Author: Bart Sharkey

Anyone who works with images on a regular basis will be familiar with the default image viewer of Windows, and also with its very limited scope for doing anything meaningful. There is a healthy selection of alternatives but FastStone Image Viewer has come to our attention as one that deserves to be singled out not only because it is free but also because it brings to the table a strong combination of speed, usability and versatility.

While the viewing functionality is a no-brainer, FastStone comes with a range of methods with which to browse pics. First off, there is the standard file browser that displays thumbnails of your images with a preview window for the file that is currently selected. There is also an option to check out individual pictures at their original size in the “Windowed View”, which is along the same lines as the default image viewer in Windows. Finally you can see images in full-screen, switching between files using the keyboard, the middle mouse button or the slide-in toolbar at the bottom of the screen.
Continue reading “Images come alive with FastStone Viewer”

If you fancy designing a new website for yourself, then turn back now, Twisted Brush has not been developed to give clean crisp graphics, and will frustrate you unless you use it for what it was designed for, art. Having established that this is a program for drawing, it follows that the most natural way to sketch anything and in turn to use this software effectively is with a pen and a drawing tablet.

When the program starts, you’re assaulted by the quick-start guide that is designed to gently introduce you to the features. In reality it’s a bunch of screenshots crammed with info bubbles that contain un-detailed information and no links to find out more. That said, how many people stop to read welcome screens anyway?

A lot of effort was put into making TwistedBrush a realistic substitute for actual painting and when you start working with the various brushes you see just how well they interact with the colors to create a convincing portrait. Undoubtedly the greatest strength of this program is the vast selection of brush types and styles that are available to use. From simple fine pens, to wet oil brushes, to progressive 3D designs, you’ll find them all. The beauty of each brush is that they can be used quickly and easily, with stunning effects.
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The viral growth of Web 2.0 sites and apps has seen some incredible innovation as mobs of freshly graduated geeks dive head first in to new technologies and languages in the quest to attract the masses as well as the millions that will make them the next Bill Gates. While the cream of the crop has been hitting the headlines, there have been many ideas that are so far outside the box that they can’t even see it anymore! That’s the premise for a recent Wired News Rant and Rave based on a poll taken of Web 2.0 winners and losers.

Of course Flickr comes in as a clear winner with its friendly design, buzzing community and open API. Not far behind is another Yahoo! owned venture – del.icio.us, which really defines what social bookmarking is all about. The number of downloadable plug-ins and add-ons for these winners is testament to their success, something that can’t be said for the “Web 2.0 Losers”, most notably myspace.com. Blasted for its “clunky interface and intrusive advertising”, Myspace somehow became popular while going against just about every convention of Web 2.0. As for wacky ideas, how about fo.rtuito.us, the social network that didn’t bother joining people of common interests but went down the random path with disastrous results. Sticking two complete strangers together for four days to see if they hit it off was more of a Big Brother approach and as with the TV show, it wasn’t a pretty sight.

For me though, a whopping great omission was made by not including the phenomenal last.fm – a site that unites music lovers (and there are a few of them) in the search for audio enlightenment by way of their own personalised and perfect music stream. Finally the clear proof that Web 2.0 has not been a waste of time.

What a pity it is to see the RIAA (those who would have you pay by the minute for listening to your own music) get their way every now and again, as was the case recently when they got one up on eDonkey’s creators MetaMachine. Before even reaching the court, the case was settled for $30 million in exchange for not being sued for what would more than likely be many times that figure.

This is a case of the fat cats using their weight to wipe out not only the misdoers but those who have been using the software fairly at the same time. MetaMachine have agreed to stop distributing the software, even though it is not illegal to download. On top, their web page has been liquidized and now contains a message that will have the executives at the RIAA grinning from ear to ear.

Every now and again someone puts a lot of work in to producing a list that puts “whatever” in their rightful place and gives the world some clear perspective. Top ten lists are a common sight on the front pages of Digg and when a Top 100 list comes out, it is seen somewhat as a definitive guide or authoritative list on the topic it covers. I mean, whose going to make a Top 100 list if they don’t have a pretty firm grasp of what it is they’re talking about?

That’s why the “Top 100 games of the 21st century” list caught my eye. I had hoped to see what top-quality games (if any) I might have overlooked since the turn of the millenium and although there were some dodgy choices in the games high up on the list, I shrugged it off as being typical top 100 style – keep the very best til last. Going down the list, Bob the Builder loses out to Return to Castle Wolfenstein by just two places. Strange, but maybe the author of the list has kids who really like Bob.

Continue reading “Top 100 games – Revisited”

System optimisation is a bit like security in that those who understand it, know how important it is and how to alter their browsing and usage habits to achieve it. However, there are a huge number of titles that claim to offer a helping hand in streamlining your system, many of which promise the world but don’t deliver the goods. The makers of Smart PC have put plenty of effort into making an original interface but have they carried that over and made a tool that lives up to its name?

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It seems Rockstar Games has decided to step out of the controversy spotlight and let some other players get in on some action. With the release of what is probably the best table-tennis simulation ever, modestly named Table Tennis, Rockstar has managed to wrong foot all their critics who were lying in wait for another slash and dash role player much like the latest title from Eidos – Reservoir Dogs.

Already banned in Australia and New Zealand, Reservoir Dogs promises not only to let you follow in the footsteps of the characters from the cult classic, but will also fill in some of the unanswered questions from the film. However, before it’s even been released, it has come under fire from British Police who are ‘disappointed’ to find this kind of violent game coming out at a time when “police officers are suffering more attacks than ever before”.

A collective sigh must just about be the total effect of this criticism as we set off on this familiar beaten path once again. Comments like these have already been shown as a great form of publicity for the games in question and when it comes to the crunch, the quality of the game will decide whether it’s a hit or a miss, so there isn’t much point in kicking up a storm in the first place. You’ve got to wonder what more can be said on the matter except “Will we ever learn?”

Ever since Nintendo came out with its Brain Age title there’s been a preoccupation that we’re all slowly and irrevocably losing the ability to use our grey matter as efficiently as we apparently could in our teens. Along with this sudden self-consciousness that we’re falling into a hole of senility has come a variety of titles that will restore your mind and maintain it at its optimum “level”, just like Brain Workout does.

To get started you create a user that will then be used to record all your scores and your overall progress on the way to a sharper brain. There are five categories – Logic, Memory, Numerical, Spatial, and Verbal – each containing three games that can be played at five difficulty levels. The main purpose of the game is the “Daily Brain Test” that gives you one puzzle from each category and records your results for the progress chart. You can also practice the games as much as you like, uploading your score to the Brain Workout web site, but that won’t particularly help you in the quest for the perfect mind.

Continue reading “Brain WorkOut: Stretch that grey matter”