Originally posted:	2012-11-16
Last updated	2012-11-16

Basic Info

App Name	SysExporter (Export data from Windows controls)
Thumbs-Up Rating
App URL	http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/sysexp.html
App Version Reviewed	$FREE 64-bit version (v1.61). There is also a 32-bit version (v1.61)
Test System Specs	MS Win 7-64 Home Premium
Supported OSes	Compatible with Win 64-bit/32-bit.
Support Methods	Download and Support: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/sysexp.html[/url] Help file: comes with the software.
Upgrade Policy	Upgrades are $FREE and loaded to the above website.
Trial Version Available?	$FREE - as reviewed in this review. (PayPal Donations accepted) There is no PAID version.
Pricing Scheme	$FREE version only.

Intro and Overview:
There is a general problem in Windows OSes - one that has been a continuing source of frustration to me and probably many others - that many System and application displays often contain really useful data that is effectively "protected" from being copied/used.
I had been looking for a way to capture the data from the Windows update history display (this is on a laptop with Win7-64), to put into a database, so that I could analyse the history for failed updates. Looking through the display manually was becoming a tedious experience due to its functional limitations, and I wanted to automate/filter the analysis as much as possible.

We try not to talk politics here on DC -- this isn't a political post.

This is a post to recognize the individuals who have contributed to society by serving their country.

We all have prejudices and stereotypes about people -- where they come from is sometimes a mystery.  One of the best things about this site has been meeting different kinds of people who have challenged those stereotypes and opened my eyes to the uniqueness, humour, creativity, foibles, generosity, and general unpredictability of the human character.  We have quite a few military folks here on DC, both retired and active -- and we are made better and more human by their presence.  Folks, you will always find a home here.  As you were.

Another great roundup from our friends at FreewareGenius -- this time comparing free disk imaging tools.

This article aims to find out which free disk imaging software is the best . To answer this question we conducted head-to-head tests on four of the best free disk imaging programs that are available on the internet: Paragon Backup & Recovery 2012, DriveImage XML, Easeus Todo Backup, and Macrium Reflect.

http://www.freewareg...omparative-analysis/

A great article (courtesy of MakeUseOf.com) about why Kickstarter's fail.  This isn't just about not getting funded, but also failure to deliver in a timely fashion, which is a problem of many successful kickstarters, especially the mega-successful ones, and other problems with estimation and expectations, which cause some kickstarters to under-deliver as they don't actually have the funds to deliver the entire product.

TL;DR summation from the article itself (and a great quote included before the conclusion)

These changes seem sensible, yet the title of the blog post (“Kickstarter is not a store”) misses the point. The real issue is not contributor expectations but instead the burden of success. Project creators are beginning to understand that realizing a dream is sometimes more frightening than failure, which may be why there’s been a noticeable upward trend in the funding projects are asking for. Kickstarter could solve this by implementing a funding cap that allowed creators to keep projects manageable, but that would cut in to the company’s profits.

Conclusion

In talking with Tyler, Dylan and Georgia it became clear that Kickstarter, though potentially an incredible platform, is no magic bullet. The effort required to put up a good project is substantial and many projects have no reasonable chance of success without weeks of work by the project’s creators.

Talking with these individuals has also given me a sense that Kickstarter is a force of both creation and destruction. An extremely successful project can be life-changing for its creator, but failure implies the world has found the project worthless. This chaos allows for incredible creativity and success but also can take a toll on the people involved.

As the flood of money into crowd-funding continues both contributors and creators are at risk of forgetting that this movement is about people, not products. The people we fund, the platforms we support and the rewards we demand will shape the future crowd-funding, and perhaps even our economy.

Here's confirmation of your worst fears: Those no-name generic usb/phone chargers really are inferior -- and sometimes unsafe.

In a lengthy and detailed blog article, Ken Shirriff compares a dozen usb chargers and finds some real differences in terms of electrical quality and safety.  his bottom line: "don't buy a counterfeit charger; the price is great, but it's not worth risking your expensive device or your safety."

http://www.arcfn.com...in-lab-apple-is.html

Says BoingBoing: "Windows 8's new UI is elegant, minimalist and, for those used to the older versions, utterly baffling."

Here's a guide to getting around it, focused on helping people find the stuff they are used to:
http://www.theverge....-tricks-how-to-guide]