The interface is different as well. Open Office 4 Kids makes use of less buttons in the interface and divides them into a header toolbar and sidebar. The changes are slim at the moment but the developers have plans to implement additional changes in future releases. The main difference on the other hand is that Open Office 4 Kids is a simplified version of Open Office.

As you probably know, the OpenOffice.org Education Project aims to create a bridge between Educational world an OpenOffice.org, through several actions. One of the results is OOo4Kids

The development release 0.5 of Open Office 4 Kids can be downloaded from the project website. It is available for Microsoft Windows, Linux and Apple Macintosh operating systems.

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While Windows 7 support is probably the stand-out feature of the True Crypt 6.3 release there are a few others additions and changes that might be interesting to some users. TrueCrypt 6.3 adds full support for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard as well which should please Mac users who use the software program.

Another addition to this release of the disk encryption software is the “system favorite volumes” option. This comes in handy “when you have volumes that need to be mounted before system and application services start and before users start logging on. It is also useful when there are network-shared folders located on a TrueCrypt volume and you need to ensure that the network shares will be restored by the system each time it is restarted.”

The latest version of True Crypt can be downloaded from the developer’s website where it is available for all supported operating systems.

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The program will automatically display all available and supported audio and video devices during first run. To start a video conference users need to be selected from the address book. The first step after installation of the software is therefor to add users to the address book. The username that was registered at the iVisit website needs to be added to add the user to the software program.

It is then possible to call or send messages to users that have been added to the address book. The sharing tools can be used to share documents with another user. It is for instance possible to share documents, presentations, applications, web browsers and even the whole desktop.

Presentation Sharing

Web Browser Sharing

The software is available for Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh computers. A mobile version is also available for Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional. Interested users can download the video conferencing and collaboration software at the iVisit website.

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If speed is the main issue the relatively new pdf file viewer MuPDF could be an option. MuPDF is a bare-bones pdf file viewer with a low memory footprint and the fastest pdf loading times that we have experienced until now. The pdf reader is a portable Open-Source cross-platform program for Windows, Linux and Mac OS operating systems.

Users can either execute the program which will open a small file browser to pick a PDF document or link the pdf file extension to the program so that it will be automatically the viewer of choice for pdf files.

MuPDF is perfect for users who want a portable resource friendly pdf reader. It comes with a few keyboard shortcuts to navigate documents more easily but lacks the functionality of Foxit Reader or Adobe Reader.

• L, R Rotate page in 90° increments
• +, – Zoom in and out
• W Shrink wrap window
• N, space Next page
• B, backspace Previous page
• Shift-N Skip 10 pages forward
• Shift-B Skip 10 pages backward
• M Mark page for snap back
• T Pop back to last mark
• 123G Go to page

Not everyone needs advanced functionality but some users might miss options to copy text, search for text or print a selection of the pdf file. MuPDF on the other hand is probably the best solution for users who want to view – and only view – pdf files on their computer system without having to download and install a software program. A Firefox add-on is provided by the developer as well to view pdf documents on the Internet.

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Deployment could not be easier. The network administrator needs to install KontrolPack on all computer systems that should be managed or used to manage the network. The client systems then need to be started in client mode while the administrative systems need to be started in administrative mode.

Network administrators can then, among other things use functionality like:

• Handle remote shell command execution.
• Share files between remote computers.
• Manage your network: LAN (Local Area Network).
• Get an overview of the workstations on your LAN.
• Lightweight XML based message exchange between client and server.
• Handle each client with a personalized tab panel.
• Send commands simultaneously to all computers on your LAN.

You can manage your computers and execute the same shell commands on them regardless of the operating system. On top of this, it provides an easy interface that can be used to view your LAN activity and manage your network without difficulties.

Users who are using this software on any supported operating system will be able to perform administrative tasks remotely on multiple computers that run on different operating systems without any technical issues.

For example, from a machine running a GNU/Linux distribution you can send an order to a hundred computers running MS Windows telling them to restart or to defrag their root partition. You can also retrieve IP addresses and routing tables from a variety of computers in order to help manage a network. Sometimes single commands are not enough, and it is possible to execute batch files and scripts simultaneously throughout the network

All different platform releases of the network management software KontrolPack are available from the developer’s website.

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One of the best ways of accessing these services from outside the supported countries is to use a VPN, a virtual private network. This is helpful for citizens on holidays who want to access the services abroad but also – obviously – for users from other countries who want to access the services.

UltraVPN was discovered by Nakodari from Addictive Tips and we have to say that it is one of the easiest solutions right now. It works great currently and gives access to Hulu, Pandora and all the other US-only websites and services out there. The streaming quality is excellent unlike that of other free competitors (like Hotspot Shield). Our guess however is that it is only a matter of time – thanks to popularity – before the performance of UltraVPN will get a dent or two as well.

Installation is a breeze. All the user needs is to create an account at the UltraVPN website (only username and password required). The VPN setup is available for Windows and Mac OS. The username and password have to be supplied on startup. The vpn service will notify the user that the computer has been connected to it. What’s left is to access the websites and services to test the speed and quality of the service.

Head over to the Ultra VPN website to download the client, create an account and access additional information about the virtual private network. The vpn service has been successfully tested with Hulu, ABC and Pandora.

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FreeRapid Downloader is a downloader for several dozens free file hosting websites. It uses a plugin based system to enable support for the different file hosting websites. These plugins are automatically checked and updated from within the program’s interface.

One interesting aspect of the file hosting downloader is that it is available for Windows, Linux and Mac if Java is installed on the computer systems. There are multiple ways of getting links into the downloader. The downloader automatically monitors the clipboard to become active whenever a link that is pointing to a file hosting website is copied into the clipboard. That’s a very comfortable way of handling downloads unless multiple links need to be added to the software program.

The second option is available in the program itself. It is possible to copy one or multiple links into the interface which are then processed by the software. The free file hosting downloader will then automatically start downloading files that are in its queue. It can check for availability and will display an error message if files are not available anymore.

The options are quite extensive ranging from automatic update options to proxy servers to alerts and error handling. The main benefit of using this program is its simplicity. It works really well and the only downside that users might find is the missing support for premium accounts that are offered by some of the file hosting websites. FreeRapid Downloader can be downloaded from the developer’s website. Check out the Rapidshare Search article for some options to search the popular file hosting website.

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The program will display on word and five definitions at a time. The user selects an answer with the 1-5 keys on the keyboard. It is also possible to press ESC to see the result. Pressing ESC will count as a wrong answer on the other hand.

Words will then let the user know about the correctness of the answer. The program will furthermore display the pronunciation of the word, its meaning(s),synonyms and links to the definition at dict.org.

The m key on the keyword will add the word to the list of words that have been mastered by the current user while the enter key will display the next word that has not been mastered yet. All words in the database will be tested by default. This can be changed in the program’s options to only test words that are starting with a specific letter or fall into one of several categories.

Words is a good program for users who want to prep for GRE, GMAT or SAT tests and those who want to improve their English vocabulary.

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The changelog lists all of the changes and additions that the developers have packed into the new release of the VLC Player including live recording, finer speed controls, new HD codecs (AES3, Dolby Digital Plus, Real video 3.0 and 4.0), formats, video scaling in full screen or zipped file playback. VLC Media Player can still play most video and audio formats out of the box without needing third party codec installations to do so.

VLC Player is still cross platform which means that the new release is available for all supported operating systems including Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OSX and Linux. Users can download the new release directly from the developer’s website.

A viable alternative is SMPlayer which uses less resources than VLC Player while providing most of the benefits.

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The photo maps that are created with the software program can then be published on the web or stored locally. 93 Photo Street is a Java application that is available for Windows and Macintosh operating systems. Users need to import both maps and photos into the software to create the photo maps. Included in the photo software are US road maps which makes it easier for users from the United States (or those that visited the country) to create photo maps.

The photo map creation process is pretty straightforward. It begins with the import of a map and photos. The map is instantly displayed in the application. Pins can be dragged onto the map which represent locations of importance to the user. Photos can then be added to these locations on the map along with a short description (name) for the location.

93 Photo Street supports posting the finished photo map to Typepad or Moveable Type web blogs or to create a generic file using web templates.

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Subsonic is a Java application which, as we all know, has its advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages is that it is available for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. To setup the service users need to install the computer program and check the Subsonic Music Streamer service to configure it further. Subsonic will automatically start its service which can be accessed by pointing the web browser to http://localhost:80/. Some users might run into troubles using that port which can be changed in the configuration.

The username and password admin will allow the user to add music to the program and change configuration settings. Subsonic does not come with a file browser which means that it is necessary to paste the path(s) to the music folder(s) manually into the interface.

The music is added automatically then which takes only a second to complete. Subsonic displays all band names in a left sidebar making it very easy to access the music collection. Songs can be played in the interface directly or in an external mp3 player which is configurable in the options.

Information about music including mp3 tags and album art are displayed directly on screen with links pointing to various popular sites like Last.fm, Wikipedia, Amazon and Google to look up additional information.

The admin can change many aspects of the application in the options. This starts with welcome and login messages, continues with user management and permission settings and ends with the ability to add podcasts and Internet radio.

Subsonic has to run on the local computer system before others can access it on a computer network or over the Internet. The number of users able to access it at once depends highly on the computer hardware and network speed.

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The laptop theft recovery software Prey tries to increase the chances by collecting and sending a bunch of information over the Internet. It obviously does not help if the thief is clever enough to format the laptop before using it. If the thief boots the operating system and connects the laptop to the Internet then Prey will be able to submit the data.

Prey works by checking an url regularly for existence. If the url exists it will send out the collected data to a specified email account. The date includes:

This includes the general status of the computer, a list of running programs and active connections, fully-detailed network and wifi information, a screenshot of the running desktop and — in case your laptop has an integrated webcam — a picture of the thief

About the url that has to be created. The laptop theft recovery program has been designed that way to avoid data being send out continuously by the software. Users can for example sign up at a free web hosting service such as Blogger to create the url that the software program checks (for Ghacks it could for example be http://www.ghacks.net/stolen/).

The user needs to specify login data to a s SMTP server so that the data can be transferred. The laptop theft recovery software Prey is available for the Windows, Linux and Macintosh operating system. The Linux and Mac version are currently more advanced and come with a bi-lingual interface, automatic connection to the first open Wi-Fi network.

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Fing can be run with a single command from the command line or started in interactive mode which basically consists of a series of questions and simple answers provided by the user. The first question for example after starting the interactive mode is about the mode the software should run in. Options are discovery, scan or infos.

• Discovery: Will start the network discovery module. The user has to pick a network adapter and answer several additional questions. Fing will generate a network discovery report in the end.
• Scan: Provides the means to scan a remote host, will display ports, services and firewalls running on that server.
• Infos: Displays information about local and remote networks.

Fing offers a selection of output formats such as text, html or csv that can either be displayed directly in the console or saved in a file on the local computer system.

Verdict:

Fing is a fast network discovery tool for command line junkies. The export functionality and speed are excellent, a graphical user interface would be desirable nevertheless.

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Pulptunes is a iTunes music server that can stream mp3 and m4a files over the Internet. The music can then be accessed in any modern web browser including Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Opera. The user can then access the music that is stored on his local computer system over the Internet.

PulpTunes is not only available for Windows operating systems but also Linux and Macintosh. The software program tries to find the location of the iTunes XML file automatically which worked fine on the test system. Linux users and those where it was not found automatically need to add the path to the program manually.

Songs can be played directly in the web browser or downloaded with a right-click. All iTunes playlists and genres are available in the interface which makes it easier to locate albums or songs. A search is also provided to search the music collection.

Advanced options are available that include a basic user management so that only authorized users have access to the web service. Other options include:

• Displays cover art if found
• Generate direct links to songs or playlists to send to your friends
• iTunes DJ integration
• Command-line mode for server environments
• Adjustable buffer level

PulpTunes needs to be running on the local computer system so that users can connect to the service over the Internet.

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A look at the interface might confuse some users as it is packed with many buttons and functions. It can be divided into three parts. The menu toolbar, a sidebar that switches between different display modes and the main window that is divided in two rows as well.

The left sidebar contains the following modes:

• Simple Mode: Contains a listing of all music tracks as well as suggestions on the top which are computed after time.Suggestions include preferred, newest, rarely listen, other albums and similar artists.
• Files: A file browser that displays a directory tree with all music directories that have been added to the software. Filters, covers and a queue to create playlists are provided here as well.
• Tracks: Tracks sorted by genre using their mp3 tags. Filters, covers and the queue are offered in this menu as well.
• Albums: Displays either an album catalog that displays the album art or a albums table. The thumbnail size of the cover can be changed on the fly.
• Playlists: Contains an overview of all playlists on the system. Playlists are divided into new, best of, novelties and bookmarks. Again with options to save playlists.
• Display: Display the cover, lyrics and an animation while playing music. Covers and lyrics are automatically loaded from the Internet.
• Information: Displays information about the current band on Wikipedia.
• Config: Dozens of settings.
• Stats: Displays tracks per monht, size by directory, collection size by month and the genres

The software is packed with additional features that are interesting. It contains a so called DJ mode which makes it easy to create playlists based on factors like proportions (e.g. 20% heavy metal, 30% rock), transitions (Heavy –> Pop) or ambience (Party, Soft).

Additional features of interest:

• Mp3 tag editor (Ogg,ID3 V1/V2, WMA, Flac), Online (CDDB) retagging
• Finding duplicate files
• Configuration of web radios
• Last.fm information queries, scrobble
• CD Scanner
• Keyboard controls
• Alarm clock

Jajuk is an interesting alternative to music management programs like Media Monkey or iTunes.

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Eizo Monitortest is but one of many computer monitor calibration software programs available (read: Online Computer Monitor Calibration, Monitor Calibration Wizard, Easy Monitor Calibration or Calibrate Your Flat Screen Computer Monitor for additional options). The Eizo Monitortest tool has been developed for Eizo computer monitors. It can however be used to calibrate monitors on all computer systems regardless of the connected computer monitor.

The calibration tool is available in three different languages .It will display a series of test screens on startup that can be used to calibrate the monitor correctly. It does not provide a lot of explanation about the tests but its 24 tests should cover all aspects of the process. Tests can be deselected from being run in the program’s settings. The following tests are performed by default:

• Autoadjust Test
• Basic colors test
• Moare test
• Gemoetry test
• Brightness, contrast, homogenity
• Convergence test
• Speed test
• Sharpness test

Eizo Monitortest is a portable application that can be used to calibrate computer monitors. It is available for most Microsoft operating systems and for MacOSX.

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Some of the new features that have been added to Open Office 3.1 are antialiased drawings to smooth the edges of graphics, replying to notes, improved grammar checking, hyperlink management and sorting, control of slideshow media, macro support for Open Office Base, relative database paths, better internationalization for Hebrew and Arabic plus performance improvements (read our Speed up Open Office article for even more tips on how to improve the speed and performance).

The full list of changes and new features can be seen in the official Open Office 3.1 documentation which lists all the major improvements over previous Open Office versions.

Open Office 3.1 is available as a free download for Windows, Linux and Macintosh.

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Mendeley will scan the documents and add metadata automatically. This automatic scan and data extraction works surprisingly well but it is always possible to check and edit data manually after the import has been completed. The online import is controlled by a bookmarklet which sends information about the currently selected document to Mendeley. This could cause some XSS warnings if tools like NoScript are installed.

The desktop application can be synced with the online information to ensure that the data sets are the same. The academic software will include information about the selected research paper, book or document if those are provided by the publication. Information include authors, titles, publishers, keywords, pages, dates and references. Mendely offers the following features in its desktop client:

• Full-text search, tag, share and collaboratively manage your research papers
• Add tags and notes to documents
• Create document groups to organize your papers
• Apply different citation styles
• Export your library to EndNote XML, RIS, or BibTex, or copy library entries formatted in the chosen citation style
• Cite documents in Microsoft Word and automatically create bibliographies

It is possible to use Mendely strictly as a desktop application with syncing it to the online account. This would however mean to miss some of the most powerful features of the academic software. It is for example possible to invite members so that it is possible to share research papers. This is excellent for projects that multiple researchers work on. Users will also be notified about profile updates of their contacts.

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Many users do not know on the other hand that there are fundamental differences between different Intel GMA chipsets. While some chipsets like the GMA 950 support Windows Aero and QuartzGL and provide a solid performance in games many older chipsets do not. This can largely be attributed to the fact that many of these Intel chipsets are underclocked to 133/166 MHz instead of 400 MHz.

GMA Booster (via Shell City) takes this knowledge and provides a software interface for both Windows and Macintosh computers that boosts the chipset clock to 400 MHz without voltage changes or affecting system stability. The program has been tested to be working with the following chipsets: Intel 945GM/GME/GMS/GSE and 943/940GML/GU Express featuring GMA 950).

While a performance boost of up to 2.4 looks good on paper it can be a completely different picture in real life situations. The developers of the software program have tested the performance in 3D Mark 06. The result was an increase of 2.2x in single texturing / multi texturing performance and an 1.8x increase in Pixel Shader frames per seconds.

Values might differ depending on the Intel graphics accelerator that has been build into the laptop but it is usually safe to say that a performance increase is visible and likely.

The only nuisance is that the developers let the software expire frequently. The only option in this case is to download the latest version from the developer’s homepage again.

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F.lux is a small computer software program for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux that adjusts the brightness of the computer monitor according to the time to day. The lighting software will automatically adjust the color temperature of the computer monitor. Speaking in technical terms this means that the software will reduce the Kelvin degrees of the light to make the light feel more natural and pleasing to the eye.

Adjustments to the default settings can be made in the program’s options. This makes it possible to change the Kalvin degrees for the daytime and night, the location of the computer system in the world and the transition speed.

A click in the main interface will run a quick 24-hour preview of the computer light changes. Some users might feel that the color of the night light is to yellow but this can be attributed to the time they view the preview. Still, the light can be adjusted in the options to produce a more natural looking color for the user.

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