Gear Diary » Desktop Software

Need Your Kids’ Health Records? Find ‘em Online!

Douglas Moran — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:00:10 +0000

In my dreams, the way it works is this: you have a card that you carry, which contains all your medical record information (encrypted, of course). You back up this information on your system at home, and when you go into a new doctor's office, instead of spending 15 minutes filling out a whole bunch of forms that are identical to the forms you've filled out before, you just hand them your card, they zip it through a card reader, you enter your PIN code, and bango, they have the info. No need for forms, and you have access to your medical records whenever you need them. In my dreams. But some people are at least making some decent first steps in that kind of direction. Like MotherKnows: Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Adobe Premiere Elements 10 & Photoshop Elements 10 Review

Michael Anderson — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:00:56 +0000

If you use a Mac, then you probably use iPhoto for basic image editing and iMovie for basic video editing. But what if you use a PC? The tools included there are not nearly as capable, friendly or integrated. And what if you want to go further than the basic editing capabilities of the iTools? That is where Adobe Premiere Elements 10 & Photoshop Elements 10 come in - offering integrated photo and video editing and production tools for both OS X and Windows 7. The folks at Adobe sent me a review copy, so let's take a look! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The Drobo Data Storage System Review

Dan Cohen — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:00:07 +0000

Last fall I applied for and received a grant that will allow my synagogue to build a new technology lab. Within the next few months we will have a number of iMac desktop computers and a host of iPads being used by our kids and adults alike. In fact, I'm working on a special tutorial program for students becoming bar and bat mitzvah that will run on the iPad. It uses the awesome iOS application MentalCase. More on that at a later date. When I found out we were getting the grant, I reached out to a number of companies with whom we work for some assistance. Both Kensington and Zagg were fantastic about Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Protecting Your Business Backbone with Symantic

Dan Cohen — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:45:25 +0000

This post brought to you by Norton Small Business by Symantec. All opinions are 100% mine.

The back bone's connected to the neck bone, the neck bone's connected to the head bone. Small business' the backbone of the economy, technology's the backbone of small business. Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones, Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones... All silly children's songs aside, small business owners know that technology is the backbone of all they do. Yes, in a recent survey of small business owners, nearly one in three respondents (28%) identified technology as one of their top business priorities. Unfortunately Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Deal: Dell Inspiron 15r 15.6″ with Canon ELPH Camera and Adobe Elements 9 Bundle

Dan Cohen — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:50:19 +0000

Here's a great Gear Deal on a 15.6" Dell Inspiron 15R Core i5-2330M that includes two awesome bonuses. The Inspiron 15r has a 2.2GHz Dual-core processor and includes 6GB RAM, a 500GB Hard Drive, Wireless-N, a DVD burner, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS and more. To sweeten this deal you'll also get a Canon ELPH 100 HS Camera (Grey), 36-months McAfee SecurityCenter and Adobe Elements 9.0 Photoshop and Premiere. Normally this bundle would be $777.99 but after all the savings our Gear Sponsor has found you can get it all for just $599.99 and it will even ship for free. Gear Deal: Dell Inspiron 15r 15.6" with Canon ELPH 100 HS Camera and Adobe Elements Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: mSecure 3.0 Password Protection

Jeff Frantz — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:00:43 +0000

I have been using the same password protection program for quite a few years. I've thought about switching on a number of occasions, but it's always is too much of a hassle, or the software that interests me isn't available on enough platforms. So when I was recently offered an opportunity to review mSeven Software's mSecure 3.0 I was at least a little ambivalent about it. However, I figured it certainly wouldn't hurt to review the software; I would just create some dummy data, load it on a test device, put it through its paces, do a brief write up, and be done. I was surprised, though, to find that I actually liked mSecure Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

11 products for $11.11 on 11.11.11 from Paragon Software

Douglas Moran — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:40:02 +0000

One of the things that helps demonstrate to me that it is, as Hardison in the T.V. show Leverage points out, "Age of the geek, baby!", is that stuff that used to be only of interest to math geeks, or computer geeks, or physics geeks, now gets wide coverage. Like Pi Day, for example (3/14, in case you was wondering).

Click here to view the embedded video.

Today is another one: it's 11/11/11/11 (whether you're in Europe or the U.S., it displays the same!). And 25 years ago, only my geek friends would have made note of it. Now? Now, I'm reading about it on Twitter, and on blogs, and all over the durn place. And some folks are using it Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Limited Time Deal: Get a FREE Copy of the $7 Book, ‘Microsoft Office 2010: Tips and Tricks’

Judie Stanford — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:14:32 +0000

If you use Microsoft Office, but found yourself dozing on the day they were sharing tips & tricks, now is your chance to catch up with the other power users!

"Microsoft Office 2010: Tips and Tricks - Limited Time Offer" This $7 Value eBook Expires 11/16/2011. Microsoft Office is one of the most popular and user friendly office suites in the market. With Office 2010, Microsoft had made it bigger by integrating features for Office Web Apps and Mobile Office and significant changes to User Interface and included a lot of new features in Office Suite. This eBook offers more than 50 tips and tricks focused on making sure that you get the most out of Office

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Gear Diary at 5: Sena’s Got Your iPad 2 Covered Contest

Dan Cohen — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:00:33 +0000

Seems like our 5th Anniversary contest are spawning even more contests! So let's keep going. Before we do, here's a reminder that we already have some great contests going. There is the Gear Diary at 5 Giveaway: Trick Out Your iPhone 4 and the Gear Diary at 5: You CAN Get There from Here, Magellan RoadMate 9055-LM Giveaway and finally there is the Gear Diary at 5: Win a Sceptre 24″ HDTV / DVD Combo Giveaway (That one ends today, so hurry up and enter.) Today we are starting our Sena's Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Games Deal: World of Goo (Mac/PC) for $1.99

Michael Anderson — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 19:15:28 +0000

By now you should own World of Goo on some platform, be it Mac, PC or iPad. But in case you don't ... now you have another shot to get it at a great discount from Big Fish Games! Here is the description:

Beautiful and surprising, the millions of Goo Balls who live in the World of Goo are curious to explore - but they don't know that they are in a game, or that they are extremely delicious. This is the FULL award winning game. Drag and drop living, squirming, talking, globs of goo to build structures, bridges, cannonballs, zeppelins, and giant tongues. Mysterious Levels - Each level is strange and

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Bongiovi Acoustics DPS (Digital Power Station) for iOS Rocks Your World

Dan Cohen — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:15:03 +0000

Want richer bass, higher clarity and an all around enhanced audio experience? Bongiovi Acoustics: Bongiovi DPS (Digital Power Station) technology has it. The technology is currently available in iHome dock stations and select Toyota models and, for the first time, Bongiovi's technology is available as an iOS app. The technology "re-masters your compressed digital audio files at the source and then, using device specific profiles, optimizes the output for your listening device (headphone, speaker, earbud, etc)." I tried the iOS app and was rather impressed with the enhanced audio pumped out by my iPod touch and my iPad. As the Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

New Gear Daily Deal: Vostro 330 All-In-One Ships Fast, Saves Dollars

Dan Cohen — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 13:40:44 +0000

Vostro 330 All-In-One Ships Fast, Saves Dollars

Send your student back to college with a Dell Vostro 330 all-in-one computer. It is sleek, fast, takes up minimal space and... did we mention, you can even get it with a touchscreen?

Striking Presence. Serious Business. The smooth lines of the Vostro 330 Desktop will look great on your desk from any angle. This all-in-one can fit as easily into your office environment as it will into your budget. Be productive. Feel secure. Help increase productivity and expand your view with a 23" WLED Full HD display. Feel confident that your work is safe with Vostro reliable solutions for data protection and

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Livescribe Issues Mac OS X ‘Lion’ Compatibility Warning – Don’t Upgrade Yet!

Michael Anderson — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:45:07 +0000

If you depend on Livescribe Desktop on your Mac from day to day, they have some advice: don't upgrade to Lion ... yet! Here is what they are saying:

Livescribe Software Notice Regarding Mac OS X Lion The current version of Livescribe Desktop 2.7.2 is not completely compatible with Apple’s new Mac OS upgrade (Lion) that will be available to the public this month. We are working hard to complete an update to the Livescribe Desktop that will address this issue and plan to have it available for customers within the next few weeks. Until this software update is available, we recommend that you do not upgrade your

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Gear Deal: HP Pavilion Elite Quad Core i7 Desktop

Dan Cohen — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:30:04 +0000

We start the week with a Gear Deal on the HP Pavilion Elite h8qe Core i7 customizable Desktop PC. This desktop features a brand-new design with metal surfaces, polished finishes, subtle curves and angles, and illuminated accents. It also sports a built-in valet tray atop the tower for easy cable management, tool-free access to various internal components, a top-mounted 15-in-1 card reader and more. The deal our Gear Sponsor found includes a free upgrade to a 1.5TB 7200RPM Hard Drive upgrade, a free upgrade to 9GB RAM, a free 15-month Norton Internet Security subscription, and nice savings on a 21.5" diagonal widescreen monitor. Normally $1,199.99 our Gear Sponsor has tracked down a 25% coupon Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Open Source Media Player Review: aTunes

Gary Bunker — Tue, 24 May 2011 16:00:09 +0000

The trend toward strangely-capitalized programs is really annoying. The mediaplayer aTunes is trying to follow the iTunes naming model somewhat slavishly, so we're stuck with that I suppose. Of course, that means sentences starting with the name of the program are either capitalized wrong or the word is capitalized wrong. Such choices! Installation was smooth and trouble-free, with a language selection dialog less impressive than Songbird, but sure to cover most use cases (darn, no Korean!). It also allows you to optionally install the source code for this GPL-licensed open source program, the only one in the set to do so. The encoders for FLAC and MP3 are another optional part of Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Open Source Media Player Review: Clementine

Gary Bunker — Mon, 23 May 2011 16:00:44 +0000

Clementine is a very clean-looking media player, inspired by the venerable Amarok player from Linux, and even using the Qt platform so it works in several flavors of Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. The installation is quick and simple, with no options presented to the user besides folder for the program. Unlike most media players, Clementine does not prompt the user for a music folder during the installation process. My 4000+ track test library was read and available in just over two minutes, although the program remained responsive during that time so I could do other things while waiting. The default look for Clementine is a two-pane view plus Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Open Source Media Player Review: Songbird

Gary Bunker — Sun, 22 May 2011 16:00:14 +0000

Although you'd barely know it from the mainstream media, there are other portable audio players besides the iPod and there are other media management programs besides iTunes. There are some great freeware and commercial alternatives to iTunes. This series will focus on three of the most full-featured open-source media programs available for Windows. All of them are also available for Mac OS X, and all but Songbird are available for several flavors of Linux besides. Let's start with the most prominent, Songbird. Songbird started out in 2006 as a multi-platform program based on Mozilla's XUL framework. After four years of juggling the hassles of architectural changes, the team decided to drop all but Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Deal: Get WinX DVD Ripper and Converter for the Low Cost of FREE

Francis Scardino — Thu, 19 May 2011 20:25:11 +0000

Image courtesy of WinXDVD

Something for nothing is pretty hard to come by these days, but once in a while you can score some pretty cool free stuff. From May 18th to May 20th you can get WinX DVD Ripper and HD Video Converter absolutely free. Both programs are included in the .zip file, as well as a read me file with the license keys inside. The only thing that must be done on your part is that you activate the products by May 23. These products are only available for free for Windows OS, but from the looks of thing, they are quite robust with features and specs. The worst thing about this deal is Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

eWallet Go! Available on Whatever Durn Platform You Want, Pretty Much!

Douglas Moran — Mon, 02 May 2011 15:45:51 +0000

See, this is the kind of thing I like to see. "Where do you stand on Android vs. iOS, Mr. Software Maker?" "Why, we develop for both of the them, of course!" That's right; they do the software, and you the happy consumer get to decide which platform is best for you. That's what I like to see. So my hat's off to Ilium software, honestly. As a software person myself, I know that it's a pain in the tuckus to develop for more than one OS--despite what you may think, it takes pretty much twice as many people. So if you're running on an Android or iOS device--and most of us are these days--and you've Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Spring Cleaning: If an App Doesn’t Work with Evernote or Dropbox? Buh-Bye!

Dan Cohen — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:00:09 +0000

There are specific iPad applications that are key to my productivity day in and day out, and the “qualities” they need to have if I am to use them has evolved over time. Looking back over the ways in which they have changed in the last year or so, I realized that there is a specific pattern to those applications that have become more central to my work and daily life and those that were once useful but have fallen off the island. Strikingly, these changes have less to do with the applications themselves and more to do with secondary applications and services with which the selected apps work. To be more specific, at this Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Get Stuff From Your Computer Any Time, Any Place, with TeamViewer

Douglas Moran — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 15:15:30 +0000

With phones and computers becoming more powerful and more portable all the time, a lot of people are doing what Jessica has done, and setting up a sort-of home-base system, with their portable gadgets serving both as independent actors, and as parts of a much larger home-based system. Applications like dropbox and MiMedia are giving you the capability of storing your information in the cloud and accessing it from anywhere, from any device. Similarly, apps are coming out giving you access to your "home base" system remotely. One such app is TeamViewer, which the TeamViewer, um, team describes this way:

With TeamViewer you can remotely control any computer as if you were

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Alfred Music Publishing Expands its PLAY Series with Rock Guitar Toolbox

Douglas Moran — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 12:00:13 +0000

A few weeks ago, we told you all about an interesting reference book put out by Alfred Music Publishing: The Ultimate Guitar Tone Handbook. And I mentioned in passing that I, Mr. Stubby Fingers, never did master the guitar, as much as I wanted to as a young nerd. Now Alfred Music Publishing is pushing me even farther into wishing I had been born, I dunno, 25 years later or so, with The Rock Guitar Toolbox, which is basically a how-to for many skill-levels of players on how to improve your performance technique. Would it work even for me? We'll never know, because in addition to being born too late, I have nerve damage Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Giveaway: Nuance’s Dragon NaturallySpeaking or Dragon Dictate for Mac!

Dan Cohen — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:00:28 +0000

Nuance puts out the best voice to text transcription software around. Period. End of discussion. What is fantastic is that they now have a solution for Windows, a solution for Mac OS X, and mobile applications for both Android and iOS. A number of us make extensive use of their technology in both our desktop computing and in our mobile lives and would be largely lost without it. The software isn't inexpensive, at least not for the desktop versions, but they are well worth the cost, since they work so incredibly well Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

eWallet GO! for Windows

Douglas Moran — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:00:07 +0000

Too much information Runnin' through my brain Too much information It's driving me insane . . .

Is that you The Police are singing about? Do you have a Windows machine? Well, Ilium Software wants to help you out (and make money, too, of course; this is Capitalism, baby!): they've just release their eWallet GO! product for Windows. Including 256-bit encryption and the capability of sharing your information between Windows on your Windows Phone 7 device, eWallet GO! (I know; the exclamation point irritates me soon, but don't blame the software!) gives you the ability to store your critical "wallet" information. And for only $4.99 through their online store, that's not a bad deal Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Lo-Fi: A New Photo app for PC and Mac

Douglas Moran — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 15:00:56 +0000

So you're watching a movie, right? And one of the characters was born in the middle part of the 20th Century. One of the ways they help establish a character's background, identity, relationship with parents, and what-not, are through mock-casual distribution of old-timey photos. Look, there's the character as a tiny moppet, all bundled up against the snow! Look, there he or her is again, riding the ponies at the local county fair? And then again, surrounded by beaming family members as he or her gets his or her college degree! Etc! You might think to yourself, "Geez, what are they going to do now that all photos are digital? Leave thumb drives lying around Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Heywire App Mashes Texting, IM, and Social Media into One on Your Tablet

Douglas Moran — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 16:31:54 +0000

One of the things I love on my iPad is how much I can get done through one, well-connected app (in my case, Twitter). The ability of tech to link things that previously had been separated is just getting rolling, and I am happy to see it. Books and apps that utilize the capabilities of connected tech are something that I completely welcome. Heywire is trying to poke into that world. Their new app mashes up texting, IM, and social media and allows you access to all those through a single app. Right now I personally am using IM+ Pro, but Competition is a Good Thing™ in the tech world, so I'm glad Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

DVDFab Blu-ray Copy Becomes Much Faster with Lightning-Recoding Enabled — Up to 40% Speed Increase

Douglas Moran — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:00:29 +0000

I don't get to play with all the software we give you folks news about. Heck, who would have time? I barely have time to play with the stuff that I absolutely need to get through life, plus the stuff I review. I have a day job, ya know! But this is a different case. I'm a big fan of converting (under the terms of "fair use") my (legally purchased) DVDs into different formats to view on different platforms. For example, I like watching cartoons in my iPhone in bed (just converted Despicable Me on Friday), but big, sweeping epic spectacles on my iPad on the plane (just converted Last of the Mohicans yesterday), when I Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

BitsDuJour Offers Software Bundles with a Twist

Judie Stanford — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 05:51:43 +0000

We've all grown used to seeing the (sometimes) exciting bundled software deals offered by MacHeist and MacUpdate; in fact we usually find them intriguing enough that we'll post. The one thing that these bundle sales have all had in common up until now is that there has been no PC love. But now you can add a new type of bundled software deal to the mix -- the one offered by BitsDuJour. Mac software is being offered here as well, but unlike the other bundled software deals we've previously seen, you can buy the same exact software packages for either Mac or Windows.

Bits

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Apigee Launches API Consoles for LinkedIn, PayPal, Foursquare, Twilio and SoundCloud APIs

Jason Reese — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:00:15 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Apigee Shows How To Use The API Console to Add FourSquare Check-Ins to Your Own Application

We've covered Apigee before. They make it easy to integrate application programming interfaces, or APIs, into your own application. So, what does that mean? If you want to create your own application that can take advantage of FourSquare location-based check-ins, integrate PayPal for payments, or take advantage of Twillio for SMS and Voice applications, Apigee gives you that power. Oh, and don't forget their previous APIs that let you easily implement Facebook and Twitter into your apps.

Before you would have to code hundreds of lines of code while sitting in your parent's

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Ancestry.com’s Family Tree Maker for Mac Released, Thrilling Genealogy Buffs Like Me

Judie Stanford — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:00:02 +0000

For me, genealogy has been as much a passion as it was a hobby; my maternal grandmother and my uncle started researching their Meador and Bridwell lines years ago, and when I became an adult I picked up where they had left off, expanding the search for my father's family, the Lipsetts and Hublers, as well. Over the years I have spent countless hours online and in libraries researching and amassing a huge collection of data; I have truly enjoyed discovering information, pictures and stories that have helped me learn more about my ancestors' lives. Genealogy has given names in old family bibles a chance to live again, even if only in my imagination Continue reading on Gear Diary ...