DEEJAYKEG

Oh, whilst I am in patriotic mood, let's not forget Trafalgar Day that seems to have passed quietly... I am surprised @Olive or @Frenchi didn't mention it... 21 October is a date that many wish to be celebrated as a national holiday here to remember the crucial victory by Admiral Lord Nelson over the Franco-Spanish fleet in 1805. Sacre bleu! If the admiral had lost the day, we would all be francophones!

Put aside all the banter about 1776, the Boston Tea Party etc. We Brits know that you "septics" * love the British Royal Family almost as much as we loyal subjects do so I thought I'd post a link for you closet monarchists and our cousins, the Canucks, so you can gush and coo about the latest addition to our most beloved family in the realm. (*"septics" - Cockney Rhyming Slang meaning Americans; septic tank = yank.) Long live Prince George! http://www.dukeandduchessofcambridge.org/

http://youtu.be/gEmJ-VWPDM4

There no longer seem to be options to embed either Xfire or YouTube videos into messages. This is adversely affecting certain threads so please provide information or a fix. Did break it again?

Yes, this is a bad bastard. It's especially bad news because it will seek out all drives that you can see from Windows Explorer and encrypt their contents too. So, if as most of us have done in the past, one backs up to another hard drive visible to Windows, the back-up would be encrypted too! Two possible solutions, one of which I have implemented after reading about this thing a few days back: i) Make an external portable hard drive your back-up drive and disconnect it after performing the back-up; ii) Back up by imaging the hard drive. There are tools freely available to remove the crypto virus from your system BUT your files cannot be decrypted by anyone other than the criminals. Naturally, the police ask that we do not pay the crims but some people view the loss of some data more costly than the fee (said in the report I read to be BC2 - two Bitcoins valued around $280). Whilst this virus is in the wild and there is potentially a risk that anyone could be affected, those who visit high risk web sites are those asking for trouble. If you like boobs and bums so much that you have to seek them out online, best do so on a system not connected in any way to computers or hard drives containing your treasured family snaps or crucial family, business or legal documents... Also be wary of running downloaded software and using USB pen drives. Here's a video of this sucker running. It looks like Sophos could block it. http://youtu.be/Gz2kmmsMpMI

You have a great talent, sir! I hope you can achieve some recognition in the industry so you reap rewards from it.

One shouldn't expect the same from all as their ability in writing English obviously varies. As it is a public forum, the author could have valid concerns about providing too much in the way of personal information that is going to be retrievable via Google, for example. Though lasting friendships do form, this isn't a dating web site, after all...

It's streaky bacon - not the best of cuts. I much prefer smoked back bacon (English or Danish).

Amazon UK price is currently £34.97 for pre-order and including the China Rising DLC and a Prima eGuide to the game. This seems to be the better option for me, personally, as I haven't forgotten the teething troubles with BF3 and the beta period is unlikely to have ironed everything out... It'd be a real headache to pay £75 for the full "premium service" package to find the game doesn't work properly or one doesn't enjoy it.

This flawed map is still causing problems. As well as the disappearing grenades, invisible dogs and failing airstrikes, tonight it was causing connection problems eventually resulting in a massive C/I that appeared to crash the server. I'm not alone in wondering why it is being retained in the rotation as it is nothing special. Can we ditch it?? @Labob @2manybeers

Posted primarily for @Mazdarati but also for anyone else currently trying to work out how it's done. 1) Download and install driver and software (driver first!) from: http://www.madcatz.com/downloads/ 2) Run the Profile Editor and type in text or commands in the field corresponding to the gaming key e.g. G1. You don't need to put text in quotes and don't include the T for the text command in COD5 as that has to be pressed separately beforehand. Click on the green tick when you have finished and give the command a title. Save the profile when you have done with it. 3) To activate the profile, you need to be in Game Mode, right click the "Saitek" keyboard icon in the system tray then double click the profile name. You call also run programs from the gaming keys. Full instructions here: http://support.madcatz.com/Knowledgebase/Article/View/57/39/how-do-i-program-my-cyborg-keyboard-to-open-programs-and-load-websites As you said, Maz', not greatly difficult but needed some trial and error!

A supranational organisation interfering with the traditions of a sovereign state... How "unusual"...

(A bit tardy but...) Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Does this mean I can have one that shouts, "FU Cheese!" in the chat box permanently programmed?

Congratulations to you both for your mutual patience. With another 25 you may understand women...or maybe not! People who stick together through the best and worst of times are to be admired.

Please read the news story via the supplied link. The UK's Special Air Service is one of our elite units, deployed primarily in recent years in counter-terrorist operations. Their motto is "Who Dares Wins". This SAS veteran is truly in shit street and needs us to help him out now to fund a medevac. Donation link is at the foot of the Daily Mirror news item. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/stuart-kyffin-ross-kemp-bear-2467289

Thanks again for the pointer and I trust you will help me test its "5" key in COD5 DM...

I got the shortlist down to the Cyborg as recommended by @Mazdarati and @FlyingDutch and the Merc as recommended by @baldie and @Logan There was little to separate them but the Cyborg has wrist rests and is more easily obtainable. So, I have ordered a Cyborg V7. Thanks again.

Happy Birthday, my friend! Hope you enjoy the day!

Thank you, all, for your responses and suggestions. They've given me food for thought!

My gaming keyboard has bit the dust. It would occasionally suffer sticking keys, usually the W and S, and, on Friday, it obviously had others as it effectively locked me out of my PC. I have a cheap replacement now plugged in but am looking to buy a proper gaming keyboard. I am baffled by the huge number of available options. I would prefer a backlit keyboard for use in a darkened room but wonder whether to aim for a mechanical one also. I am not so sure about programmable game keys as I have done very well without them for years. My budget would probably be up to £75 so US$120. Any thoughts/suggestions gratefully received.

For what? Bugs? An untested game, perhaps?