Helpful Colin Presents A World of Information
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Drag-n-Drop Context Menu in Windows
Drag-n-Drop Context Menu Discovered After Nearly Losing Files After many years I have just found that there is a specific Drag-n-Drop Context Menu, in Microsoft Windows 7 & Windows 10 at least. For years I avoided Drag-n-Drop in favour of Copy and Paste. This discovery came about after I found I was Moving files out of folders…
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My Easily Positioned Bed Headboard Wall Fixings
Introduction This post describes a method for DIY readers to make and mount bespoke wooden Bed Headboard Wall Fixings, to my design, so that no bolts are visible and so the headboard can be removed by just lifting it vertically to allow for cleaning or horizontal adjustment. It gives a specific example. Other headboards will be different, but I hope anyone wanting to use this…
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Automotive Air Compressor RAC900 by RING
Introduction This post is about the RING Automotive Air Compressor RAC900 which is an excellent pump for inflating anything with a Schrader valve, (e.g. car tyres, bicycle tyres, etc.) or balls, airbeds, etc. (3 Inflation Adapters are supplied). It has to be powered by a 12 volt (30 amp peak) supply such as a car battery (not provided).
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I Reduced Windows 7 Startup Time To Two Minutes
Introduction I have wanted a way to get a reduced windows 7 startup time for a while. I was concerned about the time it took from switch on to the point where all apps that start automatically were ready for use. This has generally increased over the years during the time I had previous versions…
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My Casio Databank Watch is DEAD
My Old Casio Databank Watch I bought this Casio Databank Watch (LEFT) in 1995 and although it has had several batteries and replacement straps it has lasted 18 years until this week when I noticed the digits had all gone off. A week before I noticed it had reset to a date in 1990. I…
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Spilling Juice From Cartons or ‘Tetra Paks®’
Introduction This post contains instructions on how to avoid spilling juice from cartons or Tetra Paks®, with a rectangular cross-section, while opening or lifting them. It’s quite natural to grip cartons by the easiest method (the broad sides) while opening them, or lifting them when they’re still full, causing the contents to pour or squirt out inadvertently. Cartons with a square cross section are indifferent…
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Tin Whiskers in a Wireless Thermostat Receiver
Introduction Tin Whiskers are a crystalline growth made of the element tin. They are in the form of a very thin straight hair with one end attached to the tin from which they are formed. They often form on lead free solder used to fix components to circuit boards now that lead is banned.
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Dyson Slim DC18 Upright – Undercarriage Repair
Introduction This post gives a detailed description, with photos and reference to a Parts Diagram, of how to replace a Dyson Slim DC18 Undercarriage. The Undercarriage would require changing if part of it broke since parts cannot be obtained individually. I changed mine when the Air Input Changeover Valve Actuator broke. “Since I first published…
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Sweeping Car Snow Away Using A Hand Brush
Introduction It’s a nuisance if you get caught out in winter weather without an easy way of sweeping snow away from your car. You might be smartly dressed and have to hurry to your next appointment. So you need to be prepared with a procedure that works and keeps you clean. The scenario when you…
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How Many Parts Make A Shower Head?
How Many Parts? You may be surprised to learn that the shower head that came with my Mira Sport Thermostatic Shower is made from 22 separate parts. If you count them in the featured image above you will see 21 but take note that the main body of the shower head, on the right, is made…
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Keeping Birds Off TV Aerials
Introduction In my previous post “Freeview Aerial Direction” you may have noticed something unusual about my Yagi TV antenna/aerial. Yes, amongst the array of directors in front of the dipole and on the reflector at the back there are some Zip Ties (Cable Ties – often used for anchoring a cable to something else). In this…
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Terrestrial Freeview TV Aerial Direction
Introduction In November 2012 I had my terrestrial TV aerial relocated to another corner of my chimney stack so that it doesn’t overhang my solar panels. Birds were perching on it and making a mess on them. Consequently I needed to check my TV aerial direction to be sure it points to the transmitter. The aerial engineer (Martin…
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IE9 Zero Day Vulnerability Fixed
For a week now it has been known that there is an IE9 Zero Day Vulnerability. Get This Zero Day Vulnerability Fixed Now Microsoft have published a fix which came to me today in the form of an update as follows (for Windows 7): Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 9 for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2744842)…
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I Held a Young Goldfinch Today. It Was Stunning.
Introduction What a wonderful experience. I wish I had taken a photo. I looked out of my lounge window and a young goldfinch was resting on my patio within 0.5m of the window. It didn’t attempt to fly off so I went outside. I knelt down on the ground and got within 0.5m of it. It…
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Removing A Bra Wire From A Washing Machine
Preface This post describes: removing a Bra Wire from a washing machine when it has come out of a bra and penetrated the inner drum of a front loader. These wires tend to come out of badly maintained bras while being washed. They don’t necessarily damage the machine immediately but always have the potential to…
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Phishing Email NOT From TESCO Bank
Where Does This Email Pretend To Come From? This phishing email pretends to come from: Tesco Personal Finance customerservice@consumercardservicing.tescofinance.com. As you can see from the image of the email content below if you were to click on the link: http://www.tescobank.co.uk/1/2/TESCOCAM10;&user=% colin.ride@btinternet.com % . . . you will not go to a Tesco website. Look carefully…
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I’ve Spilt Paint On My Patio Slabs. What Will I Do?
Introduction “Oh dear! The spilt paint on my patio slabs created a 20cm dia. puddle when my tin of mahogany paint blew over. It was tipped up by a gust of wind which lifted the cardboard it was resting on.” “There would have been photos but I had to swear first and then get on…
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Dining On A Steam Train At The Great Central Railway
Introduction This time we (my wife and I) enjoyed a day on the trains at the Great Central Railway based at Loughborough Station. We went dining on a steam train at the Great Central Railway on 26th May 2012. This pleasure was a Christmas gift from our son. We had 1st class tickets to travel up and down…
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Netricity Ethernet Bridge Adapter Failed After 13 Months
Introduction Panic set in last night when I couldn’t access the Internet. Eventually I tried my laptop after checking the lights on my Home Hub and reset it a few times. That worked O.K. and in the end I deduced my power-line network had failed. It turned out that a Netricity Powerline 500M Ethernet Bridge Adapter…
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Malware Discovered In Google Marketplace Apps
Malware discovered in Google Marketplace Apps by Symantec is designed to make premium rate calls from your mobile. So check your bills. See the detail here.
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My Excel Jump List stopped adding Recent Files
My Problem I had a problem where I had MS 2010 Excel pinned to the Task Bar but the Excel Jump List stopped adding Recent Files. The Jump List is the one you see when you right click on an icon of an application pinned to the task-bar. Some programs (not all) show recently used files…
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One Mouse And Keyboard Can Control 1-4 Computers
Introduction Back in June 2012 I found this amazing software, Mouse without Borders from Microsoft Garage. It allows me to control 1-4 computers. Usually that is my desktop PC and my notebook with my desktop mouse and keyboard. I can move my pointer off the right-hand edge of my desktop screen and onto the left-hand…
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Euro Banknote Issuing Country Codes
Introduction The Euro crisis has caused some people to be concerned as to who is the Euro Banknote Issuing Country for the banknotes that they hold. The concept being that if a country in the Euro-zone goes belly up its notes will lose considerable value while the notes of the other Euro-zone countries will maintain their value. This situation…
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My New Bird Bath
My Old Bird Bath For some while I have been using a white rectangular butcher’s meat tray as a bird bath during freezing winter months and dry summer months when birds need access to fresh water. It has rested either on the ground, or on a garden seat, or on top of a large Victorian…
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Northumberland Wildlife – Red Squirrel Included
Introduction There was plenty of Northumberland wildlife – Red Squirrel included – near Doxford Cottages this May (2012). I have seen the following within 6m of my living room: Brown Rat, Red Squirrel, male & female Great Spotted Woodpecker, male & female Chaffinch, male Robin, Blue tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Green-finch, Nuthatch, Wood Pigeon, Crow, Rook,…
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Durham Cathedral Bungee Jumping
Introduction It was the second day of our vist to the Durham area. It was a damp morning with missle in the air but we enjoyed our walk along the Wear river bank opposite the castle and cathedral. We crossed the Wear and went to the cathedral where the vaulted ceiling amazed us. Apparently it is the…
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Street Photography in Kabul, Afghanistan
Would You Believe There’s Street Photography In Kabul, Afghanistan I just watched the video presented here which has impressed me as a technologist and photographer. It’s all about Street Photography in Kabul the capital city of Afghanistan, i.e. taking very primitive instant photographs in the streets of Kabul. If you are a technologist or photographer you…
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Dinner At Finbarrs Restaurant In Durham
Preface This post discusses dinner at Finbarrs Restaurant. In reality Finbarr’s has an apostrophe before the “s“, but in order to make this post stand out in search engines I have had to make all references to Finbarr’s Restaurant look like this: Finbarrs Restaurant without the apostrophe. Durham In Durham there are lots of narrow…
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Google’s Employment Applicant’s Hourglass Problem
Ref: March 2012 issue of Wired magazine. It seems the Google job interview process requires a problem to be solved. I’ll take this hourglass problem, “Using only a four-minute hourglass and a seven-minute hourglass, measure exactly nine minutes.” Solution Principle: Use one hourglass to measure out a smaller amount of time on the other hourglass. Repeat until…
