Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2013 October 7

= October 7 =

PPBoard
What is PPBoard? What its history? What its future? --87.109.102.252 (talk) 00:08, 7 October 2013 (UTC)


 * Assuming you mean polypropylene board. You will find information about its history in the article.--Shantavira|feed me 07:23, 7 October 2013 (UTC)

Is Polypropylene a Board? --87.109.5.222 (talk) 11:57, 7 October 2013 (UTC)


 * Clearly it can be since this company sells it. Shantavira is correct ツ Jenova   20  (email) 14:30, 7 October 2013 (UTC)

Cleary, PP Board Sheet is not PPBoard. ppBOARD, pPBoard and PpBoArD are not PPBoard. What is PPBoard? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.109.99.248 (talk) 15:10, 7 October 2013 (UTC)


 * In what context have you heard this term? It's not reasonable to expect reference desk volunteers to guess.  Give us the most information you have, not the least. -- Finlay McWalterჷTalk 15:35, 7 October 2013 (UTC)


 * They could also mean "board" as in forums. PPBoard could be some sort of forum software, but I couldn't find any information on it. -- .Yellow1996. (ЬMИED¡) 23:02, 7 October 2013 (UTC)


 * If the OP is asking about PP (company initials) board (forum) then we need to know the company name to give an answer. Such a question is then predicting the future and speculation - something I don't believe we generally do. Thanks ツ Jenova   20  (email) 14:13, 8 October 2013 (UTC)


 * We could still answer the question of "what is it?", though. -- .Yellow1996. (ЬMИED¡) 22:53, 8 October 2013 (UTC)

Font of Specialisterne
Can someone see at first sight which font is used in the Specialisterne logo? (Is there any way to find out without asking?) --KnightMove (talk) 08:57, 7 October 2013 (UTC)
 * In general you can try Identifont or WhatTheFont, or similar sites. AndrewWTaylor (talk) 10:08, 7 October 2013 (UTC)


 * It looks like the Bliss 2 font. --Mark viking (talk) 13:07, 7 October 2013 (UTC)

Can I publish a game using the trial version of RPG Maker?
So you can download a free version of RPG Maker with all the abilities of the original, except that in 30 days it stops working. Fair enough. What I want to know is: If I happen to finish my game in under 30 days, can I release it as a fully-functioning game for others to play? --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 14:05, 7 October 2013 (UTC)


 * I think your question is close enough to asking for legal advice that we can't really help you out. Have you read through the license agreement or asked the company that produces it? I would expect the answer to be in an FAQ on their site or something. K ati e R  (talk) 14:09, 7 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Oh. Sorry to almost violate Wikipedia policy. I'm willing to close this question relatively unanswered. --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 15:01, 7 October 2013 (UTC)


 * The key words here is "for others to play". If it was for your own use, then there would no doubt be no issue at all. I'd say that there are probably differences on this based on whether you sell it for money, lend it out, etc. You'll have to consult the liscense or better yet contact them directly. -- .Yellow1996. (ЬMИED¡) 23:05, 7 October 2013 (UTC)

Windows 8 touchpad will not let me turn off certain settings
I've reached the settings page for my Windows 8 touchpad. I want to deselect every box visible except for "buttons" (none of these features ever do anything but screw with me while I'm trying to move the mouse around.) Unfortunately the buttons simply refuse to be deselected. Is there some trick to getting the touchpad to turn off these useless features? --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 15:01, 7 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Do you get a message, are they greyed-out, does it ask for an administrator password? Some machines, typically those owned by someone else such as your employer, have policies which prevent you from messing with the settings.  Astronaut (talk) 17:21, 7 October 2013 (UTC)
 * It's my personal computer, they are not greyed out, it looks just like you see (that's my screenshot). I can click them and everything, it just ignores me when I do. I can activate an deactivate all other buttons. However, you inspired me to try editing settings as an administrator, and that solved the problem. Thank you!--Ye Olde Luke (talk) 17:43, 7 October 2013 (UTC)

Dropping an iPhone
Would the screen of an iPhone 5 with a screen protector and back casing (as opposed to a flip cover) survive a drop from ear level? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 116.14.89.207 (talk) 16:34, 7 October 2013 (UTC)
 * I added a question header to separate this new question from the immediately above. Astronaut (talk) 17:15, 7 October 2013 (UTC)
 * This would depend on the hardness of the surface that it lands on, and how it lands.   D b f i r s   17:32, 7 October 2013 (UTC)
 * There's number of youtube videos about this. Dropping it from ear level onto a concrete floor will crack the screen. Dmcq (talk) 22:45, 7 October 2013 (UTC)


 * The worst way to drop any sort of electronics in my experience is on the corner. This usually splits the whole device from the edge and causes the most damage... the screen usually fractures too. Flat on the back would probably be the best way. Many devices nowadays come with (or have versions available with) crack-resistant glass such as "gorilla glass" and similar compounds. -- .Yellow1996. (ЬMИED¡) 23:08, 7 October 2013 (UTC)


 * Duct tape it onto the back of a cat, which will always land on it's feet, providing plenty of padding. StuRat (talk) 01:19, 8 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Ever tried to get a cat into your pocket? You'll have Peta & SPCA etc all over us with this type of answer! And what if a mouse runs nearby? Goodbye iPhone! 220  of  Borg 02:10, 8 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Some mice are pretty laggy... don't know how much trouble they could cause... -- .Yellow1996. (ЬMИED¡) 02:48, 8 October 2013 (UTC)


 * I was asked once to drop some samples of a product from the top of a small wall onto some concrete. I was given a sheet saying various ways I should hold them when dropping them, and then we checked they all worked okay afterwards. I forget what height it was, about a meter I'd guess. I remember hearing a story of some microcomputer being thrown down the stairs to check and fix any problems and make them suitable for use in schools :) Dmcq (talk) 12:12, 8 October 2013 (UTC)


 * The next time I feel the need to chuck my laptop out the nearest window, I shall inform everyone that I was merely performing a drop test. :-) StuRat (talk) 15:27, 8 October 2013 (UTC)
 * That's a down side of tablets, they make rather expensive frisbees. I have been sorely tempted to toss mine from pure frustration!. Had it less than 6 weeks. See my October 10 query below re cursor positioning under Android for details. 220  of  Borg 14:14, 10 October 2013 (UTC)


 * One story was about the Research Machines 380Z computer that fell out of a van and bounced along the road. It was recovered and worked perfectly.  I used to take one apart, pass the boards around the class (explaining what each part did) then reassemble it and show that it still worked.  Mike Fischer (CEO) was pictured standing on top of a 380Z to advertise its robustness.  When he was demonstrating the new LINK 480Z which had a plastic case, I challenged him to stand on top of this like he did with the metal-case 380Z.  To his credit, he did, and he didn't crack the case.   D b f i r s   20:57, 8 October 2013 (UTC)