Solved : Keyboard media keys (next, pause) stop working with Spotify

For the past week or so I've had this really annoying problem.  Randomly the media keys on my Toshiba laptop would stop working, so I could only switch songs if I stopped what I was doing, went back to spotify, then moved the mouse and clicked the next button like some kind of cave man.

I Google'd it several times and the fixes would work, but not for very long before they problem started again.  I tried drivers and all kinds of stuff.  Made sure my Chrome didn't have a Google Music extension (common cause of this bug).

I solved this problem by closing iTunes.  After that my media keys work perfectly again.  While iTunes was open it was trying to retake control of the media keys like some kind of nazi every few seconds.  Which is why the fixes worked, but not for long.

So if your media keys don't work in spotify close whatever over music player shit you have open, yo.

Samsung SGH-T399 KitKat ROM

Floating around the XDA forum is a Kitkat rom / guide.  I was able to get the phone up and running but kept getting the error "no sim" or something like that.  After I installed the modem from this post it worked fine.

directions and downloads for update sgh-t399 to kitkat

http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/development/rom-lightwave-v1-t2825253/post56059019#post56059019

zip for modem

http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/help/qa-lightwave-v3-t2904537/page3

in short, follow all the steps at the first url - then before rebooting install the zip from inside twrp (etc).

Netflix screen tearing Win7 solution

Recently I started getting a lot of screen tearing in Netflix, especially when full screen.  This only started happening recently and Google wasn't much help. 

The fix for me was to go to

System properties > performance settings > adjust for best performance

Something about Windows Aero being enabled let's Windows process video better.

Win8 error "itunes has stopped working"

Recently itunes started crashing in Windows 8 64 bit with the generic error "itunes has stopped working" and then something about Windows trying to find a solution.  Of all the fixes I found online only one worked, installing an older version of itunes.  But first I made sure to uninstall the present itunes and then made sure the actual program files\itunes folder was fully removed.  Good luck!

iTunes won't open : solved ?

Started after upgrading to 11.4.  Downgrading to 11.3 didn't help, nor did making a new Windows user.  Symptom is click icon and nothing happens, usually can't kill process.  Re-installing quicktime seemed to work for 1 day.  Strangely, this works for me.

Open itunes, let it hang like normal.

Open a chat program called Digsby, must trigger some kind of library.  Now a blank white itunes window opens and I can't get to my desktop.

Open taskmanager and kill itunes related process (ituneshelper, ipod stuff, distnote, etc).

After that itunes opened almost right away and seems to be "ok"

I really don't get some web design people

"yes, lets use a white background, and for the font color...hmm...perhaps a light gray? 12 pt font? perfect."

Sideload Wonder Machine - Device not found (Samsung Galaxy S i897)

In short, get the android sdk then add it to your PC's paths.  Got it from here.

http://www.android.net/forum/sony-xperia-x10/83069-victory-got-sideload-wonder-machine-working.html#post160798

I found a solution to the problem of Windows using its own drivers for my phone, now I never have any problem getting ADB apps to find my device - props to Nephron over at XDA -. Assuming you have already installed Android SDK :Take the "android-sdk-windows" folder and move it to the root of your hard drive (C:\)
Right click on My Computer and click propertiesSelect the Advanced Tab or Advanced System Setting (Vista/Windows 7)Select Environment Variables...Press New
For Variable Name type: adbFor Variable Value type: C:\android-sdk-windows\tools
Worked perfectly for me.
There's nothing wrong with Extro's suggestion above.. just saying this is what worked for me 

Chrome : Make omnibox search Google over https

- open chrome
- go to preferences
- manage search engines
- scroll to end
- add this

1st field : gs
2nd field : encrypted.google.com
3rd field : https://encrypted.google.com/search?&q=%s

- save it then hover the entry and click make default

From now on your omnibox searches should go through google https.

Ubuntu Unity can't see Pidgin buddy list

So you got your shiny new Ubuntu Unity going, maybe even on the newest 12.04 Ubuntu release.  Good stuff right?  But oh no what's this, sad face - you just closed the Pidgin buddy list and you can't find it / unminimize / unhide it.  Tragedy.  Well good news friend, the fix is easy.  Click the little envelope icon in the upper right corner and there should be an entry for Pidgin Instant Messenger.  All is well with the world.

Ubuntu Linux can't adjust Acer / brightness with function (FN) keys

So my Acer uses the "Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller" aka Intel GMA 4500m.  Alas I can not adjust the brightness via the cool ass function (Fn) keys on the keyboard.  A little meter pops up and tells me the brightness is adjusting, yet it is not.  There are a few fixes out there for this, modifying your grub, etc etc.  But the one I like the most goes something like this.

max bright :

sudo setpci -s "00:02.0" F4.B=00

mediumish bright :

sudo setpci -s "00:02.0" F4.B=C1

screen off :

sudo setpci -s "00:02.0" F4.B=FF

Changing the last two numbers/letters (hex) gently scales the brightness up and down.