Internet | GuitarToyBox - A guitarist's point of view

IE7 and Flash Problems

Posted by Chris 28 Mar, 2007 Comments

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I'm seeing this more and more everywhere I go. You know how IE7 keeps asking you to click on the flash module before it will run? and that's if you're lucky. Most times you get a blank block where your flash should go. Well there is a solution. It involves Java Script and a small script file.

The whole thing has arisen due to a patent dispute:

"Click to activate and use this control"

As of April 11, 2006 (assuming all relevant patches from Microsoft have been applied), any file embedded using the default object/embed code and viewed in Microsoft Internet Explorer will prompt users to "click to activate and use this control", before it will run. This is due to a patent dispute between the University of California, Eolas, and Microsoft[11] that has concluded by finding against Microsoft and awarding damages of $521 million against the company.[12]

In an interview with Jobro, Eolas founder Michael Doyle said, "We have from the beginning had a general policy of providing non-commercial users royalty-free licenses � the open-source community shouldn't have anything to fear from us",[13] so most other browsers should not be forced to follow suit.

The dispute was over the whole concept of embedded, interactive ActiveX controls in IE, using the object and similar HTML elements, which Michael Doyle patented for UC in 1993, then licensed exclusively to a company he founded (Eolas) in 1994.[14] There are potential workarounds for IE users, but implementing them will mean code alterations to countless web pages that currently make use of Flash and other embedded ActiveX applications.

The workaround for this issue essentially involves using external JavaScript to place the necessary html tags and .swf file into a web document, rather than placing them inline. Adobe has posted instructions for implementing this workaround. U.S. Patent Office reaffirms University�s Web-browser technology patent. A simple and widely used workaround is SWFObject. Macromedia/Adobe also modified how Dreamweaver 8.0.2 embeds SWF files to eliminate the need to "activate" the movie.

Well there is a solution. It involves Java Script and a small script file. I got this from the Macromedia site but I can't find it anymore. They have since updated their software to automatically do this fix but for those of us that don't use it, this is very handy. Basically put a small .js script in your root folder called AC_RunActiveContent.js . You can download it hereAC_RunActiveContent.js.

You then wrap your flash in a nocode tag and put this before the first nocode tag.

Before nocode tag.txt

Obviously you change the parameter values being passed to match your file. i don't know why this works, and I won't pretend that i do. But it does. Hopefully this will help some people out because just tonight I have come across this issue on three different message boards.

Finger Drums, tappy tappy tappy

Posted by Chris 18 Mar, 2007 Comments

Finger Drums

I admit that I am one of those annoying people that air drum and tap drum (especially when I'm driving - ooops). I believe this would drive people around me mad. A mouse pad with built in drum sounds. Oh no, people are gonna hate me. I'd love to see this with MIDI. Now that would be a laugh.

It must be said that the site this is from has some other great gadgets too.

Calvin and Hobbes - The Truth

Posted by Chris 3 Mar, 2007 Comments

Year Zero : Massive Nine Inch Nails concept unleashed

Posted by Chris 18 Feb, 2007 Comments

I am a huge Nine Inch Nails fan, and have been since Pretty Hate Machine, so the news of a new album blew me away. But moreso is the fact that is much more than just a new album... a whole concept is in place involving merchendise, web, music, planned "leaks" and other cool stuff. The album is set in a future world where the appears to be drugged by the government.

http://www.ninwiki.com/

There is a lot going on regarding the events surrounding Year Zero and the current future world, where Year Zero takes place. This is to inform new and old users alike of everything going on. According to Trent, Year Zero takes place about 15 years in the future, which would be 2022. There is also a Year Zero Timeline being compiled.

A series of highlighted letters have been found on a Nine Inch Nails tour shirt which spell out the words "I am trying to believe," leading users to iamtryingtobelieve.com. This site details numerous things going on in this time line, such as the Parepin drug and The Presence. Using the track list to the album, people discovered numerous related websites.

The first of these additional websites, anotherversionofthetruth.com, displays what looks to be a propaganda poster. Clicking and dragging portions of the image reveals it "tears away" into a much more negative image, linking to a message board in which users have been discussing various aspects of society, including handing out links to various audio files and links to other related websites.

More websites have popped up through context, giving more information as to what is happening in the universe and specifying more details, opening up more puzzles, and inspiring the community to dig deeper to explore more of this world.

On February 14th, 2007, "My Violent Heart", track eight of Year Zero, was "leaked" to the Internet. On February 15th, the first single, Survivalism, was played on KROQ radio and then other radio stations throughout the day, marking its official air date, over a week ahead of schedule. A full-quality rip soon ended up on the Internet.

The Year Zero Research Page is being constantly updated to track recent developments, theories, and essentially organize the Year Zero events into a cohesive storyline.

I love this bit though... one of the key ideas of the concept is a thing called "The Presence" which appears to be a hand reaching down from the clouds (aliens, mass hysteria.... we don't know yet)

, and images of it show up in the related websites and IN THE MUSIC - literally. One of the leaked tracks had a static signal at the end and when the static was run through an oscilloscope it made an image

I am amazed at how well thought out this entire concept it. It doesn't feel like you typical viral marketing, but more of just an extension of the album's concept.