A new unique MultiCore AntiVirus & AntiSpyware product

NuWave Software announces the release of MultiCore AntiVirus & AntiSpyware, a revolutionary anti-virus product that integrates four anti-malware engines.

A new unique MultiCore AntiVirus & AntiSpyware product reliably defends PC against computer malware and on-line threats at unsurpassed, highest security levels.

A MultiCore AntiVirus & AntiSpyware product ( http://www.nuwavesoft.com ) effectively prevents, stops, and eliminates computer viruses and spyware.  The revolutionary underlying software technology enables multiple antivirus and antispyware scan-engines running on the same PC.  A MultiCore AntiVirus & AntiSpyware product is truly unique, because it offers unprecedented security benefits of running multiple antivirus and spyware scan-engines simultaneously, in parallel, and without performance degradation!  No other computer security product for PC in the world is capable of or offering that to date.

What multi-core antivirus and antispyware solution means?  Comparatively speaking, you can imagine all the benefits of having computer processor with more than one CPU core.  The modern multi-core computer processors allow smoother performance and much increased speed of computer applications, which translates into better overall experience delivered to the end-users.

Conceptually similar, a multi-core antivirus and antispyware solution runs multiple antivirus and spyware scan-engines simultaneously and in parallel.  As result, it delivers exceptional performance while providing the strongest protection against malware and on-line threats.  With total four anti-malware scan-engines employed, MultiCore AntiVirus & AntiSpyware product continuously scans PC at the same speed as traditional single-core solutions from competitors, while delivering unprecedented four times the protection!  Currently, MultiCore AntiVirus & AntiSpyware product utilizes world’s leading two antivirus and two antispyware scan-engines: Frisk ( http://www.f-prot.com ), Norman ( http://www.norman.com ), Lavasoft (http://www.lavasoft.com ), and Sunbelt (http://www.sunbelt-software.com ).

Why end-users need a multi-core anti-malware solution?  Are traditional single-core computer security products not enough?  Well, the truth of the matter is that none of the traditional single-core computer security products can provide 100% protection alone.   There are at least seven major computer security vendors in the world who claim that precisely their brand is the world’ leading solution.  And yet multiple tests performed by credible and independent computer security certification institutions ( such as http://www.virusbtn.com , http://www.westcoastlabs.org , and so forth) do demonstrate year after year  that even the very best individual single-core computer security product can only deal with approximately 98% of the existing computer viruses and spyware.  Of course, there is no conscious end-user who wants to be unprotected and to face remaining 2% computer viruses and spyware and yet they all do, unfortunately.  A MultiCore AntiVirus & AntiSpyware product eliminates this problem!  Each and every individual scan-engine differs from the other.  And all scan-engines have their own specific pros and cons in certain areas, such as heuristics, scanning speed, dealing with unknown malware, and so forth.  So, all end-users inherently tied up with those pros and cons of the underlying single-core scan-engines.  A MultiCore AntiVirus & AntiSpyware product eliminates this problem too!  Also, concerned computer users sometimes install more than one computer security solution their PCs.  Little do they know that the different security products do not live well with each other on one PC - they constantly conflicting and causing instabilities and a sizeable performance hits too.  It is not uncommon for end-users to have PC crashes when the two or more antivirus or other security products start fighting for control over PC.  By engineering the four security cores together, MultiCore AntiVirus & AntiSpyware product eliminates these problems completely!

A MultiCore AntiVirus & AntiSpyware product is uniquely powerful, because by running multiple antivirus and spyware scan-engines simultaneously and in parallel – it creates unsurpassed synergy of combined strengths provided by each individual scan-engine!  The new integrated multi-core solution ensures smooth and problem-free operation of all four antivirus and antispyware scan-engines in real-time.  There are no conflicts, no compatibility problems and no fighting for control over PC among the cores.  The four engines are working in synergy continuously scanning and protecting your PC much better and even faster than many of the traditional anti-malware products with just one core!  And unlike many traditional PC security products, MultiCore AntiVirus & AntiSpyware works transparently and is compatible with third-party antivirus, antispyware and firewall applications.  And of course - all four security engines receive online updates in real-time, ensuring uninterrupted, the highest reliability, and up to date security measures.

A MultiCore AntiVirus & AntiSpyware product brings the PC security to a truly new height!

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A Guide To Free Screensavers

There are millions of Screensavers available on the Internet. Almost all of these can be downloaded and installed easily. These are usually categorized according to themes. Nature lovers can choose picturesque locations. Fish lovers can choose from different kinds of aquariums with multi-colored fish that are swishing through colored water. Those who really like adventure sports or aircraft can choose from a wide array of moving images and clips of death-defying stunts. Screensavers can also be slide shows that have various pictures of movie celebrities, sportspersons and politicians.


There are millions of Screensavers available on the Internet. Almost all of these can be downloaded and installed easily. These are usually categorized according to themes. Nature lovers can choose picturesque locations. Fish lovers can choose from different kinds of aquariums with multi-colored fish that are swishing through colored water. Those who really like adventure sports or aircraft can choose from a wide array of moving images and clips of death-defying stunts. Screensavers can also be slide shows that have various pictures of movie celebrities, sportspersons and politicians.

However, some precautions need to be taken before downloading Screensavers. The most important one is that Screensavers must be downloaded from trusted sites. It’s also always a good idea to scan Screensavers for viruses and other potentially dangerous elements, such as spyware and adware. If an anti-virus is already installed on the system, a right click enables a menu which provides for a ‘scan with…’ option. This option can be selected and left-clicked to check the selected download before double-clicking it and installing it.

Sometimes Screensavers are extremely graphic-intensive. This means that they contain so many graphics that they are huge files. Huge files take a lot of space on the computer when they run, and make the computer work so much harder and so much faster than normal that the computer freezes. Then the computer needs to be restarted and all the unsaved information on the computer -- such as open files that were being worked on before the Screensaver was activated – is lost.

Some Screensavers also make the hard drive of the computer crash, causing irretrievable data loss. Therefore, it is important for users to download Screensavers that are compatible with the configuration of their computers. This means that the speed of the processor in the computer, and the free space on it, should be sufficient for the Screensaver to be downloaded, installed and run.

Many users like to create their own Screensavers, often with the visuals and audio of their choice. Some software applications facilitate this. Out of these, some can be freely downloaded from the Internet. However, these should be downloaded only from trusted sites, and should be supported by the configuration of the user’s computer. Once downloaded, these should also be scanned for viruses and other common infections. When installed, these programs enable the user to combine images, video clips and audio clips to create a personalized Screensaver, sometimes even for circulation amongst friends and family.

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A Guide To Computer Aided Design

Computer Aided Design (CAD) is a form of software automation that uses various computer-aided design tools that helps engineers, architects and other professionals in the design activity purposes. It is considered to be both software and special-purpose hardware. In product lifecycle management, the use of geometric tools plays a significant role. The CAD is available in various packages ranging from 2D vector based drafting systems to 3D parametric surface and solid design modelers.

Computer Aided Design (CAD) is a form of software automation that uses various computer-aided design tools that helps engineers, architects and other professionals in the design activity purposes. It is considered to be both software and special-purpose hardware. In product lifecycle management, the use of geometric tools plays a significant role. The CAD is available in various packages ranging from 2D vector based drafting systems to 3D parametric surface and solid design modelers.

CAD allows you to prepare fast and accurate drawings. Virtually anything can be constructed and built as a design model developed in the CAD system. The flexibility to alter the drawings is performed very easily with a minimal effort. It is also referred as Computer Aided Design and Drafting (CADD). It is sometimes translated as computer-assisted or computer-aided drafting. The tool provides you a better and the faster way of developing the drawings with better creativity.

CAD is used in major areas like applications that involve computer graphics, computer- aided manufacturing, solid modeling, solving by constraints, architectural purpose and VLSI design. Other fields that use the CAD are Architecture Engineering and Construction, Building Engineering (AEC), Mechanical CAD (MCAD), Electronic and Electrical (ECAD), manufacturing process planning, and digital circuit design.

CAD uses four basic phases that are used for designing and manufacturing. They are the requirement phase which collects the basic requirements and conceives the basic idea. The designing phase uses detailed component modeling and assembly modeling. The development phase uses engineering drawings. The tool design is used in the manufacturing phase.

Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), CAD/CAM applications, CAD scanners, CAD resources, and the software used by these computer-aided techniques all enable the drawing to be developed quickly and easily. General purpose CAD software, 3D rendering software, CAD/CAM software, facility management CAD, architectural CAD software, solid modeling CAD software and Mechanical CAD (MCAD) are the major computer-aided software applications that are used.

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A guide of Outlook Express backup

In those days, email loss causes majority of business loss. Viruses, power failures, software failures, hard drive failures are only a few examples of what could destroy the data on a hard drive, including all documents, emails and other files!
Unfortunately many people actually start to do backup copies only after they lose data.

most small companies and home users don’t need to buy an expensive solution for data backup. They can simply copy important files to a CD or DVD, and if an information loss occurs, they can get it back easily.
If it is simply to copy documents, photos and other files, not the same is for emails, attachments, address book, stationery and other related information from your Outlook Express email client.
This article will explain how everybody can create a manual Outlook Express backup copy (because Outlook Express don’t offer a built in backup function) This email program is usually installed with the Windows operating system and is probably among the most commonly used email programs today.

1. Backup email messages
In Outlook Express, emails are stored in files with DBX extension. The easiest way to find these files is to open Outlook Express and from menu select Tools | Options | Maintenance and click the Store Folder button. Here you can find the path to the folder containing your emails.
This procedure works for all kind of email: SMTP / POP3, IMAP, MAPI, or even the Hotmail Account (some messages might be stored only at the Hotmail server).
To save all your emails and attachments you should copy all the DBX files from the folder.

2. Account settings:
Details about your mail and news accounts are stored in the registry. To find them, start RegEdit and select the “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Account Manager” key from the left panel. To save this data, from menu select: Registry | Export Registry File. Save the file to a name like "accounts.reg". 

3. Mail Rules
The Outlook Express mail rules are stored in the registry, in the “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities” key. To save this data, from menu select: Registry | Export Registry File. Save the file to a name like "rules.reg". 

4. Address Book
The backup of address book is easy to do. It is stored in files with WBA extension. To find the location where address book is stored, you should open Outlook Express and from menu select File | Export | Address Book and select the comma separated text file as your output format. Click Export, select the folder where the backup will be saved and set the name for the backup file. After that click Next and choose the fields you want to include in your backup. Click Finish and your backup will be ready.

5. Stationery
The Outlook Express stationery location is stored in a registry key. To find it, you should open RegEdit, find “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Stationery” key and look at “Stationery Folder” value. There you will find the path to stationery folder. To save the stationery, you should copy all files from that folder.

If you think that manual backup is too hard, you can use a backup software tool, which can make the job much easier. Outlook Express Backup Expert is one product that can be used to easily create Outlook Express backups. It can save your emails, attachments, address book, signatures, blocked list, mail rules, stationery, accounts and settings. The biggest advantage to use automatic email backup software is the schedule function, which will create backups at specified time intervals, without user action. The downside of using a automatic email backup utility is that it costs money, usually about 20-30 USD as one time payment, while the manual backups are of course, free.
The conclusion is that email backup is a critical operation for every user.

A free evaluation copy of Outlook Express Backup Expert can be found at: http://www.bodrag.com/outlook-express-backup.html

READ MORE - A guide of Outlook Express backup

A Desk on Top

Solve window clutter and access desktop easily. To launch a shortcut from your desktop simply click DESKonTOP icon near the system clock, and access a small copy of your desktop with all shortcuts.
How many application windows do you have open during your typical computer work? If it's just one, you may stop reading at this point. If, however, you do have a clutter of windows on your computer desktop - go no further, you've just found the solution!

Windows offers a convenient way to access applications and documents you use often by placing shortcuts to your computer desktop. These shortcuts are fast to click, but what if you have a window or two on top of your desktop? Minimizing or moving around an active window to access your desktop may seem a good solution for a while, but what if you work with more than just one or two applications? Those shortcut icons are covered well enough to make you spend a while to minimize or move away every window that blocks desktop access.

OK, maybe desktop shortcuts are not that great an idea after all. Let's open that same shortcut from the Windows Start menu! Click Start, select All Programs, and locate the application you were looking for. Slow, isn't it? I told you.

Wait, here's the Show Desktop button! Let's click it! Great, you can see the desktop and start your shortcut. Fast? Yeah! But hey, where are your windows? Those multiple applications you were using for work? They're minimized. Let's try the Desktop button once again... nope. It minimized the window you've just opened. It only worked until you actually started the shortcut. To restore your other windows, see the beginning of this article - minimize, minimize, minimize, and restore, restore, restore. Slow and boring.

DESKonTOP by http://www.shuric.com/deskontop.shtml finally solves the puzzle. To launch a shortcut from your desktop simply click DESKonTOP icon near the system clock, and you'll see a small copy of your desktop with all shortcuts and icons. You can easily launch a shortcut from there, and that's it! No need to minimize or move windows around. No need for Start menu exploration. No playing hide-and-seek with your windows. All it takes is one click on DESKonTOP icon, and one more click to launch a shortcut!

Once the mouse cursor is over an icon, DESKonTOP will enlarge it to show you the full-size version of the icon and its text label, allowing you to clearly see and click the shortcut without training your sniper skills.

Still find it difficult to use the small icons on the reduced copy of your desktop? No problem! DESKonTOP is readily customizable, allowing you to fine-tune the appearance of the mini-desktop the way you like it. Larger icons or text labels? Distinctive background? Small copy of your real desktop? All that and much more is possible with DESKonTOP. If you don't like a mini-desktop, consider switching to menu mode, and DESKonTOP will display all your desktop shortcuts as menu items.

Save time and remove window clutter with DESKonTOP. Download your free evaluation copy now: http://www.shuric.com/deskontop.shtml

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A Computer Firewall is Your Primary Defense against Virtual Attacks

If you have any personal information on your computer at all and access the Internet it is vitally important that you consider the benefits of a computer firewall. Many people lock their homes, lock their cars, keep a watchful eye on their children, and yet leave the bank accounts, personal information, and all kinds of other information vulnerable and exposed through their personal computers.

A virtual attack can be just as devastating financially and emotionally as someone breaking into your home. They are allowed access to secrets you may have shared in confidence with online friends or even offline friends that you correspond with online, they will have passwords for financial and banking accounts, they will know where you buy your coffee; they can learn where your children go to school. The information we have on our personal computers is staggering in terms of personal security nightmares and yet so many people take no steps to secure this information from prying eyes by investing in a simple computer firewall.

The amazing thing is that you can even find free computer firewalls available online if you know where to look. I highly recommend paying for a computer firewall though if you have little knowledge of the inner workings of your computer. If you’re going to secure your families secrets you may as well invest in a very good program with constant updates in order to do so.

A computer firewall isn’t just a nice thing to have on your computer; it is a vital line of defense for you and your family. Keep this in mind when choosing the best computer firewall for you. Remember you want to have a service that will provide updates and keep up with evolving technology that would harm your computer or steal your personal information.

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A Better Workflow for Digital Photographers

SnapTouch takes care of every step of your digital photo workflow from helping you transfer pictures from the camera into the computer to preparing already enhanced images for printing.
Achieve the most from digital photography and enhance digital pictures with SnapTouch.

A digital camera is only as good as the pictures it takes. Experienced photographers spend hours touching-up images to achieve the best visual results and preparing the pictures for printing. Digital photographers make countless choices deciding which camera and settings to use to take a picture, and what software and which tools to use to enhance the picture afterwards. At each post-processing step, the tools you use to enhance the picture affect the image, enhancing or degrading the result.

Regardless of your choice of photographic software, one thing is certain. The computer and image editing software are an essential part of the digital workflow. Computer-edited digital pictures appear in newspapers and glossy magazines, billboards and advertisements. If you have just one image, spending an hour in Adobe Photoshop to get the perfect print makes sense. If you take hundreds of images, however, taking care to enhance each individual image consumes so much time and effort that many prefer to forget the whole idea. But what if you had a proper tool to make your digital workflow simple, quick and effective?

SnapTouch (www.snaptouch.com) takes care of the entire digital workflow quickly and efficiently. SnapTouch takes care of every step after you take a picture from helping you transfer pictures from the camera into the computer to preparing already enhanced images for printing.

Transferring images from a digital camera might be easy, but SnapTouch also makes it smart. It can automatically sort pictures depending on the day they were shot, naming and placing them into folders accordingly. Specify your own transfer scenario, and your digital pictures will be sorted, named and placed depending on your very own criteria.

Correcting and enhancing images is the second step of your digital workflow. During this step, you compensate and correct gamma and exposure, adjust brightness and contrast, rotate and flip pictures, remove red-eye and resize your pictures for Web viewing or printing. SnapTouch is designed to handle jobs to enhance bunches of multiple images while maintaining the highest quality through the entire workflow.

The third step of your digital workflow depends on what you're planning to do with the image. If you're up to making a Web album or archiving images on a disk, use SnapTouch to stamp your pictures by imprinting the date they were shot, naming the pictures or embedding your signature. You can specify your own font and color for the stamp, making your digital pictures appear as works of art.

If you're going to print a multitude of images, consider the different aspect ratios of your digital pictures and the paper they will be printed on. The two common aspect ratios are 4:3 and 3:2. Why gamble on what will be cut out of your photographs in the printing lab when you can specify your own crop in no time? SnapTouch allows you to specify the aspect ratio of the paper you're printing on, and processes your images with a moving fixed-aspect frame. By specifying the frame position you are making crops showing your main subject without cutting out important features.

SnapTouch is a digital photographer's workhorse allowing you to process batches of hundreds of digital pictures in a straightforward workflow. Combining advanced features and unique automation with unprecedented ease of use, SnapTouch is a must-have tool for advanced amateurs and digital photo professionals.

READ MORE - A Better Workflow for Digital Photographers

13 Great Firefox Extensions For Web Professionals

Like most web developers or SEO professionals, I use a vast array of tools to get the job done. I use a combination of desktop and web applications, some purchased and some free. Everyone I know has downloaded a free copy of Mozilla Firefox, but few realize that by installing some of the 1,500 free extensions they can eliminate the need for most of the other applications they currently use. Below are my 13 favorite extensions for web professionals (in no particular order):
Like most web developers or SEO professionals, I use a vast array of tools to get the job done. I use a combination of desktop and web applications, some purchased and some free. Everyone I know has downloaded a free copy of Mozilla Firefox, but few realize that by installing some of the 1,500 free extensions they can eliminate the need for most of the other applications they currently use. Below are my 13 favorite extensions for web professionals (in no particular order):

HTML Validator (http://users.skynet.be/mgueury/mozilla/) – validates web pages to the W3C HTML standards with a simple green check in the corner of the page if the page validates, a red check if it doesn’t, and a yellow exclamation point if there are warnings. It also includes an enhanced view of source code that allows you to see where errors are within the code.

FireFTP (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/684/) – free, secure, cross-platform FTP client that provides easy and intuitive access to FTP servers. This eliminates a piece of software for those of you who use a separate program for FTP.

Professor X (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2823/) – lets you view header information without having to view source code. The page “slides” down and Professor X shows you the contents of the page's head element, including Meta, Script and Style content.

NikkelWHOIS (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2646/) –view the WHOIS information for any page by clicking the button on the top-right of the browser.

IE Tab (http://ietab.mozdev.org) – sick of swapping between Internet Explorer and Firefox when testing out a web page you’re developing? With IE Tab you can view Internet Explorer in a Firefox Tab!

FireBug (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1843/) – an advanced debugger console that lets you monitor your JavaScript, CSS, HTML and Ajax.

Codetech (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1002/) – web page editor that has the feel of Dreamweaver. An amazing extension for anyone doing web design that doesn’t want to fork out a few hundred dollars for Dreamweaver.

Server Switcher (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2409/) – easily switch between sites on your development and live servers by clicking the switch server icon.

SEO for Firefox (http://tools.seobook.com/firefox/seo-for-firefox.html) – pulls useful market research data right into Google's and Yahoo!'s search results, including Google PR, Age, links, Alexa rank, WHOIS, and more. It also adds a few helpful links to the top of the search pages, including Google Trends, Google Traffic Estimator, and the Overture View Bid tool.

Yet Another Window Resizer (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2498/) – allows you to resize browser window to default screen resolutions.

AdSense Preview (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2132/) – preview the Google AdSense ads that would appear on that page. This is incredibly useful if you are considering putting AdSense on a page and don’t want to go through the hassle of signing up for an account and putting the ads up just to see what type of ads will show.

Screen grab (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1146/) – takes a screenshot of the webpage and saves it as an image file. This saves a ton of time compared to the method I used to use – take a screenshot and open Adobe Photoshop to crop the image.

Server Spy (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2036/) – indicates what brand of HTTP server (Apache, IIS, etc.) runs on the visited site on the lower-right side of the browser.

READ MORE - 13 Great Firefox Extensions For Web Professionals

13 Comparisons of Vista vs Tiger

Competitive and fast are two terms that are applicable to the world of computers. Constantly changing and evolving computer systems bring many advantages to the users and techies alike. The race for supremacy between the yet to be launched Vista (scheduled for 2006) and Mac OSX Tiger began in 2003 with Microsoft’s announcements of plans for an integrated desktop search functionality in Windows Vista.



Competitive and fast are two terms that are applicable to the world of computers. Constantly changing and evolving computer systems bring many advantages to the users and techies alike. The race for supremacy between the yet to be launched Vista (scheduled for 2006) and Mac OSX Tiger began in 2003 with Microsoft’s announcements of plans for an integrated desktop search functionality in Windows Vista. 

While opinions vary and are really personal choices in many ways, the following sums up the functionalities between Vista and Tiger.

1.    Vista has a completely redesigned look and feel; it is aesthetic, functional, and exciting according to industry sources. Mac Tiger on the other hand was always famous for its technology and aesthetics which are clean and clutter free. In fact, many of the visual effects that Vista has like translucent icons, high resolution, and animation effects have been integral to Tiger for more than four years.

2.    Vista is yet to resolve problems caused by underlying windows, while Tiger has fine tuned the bleed caused by windows beneath the surface ones.

3.    The 128 x 128 pixel icons of Tiger have better rendition and clearer resolution than the 32 x 32 or 64 x 64 pixel icons of Vista. However one will only know whether Vista will have resolution independent vector graphics once the final version comes to the market.

4.    Both Vista and Tiger have closely similar desk top search functions. The only immediate difference is that in Tiger the filtering becomes operational only after creation of a Smart Folder or using the shortcut keys. The Virtual Folder of Vista is identical to the Smart Folder of Tiger.

5.    Vista has next generation features, where the system has enough inbuilt intelligence that organizes data. This fine tunes any searches that need to be done. In comparison to this,    the Tiger has an old fashioned system with no specials.

6.    Vista supports meta data processing while with Tiger meta data can be created or edited only by using document processing applications.

7.    Vista permits users to visually locate files while Tiger does not. Image previews in Tiger are turned off  by default.

8.    As far as security is concerned the Tiger is by far superior to Vista. Since the Tiger user base is small the number of hackers and attackers are fewer as compared to Windows.

9.    User accounts and log ins are safer in the Tiger system and Microsoft plans to incorporate similar systems in Vista to strengthen security.

10.    Vista has new systems similar to Tiger that will enable users to assert parental locks or blocks. Parental controls help limit computer usage by children protecting them from several dangers.

11.    Security in Vista includes inbuilt protection against rogue attacks, malware, spyware, adware and so on. In the case of Tiger its security system has remained secure and unbreached. Whether Vista will earn the same distinction will be known only after it comes into use.

12.    Both Vista and Tiger have great networking features making both immensely usable both at home and in businesses. The Tiger is simpler while Vista is a bit more complex to use.

13.    The hibernation mode works instantly in Tiger and Vista is also trying to match its facilities.

While the above draws tentative comparisons between the two systems a true evaluation can only be made once Vista is released in its completed version and comes into use.

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12 Essential new features of Office 12

The final version of Office 12 is slated for release in mid 2006. Although Microsoft is yet to confirm what the final version of Office 12 will include, the broad areas that have been the focus of change are productivity, handling of business information, managing of documents, and enhanced user friendliness.
The final version of Office 12 is slated for release in mid 2006. Although Microsoft is yet to confirm what the final version of Office 12 will include, the broad areas that have been the focus of change are productivity, handling of business information, managing of documents, and enhanced user friendliness.

1.    All programs like Word, Excel, and Power Point have a new look. The new user interface has a ribbon of frequently used commands and operations which will enhance usability instead of drop down menus.

2.    The server based capabilities include document rights and work flow management.

3.    In the case of the revamped Excel, it will support SQL Server 2005, and have much awaited features like greater spreadsheet capacity, tools for sorting and filtering, as well as extensive data visualization capabilities. The user will be able to access, analyze, and share information securely and easily not just within the system but between databases and enterprise applications.

4.    The new system will support sharing of workspaces and exchange of information across corporate boundaries. Incorporating P2P capabilities, the system it all set to take a giant leap forward.

5.    One aspect under consideration is “out-of –the-box secure enterprise instant messaging.”

6.    Deeper incorporation of XML will make the system a development platform. Developers will be able to create software that interoperates with the system without hitches. 

7.    Specially designed Contextual Command Tabs. These will only appear when a user is all set to modify a document or Excel sheet. Just clicking on the page will call up the Command Tab with relevant tools for making changes.

8.    Galleries is an innovation that is promoted as the ‘heart’ of the redesigned applications. In this the user will be able to see how his document will shape up. This will simplify the process of creating professionally layed out documents.

9.    A system known as Live Preview is a brand new technology that will enable the user to view in a gallery the editing or changed formatting executed on a document.

10.    Faster document authoring will be possible with incorporation of custom built layouts and slide libraries. Through SharePoint the user will also be able to store their personal slides and layouts in this function. The system is designed so that it can be accessed offline.

11.    Rapid email and document searching will become feasible through the Fast Search technology in Vista (Longhorn).

12.    Using new innovations in integrated technologies the system will support multiparty audio, video, as well as data collaboration.

The system is designed to run on Windows XP Service Pack 2, or   Longhorn client, or updated versions of windows with at least an SQL server 2000. Office 12 will support x64 platforms but it is not certain whether the support will be shipped with Office 12 or separately. 

The very purpose of Office 12 according to Microsoft   is to make life easy for users with better presentation, organization, and capabilities.

READ MORE - 12 Essential new features of Office 12

10 Tips To Buying Software Online

Buying software online can be tricky, especially if you are new to shopping via the internet.  Whether you are upgrading an existing software package or looking for a specific program to install, the process will be a lot less complicated if you know what to look for.

Buying software online can be tricky, especially if you are new to shopping via the internet.  Whether you are upgrading an existing software package or looking for a specific program to install, the process will be a lot less complicated if you know what to look for.

Software Buying Tip # 1
Read customer reviews.  Many popular online stores, such as Amazon, allow users to leave their comments about a particular product.  Reading other customer reviews may help to make your decision easier because it gives you an idea of others who have experienced the product firsthand.

Software Buying Tip # 2
When considering any type of software, make sure that it is compatible with your computer.  Most software requires a specific processor type, such as Pentium or Celeron, and a certain amount of free hard drive space.  The reason is because, in order for software to function properly at quickly, the computer must be able to handle the application.  By being familiar with your computer’s configuration, you will be able to select the right software.

Software Buying Tip # 3
Become familiar with the software by reading it’s description and capabilities.  Before purchasing any type of software, you should make sure that it is exactly what you want or will enjoy learning.  Often times, after software is opened, there is no refund policy for buyer’s remorse.

Software Buying Tip # 4
Purchase software from a reputable company.  This will ensure customer service, reliability, quality products and timely shipment.  By purchasing software from a reliable source, you will also ensure that the title is authentic and not an illegal copy.  The best way to check out a business’s reputation is through the Better Business Bureau.

Software Buying Tip # 5
The best part of shopping for software online is the competition.  Because there are so many retailers, prices are more competitive than if only one store had the software that you want.  Shop around and compare prices before making a final decision.

Software Buying Tip # 6
When making a purchase online, consider using a credit card.  Most credit card companies provide a dispute resolution process, which is beneficial if the product is not delivered, is not as advertised or is damaged and the company will not stand behind the transaction.

Software Buying Tip # 7
If purchasing from another individual, such as often the case with online auctions, confirm that the software has all manuals and/or product keys to ensure proper installation.

Software Buying Tip # 8
Learn about the company’s return, refund and/or exchange policy.  In many cases, especially with software, the company may refuse to accept the product back for a refund.  However, there is always the possibility that a program is damaged or doesn’t function properly, in which case the store should honor the purchase with an exchange for the same title.  When buying software online, it’s best to purchase from a store that is reasonable when it comes to exchanges if not refunds.

Software Buying Tip # 9
When purchasing software online, take a moment to look at the company’s shipping costs, methods and availability of a way to track the package following shipment.

Software Buying Tip # 10
Common payment methods include credit cards, checks and/or money orders.  If you want to purchase software online, you will need to do so from a company that accepts a convenient payment method.  If you do not have a credit card, most companies will accept a mailed payment.  Most companies, however, recommend not sending cash.

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10 Tips For Using Adobe Photoshop

Like a brush is to a painter an essential skill in the field of graphic design is Photoshop. The software offers increased productivity as well as flexibility. The features include aspects like file browser, vanishing point tool, smart sharpen filter, noise reduction filter, smart objects, as well as camera workflow enhancements.

Like a brush is to a painter an essential skill in the field of graphic design is Photoshop. The software offers increased productivity as well as flexibility. The features include aspects like file browser, vanishing point tool, smart sharpen filter, noise reduction filter, smart objects, as well as camera workflow enhancements. Photoshop offers professional photo editing features, digital imaging, as well as non destructive editing. 

There are so many hidden features and insights to software, that it is often impossible to know them all.

1.    There is a hidden option using which you can simulate bold and italic formatting styles for fonts that do not have these options. Click the button on the type tool option to bring up the character palette. Then select text and click the arrow in the upper right hand corner of the palette menu where faux bold and italics are present. However you will not be able to warp type when formatting has been applied.
 
2.    One can quickly flip through blend modes while trying out effects by using the keys “shift+ to change to next mode and shift- to go to the previous mode.” When a painting tool is active this shortcut will change the blend mode of the painting tool. However, if anything is highlighted then the shortcut will not work. You will have press esc and then use the shortcut keys again.

3.    The photomerge feature can be used to seamlessly combine multiple images to create a panorama. This feature can be accessed from the Automate menu. You can even refine the composition using tools like rotate, zoom, pan, and set vanishing point.

4.    When re-sampling images one can use either Bicubic Smoother or Bicubic Sharper. You can use Bicubic smoother for up sampling and Bicubic sharper for down sampling. You can actually specify which interpolation method is to be used by going to general preferences and setting a default.

5.     There are two features for printing. You can use contact sheet II or picture package. Use contact sheet when you want all images in the same size and you want to print the name below the image. Use printer package when you want different image sizes on the same page, or multiple copies of the same image, or a text overlay.

6.     If you want to remove a glare on the eyeglasses of an image you should use a part of the lens that does not have a glare and use it to layer the lens with a glare. Use tools like rotate and skew and soft-tip eraser to soften the edges. Ensure the glare does not show through from below. Or, do some careful work using the clone tool.

7.    The online services enable you to connect to online photo printing and sharing sites.

8.    The Web Photo gallery can generate hyperlink pages that can be uploaded to a server.

9.    The Picture Package option will help you prepare photos in layout with multiple size prints on one page.

10.    You will never forget how you achieved a certain result because the History Log will detail every step taken by you as well as time-tracking, and a legal record. There are three choices wherein, you can create a sessions only record where, it will record only when Photoshop is opened or closed; or a concise record which will record each action including the text that appears in the history palette; or the complete editing history including the text that appears in the actions palette.

Adobe Photoshop is a dream tool for every designer and one can over time master every subtlety of the tool and crop, rotate, resize, create shapes, add layers, change text, and play with colors.  It is a hands on software where the more you use it the more you will learn.

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