Posts Tagged: ‘Review’

Seeing AI (2024-02)

January 28, 2024 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t been sold on the artificial intelligence (AI) trend that seems to be taking over the world.  So far, it seems to be mostly smoke and mirrors hype.  Will jobs be lost, or just different?  That was said about every technological advancement.  Will it take over the world?  I’ve heard that story before.  Will AI create misinformation on the internet?  I’ll just wait to find out what George Washington and Abe Lincoln have to say about it.

Like many people, I’ve played around with AI.  A couple of months ago, I used it to write this column.  I’ve made some pictures and had several conversations with ChatGPT.  Mostly, I’ve been bored with AI.

Then I found Seeing AI, an app for both Android and IOS.  It is a Microsoft app that aims to help blind and low-vision folks understand more of the world around them with the assistance of their smartphone’s cameras and AI-powered narration.  My vision is pretty good when I wear my eyeglasses, but I’ve still found Seeing AI to be useful.

Seeing AI opens and immediately activates a live camera with voice narration built into the app.  Voice types and tempo can be changed in settings.  There are several functions that you can utilize with a simple tap.

Short Text – reads text that you point your camera at.
Document – is similar to Short Text, but more sophisticated. It can read and scan complete documents.
Product – is a bar code reader.
Scene – takes a picture and describes it in detail.
Person – identifies people.
Currency – identifies money.
Color – tells whatever color your camera is pointed at.
Handwriting – still experimental. Recognizes handwriting.
Light – plays a tone that changes pitch depending on how much ambient light there is.

In the Google Play Store, Microsoft says it doesn’t collect or share any user data. Would they lie to us?
Thanks for reading.

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WordHippo Website Review (2024-01)

January 24, 2024 Posted by Tiny

This month I’d like to tell you about a website that I use nearly every day.  I do a lot of writing.  LibreOffice and Scribus are the two main programs I use to edit most of the written material.  The WordHippo is the site I use for tools to (hopefully) help me do a better job with my content.

WordHippo was originally launched in 2008 as a site to find rhyming words.  It has evolved to include a thesaurus, dictionary, antonyms, word finder and many other word tools.  There are many sites on the internet that do these things.  This is the only one I have found where everything is on one easy to navigate page.

A complete list of word actions include:
• Synonyms – the thesaurus is the default home page.
• Antonyms – gives an extensive list of opposite words.
• Definitions – a pretty much standard dictionary.
• Rhymes – it even almost found a rhyme for purple.
• Sentences – gives several examples of word usage.
• Translations – only translates to and from 99 languages (some that I’ve never heard of).
• Word Unscramble – there are a lot of filters in this section.
• Find Words – you can select the number of letters and find words for Words With Friends, Scrabble and Crosswords. You can specify starting or ending letters. There are many more finding functions.
• Word Forms – finds plurals, past tense, present tense and more.
• Pronunciations – reads words and sentences aloud.

For the most part, the website is easy to use.  It utilizes a tabbed layout.  Entering a word in one section usually carries over to the other functions.  I turned off my ad blocker for the site.  There was only one advertisement on the right side of my monitor.  There are apps for both iOS and Android.  I haven’t tested them.

Give Word Hippo a try.  Everything is free and there are no up‑sells for a paid version.

Thanks for reading.

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Scribus Review (2023-11)

October 29, 2023 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Do you send out an annual Christmas letter to all of your relatives?  Do you like to make personalized greeting cards and party invitations?  Do you make a lot of posters?  Are you writing the next great novel?  Would you like to make your own personal calendar?  Would you like to edit the Cajun Clickers Computer Club Newsletter?

If the answer to any of those questions is yes, you probably need some good desktop publishing software.  There are many programs you could buy: Microsoft Publisher, PrintMaster, The Print Shop and PagePlus, to name a few of the more well known ones.  These programs will set you back anywhere from forty to two hundred dollars or more.  Like much other software, some of them are purchased via subscription.

If you’re thrifty like me, you could download and use an open source program that does everything the paid programs do and more.  I’ve been using Scribus Open Source Desktop Publishing to edit and publish the club newsletter since I replaced Pat as the editor.  I’ve been a Scribus user for more than ten years now.  I’ve come to think of the program as a word processor on steroids.

With Scribus you can create single or multi-page documents which can be single or double sided.  You can also create three or four fold documents for making brochures.  After your document is created, you simply have to insert text or image frames.  All the frames can be re‑sized, dragged and dropped or copy and pasted, etc.  You can also enter your data directly on the page, but it is much easier to create a frame.

Although I haven’t used all of the features, you can also insert render tables, frames, tables, shapes and much more.  There is also an insert barcode option.  I might research that feature in the future.  Wouldn’t it be cool to be reading a newsletter article and scan a barcode to get more information?

A search of the internet will yield several sites where you can find free templates for everything from creating a comic book or magazine to printing your own newspaper.  You can also create and save your own templates.

I’ve done that for the newsletter.  Every month, several of the pages are nearly the same.  I just load the template, change the dates, meeting information, speaker’s biography, etc.  Then it is just a matter of inserting articles, pictures, web site charts, etc.  My template is twelve pages, but it is a simple mouse click on the menu to add, delete or rearrange pages as needed.

There are a few other things about Scribus you should know.  If you want to use the print preview, you have to install the interpreter Ghostscript.  Ghostscript is a non-harmful open source program, but it is more software on your computer.  Scribus will work without Ghostscript, but is more useful when it is installed.

Scribus has a medium difficulty learning curve.  Most items are intuitive and work much like any word processor.  Others are not.  For instance, to insert a hyperlink, you have to highlight the text and then select “Insert PDF Text Field”.  Then the inserted field has to be edited and the hyperlink inserted.  It was a pain in the you know what at first, but after about the tenth time, it became second nature.  For everything I have had difficulty with, it has been easy to find help and solutions in either the Scribus Wiki or an internet search.

Scribus is open source with versions for Windows, Mac, Linux and some other Operating Systems.  There is also a portable version.  You can download the software at Get Scribus.  If you have a need for desktop publishing software, give it a try.  The cost is zero dollars, plus tax.

Thanks for reading.

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PDF-Echange Editor (2023-04)

March 19, 2023 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Did you ever notice how the default programs in Windows often aren’t always the best?  The default PDF Editor is the Microsoft Edge browser.  It is pretty basic.  It is adequate for reading PDFs and making minor changes.

There are a lot of good alternative PDF viewers.  The one that I usually use is PDF‑Xchange Editor from Tracker Software.  Its design is clear and easy to use.  The program has different tools for working with documents including typing text and editing, drawing diagrams, creating stamps, underscoring and styles, entering commentaries, notes and more.  In fact, I haven’t personally used every free editing feature.

Here is a partial list of free features:
● Full Document Spellchecker
● Multi-Language document OCR
● Full Page Text Content Editing
● OCR image based/scanned PDF to fully text searchable PDF files
● Add Comments and Annotations to any PDF file (subject to security settings)
● Mark-up pages with text and objects
● Type directly on any PDF page
● Export PDF pages or entire files to any one of the supported Image formats
● Extract text from a PDF page/File
● Fill and Save forms to disk, email or ‘post’
● Full Java-script engine included
● Plug-Ins for major browser
● Auto Highlight Fillable Form Fields
● Document Search
● Add/Edit Hyperlinks to pages
● Support for PDF File Attachments
● Send PDF files via email from viewer
● Undo/Redo functionality for text editor
● Add/Edit/Move Bookmarks

You can also extract or delete entire pages from a long PDF file and embed new content like text, images, blank pages or entire PDF documents.  PDF‑Xchange Editor can also convert documents between PDF and Word formats.  It even includes an OCR (optical character recognition) for converting scanned documents into editable text.  Note: I haven’t tested the OCR.

Installation is simple and fast.  When you run the program, you get every feature of the licensed program.  When clicking on various items, a pop‑up window opens and informs you if you are attempting to use an enhanced feature.  You can still use the feature, but any pages will be watermarked.  This is a subtle method of getting you to purchase a license.  If you do a lot of PDF editing, it might be a worthwhile purchase.

Like many programs, there is a “free” and licensed option.  Very few free editors will let you add new content to documents.  This alone is a good reason to make it your new default app for PDFs.  You can download PDF‑Xchange Editor from the publishers web site.  It is only available for Windows.

Thanks for reading.

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ChatGPT (2023-02)

February 12, 2023 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

If you have followed any tech news at all, I’m sure that you’ve heard about ChatGPT.  This is one of the latest attempts by OpenAI, a company that describes itself as research and deployment.  Their mission is to ensure that AI (artificial intelligence) benefits all of humanity.

I’ve been wondering if ChatGPT would be useful for a computer club.  The software is easy to use if you want to give it a try, go to the log in page. Although it says to create an account, it isn’t necessary.  Clicking “Log in with your OpenAI account to continue” will open another page.  You can then log in with a Google or Microsoft account.  Using ChatGPT is free, although I would guess that in the future it will probably have a cost.

ChatGPT is a powerful language model that can be used in a variety of applications, including for a computer club.  Here are a few reasons why ChatGPT could be a valuable asset for a computer club:
1.  Generating code snippets: ChatGPT can be used to generate code snippets for a variety of programming languages, making it a useful tool for teaching coding to members of a computer club.
2.  Answering technical questions: ChatGPT can be trained on a specific domain, such as computer science or programming, making it an effective tool for answering technical questions that members of a computer club may have.
3.  Enhancing communication: ChatGPT can be used to generate clear, concise explanations of technical concepts, making it a valuable tool for improving communication within the computer club.
4.  Creating tutorials: ChatGPT can be used to generate step-by-step tutorials for various programming languages and technologies, making it a useful resource for members of a computer club who are looking to learn new skills.
5.  Personalized assistance: With chatGPT, computer club members can receive personalized assistance with their projects and questions, which can help them to learn more effectively and efficiently.

Overall, ChatGPT’s natural language processing capabilities and ability to be trained on specific domains make it a valuable tool for a computer club.  It can assist in teaching coding, answering technical questions, enhancing communication, creating tutorials and providing personalized assistance to members of a computer club.

Did I mention that except for the first two paragraphs, this article was written by ChatGPT?
Thanks for reading.

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StartAllBack (2022-10)

October 2, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Back in December, I wrote about my first impressions on using Windows 11 on my new laptop.  I’m happy to report that I have found a solution for my biggest grievance.  My taskbar is back where it belongs on the left side of my screen.  I have my extra inch of vertical screen back.  I also have a few other task bar features back that I didn’t think were real important.  I’ve since discovered that they are.

How did I accomplish this?  I downloaded and installed a new utility.  StartAllBack is one of many programs that promises to enhance the Windows 11 start menu.  In addition to allowing me to place the task bar where I want it, there are many other options that I have found to be useful.

StartAllBack reverts most aspects of the start menu and taskbar to Windows 10 style.  In some areas you can select to use Windows 7 features.  The original looks and position of the taskbar are restored.  Task icons are assigned labels, the size and the margins of the icons can be adjusted, and the taskbar can be split into segments.  The taskbar can be moved to any of the four edges of the monitor.

I haven’t tested this, but the program also allows you to go back to the old style Windows File Explorer.  This feature isn’t useful to me because I’ve used a custom file explorer for many years.

There are way too many settings to explain in this short article.  The web site FAQ page says you can download the trial version and test it for 30 days.  In actuality, I got a trial for 100 days.  After the trial period, the program will still work, but in limited mode.  The Start Menu will be blank and on every boot you’ll be nagged about the evaluation period being over.

If Microsoft doesn’t update the Windows 11 Task Bar and Start Menu, I’m pretty sure that this is one of the few programs that I will actually buy.  The cost is $4.99 for a lifetime license.  This is reasonable for all the features the program provides.  If you are frustrated with the Windows 11 Start Menu and Task Bar, you can download AllStarBack and give it a try.

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.

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Winaero Tweaker (2021-04)

July 24, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

I’ll admit it.  Sometimes I suffer from mild OCD.  It kicked in again a while back when I was looking at my desktop and saw all those useless little arrows on my icons.  You know the ones I mean.  They indicate that the icon is just a shortcut to open a program.  I already knew that.  After all, it was me that put the shortcut there to begin with.  I remembered reviewing a program years ago.  In December 2014, I wrote a review about the Windows Shortcut Arrow Editor.  It was a simple utility that did only one thing ‑ removed the shortcut arrow.  I plugged in my backup drive, went to the proper folder and found that the program only supported Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8.

I went to the developer’s website and sadly, I found that this simple utility was no longer there.  Instead, I found this message, “After years of development, I decided to release an all‑in‑one application which will include most options available in my free Winaero apps and extend it as much as possible.  I would like to introduce Winaero Tweaker ‑ universal tweaker software which supports Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.”

Although I am not a fan of all‑in‑one‑tweaking programs, I decided to download and give it a try.  An apt one-word description of the software is “awesome”.  It actually makes changes to the Windows Registry without opening a registry editor.  This makes it far less likely that the user will make irrecoverable changes to their computer.  When you download and install the program, it will detect your operating system and display the appropriate interface.  (Note: I have only tested the software on Windows 10 machines.

All the possible tweaks are organized by category, such as Appearance, Behavior, Desktop and Taskbar, etc.  At the very top, Winaero Tweaker also provides your basic system information.  The various options are all described with clear language.  Clicking an option will give you greater detail.  Each tweak also has a link that says, “See in detail how this tweak works.”  Clicking the link will take you to the Winaero website for a detailed description of what the program will change on your system.  There is also an option in the “File Menu” to reset to defaults.

Another useful section is the “Bookmarks” where you can add tweaks that you use most often.  For instance, many users like to change their screen colors, themes, etc.  There are far too many tweaks for me to explain them all in this short article.  For a complete list check out the developer’s web site: The list of Winaero Tweaker features.

The program is freeware.  You can download Winaero Tweaker by downloading the ZIP file.  Extract all the files from the ZIP and run WinaeroTweaker.exc.  The FAQs have indicated that this might change in the future.  If that happens, I will give some serious consideration to purchasing it.

By to way, my desktop looks a lot better without all those shortcut arrows.

Thanks for reading.

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Finding Free Software (2020-06)

July 13, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

This month, I thought I’d tell you about a few web sites where you can find reviews and links for useful, free software.

Before you start downloading, don’t forget the old adage: “There is no such thing as a free lunch.”  The same thing goes for free software.  The cost isn’t cash out of your pocket, but is usually information of one sort or another.  Read the licensing agreement before you hit the install button.  Often, free software comes with other downloads that you may or may not want to install.  Once again, make sure you read every installer screen and make sure what you are getting is what you want.

Enough warnings.  On to the sites.

One of my favorite software review sites is Gizmo’s Freeware.  This site is staffed by volunteers that review different categories of freeware.  On the main page are links to “Best Freeware Lists” and “Freeware Categories”.  Both links take you to lists of what the editors consider the best free software.  On the right side of the page are links to recently reviewed or updated software articles.  There are also many other areas on the site that you can explore for more information.

Freeware Geeks is a free software directory site.  As I write this article, there are 2204 programs listed in twelve categories.  Clicking on a program title, will give you a short synopsis of the program and a link to the download site.

The Source Forge is dedicated to making open source projects successful.  This site is more technically oriented.  Much of the software is still being developed.  All of the programs are open source, which means anyone can download the code.

NirSoft is a one man website.  All of the programs were written by Nir Sofer.  They are mostly utility software.  All of the programs are freeware.

There are some sites that offer free downloads of commercial software.  Companies often use these to give a free temporary licenses in the hope that you will like their offerings and pay to renew them.  Sometimes the programs are older versions.  There are a few sites that I check frequently.  Occasionally, you can find something useful.
Giveaway of the Day offers one program each day.  You have twenty-four hours to download and install.  One feature of site I like is the user comments.  Free alternatives are often mentioned.  Giveaway Radar is an aggregator site that lists offerings from several sites.  All of the listed software must have a license of at least six months.

There are a lot of other sources for free software besides the ones I’ve listed.  Many of them are very good and can be trusted.  Others are not.  Research before you download.

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.

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Free Commander XE (2020-03)

July 13, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

This month at the club’s Windows 10 SIG, a video was shown demonstrating the many improvements Microsoft has made in Windows Explorer.  That got me to thinking how much I like the replacement program that I use.

Windows Explorer was first released in Windows 95 as a replacement for File Manager.  It is the interface for accessing the Windows file system.  Windows Explorer is also the interface that controls many items on the monitor such as the task bar and the desktop.  In short, it is a necessary program for operating your Windows computer.  Over the years, Windows Explorer has morphed into what is commonly known as Windows File Explorer.  Enhancements to the program have included, the task pane, search and image handling, to name just a few.

As in many other facets of Windows, third party developers have released enhancements or replacements to the File Explorer.  An internet search will give you listings for hundreds of them.  Years ago, I used XYPlorer.  This is an excellent program which I liked.  It is a paid program which I got for free as a Giveaway of the Day.  Since the program didn’t include updates, I decided it was time to move on.

About eight years ago, I started using FreeCommander XE, an easy to use alternative to the Windows File Manager.  It has a friendly user interface and can be easily adapted to your individual needs and desires.  There are more features than I can use.  I’ve disabled many of them, which is another good feature of the program.

One of the main features is the dual pane interface.  If you do a lot of file copying or moving, it is easy to drag and drop from one pane to another.  With Windows File Explorer, you would have to have another open window.

My favorite feature is the tabbed interface.  Instead of having to open a new window for each file location I access, The FreeCommander window lets you open as many tabs as you need.  I always have easy access to my most common locations.  Tabs can be locked so that you don’t accidentally close them.

There are four optional toolbars.  Toolbars can be resized.  I haven’t counted the number of toolbar commands available, but there are at least 150.  Nearly every toolbar button can be customized by the user.  However you handle files, I believe FreeCommander XE will do the job for you.

The last feature I’m going to mention is the favorites menu.  Everyone has favorite folders, files and programs that they access often when using the computer.  FreeCommander has an excellent favorites folder that can be accessed from anywhere in the program.  Remember that there is only one window that ever needs to be opened.

Did I mention the best feature?  FreeCommander XE is freeware and can be used free of charge for both private and professional purposes.  For those that are interested, the program also has a portable version.  Click here for screenshots of the program.

I’ve barely skimmed the features of this software.  I think if you try it, you’ll never go back to File Explorer.  You can download the program from the FreeCommander XE download page.

Keep on clicking and thanks for reading.

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File Menu Tools (2019-09)

July 12, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

This month I’d like to tell you about one of my favorite utility programs.  I’ve got it installed on all of my computers and have been using it for more than ten years.  I first reviewed this program in July 2009.  The program has gotten even better since then.  Like many other free programs, the programmer has a donate button on his website.  I like the program so much that I hit the PayPal button a long time ago.  Maybe it is about time I gave him a few more dollars.

FileMenu Tools lets you customize the right click menu of Windows Explorer.  It also works with all of the alternate explorer programs that I’ve tried.  The program adds utilities to perform operations on files and folders and adds customized commands that let you run external applications, copy or move to a specific folder or delete specific file types.

With the built in commands you can:
• Run With Parameters – Runs a program with parameters you input in a dialog box.
• Command Line From Here – Opens a command line window.
• Copy/Move – No need to cut and paste. You can also use filters in file selection.
• Duplicate Files – Makes a copy in the same folder.
• Pack to Folder – Moves all the selected elements to new sub‑folder in the current folder.
• Copy Path/Name/Content – Copies the selected item(s) to the clipboard.
• Attributes – You can view and change them without having to open a properties dialog box.
• Find and Replace – Lets you find or replace a text for all the files in a selected folder.
• Advanced Rename – With lots of options.
• Change Icon – Changes the icon for the selected folder.
• Change Attributes – Quickly and easily change folder options.
• Advanced Delete – Lets you delete specific file types in a folder.
• Synchronize Two Folders – Lets you synchronize two folders quickly and easily.
• Shred Files – Overwrites several times so it is impossible to recover the file in the future.
• Send to Mail Recipient – Lets you send an e‑mail with selected elements as attachments.

These are less than half of the FileMenu commands you can select from.  In the configuration menu, a simple check will turn off the commands you don’t want.  If you can’t find the FileMenu function you need, then just add a customized command to run external applications, copy/move to a specific folder or delete specific file types.

FileMenu Tools lets you configure the “Send to” sub‑menu.  You can add new items, change the properties of the existing items or delete them.  You also can disable existing “Send to” items in order to hide them from the menu.

FileMenu Tools will also let you enable/disable the commands which are added to the context menu of the Windows Explorer by other programs.  This is the only function that is not one hundred percent reliable.  When it works, it works well, but it doesn’t catch all of the programs that add a right click.

FileMenu Tools is a 12.90 MB download and runs on all Windows platforms.  Open Candy is used during the installation process but can be refused with a check mark.  Did I mention the price?  This program is freeware and costs nothing.

Download FileMenu Tools and give the program a test.  I’m pretty sure that you’ll like it.  While you’re on the Lopesoft website, you can also download and test LopeEdit Lite, an excellent alternative to Windows Notepad.

Keep on clicking and thanks for reading.

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