Wearable Computing

New Device by Apple

[12:30 PM | 1 comments ]

We are chained to our handsets so much that we do not want to part with them, but sometimes we do have to. Researchers note that smartphones are almost never more than three feet away from their users. Therefore, the only way for your smartphone to always be with you, is a wearable device.

Some rumors say that it is been a year since Apple and Google have secretly begun working on the wearable computers. As for Apple, it promises that people will be able to see information on their upcoming iDevices. They will be able to communicate to the device again though SIRI. Author of the rumor claims:  “a very small group of Apple employees” have already begun working to prototype the device.

The device will be the hub for our information sharing and gathering. It will give us an opportunity to transmit any information in every period of the time. Internet access will become unconditional.

Wearable computer is not something new because a fancy electronic watch can be described with the same term as well. The main factor in this situation is the functionality and feature range of the devices. It seems that the last version of the wearable computer will feature a screen enabling us to augment our vision with information and multimedia.

As the picture suggests, the device will look quite similar to a bracelet. Design of the device proves that most people will like it.

Location-based

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

The bottom line: Critical enhancements in areas like noise reduction, video handling, and printing make Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 a recommended upgrade for most current users.
For the uninitiated, Lightroom is Photoshop's specialized sibling; where Photoshop is an imaging Swiss Army Knife, Lightroom is a steak knife for photographers. Like its most well-known competitor, Apple Aperture, you use it to organize, process, nondestructively retouch, and output volumes of raw files. Now with version 3, Adobe enhances the product in some critical ways that make it a significant upgrade over version 2.x. There's pretty much something for everyone here, including improved performance, killer noise reduction, potentially powerful export tools, and extremely flexible printing options.
Installation and interface
Lightroom is a much faster, lighter installation than Photoshop. You can choose to purchase a license key immediately, which you will receive by e-mail, or try out the program for 30 days. When you receive your key, you can copy and paste the entire string directly from your e-mail into the first dialog box, and the other boxes will automatically populate. There's a 164MB download for Windows or 77MB on a Mac. Like most of the applications coming out of Adobe these days, it uses the Adobe AIR installer.

Smart Devices

Audio Record Wizard

NowSmart Studio's Audio Record Wizard makes it easy to record sounds on your PC from a microphone, a file, or anything you can plug into your sound card, like a tape deck or TV. It's great for recording chat sessions because it can record sounds from two sources, such as a microphone and Internet feed, and save it all as one file in a range of formats (MP3, OGG, WAV, and FLAC). It can convert and merge audio files, manage MP3 tags, and perform other audio editing duties. Many of its tools are particularly suited to voice recording, such as Voice Activation, File Length Limitation, and Noise Suppression. Audio Record Wizard Version 6.98 is free to try with a two-minute recording limit.
Audio Record Wizard's user interface closely resembles a media player in layout, style, and size. It's a logical design since the program also plays back the recordings it makes. The familiar layout and controls made it easier to learn this tool's ins and outs. By ins, we mean inputs, i.e. Source, which the program lists in a drop-down menu at the top of the window, just above the File display and Level controls. By outs, we mean output directory, file type, and so on, as well as the media player controls in the bottom panel. But there's no need to guess since Audio Record Wizard opens with a Step-by-Step Guide displayed in the main window.

health care related software

Wise Care 365 Free

Free system care and cleaning utilities aren't uncommon these days, so there are plenty of choices. WiseCleaner's Wise Care 365 Free offers a PC Checkup, System Tune-up, Privacy Protector, and Wise Utilities. You can schedule cleaning and optimizing sessions and back up and restore your settings. Wise Care 365 Free's job is to prevent unpleasant surprises by keeping your system clean and tight. Recent updates include improvements to the Startup Manager and full Windows 8 compatibility.
Wise Care 365's four-step tutorial starts with picking a background theme and language and then walks new users through a quick overview of the PC Checkup feature, the program's Privacy Protection capabilities, and the General Settings. The user interface opened with a balloon offering a new seasonal theme.
System cleaners and optimizers almost always start with a scan, and Wise Care 365's PC Checkup did, too. The scan identified junk files we could delete and also warned of privacy risks that we'd have to upgrade to the pro version to fix. The System Cleaner feature includes a Registry Cleaner, System Cleaner, and other tools. The registry scan finished quickly, and identified and cleaned up a variety of loose ends.

fitness

Snagit

Calling TechSmith's SnagIt a screen capture tool is a bit like calling a Swiss Army Knife a knife. Yes, it's first and foremost a screen capture tool, and a very good one at that. But SnagIt offers a lot more than free gadgets that also capture screen images. In fact, it's much more of a graphics toolkit optimized for capturing and using onscreen images and information than a screen grabber. SnagIt is advanced enough to enhance productivity for business users and other professionals, but it's also easy for home users to start right up with. If you regularly copy images, Web pages, and screen views to save, embed, share, and use in other ways, SnagIt is well worth trying. It's free to use for 30 days.
The first thing we realized when we downloaded and opened SnagIt is that it offers a lot of options, even during setup. SnagIt includes specific add-ons and output tools for each Office application; choosing the custom installation option let us keep from installing features we don't use. A Disk Cost counter tracked the space SnagIt used, too. The next thing we noticed is that SnagIt comes with lots of help, especially when you click "I'm New to SnagIt" when the setup wizard finishes. A video tutorial, online manual, and simple yet intuitive interface make SnagIt easy to pick up. SnagIt not only offers multiple ways to capture screen images, Web pages, and other data and elements but also to use your captures, such as the built-in SnagIt Editor, OneClick operations, SnagIt Printer, and various output profiles. There's even a freehand option that lets you draw your selection. A system tray menu let us quickly access SnagIt's features and settings.

Health

Yet Another Cleaner

Yet Another Cleaner (also known simply as YAC) is a small utility which was designed to remove common malware, hijacks and other nasty adware you may find installed on your computer. The program features a very modern-looking interface which is easy to use. By using YAC, you can check out browser hijacks, homepage settings and search settings. Further one from the main Health Check tab, you can enable and disable protection, modify plugin and extension settings for your browser.
With Yet Another Cleaner, you can also perform two different types of scans--Quick Cleaner and Deep Clean. Both are effective to detect malware. Yet Another Cleaner is modern and more capable than some of the more known antivirus or antimalware programs and services. It's also free and safe, at the same time you can donate whatever you like.

What's new in this version:

• Optimized the floating window.
• Added the whether report services.
• User can find updates manually.

Read more: Yet Another Cleaner - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download.com http://download.cnet.com/Yet-Another-Cleaner/3000-2086_4-75959789.html#ixzz2sZGkwHED

Utilities and tools for system maintenance

Advanced System Optimizer

Advanced System Optimizer 3 gives people a comprehensive suite of utilities fronted by an interface that showcases an excellent use of color-coded icons, making banal system tasks easy to complete--if not exciting. However, its restrictive trial could prevent some people from fully exploring the program.
The program attempts to be all things to all people, and includes tools that can be split into three categories: maintenance, security, and backup. Advanced System Optimizer focuses on the maintenance side of things, and includes a Registry optimizer and cleaner, a disk defragmenter, a disk repair utility that claims to fix errors before drive failure, an explorer for managing disk usage by file type and size, a memory optimizer for freeing RAM, a game mode, and a driver updater. Security is not the focus here, but it does include malware protection, secure deletion, and a file encryption utility. Backup and recovery features include rescuing deleted files, a backup manager that streamlines restoration, and a separate system file backup and restore feature. The Smart PC Care feature is new, and allows users to run multiple maintenance tasks with one click.

Research and Reference Software

WordWeb

WordWeb is a handy utility that gives you the definition, synonyms, and antonyms of any given word without requiring you to go online, though it can connect to the Internet for expanded functionality should you want it.
The interface feels like an expanded version of any major word processing app's dictionary function, giving users an instant familiarity--even if they've never used WordWeb. After you type a term into the Lookup dialog box, the word's definition will appear in the interface's top pane, along with tabs that link to various wiki functions.
The bottom pane offers tabs for such items as synonyms, antonyms, and related words. The app's most notable feature is its hot key support; you simply use a hot key combo when the cursor is pointed over any word, and WordWeb will pop up onscreen with all pertinent information.
There are tools for changing the database to one of several English variations, altering the text size, and disabling WordWeb from recognizing offensive terms. The depth and functionality of WordWeb would be worth paying for, but thankfully you don't have to redefine your budget to get it--it's free.

Publisher's Description

From WordWeb Software:

This thesaurus/dictionary can be used to look up words from almost any program. In addition to displaying sense definitions and synonyms, WordWeb can find sets of related words. The database has more than 150,000 root words and 120,000 synonym sets, many proper nouns, pronunciations, and usage tags. WordWeb works off line, but when online you can also quickly view Web references such as the Wikipedia encyclopedia.

What's new in this version: Version 7.03 adds new words and definitions.

Read more: WordWeb - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download.com http://download.cnet.com/WordWeb/3000-2279_4-10003201.html#ixzz2sZCnthlN

Educational

Reallusion iClone

iClone5 is real-time 3D animation for digital actors, environments & visual effects with drag & drop editing, powerful physics and Microsoft Kinect-ready motion capture designed for creativity in broadcast production, education & previzualization. Professional and beginners can take advantage of tons of pre-made content and smart interactivity between actors, vehicles and props that make animation fun and logical. Easily create, customize and direct actors, props, scenes, vehicles, lighting, cameras and material channel settings. Plus, users can create in-house animations by moving their bodies in front of any Kinect Motion Capture system to produce customized motions right alongside your PC in minimal space. 3D facial puppeteering also allows for detailed facial animation with presets and a library of physics-ready content for dynamic interactivity with scenes, actors and objects. iClone's versatile engine enables on-the-fly video compositing with real-life actors combined with virtual sets, video footage and world of high dynamic range visuals. Users can employ a vast library of pre-made motions, characters, props and special effects found in iClone's built-in library or in Reallusion's online marketplace which is the largest online catalog of real-time ready assets. iClone5 empowers students, professionals and independent filmmakers worldwide into the real-time art of 3D animation, digital storytelling and digital content creation. Explore the speed and time-saving productivity of visual computing with iClone's real-time 3D innovation.

What's new in this version: With iClone Version 5.5, your character animation pipeline is finally complete! The New MotionPlus format allows you to easily save all of your facial, body, accessory, spring and constraint data all into a single MotionPlus file so that it can be reused and reapplied to other characters. In addition, you're now able to customize your own landscapes with the height map terrain, directly in iClone.

Read more: Reallusion iClone - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download.com http://download.cnet.com/Reallusion-iClone/3000-6677_4-10480303.html#ixzz2sZCANVRO

Voice and Speech Software

WavePad Sound Editor Masters Edition

WAV files are the basic sound recording unit in Windows. Much larger than MP3s and similar portable digital audio formats, WAVs are also easier to edit, thanks to tools like WavePad Sound Editor from NCH, which specializes in audio and multimedia software. It's a compact but powerful and flexible tool for analyzing and editing WAVs or just about any kind of digital audio file. It's especially useful for cleaning up and editing transcribed LP records and other digitized analog audio recordings, but you can also add effects, analyze the sound, and more.
WavePad's interface is essentially a media player with a spectral display, time indicators, and specialized controls for manipulating the audio signal. We browsed to a folder of CD tracks we'd ripped as WAVs and selected one. WavePad displayed the file's audio spectrum in two zoom-capable views, a smaller overview of the entire track above a larger, more detailed graphical display. Playback controls, a timer with hundredths of seconds, and sliders for altering the view, zooming, and other functions ring the main view, while a toolbar gives access to noise reduction tools; speed and pitch settings; echo, reverb, and other effects;

Translation

Business Card Designer

Business Card Designer Software lets you design your own professional and classy business cards easily. Select from more than 5000 business card templates and hundreds of backgrounds Customize with text, 4000+ Graphics, images and more. Use editing tools, arrangement tools and effects to create business cards. Print double-sided business cards with ease. Customize with your logo, images, text and symbol to create stunning business cards. You can choose from a vast library of Symbols, Images and dynamic shapes. You get high quality pictorial symbols that translate well into printing. Business Card Designer generates High resolution business cards. Import data directly from Excel, TXT, CSV files. Customize the width and height of your Business card to suit your requirements. Simple interface makes the Business Card Designer extremely easy to use. Either Print out the cards easily on your own printer or get them professionally printed. You can print easily on Avery Papers. With the MS Word Add on, you can easily edit templates in Word.

What's new in this version: Version 5.0 added 1000+ templates and backgrounds. Now, 100% Avery compatible. Added effects - gradient, shadow, blur, emboss and outline, arrangement tools- group/ungroup, lock/hide, coloring tools- color palettes and color picker, auto fill profile information.

Read more: Business Card Designer - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download.com http://download.cnet.com/Business-Card-Designer/3000-6675_4-10809997.html#ixzz2sZ68s7ME

Language Processing

Altova MissionKit Enterprise Edition

Altova MissionKit 2014 Enterprise Edition is a software development suite of industrial-strength XML, SQL, and UML tools for information architects and application developers. Powered by RaptorXML for lightning-fast processing, Altova MissionKit Enterprise includes Enterprise Editions of XMLSpy, MapForce, StyleVision, UModel, DatabaseSpy, and DiffDog, plus SchemaAgent - all at a substantial savings. XMLSpy is the industry leading XML editor and IDE for modeling, editing, transforming, and debugging XML technologies. It offers the top XML editor, XML Schema 1.0/1.1 editor, code generator, file converters, debuggers, profilers, support for XSLT 1.0/2.0/3.0, XPath1.0/2.0/3.0, XQuery 1.0/2.0/3.0, WSDL 1.1/2.0, SOAP, XBRL, OOXML, HTML5, JSON, SQL databases,

Personal Assistance Software

KeyScrambler Personal

Keyloggers are sneaky little programs that can record everything you type, including usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive information. Although antivirus software is often able to detect and eliminate such programs once you're infected, they're not foolproof. KeyScrambler Personal promises to encrypt your keystrokes at the level of your keyboard driver and decrypt them when they reach your browser so they're visible to you. Sounds good in theory, but does it work? We can't guarantee that it's perfect, but we can say that it worked just fine when we tried it.

Personal Information Management (PIM)

Advanced System Optimizer

Advanced System Optimizer 3 gives people a comprehensive suite of utilities fronted by an interface that showcases an excellent use of color-coded icons, making banal system tasks easy to complete--if not exciting. However, its restrictive trial could prevent some people from fully exploring the program.
The program attempts to be all things to all people, and includes tools that can be split into three categories: maintenance, security, and backup. Advanced System Optimizer focuses on the maintenance side of things, and includes a Registry optimizer and cleaner, a disk

Productivity

WavePad Sound Editor Masters Edition

WAV files are the basic sound recording unit in Windows. Much larger than MP3s and similar portable digital audio formats, WAVs are also easier to edit, thanks to tools like WavePad Sound Editor from NCH, which specializes in audio and multimedia software. It's a compact but powerful and flexible tool for analyzing and editing WAVs or just about any kind of digital audio file. It's especially useful for cleaning up and editing transcribed LP records and other digitized analog audio recordings, but you can also add effects, analyze the sound, and more.