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SketchBook Express

Mel — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:00:20 +0000

Some users refer to SketchBook Express as the Mac Version of Windows Paint, but it’s more powerful. Created by AutoDesk, it offers casual users an easy way to learn how to paint and draw. Those who know little about drawing and painting will learn the ropes quickly.

A blank canvas greets you after launching the app. One window has controls for redo, undo, colors and shapes. Pencils, erasers, pens and brushes are stored in another window. You also have flood fill tools, brushes for sharpening and blurring.

Its draw modes make it a snap to create rectangles, circles and other shapes. You’ve also got markers and airbrushes. You can create up to half a dozen layers for complex drawings. Images can be dragged to a layer for easy editing.

You can access files and settings in the crescent at the bottom of the screen. Drawing is easy; choose a pencil or brush, select a color and start your mastepiece. For Mac touchpads, you just drag your finger. You can use a tablet for more precise creations.

There are a lot of drawing tools. All of them can be customized. Unlike basic paint programs, SketchBook Express has other options such as crayons, developer colors, Apple colors and web-safe hues. The latter is ideal if you want to post images specifically for the web.

If you want more specific shades, use the color wheel. The UI is streamlined, which makes drawing easier. The iPad version is optimized for pens. You can navigate the canvas by using the spacebar.

SketchBook Express is very easy to learn and fun. Whatever your artistic skills, it’s a great way to learn how to draw or just make sketches.

Use Your Handwriting

Mel — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:00:39 +0000

Use Your Handwriting is an app that lets you use your finger as a virtual pencil, handy for people who need to jot down notes on their iOS and are having trouble using a popup keyboard. Created by Gee Whiz Stuff, it comes with tutorials so you can learn how the app works.

The Options in the Preferences menu let you change many settings, and you should change it if you’re left handed. This is also where you can modify the finger writing with various writing styles. There are half a dozen themes available and you can modify them very easily.

All you need to do is tap a color or title and you will find all the notes in the theme. Click the + button and start writing. You can use the undo button, left and right arrows and an eraser to help you write. After you’re done, well, tap Done. You can then go to the Notes list you made, add stars, dim them or add check marks. Use Your Handwriting also makes it easy to do things like delete and organize your notes.

The app a nice alternative to the usual popup keyboard that you use on iOS devices. It runs on both the iPhone and iPad but it naturally works better on the bigger screen of the iPad.

Bottom line: if you are uncomfortable with the keyboard, give Use Your Handwriting a try. There really aren’t many free apps like this one, and it is perfect if you always use your iOS to take notes.

OpenTable

Mel — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:00:03 +0000

OpenTable is an app for the iOS and Android that helps you find restaurants, read reviews and make reservations on your mobile device. Created by Opentable.com, there are more than 17 million reviews on the app since it first came out in 2008.

OpenTable is a very easy to use, as all you need to do is specify your party size, the time, and the date when you wish to dine. You can have OpenTable look for the restaurants nearest you or you can use an interactive map. The app also lets you search restaurants by name, useful if you are looking for a specific place. And since it can find the nearest available restaurant near you, it is very convenient.

The availability is in real time so you don’t have to worry that when you get to the place it is already full. In addition to this you can also map results and make refinements to the results by the points awarded, the reservation time, price or cuisine. You can see the menus of the restaurants featured on the app and of course read the reviews.

OpenTable lets you make reservations for free, and only those restaurants that allow you to make reservations are reviewed on the app. The app is continuously updated and new reviews are added.

While making reservations is a great feature, the reviews are just as helpful. Unlike other similar apps, only those who have confirmed reservations can write reviews, so you can be certain that all the reviews on the app have been written by people who have been to the restaurant.

Redhaven Outline

Mel — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 13:00:15 +0000

Redhaven Outline by Rynelf Tools is a tool that can be used to make outlines and organizing your work and keeping track of your daily activities. It’s also a versatile tool for creating lists and for research purposes as well.

Redhaven can also be used for taking notes if you are making presentations or speeches, and it’s also a good tool for arranging the structure of your papers. You may also use this to keep Windows shortcuts neatly arranged or track your favorite websites.

As anyone who’s done extensive research will tell you, outlines help you deal with the vast amounts of information you will come across.
The software is versatile enough to help if you are working on a book, going through school papers, taking down notes for your business proposal and many others tasks. With Redhaven you can create virtually unlimited subheadings, sub-headings and headings. You can also copy and paste among or within the outlines you create.

Redhaven Outline also lets you store as much info as you want, and you can also add keywords, web addresses, references to external files and summaries. It’s also possible to assign different colors so you can see things easily. After you have created the outline you can export it to other applications. Outlines can be in MLA format, something students will find useful.

In short this program should prove useful for anyone who works regularly with PCs. If you’re the type who loves to work with outlines, or you’re a student, Redhaven will come in handy.

Related Links:
Download Redhaven Outline

Grocery IQ

Mel — Thu, 30 May 2013 13:00:15 +0000

Grocery IQ by Coupons.com makes going to groceries less strenuous. This app allows you to make lists from its vast database. You can manually add items to the list, but it also offers a lot of helpful suggestions. The app comes with voice search and a multi-barcode scanner. The scanner is very easy to use. Just point the phone camera on the barcode of a product.

The software’s vast database means most of the items you’re looking for are already there. Item details can be viewed, and you can put some descriptions or add a price tag to it. You can make several lists. You can set up a list for weekly groceries, one for the holidays and so on. Grocery IQ can sync, update and access with Android, the iPad, iPhone or their website.

Lists can be shared so everyone in your home has the same items. You can set the app up so it will notify you when the list you shared has been updated. The “All List Items” allow you to see everything. Grocery IQ has a section on coupons about various items. This option alone gives you a lot to choose from. You can email the coupon to be printed or to an HP printer that is Wi-Fi capable. Pertinent coupons on your list are available. By using your phone’s current location, Grocery IQ can name the drug stores, groceries and food stores close by.

There are other cool features built into this app. You can put frequently-purchased items in your lists so lists can be created rapidly. Grocery IQ also keeps a history and makes lists based on it.

Autodesk 123D Design

Mel — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:00:12 +0000

123D Design is a desktop and iPad 3D modeler. Unlike other 3D programs, you don’t need a lot of experience to create high quality objects. It is for people who have always wanted to make cool 3D art but don’t have the skills to use complicated (and expensive) software.

Created by Autodesk, you’ll be able to make 3D designs from scratch. This CAD program has some elements similar to those of other Autodesk software. Tools like edge tweaking, push, pull patterning and symmetry turn your projects into realistic looking models.

There are also thousands of free 3D models on their website. Modeling is direct. Clicking the feature will make the tools available. Right click an object and you will see the Marking Menu. Useful tools are available there. The most important are at the circle.

You can zoom and pan to get more details. You can switch perspectives, necessary when creating complex objects. It’s got a movable toolbar and a Feature Browser. Nodes of your model are displayed here. You can edit each node, making it similar to Autodesk Inventor.

Users can hide/show annotation and origin planes. Sub features can be displayed or hidden with the Toggle Features icon. To hide the Feature Browser, click the Cross. Sketches can be used to produce solids, but they won’t be associative to it.

Autodesk 123D is just one of the 3D apps in the 123D family. The other products include 123D Make, which creates 3D models from 2D slices, Sculpt, a 3D modeler for iPad and Catch, a mobile app that creates 3D models from pictures. Each one is a standalone application.

Mindjet

Mel — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:00:14 +0000

Mindjet for the iPhone is a productivity app that lets you input tasks and ideas as well as notes into your mobile device, arraigning them into visual maps that allow you to rapidly organize those concepts. Published by Mindjet LLC, it can help you when it comes to prioritizing.

With Mindjet you will be able to make new maps on the fly or import them from the company’s cloud service. Because your files are saved in the cloud, you can access them anywhere there is an Internet connection.

It is very easy to create a new topic; just slide your finger and a new topic will be made. In fact, it won’t take more than two taps to do tasks like moving, editing, folding, unfolding – making it very convenient to use.
Mindjet also lets you add as many topics as you want and you can also insert subtopics too. In addition, you can save all the branches as individual maps, and it is also easy to do basic tasks like cut, copy and paste.

Their cloud service allows you edit and create files as well move and copy maps inside your account. Dropbox users will be happy to note that Mindjet allows you to sync your maps there and also access your other files. It is also worth pointing out that the map display is in real time, so the placements of all your topics are in their present location.

Drag and drop is fully supported, and you only need to tap once to create sibling and parent topics. Finally, Mindjet has undo, redo and zooming in and out.

Related Links:
Mindjet on iTunes
Official Website

Lyx

Mel — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:00:03 +0000

Lyx is a free word document processor that takes the pain out of formatting your documents. Unlike other word processors that require you to do a lot of formatting, this one, created by the Lyx development team has taken care to make sure everything looks great from the start. Not only that, this program is also packed with some sweet features.

Lyx has a lot features ranging from math and science to creating documents, tables, and graphics. You can import Word, RTF, html ASCII, PDF, LaTEX, Postscript and many more. You can also send a fax from within the program. Lyx supports change tracking and it can compare different document versions plus you can make virtual sticky notes, perfect when you want to jot something down quickly.

One of the program�s biggest strengths, however, is in it’s structured document creation. If you�re creating long complex documents you will find features like bibliography, index, references, and labels very useful. Of course standard features like spell checking, cut/paste, opening multiple documents, undo, redo revision tracking and thesaurus can all be found here as well.

If those features are not enough, Lyx has support for different text classes so you can type LinuxDoc, presentations, movie scripts books, articles, letters and more. In addition, text classes for sciences societies are supported as well. Speaking of science, you can enter equations via point and click and it has a powerful math formula editor as well. Algebra systems are supported as well as algorithms, customizable math macro, equation numbering, and arrays and a whole lot more.

While Lyx�s set of features may seem intimidating it really isn�t since its graphical user interface is very intuitive and the menus clearly show where the functions are.

Related Links:
Download Lyx
Lyx on YouTube

Wings 3D

Mel — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:00:10 +0000

Mention 3D graphics and people think of programs that cost in the thousands of dollars. However, Wings 3D is a powerful modeler that is totally free. It was created by Bj�rn Gustavsson, Dan Gudmundsson and the rest of the Wings 3D Development Team.

It�s a sophisticated program, capable of modeling human figures, creatures, vehicles, and so on. The program uses a graphical interface instead of icons. You use the keyboard and mouse to change an object�s geometry. Four selection modes are available: Body, Face, Edge and Vertex. Make no mistake about it; Wings 3D has a lot of tools. Each mode comes with its own set of modelers and editors. Its auto-UV feature makes adding textures easy.

There are a lot of mesh and selection tools plus lights, materials and colors. You can export objects as OBJ and other popular formats. Standard features include weld, cut, bridge, bevel, extrude and rotate among others. Advanced features include inset, shear, bend, intersect, circularize etc. You can use its Smooth Preview to assess your model. Other advanced tools like sculpt, tweak and Virtual Mirror are perfect for modeling symmetrical objects.

There are a lot of options, but you can configure its interface. You will find more commands with its right-click menus. Keep your cursor over the mouse over a menu, a brief explanation will pop up. It can import ndo, 3ds, ai, .lwo/.lxo, .obj and other popular formats. You can export to 3ds, ai, obj, pov and many others.

Wings 3D is available for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux. It is continuously being updated. The software uses OpenGL for rendering. However you can export and render with YafRay, POV-Ray and other software.

Focus Booster

Mel — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:00:34 +0000

Focus Booster is an app for Windows designed to help you manage time. What the program does is break down your work into 25 minute segments and add breaks. The purpose of all this is to help you stay focused. While aimed primarily at people working, it will also help students and anyone trying to balance time on their desktop.

When you install Focus Booster Adobe AIR is installed as well. With this software you will be able to operate any web application without using a browser on your desktop. A close look will show that Focus Booster is more like a widget than a full blown application. The interface is pretty simple, with a black rectangular shape and a play icon (the green one) and a counter that is configured to 25:00.

The small �I� will toggle a panel that allows you to begin a session, set the break and turn the sounds on or off. There is also an option to have the app always at the top or not. The controls are flexible enough and you can set the break length to as low as 5 minutes, which is really the ideal minimum break time.

Once that is set you just need to click the play button. This will activate the countdown and will display a semi-transparent Session 01 message and a momentary stopwatch sound. As you work you will see a green progress bar, with the colors slowly turning into a warm color as it reaches completion. When the break is reached, an alarm bell will set off. While Focus Booster is simple, it gets the job done.

Related Links:
Focus Booster Official Website