 July 1999 This section features the newest and hottest software programs released on the Internet. By Kieran McNamee |
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| Applet Headline Factory 4.0 | |||||
| Java applet headlines are not only small in size, they are attractive and provide a professional look to any Web site. You can use these headlines to announce news and links to other pages or to just create an impressive welcoming title. Creating headlines has been made easy with Applet Headline Factory. The program allows you to adjust the size of the heading as well as the style, colour, borders and much more. The interface is well designed with the main section split into three tabs and an Applet Preview window that shows you the results of your changes instantaneously. The three tabs are titled General, Headlines and HTML. Under General you can fiddle with the applet's dimensions, borders and scroll settings. The Headlines section is where you type the text you present to your viewers. You can also mess around with the fonts and colours and create a masterpiece. The HTML section provides the code that needs to be included in your Web page as well as any files that must be copied with your HTML file. You can check out the headline while it's being created not only through the preview window at the bottom of the screen but also through your Web browser by pressing the Test in Browser button. | |||||
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Download the version for your operating system
here:
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| Requirements: | Shareware | ||||
| Install instructions: | Download to your local, then unzip it and run the EXE file. | ||||
| Rating: |  |
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 Links online: |
http://www.coffeecup.com/ | ||||
| Deep Paint 1.0b | |||||
| Want to create some unbelievable images? With Deep Paint you can create perfect 2D images and then add dynamic 3D lighting and textures to make those images even better. The effects you can create are stunning. A large variety of brush patterns and paint combinations are available to assist you in your artistic creations. The Deep Paint interface consists of three main components: the Canvas, the Palettes and the Command Panel. The Canvas is where all your images are created and edited; the Palettes are scattered around your workspace and provide necessities such as editing options and colour choices; the Command Panel serves as the backbone for any masterpieces you will create and contains additional editing options. There are filters to invert and blur as well as ones for brightness/contrast and hue/saturation. Deep Paint can also function as a PhotoShop plug-in, allowing you to import images into Deep Paint and export them back to PhotoShop. | |||||
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Download the version for your operating system
here:
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| Requirements: | Demo (15 days) | ||||
| Install instructions: | Internet Explorer users just click on the file and choose Open to run the setup program straight from the CD. Nestcape users download to your local drive and run the EXE file. | ||||
| Rating: |  |
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| Links online: |
http://www.righthemisphere.com/ | ||||
| EDGE Diagrammer | |||||
| EDGE Diagrammer makes the creation of flow charts and organisational charts a breeze. Whether you need to create a complex chart for an important business presentation or a simple diagram for a school assignment, EDGE Diagrammer is the ideal program to assist you. With your workspace on the right, a toolbar of shapes on the left and an easy-to-use menu system you will be designing brilliant diagrams in very little time. Often, the tricky bit when creating diagrams is drawing the lines and ensuring that they all line up properly between the different figures. EDGE Diagrammer takes care of this chore for you as it instinctively knows how parts of a diagram relate to one another, which items should stay connected, which items should line up, which should remain attached and so on. When you edit text in a figure, EDGE will grow the figure to fit the new amount of text perfectly. If you move a figure, EDGE can automatically adjust any lines that are connected to that figure. By eliminating this tedious task, EDGE Diagrammer allows you to concentrate on the diagram itself rather than on the process of creating it. | |||||
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Download the version for your operating system
here:
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| Requirements: | Shareware | ||||
| Install instructions: | Internet Explorer users just click on the file and choose Open to run the setup program straight from the CD. Nestcape users download to your local drive and run the EXE file. | ||||
| Rating: | |
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| Links online: |
http://www.pacestar.com/ | ||||
| NoteWorthy composer 1.55 | |||||
| NoteWorthy Composer lets you create, play and print your own musical scores. It can be used for pure fun and enjoyment or to create a serious piece. I am no musician but with all the features provided it can't be too hard to create a masterpiece — of some sort at least. The notes for your score can be input by placing them on the bars using the computer keyboard or else a MIDI-compatible keyboard can be used to record a live performance. MIDI files can be imported and exported. Any MIDI files you have on your system can be loaded up and the musical score can be easily printed out. NoteWorthy Composer has too many features to list. Some of the things you can play around with include the Dynamic Variance, the Key Signature and the Tempo Variance. All in all, NoteWorthy Composer is an exceptional tool for any musician who wants to incorporate their computer into their music-making process. | |||||
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Download the version for your operating system
here:
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| Requirements: | Shareware (Save disabled after 10 uses) | ||||
| Install instructions: | Internet Explorer users just click on the file and choose Open to run the setup program straight from the CD. Nestcape users download to your local drive and run the EXE file. | ||||
| Rating: |  |
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| Links online: |
http://www.ntworthy.com/ | ||||
| PicaView 1.31 | |||||
| PicaView is a Windows Explorer add-on for viewing images. It seamlessly embeds itself in the Explorer context menu and gives you the ability to view many image formats with a simple right-click. The thumbnail displayed is only as big as the size of the context menu but the ability to view your images in such a fashion is extremely useful. Information about the image such as width, height and number of colours is displayed below the thumbnail. You can easily see the full-sized image by clicking the thumbnail. There are no fantastic features to speak of, but this program doesn't need any. Its features include the ability to set your wallpaper to the selected image as well as a conversion function. There is an options section that allows you to change the thumbnail dimensions and the gamma correction among other things. PicaView also has an option to play your WAV files by right clicking. It costs $US26 to register PicaView but it's money well spent. | |||||
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Download the version for your operating system
here:
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| Requirements: | Shareware (30 days) | ||||
| Install instructions: | Internet Explorer users just click on the file and choose Open to run the setup program straight from the CD. Nestcape users download to your local drive and run the EXE file. | ||||
| Rating: | |
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| Links online: |
http://www.acdsystems.com/ | ||||
| PopOff! 2.03 | |||||
| PopOff! is a fantastic application that prevents Web sites from popping up windows full of advertisements and other undesirable content. PopOff! runs automatically in the background, starting up with your Web browser. Since PopOff! only filters out commands for windows that are opened without user interaction, all other Web page functionality remains intact while you browse. Configuration of PopOff! consists of three settings: a weak filter that prevents most known automatic pop-ups but will let some slip through, a strong filter that prevents more pop-ups than the weak filter but may also prevent some user activated pop-ups and the final setting allows you to disable PopOff! Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator browsers are supported while MSN and AOL customers must follow directions for PopOff! to function properly. | |||||
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Download the version for your operating system
here:
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| Requirements: | Freeware | ||||
| Install instructions: | Internet Explorer users just click on the file and choose Open to run the setup program straight from the CD. Nestcape users download to your local drive and run the EXE file. | ||||
| Rating: | |
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| Links online: |
http://www.intercantech.com/ | ||||
| RamBooster | |||||
| If you have ever run into trouble by not having enough free memory then RamBooster may be your answer. This small program can be opened from the System Tray and with a few clicks RamBooster forces Windows to free up your RAM so your PC runs smoother and faster which means you don't have to reboot as often. It will monitor your memory at all times and if the amount of free RAM gets too low, it will automatically boost it for you. There is also a CPU monitor that shows you what percentage of your CPU is in use and by placing the arrow over the cursor, indicates how much free RAM you have left. This program worked pretty well except for one glitch. If the amount of memory you want to recover is too large (say, more than 6M or 7M at a time) then you will receive an error message saying the computer is out of memory. You then have to restart the program. If you free up small bits of memory incrementally then it works brilliantly. | |||||
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Download the version for your operating system
here:
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| Requirements: | Freeware | ||||
| Install instructions: | Download to your local, then unzip it and run the EXE file. | ||||
| Rating: | |
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| Links online: |
http://www.sci.fi/~borg/rambooster/index.htm | ||||
| Speak & Mail 1.94 | |||||
| An email notification utility that uses Microsoft Agent Animated Characters to read and speak aloud the contents of your email messages. The program checks your POP mailbox for messages, notifying you of new messages and reading the emails for you. Speak & Mail can also read and speak aloud the contents of any text document or the clipboard. It makes use of Microsoft's Animated Agent Technology and in addition to reading your emails your little character (for example, the Genie) can tell you the time of day as well as an assortment of jokes and quotes. With Speak & Mail as your default mail client you can not only have your messages read aloud to you; you can use voice recognition to dictate outgoing messages. Notes and reminders can be entered into Speak & Mail and can be read back at the specified time. Configuring and using Speak & Mail is simple. I'm sure there are many readers who can make use of this program. | |||||
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Download the version for your operating system
here:
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| Requirements: | Shareware | ||||
| Install instructions: | Internet Explorer users just click on the file and choose Open to run the setup program straight from the CD. Nestcape users download to your local drive and run the EXE file. | ||||
| Rating: | |
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| Links online: |
http://www.shadisoft.com/ | ||||
| Window Blinds 0.90 | |||||
| WindowBlinds is a utility that allows you to change the look and feel of Windows. It lets you customise your desktop by changing the style of title bars, buttons and toolbars. You can change the look of buttons and check boxes by assigning them 'skins' or personalities and you can assign buttons to toolbars that will launch programs. Configuring WindowBlinds is as simple as double-clicking its icon in the System Tray and selecting a pre-designed customisation from the list. The pre-designed skins can make your PC desktop look like a Mac or something more interesting than it is. You can also mess around with the general configuration settings, backgrounds for different desktop areas and the alignment of borders and title bars. If you have applications you don't want affected then simply specify these in the Per App section. WindowBlinds allows you to assign skins to specific applications. | |||||
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Download the version for your operating system
here:
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| Requirements: | Shareware | ||||
| Install instructions: | Download to your local, then unzip it and run the EXE file. | ||||
| Rating: |  |
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| Links online: |
http://www.stardock.com/ | ||||
⌐ Australian Consolidated Press 1999
