Software Blog » Productivity Software

Oracle’s OpenOffice Surrender

admin — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 07:00:00 +0000

It’s hard to believe that it was only about six months ago that LibreOffice was born. The free and open source productivity software suite was created, of course, in response to Oracle’s unclear intentions regarding OpenOffice.org, which had long been the community’s suite of choice. At the time, Oracle chose to keep OpenOffice to itself, but now — fast forward to just a little more than a week ago — it appears to be giving it up after all. Bigger news in the world of FOSS would be difficult to imagine. Of course, what form the newly freed project will take next remains to be determined.

The Kins: Academically Average, Socially Gifted

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:00:00 +0000

You might think that someone at Microsoft is a big fan of Dr. Seuss; naming the new Windows Phones the “Kin One” and “Kin Two” certainly conjures up images of critters that would assist the Cat in the Hat in wreaking havoc on Sally and her brother’s house. But it’s really Kin as in kinship; people joined by common ancestry, or in a more tech-savvy sense, younger users joined by the common desire to share every bit of information they come in contact with via their smartphones. Certainly the two Kin phones bear no kinship to previous Windows Mobile handsets.

Could WinPho7 Be a Contender?

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0000

With the latest iteration of its mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7 Series, Microsoft aims to narrow the gap between its OS, the iPhone OS and Android. Built to focus on consumers, Windows Phone 7 Series — or WinPho7 — was designed from the ground up. “We made a very big decision to re-examine everything because the industries surrounding mobile are at an inflection point,” said Andy Lees, senior vice president of Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business, about the operating system.

Free Storage Lures Consumers to Google’s Big Desktop in the Sky

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:23:02 +0000

Google is continuing its march to put the desktop on the Web, with its offer to store files as large as 250 MB in Google Docs. Google is offering 1 GB of free storage for files that are not converted into one of the Google Docs formats — such as Google documents, spreadsheets or presentation. If more storage space is needed, it can be purchased for $0.25 per GB per year. The increase means users can back up large graphics files, RAW photos and ZIP archives, as well as collaborate and organize on such content online.

Free Storage Lures Consumers to Google’s Big Desktop in the Sky

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:23:02 +0000

TSA Isn’t Telling the Whole Truth About Scanners, Charges Privacy Group

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Pushback against the deployment at airports of digital image scanners that show people’s naked images through their clothes is gaining steam, bolstered by the Electronic Privacy Information Center’s publication of government documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security papers suggest the Transportation Security Administration overstated the privacy protections travelers subjected to the scanners would have.

Google Doctors Up Docs Sharing

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:11:22 +0000

The life of a worker ant in a cubicle farm may offer its unique challenges — how else to explain the popularity of “Office Space” reruns on cable TV? — but the world of office productivity software and applications is turning out to be anything but boring. The latest example: the Monday announcement of new Google Docs features, including live sharing of folders, the ability to upload multiple items simultaneously into folders and a general scrubbing and redesign of the Docs page.

Cell Phone Manager 6.6.5

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:40:10 +0000

MobTime Cell Phone Manager is easy-to-use PC software that helps manage your mobile phone via data cable, IrDA, or Bluetooth dongle. The software supports most famous mobile phones of Nokia, Samsung, SonyEricsson, Motorola, LG, and Siemens. With the software, you can manage contacts, calendars, and messages, send and receive messages, chat via messages like MSN and Skype, create own logos and ring tones, manage other multimedia files, such as MP3s, photos, E-books, and video,

install Java games and applications, synchronize contacts and calendars with Outlook and Outlook Express, access Internet via GPRS connection. Check if your phone is supported at the developer’s Web site.

Version 6.6.5 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.

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Mindjet MindManager 8.0

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:36:46 +0000

MindManager 8 enables you to capture, organize, and communicate information using an intuitive visual canvas. The map is a visual diagram that imitates the creator’s thoughts, with the interactive benefits of embedded data, live hyperlinks, collaboration capabilities, and much more. MindManager is an indispensable fifth productivity application, along with the word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and e-mail. While integrating with and augmenting all of these applications, MindManager 8 enables you to capture, organize, and act upon limitless ideas, data and knowledge without ever leaving your mind map. Millions of successful people use MindManager to manage projects, develop plans, create presentations, and accomplish a limitless number of other tasks.

Track your projects with greater ease with automated calculations of task progress. And now communicate your vision and ideas by transforming your map into a clickable, interactive Adobe PDF or Flash file. Combine MindManager with MindManager Web to collaborate online, share documents in secure workspaces, and conduct Web conferences. Work smarter, and transform your ideas into action more quickly.

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Auto Loan Calculator 1

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:34:31 +0000

The free Auto Loan Calculator for Excel helps you plan your next car purchase. Calculate the amount you will need to finance, based on sales price, destination charge, fees, sales tax, down payment, cash rebate, and trade-in value of an older auto. Use the Payment Calculator worksheet to create an amortization table based on the amount you’ve financed. Analyze different loans to choose a suitable monthly payment and minimize the total interest.

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Stickies 6.7a

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:32:38 +0000

Stickies is a PC utility I wrote to try to cut down on the number of Post-It notes I was leaving stuck to my monitor. It is a computerised version of those notes.

The design goal behind Stickies is that the program is small and simple. Stickies will not mess with your system files, or write to the registry. Stickies stores all information in a single text-based ini file.
Stickies will never support animated dancing figures, or play “Greensleeves”.

They are instead yellow rectangular windows onto which you can put some text notes. Once created, they will stay on screen until you take them away. Just like a real sticky piece of paper.

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Moffsoft FreeCalc 1.2.0.6

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:30:52 +0000

Moffsoft FreeCalc is a great replacement for your existing Windows calculator. We took the standard Windows calculator functionality and added a printable/savable transaction tape, sizable display, tray icon, digit groupings, color schemes, double- and triple-zero keys, visible memory value, and an always-on-top setting.

Download For Free

Active Desktop Calendar 7.7 build 090202

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:29:18 +0000

This fully customizable calendar with notes, tasks, alarms and contacts provides seamless integration and interactivity with the desktop background. You can organize data in color coded layers and share them in a local network. The program integrates with Outlook to show its appointments/tasks on the desktop and offers connection with Google calendars and web based ICS files. There are preset calendars with holidays for different countries. You can choose calendar icons, fonts, colors and type: one, two or three months on the desktop. Through interactive desktop the program accepts clicks on dates, appointments and tasks. Printing calendar data is easy, in monthly view or as a list of appointments in a chosen date range. Built-in address book allows you to keep details about all your contacts and import them from other programs. CSV and iCal formats are supported for importing and exporting data. The program saves daily backup automatically. World clock screensaver is also included.

Version 7.67 allows you to set an icon for an entire layer so all notes from that layer are automatically displayed with the same icon attached.

Version 7.7 build 090202 includes new option to set the time when the program should pop-up the calendar view automatically.

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Desktop iCalendar Lite 1.4

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:26:39 +0000

Desktop iCalendar Lite is a free desktop calendar for windows. It allows you to manage your events, to-do list on desktop. It allows subscribing public Google Calendar, such as holidays, election or NBA. It is full customizable. A build in skin editor makes it easy to set the skin by your own taste. Desktop iCalendar is full compatible with iCalendar standard, and can work with the calendars created by Thunderbird Lightning, Sunbird.

Version 1.4 is a bug fixing release.

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WinCalendar for Windows, Word & Excel 2.55

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:23:08 +0000

WinCalendar is both a pop-up date picker and calendar maker that creates printable calendars in both Microsoft Word and Excel formats. The calendar creator now supports over 100 different calendar layouts. You can import appointment data from both Outlook and Google Calendar. You can even save daily appointments in the pop-up calendar that display on created calendars. WinCalendar can also be used as a graphical fertility calculator and ovulation predictor.

WinCalendar is toolbar and menu driven so there is no template to load and manage. WinCalendar is ideal for use in planning and scheduling. It has built-in holidays for 10 countries and even works stand-alone as a desktop calendar.

Version 2.55 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.

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Debt Reduction Calculator for Excel 1.0

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:19:51 +0000

The free Debt Reduction Calculator worksheet for Microsoft Excel helps you plan how to reduce credit card debt, auto loans, student loans, and other debts. The spreadsheet lets you choose from various debt reduction strategies, including the popular debt snowball strategy (paying the lowest balance first) and the highest interest first strategy. Easily print a debt snowball payment schedule to help you keep track of your progress.

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Post-it Digital Notes 4.5

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:15:59 +0000

Post-it Digital Notes are easy, intuitive, and packed with features to get you organized. So you can make lists and reminders, key-code them with colors and photos, sort them by category, and set alarms to remind yourself of projects and appointments.

Sort and search, add photos, and set alarms.

Download For Free

Trog Bar 2008.04.10

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:14:03 +0000

Seize control of your tasks, e-mail, and time with the TROG Bar: the Total, Relaxed Organization Guru. Designed by time management experts, this intelligent sidebar automatically prioritizes, manages, and coordinates your task list, e-mail, and calendars–recommending the best tasks to do next–so you spend your time being productive instead of organizing to do lists. Designed for GTD (Getting Things Done), TRO (Total, Relaxed Organization), and other popular task and time management systems. Recommends agendas for scheduled and unscheduled meetings. Gently encourages best time management practices and workflow processing.

Sidebar design gives you quick access to your daily tasks, appointments, and calendar, with a scratchpad to quickly collect and process tasks and projects. Works seamlessly with Outlook e-mail, appointments, task lists, and contacts, so you’ll never have to import, export, or synchronize with your Outlook databases.

Version 2008.04.10 improves preview features.

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Budget for Windows 4.3.6

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:11:41 +0000

Budget is based on the tried and true envelope method of budgeting–a way to see where your money is, where it’s needed, and where it went. Budget is a personal finance application based on the proactive envelope model rather than the reactive register model used by other home financial programs. It helps you setup and live by your budget the way most people learned to budget. You write checks from each envelope when the bill is due. The main window shows at a glance if you are keeping to your budget.

Version 4.3.6 is a bug fixing release.

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StudyMinder Homework System 3.0

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:19:27 +0000

The StudyMinder Homework System is a student planner that helps students of all ages, from middle school to college level, track their grades, prioritize assignments and better manage their study time. StudyMinder shows the total time needed to prepare for school each day. Take control, get organized and get it done with this powerful student planner.

Version 3.0 includes a calendar interface and popup reminders.

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