Topics

1

General Software Discussion / CD Bank Cataloguer abandoned?

« on: April 26, 2007, 06:01 PM »

I'm a for-the-most-part very happy user of CD Bank Cataloguer by Qunom software. I've been using it for around 7 or 8 months now. Several months ago I tried going to the developer's site (which was there when I bought the software) only to find their domain expired and was for sale by the registrar.

Not a good sign.

So months later, today actually, I check again to find the same thing. Does anyone else here have CD Bank Cataloguer or know anything about what may have happened? I know the latest version is still available at most popular download sites, but I'm not very interested in abandoned software if it's not going to be updated anymore. I can't even find an email address other than @qonum.com to contact them about the product.

I've got about 1/2 of my gigantic CD/DVD collection entered and categorized, but I'm still using a freaking Alpha build since they were supposed to release the next version some time ago and then... who knows... took a long vacation, got sick, went broke, or maybe just changed names and isn't getting good enough google results for me to find them yet.

A bit frustrating. Especially now that there's other similar software which is actually being updated, but which I didn't buy yet. I suppose, score one for reasons to go with a commercial developer, heh. But that's the risk you take I guess. I prefer supporting smaller developers who are active and pay attention to their user base. Being that this forum is made up of people like that, I'm hoping maybe someone can be of assistance.

If not, can anyone recommend better cataloging software for CDs/DVDs (eg. that allows you to keep an organized database of all discs and all files on the discs so you can search through them all without needing to insert each one)? Thanks everyone!

Ben

2

ProcessTamer / CPU Affinity

« on: November 29, 2006, 11:21 AM »

Mouser,

do you think it would be possible to at some point incorporate a forced CPU affinity into ProcessTamer (in the same manner as you can force a priority for a particular process)? I've got a dual-core at home and sometimes find that I want or need to change the CPU affinity on some processes.

The option only shows up if you have a dual-core or multiple CPUs, but it is a right-click option in the Task Manager to set it. I'd like to use it with ProcessTamer as I already have a number of forced priorities and it would be sweet to set the affinity automatically when opening a certain app.

I have no idea what actually goes on on the back-end but if you think it would be a possibility I'd be happy to give you any information, testing, etc. on my dual-core machine with x64 at home.

Not urgent, and maybe not even feasible, but just a thought. Thanks!

3

General Software Discussion / FindAndRunRobot anywhere!

« on: October 14, 2006, 02:13 AM »

I recently acquired NagarSoft's Direct Access, and I just wanted to say that FindAndRunRobot is the perfect companion to it. I have a keyword 'find' set up to directly open FindAndRun via its exe (using its command line option to do so), which means I only have to keep Direct Access in memory rather than both, and no matter what I'm doing I can always just type 'find', hit Tab (my confirm key in Direct Access) and open FindAndRun. Together, the combination has all but eliminated my need for opening the start menu.

I'm not implying one can't just create a hotkey to do the same or similar task with FindAndRun without purchasing something like Direct Access (which wouldn't be worth it if that was all I used it for), but it just feels so fluid to be able to type a common word anywhere and have access to all my programs without a click.

Anyhoo, to put it simply, FindAndRunRobot is a truly amazing application. Outstanding job, mouser! I've tried several other application finders/launchers with similar functionality, but I couldn't get used to using them and ultimately found myself digging through menus anyway. But FindAndRun is small and works great on-demand (eg. open with keyword/hotkey, find, then run the app and exit silently). It's exactly what I've always wanted; I can't believe I've had it installed for so long but never really worked closely with it. I totally understand now and I love it!


After trying out ClipMate and not really liking all the bulk that comes with it just to extend my clipboard, I have also fallen in love with Clipboard Help+Spell. It's like a tiny version of ClipMate that has all of its most useful functionality and none of the extra bulk.

On my work PC, I usually have lots of apps open all day and it's not a great computer, and when I was using ClipMate I noticed that sometimes it took up to a second or more to actually put the clip in the clipboard and make it available and that was causing problems with everything I use which automatically pastes anything (eg. Direct Access from above, some AHK scripts, etc). Clipboard Help+Spell completely eliminated any hint of a delay and works flawlessly.
$34.95 vs free makes it all the more sweet (of course I donated, but free as in freely available).

I can't wait for future versions of both apps!

-Ben

4

Found Deals and Discounts / SOCKShell 74% Off! - Great context menu tool!

« on: September 12, 2006, 12:08 PM »

Bits Du Jour has a great deal for today only at bitsdujour.com. They are offering SOCKShell, which allows advanced and customizable functionality to the context menus, for 74% off. I haven't explored all of its features or gone in-depth looking for issues, but for $3.95 instead of the normal $17.95, it's a hell of a deal!

5

ProcessTamer / IndieVolume and ProcessTamer's bubble pop sound

« on: June 09, 2006, 10:48 PM »

I don't know if this is just because I'm on x64, or if other applications do this as well, but for some reason even though I select ProcessTamer's executable, the volume of the blip noise doesn't change. I noticed at work that there was a Kernel entry in IndieVolume, but there isn't one here, so I'm thinking maybe it's the kernel executable that created the blip? That would suck. Any ideas? Hope this makes sense, let me know if any further information could be of use here.

I don't mean to be anal about such a thing as the volume of the blip, but I almost always listen to high quality MP3s while I'm on my computer and sometimes get annoyed when tray icons are always blipping at me.

Otherwise, would you consider adding a mute option for the blip, if that's a possibility on a per-application basis in Windows (I haven't experimented with that yet)?

As usual, I appreciate your assistance 

Ben

6

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / SmartWheel, scroll text in inactive windows with the mouse wheel (Download Here)

« on: June 08, 2006, 04:03 PM »

I've just released the initial beta version of my small helper utility, SmartWheel. The utility allows you to scroll up and down text boxes of background (inactive) windows using the mouse wheel in conjunction with a hotkey (currently CTRL)

It's very simple to use, and requires absolutely no configuration, though there will be a few options coming in the next release.

To use the utility, simply run the executable (it's advisable to add it to the Startup folder to have it running all the time). To scroll any plain text box in any window (active or inactive), simply hold CTRL, put the mouse pointer over the control you want to scroll, and have at it!

More information: (currently unavailable)
http://benmcclure.com/software/index.php?catid=4&blogid=1

Download: See the attached installer, SmartWheel-Setup.exe

The utility currently only works in plain text boxes (eg. boxes without rich text, graphics, smooth scrolling, etc.). I hope to include functionality to scroll any type of field in one of the coming releases.

This is basically my first public software release, so I hope to get some feedback and suggestions from this site.

7

General Software Discussion / Requesting input for new config automation program

« on: May 25, 2006, 01:45 AM »

The Problem:
I'm a gamer who wants Windows to be slimmed down, streamlined, and generally clear of all extensions and extra services or clutter that may interfere with gameplay. But that's not all. I'm also a musician who wants my studio software and all related applications running, but everything else disabled or turned off to leave as many resources free for audio processing as possible. But that's not all. I'm also a power user, web designer, programmer, etc. I don't like constantly changing settings, starting and stopping services, etc. But I hate compromising.

The Concept:
I want some kind of automation of the constant system config changes that need to be made to accommodate whatever I may be working on. But I don't want to write a bunch of batch files, because my needs are constantly changing and constantly editing code is not my idea of a streamlined process. What if there was a piece of software that allowed me to set up specific "modes" for my computing experience so that I could switch between them at will easily.

My Solution:
Enter ModeSwitch XP. Or at least that's what I'm calling it for now. It's a small Windows program with a GUI interface, allowing for an unlimited number of totally customizable "modes" all accessible with a click of the mouse. Every mode can have its own independent settings for:
-Starting and stopping any number of Windows services
-Closing (or killing) any running processes (predefined lists can be selected whether or not the process is currently running)
-Starting and number of applications (or scripts, or anything else that can be executed)
-Changing any of the Windows XP Visual options (eg. animations, theme support, menu fading, etc)
-Changing windows display settings (color depth, resolution, refresh rate, etc)
-Setting a number of "advanced" options (eg. registry and other tweaks)

Essentially, all of the points above can be individually enabled or disabled for every mode (so, for instance, you can have your Gaming mode change your resolution to a specific value, while having your other modes leave the settings at whatever they were before). Any option that is enabled has a button bringing up the properties for that option. For security, since some people may not want others changing their computer settings so easily, I'm going to add password support for the entire program (eg. you can run the program but cannot modify or activate any modes without the password, if so desired). In future versions I hope to add password support on a per-mode basis as well.

I also hope to add support for setting options for common video cards (eg. nvidia and and ATI Radeons), though that may not be available initially. I don't want to add tons of unneeded features and end up with a bloated "all-in-one" pile of junk, so I'm starting off with the basics and will add more features as I find there is a desire to have.

I have come to really love this site and these forums over the past week or two, and value the opinions and ideas of everyone who is a part of it. I'd love to get some feedback before my initial release of the software so that I can try to include all the basic features you all want. What am I forgetting? What could I do better/different? Any suggestions or ideas that may relate to the program?

I've got a server with plenty of bandwidth and can host the files, but perhaps it could be included with the other software available on this site when it is ready? I'm hoping some of you will be kind enough to help me work through a few initial releases before opening it up to the general public, but that won't be for a little while anyhow. I'll post some screenshots and a feature list when I'm able as well. Thanks everyone; I look forward to getting some input on this.

-Ben

8

General Software Discussion / TaskPilot for task management?

« on: May 17, 2006, 03:59 PM »

I've been using TaskPilot for 30 days now, and hence it has just expired. I like the software, but before I shell out the 30 bucks for a license, I wanted to get some second opinions.

I don't really like PIMs, because they always screw up something that requires a compromise, so I'm interested in a dedicated task managent app. Here are my thoughts on TaskPilot:

PROS: Tons and tons of features, almost all of which are available via button, menu, or context menu. It even allows you to edit any of the viewable columns in the task display list, so if you edit a lot of tasks you can just stay on one window. I like all the views available (due this week, due today, overdue, etc.), and I like the fact that you can enter as much or as little information as you want about each task. It uses filters to display tasks, so you're not confined to always working within a particular folder. Skins! The list could go on...

CONS: Slow, somewhat clunky interface. It can be customized, and the skins and color options are a nice feature, but I often find myself watching as parts of the interface load one by one. And that's after the lengthy pause at the splash screen while it loads. Also, in order to display all of the relevant information about tasks, I find that the only practical window size is maximized. Otherwise you either see too few tasks (due to all the toolbars above and the editor below) or columns that are too skinny (since there are side panels that load on both sides). Luckily you can unpin the sidebars so they only slide out when you need them.

TaskPilot Pro has about twice the features as most of the other task management apps I've tried, so I am ready to accept its shortcomings unless there are better solutions anyone has found. Most decent task management programs always seem to be incorporated in a PIM, and there is always something I don't like about basically every PIM.

Other solutions I've tried and my comments:

• Outlook (I don't like the email client very much, and that's not a compromise I'm willing to make in a piece of software based on email)
• Barca (I really like Barca, but I already use PocoMail and like it without all the bulk of PIM features)
• EssentialPIM Free/Pro (nice software, decent ui, though a bit too 'static' for my tastes. i prefer other calendar software)
• Time & Chaos (This is also nice software, it's sort of an all-at-once view which seems decent, but I just couldn't get used to it)

There are others, but I cannot think of them off-hand. I'd appreciate hearing anyone elses experiences or preferences for task management. Thanks!