Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2010 May 19

= May 19 =

something about transfer sms to pc
[removed--this was an advertisement. old edit -Amordea (talk) 05:33, 19 May 2010 (UTC)]
 * Do we get much advertising here? Chevymontecarlo . 05:40, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

SyncToy download
SyncToy from microsoft is available in two variants, SyncToySetupPackage_v21_x64.exe and SyncToySetupPackage_v21_x86.exe. I run XP on a bland PC. How do I work out which I need? -- SGBailey (talk) 08:15, 19 May 2010 (UTC)
 * What is a "bland PC"? Most likely you are running the 32-bit version of XP, and then you should choose the second option. You can check which version of Windows XP you are running either by starting (Win+R) winver or by pressing Win+Pause. 32-bit Windows XP: second link; 64-bit Windows XP: first link. --Andreas Rejbrand (talk) 08:18, 19 May 2010 (UTC)
 * If it doesn't say 32-bit or 64-bit, is it right to assume that it is from before 64-bit existed and is therefore 32-bit? -- SGBailey (talk) 10:02, 19 May 2010 (UTC)
 * I think that only very few users are running a 64-bit version of XP, so most likely you are running the 32-bit version. (But indeed there is a 64-bit version of XP.) --Andreas Rejbrand (talk) 10:16, 19 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Andrews Rejbrand is correct; you are most likely running 32-bit Windows XP. For future reference, if you ever see anything saying "x86", then these days, this usually means to say "for use with 32-bit operating systems", whereas "x64" means "for use with 64-bit operating systems".  Comet Tuttle (talk) 16:39, 19 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Thanks -- SGBailey (talk) 16:02, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

Electronics
how to analyse typical transister circuits.... for example:multi vibrators,lics etc11:48, 19 May 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kodali siva kiran (talk • contribs)


 * The starting point, conceptually, is often to write out Kirchoff's current law and Kirchoff's voltage law. Determine the bias point of the transistors to determine their transistor operating mode (i.e., which equation is most appropriate to approximate their behavior).  Finally, solve the small signal model analytically or numerically, often by using a SPICE tool.  If you are solving for bipolar junction transistors, a different set of bias-point equations and operating-mode equations apply, but the procedure is generally the same.  Nimur (talk) 12:17, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

Fonts and their symbolism
I am looking for information on the connotations of different fonts. For example, Times New Roman is seen as boring, Comic Sans MS is seen as relaxed and Courier is associated with screenplays. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.189.216.184 (talk) 13:57, 19 May 2010 (UTC)
 * First a warning, if you're interested in the modern popular associations of typefaces, Comic Sans is widely reviled; the fact that it's common makes it frequently misused . According to my handy copy of The Non-Designer's Type Book, Oldstyle faces (like Times New Roman, Garamond) are "warm", "graceful", and "invisible" (i.e. normal), Modern faces (like Didot) have "sparkle" and "elegance", but aren't very readable (they are also old-fashioned looking), slab serif faces (Clarendon, New Century Schoolbook) are "regimented" and "strong", and sans serif faces (Helvetica, Futura) are simple and somewhat more modern.  And, as someone who programs, it would be remiss of me to mention that fixed width typefaces like Courier (though Courier is not a good example; it's hard to read) are associated with computer programming.
 * Wikipedia's article VOX-ATypI classification goes into lots of delicious detail for various subcategories (in particular, there are lots of different sans serif families I just lumped together). Also see Serif and Sans-Serif.  Paul (Stansifer) 15:15, 19 May 2010 (UTC)


 * It's hard to really systematically discuss cultural connotations of a typeface, because so much of it is not what they look like in an objective way, but how they have been used. Anyway, you might be interested in the film Helvetica, which is a nice discussions of how designers and people think about typefaces (using Helvetica as its main focus, but with somewhat wider conclusions). It's of note that much of this is contextual. Since 2008, Gotham is the Obama font, for example, whereas before it would have had more neutral connotations. --Mr.98 (talk) 15:31, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

Thanks! Which fonts look really old (that I would use them in an article about history)? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.189.216.184 (talk) 15:52, 19 May 2010 (UTC)


 * I've found OldStyle to work well. But obviously it depends on what you mean by "really old". In some contexts PlayBill would make more sense. Anyway, I'm not sure we can do your graphic design for you on here... --Mr.98 (talk) 16:24, 19 May 2010 (UTC)


 * If you want something that looks really old, try either Perpetua or Bembo. Bembo supposedly dates back to the late 1400s, but the version used today is more modern. The U.S. Declaration of Independence was set in Caslon. That typeface dates back to the early 1700s. Times New Roman was introduced in the 1900s. It provides a trade-off between compactness and legibility. I never use Times since I don't care how much space my writing takes up on a page.


 * In general, Serif faces are more formal, elegant, and readable. Sans-serif faces are more informal. Sans-serif faces are often used for headlines, titles, etc. Serif faces are used for body text in print for legibility. You can also use a serif font for headlines, if you're going for a formal, elegant look. On the web, sans-serif is often used for body text, as well, since sans-serif faces are more readable on monitors.--Best Dog Ever (talk) 17:11, 19 May 2010 (UTC)


 * I have to agree that Helvetica_(film) is a wonderful introduction to fonts, if that's your sort of thing. Great watch, just don't bother trying to watch it when you're sleepy. --Jmeden2000 (talk) 17:14, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

Thanks a lot! Last question, is there any font associated with geography, environmentalism, Earth, etc.? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.189.216.23 (talk) 10:42, 20 May 2010 (UTC)


 * Possibly Papyrus. I often see it, or something similar to it, used in museums for exhibits dealing with American Indians or, obviously, Egyptians.  Dismas |(talk) 05:28, 21 May 2010 (UTC)

php ssl cipher suite
I have an environment in which there is a Java application listening on an SSLServerSocket with all supported cipher suites enabled. I need to have a PHP script send a message to the Java application's SSL port. When I do so, the Java side claims there are no cipher suites in common and the PHP script dies. I am using PHP's fsockopen with an ssl:// address to the Java application. How can I make the PHP script properly make an SSL connection to the Java port and send a text message? Keep in mind that none of this is web-based. It is all non-web applications. That is why I'm not wrapping the PHP script in cURL to do SSL web requests. -- k a i n a w &trade; 16:27, 19 May 2010 (UTC)


 * On the Java side, can you call getSupportedCipherSuites and getEnabledCipherSuites to verify that the server is properly supporting an SSL socket with valid ciphers? Have you properly ensured that the Java SSL socket is initialized as a "server" and the PHP socket is a "client" so that the TLS / SSL handshake can proceed deterministically?  Have you been able to connect to the SSL server socket using other SSL sockets (e.g. Java clients)?  Java's SSLSocket doc is the first place I'd check; I'm leaning towards trouble on the server end, rather than the PHP client end... but it's hard to know for sure just from the information you've provided so far.  Depending on how you create/initialize the SSL server socket, you may have to manually specify what cipher protocols you want to allow (setEnabledCipherSuites).  You can probably "cheat" by enabling everything that is supported: setEnabledCipherSuites( getSupportedCipherSuites )  but be aware that this enables a spectrum of weak- to strong- ciphers.   Watch out also for enabled/supported protocols on the server end. Nimur (talk) 21:35, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

about information system
what is personal information system,describe the role of it.what is system flow chart —Preceding unsigned comment added by 180.215.35.183 (talk) 18:04, 19 May 2010 (UTC)


 * You should be more clear what you mean by "personal information system" when you do re-ask the question. Do you mean something like a PDA device, or do you mean some sort of information organizing process?  Comet Tuttle (talk) 18:41, 19 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Probably an information system. Vimescarrot (talk) 19:09, 19 May 2010 (UTC)