NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article, June 2007
The Deals Column
by Bob (the Cheapskate)Click, The Dealsguy
Greater Orlando Computer Users Group
bobclick@mindspring.com
(click to email author)


Interesting News
This article about a new operating system to be released later this year might interest you. http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=VXX3ONZTMMENEQSNDLRSKHSCJUNN2JVN?articleID=197801331&queryText=Thomas+and+Claburn It’s a free XML-based OS that runs inside a Web browser. Free software, especially an OS, might be good news, but we’ll see when it is introduced.

Also, here is an article about some amazing technology to “rewire the brain” of stroke victims and perhaps help the patients develop movement. http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=DGOCRR2VULTB4QSNDLRSKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=199000976&queryText=K.+C.+Jones

In the Feb. 5, 2007, issue of Information Week was a lengthy article about conflicting opinions inside the open source community that are hindering further development of it; even some of the foremost developers don’t agree. http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197002953 There were also some side articles on particular versions.

We worked the 2007 CTIA Wireless show http://www.ctia.org that you might have seen news reports on. It was a large show taking the entire West building of the Orange County Convention Center (1.1 million square feet of exhibit space) and I didn’t get much chance to tour that show. A couple of editors asked me if I would write up something, but I didn’t feel up to going in early to look around. Actually, I don’t know enough about that subject to write an intelligent article on the show. Past Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton were the featured keynote speakers. I read about an interesting comment by George H.W. Bush. He said, “This hour I’ll be up here (speaking) is about the longest I ever go without using my Blackberry.”

It was unusual that after the keynote speech the presidential entourage entered the show floor to see some exhibits, probably because this show was important for all the new products introduced, especially concerning security. The security company working that show, building security and the Secret Service cleared a 15-foot path for them to caravan from one booth to another for a while. I’ll bet a few attendees were thrilled to be that close to those guys regardless of the politics. There may also have been security people watching from the catwalks 40 feet above the show floor. I was working afternoons, and missed all that.

May 2007 will bring the largest trade show ever (in total exhibit area) http://www.nationalhardwareshow.com to Orange County Convention Center. It will take both the old and the new cc buildings (over 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space in each building, not including meeting rooms, concourses, lobbies, etc.). Some of the show and its events will be in at least four hotels nearby, and even two tents will be in set up in the parking lot.

Microsoft’s Tech Ed 2007 show will also be back here in June, and its only $1,995 to attend the full conference http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6643812. You’ll have 440 breakout sessions to choose from if you attend.

Now For The Deals
I have not tried any of the items below so study them well if you are interested. A klutz like myself is not qualified to try out and give opinions on most products. The write-ups are theirs, but edited by me to shorten them, and correct some wording.

Chop Up Your PDF File Without An Ax
A-PDF Solution has announced the immediate availability of A-PDF Size Splitter 1.2, the newest version of a useful and handy tool for splitting any Acrobat PDF file or group of files into smaller-sized PDF files. A-PDF Size Splitter 1.2 doesn't require Adobe Acrobat and works independently producing PDF documents compatible with Adobe Acrobat Reader 5 and above.

A-PDF Size Splitter 1.2 is a flexible utility letting the user set any size of split files, and supports batch operations. Thanks to the built-in output file name pattern, each of the split PDF files is logically named and can be easily identified later. A-PDF Size Splitter 1.2 works even with password protected PDF files. It keeps the original PDF file encryption. Additionally, the generated split PDF files can be recombined with other PDF files, using A-PDF Merger, another utility developed for forming new composite PDF files.

A-PDF Size Splitter 1.2 runs under Microsoft Windows 98/NT4/Me/2000/XP/Vista and costs $49 (USD). Users group members get 20% discount on a purchase using coupon code APD-AASX. Click the “Buy now” button, then click the “Add to basket” button and input the code. A free 15-day evaluation version is available to download at http://www.a-pdf.com/size_splitter/a-pdf-ss.exe. For more information, please visit http://www.a-pdf.com.

Product page link: http://www.a-pdf.com/size_splitter/

Manipulate Your Files and More
SoftPrime today announces the release of Advanced File Organizer 3.0 that not only features an opportunity to collect all information about drives, files and folders, but developers placed great emphasis on the ability to use this information later. Advanced File Organizer offers several ways to organize your data: add searchable comments for your files and folders; combine disks and folders into groups based on any feature you want; or sort your data by categories. All files can be referred to one or several categories that form a hierarchical tree, making your own virtual file structure. You can restructure your data collection in a minimum of time and effort by just dragging a certain item (file or folder) and dropping it wherever necessary in categories.

The program includes an ability to extract information from ISO and Nero CD/DVD images and import it as a folder, and to import information from DVD-Video thereby getting a comprehensive catalogue of all information on your hard drive, and any other data storage media.

Advanced File Organizer runs under Windows 95/98/ME/NT 4/2000/XP/Vista and costs $29.95 (USD) or 24.95 (Euro). Users group members get a 10% discount on Advanced File Organizer 3.0 by following this link: http://www.softprime.com/discount/group.htm and using the SOFT-6C6F coupon code. The trial version of Advanced File Organizer is available at http://www.softprime.com/download/aforg.exe (1.85 Mb)

Company website: http://www.softprime.com

Translate Everything For FREE
New York, 4/16/07 - LingvoSoft http://www.lingvosoft.com has announced the launch of the newest web-based translation service for anyone needing to work with foreign languages. LingvoSoft Online http://www.lingvosoftonline.com provides visitors with an array of indispensable translation utilities. It features a selection of tools that can be used to communicate over the web. LingvoSoft Online not only delivers dictionaries based on its own translation vocabularies, but also an online PhraseBook that is able to translate between 45 of the world's most popular languages, and their FlashCards language learning utility.

The service is available for over 40 languages, and offers voice capabilities. LingvoSoft Online provides the voicing of translations out loud using the latest TTS (text-to-speech) technology as well as native-speaker voice narration of the PhraseBook entries. It has an advanced spell-check function that finds misspelled and incorrectly entered words, and a similar word search that provides a list of synonyms for a word.

LingvoSoft offers other website owners the opportunity to put the added functionality of online translation to work for them on their own sites by providing the opportunity to include a LingvoSoft translation module on their pages to increase traffic and keep visitors coming back for more.

A Bonanza Of Freebies From Microsoft
Here is an excerpt from the Microsoft Newsletter if you are not getting it: “Here are 101 fantastic freebies by clicking on http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6626107. Want to make your PC more productive, secure, informative and entertaining? These downloads and services will do the trick and they don't cost a dime.” These goodies were actually selected by PC World.

That's it for this month. I’ll soon have more new product announcements on my Web site. Meet me here again next month if your editor permits. This column is written to make user group members aware of special offers or freebies I have found or arranged, and my comments should not be interpreted to encourage, or discourage, the purchase of any products, no matter how enthused I might sound. Bob (The Cheapskate) Click bobclick@mindspring.com. Visit my Web site at http://www.dealsguy.com.

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