Can anybody recommend a good nonfiction book to read about Jack the Ripper? I am not sure what book is considered to have better scholarship of so many books out there and am not remotely a "Ripperologist" (yet). Like the Zodiac killer, many folks have their own pet theories and the Ripper books are plentiful on Amazon. Any info on where to start to read about ol' Saucy Jack would be appreciated. (Feel free to name more than one title if you want.)_
posted by snap_dragon on Sep 22, 2009 - 22 answers

What USB serial port works on (32-bit) Windows 7? [more inside]
posted by 0xFCAF on Sep 8, 2009 - 6 answers

Looking for a (cheap) portable, parallel printer that prints in A4 size. [more inside]
posted by saxamo on Sep 6, 2009 - 3 answers

I'm wondering how to find information regarding a serial killer case that happened about 40 years ago... [more inside]
posted by faintly macabre on Jun 21, 2009 - 5 answers

Photoshop batching produces files suffixed with an increasing amount of zeroes. [more inside]
posted by Submiqent on Mar 11, 2009 - 9 answers

In the early 80s, HBO aired a short TV series called "Whodunit?" and one of the 20 minute segments was about the Zodiac killer. It was done in an interesting fashion with a Monty Python-esque cutout design style..It was quite creepy. I cannot find this anywhere nor mentioned anywhere online. Does anybody have any information where I might find this? Or even information? I am just short of calling HBO. It is a segment that has haunted me since I watched it as a child and I kinda want to watch it again. If it matters they also did bits on Lizzie Borden and Richard Speck.
posted by snap_dragon on Feb 23, 2009 - 17 answers

I am looking to buy ~10 laptops for a school project. The laptops need to be small (<1> must have a serial connection. Other preferred specs: 1 gb ram 802.11 b/g No webcam Windows operating system I have had a difficult time finding modern laptops with serial connections. Any ideas? I have considered buying a 'netbook' and using a usb to serial adapter but have read that these adapters can be unreliable. I would appreciate any thoughts on that as well.
posted by jdlugo on Jan 8, 2009 - 11 answers

A while back I had a job as a radio archivist and I dubbed a few episodes of a very trippy British serial that I believe originally aired on the BBC during the late '70s or early '80s. It involved some sort of quest for knowledge, had Buddhist (or at least eastern spiritual) overtones and was often accompanied by psychedelic background music. Anyone have any idea what the name of this series might have been?
posted by The Card Cheat on Jan 3, 2009 - 8 answers

With very few exceptions I have never really liked anime. Recently I watched Death Note on hulu and got a huge kick out of it. I'd like to watch some more anime that isn't about people who are awesome at fighting fighting other people who are awesome at fighting and is generally suspenseful and tightly serialized. [more inside]
posted by I Foody on Oct 27, 2008 - 48 answers

What was/is Charles Manson's favorite ice cream? [more inside]
posted by samsarah on Mar 1, 2008 - 12 answers

I am trying to find a SciFi book that I read the first couple of chapters of. It involved two companies racing to come up with some kind of genetic cure and in the process creating a monster or something. [more inside]
posted by rbs on Feb 23, 2008 - 6 answers

How are serial television dramas, like "Deadwood," written? [more inside]
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! on Jan 31, 2008 - 15 answers

Can you help me figure out what model of Ford Pick-up truck these parts can fit? (links to large pictures of parts and serial numbers inside) [more inside]
posted by ShawnStruck on Jan 3, 2008 - 5 answers

How can I build a custom USB button? [more inside]
posted by pissfactory on Apr 9, 2007 - 11 answers

Does anyone still make laptops with serial (RS232) ports? [more inside]
posted by Symeon on Mar 15, 2007 - 15 answers

Wanted: a book of a learn-to-read cartoon of sorts, likely serialized in a (Chicago?) newspaper, c. 1950-1970. [more inside]
posted by kmennie on Feb 22, 2007 - 2 answers

Can I use any Mbox device (compatible with this program of course) to run Pro Tools LE 6.0? Must you buy the Mbox and software together for proper use? [more inside]
posted by Jenna Roadman on Jan 26, 2007 - 7 answers

Is there a way to switch the display on my Mac G4 to an external projector? [more inside]
posted by 53B3L1U5 on Nov 27, 2006 - 2 answers

Converting an ISA card to something usable in a modern system? [more inside]
posted by voidcontext on Sep 21, 2006 - 8 answers

What to do about a serial port failure? [more inside]
posted by cbrody on Sep 18, 2006 - 8 answers

Was there an important technological breakthrough leading to recent widespread use of serial communications over parallel? E.g., USB as opposed to parallel port; SATA over ATA. [more inside]
posted by exogenous on Aug 23, 2006 - 8 answers

Since the dawn of recorded time, you can use a certain easy to remember serial number¹ to install any Autodesk product. This number is widely known and used by the "try before you buy" crowd². Why would this be so? Any conjectures on why Autodesk hasn't plugged this hole? ¹I won't post the actual #, lets say it starts with a multiple of 100 and then has a bunch of digits in sequence. ²Or so my friends tell me.
posted by skree on Apr 2, 2006 - 10 answers

"There's a 9 pin serial mouse cable. I have orange, blue, green and white wires. Which is ground?"
posted by nthdegx on Jun 8, 2005 - 10 answers

Getting an old Palmpilot to talk to a newish Mac [more inside] [more inside]
posted by adamrice on Jan 5, 2005 - 5 answers

My mother-in-law has lent me a big Wacom tablet (UD-1212). Unfortunately, it's a little old, and I may not be able to get it to work without some AskMe help. [MI] [more inside]
posted by Plutor on Dec 20, 2004 - 3 answers