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951

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Bookmark Docs - MiniReview

« Last post by rjbull on February 12, 2012, 01:48 PM »

It's on offer on Bits du Jour today, 2012-02-12, 50% off, $12.45 instead of $24.95.

Actually it seems more than I need; I'd be perfectly happy with some kind of Firefox extension (better still, if other browsers supported as well) that used Ctrl+F2 and F2 in the way that most text editors do, even if it didn't remember the bookmarks between sessions.

952

General Software Discussion / Re: Any way to automate news compilation (rss feeds, websites, etc.) daily?

« Last post by rjbull on February 09, 2012, 04:28 PM »

WSW usually ignores graphics, so it should ignore many ads.  It looks like Check&Get Pro is a step closer (but still no cigar).  It can e-mail a copy of the text with the changes highlit, and ignore ads.  But no mention of PDF.  I think Darwin is a Check&Get user - at least, somebody on DC is.

953

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: PowerArchiver today on BitsDuJour

« Last post by rjbull on February 09, 2012, 03:21 PM »

The Outlook plugin (and the command line program) are free to registered users. I think there are nags if you don't have a valid PowerArchiver license.

-Innuendo (February 09, 2012, 02:14 PM)

I wish they made that clearer on the download page.

954

General Software Discussion / Re: Any way to automate news compilation (rss feeds, websites, etc.) daily?

« Last post by rjbull on February 09, 2012, 03:18 PM »

I never used RSS much for work, but had most of the other irritations.  One site was so full of ads, most of them animated, that I had to use Adblock Plus to be able to read it at all.  That is, the ads made it near-impossible to read the content of what was supposed to be one of the industry's leading journals.  Pointless and self-defeating; I wouldn't have viewed the site at all if I didn't really need to.  Another of the review sites insisted on splitting up its items into bite-sized bits on separate Web pages and I had to keep clicking for the next page, clipping what I needed and merging all the clips into one.  No wonder it took me the equivalent of a whole day a week to assemble the material for the current awareness bulletin.  I couldn't have done it without WebSite-Watcher.

955

General Software Discussion / Re: Any way to automate news compilation (rss feeds, websites, etc.) daily?

« Last post by rjbull on February 09, 2012, 02:50 PM »

I agree it should be possible, but I can't see a seamless way to do it either.  I started to ponder semi-automated ways of doing it with external software, but it began to look a lot of effort.  However I haven't updated my copy in nearly three years, so don't know if that area has been improved.

Because your suggestion seems eminently sensible and should be available, I've sent an e-mail to "Aignes" requesting he review this thread.

956

General Software Discussion / Re: Is WinZip still worth updating?

« Last post by rjbull on February 09, 2012, 02:37 PM »

The 7Zip engine seems reliable, although I dislike the interface. (It always seems to be more of a struggle to create archives than it should, somehow.) So I'll try jZip (in its "corporate with no extras" flavour) to see if it's a better interface to 7Zip than 7Zip's own, and there's a few others that probably deserve a look.

-oblivion (February 09, 2012, 04:12 AM)

I always found 7zip reliable.  If you're looking for an alternative interface, be aware that PowerArchiver supports 7zip too:

7-Zip Compression

7-Zip is an advanced compression format featured in PowerArchiver. It is an open source format, providing an open architecture and high compression ratio. 7-Zip outperforms ZIP, ACE and even RAR in many tests. However, 7-Zip’s greatest strength is that it is not controlled by any organization or individual, but by an open source LGPL project to which anyone can contribute. More information on 7-Zip and its superior compression can be found at 7-Zip.org.

PowerArchiver also features a Transparent Update feature for 7-Zip archives, which allows you to quickly add or remove files even if the archive is “Solid”. PowerArchiver supports all 7zip methods, including LZMA2.

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General Software Discussion / Re: Is WinZip still worth updating?

« Last post by rjbull on February 09, 2012, 02:29 PM »

Not a zipfile manager, but WinRAR has the -to option which processes files older than a specified period, for instance -to2d would process files older than 2 days.

-Jibz (February 09, 2012, 09:26 AM)

Not sure if it's what you meant, but the RAR.EXE command-line version in the WinRAR directory has:

tb<date>      Process files modified before <date> in YYYYMMDDHHMMSS format

958

General Software Discussion / Re: Is WinZip still worth updating?

« Last post by rjbull on February 09, 2012, 02:25 PM »

[...] There's a backup scripting engine that will make short work of any backup jobs you might want to accomplish without having to resort to using the CLI, but there's a command-line component as well if you are interested.

What I believe to be a unique feature is a queue system [...] a preview panel that accepts Total Commander WCX plugins so it's extensible to recognizing more file types.
Today's the day. $13.98 for the English version & slightly higher for the International version. Lifetime updates.

-Innuendo (February 09, 2012, 09:36 AM)

Thanks, Innuendo!  As Queen Elizabeth the First said about taking a bath twice a year, "Whether We hath need of it or no," I pressed the button 

959

General Software Discussion / Re: Any way to automate news compilation (rss feeds, websites, etc.) daily?

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2012, 02:10 PM »

In WebSite-Watcher, if you open the properties of a bookmark, one of the tabs is Actions, which allows you to do things like export the page, with or without HTML tags, or run a program against the new version of the page, including highlighted changes if you want them.  Or automatically export the page to Local Website Archive.

960

General Software Discussion / Re: Is WinZip still worth updating?

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2012, 02:02 PM »

I always return to PowerArchiver and has features not found in any other archiver program. I archive/unarchive a LOT of stuff every day & no other tool is as efficient based on my workflow.

-Innuendo (February 08, 2012, 12:20 PM)

Things I do every day are generally archiving files as backups, for which I mostly use command-line archivers in batch files run from a scheduler.  What special features PowerArchiver do you need that aren't in other programs?

BitsDuJour is supposed to have their flagship product on sale for a pittance coming soon.

-Innuendo (February 08, 2012, 12:20 PM)

As of today's e-mail, still listed as "coming soon."

961

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: myBase Desktop 5.x + Addons Pack discounted on BitsDuJour.com (2010-01-25)

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2012, 01:57 PM »

rjbull:  Yes, I know that Tranglos said that about RightNote/KeyNote, but you had posted something about "Keynote done right" so I thought I would show that link.   

-J-Mac (February 08, 2012, 11:54 AM)

And shamed my laziness 

I probably use Evernote more than any of the others I have installed, mainly due to the web-clipping ease and access from all locations (connected of course).

-J-Mac (February 08, 2012, 11:54 AM)

For clips from the Web, so do I, though I use 2.2 rather than a cloud version.  A distaste for the cloud is partly why I'm interested in alternatives.

But for just writing down a note Evernote isn't that great. They use a non-standard editor and it is missing a lot of features IF you happen to want to type a nicely formatted note for some reason. Of course if it is just a quick memory-jogger for yourself, who cares about formatting?!

-J-Mac (February 08, 2012, 11:54 AM)

I use MemPad for quick notes.  I really like it, but it's very slow at searching even when the data is only 5 MB, and it doesn't group the hits like live search does, or AllMyNotes does.

After going through a lot of crap with Ultra Recall's web page grabber, and the same with Surfulater, I have gone back to Local Website Archive for most of my web page captures.

-J-Mac (February 08, 2012, 11:54 AM)

I use LWA when I want a really accurate rendition of a page.  Most of the time the less perfect, but adequate for reference, capture of EverNote is good enough.  AllMyNotes also looks similarly adequate, but isn't as streamlined as EverNote to use.

For partial snips I mostly use mouser's Screenshot Captor - it is still the best for that!

-J-Mac (February 08, 2012, 11:54 AM)

But then you have to name or annotate them in some way to be able to find them again later...

And for a good notes organizer? Still looking at anything and everything that gets my attention!

-J-Mac (February 08, 2012, 11:54 AM)

Aren't we all?  Groan... 

962

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: NoteFrog Professional Lifetime License on Bits du Jour today, 2012-02-08

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2012, 09:35 AM »

Thanks, berry...  it's nice to get such a good deal, with such definite confirmation from the developer.   

963

General Software Discussion / Re: Is WinZip still worth updating?

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2012, 08:36 AM »

I haven't tried it, but just came across Bigspeed Zipper, which is rather old, but free and has some interesting features.

* Quick file compression and extraction with several clicks only
    You have 2 "explorers" on the main window. The first one on the left shows the files and folders on your computer, just like the Windows Explorer does. And the second one on the right shows the files and folders in the opened zip package. To compress files, just select them in the left pane and press the button with the right arrow. To extract files, just select them in the right pane and press the button with left arrow.
* Open zip archives on web servers
    This COOL feature lets you view and extract the contents of zip packages before starting the download from HTTP servers. Actually you can open zip archives remotely on web sites as if they are local files on your computer. In that way you can save a lot of your time and bandwidth avoiding the download of unnecessary zip files.
* Search for files and text in files inside zip packages
* Simultaneous downloading and viewing of zip packages' contents
* Compressed backups to FTP server or disk drive
* Automate zip compression operations
* Integration with Windows Explorer and Windows shell
* Upload zip packages to FTP servers
* Send zip packages via E-Mail
* Create self-extracting packages
* Split/Join zip package to user defined file size
* Repair damaged zip packages
* No 4GB file size limit

964

General Software Discussion / Re: Is WinZip still worth updating?

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2012, 05:51 AM »

You'd better be aware jZip installs (or tries to install) add-ons, set your browser homepage and add a search-toolbar.

-Ath (February 07, 2012, 02:39 PM)

Grump.  I didn't notice that    Thanks for the heads-up.

965

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: myBase Desktop 5.x + Addons Pack discounted on BitsDuJour.com (2010-01-25)

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2012, 05:49 AM »

It's really just because it's very good.  I did evernote for a while, which was totally different than Keynote.  Rightnote is just, well, right!  The features that really did it for me were the paragraph styles, the horizontal line button.  It's one of the very very few programs (especially for notetakers) that I find intuitive.

-superboyac (February 07, 2012, 03:31 PM)

My impression, from just reading the blurb, is that myBase has more features than RightNote.  Would you agree?  Having a smaller feature set may not matter as long as it has exactly the right features for you, of course.  I'm not as bothered by RTF editing within the notekeeper as you are, as I normally only use plain text for my own notes, but I am interested in a seamless ability to store clips from the Web.

I realise that there are differences between ideal notekeepers, Web page archivers and clipboard enhancers.  But they aren't easy to define, the more so as almost all real-world end-user data is transferred via the clipboard, wherever it ultimately ends up.

Neither RightNote nor myBase are particularly cheap, even at discount.  But for now I'm resisting the Bits deal on myBase - but can I last out the next 20hrs plus...

966

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: myBase Desktop 5.x + Addons Pack discounted on BitsDuJour.com (2010-01-25)

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2012, 05:36 AM »

According to Tranglos (Marek), RightNote IS Keynote done right, or actually done better!

Here's where he talks about it:

https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=29504.msg273561#msg273561

-J-Mac (February 07, 2012, 02:17 PM)

I know, I was too lazy to find the link and relied on memory!  But I also note that in the same post, he says:

I won't be registering it, since I do think the KeyNote design (can I say this? "KeyNote design"?) is quite obsolete - just compare how the search works in RightNote vs. Evernote or even CintaNotes.

My italics.  That lead me to wonder whether tree-style notekeepers were losing mindshare to live search types.  Tranglos points out that whatever you do is a compromise, and database back ends slow things.  There are issues about presenting the search results as well.

For big fans of live search - don't overlook the other offer on Bits du Jour today, NoteFrog Professional Lifetime License!  It would be nice to see an offer on RightNote, too.

967

Found Deals and Discounts / NoteFrog Professional Lifetime License on Bits du Jour today, 2012-02-08

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2012, 05:06 AM »

NoteFrog Professional Lifetime License on Bits du Jour today, 2012-02-08, $15.95 instead of $49.95.

Bits du Jour promotion commentary:

NoteFrog Professional Lifetime License
Use it, Don't Lose it!

"273-374-9984 ext.35"
"DiPalma's Pizza on 3rd"
"Little Bobby's Birthday 4/8"
"Google: Gogol"
"Pitch Brand Name: Squiggles"
"Milk, TP, Celery, Onion, Crackers"
"Copy all .xls files to hard-drive before Wednesday's clean-out"

All important, and all essentially useless -- a dank bayou of misplaced information -- without a sound system of navigation and retrieval.

NoteFrog keeps every bit of information organized, accessible and meaningful. Breaking away from conventional spreadsheet systems of information management, NoteFrog uses an open-ended, amendable system of stacks to organize your notes. Allowing you to organize information in a way that makes sense to you. Have a stack for work, or each individual project at work. Have a stack for reminders, phone numbers, important dates, things to do at work, things to youtube at home, potential names for the puppy, research, finances, purchase dates and warranties, accounts numbers, passwords -- the possibilities are as endless as language itself!

Once everything is stacked, NoteFrog's supersearch will quickly guide you to the information you need. From the first letter you type, in NoteFrog's search box, candidates are selected from your Active stack. Once you've whittled it down to the note you need, just click and read. Or you may save a NoteFrog stack as a publishable, searchable, HTML document: see this feature in action!

NoteFrog also features tagging capabilities and a "clipboard capture" feature which is great for quickly gathering large chunks of information and safely filing it away in the stacks. So when you need it the NoteFrog can retrieve it.

Promotion Written by Andrew Dick

Features:
* Quickly generate free-form notes and file them in appropriate stacks.
* Cross-reference notes.
* Find the information you need instantly with supersearch.
* Enable/disable images.
* Enable/disable stack password protection.
* Capture and incorporate elements from you computer's clipboard.
* Purchase with BitsDuJour's discount coupon code and get all this at a promotional price!

968

General Software Discussion / Re: Is WinZip still worth updating?

« Last post by rjbull on February 07, 2012, 02:27 PM »

If you have 7-zip, or a possibly somewhat better-looking (though that's subjective) free alternative like PeaZip

-Ath (February 07, 2012, 06:42 AM)

I think jZip is largely meant to be a better interface for 7-zip.  From jZip FAQ:

9. What is the difference between 7-Zip and jZip?
7-zip offers a state of the art compression engine. It's a good application and this is why we decided to use 7-Zip as our underlying compression engine.

We created jZip for users who feel they want the same kind of compression capabilities offered by 7-zip but in an easier more streamlined user interface. We have spent significant time designing a sleek user interface that lets you to easily use the underlying compression engine.

jZip is about offering a robust compression and archiving application that's easy to use. Something similar to WinZip, but totally FREE. We are currently working on the next jZip version that will offer additional features that will make it standout, not just as a free application, but also as the best one around.

969

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: myBase Desktop 5.x + Addons Pack discounted on BitsDuJour.com (2010-01-25)

« Last post by rjbull on February 07, 2012, 02:11 PM »

I've moved to RightNote, and I'm sticking to it.

-superboyac (February 06, 2012, 03:14 PM)

Is that because of your history of coming from KeyNote?  All the others were stopgaps on the way to "KeyNote done right?"  Does RightNote match (enough of) the features in your roundup of notetakers?

970

General Software Discussion / Re: Is WinZip still worth updating?

« Last post by rjbull on February 07, 2012, 11:44 AM »

now use 7zip for everything. [...] About the only complaint I have with it is there's no button or link so I can send it's developers a contribution.

-40hz (February 07, 2012, 08:47 AM)

That's funny; I donated, several years ago, and got a nice (and slightly surprised-sounding) e-mail from Igor.

Most of the time I use the archiving functions built into Total Commander, calling the registered version of WinRAR for RAR archive making, if required.  TC has plugins that support 7z and other formats (you need the archivers themselves, of course).

971

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: myBase Desktop 5.x + Addons Pack discounted on BitsDuJour.com (2010-01-25)

« Last post by rjbull on February 05, 2012, 03:29 PM »

There're quite a lot of mentions of myBase on DC.  But, oh, that there were one clearly best notekeeper to rule them all...  I have AllMyNotes, which is nice in many ways but too mouse-oriented and doesn't stick to some Windows standards: e.g., Alt-Space doesn't bring up the usual Minimize/Maximize/Close etc. menu, it creates a new note!  No accelerator keys on the menus, no hotkey to add a clip as a note, etc.  Nice quick search and sensible filtered display, though.  I also have UltraRecall, but it's very complex and I don't much like its interface.  NoteFrog is nice too especially for "live search" but it's maybe a bit too young a project to commit too much to too soon.

Analysis paralysis! 

972

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Hard Disk Sentinel PRO - Mini-Review

« Last post by rjbull on February 05, 2012, 02:58 PM »

Though initially too impatient to use the Mini-Review template (it's a bit tedious to use with all the BBS code) [...] As a template though, it seems quite comprehensive.

-IainB (February 04, 2012, 08:46 PM)

I've never tried it, but, if you used the full template, I think it's incomplete.  It may give the software name, but it doesn't seem to give a brief explanation of what the software does.  The name on is own isn't always a clear enough indication of function.

973

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Mini-Review: RightNote

« Last post by rjbull on February 04, 2012, 11:34 AM »

Recording my further efforts at converting a MemPad file for import into RightNote or Keynote:

Whether I ran kntconvert.exe on an indented file, or converted my source file into an HJT and imported it into KeyNote itself, I got similar results.  The KNT file from either process had RTF body text for the first few nodes, but then the converters forgot all about RTF and made everything plain text.  Importing the files into RightNote or AllMyNotes gave the correct tree structure, but non-RTF notes were blank, and they were in the great majority.

I cut the Gordian knot by making another script that converted MemPad's output file directly into a KNT file.  It's a terrible kludge because I don't know anything about RTF.  I cribbed the RTF tags from one of KeyNote's support files, fileformat.knt.  But it seems to work; I ended up with files that appeared to import correctly into both RightNote and AllMyNotes.  There are over 1000 nodes, so I haven't checked them all, but things look right.

974

General Software Discussion / Re: pdf context menu

« Last post by rjbull on February 03, 2012, 03:07 PM »

Maybe PDF-ShellTools can do some f what you want?

Sanity check - I haven't tried it.

975

Screenshot Captor / Re: Timed screen capture

« Last post by rjbull on February 01, 2012, 03:26 PM »

the only thing you mention that you can't do it tell it not to begin until a certain time of day..

-mouser (February 01, 2012, 12:28 AM)

@jjerry There is all kinds of free stuff to launch an application at a given time. The built-in Windows Tasks (or Scheduler) is a good, safe, easy one.

-cranioscopical (February 01, 2012, 07:50 AM)

You beat me to that comment, but, does SSC support command-line operation?  If it doesn't, there's mouser's other screen capture program MiniCap :

MiniCap is a minimal screenshot capture app, with good commandline support, including the ability to launch (and then terminate) apps, capture windows by handle, processid, process name, or interactively.

MiniCap has a convenient interactive capture mode (based on Screenshot Captor's Redbox Capture mode) which may be useful if you don't want to have something like Screenshot Captor running in the background. But where MiniCap really shines is it's use as a non-interactive commandline tool.