The Software Complex Latest Software News and Information

Browser add-ons or plug-ins have come a long way and are growing in importance day by day. Add-ons can make life easier for users because they provide functionality that does not come natively with a browser.

Add-ons can show you your mail in a single glance, synchronize your bookmarks across several machines, accelerate downloads and surfing, share information across several networks, display RSS feeds, etc. In short, add-ons add a variety of functionality to many browsers. You may be wondering why these things have to be added on and why they couldn’t have come with the browser originally.

Well, this is because of a simple reason. Development costs. A feature that is important to one user may not be as useful for another. For example, synchronizing bookmarks across multiple machines is useful for a user who has a work computer, home computer, laptop, iPad, Smartphone, etc. But for a user who has just single machine, it does not really have that much of appeal. Therefore it does not make sense for a browser developer to devote its main resources during the development of the browser to accommodate this feature. Therefore all browser developers tend to focus on general features, with the occasional radical development (e.g. tabbed browsing, incognito windows, etc) coming in from time to time.

It is up to third party developers to identify needs of particular groups of customers and develop add-ons that address this need. Browser developers are fully aware of this aspect and therefore have left the option open for add-ons to be added to improve the functionality of the browser.

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When you buy an application, you expect it to work and do what it is supposed to do. Usually this happens without a hitch… for a while. At some point the software will crash, of malfunction or do something plain silly. This is based on the law of averages and you simply cannot escape it. Here are some common reasons as to why this happens.

No software is perfect. In fact, the application you purchase is part of an ongoing development process which is somewhat invisible to you. It is true that the application is released after extensive beta testing and evaluations, but the application is far from being perfect. Based on user feedback and other factors (like a new version of the OS being released), the application has to be “patched” and updated. This is why it is a good idea to leave the automatic update option turned on in your application.

Now throw into the mix the virus and malware angle, and this whole thing turns into a mess. Authors of viruses take great pleasure in exploiting the weaknesses of software. They will also focus intensely on a particular manufacturer or software for any number of reasons. If this happens and your software is one of the targets, then you have only your virus and malware scanner to protect you.

Of course, there could be a simpler reason for a corrupted application as well. If your hard disk is damaged or completely filled up to the brim, then applications will malfunction. Scan your hard disk for errors and if you find any, the best solution is to move on to a newer disk. If it’s a space problem, move some data out or backup the infrequently used data onto DVD’s.

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Finally! That is what many PC users are saying after Microsoft released Windows 7. The operating system is actually very stable and is packed with efficient features. Some are even calling Windows Vista the Beta release of Windows 7. If you have made the transition to the new OS, the here are some quick tips for you.

If you are into image manipulation, then it is essential that you calibrate the screen. In Windows 7, it is very easy to do this. All you have to do is click on the start menu, and type DCCW in the search bar at the bottom or click on RUN and enter it there. This will bring up the color calibration tool which you can then use to set up you monitor.

The next tool is the Problem Steps Recorder. This allows you to record any issues you have with applications. To launch it, follow the same steps as above and type PSR to activate the tool. Further troubleshooting is also very easy in Windows 7. Go to the Control Panel and you will find an icon there titled Troubleshooting. Click on this and it will take you to several Wizards which will help you troubleshoot common problems.

Burning ISO images onto a disc is really easy now in the new OS. All you have to do is double-click on the ISO file, choose the blank disc and then choose Burn. That’s all it takes!

Connecting Projectors is also a breeze now. Simply connect the cable and press the Windows Key along with “P” (i.e. WinKey+P). If keep holding the Windows key and repeatedly tap on “P”, you can cycle through the options for other displays (extended, projector only, duplicate, etc).

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The interface in video editing software actually plays a crucial role. Unlike other software, the interface of video editing software changes from one application to another.

For example, word-processing software like Microsoft Word and Open Office Writer look fairly similar. Not only that, the actual writing surface has a sense of familiarity for the user because it looks like a blank sheet of paper. With video editing software, a beginner has no product to compare it to or any experience to draw from.

A few basic things to look out for are:

- Easy way to import files into the software. This refers to the copying or virtual copying process of transferring the videos from the original media and getting it recognized by the software.
- Easy way to cut, trim and combine the resulting parts. This is the basic editing process you will require to make your final video.
- Effects and filters. These will allow you to jazz up the video and make it look professional.
- Inclusion of Audio. If you need to add a soundtrack or separately recorded audio (like a narration), a feature like this will be useful.

Although all major video editing software has these features, it is how they are placed and presented that makes the difference. Ideally a decision on a purchase is best arrived at by experiencing the software firsthand. This can be done easily by downloading a trial version of the software and trying it out.

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A computer starts to depreciate the moment you buy one and walk out of the shop. What depreciates worse than that is one of the key components of the computer - Graphic Cards. You could say that graphic cards start depreciating the moment they start shipping. This is because a newer better graphic card has almost neared completion by the time this one has started shipping.

As a gamer you need to squeeze every little bit you can out of your machine. Here are some simple things you can do to aid you in the process.

1. Perform maintenance - Keep plenty of hard disk space available. The more clogged up it is, the slower the read/write operations. Using a disk defragmenter regularly is also a good practice to follow. Get rid of unused applications and update everything else that you use.

2. Increase efficiency - You don’t need to have MS Word, the Chrome browser, Photoshop and a few other things running in the background while you play a game. Your processor is working double time to keep all these things running at the same time. Close down any unnecessary apps and you will see a big boost in performance.

3. Maximize bandwidth - If you are playing online you should close all chat windows, active downloads, etc. Keep as much of your bandwidth reserved as possible so that you do not experience lag in any form. If you need to communicate with other players, use specialized communications software like Ventrilo or Steam.

4. Update - Check regularly for driver updates from graphics card vendors. This will make a remarkable difference in performance.

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Losing data is the most annoying and frustrating thing that can happen to a user. If your hard disk “dies”, then there is nothing you can do (other than spending thousands of dollars on expensive data recovery methods) to recover that data. The best practice to follow would be to take regular backups of your data. But what about your Operating system and all the Applications that are installed on your system?

Normally re-installing everything on a new hard disk would be long and arduous process. However, there is an easier solution. Taking a Disk Image backup is a worthwhile process. This type of backup takes a “snapshot” of everything on your system at that point and stores it in another location. This could be a DVD, Internal/ External storage, Networked storage devices, etc. In the event of your hard disk failing, restoring your system to the point where the image was taken is an easy process. In one simple restore process, you can have your OS and Apps back and working within a short space of time. The best part is that you don’t have to spend time digging up the serial numbers for all the software you have installed.

However, this full restoration of the system takes you back to a certain time period. This means that most of the latest data that you had on the system would be lost. This is where the normal regular backups come in. With those and a Disk Image, you can have your system up and running very fast and therefore avoid any frustration of losing data.

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Gone are the days when the word password keeper meant the man at the door asking people to give the right password in order to enter. In today’s world of computers and more so, with the explosion of the internet, security and privacy has become more important than ever.

For the folks who travel a lot, password security can be a thing to watch out for especially if you are accessing financial or corporate information from a computer that does not have appropriate levels of security.

And so keeping these online hazards in mind, there are sites that have created the option of a free password manager with levels of security that can protect you from such issue with privacy even when you are away from your personal computer.

All you have to do is sign up for the password manager at the site you find most suitable to your needs and store all your passwords for all your favorite sites in one place, which also means that you don’t have to remember them anymore as well. From there on, you just have to login at the site, and gain access to all these sites at the click of a button.

It should be heartening to know that these sites employ security standards that are compliant with security standards at the NSA while also offering you additional features such as extra protection that constantly monitors your account for any suspicious activity.

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In the old days, going through a photo album meant that the person who took the photos had to be there to explain some of the situations that were captured. With Facebook this is no longer a problem, as captions can be included to do the same thing. However many users can’t be bothered with writing captions for every photo, especially if they are uploading vast numbers. There are a few solutions to this problem.

Uploading via email is an option that Facebook gives its users. When this method is used, the subject line of the email turns into the caption on Facebook. The only drawback to this method is that if multiple photos are uploaded, then the subject line becomes the caption for all the photos.
A better method would be to use a desktop application. This will allow you to organize your photos, add captions and edit other information before you upload. So all you have to do thereafter is, upload and forget about it. Some apps even offer a few extra features like bulk captioning and so on.

Another method you can use is the Picasa plugin called the Picasa Uploader. This will allow you to upload your pictures straight from Picasa, making your life very easy. This also means that if you have already captioned your photos in Picasa, the uploader will pick it up saving you the trouble of doing captions all over again. It also allows you to create new albums on Facebook.

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Let’s say you are looking for any computer file on your laptop or desktop. Yes, the first thing you would do if you use a computer with Windows as its operating system, would be to use Windows Search to locate the file mostly sound and text files, images and videos.

However, this is only the basic function of a desktop search app as not only do these apps look for files mentioned above but are designed to look for information such as web browser histories and email archives.
So, if you’re interested in using a desktop search app, here are three options that could work for you:

1) Google Desktop
One of the best search apps that is available across popular platforms such as Windows, Mac and Linux. What validates its functionality is that Google, its creator, has revolutionized the internet with a similar ’search’ product.

2) Locate32
Known to only index files based on file name and location, it still remains a popular desktop search app because it performs the search very quickly as well as leaves a tiny memory footprint. Even though it might not be suitable for deep searches, compared to other app this one doesn’t need a lot to index and search for file.

3) Copernic Desktop Search
Even though this search app isn’t backed by any large corporation like Microsoft and Google, it seems to be the most popular choice amongst personal users with it being offered free for personal use. Not only does it index every file on your desktop but it allows you to see the file, by its ‘Preview’ function.

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While there’s no doubt that mind maps are an effective way to improve one’s memory recall, it does not however end there. Its areas of application can be anything from problem solving, taking notes, sorting out complicated ideas and even expressing your thoughts and emotions in a graphical and non-linear manner as creatively as possible.

Perhaps its use at a personal level only requires a pen and some paper but when you would like to use it at an organizational level (where several central themes) have to brainstormed, mind mapping software can help you to organize large amounts of information.

Several mind mapping software are available that come with the option of being offered at no cost or are charged a one time fee for its use. The official mind mapping software designed by Tony Buzan himself if offered at a cost in three version, whereas there are other mind mapping software that are offered for free.

MindMeister, the online mind mapping software, which is published by MeisterLabs Inc. in 2007, has three editions that one can pick from namely Basic, Premium and Business. Of course, the Basic version is free of cost with three mind maps while the other two are priced at $ 59 per year (Premium) and 6 per user per month (Business) along with a 30-day free trial period for the latter.

Not only are they available on a web-based platform but also offer a variety of tools such as MindMeister API, an iPhone app version of MindMeister, in Offline Mode using Google Gears and a free service known as Geistesblitz.

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