Photostage Slideshow Software Create your own photo slideshow movies for free. Creating a slideshow from your digital photos has never been easier. Photostage brings your pictures, images and video to life and lets you share your favorite memories with family and friends in an interesting and portable way. The brief – make a slideshow program so easy to use that your Grandma could do it. The result – Photostage. With incredibly powerful features at your fingertips, Photostage lets you set your photos to a soundtrack, record your own narrations and overlay text captions. PhotoStage is completely free. Designed to be very easy and intuitive to use, Photostage will have you up and running within minutes. Simply download now and install. We make this software free in the hope you will like it so much you will try our other related software. Completely Free Slideshow Creator Full of effects! Includes zoom, crop and fade effects Cool panning and zooming effects brings your photos to life. Easy to share! Burn and present on TV, PSP, Mobile Phone and more… Burn your slideshow to DVD for playback on TV, or as a standalone video file for enjoying on web and portable devices. Enhance your photos! Easy to use photo enhancements Touch up or enhance your photos and videos with ease. Vista compatible! Add up to 1000 photos Create up to 1000 photos in a slideshow, and it is fully compatible with Windows 2000 / XP / Vista

Slideshow Features

Stunning Transition Effects Panning and zooming effects let you bring your photos to life. Fade transition effect gives your slideshow that professional touch. Preview the effects in real time. Customize the duration of the effect.
Complete Photo Optimization Fine tune brightness, saturation and color for photos and video. Add your favorite photos with a click of a button. Crop, rotate and flip photos easily and preview the changes in real time. Add text captions to individual slides. Add video clips for a complete slideshow presentation.
Amazing Audio Tools Add music tracks to your slideshow. Record narrations with the click of a button. Import pre-recorded narrations Mix multiple music tracks together using our powerful MixPad Audio File Mixer
Share With Your Family and Friends Burn to DVD and watch in your living room on TV. Show off your latest pics and clips on PSP, iPod, iPhone, 3GP mobile phone or Pocket PC. Explore the most advanced way to burn HD DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs. Output video files and share your creation with more friends on computer or through Internet.

Supports Many Media Formats

• Input Formats:

  
  

  • Image: bmp, gif, jpg, jif, jiff, jpeg, exif, png, tif, tiff, psd, tga, pcx, jp2, wmf, ico
  • Audio: wav, mp3, mp2, mpga, m4a, ogg, avi, mid, flac, aac, wma, dct, au, aiff, ogg, raw, msv, dvf, vox, cda, atrac, gsm, dss, sri, shn, dss, msv, wmv and many more.
  • Video: avi, mpeg, wmv, divX, Xvid, mpeg1, mpeg2, mpeg4, mp4, mov, asf, vob, ogm, .3gp, H.264, RM and many more.

  
  

• Output Formats:

  
  

  • Disc export: DVD, CD, Blu-ray Discs, HD-DVD
  • Video export: avi, wmv, asf, mpg, 3gp, mp4, mov, iPod, iPhone, PSP, Mobile Phone, Pocket PC

System Requirements

• Works on Windows 7 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008

Download Photostage Slideshow Creator Download Photostage Slideshow Software – exe file Download Photostage Slideshow Software – zip file Once download is complete run the file “pstagesetup.exe” to install Photostage. When the file has installed, please select Help to view (or print) the complete manual.

It’s a sad sad fact, that there are still many places that do not have a decent broadband connection. Of course, places like Finland, with their 1MB line minimum law, this doesn’t apply to. But for the rest of us – it’s fact!

Many times, when on the road fixing peoples computers, invariably, I have to update a fresh install of Anti-virus software. As you know , this takes forever the first time. To get around this I had been downloading Microsoft’s Security Essentials offline update file. Of course, you have to grab a latest copy before you head, it still saves a lot of time.

Well, it would be great to be able to do this for all the software I install. And now you can.

WSUS Offline

WSUS means Windows Software Update Service. Its an app/software server that allows admins to download one copy of the latest Windows updates, approve it and send it to clients.

WSUS offline.. does this in a similar way but offline of course!!! It’s now at version 6.3 and its a small enough download. Open the ZIP file and extract the contents to a folder on your desktop. Double click your Application file and this is what you get:

Click for larger image

You have many options from here. You can download the files to ISO’s ready for DVD burning or to your USB key.

When you are then on-site, you can load up your offline files and you will something like this:

Head over and grab it so you can continue your conquest for the family hero title!!

Website: WSUSOffline

This isn’t one of the typical spams emails that you delete 100′s of. This is something that RichardX13 found during the week and told me about. It’s a site for students …. AND…. families of students!! The idea is to help students through college and to be able to afford all of the software they need for the courses. They are called software4students.ie from Dreamspeak Ireland.

You can get anything and everything on there. Is there a catch? No. But there are some very reasonable rules which we will come to in a minute.

First of all, here is a snapshot of what’s on there and available:

They cover all the main Microsoft Products and Operating Systems, Adobes range and some Kaspersky Security amongst other titles.

You can get MS Windows 7 Ultimate for only €117.. saving over €455. Or Office Professional for €83!!!

So the rules

Here is what the site says:

1. All School, College, University students and their family members are eligible!

2. No Student ID required: As an Official Microsoft Partner, our offers extend beyond academic email address holders so that any family member or guardian can buy on behalf of a pupil or student.

3. You receive Full Professional version software at an academic price for lifetime use at home only.

There are more rules, but those are the important ones…

So go!! Save yourself a fortune.. after all, we all have family in college/school somewhere, right?

Website: Software4Students

OK, OK, I know there are many free anti-virus software available out there. We have Microsoft Security Essentials and AVG as 2 fine examples of great free anti virus software

Some of you may want to pay for anti virus software because you believe that you will be better protected, and that’s fine. That’s a personal decision. However, it’s not necessarily the case at all, I used AVG free and AVG pro, never got a virus with either. I used Kaspersky which is not  free , however Microsoft Security Essentials did the job just as well and is free.

Well, I’d like to now bring your attention to Avast Free 5.0!

Yes as it’s name suggests it’s free and yes there is a pro version you can pay for if you wish.

The Key Components that compile this latest version according to Avast are:

1. Improved anti virus and anti spy ware engine
2. Avast Intelligent scanner
3. Silent/Gaming Mode
4. Behavior Shield
5. Real Time Anti Root Kit Protection
6. Smart Virus Updates
7. Avast Community IQ
8. Behavioral Honey Pots
9. Green Computing
10. Avast I-Track
11. File System/Mail Shield
12. IM/P2P Shield
13. Network Shield

Lifehacker also brought out that this latest version brings a new Behavior Shield, heuristics engine and code emulator.

Many of you who are familiar with Avast will be pleased to hear about some major improvements. You will notice that the Interface has greatly improved in terms of it’s ease of use. The new interface is much more simple to use, and is that bit easier on the eye.

Also you will notice that scans run faster than the previous versions, which in turn makes it more efficient.

On one final note, you will notice as i mentioned above, that it has a Silent/Gaming mode. So, no more distracting pop ups and voices that close your game down involuntary.

I would seriously recommend this latest anti virus, whether you use an older version of avast, or perhaps you’ve never before used Avast, or perhaps you have used Avast, and have then changed to a different anti virus software. Either way I am making a serious recommendation, at least just try it, if you don’t like it, then simply uninstall it. Although you will need to give serious consideration before doing this if you are using a paid for anti virus as you may lose your license. (READ – Backup your licence)

To Download Avast 5.0 just click here.

I would very much appreciate your comments below, it really does help to get other peoples opinions. You could mention what you like about it, what you don’t like. Or even you could note your preference of anti virus and why. You see when other readers voice their opinions it gets other readers thinking about programs that they don’t use, so they will try them out. Its only by sharing our opinions that information gets around, and in turn benefits us all.

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Many people use uTorrent and never actually set it up for their type of connection or needs. So here we are going to delve into it in a little detail to get you your way. Hopefully , you will be able to get faster and more reliable results with this information. Bear in mind, it is not supposed to be an exhaustive walk-through, but rather to suit novices.

Torrents? uTorrent?

Without being overly technical, I want to explain this in simple terms, explaining just enough for you to get going. A torrent is a really small file that contains the link back information to the original file/program/movie/show/album that you are looking to download.  The torrent file is conveniently label abc123.torrent.  The file contains the name and sizes and more importantly the location of the files out on the internets. FYI- downloading torrents is NOT illegal. Downloaded pirated software etc., is.
A magnet link – is and I quote Wikipedia:

Such a link typically identifies a file not by location or name, but by content; more precisely, by the content’s hash value.

Since it refers to a file based on content or metadata, rather than by location, a magnet link can be considered a kind of Uniform Resource Name, rather than the more common Uniform Resource Locators. Although it could be used for other applications, it is particularly useful in a peer-to-peer context, because it allows resources to be referenced without the need for a continuously available host.

As far as you and I are concern, its a faster, more direct way to download with peer to peer.

So first of all, download uTorrent here. Run through the setup installation accepting the defaults, except that last option. This  offers you the Ask toolbar. Make your own decision here bearing in mind that accepting it supports the free uTorrent. If you don’t like, uninstall it after.

Now we’ll get started

Start up uTorrent by clicking on its icon or find it in the start menu.

When it opens a one time only pop up appears called a speed guide. It is designed to help you choose your speed settings that will optimize the running of uTorrent. In the first dropdown box, you have a list of speeds that say xx/256, xx/512 etc.

You want to choose the one that suits your UPLOAD speed. I have a 7 meg line at home and an upload of 512. So I chose xx/512. You can choose accordingly.

Next is the port number. This is very important to get decent speeds. As you can see in the screen shot, it automatically chose 34999 for me. This is fine, however, I need to go to my router and create a port forward to my desktop/PC IP address for that particular port. Next Sunday, I will write about how to configure your router for port forwarding. When that’s done, I will update this post on getting a green icon in uTorrent. In the meantime, ask in the comments below and I will answer you.

Click use selected settings.

Now go to Options > Preferences.

Rather than me writing this out word for word, just follow the screen shots from here and copy each screen and make it identical to your setup. I will circle my changes:

Click the Associate Button and Start with Windows

Now head to UI Settings:

I like being able to double click files to start/stop them. Saves extra right-clicks

Move on to the directories tab:

Do this, because it makes finding and organizing everything a lot easier later on. However, these are up to you.

Now the connections tab, but you have this part done earlier.

The blue messy bit is my actual port. You chose this earlier.

Bandwidth Tab:

These are my settings. You can see my Upload is a max 10. This means it will upload slower, but won't choke your network so much. My download is 350 which allows me to still browse the net comfortably whilst downloading. This is on a 7 meg line. You need to reduce these according to your connection. If I had a 1 meg line, I would reduce my download speed to 50.

The rest of the settings are up to you. The queuing area is how many concurrent downloads will happen at once. If you leave that low, you generally have a better experience.

Hope you have fun with this and follow on to this post tomorrow on how to download a torrent and use it -

How To Download Movies And TV Shows Torrents

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1. Save Office Documents to the Cloud – Integrated with your Windows SkyDrive Account and Automatic Synchronization
2. Embed Web Videos in your Presentations – Like you see when websites embed a Youtube video in the middle of text
3. Quick Steps in Outlook - For instance, here’s a quick step for “Send and Delete” which would delete the email from your inbox after you’ve replied.
4. Built-in PDF Writer - Sorely needed.. Adobe won’t be happy.
5. Document printing made simple! - Gives you better visibility on the final print – before you press print.
6. Broadcast Slideshows within PowerPoint – No longer need a separate app to accomplish something that should have been there in 2007
7. Video Editing meets PowerPoint – More Powerpoint tools for better presentation.
8. Distribute your slides as video - Again- speaks for itself.
9. Built-in Screen Capture – Why so long? Great to see it there.
10. Outlook gets social – Any Xobni users will get this immediately – Full visibility on all contact with any one person or group.

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It’s not motion detection, it’s people detection

Motion detection can be triggered by swaying branches, pets, or even light changes from clouds. Professional-grade security systems track objects but cost thousands of dollars and require expert calibration and tuning. Vitamin D Video uses a revolutionary form of intelligent computing, based on how the brain works, that can outperform state-of-the-art systems in many real world cases.

Feature List:

• If you are interested in general home security and/or monitoring but don’t know where to start, a few examples of what you can do are:
  • Record who comes to your door while you are away
  • Help your neighborhood watch group by monitoring the street or your backyard while you are out.
  • Send yourself a notification when your child comes home from school.
  • Set up a schedule to record inside your house while you are at work or on vacation.
  • Monitor activity at a second home when you are absent.
  • Catch if there are kids in your pool, or find out who (or what) is knocking over your trash cans.
  • Watch the backyard or a room where your pet is supposed to be (or not supposed to be!).
• For small businesses or retail locations, a few examples of what you can do beyond having an archive of video are:
  • Monitor a back door or unattended lobby area.
  • See who goes in and out of a specific room or secure area.
  • Figure out who is littering in front of your store, writing graffiti on your walls, loitering suspiciously after hours, etc.
  • Help verify if an alarm is false, before the police arrive (and potentially fine you).
  • Set up some very basic flow analysis (“retail analytics”) for your store, e.g., quickly scan to see how many people lingered in front of an end cap or entered a section of your store.

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The Linux Mascot Sucking The Juice Out Of Microsoft. Fantastic artwork!

Ubuntu

Software Center

Instant access to thousands of free and open-source applications. Categories include Education, Games, Sound and Video, Graphics, Programming and Office. Simply select the applications you want to use and the Ubuntu Software Center will add them to your computer. No CDs, no licenses, no hassle.

Email and chat

Chat with friends and colleagues through Empathy which integrates Yahoo, Gmail, MSN, Jabber, AOL, QQ and many more. Evolution gives you email, an address book and a calendar and works well with colleagues and friends using MS Outlook.

Browse the Internet

Ubuntu includes Mozilla Firefox 3.5 for faster and safer browsing. For a choice of other open-source web browsers visit the Ubuntu Software Center and take your pick.

Photos

Upload from your camera or phone to F-Spot. Manage, tag, share and sort your photos. Upload easily to your favourite social network or photo-sharing sites including Flickr, Facebook, Picasa and many others.

Music and videos

Plug in your PSP, iPod, MP3 player and use Rhythmbox to download, store, buy and play music. Share playlists with your friends. Access Last.fm directly through Rhythmbox to stream your favourite music. Stream and play video from YouTube, BBC and others.

Office applications

Create professional documents, spreadsheets and presentations with OpenOffice.org 3.1. OpenOffice.org is compatible with all office applications including Microsoft Office. The big difference is that OpenOffice.org is free (and promises never to introduce Mr Clippy).

Play games

Over 400 completely free and completely cool games. Solitaire is not the only game in town. Visit the Ubuntu Software Center to easily browse, select and install games.

Store, sync and share

Integrated “Ubuntu One” technology gives you 2 GB of online storage for free. Easily share files between your own and your friends’ computers. Upgrade at low cost for more storage if you need it.

Accessibility

At the core of the Ubuntu philosophy is the belief that computing is for everyone, whatever your circumstances. Ubuntu is one of the most accessible operating systems around and is fully translated into 23 languages with many more to follow.

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Features:

• 100% recovery rate.
• Lazesoft Recover My Password let you recover your administrator’s password with a few clicks.
• Lazesoft Recover My Password is easy to install and use with a very handy and clear user interface.
• Automatically detects several operating systems installed on the computer.
• Unlocks user accounts.
• Enables user accounts.
• Disables the password expiry option.

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Inpaint reconstructs the selected image area from the pixel near the area boundary. Inpaint may be used to remove undesirable objects from still images. Delete any unwanted object from your photo, such as extra power-line, people, text… The program will automatically inpaint the selected area to erase it. If some unexpected object spoils an otherwise good photograph, Inpaint may be used to remove it. Simply select the object. No need for fiddly messing about with the clone tool!

Here is a video from the Teorex site

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• Your own blog.
• Your own domain.
• Your own website.
• Built in email system.
• Friend invitation system
• Photo and Video Display and Sharing.
• A Shopping Center – Yes, really!!
• Google Search Bar.
• And a massive, I mean MASSIVE amount of widgets.

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• It doesn’t tell you which shows are missing.
• It doesn’t tell you which shows names are incorrect – E.g Instead of 24 Season 7 Episode 17 … it should be….  24 – S07E17 – Episode Name
• It doesn’t look for the missing show online and automatically download it once available
• It doesn’t maintain your folder structure – which is essential for media centers to catch everything

My Shows

Scan

When To Watch

Click On The Ads!

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Installation

For Windows Home Server Installs:

For Windows XP/Vista/7 Installs:

My Experience

Desktop Console View

Search View

WHS Console View

Great Features

• You can completely control the categories. Which is great because here in Ireland, we dont use certain preset categories. These are changed with a right-click.
• Allows you to perform backups of the archives in case you ever lost anything or damaged your pc.
• Once your archives are filed – they become centrally available to anyone you allow
• Allows you rotate or crop and split PDFs before filing them.

Support

Summary

Episode Downloader Deluxe

Key Features:

• Use specific key words to get the best related episodes you want to download;
• Easy-to-use management features and simple-yet-powerful configuration options can make your downloading process more easily;
• Support trim, crop and convert various video audio and movie formats like FLV, AVI, VOB, MOV, MP3 and MPG; convert your episodes even videos files from your local hard drive;
• Batch download, built-in Media player, and multiple languages support;