scholar @ jklmelton » software

Put your computer’s idle time to good use

Jay — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:11:16 +0000

If your computers are on for much of the day, you might want to consider downloading the BOINC software and choosing one or more projects. There are many projects out there, so look through them and add the ones that fit your view of helping out.

Here’s a video of just one of the projects out there (and it has 5 different applications)!:

You can run multiple projects and set the percentage of time for each.

NeoOffice (OpenOffice.org for Macs)

Jay — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 01:18:17 +0000

For most of the past 10 months or so I have been doing my best to use NeoOffice for my word processing and spreadsheet needs. I have to say that, with only one notable exception (a bug in an earlier version caused some characters to display strangely; that was cleared up quickly), it is both solid in its stability and robust in features.

NeoOffice is an Open Source package for Mac designed to work with the same (and possible more) kinds of documents as Microsoft Office. NeoOffice’s origins come from OpenOffice.org (if you’re a Windows or Linux user, that’s the place to go). Here’s the blurb from the NeoOffice site:

NeoOffice is a full-featured set of office applications (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing, and database programs) for Mac OS X. Based on the OpenOffice.org office suite, NeoOffice has integrated dozens of native Mac features and can import, edit, and exchange files with other popular office programs such as Microsoft Office.

Released as free, open source software under the GNU General Public License (GPL), NeoOffice is fully functional and stable enough for everyday use. The software is actively developed, so improvements and small updates are made available on a regular basis.

I’ll write up some more on this great package. In the meantime, check it out…

DoIt

Jay — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:20:18 +0000

I’ve just discovered (via Hawk Wings; there’s a nice run-down of the things you can do with DoIt) a cool-looking tool called DoIt for the Mac. It seems you can set up categories/contexts and have the program give you reminders. One cool feature appears to be the ability to link to files or URLs on your computer, and clicking the links take you to that file or Web page. Another allows you to use your Address Book to bring up phone numbers or email addresses when the time comes to make that call or write that message. Still another allows you to bring it all together with a Quicksilver plug-in.

Top WordPress Plugins

Jay — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 14:44:53 +0000

Now that you’ve fired up WordPress, here’s a list of useful plugins to soup-up your install.

Fire up your bookmarks with Quicksilver

Jay — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 15:11:44 +0000

In an earlier post, I mentioned the time-saving software Quicksilver. I have found it to be useful for starting up software and opening documents with just a couple of strokes of the keys. Now, here’s a tutorial on opening up your favorite bookmarks. Enjoy!

Wanna blog? Wanna use WordPress?

Jay — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 14:59:44 +0000

For any of you still waiting to get into blogging, WordPress and a hosted Web account are all you need to get going. For anyone who is still a bit sheepish about the DIY aspect, Rachel Cunliffe of New Zealand has put together a flash tutorial on how to get it started. I have to say that it’s not too hard. If you have a semi-guru nearby who can hold your hand for half an hour the first time, that really can be helpful, too.

Quicksilver

Jay — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 15:10:06 +0000

I haven’t used Quicksilver yet, but here’s a movie on some of its features. It looks good, doesn’t it?

Learning Japanese? Using Firefox? Get This Extension Now!

Jay — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 02:53:12 +0000

The technology available to us just gets better and better. For those of you who are struggling with Japanese (or even if you’re on top of the language and just want to refine your knowledge), there’s an extension called Rikaichan available for Firefox which allows you to read Japanese in real time as you hover over text. My colleague, Rick Lavin, and I were passing around web pages on adding extensions to Firefox. You will also need EDICT and KANJIDIC in order for everything to work.

I like this setup so much, I save a template with html tags in which to copy and paste emailed memos. This allows me to have the same resources for reading email messages.

Enjoy!

Goodbye Endnote, Hello Bookends

Jay — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 08:58:56 +0000

Well it’s been a long three long of doctoral coursework. I finished the courses for a Ph.D. in educational technology in June, and now it’s time for the dissertation. The topic today is that for three years I have been using the same version of the same bibliography tool: Endnote, version 6. I thought I would treat myself to an upgrade to take advantage of better Internet tools and other features. One thing that has changed since I started using Endnote is that the company now has an online store (I had to buy it from a vendor the first time). Apparently, since I live in Japan, I am required to order from the Japanese distributor of Endnote, USACO. The problem is USACO wants ¥20,790 for an upgrade, while the U.S. company is asking $89.95. At current exchange rates, that is double the price! After several email exchanges with “Customer Technical Support” (notice the section lacks the word ‘service’), I have learned that there is nothing to do but suck it up and pay the inflated price.

So guess what? I am no longer an Endnote customer. As of today, I am making the change to Bookends, a Mac-only package by the folks at sonnysoftware. I have played with version 7.7.5.5 for awhile. I mailed in the check for an upgrade (that’s another story itself), so we’ll see how this transition goes…