Macromedia Flash Player problems with Internet Explorer 7 or on Vista SP1?

There have been reports of some users on a case-to-case basis that Macromedia Flash Player is not working in their web browsers, specifically in Internet Explorer 7 both in Windows XP and Windows Vista even if they have downloaded it already. Though currently I’m not sure as to why this happens (because previously there this isn’t an issue), there are ways to solve this problem.

The fix this, the workaround is not to install and uninstall the add-on/plug-in, which seems to be ineffective. Here’s what you can do:

1. Close all Internet Explorer windows and related applications.

2. Run Command Prompt (as an Administrator if you’re on Windows Vista).

3. Go to C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash (or C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash on Windows 64-bit).

4. Run FlashUntil9d.exe (or similar executable file inside the folder) and follow the instructions to install.

5. Restart your computer (sometimes you don’t really need to do this, but it’s better follow instructions ).

Macromedia Flash Player problems with Internet Explorer 7? – Life as an Evangelist

Download preloaded contents pack for new Zunes, in case you have ‘lost’ it *wink* – istartedsomething

 One of the less obvious facts about the Zune is that as soon as you turn on the device, you have an abundance of quality content of both music and videos preloaded onto the device so you can literally start enjoying the experience from the first hands-on. On the other hand compare that to the “don’t steal music” sticker you have to peel off the iPod – which is like those “shoplifting is an offense” signs, makes you feel pretty guilty even if you have good intentions.

Of course, to enjoy these preloaded content it would have to mean you first have to own a Zune, right? Not quite! You see, Microsoft today has made available the entire preloaded contents pack downloadable (ZIP) from Microsoft’s servers with no strings attached. The reason this has been made available is that “if you have accidentally deleted the preloaded content, you can download it.” But I’d imagine we’re all pretty clumsy.

The ZIP archive comes at a whopping 410MB which contains all of the preloaded content on the 2nd-generation Zunes. Which includes,

Download preloaded contents pack for new Zunes, in case you have ‘lost’ it *wink* – istartedsomething

Add a Sexy Ajaxy Live Search Box to Your Web Site in 5 minutes.

Put the power of Live Search on your very own website – without learning any actual code.The search box powered by Live Search provides a fast, customizable search solution for your website or blog. Visitors to your site can search the entire Web, just your site, or any sites that you choose.

Live Search Box

Fill your Zune up with video with Youtube Batch Downloader – Softpedia

 So here is the deal.  Youtube has tons of videos, most them just a few minutes long.  This tool gives you a easy way to view and download them into a format that you can move to your Zune.  What is even better is that this tool can join several videos together.  Why is that important?  Because Youtube limits most videos to 10 minutes, people break them up to several chapters in there channel.  This tool has a great video tutorial that walks you through this step for step.  It is really easy, so most bigBrains wont need it. 

Have fun and fill those Zune’s.  Here is one of the Tutorials.

 

Download Youtube Batch Downloader 1.2.0.0 – 1-Click Batch Download & Join 100’s of YouTube videos & into mp4, wmv, mov. – Softpedia

Zune Insider : On the Availability of Zune 80

You may have seen some buzz in the news and online over the last few days about the availability of Zune 80 – so I talked to the product management and retail teams to get the story. Here’s what I found out:  Based on our own forecasts as well as early retail orders, we chose to prioritize production of the Zune 4 and Zune 8.  Zune 80 was at retail on launch day albeit in lower numbers.  That combined with the positive press cycle and higher-than-expected demand has led to the current situation – but here’s the good news – we’ve stepped up production and significant inventory will begin hitting stores within the next 7-10 days. Right now, the stores which currently have availability: Circuit City, Target, and Walmart, and online, check out Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal Mart, GameStop, Amazon, and Dell.

Zune Insider : On the Availability of Zune 80

Four secret button tricks for your Zune

 

Special button combinations can be used to execute Zune player functions. These button tricks – not widely known – are sure to amuse and delight your friends.

And yes, they work with the new players as well as the updated 30GB.

By default, Zune goes to "sleep" after a few minutes of inactivity, and then turns itself off. You can save a few millijoules of battery life by turning your player completely off when you’re finished with it. How? Press and hold "down" on the Zune Pad, and press and hold the Back button.

No matter what player function you’re using, you can always quickly go back to the main menu. Just press and hold the Back button.

To reset your player – also known as a "reboot" – press and hold the Back button, while pressing "up" on the Zune Pad.

To reformat your player’s drive, reset it as noted above. When it starts to reset, hold down the Back button, Center button, and Play button at the same time. Your player will inform you that it is deleting all media on device, and your Zune should revert to the "way it was" when you first pulled it out of the box. Careful! This will erase your player contents and you should rarely if ever need to do it.

Get more of these parlor tricks in our Zune tips page.

Zune articles. Archived stories from Zunerama’s Zune blog.#071121_zune_story#071121_zune_story#071121_zune_story#071121_zune_story

Black Friday: 10 Movies and HD DVD Player for $199 at Amazon

 

God bless the Black Friday, as the format war keeps raging on thanks to it: Amazon will give you ten movies for free when you buy the $199 Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD player (or the HD-A30 or the HD-A35.) And unlike some other offers with dreadful title selection, there’s good stuff to choose from in there, like The Big Lebowski, The Departed, The Shining, Goodfellas, Casino and Rio Bravo. And then, The Last Starfighter. And, ummm, Top Gun. Whatever

Black Friday: 10 Movies and HD DVD Player for $199 at Amazon

Boost Your Wi-Fi Antenna for Less than a Dollar

 

After taking apart a $30 "extender" Wi-Fi antenna, one intrepid video blogger posted a guide to making the same thing with remarkably cheap stuff. If you’re not afraid of a soldering gun or taking apart your antenna, a small amount of copper wire, a drinking straw, a wood screw and black marker should get you (according to the video creator) roughly twice the range and power. The standard warnings about potentially damaging your hardware apply, so those skittish about soldering should check out Gina’s Top 10 Wi-Fi Boosts, Tweaks and Apps.

MacGyver Tip: Boost Your Wi-Fi Antenna for Less than a Dollar

Zune MP3 Players In Stock – NowInStock.net

 

Zune 80 has been out of stock, for lack of supply or over-demand. If you’re interested in the big lug, nestled snuggly between the iPod Touch and the classic in capacity and screen size, Nowinstock.com will email you when they show up on shelves.

Zune MP3 Players In Stock – NowInStock.net

Home Entertainment: Star Trek Season One HD DVD Reviewed, New CG Spaceships and All

 

As any hardcore fan of the Trek series will tell you, the smallest adjustments made to the originals are bound to undergo a tremendous amount of scrutiny. That having been said, the first reviews of the new HD DVD release of Star Trek have become available�and by the looks of things there is a lot to like, and a few things that will surely piss off more than a few fanboys�namely redesigned visual effects involving the show intro and the Enterprise.

According to both IGN and HD Disk news, the remastered video and audio is decent, but expect to see some artifacts and noise in certain areas. However, with dated material such as this that should be expected. The real interesting news is that the developers also attempted to blend in newly rendered CG shots of the shows visual effects�like external shots of the Enterprise for example. As you might imagine, these scenes tend to look out of place alongside the older footage.

On the plus side, there are plenty of extras to keep fans happy, like picture-in-picture video commentaries, a documentary outlining the new visual effects, an interactive 3D Enterprise tour that allows viewers to completely explore the inner and outer workings of the ship, as well “Blackburn’s Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories” chronicling the experiences of a regular extra on the set.

All-in-all it appears that the Trek HD DVD is a worthwhile pickup if you already own a player. However, others may want to wait until a clear winner is chosen in the format wars�because there will surely be other Trek HD upgrades in the future. [IGN and HD Disk News]

Home Entertainment: Star Trek Season One HD DVD Reviewed, New CG Spaceships and All