IRC: How To Automate Downloading Files

IRC is basically a chat client like MSN Messenger except it is not candy coated with things like User display Pictures and instead has scripting in which you can program and automate tasks. Enter the XDCC Bot. It is a user script/executable that serves “packs” or files to people. IRC is far more efficient then other chat systems like MSN at downloading and uploading files.

First off, you must learn the basics of IRC. Rather then waste time to type out a guide and add to the 1000+ guides that cover the exact same subject the following was taken from Kirika’s IRC Guides. I have copied the HTML Version, but there is a better flash version on the site located HERE. If you already know how to use IRC skip down to “How to Automate Downloading”

Setting up mIRC:

1) Make sure DCC Ignore is turned off inside the DCC options.
2) Uncheck turn back on in: so that mIRC doesn’t try to turn ignore back on.
3) Go to your Options, select the DCC tab, and select Autoget file and for the if file exists: part, select Resume.

When you first receive a file, select the option that makes it so that the popup message will not show up again. Auto-accepting files is a must on mIRC, or you would have to /dccallow many many people in order to get what you want. Auto-accepting means that you don’t have to be at your computer, or at mIRC to receive the file. With that done, now you are ready to use a File Server.

What is a File Server?

A File Server is a place where one can download files like Anime off of someone’s Server. A File Server in IRC is used by typing a trigger to enter the server, then one can request files for download, if possible.

The system of downloading files is that the server sends a certain number of files to a number of people, and if that number is reached then the next request becomes queue number 1, and the next one is number 2, and so on. Queue number 1 starts to send the file to the user when one of the sends finishes, and Queue number 2 receives the file requested after the next send finishes (could be the queued file). Maximum number of sends and queues vary depending on the file server. In some cases, the number of queues may be over the number of sends, because of priority. Priority sometimes lets a user go over the number of queues, or lets them skip other people’s queues. Priority is usually only given to friends of the file server’s host, or to Operators or Voices. (+o or +v)

File Servers

After joining a channel, the first thing to do is type !rules. If typing !List is allowed, then type !List to display a list of File Servers that are currently Active in the channel. If the channel is a large one, (most popular ones are), you are most likely to get many, many responses. In small channels, say around 30 people, not as many will show up, and it is easier to see the ads.

Advanced: Typing !list (don’t put in the ’s) will display the ad of the user only. This works in the sysreset and upp file server scripts and some others. Some scripts respond even if you type something after !list, but this filters out other sysreset / upp ads.

A typical File Server Ad will be like this:

-Kirika- [Fserve Active] – Trigger:[ !Trigger] – Sends:[2/2] – Queues:[17/20] – Record CPS:[67.2kB/s by Bob] – Upload Speed:[60.6kB/s] – Message:[- Come look at my stuff!!! -] – SysReset 2.51

In this case, one knows this is a file server because of the first section where it says Fserve Active. The way to get inside the file server, is by typing the trigger. Here, the trigger is !Trigger, shown in the second part of the File Server Ad. Triggers are to be typed in the channel in order to access the File Server. Triggers can be anything, even a whole sentence like “I screw donkeys for fun”. Usually they have a “!” next to them, for the non-silent ones.

Some other scripts use File Server Online or Fserve Online or something like that. File Server Ads usually display this and the trigger information. Sometimes they also tell you a bit more information, like the Sends and Queues.

Sends is the number of uploads the File Server allows, and how many are sending at the moment. In this case, there are 2/2 sends, which means 2 sends running out of 2 maximum sends. This means that one would have to wait for another send to be available, if the fileserver has available queues.

Queues is the number of people waiting, out of the maximum number of people allowed to wait. In the example there are 17/20 queues, meaning 17 people in line out of 20 maximum people in line. Requesting a file at the moment would result in waiting in queue 18. That means one would have to wait for the 17 people to finish their downloads to start downloading from the file server. The amount of time to wait depends on the file server’s upload speed, the type of files it is serving, and how fast the first queues finish downloading.

File Servers also usually have a message of some sort; in this case it is Come look at my stuff!!!. Some messages describe what is inside the file servers, some advertise what the File Server’s owner is requesting, and some (like the one above) serve pretty much no purpose at all. There are also many other things the Ad can contain, like the Record CPS (Highest upload speed recorded), Upload Speed (How fast the server is uploading at at the moment), and many others. The last part of the Ad, (SysReset 2.51) is the script’s name given by the programmer, and the version. Each script functions pretty much the same, but most of them look different from eachother.

If a file server has two triggers, they are usually seperated by an “&”. Some triggers are silent and begin with /ctcp. They are usually in the format [/ctcp ] ( Exclude the ’s and the [ ]’s when typing the trigger ). An example would be /ctcp Kirika anime fserve.These do not show up on the channel, and only the user and the file server know that the user typed it. Type them the same way normal triggers are typed. But to be safe, one should type them in the Status Window. This is because some channels kick/ban users that type the triggers wrong Eg. ( [/ctcp Kirika Anime ). That is an example of typing the trigger with the ['s.

In some cases, file servers are behind a firewall. They will prompt the user to type something in, and the user must type it in before he/she can access the file server or receive files. The "something" is usually /dccserver +sc on 59 or something close to that. After typing it, the user should be able to get into the file server. Sometimes if typing the firewall stuff doesn't work, it is not the user's fault, but the server's. So do not freak out if it does not work every time. Typing the /dccserver stuff or the file server trigger again sometimes seems to help. If you are behind a firewall yourself, usually this means that you probably can't connect to that server. Try a different file server.

File Server Commands

Once the user is inside the File Server, there are a number of commands to use in order to download / queue the file desired. The user is actually accessing the File Server's Owner's hard drive, and requesting files from it. This is like using DOS, so DOS users should have no problem with this.

Typing Dir will display a list of folders available. Users usually start in a root directory ( / ), and get go to a new directory by typing cd (without the 's ). One can tell the difference between a file and a folder by seeing if the object has an extension. Objects without an extension, and with all CAPS, are folders. One can explore it using the cd command. Objects with extensions are files, like [ thisisafile.ext ].Those can be downloaded or queued, by typing get (without the ’s ). E.g. [ get inuyasha_100.avi ]. Always type the exact file name with its extension, or else it will not work. Copying and Pasting comes in handy here. Below is a list of the commands available:

Command Function

cd changes to another directory within the current one. (don’t include the ’s when typing)
cd.. goes up a directory (sort of like “up one level” in windows)
dir lists the files in the current directory, from top to down
ls wide directory listing.
get asks the server to DCC Send / queue the specified file. (don’t include the ’s when typing)
say send chat messages to all other users on the server.
sends displays server send status
stats displays current server statistics.
swap allows queues to be swapped. (some servers may have it disabled)
queues displays server queue status.
users show users on server.
clr_queues removes all of your queues.
clr_queue N removes the queue in slot #N.
exit terminates the connection.

A list of commands that the current File Server uses can be obtained by typing “help” when inside the file server. Most servers use cd , dir, ls, get , and clr_queues. The command for going back up a directory is cd… This is the direct opposite of cd . After one is done queue-ing or requesting files, one should close the window the file server is in, and wait in the channel for the file to be sent. If you see the message “DCC Server Session Terminated”, don’t freak out, that’s meant to happen. It makes sense not to have an extra window on your channel bar, doesn’t it?

Basic File Server Walk through:

If you can’t figure it out from the above, read this.

1) First, find out which files are available. Type dir for a list of files.

2) If you see a file that you want, great! Proceed to step 2a. If you don’t, but there are directories, (stuff that doesn’t have an extension) proceed to 2b. If you don’t want any of the files listed and there aren’t any directories listed, go to step 2c.

2a) Type get . (leave out the ’s) to download / queue it. Proceed to step 3. Eg. get Inuyasha_100.avi

2b) Go inside the directory. Type cd (leave out the ’s) to go inside that directory. Once you’re inside the new directory, repeat step 1 and 2. Eg. cd Inuyasha

2c) It appears the file server doesn’t have the file(s) you are looking for. Type cd.. to go back up a directory, and try another folder. But, if you are already in the root directory of the file server and you can’t go “up one level” anymore, that probably means the file server doesn’t have what you are looking for. Proceed to step 3.

3) Close the file server window. If you found the file(s) you were looking for, great! If the file is already sending, even better. But if you are queued, just wait inside the channel you found the file from, for it to send. For the unfortunate users that haven’t found what they wanted, try another file server.

@find Command

Some, NOT ALL, file servers use something called @find. This is something a user types in the channel, ( @find anime ) and file servers with @find enabled will search the file server for files matching the name “anime”. If something is found, the server will message the user, or /notice you (shows messages in your active mIRC window to you and you only), the names of the files found, how many found, and the information of the file server that contains the file(s). This is a really handy feature, since the inexperienced user will have no idea where to get a file he/she wants.

But, some channels do not allow @find since it really floods the file servers and the channel. So before any use of @find, type !rules to find out if it is allowed. The bad thing about @find is that many file servers don’t have it enabled, and the user is only searching file servers that do. File Servers that do respond usually tell you the trigger for it, and the sends and queues. DO NOT type the trigger inside the PM window the server messages the user with, especially if it is a non-silent trigger. In doing so, the user is actually messaging the file server, and is very unnecessary and annoying to the file server. Doing so may result in a ban from a channel or file server. A safe thing to do is to always type triggers in channels. This would be a good habit to pick up.

TDCC’s

TDCC’s, are triggers that get a user one specific file. They are much handier than file servers for getting one file, and only require the user to type the trigger in the channel or status window (for ctcp triggers), and they will receive the file, or be queued for it. Using TDCC’s does not require any file server browsing, and is usually used for new releases.

Here is an example of a TDCC ad:

-Kirika- [TDCC Active]- Trigger:[/ctcp Kirika How To Leech] – Description:[ How to Leech for Noobz, beginner's guide ] – Size:[5.2MB] – Sends:[3/5] – Queues:[0/10] – Record CPS:[67.2kB/s by Bob] – Upload Speed:[45kB/s] – Requests:[73] – SysReset 2.51

TDCC Ads look pretty much just like File Server Ads, except in the first part TDCC Active is displayed. That signifies the ad is a TDCC, and is not a file server. The trigger is /ctcp Kirika How To leech; typing the trigger will result in downloading the file advertised. TDCC triggers also display how big the file is (size), how many times it has been requested, (Requests), and a description instead of a message, usually about the file being advertised. In this case, the file being advertised is this html help file, as described in the description.

XDCC’s

XDCC’s are sort of like TDCC’s, except they have more than one file, and are always silent. There are generally two types of XDCC, the /ctcp kind and the /msg kind. The /msg kind is usually an iroffer bot, and is there for XDCC’s only. Usually XDCC bots are on really fast connections, like T3 or OC 48 or whatever. Bots in anime channels usually have a tag next to their name, like A-Kraze|Bot. That is usually the way to tell bots from other users.

The way to view the “packs” being served on a bot, (files being served), is to msg them with XDCC LIST. This can be done by either opening a query with them, (double clicking their name) and typing it in the new window, or by using the command /msg, like [ /msg A-Kraze|Bot XDCC LIST ]. There is another way, by typing XDCC LIST in the channel. But, this way is very unsafe since most channels do not allow it because of the flooding, since there are many many bots in each channel. Either way, a list of packs being served will come up, like this:

-A-Kraze|Bot- ** 7 packs ** 20 of 20 slots open, Record: 530.2KB/s
-A-Kraze|Bot- ** Bandwidth Usage ** Current: 0.0KB/s, Cap: 5000.0KB/s, Record: 790.5KB/s
-A-Kraze|Bot- ** To request a file type: “/msg A-Kraze|Bot xdcc send #x” **
-A-Kraze|Bot- #1 10x [174M] Inuyasha 85
-A-Kraze|Bot- #2 2x [157M] Hack Sign 26
-A-Kraze|Bot- #3 0x [184M] Ai Yori Aoshi 22
-A-Kraze|Bot- #4 4x [173M] Tokyo Underground 20
-A-Kraze|Bot- #5 2x [182M] Samurai Deeper Kyo 11
-A-Kraze|Bot- #6 11x [204M] Gatekeepers21 OVA 03
-A-Kraze|Bot- #7 30x [192M] Chobits 26
-A-Kraze|Bot- ** Brought to you by Kirika **
-A-Kraze|Bot- Total Offered: 2089.4 MB Total Transferred: 209.8 GB

In this ad, there are 7 packs available. The 7 are listed from #1 to #7. the 10x and 2x stuff is how many requests the specific file has gotten. the [174M] and [157M] stuff is how large the file is, with M meaning megabytes, and K meaning kilobytes. The stuff after the file size is the description of the file. Sometimes a filename instead of a description is put here. To get the file desired, like maybe pack number 3 which is “Ai Yori Aoshi 22″, type /msg A-Kraze|Bot XDCC send #3. The file will be queued or sent after you type the trigger, much like a TDCC. The file size is displayed next to the file, and is a good way to check if the file downloaded previously is complete. At the bottom where is says “Brought to you by Kirika”, that is where the information of the bot owner goes. In this case the owner is Kirika, but in some cases a channel “owns” the bot.

Ctcp XDCC’s are pretty much the same as bots’ XDCCs, but are usually used by slower connections, (cable, dsl) and use /ctcp instead of /msg. They are part of a File Server script, and could also use the same queues and sends “pool” as the file server. The usage is pretty much the same as shown by the following:

-KiriKa- [#1] [199.6MB] – Inu Yasha – 85 [7 Gets]
-KiriKa- [#2] [178.7MB] – Tokyo Underground – 20 [3 Gets]
-KiriKa- [#3] [174.8MB] – Ai Yori Aoshi – 22 [3 Gets]
-KiriKa- [#4] [196.2MB] – Samurai Deeper Kyo – 11 [2 Gets]
-KiriKa- [#5] [169.2MB] – Chobits – 26 [1 Gets]
-KiriKa- [#6] [177.6MB] – .Hack//Sign – 26 [2 Gets]
-KiriKa- [#7] [119MB] – G-On Riders – 05 [7 Gets]
-KiriKa- [#8] [199.1MB] – Gatekeepers21 OVA – 03 [4 Gets]
-KiriKa- [#9] [326.7MB] – Hack Liminality (OVA) – 01 [52 Gets]
-KiriKa- [#10] [138.6MB] – RahXephon – 26 [3 Gets]
-KiriKa- Usage: /ctcp KiriKa XDCC GET ME #

Ctcp XDCC’s look pretty much the same as bot’s XDCCs, and are used in a the same way. Typing /ctcp Kirika XDCC GET ME #3 would get file #3. The only difference is that in here the syntax is a little different.

Request Ads

Most file server scripts come with a request ad script, where the file server’s owner can set up a request ad. Request ads are ads that are asking for something, sometimes files, and sometimes people who can help the server’s group. Most request ads respond to !request, and will come up like fserve ads and TDCC’s and XDCC’s. If the user has the thing the file server’s owner wants, he/she should send it to them, as it would be a great help to them. Some channels do not allow request ads, or does not allow non voices or ops to use them though.

Sometimes request ads aren’t really requesting anything. This is because the user is probably using it to display something to tell the channel periodically, if their script does not have something else that does that. This may include information about the channel, like a web site. At new releases, some operators put the triggers of fast senders of the new release on the trigger, informing all the channel users about them. Those, are quite useful to leechers. : )

How to Automate Your Downloads

Installing XDCC Browser Script with mIRC

This guide will assume that you have the latest version of mIRC downloaded and installed as well as having the default port of 6667 forwarded in your router and firewall.

Now we need to configure mIRC….

Configuring DCC options

Go to Tools -> Options select DCC then choose Ignore

Ensure that “Method: is Ignore only” and that the “Turn ignore back on in:” is unchecked then press OK.

Next choose DCC.

When you choose “Auto-get file” and you will get a pop up window.

Click Yes.

Make sure “Auto-get file” and “minimize” are chosen and that “Auto-accept” is checked and press OK.

Disable sounds

Next choose “Sounds”.

Uncheck “Enable Sounds” press OK.

Connect Settings

Next choose Connect -> Options.

Make sure “Reconnect on disconnection” is checked and press OK.

Rejoin Channel If You Are Kicked

Next choose IRC.

Ensure that the “Rejoin channel when kicked” and “Rejoin channels on connect” options are checked and press OK.

Hide ping?pong! Event

Next choose IRC -> Options.

Make sure “Hide ping?pong! event” is checked and press OK.

Next choose Other -> Lock.

Be sure that under “Disable” that “Get” is unchecked and that under “Disable” that “Disable Dll, Run, and com commands” are checked then press OK.

Exit mIRC and download and install the XDCC Browser script

The XDCC Browser script can be found here

After extracting the files copy them to the root install directory for mIRC ie. C:\Program Files\mIRC\

Next run mIRC and hold down the Alt key and press R this will bring up the scripts editor’s Remote tab

Under File choose “Load”

Choose under your mIRC directory the XDCCb.mrc script and choose Open

Next three pop ups will appear.

Answer Yes to each one then press OK.

Using XDCC Browser

To run XDCC Browser Right-Click on an open window.

Choose XDCC Browser -> Browser then Left-Click.

Next choose the Options tab and ensure that “On start connect to all networks” is unchecked.

Under the Search tab try to search for a file.

Make sure “Always show this warning” is unchecked unless you want to always be present to approve downloads.

Read XDCC Browser.doc for detailed explanation of all the included options

Coke Vending Machine Hack

Coke vending machines are everywhere. They’re getting more and more like regular computers with LEDs that show little “ICE COLD” messages and whatnot. Well, there’s a lot more to those little builtin computers than you may think. Included in the lowlevel operating system that these babies run on is an actual debug menu that gives you access to all sorts of machine information and possibly gives you free cokes in older machines.

WHICH MACHINES WORK?
There’s a very strict list of vending machines that have the debug menu. First off, they’re all COCACOLA product vending machines. This means the giant, unmissable picture on the front must show any of the following: Coke, Dasani Water, Barq’s Root Beer, Vanilla Coke, Cherry Coke, Sprite, Evlan water, Fanta, Fresca, Frutopia, HiC, Sprite Remix, Mad River, Mello Yello, Minute Maid, Nestea, Odwalla, Mr. Pibb/Pibb Xtra, Planet Java, Power Ade, Seagram’s Ginger Ale, Simply Orange, Sparkletts, or Tab. Of course anything Diet or Caffeine free works too.
The machine must have an LED screen. Some of the older ones just allow the LED to be set to a price amount and won’t have the debug menu. You’re safer if the little LED is telling you something. Usually it will scroll a little message like “Ice Cold Cokes”. Newer machines are more likely candidates.

ACCESSING THE MENU
To enter the menu, there’s a button combination. HERE’S THE ONLY THING YOU HAVE TO REALLY REMEMBER:

4231

The buttons are numbered depending on how they are positioned. They will either be vertical more likely, or in horizontal rows of 4 buttons per row. If it is vertical, the first button is #1, the one below it is #2, and so forth. If the buttons are in horizontal rows, the first button is #1, and the one to the right of it is #2. The numbers work like a type writer after that. In rows of 4, the first button of row 2 will be button #5. So, to review, getting in to the debug menu looks like this:

COKE MACHINE::::::
$1.00

Coke Hit this button last
Coke Hit this button second
Diet Coke Hit this button third
Sprite Hit this button first
And so on

Some text should show up on the LED probably the word “Error”, we’ll explain what it means next sections. If nothing happens, your machine doesn’t have the debug menu.

NAVIGATION
To navigate from option to option What they are is next section, remember the numberings we gave the buttons. They work as follows:
Button 1 Exit/Back
Button 2 Up
Button 3 Down
Button 4 Select

OPTIONS
Depending on the age of the machine, you will get a varying amount of default options available.
On older machines: SALE, VER, EROR, and RTN
On newer machines: CASH, SALE, EROR, and RTN

CASH Machine Earnings Display
The CASH option will display how much money is in the machine currently. It generally takes a second or two to load. From here, you can scroll up and down through 12 or 16 different options, depending on the machine age. These other options display how much money was spent on each individual item, classified through its button or slot, as I like to call it number.
A neat side note about the slot numbers is that there are more slot numbers than there are actual slot, so usually the last 4 buttons contain zero money. This could be so that the same OS could be used on bigger machines, but the newer machines have even more slot numbers.

SALE Total Sale Count
The SALE option displays how many drinks have been sold out of the machine. This tends to be cumulative, but not on all machines. The stock guy is probably supposed to reset this each time he restocks. Also, this has the same suboptions as the CASH option, where you can scroll up and down and see how many drinks have been sold from each slot.

VER System/Machine Version?
This option will cause a large alphanumeric string to scroll across the LCD. The number looks very much like a serial number, but doesn’t vary from machine to machine. It is most likely the OS or machine version number, but of the older machines that have the option, I haven’t seen one that doesn’t have the same number.

EROR Error Log
There are 8 different types of errors COLJ Column Jams, VEnd Vend Mechanism, door Door Switch, sels Select Switch, CHAR Changer Errors, acce Acceptor Errors, StS Spacetosales errors, and bVal Bill Validators. The separate types and actual errors are useless, as you assumably can’t get inside the machine, BUT! you can clear the errors. Hold the enter Number 4 button down for about 2 seconds, and it should clear the error.

RTN Return
This is simply the return option. Selecting this will exit the debug menu. On newer machines, pressing the BACK button at the main menu will not exit, and RTN must be selected.
A side note: The menu can also be exited by pressing the coin return button.

EXTRAS
By holding in the coin return button and not releasing, on the newer “bigbutton” machines, this will display the internal temperature in Fahrenheit, as in “42F”.

**Update**
There are many more menu options that are only accessible if they’ve either been enabled from the computer inside the machine, or on the internal computer behind the door Probably not feasible for you to access.

CPO Coin Payout Mode
You can can dump coins from the coin mechanism, and the various menu options allow you to choose which type of coins Nickels, dimes, etc. are dumped.

tVFL Tube Fill Mode
This is useless to you. This allows you to load coins into the coin tubes, which you can’t do from the outside.

TEST Test Routines
This allows you to test the following various routines:
SE Allows you to test the buttons. Will give you number
of button when you press it
SP Soldout paddle test. Not quite sure, most likely internal function.
Su Soldout switch test. Same as paddle.
CO Motor test. Will run various column motors.
Cn Coin test. Put in a coin and it will tell you what kind of
coin it is.
nA Note acceptor test. Same as Cn, but for bills.
dSP Display test. Will illuminate various LEDs.
vErS Rattles off version number.

RELY Relay test
This tests the relay electronic control of various parts. Do not do, as it will cause damage if various internal parts are not unplugged before usage.

PASS Password
This is not normally accessible, but allows you to change the menu password from the 4231. Whoo!

PrIC Price Setting
Used to set the price for a drink. Not sure how to work it, but it seems simple enough.

StOS Spacetosales routine
Lets you change the STS routine and other options. This means that various buttons will all mean the same thing, i.e. the 6 coke buttons don’t actually vend from 6 different columns, but vend from one changing when one runs out of course.

COn Machine Configuration/Permissions
This is the machine config menu that decides what of these options you are allowed to access through the outside panel. This is probably only accessible with the door open. I won’t go into detail, but I’ll list the Config numbers and what each do: C1 sets price menu on, C2 sets special manufacturer options on, C3 disables the “ICE COLD COKE” message. C4 is autoviewing of menu when door is opened, C5 is door switch status, C6 is mysteriously reserved for “future use”, C7 determines whether your money credit stays in for 5 minutes or indefinitely, C8 is Force Vend, C9 allows multiple vends without putting in more money i.e put in a 5 and get 3 cokes and then your change, and C10 is Escrow Inhibit.

CCoC Correct Change Only Control
Adjusts Correct Change only rule to your liking.

TIME Time Adjustment
Allows you to set the machine’s local time.

LANG Language Selection
Not sure how many languages are supported, but there are apparently more than just English.

Source

Has Your Ipod Been Stolen? Then Track It Down…

There exists a free service that tracks stolen USB gadgets like MP3 players, cameras and USB flash drives etc. When the device is stolen you log into the server, flag it as stolen and the next time the device is plugged into a computer it sends the owner of the device info about that system like IP address, location, username and computer name and more.

However, you have to have the files from the site installed on your ipod (you have to do this before it gets stolen that is the only drawback ).

For those of you who already had your ipods stolen this cannot help you, sorry.

From the site:

What if your device could phone home? Well now it can. Through our system, you simply register your device and install our agent files in the root of your device. If your device is stolen you simply log into our interface and flag it as lost or stolen. The next time the device is plugged into a computer it will attempt to contact us and provide critical forensic data regarding the system it is plugged into including:

Public IP Address

Location (Country, City, State & Zip)*

Username

Computer Name

Host name of ISP

Internal network IP address

80% accuracy within 25 miles in the Unites States and Canada, 7% not covered at the city level

Go to Gadget Theft’s Site

You Can Call Amazon, EBay, and Other Web Businesses for Support

Sometimes the best e-mail and chat support in the world is no substitute for a conversation with a real person. But that kind of talk isn’t cheap, so to cut costs, Net-based companies like Amazon often make their phone numbers hard to find. Not to worry: A site called Cliché Ideas has dug them up:

Amazon: 800/201-7575

EBay: 800/322-9266

I have called their support lines on a number of occasions and believe me it is usually quicker then the other methods.

Get Photocopies For Free (must be one with a coin inserter)

Did you ever find yourself in school needing a quick photocopy of someone’s notes right before a test but without any money? This article will teach you how to print as much copies as you want with almost any photocopy machine for free. But it takes a little practice…

This has been confirmed to work on 5 different photo-copy machines that have a coin inserters attached to them…Canon, Xerox, Ricoh, Sharp, and Savin.

#1: Insert your documents into the machine.

#2- Punch in all your settings.

#3- Press the green “Start” Button on the machine, but almost instantly press the “coin return” button on the inserter. Your money will then come back out.

This works because there is a 2 second delay from when you insert the money to when the machine verifies that you have paid to make copies and tells the coin inserter not to refund your money.

Rogers Cable ISP P2P Throttling

If you have Rogers Cable as an ISP and use P2P programs such as Bit Torrent, Kazaa, Limewire, Emule etc etc. You probably have been experiencing slow uploads/downloads on bit torrent and other P2P networks.

That might be due to Rogers Cable throttling the ports for P2P programs, giving them a low priority and resulting in slow uploads and downloads.

Try this quick fix… in any of your P2P programs, edit the ports they use for incoming and outgoing data from whatever it is (i.e. port 4600) to port 1720.

This is the same port Rogers uses for its VoIP telephone service and it has the highest priority.

If you have a router, firewall, or windows xp service pack 2
You might want to change the ports in there as well.

To find out where the problem is try turning off your firewall or connecting the internet cable directly to your PC so see if the problem persists. If it is one of the above then you must make modifications to your settings.

For your router look up ” port forwarding” on google for instructions. For your firewall you will need to do the same. For more in depth help it is also a good idea to visit your P2P client’s FAQ page. This question has defiantly been asked before.

Also make sure that your P2P client can encrypt the headers of the files it is downloading/uploading. For bit torrent if you use Azureus it should have already turned on the encryption automatically.

Rubik’s Cube Solver

Time for your weekly dose of random curiosity…

Anyone ever tried solving a Rubik cube? I tried but then I gave up. That was until I found this Rubik cube solver floating around on the net. You enter the configuration of your cube into the solver and it generates the solution….

For those of you who don’t know what a Rubik cube is, look below….

Go to Rubik Cube Solver

Brief History of the Rubik’s Cube

Originally called the Magic Cube by its inventor, it was renamed Rubik’s Cube in 1980 by Michael Egnot and released worldwide in May of that year, winning a Spiel des Jahres special award for Best Puzzle. It is said to be the world’s best-selling toy, with some 250,000,000 Rubik’s Cubes and imitations sold worldwide.

The Magic Cube was invented in 1974 by Ernő Rubik, a Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture with an interest in geometry and the study of three-dimensional forms. Ernő obtained Hungarian patent HU170062 for the Magic Cube in 1975 but did not take out international patents. The first test batches of the product were produced in late 1977 and released to Budapest toy shops.

The progress of the Cube towards the toy shop shelves of the West was then briefly halted so that it could be manufactured to Western safety and packaging specifications. A lighter Cube was produced, and Ideal Toys decided to rename it. “The Gordian Knot” and “Inca Gold” were considered, but the company finally decided on “Rubik’s Cube”, and the first batch was exported from Hungary in May 1980.

Taking advantage of an initial shortage of Cubes, many cheap imitations appeared. In 1984, Ideal lost a patent infringement suit by Larry Nichols for his patent US3655201. Terutoshi Ishigi acquired Japanese patent JP55‒8192 for a nearly identical mechanism while Rubik’s patent was being processed, but Ishigi is generally credited with an independent reinvention.

Read the rest at Wikipedia

Backup Your Entire harddrive with Free Software

If you have ever had to reformat your hard drive you know how painful it is to download all those windows updates, reinstall all your applications, and put your settings back just the way you like them. Next time you format your drive why not create an ISO image of it? That way you can pop in your backup instead of the old windows xp cd and it will load everything back just the way it was.

You can use DriveImage XML (freeware) to back everything up.

DriveImage XML enables you create a complete backup image of any logical drive or partition, allowing to to restore your entire operating system along with installed programs, user settings, registry and all. You can restore the image later to the same or a different drive, and also choose to copy the drive directly to another one. The program includes an image explorer that lets you open previously created backup images and extract individual files. DriveImage XML can use volume locking or Volume Shadow Services (VSS) to create the backup image from within Windows, without the need to reboot. The program stores your images in .dat files, using XML format, allowing you to process them with 3rd party applications.

If you want a guide to using DriveImage go to this tutorial.

How to Save & Store Video From the Internet

One of the easiest ways to capture videos is with KeepVid a download-helper site. It’s completely browser-based, so there’s no software to download. After you’ve found a video you want to save, enter that video’s URL at KeepVid, then select its originating site from a pop-up list. KeepVid works with a wide variety of video sites.

When you enter your video URLs, KeepVid prompts you to change the suffix of the downloaded file (so that instead of Video.htm, you download Video.flv). The only problem with the site is it leaves FLV files in their original format, so downloading alone isn’t enough. To view your file, you’ll need to either download a FLV viewer such as FLV Player, or convert your file into a more usable format.

How to Download & Convert YouTube’s FLV

A good site for saving Youtube’s online video is YouTube Downloader. In this site, you enter the URL of the page with your chosen video and click “Get Download URL.” You’ll then create a URL for the video itself. Click that new link to download the video file. You shouldn’t need to add a FLV suffix, but it’s a possible fix if you have problems. Again, you’ll either need to convert this file or download a FLV viewer to play it.

To Convert FLV use SUPER Video Converter. The program is very simple and easy to use (even though there is a lot on the screen). All you do is select the “profile” which is a preset template of settings to convert a video. If you need help refer to their documentation.

For Firefox Users

For those who use Firefox there is also an extension that automates the process of downloading the file for you. However, it can’t convert it.

Firefox Extension – Video Downloader

Clean Install Windows Vista With Upgrade DVDs

Traditionally, you are required to have a previous installation of Windows before you can upgrade, e.g. have Windows XP on your system before using Windows Vista Upgrade DVDs.
What if you have ALREADY upgraded to Windows Vista but are having system issues that require formating and re-installing Windows? Paul Thurrot proposed this hack that lets you install a Windows Vista Upgrade, without needing to re-install Windows XP first:

1. Boot from the Windows Vista Upgrade DVD and begin the setup program.

2. When prompted to enter your product key, DO NOT enter it. Click “Next” and proceed with setup – this will install Windows Vista as a 30-day trial.

3. When prompted, select the edition of Windows Vista which you have purchased and continue with the setup.

4. Once setup has been completed and you have been brought to the desktop for the first time, run the install program from within Windows Vista.

5. This time, type in your product key when prompted.

6. When asked whether to perform an Upgrade or Custom (advanced) install, choose Custom (advanced) to perform a clean install of Windows Vista.
(Yes! This means that you will have to install Windows Vista for a second time)

7. Once setup has completed for the second time, you should be able to activate Windows Vista normally. You can also delete the Windows.old directory which contains information from the first Windows Vista installation.

This means that all Windows Vista upgrade DVDs can be used as full retail DVDs. However, this is an illegal approach and you are going against Windows Vista’s Eula should you install an upgrade without owning a previous version of Windows as specified by Microsoft.

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