Software
Cleaning up Aisle Three: Speeding Operations up by Clearing Windows Registry
Dec 10th
If you’re a PC user and have ever had the misfortune of running into trouble on your PC (no doubt you have), you’ll probably have seen articles involving or surrounding Windows registry. If you’ve never investigated, Leo Notenboom’s got a great article on what Windows registry is, and why it’s there. And to sum things up, according to Notenboom, the Windows Registry is a central database of organized program and system settings and information.
photo credit: Signarama – Crystal, MN
For each setting you tweak, change, or delete, Windows registry creates an entry to log it. Over time, these entries become obsolete — unnecessary. Is it safe to remove them? You bet — in fact, by purging these entries, you make clear space in the registry, and make it easier to call up programs and settings. But, if you’ve got a new computer that’s slow, I’d recommend formatting (since registry probably doesn’t have that many entries anyway).
How can you clear it? Don’t do it manually — instead, rely on the many programs provided out there. I personally prefer CCleaner — it does the job well, and it’s free. If you want to find out more information about Windows registry, or if you want to keep up with the times, I suggest visiting Registry Cleanerz — for information, and a set of forums to help with those questions of yours. Have fun cleaning!
Yipes: Wordpad 2009, Ribbon-style
Dec 5th
I was just catching up on my regulars (boy, 400 feeds in a day really does hurt) when a little interesting piece of software caught my eye. Titled Wordpad 2009, it’s Wordpad + Office 2007′s Ribbon interface.
photo credit: marklarson
…erm, yeah, I realize that the picture doesn’t have much to do with the article. I guess I just want to cultivate some good habits of throwing in graphics to ease the reader. …easy now.
Although not officially from Microsoft, it’s no doubt a notch up from the ordinary Wordpad. I was actually considering downloading it — but then again, since when did I start using Wordpad? I got it mixed up with Notepad, which I do use quite frequently.
Still, it’s an interesting concept. Even if you’re not planning to download it, why not check out some screenies? Head over to Deviant Art to have a look.
Visit: http://solo-dev.deviantart.com/art/Wordpad-2009-105410281
Pimp Your Wii: Homebrew Apps Open Possibilities
Oct 29th
Never dreamed of the day you’d play a DVD on your Wii? How about playing any N64 game on your Wii, not just the ones on the WiiShop? And you don’t have to sell your soul for it? Not a chance, right? I was immediately interested.
Turns out there is a dedicated bunch of folks working on Homebrew firmware. Give me a minute before you start scoffing. Homebrew doesn’t necessarily mean crappy — I know that there aren’t too many great connotations associated with the word, but these people really know what they’re doing. Sure, it might screw up your Wii if you don’t do it right. I haven’t tried it yet either, but I’m planning on doing so once I get my hands on a copy of Twilight Princess (you need it to install the Homebrew). Once you install the Homebrew firmware (it will appear as a channel), there will be all sorts of applications you can “install” onto your Wii that will allow you to play DVD’s and even Gameboy on the Wii. Slick, right?
Once I get it up and running, I’ll be sure to introduce only the coolest apps. But for now, just wanted to throw it out there and thank the developers for creating an alternative. Thanks, guys!
Just a Bit Overpriced: RS Audials One
Oct 12th
With an absolute ton of free software like Limewire and websites like Keepvid nowadays, I’ve gotta be blunt: the only reason I can see people turning to Videoraptor — basically one-third of RS Audials’ triangle of software — is its no-spyware guarantee. It’s up to you whether that’s worth the price. However, let’s have a closer look at Tunebite and Radiotracker, RS Audials One talk for DRM-Protection breaker and Internet Radio recorder, respectively.
The GUI is a very interesting one: there is a different colour scheme for every piece of software. There is a uniquely shaped window, and three tabs on the side for Radiotracker, Videoraptor, and Tunebite. The tabs are links to the program, which then opens up on the main side of the screen. An interesting, unique layout — although it does take a while to load.
Tunebite was impressive. I was a bit skeptical about how well it would work initially: although it wasn’t able to convert SpiralFrog’s .wma files, it was able to crack one of iTunes’ .m4p files into a 256kbps .mp3 file. Unfortunately, Tunebite’s video converting function didn’t work as smoothly as its audio conversion: I tried converting a .m4v video I purchased off iTunes, and although it captured audio perfectly, only a few random frames of the video were caught — although I will mention that this could likely be due to the fact that I didn’t pay much attention to the configuration it told me to change in iTunes. In my defense, that dialog box never popped back up, so I wasn’t able to discover what needed to be fixed or altered.
Arguably, the most interesting part of RS Audials One has to be Radiotracker. Radiotracker basically allows you to input an artist, album, or song that you want to record from Internet radio streams. Radiotracker will then scan over a couple of thousand of radio stations (my average use had around 3,400). This is perfectly legal: however, it does take a good while longer to find the tracks that you want. Radiotracker was generally every accurate about when to start and stop recording — on occasion, it would have ended too late or cut off too early, but those are just minor mishaps that can be easily fixed.
For $69.99, I’ll admit RS Audials One is a bit of a stretch. For a less illegal version of Limewire, an arguably mediocre DRM-breaker, and an impressive radio-recording piece of software, I think RS Audials One can be skipped and you could consider Radiotracker on its own for $39.90 (still a bit expensive, no?). As for the RS Audials website, I know it looks a bit sketchy, but it’s quite helpful in regards to sales information.
Windows Embedded Theme for XP and 2003 Users
Oct 9th
Word on the street is there’s been an extracted theme (.msstyle) for Windows XP users — digitally signed by Microsoft, meaning it doesn’t require you to patch that darn uxtheme.dll. Fortunately, this one isn’t butt ugly, like the Zune Royale Black with the halloween colour scheme — in fact, I find it quite acceptable-looking. Hope you folks enjoy!
Source: http://www.sizzledcore.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/embedded_theme_screenshot_3_thumb.png
Full Coverage at:
A New Hope: Songbird 0.7
Sep 8th
I’ve always had trouble picking media player software. The issue with iPod support always made things much more difficult — I’m more fond of Windows Media Player 11, but iTunes had the iPod support, and thus I usually opened iTunes anyway. Problem with iTunes is that there was no free alternative — sure, I could’ve had access to my iPod in Windows Media Player 11 — if I paid $30 for an extra plug-in. I had looked at View.tv recently, but that had no album art. And what is life without album art?
Buzz around the latest Songbird 0.7 beta release grew, and I was interested. I did my research — and it had iPod support! I checked out some screenshots, and it looked comparable to iTunes. Little did I know that when I installed Songbird, I’d never turn back. I’m not writing a full review, but if you’re interested in some, here are a couple (surprisingly few):
- http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080822-hands-on-singing-along-with-songbird-0-7.html
- http://cybernetnews.com/2008/08/04/songbird-07-ditches-the-black-theme/
What I loved most about Songbird, similar to Firefox, was its add-ons. It does look great by default, as did View.tv. They both have iPod support. Neither had album art. Alas, that’s where the similarities end — with View.tv, you’re screwed. With Songbird, you’ve got the Album Art Manager, MediaFlow, and a truckload of other options that make up for its default setbacks. This, my co-op supervisor taught me, was the beauty of open-source: basically, as long as its got a fanbase and support, the sky’s the limit.
Reminds me of a certain media player, but I just can’t put my finger on it.
The main screen: an almost refreshingly basic view. To be honest, I’d prefer iTunes’ view by album, but I’m hoping for an extension that will solve that. Haha. Er, as for 50 Cent, all I can say is that was from a long time ago. I’m really not used to Songbird’s location of the Play button, but I guess it’ll grow on me naturally as iTunes did.
A built-in browser just for extensions. Beautiful, ain’t it?
Songbird’s got a built-in browser that is used for easy-installation of extensions. Seriously, they’re just as easy to install as Firefox extensions are. I’ve got to give kudos — after all, it’s still in beta.
And after downloading and installing our add-on, and restarting Songbird…
Mediaflow: Watch out, Coverflow!
I remember seeing a WPF Application for a Coverflow compatible with Windows Media Player 11 — although that was experimental and way long ago. I’ve since given up the dream. Alas, hope is not lost, and we’ve got the Mediaflow extension for Songbird. Isn’t she so perdy? If only the Album Art Manager could find all my album art…actually, it’s not fault of Album Art Manager, as its built-in feature that allows it to automatically download album art off Amazon is absolutely ingenius. My kudos to you, creator of Album Art Manager. You too, creator of Mediaflow. I can’t tell you how pleased I am, with iTunes: I almost forgot, but I had to manually grab the album art myself (until I became an iTunes customer).
I really hope Songbird becomes popular with the masses — for the sake of progression, and the benefit of all mankind. I really can’t see a reason for it to fail. I’ve only taken a look at its extensions: I haven’t even mentioned its compatibility with Last.fm, its lyrics feature, and the other themes out there. Not to mention it’s still in beta. I’m truly excited for Songbird 1.0 to come out — but with Songbird 0.7 already providing such stiff competition, we can only look forward to more innovative and powerful products from Microsoft and Apple to compete. Beautiful.
- Download Link: http://www.getsongbird.com/
- Songbird Blog: http://blog.songbirdnest.com/
Get Ready to cut Cable TV: A Look at Miro
Aug 29th
I’ve always been an advocate for cutting subscription costs out of my life: I guess I just don’t like the idea of having to constantly pay for a service — which won’t be there when you run out of money. The only essential I’ve never really even considered cutting was cable TV, perhaps because there’s really nothing like it. At least, there wasn’t — before Miro was introduced.
Miro is an application that is reminiscent of PVR: using the Miro Guide, you can subscribe to channels that you want to watch. Episodes will be downloaded regularly via RSS feeds, and quality is not compromised because the actual video is being downloaded, not streamed. Download speeds are impressive for me, but will depend on your Internet service’s download speed. The best part about having the videos downloaded is the ability to play them more than once and pause them when you need to. Just like PVR.
The GUI is impressively laid out: very simple, and colourful, but without overdoing it. The word I’d like to bring out is “pleasant” — in fact, it somewhat reminds me of Mac OS X’s GUI a bit.
The Search function also contributes to Miro’s wow-factor: it allows you to download videos from YouTube, Veoh, and other video sites. However, as of version 1.2, it was a bit slow when reloading different searches. The search function does allow you to save the results as a Channel though, interestingly enough.
And the videos: there is quality, and much potential. However, at the moment, the shows are somewhat less mainstream: I would expect that eventually, mainstream shows like Heroes and even music videos and all will be put on Miro, just as Joost is proceeding to do. Still, there’s plenty of fun and games with Boing Boing TV, GeekBrief, and even National Geographic.
I know I had taken an earlier look at Miro, but I totally felt like it deserved a second revealing. Alright, I’ll admit it: I forgot that I had already looked at Miro (grins sheepishly). Still, it’s a great piece of software and totally out of Beta, so you should give it a try! If you’ve got the storage and the Internet speed, then what are you waiting for?
Stardock Object Desktop 2008 Ultimate Review
Jul 26th
An assortment of Stardock software, Object Desktop 2008 Ultimate is a suite dedicated to customizing the GUI, look, and vibe of your desktop. From the ability to enhance themes, enable transparency, or even use animated wallpaper, Object Desktop 2008 Ultimate throws in a whole slew of capabilities into your computer. I do realize that I took a comprehensive look at half the software suite — but alas, it was far too much work, and I couldn’t handle the capacity. So, I’m going to finish off what I started three months ago with this one-shot review of Object Desktop 2008.
Overall GUI
The GUIs in all the software were acceptable and usable – alas, some were a lot more dated than others (I’m referring in particular to Tab Launchpad). I liked how, in essence, Stardock used similar features and layouts within certain software. From what I can see, there are two types of layouts Stardock uses in Object Desktop software: one being a graphic and list beside it, which is used in software such as TweakVista with many options. The second looks more modern, and is used in software that has a heavier use of graphics, such as previews of themes.
A prime example of this would be the similarities between the layouts in IconPackager and WindowBlinds. However, I also felt that Stardock could’ve done better in this continuity thing – some of the GUIs look a bit dated (Tab Launchpad), and some look way too wonky (MyColors).
The Deal-Sealers
Every suite’s got a set of deal-sealers – a single or variety of features that makes it worth the juice worth the squeeze. Not every single piece of software is absolutely essential to the suite – contrary to my previous belief – and I’ve isolated the deal-sealers to a trio:
IconPackager
I think IconPackager was an appropriate deal-sealer for two reasons:
- Not only does it offer a one-click change of almost all your default computer icons, but it also supports Vista’s folder view feature – meaning that now, you can see that preview of your documents all the while using IconPackager icons.
- Nothing else does it like IconPackager. If you want free, you’re going to want to have a look at IconTweaker, or manually change those icons by yourself. Ugh.
I had once tried emulating Mac OS X, and I realize that this tool would’ve come in extremely handy for such a purpose. Unfortunately, back then, I hadn’t actually considered paying for software, so I gave up and stayed with XP’s look. Right now, I’ve gotten sick of Vista’s default look, so I actually use a Japanese-themed icon set that I’m extremely satisfied with.
DeskScapes
Now, you don’t need Windows Vista Ultimate to enjoy the beauty of moving wallpapers. I don’t think I need to say anymore – this alone arguably makes the purchase worth it, considering the price difference in the versions of Windows Vista. If you understand what I’m trying to say.
WindowBlinds
How could Object Desktop 2008 be what it is without WindowBlinds? In fact, I argue that the entire Stardock might be in jeopardy if it weren’t for WindowBlinds. This widely-renowned piece of software is a non-resource-hogging, skin-serving, machine. I didn’t even notice it running in the background – because I had it switched to the default Aero theme. I must say, I’m impressed – for what it’s worth, WindowBlinds’ reputation precedes it. I’m glad to see that generally, many users have started realizing that WindowBlinds doesn’t hog as many resources as people claim.
You might have a few doubts as to my choice of selection – and I can’t say that I didn’t expect such a question. What made these three pieces of software stand out from the others? Wouldn’t MyColors, DesktopX, or even Impulse, have been worth a mention? I suppose that they do deserve a mention, but I personally don’t think that a software that forces you to pay for themes, or a software that simply packages everything together in even wider themes is very deal-sealing. I hadn’t heard of these pieces of software before the review, and I can see why – in contrast, IconPackager was famous, DeskScapes was popularized by Vista, and I’d had WindowBlinds in mind since Day 1.
Conclusion
Long overdue, but I’m glad I finally got through with it. For $69.99, I’m saying that Object Desktop 2008 Ultimate probably wouldn’t be as nice as a new wireless keyboard or even an Adidas sweater – but for you customization freaks, it’s an absolute essential. In fact, if you had asked me two years ago, I would’ve said it was the best thing since sliced bread – and if how your computer looks is a priority, then don’t even take the time to question or hesitate and pick up Object Desktop 2008 Ultimate.
The Need for Deep Freeze
Jul 17th
Keyloggers. Spyware. Data corruption.
Nowadays, these three words strike fear into hearts of users everywhere. However, I will direct this article towards the organizations – such as schools, libraries, Internet cafes, as well as even corporations. These behemoths serve a multitude of users daily – ranging from a couple hundred at a local library, to several thousand at a popular university. The chances of having a careless user download rogue spyware or a bad egg installing keyloggers are insanely high – in fact, a rumour that I myself had caught flying around was that an organization I attended had been infected with keyloggers. The rumour was dispelled when a friend of mine informed me that the organization used Deep Freeze – which then sparked the question: What is Deep Freeze?
Deep Freeze is an intelligent solution that offers absolute system integrity, according to its creator, Faronics.
Faronics Deep Freeze helps eliminate workstation damage and downtime by making computer configurations indestructible. Once Deep Freeze is installed on a workstation, any changes made to the computer—regardless of whether they are accidental or malicious—are never permanent. Deep Freeze provides immediate immunity from many of the problems that plague computers today—accidental system misconfiguration, malicious software activity, and incidental system degradation.
Deep Freeze ensures computers are absolutely bulletproof, even when users have full access to system software and settings. Users get to enjoy a pristine and unrestricted computing experience, while IT personnel are freed from tedious helpdesk requests.
Basically, a computer (or workstation) is programmed to retain certain programs – for example, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Word 2007, but otherwise is reformatted everytime the system reboots. Sure, that means that everyone’s documents stored in My Documents will be deleted besides the Sample Pictures. But, that also means that if the system gets infected, it will also be removed as soon as the computer is rebooted. This is what I would consider an ideal solution to most organizations’ problems with system integrity.
If you’re a home user reading this and contemplating getting Deep Freeze, I would think twice – although the chances of you accidentally installing spyware are still high, I think that it would be impractical for you to sacrifice your computing experience for paranoia. Addressing keyloggers, no one would be silly enough to install a keylogger on themselves (besides, there would be no point to that). However, for organizations that can’t afford to leak information, or organizations that treasure the security and trust of their users (such as libraries), I think this is a great big picture piece of software. Heck, it gained my trust.
For more information and case studies, please visit Faronics’ web page for Deep Freeze:
Blizzard Announces Diablo 3
Jun 28th
It’s been a huge couple of years for Blizzard Entertainment — with the World of Warcraft being such a hit with the fans, as well as anticipation building up for the inevitable hit Starcraft 2, I couldn’t have expected anything more. Nonetheless, Blizzard Entertainment has once again shocked crowds by announcing the upcoming game Diablo 3. With the Diablo series already an extremely successful hit, I have to wonder — will Blizzard be able to pull it off once again? From all the demos that I’ve seen circulating around, it sure looks like it.
Source: http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/images/diablo-3-announcement.jpg
With myself not being a huge Diablo fanatic (I was always a bit creeped out by the freaky environment), I did have a chance to try Diablo 2 out. Diablo 3 will retain many of Diablo’s successful environments and characters, including character classes (a new one is called the Witch Doctor) and even the return of Deckard Cain!
Unfortunately, no release dates or even minimum specifications have been given by Blizzard yet, which I think is perfectly reasonable because they only announced Diablo 3 very recently.
It has been twenty years since the events of Diablo II. Of those who faced the Lords of Hatred, Terror, and Destruction in the battle over the fate of Sanctuary, there are few still living who can bear to remember the horrors that the Prime Evils wrought upon the world. And of those who did not witness the terrible events firsthand, most believe the stories to be little more than myth. But something evil is stirring once again in Tristram, and it may already have claimed its first victim: Deckard Cain.
That aside, I’ve got nothing more to give you but a bunch of links to more comprehensive sources that had a firsthand look at the demo, so I’ll give it to them from here.
Visit: