Archive for: Software

Task Coach: Ubuntu Free Task Management Software

Task Coach is a simple open source todo manager to keep track of personal tasks and todo lists. It grew out of a frustration that most task managers do not provide facilities for composite tasks. Often, tasks and other things todo consist of several activities. Task Coach is designed to deal with composite tasks. In addition, it offers effort tracking, categories, and notes. Task Coach is available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and iPhone and iPod Touch.

Task Coach Features:

Task Coach currently (0.78.4) has the following features:

* Creating, editing, and deleting tasks and subtasks.
* Tasks have a subject, description, priority, start date, due date, a completion date and an optional reminder. Tasks can recur on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
* Tasks can be viewed as a list or as a tree.
* Tasks can be sorted by all task attributes, e.g. subject, budget, budget left, due date, etc.
* Several filters to e.g. hide completed tasks or view only tasks that are due today.
* Tasks can be created by dragging an e-mail message from Outlook or Thunderbird onto a task viewer.
* Attachments can be added to tasks, notes, and categories by dragging and dropping files, e-mail messages from Outlook or Thunderbird, or URL’s onto a task, note or category.
* Task status depends on its subtask and vice versa. E.g. if you mark the last uncompleted subtask as completed, the parent task is automatically marked as completed too.
* Tasks and notes can be assigned to user-defined categories.
* Settings are persistent and saved automatically. The last opened file is loaded automatically when starting Task Coach.
* Tracking time spent on tasks. Tasks can have a budget. Time spent can be viewed by individual effort period, by day, by week, and by month.
* The Task Coach file format (.tsk) is XML.
* Tasks, notes, effort, and categories can be exported to HTML and CSV (Comma separated format). Effort can be exported to iCalendar/ICS format as well.
* Tasks, effort, notes, and categories can be printed. When printing, Task Coach prints the information that is visible in the current view, including any filters and sort order.
* Task Coach can be run from a removable medium.
* Tasks and notes can be synchronized via a Funambol server such as ScheduleWorld.

There is a todo-list application for iPhone and iPod Touch that can synchronize with Task Coach through the network, starting with version 0.73.2 of Task Coach. Main features are

* Hierarchical categories.
* Editing of task subject, description, dates and completed status.
* Tap on the task’s led icon to mark it complete.
* Available in English and French.

Install Task Coach in Ubuntu:

First you need to download .deb package from here or using the following command from your terminal

wget http://downloads.sourceforge.net/taskcoach/taskcoach_0.78.4-1_all.deb

Install .deb packge using the following comamnd from your terminal

sudo dpkg -i taskcoach_0.78.4-1_all.deb

Send Email Text to Phone for Free

Here is how it works:

Most of mobile carriers offer free Email To SMS gateways which can be used to forward simple text emails to a mobile phones. And the good news, majority of those gateways are free and available to the general public.

You just need to know the number and the carrier of the recipient to start emailing them to mobile phone. Below we put together a table listing free email to SMS gateways for different carriers. You can use as quick reference both for US and international mobile numbers.

Free Email To SMS Gateways (Major US Carriers)

Free Email To SMS Gateways (International + Smaller US)

These are all I could find from Wikipedia and other sources. If you’re aware of any other ones please share them in comments and I’ll add them to the list.

UPDATES:

If you can’t find a gatewayd for your current provider here, check out following links:

• http://www.tech-faq.com/send-text-messages-free.shtml
• http://www.mutube.com/projects/open-email-to-sms/gateway-list/
• http://www.notepage.net/smtp.htm

If you are aware of any other free sms to email gateways please add it in comments. Also let us know whether you tried any of the above and your experience with it.

VDownloader: Download and Convert YouTube Videos for Free

Vdownloader is a 100% free piece of software that lets users download their favourite videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Metacafe, Google Video, DailyMotion, Yahoo! Video or any other major video sharing website whenever and wherever you please? With VDownloader, you’ll be able to:

• Play video or audio on the road or on vacation on your MP3, mobile device or laptop.
• Watch videos without annoying advertisements, captions or other distractions.
• Make backups of online videos in any possible format; they might be lost or removed!
• Skip queueing and buffering thanks to the automatic video download accelerator.

We have tested out the software and it completely safe to use as much or as little as you would like.

Lucidor: Simple eBook Reader for Ubuntu

Lucidor is a computer program for reading and handling e-books. Lucidor supports e-books in the EPUB file format, and catalogs in the OPDS format. Lucidor runs on the GNU/Linux, Windows and Mac OS X platforms.

Lucidor provides functionality to

• Read EPUB e-books.
• Organize a collection of e-books in a local bookcase.
• Search for and download e-books from the Internet, for example by browsing OPDS catalogs.
• Convert web feeds into e-books.

Install lucidor in ubuntu

First you need to download .deb package from here or using the following command from your terminal

wget http://lucidor.org/lucidor/lucidor_0.9-1_all.deb

Now you need to install this .deb package by double clicking on that or running the following command from terminal

sudo dpkg -i lucidor_0.9-1_all.deb

Free Multiplatform Tools To Create Your Own iBooks

Being an open source format, ePub books are already widely available on the net. But you can also create your own electronic books in ePub format. Here are two free multiplatform tools to create iBooks – a.k.a: ePub books.

1. eCub: A lightweight ePub publisher to create iBooks available for Windows, Mac, Linux, FreeBSD and Solaris platform. Some of the features are:
   • creates unencrypted ePub files from text or XHTML files;
   • allows editing of the text or XHTML files with a simple internal editor or designated external editors;
   • helps to create a simple cover design image;
   • optionally creates title, content and cover pages;
   • can be run from the command line as part of a build script;
   • can convert the book content to audio files (WAV or MP3).

   

2. Sigil: Describes itself as a WYSIWYG ebook editor. Available for Windows, Mac and Linux. Some of the features are:
   • WYSIWYG editing;
   • Multiple Views: Book View, Code View and Split View;
   • Metadata editor with full support for all possible metadata entries (more than 200) with full descriptions for each;
   • Table Of Contents editor;
   • Multi-level TOC support;
   • Currently imports TXT, HTML and ePub files; more will be added with time;
   • Currently exports ePub and SGF (Sigil native format); more will be added with time.

   

OTRS: Open Source Trouble Ticket System

OTRS is an open source trouble ticket system for easily managing support requests in a multi-agent interface.

The application can auto-convert e-mails into tickets (e-mail piping) which “eliminates the need of using the web interface” for customers.

OTRS is used by large organizations like Opera, MySQL AB, BitDefender, Suse & has very nice features like:

• transfer of tickets between agents
• auto-calculation of hours worked on a ticket
• powerful reporting
• canned responses
• multilanguage support
• themable web interface
• role-based user management
• & much more..

OTRS is built with Perl & can work with different databases (e. g. MySQL, PostgeSQL, Oracle, DB2 and MSSQL).

TypeFace: Make A Font Using Your Face

TypeFace allows you to make your very own font using your face. Basically, the program uses a camera as an input tool to scan your face. Then, your face is analysed for specific features, lines, curves and angles. This is all then computer and a font is designed specifically for you. Like your very own font fingerprint!

It has been made my Mary Huang and it has some cool features. For example, you can edit and distort your face to change up your font and select what area of your face you want to use if you don’t want to use all of it. You can also make TypeFace books like the one pictured above from all the different fonts of your friends and family.

How To Install Open Office in Ubuntu

This tutorial will explain how to install latest version of openoffice in ubuntu

First go to the OpenOffice website and download the Linux .deb file (On your desktop)

1 – Once you have done that, extract the .deb file,

OOo_3.2.0_LinuxIntel_install_en-US_deb.tar.gz

Run the following command from terminal or just right click select extract

tar xzvf OOo_3.2.0_LinuxIntel_install_en-US_deb.tar.gz

Then you’ll see a file called OOO320_m12_native_packed-1_en-US.9483

2 – You can remove the existing version of OpenOffice if you wish with this command:

sudo apt-get remove openoffice*.*

3 – Copy and paste OOO320_m12_native_packed-1_en-US.9483 onto the desktop then open Terminal and paste this command:

sudo dpkg -i ~/Desktop/OOO320_m12_native_packed-1_en-US.9483/DEBS/*.deb

4 – Then paste this command:

sudo dpkg -i ~/Desktop/OOO320_m12_native_packed-1_en-US.9483/DEBS/desktop-integration/openoffice.org3.2-debian-menus_3.2-9472_all.deb

Once you’ve done that you’ll find OpenOffice 3.2 in Office.

Apple Launched a New Version of Apple TV

Apple has recently updated their Apple TV to version 3.0.2. This new update is related to the release of Aperture 3.0, which made changes to how that software shares images over the local network and adds support for iPhoto’s Places and Faces features. The new Apple TV Version 3.0.2 can be downloaded and installed from the Update Software option within the Settings/General menu on Apple TV. [Apple Insider]

Jing: Undoubtedly the Best Screencasting Program

Yesterday, I did my first screencast for my personal blog. Prior to making it, I had to choose a screencasting program. I wasn’t to fussed about paying a few bucks for something that’s good, but would have liked to get a free program too. That’s when myself and Jing crossed paths. Without a doubt this is the best screen casting program I have used. What’s more there is both a free version and a pro version.

The download is quick and simple. As is the program. Here’s how it works. There will be a small ‘sun’ around the edge of your screen while the program is running. Once you have clicked on this sun you then have to drag your mouse and select what portion of the screen you want to record. You can either select it all or any specific area. Then you have to choose whether you want a screenshot or a video. I selected video. Then, the program locates a microphone connected to your system and does a countdown to the beginning of recording. And just like that you can record a screencast for up to five minutes.

You then sign into your account at Screencast.com (owned by Jing) and upload the video. From here you can share and embed it

But that’s just the free version.

The pro-version offers:

• Unlimited recording time
• The ability to record from your webcam and switch back and forth
• Receive the video in .MP4 format
• Instant upload to YouTube
• Only 13 Euro per year

Overall, I found this to be an amazing product which is well worth the 13 euro price tag. It’s easy, quick, simple and very good at capturing high resolution video on the fly. A must for any tech podcaster.

Transfer Applications from iPhone to iTunes

I have been having a huge amount of trouble getting my iPhone applications to sync with iTunes. Finally, in a moment of desperation, I righted clicked on my iPhone and chose the option “Transfer Purchases” and to my suprise and glee I successfully moved my applications onto to my computer.

To transfer applictions to iTunes from your iPhone:

1. Right click on your iPhone in the left hand explorer bar
2. Select “Transfer Purchases”
3. You should see a progress bar in iTunes and your phone should read “Sync in Progress”
4. If everything went as planned, all of your applications that were purchased on your iPhone should now appear in iTunes

Top 6 Web Browsers You Probably Haven’t Heard Of

Swiftfox

Swiftfox is an optimized build of Firefox that’s faster and more cutting edge than the regular Firefox distribution. It works with Firefox plugins, making it remarkably extensible. The overall user interface is similar to Firefox, but is a bit more minimalist and clutter-free. Most other features are in line with what Firefox has to offer.

Why you should consider it: If you love Firefox but want something faster and lighter, then Swiftfox is your best bet.

Current release version: 3.5.6

Operating systems supported: Linux

Stainless

Stainless is a browser created in response to Google Chrome. It utilizes multi-processing architecture like Chrome (which, at the time of inception, wasn’t available for OS X), but also has some excellent features not found in other browsers. One of the most interesting features is the ability to log into one website using two different accounts in separate tabs.

Why you should consider it: The ability to log into a site with different credentials in different tabs makes this an excellent option for many. It’s especially useful if you have, say, work-related Gmail accounts and personal Gmail accounts.

Current release version: 0.7.5

Operating systems supported: OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard.

OmniWeb

OmniWeb is a WebKit browser created by the same people who created OmniGraffle and OmniOutliner. It aims to be fun and easy to use (like other Omni products) and shares a similar user interface. It has all the standard browser features we’ve come to expect (including tabbed browsing, bookmarks, and ad blocking), but also includes Workspaces, which lets you save browsing sessions to open later and includes an auto-save option and a built-in RSS reader.

Why you should consider it: For Mac users who want a browser that’s efficient and easy to use, OmniWeb might be just what you’re looking for. It’s appropriate for power users too, and the Workspaces feature is especially handy.

Current release version: 5.0.1

Operating systems supported: Mac OS X 10.4.8 or newer

Maxthon

Why you should consider it: If you want a customizable browser, Maxthon might be what you’re looking for; it’s built specifically for power users. Between plugins, skins, filter packs, and other customizable features, it truly lets you personalize your browsing experience. For parents concerned about their children’s’ activities online, the filters for blocking content can be reassuring.

Current release version: 2.5.11 (the Classic Version is also available: 1.6.5)

Operating systems supported: Windows

Lunascape

Lunascape is the world’s first and only triple engine browser. That’s right: it’s a hybrid browser that runs on Gecko, Trident, and WebKit. It supports plugins and add-ons from Firefox, Internet Explorer, as well as their own plugin platform. It’s touted to be faster and lighter than many other browser options.

Why you should consider it: If you find yourself constantly switching back and forth between browsers (either for cross-browser testing of web designs or because of add-ons available only to Firefox or Internet Explorer), Lunascape is a perfect fit for you.

Current release version: 6.0.1

Operating systems supported: Windows

Flock

Flock is probably better known than many of the other browsers above, especially if you’re a social media addict. Flock was created specifically to make managing your social media activities easier from within your browser.

Flock focuses on staying connected through social media by making sharing and publishing things easier. It integrates directly with Facebook, Gmail, Digg, YouTube, MySpace, Flickr, Twitter, WordPress, Blogger, Delicious, Bebo, TypePad, Picasa, and more. Special features include a People sidebar, a Media bar (to browse photos and videos from your favorite sites), a built-in feed reader, a photo uploader, a blog editor, and more. There are also extensions and custom themes available for download.