Recent Posts

351

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Essential PIM Pro - Mini-Review ("also-ran")

« Last post by rjbull on December 21, 2015, 04:17 PM »

Both the calendar and contacts functions in EPIM are very good, but the sync with Google got to be too flaky a year or so ago, and I finally gave up on it.

-xtabber (December 19, 2015, 06:33 PM)

I prefer to avoid the cloud, and don't really need "everywhere availability" anyway.  I like the ability to sync between Windows and Android locally.

I am currently using eM Client (again, not for mail), which seems to have no problem staying in sync with Google. 

-xtabber (December 19, 2015, 06:33 PM)

In another thread, app103 was very pleased with eM Client's calendar.  Softmaker have abandoned development, saying they would roll their enhancements into Thunderbird.  Does Tbird include any sort of calendar?  eM Client itself now seems orphaned.  It might be nice if Softmaker split out the calendar as a separate entity.

EPIM is an excellent standalone calendar/contacts manager that works well as a portable app too.  I can't see using it as an information organizer however.

-xtabber (December 19, 2015, 06:33 PM)

Pity    They should address that.

352

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Essential PIM Pro - Mini-Review ("also-ran")

« Last post by rjbull on December 13, 2015, 02:47 PM »

It's worth knowing that EssentialPIM has a Free edition as well as a Pro, and that both are available in portable as well as installer versions.  Both include an e-mail client.  The comparison chart of Pro vs. Free is HERE.  Further, Astonsoft offer Android and iOS EPIMs: they can synchronise with the Windows EPIM via local WiFi without using the Cloud.  Speaking from the perspective of a four-day broadband outage, this is a Good Thing.  Exactly how good depends on your view of the value of mobile devices, of course.

353

General Software Discussion / Re: Newer password keepers/form-fillers - anyone using Dashlane or 1Password?

« Last post by rjbull on September 19, 2015, 04:21 PM »

@f0dder: if you're interested in Sticky Password. Premium,  it's fairly often on Bits du Jour, and appears so now:

http://www.bitsdujou...aign=2015-09-19+PC+A

This is for a lifetime licence at $49.99.

Apologies for clumsy post,  on Android tablet. 

354

Official Announcements / Re: Forum Upgraded August 30, 2015 - Report issues here

« Last post by rjbull on August 31, 2015, 05:32 PM »

rj, can you elaborate a little bit

-mouser (August 31, 2015, 05:01 PM)

Competently explained by Stephen66515, to whom my thanks 

355

General Software Discussion / Re: What's your preferred File Manager

« Last post by rjbull on August 31, 2015, 05:14 PM »

Was using old xplorer2 pro 1x previously and unwilling to upgrade

-imtrobin (August 27, 2015, 01:26 AM)

Did you think of trying out the free version of XYplorer, XYplorerFree? Current release is 15.50.0200 (10-Aug-2015), so it's up to date.  Free vs. Pro feature comparison here.  It might have a substantially different feel from xplorer2, though.  Plus there's FreeCommander, which has a standard twin-pane look.

356

Official Announcements / Re: Forum Upgraded August 30, 2015 - Report issues here

« Last post by rjbull on August 31, 2015, 04:57 PM »

The first things I do on login in is look at the bottom of the home page to see the recent Active Topics, look at Unread Replies to my posts, and new topics since last visit.  I can more or less see these in the new GoTo dropdown, but, replies to my posts is showing what looks like replies to all topics I ever posted in.  I've marked them all as Read now so should only see new posts, but, in the old system, there was an option to mark topics as no longer of interest and to be ignored.  Is that option still available, please?

357

General Software Discussion / Re: LastPass alternatives with two-factor authentication? (including premium LP)

« Last post by rjbull on August 30, 2015, 02:30 PM »

Isn't the problem that Google won't allow extensions to be added to any Android browser by a third party [...]

-rjbull (August 25, 2015, 04:17 PM)

Perhaps I've misunderstood you, but I thought I should mention that I use LastPass on both the PaleMoon browser for Android and the Dolphin browser for Android.  Dolphin has a LastPass for Dolphin extension.

-cyberdiva (August 26, 2015, 06:20 PM)

Sorry - 'twas I that misunderstood.  I thought Google's terms banned any third party from adding extensions to any browser.  It turns out Google aren't quite so Draconian, only banning extensions for their own Chrome.  Sticky Password's team tell me it has an extension giving automated logins to Android Firefox.  Similar things are still in the works for Dolphin and UCWeb, so currently Lastpass is ahead.

As an aside, I still wonder which Android browser is "best."  With Window Opera now based on Chrome, presumably Android Opera is too; who knows how much data it's sending to Google?  UC Browser makes DC look strange (haven't tried it yet with the DC New Look).  A year or so back, I saw a very favourable review in a UK magazine for Maxthon, but recent reviews in the App Store complain bitterly about a drastically changed UI that removes tabs.  Reviews for Firefox in the App Store complain it's a resource hog.  In fact, nearly everything in the App Store seems to garner incredibly mixed reviews. 

358

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by rjbull on August 27, 2015, 04:44 PM »

Two cartoons from The Oldie magazine, May 2015.

359

General Software Discussion / Re: LastPass alternatives? (including premium LP)

« Last post by rjbull on August 25, 2015, 04:17 PM »

I wrote to LastPass support about this and they said it was for their stupid LastPass browser that is also built into the app. I told them the browser was superfluous and that they should separate it into another app if they wanted to include that functionality, because all I wanted from them was to be able to store and retrieve my passwords. They didn't really respond to that.

-Deozaan (August 25, 2015, 11:28 AM)

Isn't the problem that Google won't allow extensions to be added to any Android browser by a third party, so the only way to make logins seamless is for the password program's authors make their own browser with the functionality built in?  At least, that's what I thought from reading Sticky Password's information.

Every so often, the browser extension's auto-form-fill functionality stops working on sites where it has worked for months (or years). The only way I've found to get it to start working again is to delete the "site" and create it again.

-Deozaan (August 25, 2015, 11:28 AM)

I have a vaguely similar problem.  I usually use Sticky Password's floating window.  Occasionally it won't work with Opera for Android.  This appears to be Opera's problem, not SP's, as I also run Clipper+ and find that SP has sent the relevant information to the clipboard.  In other words, Opera temporarily won't accept a paste.  Rebooting doesn't always clear the problem.  However, I also have UC Browser HD as well as Sticky Password's own Sticky Browser, so one or other should work (I hope).

Is there anything out there that provides the convenience of LastPass (secure cloud storage/retrieval) for Android without any of the extra crap?

-Deozaan (August 25, 2015, 11:28 AM)

You'd probably feel SP has too much fluff and horsefeathers as well   But you don't have to actually use all of it.

360

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: PhraseExpander Professional for PC 79% off $29.99

« Last post by rjbull on August 25, 2015, 03:37 PM »

Both TA and Breevy have portable versions.  Instant Text doesn't, that I know of.

You might care to look at John Knowles' ABCZ Typing Abbreviation System for one rational approach to choosing short forms.

There are many threads on DC about text expanders and similar applications - worth reviewing, though many are getting old, and some are heated.  For all the software they mention, they aren't complete.  Text expanders and similar products are quite a big category, though a requirement for portability winnows them out.

361

Living Room / Re: Show us the View Outside Your Window

« Last post by rjbull on August 24, 2015, 04:41 PM »

latest: (see attachment in previous post)

-mouser (August 20, 2015, 11:45 AM)

If that's Illinois, global warming is worse than I thought...   

362

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: PhraseExpander Professional for PC 79% off $29.99

« Last post by rjbull on August 24, 2015, 04:38 PM »

There's also Typing Assistant by SumitSoft. I like the comprehensive feature set: it offers text completion as well as abbreviation expansion, plus auto-learn, auto-correct, clipboard and a launcher.  I have mixed feelings about it because of what is for me a serious drawback.  Most earlier versions of TA don't play nicely with clipboard managers, failing to enter the full text (type the short form and sometimes nothing happens).  It has its own on-board clipboard extender, but that is no match for the features of CHS or ArsClip.  6.1 was the first exception I noticed; it works happily with several clipboard managers.  I think 7.0 failed (not sure), but 7.1 seems OK on short acquaintance.

There have been times when I could type too fast for Typing Assistant to keep up, but that's probably just me and my PC.

Breevy is a good expander and corrector, but doesn't offer text completion.  I would dearly like it to have.  Comfort Keys, which is primarily a keyboard macro program, has quite a good completer - but not an expander!  I also have Instant Text, the most powerful expander, slightly more expensive than the top-level versions of Phrase Expander and Phrase Express.  It too is strongly oriented towards medical transcripionists, and doesn't have a completer, but has very good import features to ingest a corpus of text, analyse it, make appropriate short forms, and massage everything to your style.  DC has a rather old review thread of an earlier version of Instant Text.

363

N.A.N.Y. 2015 / Re: NANY 2015 Release - Splat (Simple Program Launching and Termination)

« Last post by rjbull on July 20, 2015, 05:25 PM »

there's really no easy alternative to Hotkeyz.

-dantheman (July 19, 2015, 07:41 PM)

I was sorry to see that HotKeyz's web site had disappeared...  Does HotkeyP, which is probably the closest freeware, work on Win10?  With or without NirCmd to add extra features?  Otherwise, you might want to look at something like Comfort Keys or Key Manager, which, being paywares, might have some hope of keeping up with Windows versions.

364

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommend image file renamer/renumberer for slide shows, please?

« Last post by rjbull on June 28, 2015, 05:56 PM »

FSViewer can do that.
[...]
HTH?

-AbteriX (June 08, 2015, 01:39 AM)

Yesss! 

I was thrown off by having a left-side box for adding files, where they're in standard Windows sort order, and a right-hand input list where they're in the order you've drag-and-dropped them.  Had to look twice at the input list.  Very useful feature.

Many thanks indeed!

365

General Software Discussion / Re: Nifty FREE Utility to do almost anything to a filename in Windows

« Last post by rjbull on June 22, 2015, 05:11 PM »

I used to do stupid TSRs if you remember those.

-MilesAhead (June 19, 2015, 08:21 AM)

I remember RAM-cram as well 

366

N.A.N.Y. 2015 / Re: NANY 2015 Release - Splat (Simple Program Launching and Termination)

« Last post by rjbull on June 22, 2015, 05:05 PM »

There's no content on their web site, so can't get to article 449 directly.  They appear to publish a CD of all issues on an annual basis, but there will obviously be a wait for 2015.

367

N.A.N.Y. 2015 / Re: NANY 2015 Release - Splat (Simple Program Launching and Termination)

« Last post by rjbull on June 19, 2015, 04:38 PM »

In case you didn't see it, a recommendation for Splat in the UK magazine ComputerActive, issue 451, 10-23 June 2015.  Can't seem to send an attachment by PM, so attached here.  I didn't see the earlier article they reference.  I wish they'd added that though Splat's free, you accept donations...

368

General Software Discussion / Recommend image file renamer/renumberer for slide shows, please?

« Last post by rjbull on June 07, 2015, 04:44 PM »

If you use Windows Photo Gallery, or IrfanView, or whatever image file viewer, it will present a series of images in the usual alphanumeric filename order.  Often I wouldn't want to do that, but to present a series in the logical order of telling a story, as it were.  Of course, you can easily rename images, but it's not quite so easy to rename a series and get the sequence right.

What I think I'd like is a program that presents a screen of thumbnails, or a bit bigger than thumbnails, and lets you drag and drop them into a visually pleasing order regardless of their current filenames, with, please, keyboard means of doing the same thing.  When they're ordered to one's satisfaction, press a button that would rename/renumber them by prepending numbers in the new sequence to their existing names.  That should make them play in the right order in any image viewer.  As a valuable refinement, the ability to click or press Enter on an image and have IrfanView or one's preferred image viewer present the image full size.

Is there such a thing, please?

369

Non-Windows Software / Re: Android: recommend form-filler/pasword manager, please?

« Last post by rjbull on June 07, 2015, 04:28 PM »

I use KeePassDroid too and I really try to avoid using it because it's such a time-consuming process to get a password out of it.

-ayryq (June 05, 2015, 07:42 AM)

I know exactly what you mean.  Try Sticky Password, per Innuendo's suggestion.  It can be set up to have a floating window with userID and password fields, and using it is  much less fuss.  However, data is sent via the Android clipboard, which is some level of security breach in itself, more so if you use a clipboard manager like Clipper+.

370

Non-Windows Software / Re: Android: recommend form-filler/pasword manager, please?

« Last post by rjbull on June 07, 2015, 04:16 PM »

Thanks, folks; currently trialling Sticky Password, special thanks to Innuendo.  SP for Android is slightly odd, because it forces you to set up an online account.  Normally I'd bale out at that point, expecting virtual hands palpating my wallet, but they say it's free, so I persevered.  The very next question is enable or disable the online account!  I chose the latter, partly for trial, and because I can sync by other means (I hope). Strange way of doing things.

I also dug around in their FAQ:

Which browsers do you support on mobile devices? (Android)
Due to the respective vendor's policies (legal restrictions) it is currently not possible for us to make autofill working on default mobile browsers (Safari for iOS and Chrome for Android). We simply are legally not allowed to put any add-ons or plugins there. So that is a reason for having our own embedded Sticky browser in the application. Its not that convenient as on desktop where we have plugins for all the most popular browsers, but its an option reflecting the legal rules.

The other option is to use the floating window and copy&paste the credentials (login and password) into the respective fields. Floating window can be used generally with any mobile application as its floating above it. We already have some further ideas of how to make the workflow here a bit more convenient. These ideas will be implemented in next builds.

Then there are 3rd party browsers like for example Dolphin for Android - for these we are considering (as there are no restrictive legal boundaries for us) to create an autofill add-on.

What I really wanted was a password keeper that can automatically fill forms.  From that, it seems that's not universally possible owing to restrictions built into the OS.  Sigh.

371

General Software Discussion / Re: Replace any string (even several lines) in multiple word files

« Last post by rjbull on June 04, 2015, 05:28 PM »

Text Workbench

372

General Software Discussion / Newer password keepers/form-fillers - anyone using Dashlane or 1Password?

« Last post by rjbull on June 04, 2015, 05:22 PM »

I use KeePass, KeePassDroid, and AI RoboForm for Windows; I'm aware that lots of people like LastPass, and DC has mentions of others, e.g Password Depot.  I've recently seen references to 1Password and Dashlane, both of which seem cloud-based.  Please, does anyone have experience of these, especially compared to the ones mentioned above?

373

Non-Windows Software / Android: recommend form-filler/pasword manager, please?

« Last post by rjbull on June 04, 2015, 05:01 PM »

All my passwords start in KeePass, and I use KeePassDroid on Android.  This works well enough, probably because I also run Clipper+ , but I'd quite like to have an automatic form-filler like RoboForm - preferably without having to pay an annual subscription...  Any suggestions, please?

374

Mouser's Zone / Re: do you have some software to do this?

« Last post by rjbull on May 22, 2015, 03:05 PM »

Arsclip is good but I have never figured out how to merge clips -- or maybe it doesn't have that feature.

-aparente001 (May 22, 2015, 08:30 AM)

You can merge clips with ArsClip, it just doesn't use the term "merge" to describe it.  Here's how:

1. Pop up the Clip List
2. Choose Pasting Tools > Paste Selected Text...
3. Mark the clips you want merged
4. Click the Paste button
5. Choose from Paste (direct) or Clipboard Only, both in either forward or reverse order.

375

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommended replacemnt for Push The Friggin Button (PTFB)?

« Last post by rjbull on May 21, 2015, 04:48 PM »

Have you tried starting the offending program from a command prompt, using START /MIN?

Have you checked the Troubleshooting section in PTFB's Help file?

There don't seem to be many dedicated alternatives now - RTVReco is really ancient - but a couple of free ones to try might be ClickOff and PowerPro (which does an awful lot more, and isn't for the fainthearted).

[Edit at UK time 2015-05-22, 21:07:-]
WARNING: I just tried ClickOff on Vista, and it was not a happy experience at all. Best left for legacy XP systems, perhaps.  YMMV.
[/Edit]

Three auto-clickers I've recently found, and haven't yet even downloaded, so don't know if they really do the same thing:

• Window Clicker
• RuneScape Auto Typer and Auto Clicker
• AutoMouser