Recent Posts

426

General Software Discussion / Re: online charting or mind mapping that intregates with google drive

« Last post by dr_andus on November 12, 2014, 03:05 PM »

I know a lot can be done with spreadsheets but I have no idea how to start.

-techidave (November 12, 2014, 01:10 PM)

You could just use Google Sheets, and use one column for the names, and another for the phone number. Then you could sort them alphabetically. As for auto-adjusting, you could just insert a new row where necessary. It's also possible to highlight two cells and drag them around to a new position.

427

PBOL / Re: Requests: count workdays only and show workdays remaining

« Last post by dr_andus on November 12, 2014, 07:52 AM »

Also, could there be an option that combines "% Complete" with "Time left (smart)" for the Gauge text, to make it look something like

[36%] 16 days remaining (Nov 28, 2014)

This would combine the two most important pieces of info, percent complete and time remaining, to maintain one's bearings with a project.

Cheers!

428

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: convert rich text formatting to user-specified markup/markdown

« Last post by dr_andus on November 10, 2014, 05:43 PM »

Did a bit more research on whether something like this exists and whether there any major obstacles. Similar efforts include:

- Wiky: A Bidirectional Markup Converter and WikyBox - no rich text, only Wiky markup to HTML and back;

- HTML to DokuWiki Converter - no rich text;

- Mark It Down: convert rich text to Markdown this one does convert some rich text, but not consistently.

One problem concerns how to copy rich text from a PDF, and then how to convert that into HTML, so that a tool like one of the above would recognise it. The only workflow that sort of worked was the following:

1) use PDF-XChange Editor's "Copy as rich text" feature.

2) paste into MS Word.

3) copy and paste into Mark It Down;

4) convert to Markdown. Except of course Markdown is not what I'm after. I'd prefer to set my own markup to be able customise the basic formatting options (such as for ConnectedText).

I have also found that there is at least one other person  on this planet that might be interested in a solution to this problem (in his case it would be for Zim wiki).  

429

Screenshot Captor / Re: Larger Toolbar buttons and OCR ?

« Last post by dr_andus on November 08, 2014, 07:04 AM »

Will there also be a text-capture (OCR like) in future?
i.e. a screenshot with text - the text is OCR'ed and then copy pasted into something else

Again not currently possible, though it has come up before.  You can easily add tools to SC menu to launch external processes, which should make it possible to use a 3rd-party OCR tool, but im not sure anyone has done this yet..

-mouser (November 08, 2014, 03:19 AM)

ABBYY Screenshot Reader can do this (though I haven't tried integrating it into SC).

430

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: convert rich text formatting to user-specified markup/markdown

« Last post by dr_andus on November 06, 2014, 05:32 PM »

P.S. While I presented the above to match my specific needs (which are mainly for converting to ConnectedText markup), I thought that by making the markup user-specifiable, it would become more useful to others as well (and occasionally I may want to convert it to Markdown myself). However, if making it a universal app is a lot more hassle for the programmer, I'd be very satisfied with just having a ConnectedText-specific solution as well.

431

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: convert rich text formatting to user-specified markup/markdown

« Last post by dr_andus on November 06, 2014, 05:22 PM »

If it wouldn't be a big additional step, it would be also nice to have

"text highlighted in yellow" to be converted to  %%background-color=#ffff00%%text highlighted in yellow%%%%

(again, sorry, didn't know how to highlight text as yellow in the forum software)

432

Post New Requests Here / IDEA: convert rich text formatting to user-specified markup/markdown

« Last post by dr_andus on November 06, 2014, 05:16 PM »

I'd need a little app that lives in the system tray area (where its options can be accessed) and which can be operated using a hotkey to copy to clipboard, convert the following rich text formatting into markup specified by the user (set up beforehand in the options), and keep it in the clipboard. Ideally there would be an option for the user to save a variety of markups for different applications (such as wiki markup or Markdown).

I wouldn't need the full set of rich text formatting converted, but, in order of importance (for me, but it doesn't mean they need to be in this order in the app), the following:

1. Convert italics to //italics//

2. Convert bold to **bold**

3. Convert superscript2 to superscript^^2^^

4. Convert subscript2 to subscript;;2;;

5. Convert underline to __underline__  (that's 2x underscore on both sides)

6. Convert strikethrough to --strikethrough--

(Sorry, didn't know how to do the superscript2 and subscript2 with DC's forum software.)

It would be mainly used to copy and convert text from PDFs, webpages, and MS Word. Lines copied from a PDF would be broken, but that's not a big deal as I can join the lines in a text editor before pasting it into its final destination.

The above markup is for a desktop wiki (ConnectedText), but one could manually change (or set up other instances for) the markup to other wikis or for Markdown.

Option to deselect some of the above (e.g. when one doesn't want strikethrough to be converted but everything else) would be also nice.

Does this sound feasible? (AutoHotkey would be fine.)

433

General Software Discussion / Re: need duplicate word scanner

« Last post by dr_andus on November 03, 2014, 10:50 AM »

Have you looked at SmartEdit? There used to be a free version I think, but maybe the trial version will do the job, too.

-dr_andus (October 18, 2014, 05:12 PM)

Turns out the free version is still available: SmartEdit Lite

434

General Software Discussion / Re: need duplicate word scanner

« Last post by dr_andus on November 03, 2014, 05:28 AM »

Have you looked at SmartEdit? There used to be a free version I think, but maybe the trial version will do the job, too.

-dr_andus (October 18, 2014, 05:12 PM)

SmartEdit for Word - Word Processing Software - is 60% off for PC today.

435

General Software Discussion / Re: Please recommend a clipboard & note manager with the following features

« Last post by dr_andus on November 03, 2014, 05:23 AM »

IainB, thanks for your thoughts on WizNote. And I agree with you concerning the below. In the end being able to do something useful with the collected stuff becomes more important than the collecting itself (though it would be nice if the leading PIMs improved their clippers, too).

If you are expecting to find that a just-developed clipboard information management tool can be a useful adjunct to meeting your PIM needs, you are probably in for some disappointment and frustration. From experience, I would suggest that you focus on meeting your needs using tried-and-tested tools which are already well into their development lifecycle.

-IainB (November 02, 2014, 01:42 AM)

436

General Software Discussion / Re: Please recommend a clipboard & note manager with the following features

« Last post by dr_andus on November 02, 2014, 09:55 AM »

• 2. OneNote: I think that for many people, one of the biggest unstated objections to OneNote might be that it is a Microsoft product.
  

-IainB (November 02, 2014, 01:42 AM)

That's not my problem with it. What I'm wondering about is how OneNote scales up when it is holding thousands of notes. It seems to be based on the skeuomorphic and hierarchical idea of a filing cabinet, with files in drawers etc., which works fine in the physical world, but on a screen I'd presume it would only be able to give a very limited view of a massive hierarchy with thousands of notes?

Does anyone have experience with OneNote with such a large database of notes?

IainB, does this mean you chose OneNote over WizNote then?[/list]

437

General Software Discussion / Re: need duplicate word scanner

« Last post by dr_andus on October 30, 2014, 08:45 AM »

Another possibility: Hemingway

Hemingway highlights long, complex sentences and common errors; if you see a yellow highlight, shorten the sentence or split it. If you see a red highlight, your sentence is so dense and complicated that your readers will get lost trying to follow its meandering, splitting logic — try editing this sentence to remove the red.

Adverbs are helpfully shown in blue. Get rid of them and pick verbs with force instead.

You can utilize a shorter word in place of a purple one. Mouse over it for hints.

Phrases in green have been marked to show passive voice.

438

Living Room / Re: I'd like to get a Windows Tablet: help me decide.

« Last post by dr_andus on October 29, 2014, 05:44 AM »

Speaking of productivity and iPads, Rui Carmo's thoughts' on the matter (he comes down on the side of the Surface):

iPad at a Crossroads - Tao of Mac

Apple is constantly shirking away from letting the iPad become a productivity tool, and it’s going to cost them in the long run.

P.S. And the article he links to is an interesting one as well:

iPad at a Crossroads + Subtraction.com

439

General Software Discussion / Re: Please recommend a clipboard & note manager with the following features

« Last post by dr_andus on October 28, 2014, 03:13 PM »

Are they still accepting beta testers for Clibu?

-motiontwelve (October 28, 2014, 12:39 PM)

I would imagine so. It's probably a good time to ask for features you'd want.

will it be fully hosted online? I would prefer to have a local database with the option to sync.

-motiontwelve (October 28, 2014, 12:39 PM)

I haven't tried it, but my understanding is that it will be a desktop app with an optional cloud service. More info on their Blog.

440

Living Room / Re: Recommend a tablet

« Last post by dr_andus on October 28, 2014, 10:27 AM »

I've also been hearing things about Chromebooks lately. Not sure if that includes a tablet version.

-bob99 (October 28, 2014, 10:10 AM)

Chromebooks were practically invented for non-techie people...

Lenovo N20p Multimode Touchscreen Chromebook (Grey) - (Intel CDC N2830 2.16 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 16 GB SSD, Integrated Graphics, Webcam, Micro HDMI, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Chrome OS) is a laptop/tablet hybrid (OK, a laptop with a touchscreen, rather), and at a resonable price...

See also review here: 3 Reasons To Consider Buying the Lenovo N20P Chromebook

441

Living Room / Re: I'd like to get a Windows Tablet: help me decide.

« Last post by dr_andus on October 27, 2014, 08:27 PM »

I use the logitech case/keyboard and it gets rid of those concerns about propping it up.

-wraith808 (October 27, 2014, 03:22 PM)

That does look like a very nice case... But I think this is a horses for courses type of situation. Some people will be happy with that sorts of setup, others won't.

When it comes to mobile productivity for me (which means being away from my office and desktop for a day or longer), here's what matters to me:
- a decent keyboard (Apple Wireless Keyboard size and type) - my HP Chromebook 14 is exactly that size.
- ability to use the device on my lap for several hours (when on a long train journey or flight).
- ability to position screen at whatever angle I like.
- access to my specialised Windows software (i.e. sync PC with XP netbook or have wifi access via Chrome Remote Desktop on Chromebook. Unfortunately my netbook's keyboard is crap, so I'd bring along the Apple Wireless Keyboard, if it's a long stay).
- long battery life (6-8 hrs).
- decent screen size (or ability to virtually extend screen size).

Now, Surface Pro 3 could tick the boxes for having the specialist Win software. I hear that the keyboard is apparently pretty good. But I also hear people complaining that it's a pain to balance the thing on their knees and that it gets hot...

If I had the money for it, I would probably consider it. But even then I wonder if a Macbook Air running Windows might not be better option for productivity itself, or some other high end Win ultrabook, given my needs...

442

General Software Discussion / Re: Please recommend a clipboard & note manager with the following features

« Last post by dr_andus on October 27, 2014, 05:12 PM »

Surfulater or its successor, Clibu? Not clipboard managers strictly speaking, but otherwise they seem to tick most (many?) of your boxes...

443

Living Room / Re: I'd like to get a Windows Tablet: help me decide.

« Last post by dr_andus on October 27, 2014, 11:59 AM »

And I can carry a phone/tablet & keyboard around in my pockets which isn't an option with a laptop.
The productivity all depends on what you are doing and how you do it.

-Dormouse (October 27, 2014, 11:31 AM)

Sure, definitions of productivity will differ. I was thinking about it in the classical sense of "producing stuff per unit of time."

I also have an iPad and an iPod Touch and they're fine for capturing notes on the go. But when I need to enter into production mode (organising captured data, analysing it, and writing things up, in my case), then I make sure to take either my XP netbook or my Chromebook (if I have wifi access), so I can use my Win software.

P.S. I did experiment with a bluetooth keyboard + iPad combination. But the whole thing about propping up the iPad at the right angle, missing certain keyboard shortcuts, etc. just drove it home to me that the laptop format (albeit the Chromebook variety) has specific advantages to offer even on the go (such as balancing things on your knees, having the screen at the right angle etc.)

444

Living Room / Re: I'd like to get a Windows Tablet: help me decide.

« Last post by dr_andus on October 27, 2014, 06:12 AM »

I don't know what is holding back the full OS powered touch devices, even MS has been very cautious with rolling it out.  I personally think full OS powered tablets are a significant threat to way most businesses work, especially large ones with folks sitting at desktop computers or laptops.  What happens when a loaded Windows tablet is the same price as a desktop+monitor?  Why will people need to be in a building, or cubicle?  I mean, this has been coming for a while because of the internet.  But with the desktop computer, you are still tethered to a cubicle, with the only reason for not being at another location being "secuirty".  But with the tablets, sheesh, that will be a more difficult argument.  Make calls on your phone, do your work on your tablet...don't need buildings or any location specific needs.

Let's root for the tablet.  The politics of this will be very messy.

-superboyac (October 26, 2014, 08:13 PM)

If we're talking about serious work and serious productivity, aren't laptops fulfilling this purpose? The only advantage of tablets over laptops seems to be the weight. Even Chromebooks can give you a 14in screen and a full-sized keyboard (and they are a lot lighter than Win laptops), and you can use Chrome Remote Desktop to connect to your main machine and have access to your full suite of Win programs and multi-monitor setup.

Tablets are nice for lounging on the sofa, but for real work the laptop format is hard to beat (whether sitting at the table or balancing it on your lap).

445

PBOL / Re: Requests: count workdays only and show workdays remaining

« Last post by dr_andus on October 27, 2014, 05:46 AM »

Also, for time remaining, would it be possible to choose it to be displayed in days or workdays only until the very last day, when it would switch to hours?

It would be more useful for monitoring a project. E.g. I have a project due this Friday, 31 Oct. Today it's Monday 27 Oct. However, PBOL says "95 hrs remaining." That's not particularly useful information to me, as many of those hours will be spent with sleep as well. I'd prefer it to say "4 workdays x hrs remaining".

Thanks for considering.

446

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 Announced

« Last post by dr_andus on October 26, 2014, 07:11 PM »

Interesting to note that Google (perhaps a competitor MS should keep an eye on) goes out of its way to stress that it has no intention of forcing the merging of its desktop and mobile operating systems:
Don't Expect Android and Chrome to Merge Soon, Says Google Exec

But under the hood aren't they moving more in that exact direction?

-mikiem (October 26, 2014, 01:13 PM)

Yes, but they seem to be a lot cleverer about it. While MS tried to ram Win8/Metro down everyone's throat, whether you had a touch screen, a tablet, or not, Google is doing it one step at a time, and it almost wants to be begged into it by the users. It's possible now to run some Android apps on your Chromebook, but Google is not forcing anyone to use them or even to try them.

447

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox windows and CPU slow-downs and restarts

« Last post by dr_andus on October 23, 2014, 05:45 PM »

As for the alternate browser, I always have that in theory, now in practice I think I will deputize google for ..
 a) gmail
 b) listhings (my personal notes online, google keep +++)
 c) maybe radio, I use Live365 and some others, and at times utube.

-Steven Avery (October 23, 2014, 03:28 PM)

I use this strategy (using Google services such as Google Calendar, Drive, Sheets etc. in Chrome, and using Firefox for everything else). But I've been finding that Chrome runs a lot of processes in the background, which I presume also must be some drain on resources (RAM)?

E.g. currently I have 4 tabs open in Chrome, one Chrome app (WorkFlowy) running, and the Google Drive off-line sync client, yet there are 25 instances of chrome.exe processes running, each using different amounts of RAM... I can't tell what they are, unfortunately.

448

General Software Discussion / Re: Change the focus of all the"save or search in" possibilities at once

« Last post by dr_andus on October 22, 2014, 05:00 PM »

Some the 12 alternatives at Direct Folders Alternatives and Similar Software - AlternativeTo.net might also be worth checking out.

449

General Software Discussion / Re: Change the focus of all the"save or search in" possibilities at once

« Last post by dr_andus on October 22, 2014, 03:01 PM »

Speaking of DF though, it does look like its development has been abandoned, unfortunately, and whoever is selling the software now is not very communicative (understatement). It works reasonably well on my Win7, 64-bit system with Dopus 10, but judging from customer comments on their blog (yes, the last post on DF was in 2012), there are some problems with Dopus 11 compatibility: Code Sector Blog.

450

General Software Discussion / Re: Change the focus of all the"save or search in" possibilities at once

« Last post by dr_andus on October 22, 2014, 02:47 PM »

I guess one way of doing ti would be to make a list of all the programs i use on each project in this manner, find out where they save their "last used path" at, and write a script to allow me to input the needed path all at one time in each of them.?  Sound possible?

-questorfla (October 22, 2014, 01:06 PM)

This is indeed one of the Pro features of Direct Folders (but I realise you may not want to shell out for that):

Pro: Jumps to the last used folder or any folder you specified.