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<title>General Questions forum - dslreports.com community</title>
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<description>General Questions forum current topics</description>
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<copyright>Copyright 2007, dslreports.com</copyright>
<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:11:39 EDT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Stuck Pixels: Any Success Reviving Them?</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23309096</link>
<description><![CDATA[Any luck reviving them with software or any specific manual technique?

I've purchased a couple of high quality LCD Samsung SyncMasters a few years back and was quite disappointed with the glaring amount of stuck pixels that shipped with them. I mean how can someone stand looking at anything more than 3-5 different colored stuck pixels when using their computer for graphic design, imaging, movie plackback?...ect. I tried one Samsung LCD that had 5 dead pixels... no thanks! Sent that back to FutureShop and got a direct exchange for the same model. Powered it up and it had 4 stuck pixels but in different areas on the screen, all brightly lit in different colors. Looks TERRIBLE when watching dark movies! Took that back and decided to look around another day for a different brand. I guess I'm pretty picky... but if I'm paying for a high quality brand monitor I expect it to be free of pixel defects. I did try using JScreenFix (online), UDPixel and LCD (online) to correct the issue. I only tried using it for about 1 hour maximum before I said "screw it" and decided to send it back. The only thing the software ended up doing to one of the 2 dead pixels was it started making the pixel flicker and go out... then come back on with the wrong color. Perhaps I just needed to use the software longer?... (for hours as it said), but I was too impatient I guess. I've also read about how you can take a plastic tip off of a sharpie, wrap a cloth around the tip and rub the LCD in circular motions... press firmly... turn the LCD off and on, release the pressure and it should come back on... or something. But I'm too worried I'd make more stuck pixels in the process of fixing one. Another day I went to Tiger Direct in Markham and found a gorgeous I-Inc iF281D LCD 28" (http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3326540&Sku=H94-2801) and decided to take a risk on an inexpensive unknown brand name monitor. I was just so impressed with the bright intense colors and clear clarity of this monitor that was on demo display in TigerDirect. Couldn't even find a single dead pixel on the demo unit. Bought the unit in store, took it home, powered it up, ran a couple of screen color tests... and FINALLY... zero dead/stuck pixels! What a very nice change! Although I'm not terribly familiar with this brand of LCD, I'm very impressed with it. Funny how an inexpensive unknown brand turned out to be the better LCD in the end. What I'm wondering is, do manufacturers test their LCDs individually for pixel defects before packing them to be shipped out to consumers? Also, why can't manufacturers create a stuck/dead pixel free LCD? Understand that I'm coming off of a Sony Trinitron 22" CRT unit. These CRT's don't have dead/stuck pixels. In fact, most if not all CRTs do not have these issues and in my opinion are superior in this regard. LCD's are suppose to be superior compared to CRT's, I just wish manufacturers could develop units that are free of pixel defects like old CRT TVs/monitors.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23309096</guid>
<pubDate>2009-11-08 05:04:43</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Is it illegal to watch tv via torrents?</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23285475</link>
<description><![CDATA[

I currently use hulu for most of the shows i watch but wondering about the legal side of pulling down shows via torrents?]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23285475</guid>
<pubDate>2009-11-03 15:53:03</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Need Credit Card Recommendation</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23307995</link>
<description><![CDATA[Not really wanting to get into the why of it, but I've had it with the idiots and liars at HSBC.

I have excellent credit (my FICO is 813 with Equifax) and I have five years with the same employer.

My wants:

No annual fee. Any annual fee would be a deal breaker.

Although I never carry a balance, due to my credit rating I think I deserve a low rate.

Cash back would be nice, but I care zero about air miles or vacation points.

A card with virtual accounts (one time use account numbers) would be nice.

I've never had to make a charge back, or put any charge in dispute. But if I need to, I want that ability and good customer service.

Also, I know there are boards dedicated to discussing credit cards. Google isn't what it used to be, and the best sites aren't always listed near the top. So if someone can recommend the good credit card discussion boards, I'd appreciate that.

All recommendations will be considered and appreciated.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23307995</guid>
<pubDate>2009-11-07 20:56:19</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Need advice buying a bike</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23288676</link>
<description><![CDATA[So I taught my kid how to ride a bike without training wheels this weekend, and now I need a bike to keep up with them.

I don't want a fancy expensive bike, but something less than $500.

Any suggestions?  Or if I found a nice used one from Craigslist what should I look for?
--
Certified Medisoft reseller.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23288676</guid>
<pubDate>2009-11-04 06:42:24</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Using 2-cycle gas in a 4-cycle engine</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23308985</link>
<description><![CDATA[I ran out of regular gas for my lawnmower today.  Since I was short on time, I grabbed the can with pre-mixed 2-cycle oil in the gas and used it.  The lawnmower didn't seem to mind, which made me wonder.  Rather than keep two separate cans, can I just run the oil/gas mix in my lawnmower? ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23308985</guid>
<pubDate>2009-11-08 02:52:18</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Hit and run</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23306467</link>
<description><![CDATA[I was involved in a hit and run a little while ago.  I was at a stop light and a car turning right rear ended me.  I was a little shaken up so didn't follow the guy but wrote down his license plate.  I gave the officer that showed up license plate # 5NDF706.  He ran the plate and the car that came up didn't match with the car model I saw.  So it looks like I wrote down the plate number wrong.  He said he would play with the number, but didn't sound too convincing to me.

So I have a couple of questions.  What is a good site to do my own searches?  I see a couple of sites out there that look like you can do many searches for a yearly fee.

Also, can my DSLR brethren take a look at the license plate indention he left on my bumper to see if you can help me get the correct license plate number?  I'm going to try to get a better pic in a minute as well.

Thanks!]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23306467</guid>
<pubDate>2009-11-07 13:31:59</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Game console</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23305851</link>
<description><![CDATA[My friend wants to get a game console for his (going to be 8 year old) son for Christmas.  The kids got 1 of those December birthdays so some games and accessories too.  

He's in town this weekend so I said I would help :D  His internet kind a sucks because it's Direct TV and won't get any better because they live way out on a farm.

What's the best or the better console to get these days thinking of some longevety?

Thanks]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23305851</guid>
<pubDate>2009-11-07 10:55:52</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>WTF!!! Hard Drive LOCKED</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23222715</link>
<description><![CDATA[I got a few 250GIG hard drives from the trash, they are all locked!! In the freaking firmware of the drive its self. NOW I MUST UNLOCK THEM!!

I went online and found a few programs that claim to unlocked them but its $$$$, there must be a better way. 

Any ideas? I went nuts, tired to format them with, OSX, Linux, W7, Used all kinds of software. I then used a tool that told me they were locked. Then some crappy program i found told me all about the drive then wanted $150 to unlock it.. come on..  :mad:

What the hell is on these drives that some one would do this crazy to lock them down like this.
--
See you in Villains]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23222715</guid>
<pubDate>2009-10-22 04:00:37</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>My laptop doesnt work on planes....</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23304374</link>
<description><![CDATA[So I have a relatively new Asus netbook (a few months old) that has a very weird problem; it doesnt work on airplanes. I have tried it a number of times, and each time I boot up while in the air I get the blue screen of death and the computer wont start. As soon as I get back on the ground its fine again. Any thoughts on what might be causing this?? It really stinks not to be able to use the computer on flights, especially given how small it is (10 inches) and the fact it has a 8 hour battery.....
--
"If it's to be a bloodbath, let it be now. Appeasement is not the answer."
-Ronald Reagan- 
http://www.theadvocates.org/quizp/index.html



]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23304374</guid>
<pubDate>2009-11-06 21:14:55</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Backup services</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23307403</link>
<description><![CDATA[I was looking at online storage backup services. A friend told me about www.carbonite.com and www.mozy.com however I've read some pretty bad reviews of when it came time to actually retrieve the data. Mozy for example had horrible customer service. Carbonite supposedly had problems with not backing up everything you wanted and not telling you it had deselected some files from backup. Anyone know of any other similar service that is good and reliable?]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23307403</guid>
<pubDate>2009-11-07 18:19:57</pubDate>
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