December, 2007 - Softonic English

Miro v Joost

Two of the biggest TV apps out there are Joost – from the makers of Skype – and Miro which was formerly known as Democracy Player. Both have their hardcore supporters and denouncers and both have their pros and cons. Although I was initially impressed with Joost – surely one of the best attempts at offering a dedicated scheduled Internet TV service yet – I’ve gravitated back to Miro and here is why.

Miro is open source which immediately curries more favour with certain sectors of the IT savvy crowd. It can be modified and improved by its users while Joost is a closed source program that only the makers can improve. Miro offers thousands of channels from around the world which is way more than Joost although the disadvantage is that none of it is programmed or scheduled. In others words, you have to make your own programming schedule whereas with Joost, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the show. The problem is, if you’re not interested in watching such things as the Nelly Furtado channel, your options are more limited (although I think the documentary channels are pretty good). In essence, Miro is a far more democratic media player than Joost, allowing users to choose and stream channels from whatever source they wish and even create their own content. However, as I say, if you’re more interested in just vegging out than getting interactive, you’ll prefer Joost.

The other major two major aspects of Miro that appeal to me are that you can subscribe to channels with RSS feeds and save broadcasts. I don’t always want to tune in to see what’s on but viewing a feed is a far simpler and convenient solution. And since I can record programs on TV with my Video or DVD player, then I should have every right to do the same on my PC media players which Miro allows you to do no problems.

From a usability perspective, Miro also wins me. Joost is much more commercial in comparison, bloated with Flash graphics, buttons and worst of all, advertisements. Although the ads are minimal in Joost at the moment, they are sure to increase as the audiences go up.

I don’t want to come across as an open source fanatic but on balance and for my needs, Miro comes out on top. However, Joost is still very much a work in progress and in some ways, different anyway because if offers a programmed schedule of viewing. Maybe if it combines the best of both one day, I’ll start using it more regularly again.

Gmail Mobile now supports Apps accounts

Mail by Google app This is great news for anyone who, like me, has a Gmail hosted account. Until now, we’ve been unable to connect to our own domain email with anything other than a BlackBerry – indeed, I was even toying with the idea of replacing my Nokia N-Series with a Pearl, so much did I want decent email access on the go.

In short, Google have updated their ‘Mail by Google’ app so that it works on pretty much any Java-powered mobile phone (and that’s nearly all of them). The new program, which sports a snazzy new blue icon, connects to your mailbox securely via IMAP and quickly displays your inbox in a familiar Gmail style. It also allows you various view options, as well as the key functions like composing, replying to and starring messages. Any messages you send, read and receive will be stored on your phone as well as in your normal Gmail inbox. BlackBerry just lost one prospective punter!

To get the app, visit m.google.com/a in your phone’s browser and follow the prompts. This app works for Gmail, Google Mail and Google Apps accounts.

[Via: Google Operating System]

Take to the slopes on your mobile

If you’re not fortunate enough to get snow this winter then don’t panic, you can still go tobogganing. In fact, you can even do it on the bus, thanks to Line Rider Mobile. The cool game for Symbian phones sees you take the role of a toboggan run designer who must dream up the craziest course imaginable before sending the daredevil sledger whizzing down it.

32 ways to speed up Aperture

Apple’s Aperture is an excellent application for professional photographers, with advanced editing tools, a stunning interface and pro photo management features. Not only can you store thousands of top quality snaps but you can also make sure they look as sharp as you want them to be. Aperture is no joke though and you shouldn’t mess around with it if you’re not serious about photography. It’s also a fairly bulky application, so if you want it to work seamlessly you need to make sure that you not only have the hardware for it but also that you have the application set up properly.

Over at Bagelturf I found an extensive list of 32 different ways to speed up Aperture. While some of these are fairly obvious (get a better Mac! get Leopard! get more memory!), others are simple but logical tips that should improve your performance, like turning off automatic version generation for adjustments, deleting Aperture’s preferences files, not using full text search or not displaying the histograms. Let us know if you have other useful ideas on how to make Aperture perform faster.

Reveal passwords behind asterisks

Asterisk Logger screenshot A while back, Elena told you how to reveal passwords that are protected by asterisks in Internet Explorer. However, what happens if you want to do the same thing within the various applications and programs you use on your PC? Maybe you’ve forgotten a password that’s saved in your cache so you never have to enter it or maybe you just want to spy on who is using your PC?

Many applications and programs use the simple asterisk method of encryption to stop prying eyes from seeing your passwords on screen. However, Asterisk Logger can help you reveal passwords as they are typed in a separate window. It works across several applications, such as CuteFTP, CoffeeCup Free FTP, VNC, IncrediMail, Outlook Express so chances are, it may be able to reveal the password with whichever application you’re working with. Whenever a new window containing a password box is opened, Asterisk Logger automatically reveals the password inside the box and saves it to a list in the main window of Asterisk Logger. It also reveals the date/time that the password was revealed, the name of the application that contains the revealed password box, and the executable file of the application.

Note that you’ll probably find that the success rate is hit and miss with this program. Whilst it works on many older programs, newer ones are often designed to prevent programs like this from cracking passwords.

15 stunning Christmas wallpapers

Vladstudio have come up with a pack of 15 very elegant wallpapers for Christmas. Ranging from snowy night landscapes to snowmen gathering around a fire, snowflakes or a present-spouting volcano, the 15 different wallpapers designed by Vladstudio are all very impressive. You’ll find a majority of drawings but also a few stunning landscape photographies, mainly of pine forests and snowy winter valleys.

How to recover your XP product key

Windows XP product key sticker One way Microsoft attempts to protect it’s software from piracy is via product keys. In the case of Vista, this backfired spectacularly but If your PC came already installed with Windows XP, you should have received a recovery disk with the product code clearly visible. If you didn’t, or if you had to install XP yourself but have lost the product key, then you won’t be able to reinstall it without the key.

Annoyingly, although the Product Key is stored on your computer, Windows scrambles it so that you can’t read it. One handy solution is Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder to recover and decipher the product key for you. However, if Windows XP came packaged with your computer and is not the retail version (with box), the key recovered by these tools may not be that of your own machine but the OEM’s bulk install key.

In which case, it’s worth trying RockXP which may be able to recover your individual keys although there’s no guarantee it can help. The advantage of this program however is that it can also recover product keys for many other Microsoft programs including MS Outlook and MS Office.

Build anything you want with virtual Lego bricks

Remember those colorful Lego bricks with which you could build anything you needed for your playing time? Now you can bring back those dear childhood memories with Lego Digital Designer, a virtual Lego box with endless pieces that you can use to design, build and share online any Lego creations. Its latest version, 2.3, features a complete interface redesign, built models to get you started and a brand-new palette with more bricks than ever!

Stop your phone from getting stolen

Thanks to Star EnForcer no phone thief is safe Mobile phone theft is constantly on the up and, personally, I’ve lost count of the number of handsets I’ve had that are now nestling in the filthy palms of criminals. However, I’ve just discovered a piece of software that might ensure I get the last laugh over these scoundrels in the future, and it goes by the name of Star EnForcer.

The free program for Windows Smartphones is designed to help you catch thieves red-handed and works by monitoring the status of the SIM card in your device. If it detects that your SIM card is replaced then it will send an SMS message to a pre-defined number to inform you. of the new number and reports its approximate position via GPS. It will send this message to you every 30 minutes updating you, without the thief even knowing. The best part is that they will be getting charged for these messages. Suckers.

Of course, this isn’t a totally foolproof system, because you’ll probably still have to rely on the cops to actually catch the bandits. As such, it’s worth taking extra precautions while you still have your phone to prevent too much damage if it ever does go astray. Advanced Device Locks is a good tool for preventing unauthorised access to any sensitive data on your device, while Mobile Alarm can trigger a siren any time a would-be robber touches your phone.

Get DivX Pro for free

Hurry, this offer won't last forever I guess those kindly guys at DivX must be feeling generous this Christmas. As one of our eagle-eyed colleagues at insideTonic’s Spanish sister site, OnSoftware spotted, the company is currently offering the Pro version of its popular player for free. The main benefits of DivX Pro over the standard version are a more powerful advanced codec converter, better performance for users with dual processors, and six new coding modes for fine-tuning video quality.

If you’re interested (which any self-respecting videophile should be) then get your skates on because the offer is only available for a limited time. The download includes the video codec, converter, player, the browser plug-in, and the DivX Content Uploader. You also get the Yahoo! Toolbar, which, of course, you don’t have to install if you don’t want to.

“How do I get it?” I hear you scream? First off, download either the Windows or Mac version of DivX Pro before clicking ‘Install’. Enter your email address when prompted in the installation dialogue, and you’ll be sent a free serial number. Now open the DivX Converter, click ‘Enter Serial Number’ and type in the code you received. Hey presto, an early Christmas present to help you get the best out of your favourite seasonal movies.