Wednesday, May 31, 2006
PAPEL
A new software tool designed for authors of fictional stories is now available.It's called Papel (Spanish for 'paper') and runs under Windows, allowing you to write intuitively without logical tasks interfering with the flow of your ideas"Papel is a unique text editor that was designed to provide an intuitive workspace for creative writers. It enables you to visually arrange the components of your story, and quickly edit them without the need to open any additional files".Papel is simple to use, and excellent for heightening creativity. One user said, "I am intrigued by the simple visual approach that Papel takes for creating writing. It is very easy to use and allows the user to focus on writing, not getting bogged down by complicated software application processes".
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Windows Live Messenger
If you use MSN Messenger, you may want to check out this beta of Windows Live Messenger. This slick-looking update to MSN Messenger will eventually replace the older program. It works much like MSN Messenger, but promises some new features. The new Sharing Folders feature is a simple click-and-drag file sharing tool. Like MSN Messenger, WLM has text, video, and voice features. WLM also adds the ability to call mobile or land-line phones through a paid service with Verizon. (This feature, formerly available only in limited markets, is now available in wider distribution.)
Note: This is beta software. Microsoft says that some features may not work properly, and it will not accept responsibility for any problems encountered.
Version: BetaPrice: Free
Note: This is beta software. Microsoft says that some features may not work properly, and it will not accept responsibility for any problems encountered.
Version: BetaPrice: Free
Microsoft GroupShot create a composite image
Microsoft GroupShot enables you to combine multiple photos of the same scene and create a composite image, that eliminates or exchanges parts of the original photos with parts of a nearly identical shot from the same sequence. A good example for the use of this software is to exchange facial expressions in a group shot. For example a person may have his eyes closed in an otherwise perfect photo, but has them open in another (not so perfect) shot. Microsoft GroupShot enables you to easily transfer the person`s face from shot B to shot A while maintaining all other details of the image. The program automatically stitches and aligns the detail and attempts to create a perfect composite of the two (or more images). If you have a series of shots of an identical group, taken within a short period of time, you can successfully interchange facial expressions across multiple images and have a final blend with all perfect smiles. You can also use the software to remove unwanted elements from any image (not just group shots), as long as you have an almost identical shot that does not contain the element to be removed (e.g a pedestrian walking through the scene). It takes a little while to understand the concept, but once you do, GroupShot is remarkably easy to use. The most important criteria for a successful composite is that you have at least 2 images, that are almost identical, taken from the same angle and in the same light. Provided you have a compatible series of shots, the results can be quite amazing!
Friday, May 26, 2006
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
CSDNPicViewer v1.26
CSDNPicViewer is a picture viewer built with .NET technology. It features fast picture browsing, and it can read and convert all the standard file formats (bmp, jpg, gif, png, tif, wmf, exif, and more).
Pictures can be displayed in a full screen mode and set to wallpaper through an easy to use interface. Despite it´s young age, CSDNPicViewer offers some nice features, such as four viewing process. This includes a "smart fit to window" mode that will only resize the picture on the fly if needed.
The program also offers an advanced feature named "SmartCompress" that allows you to JPEG compress any picture and see in real time the effects of the compression. Because of the software using .NET technology, CSDNPicViewer also offers a modern GUI.
Still not convinced? Here are some screenshots of CSDNPicViewer in action.
Sure, there are a lot of picture viewers out there. Sure, this one has a horrible name. It does the job though, with less fuss than some of the others out there. You get a handful of nice features, and it is totally free. Now how can you say no to that?
Windows Media Player 11
Microsoft has put a new face on Windows Media Player by giving the application its biggest overhaul in years. This beta version features a cleaner, Vista-like interface; integration with a new digital music store from MTV; and improved handling of large libraries and album art.
Version: BetaPrice: Free
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Group Shot
Microsoft Research is always releasing these clever little tools that never make it into final software products. Group Shot is a great example of this. The app is designed to take the best elements of several photos and use them to create the perfect photo. For instance, lets say you've got two virtually identical photos of your family. Composition is identical, the lighting is the same. One looks better than the other except for your spouse blinking. Everyone's eyes are open in the other shot, but it just doesn't look quite as good. Instead of accepting the sub-par picture or keeping the blink shot, you can marry them together with Group Shot to make one great photo. The app also works to eliminate stuff from the background of a picture by replacing it with the background of a similar photo. [Windows XP $0.00]
Windows Media Player 11 BETA
Microsoft releases a new version of Windows Media Player about once every two years. This beta release of WMP11 both improves on features of WMP10 and bridges the gap between what we've come to expect from the current version of WMP and what we can expect to see when Vista finally ships. The biggest changes are in navigation of media, searching and the addition of more media types to the player interface.
Da Vinci Code: Eurostars Quest
The Eurostar Quest is an on-line treasure hunt set across the two key The Da Vinci Code™ locations of London and Paris. The game is inspired by the major motion picture, starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tatou, based on Dan Brown’s bestselling novel.
Eurostar invites you to join the Quest. It’s free and open to everyone in Great Britain. The Eurostar Quest consists of 16 challenges, all solvable on your PC using logic, knowledge and research. Complete the Eurostar Quest and you could win €200,000 and a lifetime of discovery at our Grand Final in Paris** or try three further prize puzzles for the chance to win a Sony PSP portable entertainment system, a Sony Ericsson camera phone, Eurostar return tickets to Paris, an Illustrated Collector's Edition of The Da Vinci Code™ book and a The Da Vinci Code™ movie soundtrack CD.
Eurostar invites you to join the Quest. It’s free and open to everyone in Great Britain. The Eurostar Quest consists of 16 challenges, all solvable on your PC using logic, knowledge and research. Complete the Eurostar Quest and you could win €200,000 and a lifetime of discovery at our Grand Final in Paris** or try three further prize puzzles for the chance to win a Sony PSP portable entertainment system, a Sony Ericsson camera phone, Eurostar return tickets to Paris, an Illustrated Collector's Edition of The Da Vinci Code™ book and a The Da Vinci Code™ movie soundtrack CD.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Web 2 Photo Editing sites
JumpCut.
Everybody's familiar with the new model for distributing video, thanks to YouTube, but most of the good videos on YouTube and other services are edited the old way: on a PC or a Mac. That may change soon, as online video editors roll out.
There's a very good one that's live now: JumpCut. With this tool, once your videos are uploaded, you can splice them together, overlay audio tracks, and add effects similar to the ones you'd find in a traditional software-based editor. Since all the editing happens online, you suffer through the slow upload only once.
You can also re-edit other people's videos, which is fun and may be a big hit with music tracks. I can see artists and labels posting their own video resources online and letting fans make their own music videos.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
The Mistery
Online Graphic Adventures:
Have just found this ONLINE game but have not tested it as yet.
Have just found this ONLINE game but have not tested it as yet.
The Quotations Page
You've reached the oldest quotation site on the Web, established 1994. We have over 24,000 quotations online from over 2,700 authors, and more are added daily.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Stellarium:
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Google Sketchup v5.0.245
Google Sketchup is an easy-to-use 3D modelling software that enables you to create 3D models of houses, buildings, and many other objects using an array of drag and drop tools and materials in a WYSIWYG editing environment. You can design your objects with rectangles, circles, ovals, arcs, lines, and freehand drawings and use a unique push/pull tool to add dimension to 2D objects. The program offers a library of building material patterns (brick, concrete, wood, glass, carpet, etc.) and colors that you can use to add a realistic look to your creation. The finished design can be exported to popular image formats, including JPG, TIF, PNG, and BMP or shared via the Google 3D warehouse. Google Sketchup does not require any 3D experience, but you should read the supplied documentation and tutorials to make full use of the software - an interactive tutorial will explain the basic functionality for each selected tool. There is also a Pro version available that offers exporting to 3D and raster formats.
GREAT NEWS
GreatNews is an RSS feed reader that is optimized for fast and efficient reading of your favorite Web feeds. It offers different view styles - including a newspaper view that allows you to read a group of feeds organized arranged in newspaper-style page layout without having to click through individual feed items.
Other features include import/export feeds from/to OPML and XML files, automatic cleanup of old items, browser integration with popup blocking, and more. GreatNews is small, fast and very efficient - it does not require an installation; just unzip and run.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Zunafish
We all have things that are taking up space on our shelves, but entertainment titles are usually hard to get rid of because they're not generally worth all that much money, so selling them may be too much work for not that much money. However, trading makes sense, because someone else out there probably has something that you want and vice versa. By listing your stuff and requesting what you want, you're sure to eventually receive trade offers to choose from. Once an offer is agreed upon, Zunafish makes it very easy for you to make the trade happen by providing a postage label and telling you how much postage you'll need to use. Each trade will cost you US$1, but besides that, there are no other fees.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Wik And The Fable Of Souls
Wik And The Fable Of Souls: Download the latest game taking the Internet by storm! Wik and the Fable of Souls has over 120 jaw-dropping levels, enchanting atmospheric music, stunning effects, and never-before-seen game play. This is a delightful game featuring superbly detailed graphics that will keep you spellbound with amazement. Download and discover the mystery of Wik! Reflexive Entertainment is proud to announce that Wik and the Fable of Souls won three awards at the 2005 Independent Games Festival
How much free time in the demo?
1 Hour is free. After that we hope you’ll support us with a full version purchase so we can make more great games.
Wikispaces
Create simple web pages that groups, friends, and families can edit together
Whether youve created a product or service and want to create a community resource, or you just want to build a wiki for yourself and your family, there are plenty of options, and another one to consider is Wikispaces. After joining to create your wiki, you're sure to be pleased by the availability of their visual editor, which will make it easy for you to create what you want to create. One of the scary things about opening up a resource to the public is the possibility of vandalism and spamming, but Wikispaces helps fight this problem by backing up every version of a page, so that in a pinch, you can revert back to a previously accepted content structure. RSS feeds are also available to keep you informed of page changes and discussions.
Monday, May 01, 2006
GetByMail
If you do work in two locations--but don't want to messy with pricey, complicated remote-access software--consider GetByMail. This freebie lets you access another computer through your e-mail account. Your files bypass limited FTP access, firewall problems, and other roadblocks by going through the approved channel of e-mail.
"Well, duh, I can e-mail files," you might say. But there's more to GetByMail than that. The program lets you see remote directory listings and make changes, uploading and downloading files. GetByMail automatically compresses and splits files for downloads and uploads.
GetByMail supports SSL connections over POP3 and SMTP (the prevalent e-mail protocols). It's also compatible with Gmail.
TrueCrypt
This open-source program can create encrypted "safes" that are as large as Windows and your hard drive will allow. It offers a selection of encryption algorithms, including AES, Blowfish, and Triple DES.
SIW v1.58--System Information For Windows
Do you know everything about your computer by heart? Hey, don't feel bad, neither do I. That is why I use SIW - System Information for Windows. It lets you know just about everything about your computer. The best part about this program is it is totally free to use. So what is SIW all about? "This program perform computer configuration analysis and diagnostics. It gives detailed information about your computer properties and settings, detailed specs for CPU, motherboard, chipset, BIOS, CPU, PCI/AGP, USB and ISA/PnP devices, memory, monitor, video card, disk drives, CD/DVD devices, SCSI devices, S.M.A.R.T., ports, network cards, printers, operating system, installed programs and hot fixes, processes, services, serial numbers (CD keys), users, open files, system uptime, network, network shares, as well as real-time monitors for CPU, memory, page file usage and network traffic. It displays currently active network connections, passwords hidden behind asterisks, installed codecs, and more." Having a tool like this one is always useful for looking to see what is going on under the hood of Windows and your computer. One of my favorite features of this program is the interface is really easy to understand. Usually with these programs, you don't know where to click or what you are reading. For being such a small download, this program gives you a lot.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)