely different meaning when used outside of a range (characters inside the square braces). It can also be used as an anchor to always start a match at the beginning of the string as shown in the RegEx Quick Reference.

Quite frankly, the expression including all non-digits and non-decimal points may be all that you want when validating a number field. It will do 99% of the work. The primary downside is that it is possible to enter more than one decimal point which would again make the variable non-numeric and cause the calculation to fail. My subroutine is more complicated for a couple of reasons. The primary problems I have with stopping here are the possible multiple decimal points and that any number of zeros can be added—both at the beginning and end. I prefer to have no leading zeros unless it is a fraction—in which case I do want one leading zero before the decimal point. Plus, I don't want any trailing zeros after a decimal fraction.

However, in the future (andin the new CalorieCount script posted at the ComputorEdge AutoHotkey download site), I will use the RegExReplace() line which excludes digits and decimal points from being eliminated ([^\d.]). Doing this also eliminates the need for the next line of code which uses the RegExMatch() function to find numbers and the decimal points (NewStr := RegExMatch(NewValue, "[\d.]+", NewValue)), since that is all that can possibly be returned in the new RegExReplace() line.

Note: I find different, often better, ways to do things while writing about AutoHotkey. This is normal when learning new script writing techniques. There are so many different ways to do anything in AutoHotkey—especially RegEx—it's impossible to always know the best way to proceed. Since I'm only learning the ins and outs of RegEx, I expect that I will change direction many times. It's all part of both the learning and programming process.

Forcing a Number Type from a String

One of the characteristics of AutoHotkey is that variables are stored as strings—even if they are intended to be numbers. It's not until they are used as a number that that problems in formatting will appear. A number type can be forced by using the string in a number function such as Round(). But an easier method which will not affect the value (i.e. rounding) is to use the string in a calculation by adding zero to itself:

NewValue += 0

The =+ operator will increment the variable by the amount to the right of the operator (0). This will return a number type variable in the default number format (usually 0.00000). If the string is not a number (i.e. two or more decimal points), it will return the value which appears before the first decimal point.

The problem comes up when the entire format is added with all the decimal places on the right of the string. If you're using a subroutine which validates as each character is typed (as is the case here), it causes problems with data entry. (One solution might be to run the validation routine only when the edit field is exited.) While this calculation technique resolves the leading zero problem, I added some conditional RegExMatch() functions to deal with the trailing zeros.

But first, the SetFormat command (SetFormat, float, 5.2) is used to reduce the number of decimal places from the default six to two. I don't need more that two decimal places, plus anymore than two would greatly complicate my conditionals for removing trailing zeros. (The reason I need to remove trailing zeros is because at the end of the validation routine, the cursor is set to the end of the field. If I don't first remove the unneeded zeros at the end, then I will be forced to reposition the cursor by hand to the appropriate position to before continuing to enter a decimal fraction.)

Matching the End of a String

To remove the trailing zeros, the end of the string must be matched. The trailing zeros should only be removed if they appear after a decimal point. The first case is two trailing zeros:

NewStr := RegExMatch(NewValue, "\.00$")

If NewStr                                            ; remove double zeros after decimal

NewValue := SubStr(NewValue, 1 , NewStr)

This form of RegExMatch() returns the starting position of the match only if it finds ".00" at the end of the string—otherwise the value 0 or false. The \., which must have the preceding backslash, represents the decimal point. (The backslash "\" escapes the period (.) so that it will not perform its usual wildcard function, but merely act as a decimal point.) The $ at the end of the expression is the end of line anchor which requires the match to occur only at the end of the string. (This is the opposite of the beginning anchor "^" mentioned earlier which matches only at the beginning of a string.) If the match is found (NewValue does not equal 0), then the SubStr() function is used to truncate the zeros by ending the string at the decimal point (NewStr)—ready for entry of the tenths fraction.

The next check is for a single 0 at the end of the two place decimal:

NewStr := RegExMatch(NewValue, "\..0$")              ; detect single zero at end

If NewStr                                            ; remove single zero

NewValue := SubStr(NewValue, 1 , NewStr+1)

The primary difference in this RegEx from the previous one is that the period (.) is used as a wildcard to represent any character. The RegEx first looks for the decimal point (\. the period escaped with the backslash). If found it looks for any single character (the period (.) as a wildcard), then a zero (0), all at the end of ($) of the string. If found the new string is set to a length one place after the decimal point (NewStr+1).

The remainder of the label (subroutine) updates the Number Servings in the Food5 edit files (GuiControl, ,Food5, %newvalue%), sets the cursor to the end of the field (SendInput, {End}), calculates the total number of calories (TotalCalVal := Round(Food4 * Food5)), and updates the text displaying Calories for the food item (GuiControl, , Food6, %TotalCalVal%).

The primary issue with this approach to validating Number Servings is that it is impossible to enter a zero directly after the decimal point for fractions containing only hundredths. You must first enter the number as a tenth, then move the cursor to just after the decimal point and enter the zero. This is a minor issue in this application since the need to enter hundredths of a serving when counting calories would be rare.

New Routine Introduces a New Bug

As is so often the case, changing one subroutine may affect another. When I added the new TotalCalCalc label discussed here, I suddenly had a problem when adding a item from the Food List tab with the CopyFood label (found in this previous column. When the CopyFood routine jumped back to the main tab, the date would suddenly change to the same day in December rather than staying on the original date. This was caused by the SendInput, {End} in the new TotalCalCalc label which was activated when the new food item was loaded into the editing fields in the Daily Calories tab.

The problem was that the first control (DateTime) was given focus by default when the main tab was opened. When the new SendInput, {End} command was issued by TotalCalCalc, it affected the DateTime control and set the month to December. To resolve the problem focus was shifted to the Number Calories field with the ControlFocus command:

CopyFood:          ;Move row from ListView columns into edit fields

SelectedRow := 0

StringSplit, RowData, FoodText , |

GuiControl, ,Food2, % Rowdata1

GuiControl, ,Food3, % Rowdata2

GuiControl, ,Food4, % floor(Rowdata3)

GuiControl, ,Food5, 1

GuiControl, ,Food6, %Rowdata3%

Gui, ListView, MyListView

SendInput, ^{PgUp}

ControlFocus , Edit6, Calorie Count

Return

The control name (Edit6) was identified with Windows Spy and used in the ControlFocus command. I found that I needed to use the window name (Calorie Count) with ControlFocus or strange things would happen.

*                    *                    *

Free! AutoHotkey Tricks You Ought To Do With Windows! This e-book includes both those tips and the reference material (Table of Contents and indexes) from the other three AutoHotkey books. Pick up a copy free and share it with your friends.

*                    *                    *

The second edition with more chapters and an index to the AutoHotkey commands found in the book is available in e-book format from Amazon (and other formats—EPUB and PDF— at the ComputorEdgeBooks Web site linked below). Jack's A Beginner's Guide to AutoHotkey, Absolutely the Best Free Windows Utility Software Ever!: Create Power Tools for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 (preferred, EPUB format for iPad, Android, and computers; MOBI for Amazon Kindle; and PDF for printing) offers a gentle approach to learning AutoHotkey. (Also available from Amazon for the Kindle and Kindle software on other devices.)

Building Power Tools for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8, AutoHotkey is the most powerful, flexible, free Windows utility software available. Anyone can instantly add more of the functions that they want in all of their Windows programs, whether installed on their computer or while working on the Web. AutoHotkey has a universality not found in any other Windows utility—free or paid.

Based upon the series of articles in ComputorEdge, Jack takes you through his learning experience as he explores writing simple AutoHotkey scripts for adding repetitive text in any program or on the Web, running programs with special hotkeys or gadgets, manipulating the size and screen location of windows, making any window always-on-top, copying and moving files, and much more. Each chapter builds on the previous chapters.

For an EPUB (iPad, NOOK, etc.) version of A Beginner's Guide to AutoHotkey click here!

For a PDF version for printing on letter size paper for inclusion in a standard notebook of A Beginner's Guide to AutoHotkey click here!

*                    *                    *

Jack's second AutoHotkey book, Digging Deeper Into AutoHotkey (preferred, EPUB format for iPad, Android, and computers; MOBI for Amazon Kindle; and PDF for printing) is comprised of updated, reorganized and indexed columns from ComputorEdge is now available. Since the columns were not all written in a linear fashion, the book has been reorganized and broken up into parts by topic. The book is not for the complete beginner since it builds on the information in A Beginner's Guide to AutoHotkey. However, if a person is reasonably computer literate, they could go directly to this book for ideas and techniques without the first book. (Also available from Amazon for the Kindle and Kindle software on other devices.)

For an EPUB (iPad, NOOK, etc.) version of Digging Deeper into AutoHotkey click here!

For a PDF version for printing on letter size paper for inclusion in a standard notebook of Digging Deeper into AutoHotkey click here!

*                    *                    *

Jack's third AutoHotkey book AutoHotkey Applications (preferred, EPUB format for iPad, Android, and computers; MOBI for Amazon Kindle; and PDF for printing) is an intermediate level book of ideas and applications based primarily on the AutoHotkey GUI command. The book emphasizes practical applications. The book is not for the complete beginner since it builds on the information in the other two books. However, if a person is reasonably computer literate, they could go directly to this book for ideas and techniques without the other books. There is an extensive index to the ideas and techniques covered in the back of the book. (Also available from Amazon for the Kindle and Kindle software on other devices.)

For an EPUB (iPad, NOOK, etc.) version of AutoHotkey Applications click here!

Jack is the publisher of ComputorEdge Magazine. He's been with the magazine since first issue on May 16, 1983. Back then, it was called The Byte Buyer. His Web site is www.computoredge.com. He can be reached at ceeditor@computoredge.com. Jack is now in the process of updating and compiling his hundreds of articles and columns into e-books. Currently available:

Recently released is Jack's FREE AutoHotkey book, AutoHotkey Tricks You Ought to Do with Window, available exclusively at ComputorEdge E-Books in the EPUB for e-readers and tablets, MOBI for Kindle, and PDF for printing formats.

ComputorEdge E-books offering is his AutoHotkey Applications, an idea-generating intermediate level e-book about using the AutoHotkey Graphical User Interface (GUI) command to write practical pop-up apps for your Windows computer. (It's not as hard as it sounds.)

Hidden Windows Tools for Protecting, Problem Solving and Troubleshooting Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP Computers.

Jack's A Beginner's Guide to AutoHotkey, Absolutely the Best Free Windows Utility Software Ever!: Create Power Tools for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 and Digging Deeper Into AutoHotkey.

Our second compilation of stupid ComputorEdge cartoons from 2011 and 2012 is now available at Amazon! That Does Not Compute, Too! ComputorEdge Cartoons, Volume II: "Do You Like Windows 8 or Would You Prefer an Apple?"

Special Free Offer at ComputorEdge E-Books! Jack's Favorite Free Windows Programs: What They Are, What They Do, and How to Get Started!.

Misunderstanding Windows 8: An Introduction, Orientation, and How-to for Windows 8 (Seventh Edition)!

Windows 7 Secrets Four-in-One E-Book Bundle,

Getting Started with Windows 7: An Introduction, Orientation, and How-to for Using Windows 7,

Sticking with Windows XP—or Not? Why You Should or Why You Should Not Upgrade to Windows 7,

and That Does Not Compute!, brilliantly drawn cartoons by Jim Whiting for really stupid gags by Jack about computers and the people who use them.

Wally Wang's Apple Farm

“The Overlooked Future at Apple's Last Event”
by Wally Wang

The Overlooked Future at Apple's Last Event; T-Mobile Enticements; The Next Apple Event; MacWorld Magazine Goes Digital; Share a DVD Drive.

At Apple's September 9th event, Apple announced that the band U2's latest album would be available for free to every iTunes customer in the world. Apple reportedly paid $100 million for the rights to U2's album giveaway, which on the surface may look crazy, but could actually be a clever marketing ploy in the long run.

First, the free giveaway has boosted sales of U2's other albums through iTunes, giving Apple sales that they might not have gotten otherwise. Second, the free album giveaway is a huge advertising gimmick designed to attract more people to iTunes. Although there are plenty of rival digital music services to compete against iTunes, none of them can afford to buy the publicity that a free U2 album giveaway can generate.

Third, Apple's $100 million helps promote U2, but in return also obligates U2 to promote Apple. Apple could spend millions on ineffective advertising (think of Microsoft's dancing Surface tablet ads) or they could spend the same amount of money getting everyone's attention through U2's album giveaway.

$100 million might seem like a lot of money, until you realize that Apple earned $7.7 billion in the third quarter of 2014. Since the whole point of advertising is to generate more sales profits than the cost of the advertising, the real question is whether Apple can make back the $100 million they spent on the U2 promotion. In comparison back in 2013, Microsoft spent $898 million more than their Surface tablets earned. When you examine the effectiveness of advertising, you realize that advertising is less about spending the most amount of money and more about getting the best results in return.

It's easy to spend a lot of money on advertising. It's hard to make advertising pay for itself and generate additional profits at the same time. Just look at all those companies that waste millions on 30-second Super Bowl ads that most people forget five seconds after they see it. Even worse are ads that catch everyone's attention up to the point where people can't remember the company, product, or service the ad supposedly promotes.

Samsung likes spending money poking fun at Apple, but the real question they need to ask is whether the cost of these ads generates increased sales. If the cost of the ads doesn't generate at least enough additional profits to pay for the ads, the ads are a failure no matter how fancy they may look or how many advertising awards it receives.

If you spend $1 on advertising and make $2 in additional sales that you wouldn't have gotten without the advertising, the advertising pays for itself. If you spend $1 on advertising and don't make any additional sales, why would you continue paying for those ads?

Besides the U2 album giveaway on September 9th, a second overlooked feature is Apple Pay. By verifying your identity through the fingerprint sensor, the iPhone can insure that only you are authorizing payment. By tracking your iPhone's location to the point of sale, Apple can further verify that it must be you making the purchase. As a result, Apple can reduce the banking company's risk of credit card fraud.

Given the recent credit card breaches of Target and Home Depot, banks will now require merchants to install more secure payment features such as EMV credit cards that contain an integrated circuit card. Any merchants who don't upgrade their point of sale systems to accept EMV credit cards will now be liable for any fraudulent credit card payments.

In today's world, the banks assume liability for credit card frauds, not the merchants. Tomorrow, the banks will still assume liability unless the merchants fail to install more secure credit card processing systems.

By introducing Apple Pay, Apple assumes part of the liability for credit card fraud, making it easy for the banks to back Apple Pay. Since merchants will need to upgrade their credit card processing systems anyway to support EMV credit cards, they might as well make sure they can accept Apple Pay as well.

Of course, Walmart and Best Buy claim they won't accept Apple Pay, which makes as much sense as refusing to accept credit cards. By limiting customer's ability to pay, merchants like Best Buy and Walmart are simply hurting themselves. Both Best Buy and Walmart are backing a rival standard called Merchant Customer Exchange.

Given the sheer number of iPhone 6 models out in the market along with Apple's upcoming Apple Watch and their numerous Apple Stores all over the planet, it seems likely that Apple Pay will gradually become fairly commonplace in the near future. What makes Apple Pay especially interesting is that it provides Apple with another source of revenue.

When Dell or Samsung sell products, they only make money from that initial sale. When Apple sells products, they make money from that initial sale. Then they can also make money selling music (iTunes) or software (App Store) to their customers, which provide them with an additional source of ongoing revenue that Dell or Samsung can never achieve.

When you toss in Apple Pay, everything you buy through Apple Pay (including Dell and Samsung products) earns Apple a 0.15 percent fee. Now Apple makes money through the initial sale of the product, sale of music or software, and a 0.15 percent cut of every purchase made through Apple Pay.

Suddenly Apple isn't just making money off computers or iPhones, but through Apple Pay purchases. With Disney stores and other companies accepting Apple Pay, Apple suddenly makes more money on purchases that have nothing to do with their own products whatsoever. This means more money for Apple and another revenue stream that rivals like Dell and Samsung can never hope to copy.

Given a choice between ordinary credit cards, EMV credit cards, Merchant Customer Exchange, or Apple Pay, ordinary credit cards are too risky for merchants to accept any more. While Best Buy and Walmart back Merchant Customer Exchange, everyone will shift to EMV credit cards, but EMV credit cards can still be cloned and Merchant Customer Exchange may not have Apple Pay's fingerprint sensor (to verify your identity) and location tracking (to verify that you were physically standing at the point of sale terminal).

As a result, Apple Pay could result in the more secure payment option, which means more money flowing into Apple for every purchase made. If Apple Pay becomes the dominant standard, that also means more people buying Apple products like the iPhone and Apple Watch so they can get the security and convenience of making payments through Apple Pay. How can rivals like Dell and Samsung compete against that? They can't.

At one time, Apple made their money through sales of Macintosh computers. Then Apple started making more money through sales of iPods and digital music sales. Then Apple started making more money through sales of iPhones and apps. Tomorrow, Apple will make more money through Apple Pay.

Unlike other companies that cling to aging products with fading futures, Apple keeps reinventing themselves to make money in an entirely new field. Tomorrow Apple will still be around. Where will their rivals be in the next few years?

At one time, Digital Research (the makers of CP/M-80) had the business personal computer operating system market locked up, WordStar and WordPerfect had the business word processing market locked up, Lotus 1-2-3 had the business spreadsheet market locked up, and dBASE had the business database market locked up. At their peak, those companies and their supporters believed they could never fail and you can see how that turned out. Think that can't happen again one day? Just ask Blackberry and Nokia how well their smartphone market is doing compared to 2007.

T-Mobile Enticements

In the United States, T-Mobile is the fourth largest carrier after Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint. While Verizon boasts the best nationwide coverage and AT&T had a huge head start being the only carrier offering the iPhone back in 2007, Sprint and T-Mobile have been clawing for scraps.

To attract new customers, T-Mobile plans to offer free Wi-Fi routers to customers willing to put down a $25 deposit. This Wi-Fi router supports the latest 802.11a/c standard for greater Wi-Fi coverage in a home, but the main feature is that T-Mobile's Wi-Fi router lets you make phone calls over Wi-Fi.

Since T-Mobile's network is still much smaller than Verizon and AT&T's networks, T-Mobile hopes to give its home customers personal cell towers to improve coverage within buildings. Since this Wi-Fi router is essentially free (you get your $25 deposit back if you return the router), T-Mobile provides yet another reason to switch to their network. The main reason to avoid T-Mobile at this point is in case their network doesn't provide adequate coverage outside your home.

T-Mobile also teamed up with Gogo to provide free inflight texting and voicemail service exclusively to T-Mobile customers. The next time you're stuck on an airplane and don't want to pay for Wi-Fi access, you don't have to as long as you're a T-Mobile subscriber. If you find yourself stuck in airplanes often, this feature alone could entice you to switch to T-Mobile.

When most companies see sinking profits and dwindling customers, they grant their CEOs huge bonuses for doing a great job while laying off workers. T-Mobile actually provides incentives to shake up the carrier industry and increase their chances of grabbing new customers from their rivals. Given a choice between T-Mobile and any other carrier, it's getting harder and harder to justify going with another carrier just as long as the coverage remains the same.

The Next Apple Event

On September 9th, Apple unveiled the iPhone 6 and the Apple Watch. By September 17th you can download and install the latest iOS 8 on your current iPhone or iPad if you didn't get iOS 8 on an iPhone 6. Now you'll just have to wait until October for Apple's next event, which will focus on OS X Yosemite.

With the release of OS X Yosemite, Apple will likely also release new Macintosh models. To show how well OS X Yosemite integrates with iOS 8, Apple will also likely introduce new iPad models too that come with a fingerprint sensor. That way you'll be able to use Apple Pay securely with an iPhone 6, the latest iPad with a fingerprint sensor, or an Apple Watch.

Apple is currently booking up freight shipments from Asia to deliver new products. Most likely all of those freight shipments won't be just limited to the iPhone but for new Macintosh models and iPad models as well. If you're just patient, you'll have a choice of different Apple products to buy this Christmas.

So what should you buy? If you have an iPhone 5 or older, you might as well look at upgrading to the iPhone 6 since you'll be free from your two-year contract. If you already have an iPad, the main reason to get a new iPad model is for its fingerprint sensor. If you have an older Macintosh unable to run OS X Yosemite, you might want to look at a new Macintosh or just keep using your current one. As long as your current Macintosh works, there's little reason to upgrade just for the sake of upgrading.

By the end of October, expect Apple to be selling the iPhone 6, new iPad models, and new Macintosh models just in time for the holiday season. Then in early 2015, expect the Apple Watch to arrive. Over the next year, Apple will likely sell more products than ever before because people actually want to use them rather than being forced to use them at work. When people have real choice in choosing what type of products they want to use, more than a few willingly buy and use an Apple product.

MacWorld Magazine Goes Digital

Ever since Apple introduced the first Macintosh back in 1984, MacWorld has printed a monthly issue. Now MacWorld has laid off most of their staff and plans to revert to a digital-only edition.

In the old days, getting Macintosh news every month worked. Today with information traveling across the world in seconds, monthly magazines are simply too slow. If you like reading yesterday's news, magazines and newspapers are fine for wrapping fish or lining the bottom of bird cages.

As magazines slowly fade from view and take the printed book industry down with it, it's only a matter of time before newspapers and magazines, along with books, become collector's items. Why bother printing, storing, and shipping heavy paper bundles when information can travel faster at less cost over the Internet?

In the old days, magazines and books were the only way information could reach the public. Today with blogs, Web sites, and social media networks, anything printed on paper looks like an antique. Apple tried to keep the idea of magazines alive with their Newsstand app, but how many people use it and how many magazines find it profitable to isolate their content in an app when people can easily access that same information over the Internet instead?

While Apple thrives, MacWorld magazine dies. If that doesn't show the future of print, nothing will.

*                    *                    *

If you have an older Macintosh, it likely comes with a built-in DVD drive. Yet if you buy a newer Macintosh, you won't get a DVD drive unless you buy an external SuperDrive that plugs into a USB port.

In case you need to install software trapped on a DVD but don't have a SuperDrive, a Macintosh can share its built-in DVD drive with other Macintosh computers. On the Macintosh with the built-in DVD drive, click the Apple menu and choose System Preferences. Click the Sharing folder and select the "DVD or CD Sharing" check box.

Figure 1. You can share a DVD drive with another Macintosh.

Go to the Macintosh without a DVD drive, make sure it's on the same network as the older Macintosh, and open the Finder window. Look at the sidebar for "Remote Disc" in the Devices section. Click on it and then double-click the computer you want to connect to. Now you should be able to use the older Macintosh's DVD drive to install software on your Macintosh lacking a DVD drive.

In the early days, before Wally became an Internationally renowned comedian, computer book writer, and generally cool guy, Wally Wang used to hang around The Byte Buyer dangling participles with Jack Dunning and go to the gym to pump iron with Dan Gookin.

Wally is responsible for the following books:

Microsoft Office 2013 For Dummies

Beginning Programming for Dummies

Beginning Programming All-in-One Reference for Dummies

Breaking Into Acting for Dummies with Larry Garrison

Strategic Entrepreneurism with Jon and Gerald Fisher

How to Live with a Cat (When You Really Don't Want To)

The Secrets of the Wall Street Stock Traders

Mac Programming For Absolute Beginners

Republican Fairy Tales (Children's Stories the 1% Tell About the Rest of Us)

The Zen of Effortless Selling with Moe Abdou

The 15-Minute Movie Method

Erotophobia (A novel)

Math for the Zombie Apocalypse

How to Write a Great Script with Final Draft 9

How to Write a Great Script with Fade In

The Elements of a Great Script: Star Wars

The Elements of a Great Script: Die Hard

The Element of a Great Script: Back to the Future

The Elements of a Great Script: Rocky

The Elements of a Great Script: It's a Wonderful Life

In his spare time, Wally likes blogging about movies and writing screenplays at his site "The 15 Minute Movie Method," finding interesting news stories about cats at his site "Cat Daily News," giving advice to authors who want to self-publish e-books at his site "The Electronic Author," and providing the type of advice he wishes someone would have told him when he was much younger at his personal Web site. Wally can be reached at wally@computoredge.com or you can follow him on Twitter @wallacewang_com.

Editor's Letters: Tips and Thoughts from Readers

“Computer and Internet tips, plus comments on the articles and columns.”
by ComputorEdge Staff

"Calling for Support with Google Searching?" "Tax Fiction as a Barren Truth," "VLC vs KMPlayer," "Recording Audio"

Calling for Support with Google Searching?

[Regarding the September 5 Editors Letters: Tips and Thoughts from Readers column:]

Hmmm, I just tried the example posted by David of Louviers, CO, putting "HP tech support number" (without quotes) into Google and came up with lots of legit HP sites and others (gethuman.com) at the top, including the ads.

Something's amiss on the system(s) that are having this problem. I'd first suggest browser/search hijacking, if not actual malware.

-Rich Ernst, San Diego, CA

Tax Fiction as a "Barren Truth"

[Regarding the August 29 Editors Letters: Tips and Thoughts from Readers column:]

First, the moral grounds for rebutting the false allegation: "Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them, and these will continue till they have been resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they suppress."

—Frederick Douglass [when freedom for slaves was a barren truth]

Second, to refine your comment: You are correct, all "tax courts" have ruled against admitted "taxpayers" who then renege on their liability (evade taxes). "Non-taxpayers" are out of the tax court's jurisdiction; and so, never get ruled against. Re: the truth of my statements: The Supreme Court and Federal Appeals courts' rulings are where I got my facts from (conveniently available at losthorizons.com). Many thousands of non-taxpayers over the last ten years have successfully rebutted their payers' allegations as to the legal nature of their earnings and have had all of their withheld money returned by the IRS and most state income tax collectors; and none (who followed the "Cracking the Code" protocols) have been prosecuted.

-Pat Palmer, Sebastopol, CA

For people who want an alternative point of view, I found this site. People can make up their own mind about the situation.

-Jack Dunning, ComputorEdge

VLC vs KMPlayer

[Regarding the September 5 Editors Letters: Tips and Thoughts from Readers column:]

I value my privacy and hate pop-ups and freeware that tries to install bloatware. I've installed VLC on 8 or 10 different computers and have never seen an attempt to push third party software or pop-ups for social media.

Regarding VLC not being able to play types of files that media player can play, try going to VLC's Web site and downloading the codec for that file or get a CODEC package from a reputable site. Then tell VLC where to find the CODEC.

VLC is vastly more configurable than KMPlayer. It is able to output 5.1 sound to your home theater system and output any alternative video or audio stream contained in your video file. Also when my music folder was loaded into KM it showed the title and track, but after I played the tune it said title and author unknown. If you have fixes for these issues then please let me know.

-Buck-o, El Cajon, CA

Recording Audio

[Regarding the November 27 Windows Tips and Tricks: Recording Played Audio column:]

Hi Jack, I get the same results as Sally from Texas. In other words, I can't get no satisfaction (couldn't resist). I cannot get any hidden things to show when right-clicking and checking "show hidden..." Help?

Thanks,

-Joe Piluso, San Diego, CA

Hi, Joe, If you don't see an audio mixer, then either your sound card doesn't support it or you need updated drivers from the sound card manufacturer. Check with them.

-Jack Dunning, ComputorEdge

ComputorEdge always wants to hear from you, our readers. If you have specific comments about one of our articles, please click the "Tell us what you think about this article!" link at the top or bottom of the specific article/column at ComputorEdge.com. Your comments will be attached to the column and may appear at a later time in the "Editor's Letters" section.If you want to submit a short "ComputorQuick Review", or yell at us, please e-mail us at ceeditor@computoredge.com. If you would like to review our recent e-books, please visit ComputorEdge E-Books.

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