More Software Opinion

  • 07 July 2011

  • Opinion: Apple iPad, Day 6: iOS Multitasking

    Desktop operating systems have been multitasking in one way or another for decades. In order for the iPad to fill the shoes of a notebook PC and act as the primary computing platform, it needs to be able to multitask as well. Apple's implementation of multitasking in iOS is not full, or true multitasking, though, so it begs the question of whether it is truly up for the task.

  • 05 July 2011

  • Opinion: WinPatrol Keeps Watch Over Your PC--And It's Still Free

    WinPatrol, the handy security utility that serves as a virtual guard dog is back in its 2011 version. The update adds little in the way of new marquee features, but WinPatrol (free) remains an incredibly useful way to monitor the programs running on your PC--especially those that attempt to make any changes to it.

  • Opinion: Play With an Online Simulator to Learn Camera Settings

    Modern digital cameras make photography so simple that it seems like you just need to press the shutter release to take a good photo. While that might be true for snapshots, there are many situations in which a little knowledge of photography goes a long way to helping you get a better picture. Have you ever wanted to really understand how all the variables--focal length, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and so on--contribute to your photos? A while ago, I explained how you can use a simple point-and-shoot camera like a photo laboratory to experiment with exposure settings, but this week I've got something even cooler: a Web site that simulates the operation of a digital SLR. You can use it to tweak the settings and see the results instantly.

  • Opinion: Clipboard History Makes Easy Work of Cutting and Pasting

    Have you ever copied something to the clipboard, and then copied something else before you pasted? Or opened up Notepad just to hold some text while you copied something else? If yes to either (and I've done both), Outertech's free Clipboard History is likely to be a useful tool.

  • 01 July 2011

  • Opinion: Exporting email addresses from Address Book

    Reader Jim Arsenault seeks to share contacts. He writes:

  • Opinion: Ubuntu Linux, Day 30: What I Learned

    Ubuntu Linux was a pleasant surprise. If I had to sum up my 30 Days With Ubuntu Linux in a sentence, it would be "Ubuntu Linux is more than capable of being the primary desktop OS for most users, but the learning curve will have some bumps."

  • Opinion: Grab, Flatten, and Smooth 3D Animation With Sculptris

    It'll be hard not to hum the Righteous Brothers and imagine a scene with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze after using Sculptris (free), a 3D graphics program that simulates working with real clay. The innovative and extremely user-friendly interface allows you to select real-world commands like pinching, grabbing, flattening and smoothing, and apply them to a clay ball. You can choose symmetry across any axis, create wireframes, and other advanced tools to get your clay sculpture to look exactly how you want. You can even add spheres to the object for massive customization, or change the texture of the object. Ever want to sculpt in liquid metal? Now you can.

  • 30 June 2011

  • Opinion: Ubuntu Linux Day 29: Things I Like About Ubuntu Linux

    As I put the finishing touches on my 30 Days With Ubuntu Linux experience, I am taking the time to reflect on the highs and lows of the last month. Yesterday I shared my five biggest complaints about working with Ubuntu Linux, and now today I will list the five things I appreciated the most.

  • 29 June 2011

  • Opinion: Improve Screen's Readability With ClearType Text Tuner

    If you spend all day in front of the same computer screen, you owe it to yourself to make that screen as readable as possible. Windows 7's built-in text tuning tool, ClearType Text Tuner, lets you do just that.

  • Opinion: Ubuntu Linux, Day 28: My Biggest Ubuntu Linux Complaints

    The time has come. I have reached the end of the 30 Days With Ubuntu Linux series, and it is time to wind down and reflect on my experience. Just as I did last month with 30 Days With Google Docs, I will list my top five complaints, followed by the five things I like the most, and finish up with an overall summary of my thoughts.

  • Opinion: Use Folder Checkboxes To Manage Files More Productively

    If you work with lots of large folders in Windows 7, here's a little trick that can help you manage them more easily. Buried in the Folder and search options menu of Windows 7's Explorer file browser, you'll find a checkbox labeled "Use check boxes to select items." Enable it, and you'll get a really useful tool for selecting multiple folders as you work.

  • Opinion: Lync Is the Unsung Hero of Microsoft Office 365

    After more than eight months of hype from Microsoft and analysis from PCWorld and our peers, Microsoft's cloud-based productivity suite, Office 365, formally goes live Tuesday with Microsoft launch events from New York and around the world.

  • 28 June 2011

  • Opinion: Ubuntu Linux, Day 27: Working With GIMP

    From the very beginning of the 30 Days With Ubuntu Linux series I have had readers comment, tweet, and email me to take a look at GIMP--the GNU Image Manipulation Program. So, as we wind down the 30 days, today's post is dedicated to exploring the photo / image editing tool that is installed with Ubuntu.

  • Opinion: Reader Questions on Thumbtack, Background Blur, and More

    Have a question about digital photography? Send it to me. I reply to as many questions as I can--though given the quantity of e-mails that I get, I can't promise a personal reply to each one. I round up the most interesting questions about once a month here in Digital Focus. For more frequently asked questions, read my newsletters from March, April , and May.

  • Opinion: Apples iCloud is a real memory killer

    Apple's at it again, cruelly dumping its users' memories at the altar of a few pennies more profit.

  • 27 June 2011

  • Opinion: Ubuntu Linux, Day 24: More Secure By Default

    30 Days With Ubuntu Linux: Day 24

  • Opinion: Free Player MusicBee Floats Like a Butterfly

    Your music collection may be gigantic, but your music player doesn't have to be. That's the idea behind MusicBee, a free music player for Windows PCs that's designed to deliver a simple but powerful way to manage your music collection.

  • Opinion: Ubuntu Linux, Day 26: Connecting Peripherals

    What good is a PC if you can't print, or scan, or if your webcam doesn't work. When any new OS comes along, the compatibility of hardware and peripherals can make or break the perception and success of that OS--just ask Windows Vista. So, for today's 30 Days With Ubuntu Linux post, I'm going to take a look at connecting some devices.

  • 24 June 2011

  • Opinion: Ubuntu Linux, Day 23: Would You Like Some Wine With That

    Over the course of the three weeks I have been using Ubuntu so far for the 30 Days With Ubuntu Linux series, there have been sporadic comments suggesting that I just run this app or that app in a virtual Windows environment from within Ubuntu. So, today I am taking a look at Wine.

  • Opinion: Free Nitro PDF Reader Speeds Up, Works in Browsers

    It's leaner, it's meaner, it's Nitro PDF Reader. Available in 32-bit and 64-bit editions, new version 2 of the PDF viewer/creator/editor whose interface mimics Microsoft Office's to a great extent (2007 and now 2010--a good thing in my book), is now noticeably faster both opening and saving PDFs. This is no mean feat, as it was very fast before. Its new browser integration is nice as well.

« first « previous … 76 77 78 79 80 … next » last »