The concept of Amazon Instant Video is undeniably appealing – a digital library where you can purchase and store your favorite movies and TV shows. However, a closer look at the current licensing model reveals significant limitations that undermine the very purpose of digital ownership. The Current Reality When purchasing a movie like “Red Tails” through Amazon Instant Video, customers face an unexpected restriction: they must download and store the content before a specific expiration date, or risk losing access to their purchase. This limitation fundamentally contradicts the promise of a permanent online video library, raising serious questions about the value proposition of digital purchases. ...

Microsoft’s TellMe voice recognition system brought hands-free control to Windows Phone 7, offering a range of voice commands for basic phone operations. While the concept showed promise, the implementation revealed both impressive features and significant limitations that affected its practical use. Getting Started with TellMe Activating TellMe is refreshingly simple - just hold down the Windows logo button for a few seconds. The system supports essential voice commands: “Call [contact name]” “Call [phone number]” “Redial” “Text [contact name]” “Call voicemail” “Open [application]” or “Start [application]” “Find [search term]” or “Search for [search term]” Key Features Text Message Handling TellMe offers useful text message features that enhance hands-free operation: ...

Introduction Windows’ Timeout Detection and Recovery (TDR) system represents a crucial advancement in system stability, particularly for graphics-intensive applications. This feature, introduced in Windows Vista and refined in subsequent versions, acts as a safety net for your computer, preventing complete system freezes when graphics-related issues occur. However, while TDR has improved overall system reliability, it can sometimes create frustrating experiences for users, especially those running demanding games or applications. What is TDR and Why Does It Matter? TDR is essentially Windows’ way of handling graphics driver failures gracefully. Instead of allowing a graphics problem to crash your entire system, TDR detects when the graphics processing unit (GPU) is taking too long to respond and initiates a recovery process. This process involves resetting the graphics driver and restoring your desktop to a usable state, all while attempting to preserve your work and prevent data loss. ...

Introduction Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) launched with great fanfare and impressive subscriber numbers, but players quickly discovered a troubling reality: many of the game’s worlds felt eerily empty. This wasn’t just a matter of perception - it was a fundamental issue with how the game’s population was distributed across its server infrastructure. Let’s explore how this happened and what it meant for the player experience. The Numbers Behind the Problem In early 2012, SWTOR boasted an impressive 1.7 million subscribers. However, these players were spread across 215 servers in North American and European regions. When we break down these numbers, the problem becomes clear: ...

The Challenge with AdSense Applications Getting approved for Google AdSense can be a complex and sometimes frustrating process. This article shares my personal experience with the AdSense application process and provides insights for others who might face similar challenges. Initial Application and Rejection My journey with AdSense began with what seemed like a straightforward application. After waiting approximately a month for review, I received the following rejection email: Hello, As mentioned in our welcome email, we continue to review your AdSense application once AdSense code is placed on your sites. As a result of this review, we have disapproved your account for the following violation(s). Issues: - Unable to review your site Further detail: Unable to review your site: While reviewing http://tlewis.mobi/wordpress/, we found that your site was down or unavailable. We suggest you check whether there was a typo in the URL submitted. When your site is operational, you can resubmit your application with the directions below. Understanding the Situation This rejection was particularly frustrating for several reasons. The website was fully operational and accessible from multiple devices and internet connections, with no reported downtime during the review period. The technical setup was correct, with the AdSense code properly implemented in the bottom right corner of the site, showing the expected blank space for unapproved accounts. ...

Overview Remote Desktop printing has long been a challenge in enterprise environments, particularly when dealing with multiple users accessing the same Terminal Server or Citrix XenApp environment. This article discusses a specific issue where printer registry entries persist incorrectly across user sessions, potentially leading to performance degradation and printing problems. Environment Affected Server Operating Systems: Windows Server 2008 Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Access Solutions: Terminal Services (Remote Desktop Services) Citrix XenApp 6.0 Similar solutions running on the affected operating systems The Problem in Detail When users connect to a Remote Desktop or Citrix XenApp session, the system automatically creates printer mappings to enable printing from remote applications to local printers. These mappings are stored in the Windows Registry under: ...