Tag / software

by Kush

Skype

If you go around saying things like “P2P” and “VoIP,” even your friends are apt to give you the eyebrow, but say “Skype,” and millions of users around the world get the message. Skype means free Skype-to Skype Internet phone calls, video chat and conferencing, IM, and Facebook integration. We tried the latest release of the free version of Skype, which not only lets you yak at other Skype users as long as you want for free but also enables free one-to-one video calls, Instant Messaging, and screen sharing.

A Pay As You Go option lets you call non-Skype numbers and pay by the minute, and frequent callers can opt for a Subscription service. Skype is also available in a premium package offering unlimited international calling and enhanced video chat and conferencing. To use Skype, you’ll need a microphone and Web cam as well as sound and video capability and a broadband Internet connection.

Skype is software that enables you to make free calls anywhere in the world. Skype uses P2P (peer-to-peer) technology to connect you with other users. It offers several features, including SkypeOut calling from Skype to regular and mobile phones worldwide, conference calling, and secure file transferring. You can also now share your screen with other users. Skype calls focus on video and audio quality, and secure the calls with end-to-end encryption.

  • PROS:Free. Video calling for devices with front-facing cameras. Wi-Fi calls sound excellent. Well-designed interface.
  • CONS:Video calls can take a while to connect. Picture quality and frame rate on video calls leaves much to be desired. Chat can be slow.
  • BOTTOM LINE:Skype’s iPhone app lets you call other Skype users, regardless of what device they’re on, for free. Video calls work best with a strong Internet connection, and degrade quickly with weaker signals. The clincher is that many people use it, so your friends and family members may already have accounts.

Skype is definitely one of the better entry-level, low-cost competitors in our VoIP services lineup. The VoIP provider offers well-rounded service plans, and it is easy to install, even for less tech-savvy individuals. While its feature set is limited, Skype is an excellent alternative if your VoIP needs are minimal.

 

by Kush

Apple iTunes 10.6

With the release of iTunes 10.6, Apple’s world-leading media application finally lets you buy and play 1080p movies and TV shows. It also improves the iTunes Match cloud music locker. But maybe of most importance is support for the new retina-display iPad and the new Apple TV. Those are just the latest capabilities Apple has added to iTunes, the most full-featured software on earth for purchasing and playing media, whether that means music, movies, TV, podcasts, or books.

As one of the most popular programs for managing music and video content on a personal computer, Apple’s iTunes software has become an indispensable part of our digital life.

Interface
The look and layout of iTunes 10 is essentially identical to that of iTunes 9, with just a couple of noticeable differences. The first is that Apple has updated its logo for iTunes. Rather than the old-school music note-over-CD icon, you’ll see a much more applike image. Still, the company hasn’t figured out how to more broadly represent the jukebox’s multimedia functionality: there’s still just a music note.

There’s also been a slight change to the source menu that runs as a column down the left side. The bright blue icons representing the various submenus have been changed to gray–an odd change in our eyes as it makes them stand out even less, which doesn’t make a ton of sense for menu options. That said, they still offer quick access to your media library, the iTunes Store, Genius features, and playlists. Once a selection is chosen in the source menu, all the relevant content spills out into the large main window, where it can be organized and sorted using an arsenal of sophisticated, spreadsheet-like options or switched into a Cover Flow view that hearkens back to the days of flipping through record crates.

As the primary tool for managing content on iOS devices, iTunes continues to make it easy to find music, apps, podcasts, videos, and more using the navigation buttons across the top. In the iTunes App Store, for example, you can view Apple’s New and Noteworthy apps, Hot apps of the moment, and Staff Picks if you’re looking for app ideas. The iTunes App Store also offers a number of features in the right navigation like Games of the Week, Games starter kits, most popular lists, and other rotating links for more app discovery choices. Similarly, the Podcast, Books, and Video sections all have options for content discovery making it easy to browse for new content for your iOS devices.

  • PROS:Support for 1080p HD movies and TV shows. Match feature ($25/yr) stores even non-iTunes-bought music online. iTunes in the Cloud free for iTunes-bought music. Wi-Fi syncing for mobile devices. Huge store of media for sale and video for rent. Pleasing user interface. HD TV program rentals. iPhone and iPad app organization. Ping social network music discovery.
  • CONS:Program is getting bulky and overloaded with features. No subscription music plan. Ping not available on the Web.

Worth the download?

Updating iTunes is about as inevitable as death and taxes. Try and resist, and some iPod or iPhone update will come along and twist your arm into updating anyhow. And while Apple hasn’t done much to lighten the load of the iTunes installation package (or the bundled QuickTime install that comes with it), it’s hard to complain when the program is free and offers such an impressive range of features. If you’re willing to spend $24.99 a year, the iTunes matching service might be worth the download to get all your music available via the cloud (as long as you have 25,000 songs or fewer). So yes, it’s worth downloading–if for no other reason than to manage your devices and the content to go with it.

by Kush

Microsoft Office 2010

Office 2010 nixes the pearl in favor of the File tab and introduces a “Backstage” view that puts all the standard File menu functions and more on a spacious menu, complete with print preview. I spend a lot of time printing, managing, and sharing documents, and the new Backstage view makes me wonder how I managed without it for so many years.

Microsoft Office 2010  is the current iteration of the Microsoft Office productivity suite for Microsoft Windows, and the successor to Microsoft Office 2007. Office 2010 includes extended file format support, user interface updates, and a changed user experience. A 64-bit version of Office 2010 is available, although not for Windows XP or Windows Server 2003.

microsoft-office2010

On April 15, 2010, Office 2010 was released to manufacturing. The suite became available for retail and online purchase on June 15, 2010. Office 2010 is the first version to require product activation for volume license editions.

Office 2010 marks the debut of free online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, which work in the web browsers Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari, but not Opera. Office Starter 2010, a new edition of Office, replaced the low-end home productivity software, Microsoft Works.

Microsoft’s update to its mobile productivity suite, Office Mobile 2010, will also be released for Windows Phones running Windows Mobile 6.5 and Windows Phone 7. In Office 2010, every application features the ribbon, including Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, InfoPath, SharePoint Workspace (previously known as Groove), and the new Office Web Apps.

As of December 31, 2011, almost 200 million licenses of Office 2010 have been sold.

Office 2010 will be the last version of Microsoft Office with support for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Vista due to the upcoming Office 2013 requiring Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows RT.

Office 2010 is a dazzlingly attractive upgrade, but probably essential only for enterprise customers who need the new collaboration features.

Official link : http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/