Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with serial

Jack the Ripper: A Starting Point?

snap_dragon — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:20:43 -0800

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.)_

Do you have a USB serial port that works on Windows 7?

0xFCAF — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 22:33:14 -0800

What USB serial port works on (32-bit) Windows 7? My motherboard doesn't have a back-panel serial port, but I have a serial device I need to use. I had a no-name (literally zero brand markings on it) USB serial port from Fry's, but it didn't come with any drivers and Win7 doesn't automatically figure it out like XP did. Do you have one of these and have it working in Windows 7?

Alternatively, if you know where I can get a serial port bracket for an ASUS M3A78-EM, that'd do the job as well. Cursory research shows there are two different pin-outs and I haven't been able to figure out a) which this motherboard uses and b) what any given one for sale uses. The manual unhelpfully just says it's "sold separately".

An old school portable printer

saxamo — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:45:59 -0800

Looking for a (cheap) portable, parallel printer that prints in A4 size. I have a portable device, which I need a printer for. The printer must have a parallel (DB-25) port. I need the printer to be as small as possible, so I can take it with me to different places. But be able to do basic A4 printouts (just text). I found a small printer but the cartridges were like $60 each!.

So basically. I want a cheap tiny printer, which does basic A4 prints out. Which uses cheap ink cartridges.

I don’t know much about printers. So any help would be grateful!

Need information on local-ish serial killer!

faintly macabre — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:21:16 -0800

I'm wondering how to find information regarding a serial killer case that happened about 40 years ago... Hi, my first post! I'm trying to find out information regarding a serial killer in my metro area named Ivy Tindell from Adrian, Michigan. Apparently he murdered numerous people and buried them under the floor boards, and all over the property. Everyone here knows the story, but I need solid information, not heresay.

I've tried googling, and cannot find any information. I believe the murders happened around the 1970s-1980s. The word is that the attention from the case would have been detrimental to the economy around the area, so I guess there wasn't a lot of media coverage. (That could be complete bullshit.)

Any help or leads in the right direction would be great!

How to run a good batch in photoshop?

Submiqent — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:24:27 -0800

Photoshop batching produces files suffixed with an increasing amount of zeroes. With the settings DocName + 2 Digit Serial + Extension and starting number of 0 or 00 or blank, it always produces:

MyFile00.jpg
MyFile0000.jpg
MyFile000000.jpg
ect

Instead of:

MyFile00.jpg
MyFile01.jpg
MyFile02.jpg
ect

I have no idea what to do at this point, I can't get it to do what you'd think it would. I keep remaking my Actions to no avail.

Photoshop CS3 - Vista - Lots of RAM

Zodiac killer documentary -- lost to History?

snap_dragon — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:03:31 -0800

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.

Laptop with serial connection. Suggestions?

jdlugo — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:03:10 -0800

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.

What was the name of this British radio series?

The Card Cheat — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 12:28:03 -0800

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?

Request for Suspenseful Anime

I Foody — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:32:55 -0800

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. I have also have penchant for works of art with convoluted stories, bizarre premises, and strange narrative conceits. So Death Note, despite some pretty serious flaws, was almost exactly up my alley. Any recommendations?

I don't believe you're leaving cause me and Charles Manson like the same ice cream

samsarah — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:26:02 -0800

What was/is Charles Manson's favorite ice cream? The lyrics of the Tori Amos song "Tear in Your Hand" suggest that this is somewhat common knowledge, yet google has failed me. What is Charles Manson's favorite ice cream flavor?

Some kind of monster (book)

rbs — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 18:39:20 -0800

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. If I recall, it was linked to either here or on boingboing (I asked Doctorow and he has no memory of it). Anyway, it was originally released a chapter at a time and people tipped the author and he kept writing and it was available on Amazon.

What was it?

How do they make them shows on the teevee?

M.C. Lo-Carb! — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:39:10 -0800

How are serial television dramas, like "Deadwood," written? I'd like to know about the mechanics behind television shows that run for several seasons, and have involving, complicated plots and complex characters. The kinds you kind of have to watch from the beginning to really enjoy or understand what is going on. Other examples I'm thinking of would be "The Sopranos," "Weeds," "The Wire," etc.

Are entire seasons, or even entire series outlined in the very beginning so writers know what each character's arc will be? Does a team of writers write each episode, or is it one writer per episode? In a show like "Deadwood," for instance, how is the stilted, inferring language kept consistent from episode to episode if there are different writers?

Blogs or "HowStuffWorks"-style articles or other references would be great. I've read Jane Espensen's blog.

What to these take-off parts fit?

ShawnStruck — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:47:13 -0800

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) Set of front shocks, serial number close-up)and a wide view

coil spring, wide view and best quality

Here's a front spindle and a close up of the serial number

Some rear shocks, wide view, and a close up of the serial number here.

So, anyone have any idea how I'd find out where these go to?

building a USB button

pissfactory — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:51:51 -0800

How can I build a custom USB button? Like this, but a single button and I'd like to tie it to a specific activity (printing from an application, specifically something cutom written using processing) . I can't seem to find info on how to build a single button online.

Alternatively, ideas on how to rig up something that looks like a button that presses a keyboard button and springs back. I know how to deal with keyboard input.

This is for an art project- a machine that given the press of a button gives out very unwelcome advice.

Thanks.

Do they still make notebooks with DB-9 serial ports?

Symeon — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:22:07 -0800

Does anyone still make laptops with serial (RS232) ports? I'm in the market for a new laptop. I have one major requirement: an actual, physical db-9 serial port.

I'm afraid a docking station isn't an option. I need a built-in port for mobile use.

From previous experience, I'm leery of usb->serial converters. That might be my only option, but I'd much rather have a "real" serial port.

Learn-to-read serial in Chicago paper. I think.

kmennie — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 13:45:38 -0800

Wanted: a book of a learn-to-read cartoon of sorts, likely serialized in a (Chicago?) newspaper, c. 1950-1970. Stuff I can remember:

-- two fairies, one inexplicably named 'AE.' Dialogue: "AE, I O U a kiss!"

-- my (mid-70s vintage?) copy of this less-than-outstanding work was a fairly large book, wider than it was tall

An educational classic it was not, but I'd still like to get my hands on a copy. All my mother remembered was "I think it was out of a Chicago paper; it'd been a serial."

I realise this is very little to go on...

Must Pro Tools Software be purchased with Mbox?

Jenna Roadman — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 13:18:59 -0800

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? With many music programs these days, there's a tangible device needed to run the program, such as Pro Tools LE 6.0 requires the Mbox device to run at all. I have the program but no Mbox. I'm about to buy one, but wonder if perhaps the serial number from the program must match the device? Please help. I have to learn Pro Tools in the a month! he he.

How to display my Mac .ppt on a PC-friendly projector?

53B3L1U5 — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 16:42:12 -0800

Is there a way to switch the display on my Mac G4 to an external projector? I have an A/V port adapter that plugs into a serial port on a video projector that I often use. Unfortunately once everything is plugged in, the video won't be displayed out the projector.
On PCs I understand there's a display output option (where you can swap between "computer screen" and "external device") under the control panels, but I don't think I've found an appropriate equivalent on my comp.
What's frustrating is that a colleague's Mac works (though his was bought in Taiwan, mine in the US)

ISA to PCI or Serial Converter?

voidcontext — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 07:16:31 -0800

Converting an ISA card to something usable in a modern system? I've got a few ISA cards that I'd like to put into newer servers. Right now they are in older Pentium-class boxes running Windows 98. The original manufacturer is willing to take the cards and put them into an external enclosure with a serial interface for a total in the thousands of dollars.

There is no alternative source for these cards, it's a very niche sort of product. It's possible to order new ones, but they are actually the exact same cards as the ones I've already got, and just come in external enclosures from the get go.

I am hoping that it's something I can do myself. I have looked around for a converter or enclosure, but with little luck. I know there are still remnants of the ISA subsystem in modern computers to run things like the floppy drive and serial ports, which what I'm hoping to tap in to. Is this possible? Or is the external enclosure a custom made thing this company came up with?

I did find a similiar question, but the solution in that thread was to replace the ISA SCSI card with a PCI SCSI card, and that's not an option in this case.

Serial port died

cbrody — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 01:44:24 -0800

What to do about a serial port failure? I use a serial port to synchronise my ancient Palm Vx with an almost as ancient Compaq Prosignia PC. The serial port has stopped working since I recently moved house. As I know very little about electronics, I see little point in opening up the PC and trying to rectify what might be, for example, a loose connection or faulty resistor.

I figure my options are either to install a PCI serial port controller or replace the entire motherboard / processor etc. (which it's high time I did anyway as the PC is a struggling PIII). What would you do?

Serial better than parallel?

exogenous — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:13:50 -0800

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. I'm somewhat aware of the timing synchonicity problem with parallel communications. Is there anything more to it?

Why the same serial number, Autodesk?

skree — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 08:03:17 -0800

Since the dawn of recorded time, you can use a certain easy to remember serial number¹to 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.

9 pin serial mouse question

nthdegx — Wed, 08 Jun 2005 14:16:02 -0800

"There's a 9 pin serial mouse cable. I have orange, blue, green and white wires. Which is ground?"

Palmpilot to Mac

adamrice — Wed, 05 Jan 2005 21:11:08 -0800

Getting an old Palmpilot to talk to a newish Mac [more inside] Here's the situation: My wife has finally made the switch from OS 9 to OS X. She has an old Palmpilot IIIe, which talks to her machine via a serial cradle, which goes through a Keyspan serial/USB adapter.

This setup was working OK under OS 9. On OS X, I've installed the Keyspan driver, installed the current Palm Desktop software, configured the Hot Sync software, and sacrificed a virgin. When I hit the Sync button on the cradle (which is apparently what I'm supposed to do) the Palm chugs away for quite a while and eventually complains "the connection between your palm and the desktop could not be established."

I've Googled up other people who have had the same problem, but no solutions. Thanks in advance.

Help me get this Wacom tablet to work

Plutor — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 04:04:50 -0800

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] The tablet itself has a male DB9 interface on it. With the tablet came a cable that plugs into the tablet and has a male DIN-8 on the other side. Yeah, you heard me, old-style Apple Serial. There's also an AC/DC power adaptor that plugs into the cable in a weird way, which leads me to believe that the plug on the tablet isn't plain-old DB9.

Ideally, I'd like to get this tablet working with my PC, but I'd also be satisfied if I could get it working on a friend's G4 Powerbook. OSX doesn't natively support serial tablets (although there is TabletMagic), but there aren't any DIN-8 connectors on the G4 Powerbook anyhow. DIN-8 to USB converters cost upwards of $100, and even then, can I be sure TabletMagic will work with it?

According to the box, this cable set is the "Apple Interface Kit", and there apparently was a "PC Interface Kit" at some point. But I haven't been able to find it anywhere. If anyone can find me any information, like a pinout diagram for the Wacom UD-1212 tablet (my brother's a pretty good EE), or somewhere I could buy a PC Interface Kit or something like that, I would be grateful.