Random Question Thread: Tech

**TacoTaru** · 2012-07-24 18:12

Is there a way to aggregate streams on twitch or some similar site? Thought it would be fun to have speed run competitions between me and a couple of friends and stream our progress, but I don't know if there's a way to have all the streams going on one page. I mean I know we could each have our own stream going and then just have however many tabs/windows open for each stream, but I didn't know if there was a way to have them all in one easy access window like a Google+ meet up or not.

**Zimman** · 2012-07-25 12:05

Is it possible for a failing power strip (or outlet) to cause a computer to restart?

Long story short, been having issues where my computer will randomly restart, no error. There is really no reasoning as to why its restarting, sometimes 5 minutes after boot, sometimes hours. I have a buddy at GeekSquad who said they'd look at it. They said my harddrive was having some issues, which I was planning on replacing anyways... fine, done. I took the pc back home and basically had the same issue. Took it back, and a week of stress tests and diagnostics they called saying they can't replicate or find the issue.

The only difference I can really think of is where it is plugged in. I would just think that if it was losing the power it would just turn off, and not try to restart (sometimes the restart fails to boot, and I am left with my pc running and a blank screen). Also my cable modem is hooked up to the same strip, and whenever my PC has crashed I watch that to see if it reboots. Not sure if its just a dip in power enough to crash my pc but not the modem or what. Obviously, I will try a new power strip, see how that goes, but does anyone else have any idea? I am completely stumped.

**Niya** · 2012-07-25 12:48

How a PC behaves when it loses power can normally be set in the BIOS. In most cases you have a choice of "previous state", "always on" and "always off".
Could be a "problem" with your power supply, or to be exact, its bridging times. All PSUs can bridge a short amount of time when the voltage drops, in a range of single-digit to several 100 milliseconds. Maybe your PSU has a VERY short bridging time and the supply of your modem can bridge better, that's why your PC crashes/reboots but the modem just stays on.
Only way to try this that i can think of would be to either use a different PSU or to hook your PC up to a UPS.

**Zimman** · 2012-07-25 14:35

Is there any why to check what the bridge time is set to? I am guessing the PSU in my PC is fine if they could not get the same issue at geek squad. The only variable between their place and my house that I can think of is power and I guess my monitor. I know my ventilation at home is fine.

Thanks for the response, glad to know my PC rebooting could be due to power issues... gives me some direction to look in still instead of none.

**hey** · 2012-07-25 15:21

Originally Posted by Zimman

Is there any why to check what the bridge time is set to?

It's not "set" to anything, it's just what it is capable of. The only way to tell would be to measure it, but even if you could do so, it would not really be useful to know. Just try a different outlet, or a psu, and see if that fixes it.

**Niya** · 2012-07-25 16:33

Those bridging times depend on capacitors and other parts inside the PSU that can "buffer" the voltage so it stays constant on the internal rails. Measuring them with enough precision would require hardware that is far above what a normal person can afford.
Maybe ask your buddy if he can lend you a PSU for a few days and see if it keeps rebooting. Or just buy a UPS, models with ~5min of battery time are quite cheap and more than enough to even out voltage drops.

**Caiyuo** · 2012-07-25 17:18

^ that's what I use, cheap short-period PSU that's just enough for an occasional brown-out or problem.

**TheDangerousDave** · 2012-07-26 08:14

Need to ask a couple of questions in hopes someone knows the answer.
If one were to design a tablet PC with an SSD in, and a dock for it which had a mobo/cpu/gpu/ram etc in, would there be any way to dual boot from the same SSD but using the specs of the dock instead of the tablets specs and the tablet specs when not docked? If there was USB out (slow I know) or Thunderbolt on the mobo linked into the SSD on the tablet it could be configured in the bios to boot from that port right?

Also whether or not the display from the tablet could then somehow be fed back into the tablet? Maybe using Thunderbolt and having a switch on the tablet that switches between displaying from it's own GPU and an external source? Thinking about this for laptops with external GPU also, I'm sure a laptop could be designed this way.

**Zimman** · 2012-07-26 08:36

Thanks for the help. Hoping to have some time this weekend to see how its working. One last thing, if its necessary. Not really sure what I am looking for with a UPS, would this be sufficient
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16842101349

I assume something like this one would be overkill
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16842102070

**Nitsuki** · 2012-07-26 11:15

I've had another problem that's been bugging me for a very long time (has to be spyware, that's my suspicion):

Ever since I moved out, and got comcast as my ISP, every time i browse say facebook, or twitter, i can browse it normally for a good while. A bit later on, after surfing other sites, I go back to fb or twitter and i always get an invalid URL and i have to restart my pc, or even restart my modem/router to get the sites working again. Pretty much pisses me off everytime this happens and i am at the point where i am ignoring it. I ran a full scan w/ MSE, and it doesn't find anything at all. I'm suspecting it's some weird spyware that i've picked up and can't be detected.

Odd things are, yes this started since the day i got comcast right when i moved out, i have been using chrome for years before i moved out, my old provider was AT&T dsl and never had that issue ever. Also i refuse to get the anti-virus that comcast provides.

**Eleven19** · 2012-07-26 13:34

Figure this is a decent place to ask about this.

So, those new sound bar thingys...

As an alternative to setting up a proper 5.1 surround sound system with a big multi-input expensive ass head unit, I noticed these new sound bar accessories being sold now. I know nothing about them, and I was wondering if the ones with build-in subwoofers would be a good candidate. I have no idea how they actually sound, but they're cheap (In some cases 78-100 dollars) and they're.. well, a single bar. No running wires through the ceiling, and 5.1 sound systems can cost up to like 500 bucks for something decent.. and sometimes that's just for the main head unit.

Any of you guys have experience with these things? If I get one, I'll probably be back here asking about the best way to run my sound inputs. Got a switchbox for game systems, can just run one single audio R/W set for those like.. 4 systems. PS3 can do digital audio output.. Yeah. Tips? Suggestions? "Don't buy that shits"?

**Purrrfect** · 2012-07-27 15:37

They are a hell of a lot better than built in tv speakers. Mine works well being in an apartment and such. Not very surround-y but it sounds ok and the sub is usually decent. I got a sony one since my tv is sony and they tie in together "fairly" well. They act like the remotes can control the other devices, and they can but its pretty half-assed control it seems. Fortunately I don't really have to change anything on the sound bar and it auto goes into standby when the tv is turned off.

**RKenshin** · 2012-07-28 15:26

Looking for software that will rip sound from video files, but without retaining the huge size of the video file.

I've always used this:
http://dvdvideosoft.com/products/dvd...-Converter.htm

But the problem is that while it does rip the sound perfectly well, the file size stays exactly the same. I didn't find it to be a big deal at first, but it's starting to add up now that I have a whole bunch of 10-30MB song files.

Is there any way around this? Or different software?

**Caiyuo** · 2012-07-28 15:27

Uhh, I think I know a thing, let me test a little youtube video to see if it works.

e: Okay yeah, Freemake Video Converter worked. Took a 4MB video, converted and got a 1MB mp3. Really handy program in general.

**RKenshin** · 2012-07-28 15:38

Figures, I spend hours on multiple different days trying to find a solution and as soon as I post I do another search and find a program that works.

Seems like this does exactly what I was looking for:
http://www.pazera-software.com/produ...dio-extractor/

Anyone use it before? Or have anything they'd recommend over it? Seems good so far.

**Caiyuo** · 2012-07-28 16:24

Seems to be the top or most common pick from looking around, here's a list of others if it doesn't pan out, though: http://www.guidingtech.com/5729/13-f...io-from-video/

**hey** · 2012-07-28 17:34

I just use mp4box or mkv extract.

**Fereydoon** · 2012-07-28 18:15

Is there a way to shrink a fraps AVI as it's recording? They record huge like xbax and the usual solution is to compress them after. But there are certain things I'd want to record that I'd run out of drive space during. Any solutions?

**hey** · 2012-07-28 18:20

If your cpu and hdd can handle it, you could transcode each segment to something else, while still recording more, but otherwise no.

I believe dxtory allows you to use less retarded codecs though.

**Yugl** · 2012-07-29 17:52

Any recommendations on an external wireless-n wifi adapter?

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