Mistakenly type LIKE THIS? Try CapsUnlocker
It’s a common keyboard annoyance: you’ve pressed the Caps Lock key, either not realized or just forgotten about it, and then typed a whole line of text IN THE WRONG CASE, or maybe wondered why a website password hasn’t been recognized, before you’ve noticed. Sounds familiar? Then you might be interested in CapsUnlocker, a new tool that can help in a variety of ways.
At its simplest you can use the program as a Caps Lock status indicator, handy if you don’t have one already. (It’s surprisingly configurable, too -- you can choose the icon to display when the key is on or off.) You might disable Caps Lock entirely by choosing the relevant right-click option from CapsUnlocker’s system tray icon.
Google is evil
In the Biblical story, the serpent tempted Eve by offering something she desired -- to be like God. It's appropriate metaphor for every shyster that followed. Evildoers follow a consistent pattern of offering something tempting that masks something else. It's the art of misdirection that assures them power or profit -- often both. If there is a definition of evil, it's taking advantage of others for personal gain. The more people, the more evil. Greater the trickery, eviler still.
That sums up my assessment of Google's non-voting split revealed yesterday concurrently with first-quarter earnings. Stock-split seemingly gives investors twice as many shares as they have now. But half will be non-voting ones, diluting shareholders' say in Google's doings. Essentially, the company seeks to have it both ways -- be private while having the benefits of public investment. The most disruptive company of the 21st century is at it again. The implications are seemingly astounding.
WindowBlinds 7.4 supports more programs, transparent scrollbars
Anyone with more than a passing interest in tweaking the look and feel of Windows is likely to be aware of the existence of WindowBlinds. This highly impressive customization tool from Stardock has been updated with added support for transparent scrollbars in Explorer windows in Windows 7 as well as updates to the Start button and changes to higher DPI settings. WindowBlinds 7.4 also includes a number of fixes for bugs and problems that have been discovered.
Support for a number of specific programs has been improved so if you have noticed issues with Yahoo Messenger, you’ll be pleased to find that the correct theme is now used on frames while a problem with black menu bars in Total Commander has also been addressed. Other program-specific changes that have been made include a number of fixes for Internet Explorer 9 related problems such as better styling for groupboxes and scrollbars.
Want to code your own Android, Flash or iOS game? Try Stencyl 2.0 beta
Coding a game may be something you like the idea of but, much like putting together a website, without the right tools to work with it can seem like an incredibly daunting task. There is no piece of software that is going to create a game for you, but Stencyl is an incredibly intuitive game creation engine that can be used by anyone with the right idea -- it does not matter if you are able to code by hand or not.Stencyl 2.0 beta is the latest release of the software and it packs some serious impressive features.
Version 2 of the program, which is available not only for Window and OSX, but also Linux, picks up from where previous releases have left off, proving you with a set of tools that enable you to do everything from designing in-game graphics to using drag-and drop-action building to determine how different elements will interact with each other. This is an interesting approach to game production, and this is a tool that can be used to make Flash games as well as games for iOS and Android.
If my language is as foreign as Klingon, try TranslateClient 6.0.618
The language barrier isn’t quite the impenetrable wall it used to be. These days you can often muddle through when confronted by what appears to be a stream of gibberish in some random foreign language, but if you find yourself regularly dealing with another tongue, it helps to arm yourself with the right software.
One desktop tool for Windows users worth checking out is TranslateClient 6.0.618, which gives you translation services from within any open application, including your web browser. The free version provides services from Microsoft Translator, while a paid-for Pro version adds Google Translator as well as a number of other additional options.
Sophos Virus Removal Tool is slow, but free
Sophos has released a free on-demand Virus Removal Tool. The program previously was available to the company’s larger customers to help them clean up infected PCs, but now to anyone to download.
The Virus Removal Tool is extremely easy to use, with no settings to configure, no scan modes to figure out: it’s purely about on-demand full system scans. But this simplicity does mean you should be able to install the program and run it alongside just about any other security suite, as there’s no real-time access component to cause conflicts.
Boeing phone to take flight with Android later this year
A company more known for its work in the aerospace industry is now Android's newest partner. Boeing this week announced plans to release a smartphone aimed at those requiring super-secure communications, yet the convenience of a widely used mobile operating system. Calling it the "Boeing phone", the device is slated to launch by the end of the year.
What business a company like Boeing has in hawking smartphones is unclear, but it has the market. Most of Boeing's current clients are in sectors where confidentiality and security is at a premium. Similar devices cost $15,000 to $20,000, but the Chicago based company plans to come in at a price point below that. Not something you or I could afford, mind you, but definitely more reasonable.
Is it worth having the Start Menu alongside the Windows 8 Start Screen? [video]
The simple answer here is yes.
There has been much debate about the merits of the traditional Start Menu versus Metro's Start Screen since Windows 8 Developer Preview released last year. Microsoft did away with the Start Button in Windows 8, replacing it and the supporting menu with the Start Screen, which is primed for touch. Supporters, and that includes Microsoft, say it's better. But the argument that the "Start Screen can do everything the Start Menu can is the biggest BS to date.
$7 million worth of phones will be lost today [infographic]
Not a day passes by without a couple infographics dropped in my inbox and somehow I just don't get around to posting them. My bad, since they can be fun and informative. Granted the producers hope for a little promotion along the way, but hey.
This one comes from BackgroundCheck.org, which blogs stuff like "8 Crazy Nannies Who Should’ve Been Background Checked" and "7 Things You Should Know Before Choosing a Babysitter" (Hey, whatever happened to 10 things?).
Intel's Studybook can be a success
Intel is putting more effort into their Atom CPU series, especially for the next generation of tablet computers. Along those lines, yesterday's Intel Studybook tablet is exciting. I really like the idea of this tablet. As the name implies, Studybook is a 7-inch tablet running Windows 7 or Android 3.x designed for students.
There is one challenge, though, and that is the Atom CPU, especially if such tablets use Windows instead of another operating system. So, is the Atom microprocessor up to the task?
Move over, Visio, because Dia delights
Diagram creation software can be on the expensive side, just take a look at Visio, for instance, but if that’s a problem for you then there are some great free tools around. And Dia is one of the best.
The program may open with a standard list of flowcharting shapes, for instance, but it also provides plenty of other symbol libraries. Just choose the one you need and you’ll be able to draw logic diagrams, electrical circuits, networks, databases, simple maps and much more.
Amazon out-searches Google
Amazon set its sights on Google Thursday by introducing CloudSearch, a feature that allows customers of its Amazon Web Services offering to implement search capabilities to their websites. The technology behind CloudSearch is the same that Amazon uses on its retail site.
Access is billed based on the number of running search instances, anywhere from 12 cents to 98 cents per hour, with a 98 cent per gigabyte charge for the storage of search data. Running continuously, the search functionality could cost as little as $90 per month, and in some cases a cheaper alternative to Google's Site Search offering.
Do I really need anti-malware?
In the realm of security, there are a number of discussions that never seem to be completely resolved and crop up again from time to time. One of these is the age old question: “Is antivirus really necessary”?
To the average PC user, the idea that antivirus (or more accurately, anti-malware) isn’t necessary may seem as crazy and dangerous as suggesting we get rid of seatbelts in cars (let alone keep airbags, antilock brakes and other safety features). For years, PC users have been told to “protect your PC” by running antivirus and keeping it and the system constantly up-to-date. Microsoft made these steps the foundation for its guidance to customers in the wake of the Slammer and Blaster worms in 2003 and that advice took root, helping to better protect PC users since then.
Nokia could teach Apple a thing or two about customer service
It’s the biggest product launch of the year so far for Windows Phone and Nokia. The Lumia 900 went on sale April 8th and early reports suggest that sales are better than expected. They're nothing stellar but nevertheless some good news for a platform struggling to gain market share.
Earlier this week, I convinced my mother to purchase her first Windows Phone, the Cyan Lumia 900. Later that afternoon, I learned of a serious software bug causing devices to literally lose their data connections --an essential feature for any smartphone. So admittedly, I was pretty concerned. It turns out, I didn’t need to be.
Keep out prying eyes with Wise Folder Hider
You don’t need something to hide to have something to hide. Whether you share your computer with others, or your machine is situated somewhere that other people may be able to access it, there’s a high chance that it has files stored on it that you would like to keep private. Documents relating to personal and financial issues are the sorts of files that should be kept away from unauthorized eyes, and Wise Folder Hider Beta is a free tool that makes it easy to do just that.
There are various ways in which you can make sensitive files more difficult to access, but this handy security tool helps to make things as simple as possible. Protecting the files you would rather other people were not able to see take little more than signing into the program account you have created and then dragging and dropping the relevant files and folders onto the program interface -- this can be done on an individual basis, or you can choose to hide a whole bunch in one go.
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.