Posts Tagged: ‘Review’

Google Currents – Originally Published May 2013

July 26, 2014 Posted by Tiny

From the Dark Side
by Tiny Ruisch

Way back in 2003, I bought my first iPAQ pocket computer.  It was a Windows Mobile device and I loved it and every other one I purchased over the years.  When I finally decided to get a pocket pc with telephone capabilities, it had a Windows operating system.  When Microsoft decided not to keep up with the electronic world, I went to the dark side and started using Android.  Since then, Android mobile has had three major upgrades.  Windows has had one.  I’ve found out that the applications make a big difference.

I remember when I was about 12 or 13 years old, I was the talk of the small town that I lived in.  Everyone thought it was pretty amusing when I was walking home from school while reading a book.  I accidentally walked into a tree.  I couldn’t help it.  I’ve always been an avid reader.  I’ve always liked magazines, books and newspapers.

It’s a high tech age now.  I still visit the library every two weeks, but most of my checkouts are audio books.  I only get two actual magazines delivered by the mail person.  The rest are electronic versions I read on my tablet.  The books I read are either on my tablet or pocket PC.  In fact, the only paper book I read any more is the one by my bed stand.  I tend to fall asleep while reading and drop it on the floor.  Paper books don’t break as easily as electronic devices.

I quit buying the daily newspaper about four months ago.  It is so much easier to read the news on my mobile devices wherever I happen to be.  A pocket PC or a tablet is just more convenient than an over sized printed sheet of paper.  There are several newsreader applications in the Google Play Store.  Many are very good and some have a nice graphical interface.  They all claim to aggregate the best news sites.

My newsreader of choice is Google Currents.  The main screen shows the news categories that are available.  They are News, Business, Science & Tech, Sports and Entertainment.  Tapping on a category opens the sub-menu.  The first time you open a category, you get the option to read breaking stories or customize the category.  In each section there are several newspapers, magazines and blogs that you can add to your news feed.  There are also many international publications you can subscribe to.  Google translate can be used to translate them into 44 languages.

Reading your subscriptions is really easy.  Tap on the publisher you want to read and you get a screen where you scroll through all of the headlines and when they were posted.  Tapping the headline will open the article.  From the article window you can share the story via social networks, email, messaging, etc.  You can also save the article to Dropbox, Evernote, or other note keeping applications you have installed on your device.  You can even save the article to your Currents for later off line reading.

I haven’t tried it yet, but the latest update is supposed to create a play list for audio files.  The application is free.  It takes 5.2 mb of space.  If you’ve got an Android device, you can download it from the Google Play Store.  Give it a try, you might like it.

Excuse me, but I’m off to read the New York Times, or maybe Maximum PC, or maybe one of those British or Australian publications.

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Categories: Darkside

Voice Shortcuts Launcher – Originally Published February 2103

July 25, 2014 Posted by Tiny

From the Dark Side
by Tiny Ruisch

Google Voice has really come of age in the Jelly Bean operating system.  It is so nice to just push a button on my pocket computer and say “Google, find me a place to eat.”  Almost immediately, a list of all the places to chew in the immediate area are listed.  I then go to the nearest McDonald’s and think about how my pocket PC is starting to remind me of a 24th century Library Computer Access/Retrieval System.  I just hope it doesn’t become HAL 2000.

Voice Shortcuts Launcher is a utility program that utilizes Google Voice to allow you to create customized voice commands.  You can open another app, a website or a file on your device.  You can also open your contacts and initiate phone calls by voice.

I’ve installed and tested several other voice assistants, but the Voice Shortcuts Launcher is by far the easiest to use.  Another thing I like is the interface doesn’t talk back to you.  I really don’t need my computer to tell me that it is working.

The application is easy to use.  After installing, all you have to do is open the app, specify the type of shortcut you want to create, and speak in your voice command.  Try to speak as clearly as you can.  You may use any word combination or phrase to launch whatever aspect of your Android you wish to.

Voice Shortcuts Launcher is a free app but it is supported by advertising.  The ads appear at the bottom of the screen but are far away from the command buttons.  There is no free ads-free version of the app, but if ads bother you, you can purchase GVS Pro for $2.33.

GVS Pro combines Voice Shortcuts Launcher and Gesture Shortcuts Launcher, a similar application from the same company.  I was so impressed with the voice program that I purchased the licensed version within fifteen minutes of installing it.

If you’re interested in an easy launcher, give it a try. I’m sure you’ll like it.

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Categories: Darkside

Galaxy Note 2 Review – Originally Published January 2013

July 25, 2014 Posted by Tiny

From the Dark Side
by Tiny Ruisch

Way back in April of 2010, I wrote in this column about how I was finally giving up my IPAQ pocket computer (PPC) for a newfangled kind of PPC that happened to also make phone calls.  Now that I look back on what I’ve just written, I’m wondering if Hewlett-Packard could sue Apple for copyright infringement.  On third thought, I guess not.  Apple uses a lower case I.

Last June, I told you about how my trusty TP2 finally gave up the ghost.  Microsoft lost a customer due to their lousy updating of their mobile operating systems.  I changed to an Android phone that my grandson had quit using.  Three months later, I bought an android tablet.

In November, I finally used my upgrade and bought a Samsung Galaxy Note II.  This is by far the best pocket computer I have ever owned.  (I still can’t get myself to call it a telephone).

The Note II is a big machine.  It measures 5.949” x 3.17” x 0.37” and weighs 6.349 oz.  Some of the tech writers are calling this machine a “phablet” (from the two words phone and tablet).  For me it is a perfect size.  It fits in my pocket and the large screen is easy for my old eyes to read.  The screen resolution is 1280 x 720.

The processor is a Exynos 1.6GHz Quad-core and it is fast.  I haven’t experienced any screen lag.  The operating system is Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and is a joy to use.  Android has finally come into its own.  There is 16GB of internal memory and a slot for up to a 64GB micro SD card.  Powering it is a 3,100 mAh battery.  I have yet to get a message telling me the battery is getting low.  As a matter of routine, I’ve always bought a second battery for my pocket computers.  I haven’t had to use my stand-by battery with the Note II.

The camera resolution is 8.0 Megapixels.  The front facing camera is 1.9 Megapixels.  The camera features include Auto Focus, Best Face, Best Photo, Beauty, Buddy Photo Share, Burst Shot, Face Detection, HDR, Low Light, Panorama, Share Shot, Single Shot, Smile Shot and Geo-tagging.

One of my favorite features is the multitasking in split screen windows.  I can watch a movie in one window while I’m playing a game in the other window.  The possibilities are endless.  Messaging in one window, take pictures in the other.  Map in one window, take notes in the other.  This is an awesome feature.

Of course, all of the standard features are included: WI-FI, Bluetooth, GPS, Messaging, Web Browsing, Social Networking, etc.  Also included are some new apps designed specially for the fancy stylus, named the S-Pen.  The stylus is touch sensitive.  The harder you press on the screen, the darker the line.  It also works without touching the screen at all.  One of the cool features is when you pull the S-Pen out of its holder, all of the apps automatically load.  Reinsert the S-Pen and they close.  You won’t easily lose your stylus, because the machine will sound an alarm if you walk away without it.

There are a couple of things that I don’t like about the machine.  There is only one button on the front.  Pressing it opens the home screen.  Long pressing brings up the recently used apps screen.  Double pressing the button opens Samsung’s S-Voice app, which I don’t use.  Maybe future hackers will make some useful applications for the button.

The power button is on the upper right side of the computer, which is an an awkward position for me.  I often accidentally bump the volume control when I’m turning the machine on or off.  I wish they had put it on the top of the device.

Lastly is a pain in the whatchamacallit when using the camera.  You cannot turn the sound off.  This doesn’t bother me anymore though.  I’ve rooted my phone and have a quiet camera now.

If you’re in the market for a new phone and you want a large screen, a smooth operating system and superb battery life, I recommend you test drive the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.  It’s an excellent pocket computer that happens to also make telephone calls.

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Categories: Darkside

Dropbox – Originally Published May 2011

July 19, 2014 Posted by Tiny

A Pain in the Whatchamacallit
By Tiny Ruisch

Last month, before the club meeting started, there was a discussion about Dropbox.  Someone asked what Dropbox was and everyone else answered, all of them differently.  A week later, at the staff meeting, someone asked how to set up Dropbox folders, and everyone gave a different answer.  At Woody’s SIG meeting, another Dropbox discussion was held, with the same differences of opinions.

What is this Dropbox thing? How do you use it?  Must you be on a cloud for it to work properly?  It sure is a good thing you downloaded the newsletter this month, because I’m going to answer all of your questions.  Maybe I’ll just answer some of your questions.  If you’re really lucky, you might get a question answered.

Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos anywhere.  This means that any file you save to your Dropbox will automatically save to all your computers, phones and even the Dropbox website.  Dropbox also makes it super easy to share with others, whether you’re a student or professional, parent or grandparent.  Even if you accidentally spill a latte on your laptop, have no fear!  You can relax knowing that Dropbox always has you covered, and none of your stuff will ever be lost.

Dropbox works hard to make sure that all your files are the same no matter where you’re working from.  This means that you can start working on a computer at school or the office, and finish from your home computer.  Never email yourself a file again!  Download Dropbox for your phone to simplify your life even more – flip through all your photos or review that spreadsheet even while on the road.  Dropbox lets you work from any computer or phone with the confidence that you’ll always have everything you need.

Dropbox makes sharing so easy that you’ll be amazed at the things you can do.  Invite your friends, family and teammates to any folder in your Dropbox, and it’ll be as if you saved that folder straight to their computers.  You can send people links to specific files in your Dropbox too.  This makes Dropbox perfect for team projects, sharing party photos with friends, or recording your band’s new album.

Even if your computer has a meltdown, your stuff is always safe in Dropbox and can be restored in a snap.  Dropbox is like a time machine that lets you undo mistakes and even undelete files you accidentally trash.  Your Dropbox is always ready for action from the Dropbox website too!

People around the world rely on Dropbox to help them design buildings, compose music, run businesses, write books and even coordinate disaster relief.  Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a teacher, a photographer or an astronomer, an artist or an activist, Dropbox simplifies your life.

There you go. Aren’t you glad you read all that information?  Now you know everything there is to know about Dropbox.  How can I be so positive you have all the knowledge?  The answer is simple.  I copied everything word for word from the Dropbox website.

My point in this article is that Dropbox is whatever you want it to be.  When you sign up for Dropbox, you have to download and install it on your computer.  A new Dropbox folder is created.  Any file that you put in this folder is copied to your Dropbox folder in the cloud (remote server).  If you install Dropbox on any other computer, your phone, your tablet, etc. a local Dropbox folder will be installed on that device and the files on the Dropbox server will be copied to it.  If you make changes to any files in the Dropbox folder, the same changes will occur in every Dropbox folder that you have created.  You can also go to Dropbox in a web browser to edit your files.

Initially, Dropbox gives you 2GB of storage space.  There are several methods of getting more free space.  You can also purchase extra space.  That is plenty of space for word files, etc.  Unless you buy extra space, don’t plan on uploading a lot of pictures or media files.

The main use of Dropbox is synchronizing files between computers, but there are a lot of other uses for it.  I’m not going to list them all here.  If you Google “unusual Dropbox uses”, you’ll see more than nine million reasons why.

Personally, I don’t use Dropbox a whole lot.  The only reason I first signed up was so that someone else would get more space in their Dropbox.  Lately, I’ve started to use Dropbox much more often.  For instance, I’ve been keeping my newsletter articles in my Dropbox folder . That way I can work on an article from whatever computer I’m sitting at.

I you’d like to give Dropbox a try, signing up is simple.  There is only four blocks to fill in: first name, last name, e-mail address and password.  Here is the Dropbox sign up link.  If you use this link, Dropbox will give me more free space.

Thanks for reading!

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Categories: Whatchamacallit

VuePrint – Originally Published November 2012

July 18, 2014 Posted by Tiny

Some Lagniappe for You
By Tiny Ruisch

la·gniappe (lnyp, ln-yp)
n. Chiefly Southern Louisiana & Mississippi
1. A small gift presented by a store owner to a customer with the customer’s purchase.
2. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. Also called regionally boot.

Everyone has their favorite image viewer program.  Let me tell you a little bit about mine.  I’ve been using VuePrint as my default viewer for about fifteen years now.  When I first started using the program, it was shareware that sold for ten dollars.  About five years ago, the author quit updating VuePrint and released the program as freeware.  It hasn’t been updated since 2007.

You may wonder why I keep using such an old, outdated program.  The answer is simple.  It is very fast and it still works better that most other image viewers.  It doesn’t have a lot of features, but you can crop images, convert image formats and reduce the size of images for e‑mailing.

The program does one thing very well.  If you’ve got a lot of images, you can browse through them extremely fast.  Just press the space bar for the next image or the backspace key for the previous image.  Press the “t” key to view thumbnails.  It’s easy and fast.

Other minor functions are the typical ones found with most image viewers.  You can flip, rotate, mirror, adjust contrast and brightness, etc.  You can also use the program as a movie viewer, but it’s not the best.

Did I mention that this program is fast?  If you’ve got a lot of pictures on your hard drive, why not download it and give it a try?  I think you might use it regularly.  You can download VuePrint here.

If you like this program, just tell everyone that you’ve got a SWLAPCUG extra, a bonus perk, a small gift, a present from the club: a little lagniappe.

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Format Factory – Originally Published October 2012

July 18, 2014 Posted by Tiny

Some Lagniappe for You
By Tiny Ruisch

la·gniappe (lnyp, ln-yp)
n. Chiefly Southern Louisiana & Mississippi
1. A small gift presented by a store owner to a customer with the customer’s purchase.
2. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. Also called regionally boot.

When you click on a link or a file, do you often get an error message telling you that Windows can’t open it?  Then it goes on to tell you that Windows will be happy to connect to the internet and download a program to open the file?

Often that isn’t the best solution.  You might end up with a program you don’t really want on your computer.  Instead of installing Quick Time, Adobe, or some other program, why not just change the file to something that you can open?

Format Factory is a program that converts video, audio and picture files into different formats.  As I write this, it currently converts video files into thirteen different formats.  There are eleven output formats for audio files.  Picture files can be converted into eight formats.  Additionally, you can convert DVDs and CDs into video, audio and ISO/CSO files.

With Format Factory, you can often repair damaged video and audio files and reduce their sizes.  Although I haven’t personally tested it, the program also includes a video and an audio joiner.

The software is extremely easy to use.  In the left hand pane, select the type of program you want to convert.  A sub-menu will open, allowing you to check which file format you want to convert to.  Next, you have to select the file or files to convert, set any options such as sound levels, subtitle fonts, etc.  There are too many options to list in this article.

Format Factory is free of charge for both commercial and personal use.  It is only available for the Windows Operating System (all versions).  Donations are accepted.  There is an extensive help file that rarely needs to be checked.  The program is very intuitive and easy to use.  Give it a try. I think you’ll like it.  You can find more information and download the program from the website.

If you like this program, just tell everyone that you’ve got a SWLAPCUG extra, a bonus perk, a small gift, a present from the club: a little lagniappe.

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Malware Bytes Anti-Malware – Originally Published September 2012

July 16, 2014 Posted by Tiny

Some Lagniappe for You
By Tiny Ruisch

la·gniappe (lnyp, ln-yp)
n. Chiefly Southern Louisiana & Mississippi
1. A small gift presented by a store owner to a customer with the customer’s purchase.
2. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. Also called regionally boot.

If you’ve read any of my past articles, you know that I’m a big fan of preventive maintenance on my computers.  I can honestly say that since I bought my first computer in the last century, my security was only breached one time.  One of the programs I use to keep my computers clean is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free.

On their website, they brag that “Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free utilizes Malwarebytes powerful technology to detect and remove all traces of malware including worms, trojans, rootkits, rogues, dialers, spyware and more.”  The proof of that statement resides in the fact that they have been in business since 2004, a long time in computer years.  I have never read a bad review of the product on any of the many technical sites that I frequent.

The program is easy to use.  After installation, you will see a simple, tabbed interface.  The first thing to do is check for updates.  This will make sure that the latest anti-malware definitions have been loaded.  In the scanner section, you can select either quick scan or full system scan.  The quick scan usually takes about ten minutes.  The full system scan may take up to several hours, depending on your computer speed, memory, etc.

One of the features I like is the option to create a right click context menu.  If you enable this setting, right clicking on any file will scan it.  This usually takes about ten seconds.

Anti-Malware Bytes Free is the exact same program as the paid version, Anti-Malware Bytes Professional, which retails for $29.95.  The features added in the Professional program are automatic updates and real time scanning.  You can often find it on sale at a considerable discount.

This is one of the programs that I’ve given serious consideration to purchasing.  Give it a try. I think you’ll like it.  Malwarebytes can be downloaded here.

If you like this program, just tell everyone that you’ve got a SWLAPCUG extra, a bonus perk, a small gift, a present from the club: a little lagniappe.

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Kaspersky TDSS Killer – Originally Published June 2012

July 15, 2014 Posted by Tiny

Some Lagniappe for You
By Tiny Ruisch

la·gniappe (lnyp, ln-yp)
n. Chiefly Southern Louisiana & Mississippi
1. A small gift presented by a store owner to a customer with the customer’s purchase.
2. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. Also called regionally boot.

A TDSS Rootkit is designed to work together with malware on your computer.  Once this rootkit manages to get inside the system, it downloads and executes other threats, interrupts its victims with annoying ads and disables them from using security and other programs.  It is known under several names and is one of the most advanced and aggressive rootkits today.  The reason rootkits are so dangerous is because malicious programs can use them to hide any file, process, folder, or registry keys from detection by an anti-malware program.  This makes it almost impossible for a security scanner to repair the damage once a system has been infected.  Sophisticated rootkits even install invisible services and drivers that can transmit personal data to hackers or hijack the computer for botnet attacks, phishing and spam distribution purposes.

The Kaspersky TDSSKiller is a utility that does one thing: detect and remove known rootkits.  The download is a zipped folder with two files.  The first is the End User License Agreement which consists of six short paragraphs.  The other file is an .exe that scans your computer.  It is a stand alone utility and does not install anything in your registry.  When you run the program, it first checks for updates.  The scan takes about ten seconds on my computers.  After scanning, you might have to reboot your computer.

To download the utility, click here.  For more information and complete instructions, check this Kaspersky FAQ.

If you like this program, just tell everyone that you’ve got a SWLAPCUG extra, a bonus perk, a small gift, a present from the club: a little lagniappe.

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Open Office – Originally Published March 2012

July 14, 2014 Posted by Tiny

Some Lagniappe for You
By Tiny Ruisch

la·gniappe (lnyp, ln-yp)The pr
n. Chiefly Southern Louisiana & Mississippi
1. A small gift presented by a store owner to a customer with the customer’s purchase.
2. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. Also called regionally boot.

As I write this article, you can purchase Microsoft Office from Amazon for $202.99  If you have a student ID, it is only $123.49.  There is another method for saving yourself some cash.

OpenOffice can be downloaded and used entirely free of any license fees.  OpenOffice is released under the Lesser General Public License.  This means you may use it for any purpose – domestic, commercial, educational, public administration.  You may install it on as many computers as you like.  You may make copies and give them away to family, friends, students, employees – anyone you like.  (If you check their website, you’ll find out that I didn’t write this fancy paragraph all by myself).

OpenOffice has five modules.  Writer is a full feature text document editor that many technical writers say is better than Word.  Calc is a spreadsheet program that can completely replace Excel.  Impress is the OpenOffice alternative to Power Point.  Base is a data base module.  Draw is a graphics package.

I’ve got to tell the truth. I regularly use only Writer and Calc.  I’ve got all of the other modules installed in case I have to open a Microsoft Office file.  All of the components of OpenOffice can load and save Office files.

If you do a Google search to compare OpenOffice and Microsoft Office, you will find that many of the sites rate OpenOffice the best choice for personal use and Microsoft Office as best for business use.  This is because with Microsoft, you get technical support if needed.

OpenOffice support is done via an extensive online help the forums on the website.  You can also download a user guide.  There is an online forum for asking and answering questions.  Additionally, several users have created tutorials that demonstrate the ease of using OpenOffice.  If you want to spend some cash, there have been several books written on how to use the software.

For more information, check the OpenOffice website.  You can download OpenOffice here.  Try it.  I think you’ll be convinced.  Like all of the programs featured in my Lagniappe articles, the price of the program is zero.  If you like it, just tell everyone that you’ve got a SWLAPCUG extra, a bonus perk, a small gift, a present from the club: a little lagniappe.

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Key Tweak – Originally Published February 2012

July 11, 2014 Posted by Tiny

Some Lagniappe for You
By Tiny Ruisch

la·gniappe (lnyp, ln-yp)The pr
n. Chiefly Southern Louisiana & Mississippi
1. A small gift presented by a store owner to a customer with the customer’s purchase.
2. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. Also called regionally boot.

My left pinky finger is a real klutz when I’m typing on my keyboard.  I’m a touch typist and seldom look at the keyboard when I’m writing.  Many times, I hit the caps lock key instead of the shift key.  Then, a few minutes later, I’ve found that I’ve typed a paragraph or two in all capital letters.  There are many utilities that will convert letters case, but I’ve found an easy way to avoid them in the first place.

KeyTweak is a simple utility that allows you to redefine your keyboard input signals.  The goal of the program is to make remapping keys easy and manageable.  It’s easy to use.  The installer is only a 0.3 MB download, and runs on Windows 2000 and above.  When you run it, you’ll see a map of the keyboard.  With a few clicks you can change one or more key assignments.

Other features of the program are:

A simple interface;
Ability to Teach remapping by pressing the keys to be remapped;
Easy to read lists of all current and pending re-mappings;
Remove all re-mappings with a single button; and
Enable/disable annoying keys.

If you decide to try this program and later remove it from your computer, you must remember to restore your keyboard to its original values.  To download the program, just go to your favorite download site (CNET, Major Geeks, Tucows, Softpedia, etc.) and search for “keytweak”.

Like all of the programs featured in my Lagniappe articles, the price of the program is zero.  If you like it, just tell everyone that you’ve got a SWLAPCUG extra, a bonus perk, a small gift, a present from the club: a little lagniappe.

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