Tech Review

They're just actors; they're not really happy.

Symantecs' Norton products are the digital equivalent of neutron bombs: They leave the hardware alone, but, in my experience, harm your PC or laptop in ways obvious, like slowing it down, and hidden like slowing it down without doing anything useful. The radiation of Norton products lingers long after you uninstall one of them- if you can uninstall, that is: I couldn't uninstall Systemworks until I found this utility called the Norton Removal Tool by Symantec (and "the great liberator" by me) to assist you with that difficult task (If I'm wrong about my estimation of Norton products, then why is there a utility in the first place?).

Since many store-bought computers have some kind of Norton product pre-installed on their hard drives, I think it's probably a good idea for everybody not using Norton by choice to run the Norton Removal Tool.

By the way, I don't mean to suggest that anti-virus software is unnecessary: I just feel that the free products like Avast, Aviva, and AVG work as well, don't take over your whole computer, and are free!

I've become somewhat dependent on Thornsoft's Clipmate; it's simply one of the most useful shareware utilities around. I even suffered Thronsoft withdrawals when I had to use computers belonging to unenlightened owners (LAUSD).

Since I use a flash drive to carry stuff from my own computer to the ones at school, I looked around for a portable program that captures copies and pastes. I couldn't find a free one, but right under my nose was the portable version of Clipmate. Best of all, for registered users, like me, it uses the same license! It works just like the original. There's a version for U3

I use the excellent Portable Apps with my PNY Attache. Thornsoft has a version for that platform.

CD Toolbox Recovery Free is something that I hope you'll never need but unfortunately will. With the proliferation of digital cameras, scanners, mp3 players, and digital camcorders, it's almost certain that you have valuable information- and irreplaceable memories, in the case of pictures and video- stored digitally in your home. I'm equally sure that some of those precious zeros and ones are on CD or DVD. Imagine the frustration of having 800 sentimentally treasured Kb invisible to your computer because of a damaged disk.

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So, I'm minding my own business, browsing the web, and all of a sudden this big, ugly tool bar, Dealio, comes up and asks me if I want to compare prices on digital cameras. "How did that get there?" I thought. I'll tell you later, but I decided to focus my anger in a positive direction and write about my Dealio experience.

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Got him! (if worms have sex)

No! What I mean is that I had a worm or some other malware infection. I noticed that my Outlook would always be sending something without it having anything in its "outbox." I searched for a solution online and came across a recommendation for the Trendmicro malware product. Since my normal spyware program, System Mechanic didn't catch it, I decided to use it. It scans your computer via a java applet. In other words, you don't have to install a program to use it. Well, it worked! I tried my Outlook and all I could find were the usual insults, requests for money, and offers to "enhance" my worm. It didn't send anything. If you received anything from me, I'm sorry.

Jam on it by Newcleus

For my intents and purposes, Office 2007, like Windows Vista to XP, is the same as the product it replaced- except worse. I've been looking in the hinter regions of my brain to come up with an analogy-something that got worse after the manufacturer tried to improve it. The only thing I could come up with is the "update" to the Mustang by Ford in 1974. You know that mean machine Charlie's Angels used to scurry about and solve mysteries.

I'm sure it's better in some ways -maybe it contains a macro that converts your prose into Austen-like perfection, but I haven't found it. What I have noticed is the interface change, the "Ribbon" bar, specifically. What was wrong with having little icons backed up with text menus like every other program on Earth? I don't know. What they've done is create a graphical representation of commands and done away with the traditional "file," "tools," "insert," etc. drop down menus that nobody complained about for twenty years. Now, we have to memorize the pictures on a new "ribbon" like one of those children's games where you draw one card and then remember where, amongst the other cards, lay its match. Very frustrated, I went to Microsoft and see if there's anything I can do about it. I get this:

The Ribbon is designed to help you quickly find the commands that you need to complete a task. Commands are organized in logical groups that are collected together under tabs. Each tab relates to a type of activity, such as writing or laying out a page. To reduce screen clutter, some tabs are shown only when they are needed.

There is no way to delete or replace the Ribbon with the toolbars and menus from the earlier versions of Microsoft Office. However, you can minimize the Ribbon to make more space available on your screen.

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I was on my weekly pilgrimage to Nerdvana (Fry's Electronics) when I happened upon two utility bundles, Norton Internet Security with Ghost and PartitionMagic 2007s; and Iolo System Mechanic 7.

I've noticed that the PC utility market seems to have shifted concentration lately from all-around system health with seemingly all-but-forgotten apps like defraggers and benchmark tools to those focusing on internet dangers spyware, viruses, and computer hijackers.

This switch reflects the fact that modern operating systems bundle more utility-type tools for "free" and that with ubiquity of broadband, many people engage in riskier computer behaviors today (age-appropriate internet safety education should start in kindergarten).

Another factor in my purchase was whether I needed a suite at all. I've been getting by with stellar free apps like Avast, and CCleaner for years now with no problems. But, both came with rebates that made each cost -1 cent before California's 8.25% so I decided to pick one.

I've had Norton nightmares in the past. Norton, like some of the older versions of Realplayer, entwine themselves into your OS where it hangs on for deal life, making efforts to expulse it at least frustrating and sometimes futile.

It was still a tough choice, though, as the Norton bundle normally costs a hefty $99.00 and Ghost and PartitionMagic are great programs that I've used before (remember when you had to partition your FAT 16, 1.2GB hard drive to shrink the clusters?)

I ended up with System Mechanic. Iolo did a nice job with the more spartan Mechanic of a few years ago and I liked the idea of the undelete function.

Some thoughts:

1. Installation required three serial numbers. My Vista machine (it comes with two licenses-another pro when compared with Norton) also needed an internet connection. The XP installation went smoothly.

System Mechanic Screen shot.

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My friend Jose Reyes has a list of programs he likes. Pretty nice.

Previously, I talked about Directory Opus, the most useful Windows utility I own. Today, I'll be talking about the second most useful utility I own, Clipmate by Thornsoft Development. Clipmate enhances one of the greatest computer ideas of all time, the clipboard. The clipboard allows one to save data (clips) temporarily for use in another program and since you've all used it (cut, paste, copy), I won't describe it further.

This great idea comes with one tremendous flaw, however: Windows clipboard, the free Microsoft utility that comes with every version of Windows, can only save one piece of information at a time. Indeed, next to accidentally emptying the recycle bin or forgetting to save, the most frequent "woops" moment in computing must be copying or cutting something over your previous copied or cut data.

Clipmate completely fixes this problem by saving each item you cut or paste in a file that you can use at a later time. For instance, let's say you're grabbing a series of URL addresses from a web page. Normally, to avoid losing your data, you'd have to copy an address and then paste each one in a Word document or some other permanent file. With Clipmate, you can continue copying these addresses without worrying about losing any of them; they're saved for you in order.

Of course over the eight or so years I've used it, Thornsoft has improved Clipmate. The main reasons I love Clipmate:

1. First and foremost, the ability to permanently store copied and cut items. If it only did this, I would buy it. The ability to store clips is automatic and doesn't require any input from the user.

2. The ability to view clips in a window so that you can choose the one you need.

3. You can view when each clip was created amongst other potentially useful information.

4. You can assign each clip a category (business clips, fun clips, pictures, permanent clips, etc.) Clips can be moved between categories.

5. You can assign frequently used clips a hot key ("Sanjaya was ripped off" is the one I summon most often)!

6. The ability to archive data. You can save a Clipmate database and open it three years later.

7. Powerpaste allows you to paste a series of data rapidly by going to the next clip automatically. i.e., you don't have to select each one.

8. Clipmate has a groovy new tool that docks on your taskbar. With the taskbar tool, you can see and choose your clips without opening the Clipmate window.

9. One of the features I use most is Clipmate's search. When your database grows, you'll love the fact that you don't have to scroll through a thousand clips to find the one you need.

10. Clipmate is stable with all Windows versions.

11. You can edit and print clips directly from the program.

Disadvantages:
None

Anyways, get this program (I just copied this post from word and added it to B2Evolution).
Below are some screen shots (copied earlier and pasted here).

This is the main screen. You can see that clips can be categorized on the left (and clips can be dragged dropped between categories)

The new clipbar.

Captured picture.

Text editing features.