The best shops in Toronto (self link). What I think you'll find most interesting about that is the neighborhoods those shops are in. You're always bound to find something else interesting in neighborhoods that host thrift shops, because rents are lower in those places.

Beguiling is probably the most interesting comic store in the city. I mean, Silver Snail has always been the Toronto comic shop, but it is a little bland.

If you end up near the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 5:58 PM on September 1, 2008

ATI cards used to have a very helpful splash page that would appear on POST whenever you made a mistake with the power connections. If I recall, it explained exactly what the problem was and what you had to do. Maybe they got rid of that helpful screen, but maybe it is a different problem...

So, other things to play with, none particularly likely really..
There are BIOS settings for primary and secondary graphics card, the board might prefer to be in one or... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 4:49 PM on August 31, 2008

I'd love to find some technical details about the modern connectors found on laptops, ipods and mobile phones. It seems like they are completely proprietary, but I'm sure they aren't. It isn't as easy as it used to be with Dsub, and Mini-DIN, and such..
Bonus points if anyone looking at this can tell me what a Mini-DIN like plug with 4 large power handling pins is called. I have an LCD that needs one.. I've seen power bricks for mobile hard drive enclosures that use the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 5:25 PM on August 28, 2008

Answered my own derail-question.. Wikipedia calls them "Snap and Lock".
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 5:44 PM on August 28, 2008

Buy something on the used market when you get there, then you will have no size restriction. Odds are it will be easily cheap enough to just leave on the street when you move out.

Also, in general, you'll get much better sound from a receiver paired with bookshelf speakers! I haven't listened to Soundsticks II in particular, but in general that kind of system is an abomination -- yes, even the expensive ones made by reputable companies like Harmon. The state of the art... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 5:09 PM on August 28, 2008

I love the idea of folding cardboard boxes for speakers, but.. If air leaks around the seems -- and it must?!?! -- the boxes aren't really doing anything.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 5:12 PM on August 28, 2008

Even an inexpensive receiver will be about $100.

When bought new.

Unfortunately, a cheap, standalone amp is surprisingly hard to find.

New.


Seriously, just look for a receiver on craigslist. There's a very good chance that whoever is selling a receiver can hook you up with all the cables you need at the same time for a very reasonable price.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 4:55 PM on August 28, 2008

Basically, I think Forktine has it.

A few years ago I started cycling like mad, and improved my diet some. I lost about 30 lbs each summer, while maintaining weight in winter, for two years. I could still do to lose 20-30 lbs, but I've been maintaining my current weight for a while now.

I commuted over a similar distance during a contract a while ago. I found I couldn't eat enough.. With all the time working, cycling, recovering, and cooking,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 4:42 PM on August 28, 2008

if you do pcb soldering with an adjustable temperature iron, what temperature is your soldering iron set to?

One interesting aspect to this.. Due to the physics of heat flow, a hotter iron can mean keeping the component cooler! Basically, if you have a really hot iron, and you move really fast, the lead might already be soldered properly before the heat energy has had chance to reach the part. Obviously this doesn't apply as much with SMT parts, but... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 2:14 AM on August 27, 2008

jessamyn's answer is great. Except.. I'm not exactly sure what a 6 means, but it sounds a little high for a single-bulb lamp :) Now if it was an AC, maybe a 7 or 8..

If there is absolutely no foot traffic near this cord, I don't see what the cord cover or conduit is doing to help the situation... Well, it helps a little I guess. Suppose you had a mouse that liked the taste of lamp cord, or something - the covering would stop him. It is the unexpected stuff that is the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 1:55 AM on August 27, 2008

Bike for him..

For practical purposes, no folding bike will be suitable for an individual of your size.

Brand is not important at all, appropriate frame size and component quality is all that matters. That Giant Cypress DX isn't the right bike for you.. Here is one of my previous answers about picking bikes for large riders. Of particular interest, the bike you link has a freewheel style rear wheel, and there is a good chance that even light... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 1:08 AM on August 27, 2008

will cause it to bend or break

Will cause the axle to bend or break, not the wheel..
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 1:09 AM on August 27, 2008

There are lots of old threads about buying a used bikes, here's a good starting point (if I do say so myself).

The direct answer to your new question is, no I don't think there is a website that catalogues gearing by bike model. Even if there is one, the odds of whatever bike you find being on that list are pretty slim - there are hundreds of new bike models every year!

However, for the purpose of choosing the right bike, I don't think there is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 12:27 AM on August 27, 2008

If you are looking at the whole alley thing, one of the more interesting is Croft street. The south end, at College, is a loft conversion of an old factory/warehouse, but as you travel north it turns into the typical back lane that you find all over the neighborhood.

Another possibly interesting bit of transit history is the remains of the Yonge Subway open cut around Davisville and Summerhill. I've never actually stopped to look though..

I have... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 7:33 PM on August 26, 2008

For Firefox, most of everything is packaged nicely into folders for you. Here's where to find them (for all users) and how to restore them later.

Exactly. You really don't need any tools at all, just copy the profile directory and keep on going.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 10:40 PM on August 19, 2008

One big question is why these local stores are telling her to replace with similar to original equipment. Is it completely bogus, as I suspect, or is there some reasoning behind their insistance.

Also, this is in Canada, so even if Tire Rack was cheap for Americans, it probably isn't after you factor in higher shipping cost.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 8:23 PM on August 19, 2008

The wear life numbers (200, 740, and 480 respectively) are UTQG Tread Life numbers.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 8:26 PM on August 19, 2008

I should probably be letting the thread take its course, but..
Let's just consider this my Mom asking the question, and she is not a prototypical "little old lady". She just drove to Halifax and back this spring, for example - that is not at all unusual - and most of the research above was her legwork. Also, she has done both the all-season-tire thing, and the winter-tire summer-tire swap, on various previous cars. For whatever reason, she has... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 9:01 PM on August 19, 2008

Your computer is probably an AST180, not ASI180, and there should be a more detailed model number that you should look for and post (like EA352B, or ES322B, or whatever).

Try playing with the memory clock and timing settings in your BIOS. Also, while it is important that Windows recognizes the memory, it makes more sense to watch BIOS messages and then run Memtest to verify error free operation - you probably have to go into the BIOS and disable the boot up splash page... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 7:35 PM on August 17, 2008

Here's a guide to memory timing. You really don't have to understand what they all mean, you just want to compare numbers on all your memory sticks, and in general choose the slowest timing. It is always possible that the sticks you have just aren't ever going to play nice together..
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 7:39 PM on August 17, 2008

Finally an Acer support site that is working, but they don't seem to have the manuals for your model (I think T180 is your system, but it is pretty hard to tell, click the manuals link and you get nothing).
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 9:02 PM on August 17, 2008

Ya, definitely!
I thought either 1/3 or 2/4 was already tried, but neither are in the list..

You probably have two slots of one colour, and two of another. The colours represent the memory channels, and if you have different memory sticks they should be put on the same channel (memory in channels 1 and 2 should match, and memory in channels 3 and 4 should match).
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 9:55 PM on August 17, 2008

I’m eyeing the Sony Vaio FW

If you're eyeing a Sony.. Well, the only reason to look at a Sony is because style is more important than function.

More memory and dual cores are always good things, but you don't have to spend $1000 to get that in a laptop (I spent $400 a while ago). I agree that you should have at least two machines so that you have a backup, but that other machine shouldn't be another laptop (it is much easier... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 8:42 PM on August 17, 2008

I usually ride in the highest/hardest gear. Like a good 90% of the time.

Here is a detailed discussion about Cadence, but the take away message is spin faster than 90rpm, and save your knees.
(you'll soon be able to go a lot faster too)

Everything else I know about buying a bike was just posted here (aimed at inexpensive bikes, so it won't be too useful for a $1000 budget).... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 8:32 PM on August 17, 2008

At 6'2", you don't care about weight, you care about durability.

How heavy are you? If you are over 200lbs (probably, if you are 6'2" :P), consider my checklist for heavy riders:Rear wheel must be cassette/freehub, not freewheel. With a freewheel rear wheel you will get bent and broken rear axles. Here is more information about spotting the difference.Pedals must be solid cast metal. Plastic bodied pedals will crack within the first year.Cranks should be three... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 8:13 PM on August 17, 2008

LEDs aren't that picky. The brightness from one LED to another can vary quite a bit if you only use a resistor to regulate current. Other than burning them out, that is really the only issue.

It happens that driving LEDs with pulses is an easy way to control them for certain purposes, but that is all about practical control circuitry, and nothing to do with fundamental properties.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 1:28 AM on August 12, 2008

Wow, South Riverdale! I heard it at Bathurst and College.. I knew something funny was up because there was a rapid succession of faint thuds. No chance at all that it could be lightning. It made me think about stories of Londoners being able to hear artillery at The Front during WWI, but I knew we weren't at war..
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 10:32 AM on August 10, 2008

It does seem very much like a faulty ground problem. It seems likely that what you are feeling is leakage current (follow the links from old questions for more details, and eventually a technical explanation).
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 3:21 PM on August 7, 2008

OEM distributions of operating systems (Windows, specifically) are not transferrable from the original computer on which it was first installed.

If the motherboard has failed, they are free to put a new motherboard in the system and keep using or resell it with XP license intact. Or, they could sell the case with failed motherboard on the understanding that then new buyer is free to upgrade.

The important point being... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 3:14 PM on August 7, 2008

From Chicago? If you get very lucky, try very hard, and if you have an aptitude already, you could maybe make it in Curling.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 1:44 PM on August 3, 2008

But how about Curling? I bet your chances of doing this successfully would increase greatly if you could claim citizenship in some country that doesn't do the winter sport thing (a la, the Jamaican bobsled team).

Ah, beaten to it.. Great point though. Best to stay local for a few years and get a rink together, then you could jump ship as a group and find a nation that would be happy to have you. This would probably take great gobs of money, along with considerable skill :P
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 1:51 PM on August 3, 2008

Dumsnill, making the American curling team is not equivalent to doing well :P If the poster was Canadian, Scottish, or Norwegian, she would have to find another sport..
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 1:55 PM on August 3, 2008

To belabour the point just a little more, and maybe address some of swerve's concerns...

American's aren't quite as bad at Curling as I like to pretend they are (6 World Championship medals for women, and 21 for men). However, in a team sport that relies heavily on strategy, it is critically important to play against strong competition, and have a relatively strong pool of talent to pull a team from.

I think it is unfair to look at this... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 3:08 PM on August 3, 2008

Maximum Overdrive
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 10:39 PM on August 1, 2008

With one drive connected at a time, boot with Ultimate Boot CD and run a hard drive diagnostic program (make 100% sure it is only going to read :P).

Not optimal, but really pretty harmless in the end.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 7:23 PM on July 28, 2008

Quality of NiMH batteries varies a lot by manufacturer, and batteries aren't always what they are advertised to be. My understanding is that Li Ion may be worse, but I have less experience.. Please don't take as the false truism: "you get what you pay for." However, you need to be very careful about the source. With that in mind, I wouldn't be too averse to used batteries, if the source backs up their claims with a satisfaction guarantee (that you know will be followed through on)..... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 2:21 PM on July 28, 2008

Definitely try a live CD, both linux-y and Bart PE. Also try as many utilities as you can from the Ultimate Boot CD (or other diagnostic CD).

If it isn't showing errors on any CPU burn in utilities or Memtest, there is probably still hope for the machine..
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 12:25 PM on July 24, 2008

This demands a repost of my noisy Toronto store:The night before the 1994 World Cup final, I was headed home from a get together with friends, down around the University of Toronto. It was about 2:15am or so, which meant taking the all night Yonge St. bus; all the way North.

I had to wait at the stop, College and Yonge, for about 30min. It normally wouldn't have taken so long, but there was a traffic jam of cars waving Brazilian and Italian flags, and hundreds of people... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 7:09 PM on July 23, 2008

This question comes up a lot, of course.. Performance wise, you really have nothing to worry about with any laptop over about $1000.

In terms of best value for the dollar, I had this to say in Help me decide what computer to buy:Basically.. Dell accepts that some customers are unwilling to buy from them at their regular prices. They believe that, as long as they are still making money, it is in their interest to try and make those sales anyway. Hence Dell has occasional,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 6:23 PM on July 23, 2008

That was supposed to include a link: differential pricing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 6:24 PM on July 23, 2008

Technically, there are some systems (mostly/only laptops) that manage to output composite video through the VGA port. It is quite unusual, but the cable isn't.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 11:20 PM on July 20, 2008 marked best answer

What's the curing time? It wouldn't surprise me if they recommended 24 hours (in fact it is 24 hours, according to the FAQ).. Also, I expect the thread locker needs to penetrate the thread very deeply to be effective, and I'm not sure how you do that with spoke nipples - you really don't want to completely loosen a spoke in a completed wheel, and putting the thread locker on initially would cause trouble for final adjustments unless it cures very slowly indeed.

Wild... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 3:24 PM on July 19, 2008 marked best answer

From my epic rear wheel struggle a couple of years ago (which isn't really over, just in truce):Sometime during that period I noticed that the axle was slightly bent. It was slight, I intended to replace the wheel soon anyway, so I ignored it.
I repacked the bearings a couple of times, and the raceways stayed healthy till the end.

On a trip to Hamilton at the end of August I destroyed the hub. I guess I bent the axle a little more,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 11:24 PM on July 16, 2008

New discovery: Velocolour on O'Connor Drive near Victoria Park and Eglinton.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 2:20 PM on July 16, 2008

A little off topic, but...

Says the inquirer, all G84 and G86 cards are bad (basically, any 8xxx Nvidia card), and will fail sooner than they should.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 10:01 PM on July 15, 2008

gotta learn some time, I guess.

I like that line of thinking, but not so much when it comes to renting a bunch of gear. You'll figure out how to hammer the trim in, it really isn't as hard as it seems, you just need to persist a little more. Or to put it differently, knowing how to use a hammer is a far more fundamental skill than using a power nailer.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 9:45 PM on July 15, 2008

and, through the process of continual refinement, you end up learning more. but still, all you get at the end is a model.

Learning more, certainly, but.. You frequently end up with more questions than you had to begin with, which can be really confounding..

There are a few possible approaches to this problem.. I posted about a video called Minds of Our Own a couple of years ago. It has a brilliant exploration of what... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 9:38 PM on July 15, 2008

Short answer - get a newer video card someplace.

long answer:

First link, won't work. Second link might work. Third is the same/similar to an AverKey, by another manufacturer.

I've got a very old AverKey unit, and it isn't very good. Compared to most video cards with TV out, it doesn't create a really clean video signal (this may have improved with newer models). Also, it requires very specific... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 9:08 PM on July 13, 2008

drag the video window to the new window other desktop.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 9:13 PM on July 13, 2008

Delivered, but just a tiny little bit late..
(I owe you a beer at the next meetup, or something!)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Chuckles at 2:30 PM on July 13, 2008 marked best answer