Become a Better Writer -- WhiteSmoke Writing Enrichment Software for Windows Can Help --  Special  Sale 80% Off --Limited Time Only!

WhiteSmoke is a windows software program designed to enrich your writing. The program offers a 30-day evaluation of the full version of the software and so I recently took them up on their offer.

Maybe some day we will get to the point where all we do is think and the words appear on the screen as we imagine them. However we are not at that point I am sorry to report.

Microsoft Word and other word processors have a built in grammar and spelling checker. But most of us know that while helpful, this does not do the entire job. Past Word's simple checking you are on your own when it comes to putting the words down and editing them. So software tools like WhiteSmoke (and some others that I talk about on this blog) are welcome in making the writing process a bit smoother.

You can use WhiteSmoke in a variety of different programs including the MS Office programs and Internet Explorer. A convenient hotkey can activate the program . You can also install an optional toolbar.

What the WhiteSmoke program does in addition to spelling and grammar is "writing enrichment" You highlight the text you have written and WhiteSmoke actually suggests alternatives and even embellishments like adjectives to what you have compose.

The goal is to put some sizzle into what you say.When you get the Comprehensive version of the program, it gives you templates for specific tasks such as email writing, business writing and more. Plus, there are specialized versions for various areas such as creative writing and even writing for romance (NO, please do not call that version "Cyrano").

The publishers this way describe the technology behind the software:

WhiteSmoke has created a unique technology, providing the first context-related all-in-one solution for improving writing. This patent-pending technology is the result of years of development by a leading team of software, algorithm and Natural Language Processing experts.

For the first time ever, users can enhance their writing skills with WhiteSmoke. This revolutionary writing tool instantly analyzes the complete text and provides context-based recommendations to replace words with synonyms, add adjectives and adverbs check spelling and verify proper grammar use.

Features and benefits of the Comprehensive Version are:

• Thousands of grammar corrections
• Functionality on all applications
• Text enrichment
• Hundreds of professional templates
• Smart thesaurus with synonyms
• Spell check
• Instant-access dictionaries
• Adverb and adjective insertions

One thing the software will not do is edit for correct word usage and writing style. For that I personally use SyleWriter a MS Word add-in that I am planning to review in the next couple of months.

The days when the computer can turn us all into a Shakespeare or Steven King is not hear yet. But until that day arrives, Whites is a software program you should consider adding to your writing toolkit.

You can get your 30 Day Evaluation copy of WhiteSmoke 2010Writing Enrichment Software  and Special  Sale 80% Off Power Pack by visiting the publisher site through here!

Link for this Post: Only The Only Two Secrets to Motivating Yourself You’ll Ever Need -- ZenHabits

Welcome to the new decade. The lethargy of the Holidays still hovers but its time to get to work.

If there ever was a time for recipe for motivation, this is it! Fortunately one is provided by

Sure, there are numerous tips that can help, numerous tactics and strategies I’ve used with success.

 But it really all boils down to two things. And those two things are so deceptively simple that you might decide to stop reading after I name them: 1) make things enjoyable and 2) use positive public pressure. But read on for more on how to use those two things to motivate yourself for any goal

To find out how to make these two motivation tips work, visit ZenHabits at the link at the hop of this post.

Link for this Post:Brainiversity Windows Game for Ages 8 to 80+

Brainiversity is a game designed to stimulate your prefrontal cortex with 16 different activities covering language, memory, math and analysis.

Sounds hard but Brainversity does a good job of making it fun.

The activities include First & Last, Spelling Bee, Word Maker, Sort It, Shopping List, Remember Me?, Phone Numbers, Visual Memory, Add It Up, Shape Count, Math Grid, Math Function, Alphabet Soup, Find Me, Perfect Match and Stroop Test.

At the beginning of the program, you are introduced to Edison, a "talking" light-bulb who welcomes you to the Brainversity, and gives you your first Daily Exam. Unlike the occasional sourpuss every school has on its teaching staff, Brainiversity isn't grim and serious.

Edison keeps you informed of your progress, makes jokes and offers interesting facts. During one late-night session, he even asked if I shouldn't be in bed. Since there's no story to propel you forward, Edison gives Brainiversity a much-needed shot of personality.

You can also earn up to ten different Stamps, giving children and other users something for which to shoot.

Through the charts and the stamps, Brainiversity does a good job of tracking your progress and highlighting your strengths and weaknesses. The option to print out the results would be a welcome addition, though

After completing this exam, - and earning your 100 Brain Bucks for the first day - you're sent to the game selection screen. Like before, there are four categories to work with: Math, Language, Memory and Analysis.

As you progress, different games are unlocked. You get a daily test each day composed of 4 tests. At the end it is recorded on your own private graph. Then you can play all the games individually and each one is recorded on your own private graph for the individual games, too. You can then play again as much as you want, so you can improve your scores with some extra practice.

Some of the excellent features found in Brainversity

• 4 different training categories: Language, Memory, Math and Analysis
• 16 unique activities, 4 in each category
• 10 different Stamps to earn
• Practice mode to hone your skills
• Daily Exam mode to test those skills
• Daily Chart visually tracks your progress
• Up to 6 people can play on one computer
• Hosted by Edison, the funny little light bulb
• Unlock Practice games by playing Daily Exam

Brainiversity is fun, easy to pick up, and perfect for the whole family. The target audience is adults who wish to keep their brains sharp as they get older, but young children, and anyone in between can enjoy these simple exercises as well. It is never too early to start training your brain and keeping it young and fit.

Link for this Post: The Power of Breathing Audio Course by Bradley Thompson

Frequent readers of the Mindware Forum are aware of the excellent work of personal growth leader Bradley Thompson. Among his developments, I have posted about his Lucid Dreaming and Binaural Beats products.

Thompson's latest creation focuses on a subtle yet profound area of personal development -- breathing. The importance of breath and how we breathe has been recognized throughout our history as a species.

In the East, the study of breathing was always an integral part of the religions and personal development schools of the Tibetan, Indians, Chinese, and Japanese.

Perhaps most well known is the breathing technique which is part of the Indian Yogic tradition called Pranayama (sometimes referred to as Prana). Translated into English, Pranayama loosely means "breath control". Ancient Indian yoga masters developed sophisticated and varied breathing techniques to maximize the benefits of prana.

Pranayama is utilized to clear and cleanse the body and mind. It is also used in preparation for meditation, and in asanas,the practice of postures, to help maximize the benefits of the practice, and focus the mind. In Tibet, a variation of Pranyama was developed called Kum Nye.

Japan's most notable breathing work school was calld Nishino Breathing Method and was considered a method to unlock Ki (Life-energy).

In China along a parallel evolution was Qiqong The  Art of Breathing (also known as chi kung, chi gong, ch'i kung, chi gung, qigong, qi qong,) or "Vapor-Achievement." This study was an integral  aspect of Chinese medicine involving the coordination of different breathing patterns with various physical postures and motions of the body.

The study of breathing and breathe work also has ancient origins in the West. Breathing techniques were part of the "mysteries" of the ancient Egyptians. The early Hebrews used the word ruah which literally means air, wind or breath as synonymous with soul.

The Bible emphasizes that God, creating Adam, "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." This double meaning of "breathing" extends into modern English usage.  The Latin verb spirare (to breath)  is contained in the word inspiration. The ancient Greeks referred to creativity as inspiration which means be filled with the breathe of the gods. All over the world in myths and legends and tales told through the centuries as in secret societies-breathing play a significant role.

The importance of breathing is biologically obvious. We depend on on breathing to take in oxygen which necessary for life itself.. As humans, we have to eliminate the things our body is no longer using, and breathing takes much of this process as well. Other than eliminating the air from your lungs, after the oxygen has been absorbed, breathing also expels toxins from your body. You can also eliminate other things such as emotions or stress. By harnessing the immense power of breathing, you can create a better connection with your inner self.

The act of breathing is the body's most vital and basic function, yet many of us pay little attention to our breath. We have never learned how to breathe correctly!

Breathing work is built upon the premise of the total unity of the human being. Its results demonstrate the interrelation of body, mind, and feelings. Your ability to maintain optimum breathing functions is important not only to your body but to your state of mind.

You might consider yourself an expert in breathing. You think to yourself -- "haven't I been breathing my entire life. I must know what I need to know about it."

It is this incorrect assumption that keeps most people from opening up to the hidden potential breathing holds.

Quite a number of our thoughts are negative in nature. We talk to ourselves with words like "can't, shouldn't, and bad." Their negative connotations influence the we feel, increasing nervousness and stress.

Our brain processes millions of thoughts on a daily basis and focusing it on your breath gives it a much-deserved break. Ten minutes of breath work a day will gives you extra peace and helps relax both your brain and your body. 

While we have known about the power of breathing for millennia, it has only been with the advent of scientific study that we have come to fully understand and develop methods for changing your breathing patterns that can change your life dramatically for the better.

Imagine breathing differently for just a few minutes a day and enjoying these awesome results as a reward:

   * Boost your brain power and ability to focus
   * Enjoy greater relaxation and relief from daily stress
   * Significantly improve your immune system
   * Become happier and have brighter moods
   * Turbo-charge your memory, creativity, energy
.

These are just some of the life-enhancing benefits that will be yours when you learn to breathe "properly" just ten minutes each day.

I found "The Power of Breathing" audio course to be revolutionary its simple and clear to understand instructions. Other breathing courses that I have tried were just too complex to follow.

The results of the course and the daily breathing ritual that resulted from its teachings has had an enduring on my life and state of mind.

The easy to learn and practice techniques in this course provide everything you need to know to begin changing your breathing patterns, using guided audio sessions - and begin enjoying the powerful effects of conscious breath-work. You will enjoy what only a few enlightened people in the past discovered when they followed their cultures path of life breathe.

What the Power of Breathing Audio Program Contains

The "Power of Breathing" audio program steadily guides you through a series of expertly-crafted breathing sessions, designed to stimulate the life-changing, healing benefits of breath work.

Designed by Bradley Thompson, the CD program includes a full 20-minute introduction to breath-work and its many benefits - followed by three progressive breath-work sessions, which you can listen to from the comfort of your own home.

Start with the Level 1 session (8 minutes), then steadily progressive to the more powerful breathing patterns in Level 2 (10 minutes), then ultimately to Level 3 (15 minutes).

You'll instantly enjoy a feeling of calmness and total mental clarity, and many of the deeper benefits will be realized within just a couple of weeks. Enjoy the sessions in the morning, and/or in the evening.

Use the CD to de-stress after a hard day at work. Use it on the train, with your iPod, to get into a state of peak performance for the day ahead. Use it whenever you need a mental boost and wish to sharpen your mind. "The Power of Breathing" is the best course ever developed for using breath as a path to personal growth. Find out more at the offical website.

In a recent post, I gave a brief history of self-development software. Now I want to spotlight the world's first life training software ready for prime time!

Are you stressed out or in a blue mood?  Your usual response might to find and read the current trendy self-help book everyone is talking about. But now there is something better and more effective you can do.

Get MindHabits, self help software that will provide relief as easy as clicking a mouse.

Now here is finally a video game that is actually good for you. Get a brighter mood in just a few minutes with MindHabits.

Based on social intelligence research conducted at the prestigious McGill University, these  stress-busting, confidence-boosting games provide a series of simple-to-use, fun-to-play exercises that players develop and maintain a more positive frame of mind.

On the MindHabits website, you can read many articles about the new program including articles in the Wall Street Journal and the New Scientist as well as coverage by ABC news.

An in depth explanation of the development of MindHabits is provided as well as extensive information on the science behind the software.

There are tips for playing the game available. You can even download free software that allow you to add faces of you and people in your life to MindHabits.

Here are some of the principles and features found in MindHabits:

Software Configurations: Either download the Windows software version and use it like a video game (example of a typical screen in Windows)

or play it in any web browser capable of running Flash. Here is a typical screen in a browser:

The Games: There are four games with 100+ levels of play. The games are:

• Matrix
• Words
• Who Are You
• Grow Your Chi

Scientific Principles Behind the Games: Based on the principles of social intelligence. A key concept is the idea of MindHabits, of which there are four types including

Outlook: Scientific psychology has shown that our minds continuously filter our experiences, including our view of ourselves and our interactions with others. This filter determines how we feel about and react to the world. In MindHabits, this is called your Outlook. "Outlook" on a daily basis using a series of automatic tests and self-report questions, which are explained in more detail later in this document and in the Science Lab of the MindHabits game.

If your Outlook is relatively more positive on a given day, you will pay attention to warm, supportive feedback from other people, you will interpret unclear interactions in a positive way, you will focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses -- in general you will find the warmth and kindness in your relations with other people.

If your Outlook is not as positive, you may tend to be on the lookout for social threats like criticisms and rejections, and you may worry more about any flaws of your own that might provoke those kinds of negative reactions.

Inhibition - Inhibition plays a key role in the way we make sense of the complexities of social life. Inhibition is not meant to describe a negative frame of reference, rather it is used to describe a process whereby you may stop paying attention to the potential negative cues in your environment, and begin to pay attention, instead, to the more positive cues.

If you focus on and dwell on threatening information, this can increase your feelings of stress. Sometimes it is helpful to be able to "inhibit" or disengage from threat - or in other words, to just "let it go".

Association:  Reactions to situations are often shaped by links, or "associations" between one idea and another. If thinking about yourself, for example, triggers thoughts about criticisms and rejections, this may act to undermine your self-confidence.

If, on the other hand, thinking about yourself can become associated with thoughts of support and acceptance from others, as well as the positive emotions that come along with that, then this may help you feel more self-confident and better able to deal with stress.

Activation - Research has shown that it is possible to bring to mind, or "activate" one frame of mind or another. So, if we bring to mind thoughts of warmth and support, this shapes our Outlook to be more attentive to whatever warmth and support is available in our interactions with others. Research has shown that activating a secure frame of mind in this way can often help people feel more self-confident, more creative, more tolerant of uncertainty, and less self-critical.

The "Words" Trainer game works on this principle by getting players to think about a certain list of "activation" words over and over again. By placing words such as "loved" and "caring" into our mind, these games can help us develop a more positive state of mind automatically.

I could continue to tell you more about MindHabits but the only way to understand the "play" of the game is to do it. Please visit MindHabits at their official website to try these new self-help and personal development games.

Effective Learning Systems began developing self improvement and personal development audio programs way back in 1972. They are truly one of the pioneers of the human potential movement.

Since that time, their research team has developed leading-edge techniques using guided imagery, deep relaxation, self-hypnosis and a variety of other technologies. Their goals with these audios is to unlock our deepest possibilities

The folks at Effective Learning are offering Mindware Forum readers a free sample of what they have to offer. Here is how they describe the free MP3 download of our Alpha Break audio program:

This MP3 download will help you relax mentally and physically in just 10 minutes. Use your Alpha Break MP3 download any time during the day. It's a positive alternative to a "coffee break." While it lasts only 10 minutes, it will help you relax and lower your brainwave frequency to the alpha state (7-14 Hertz). At this level of mind you will quickly raise your energy level, generate new ideas, make decisions, or just renew your positive attitude. It’s ready to serve you wherever you go

If you like what you hear, you can visit Effective Learning through this link and check out their over 100 audio programs on a wide variety of areas and interests.

Link for this Post: Save Over Half Off on Star Wars the Force Jedi Mind Control Game at Amazon

This is the first of two posts I'm going to do about this EEG toy which has been a big hit for gifts to kid this Holiday Season.

". . . the headset . . . uses brain waves to allow players to manipulate a sphere within a clear 10-inch-tall training tower, analogous to Yoda and Luke Skywalker's abilities in the Star Wars films. No, you're not tapping into some "all-powerful force controlling everything," as Han Solo said in the movies. But you are reaching out with mind power via one of the first mass-market brain-to-computer products. "It's been a fantasy everyone has had, using The Force," says Howard Roffman, president of Lucas Licensing. In the Force Trainer, a wireless headset reads your brain activity, in a simplified version of EEG medical tests, and the circuitry translates it to physical action.

If you focus well enough, the training sphere, which looks like a ping-pong ball, will rise in the tower. A state of deep concentration is needed to achieve a Force-full effect. "When you concentrate, it activates the training remote," says Frank Adler of toymaker Uncle Milton Industries, which is creating the Trainer. "There is a flow of air that will move the (ball). You can actually feel like you are in a zone.

The second post will have a variety of resources about what has been written by others as well as my own take on this "Jedi powers" training toy.

Note: image is from USA Today article

Links for this Post:

Visit emWave PC Stress Reduction System for more information

Now there is emWave Mac

The emWave PC Stress Relief System with Heart Rhythm Monitor combines biofeedback with their patented coherence technology which promises to transform stress and anxiety into vibrant energy. Going far beyond simple heart monitors this breakthrough software and hardware system guides you to creative energy levels, less stress, and optimal health.

The emWave PC is not to be confused with Heartmath's portable stress-reduction device, which I posted about in the emWave Personal Stress Reliever which I have posted about in The emWave Personal Stress Reliever Teaches The Art of Relaxation!

The  emWave PC is a new version of their flagship Freeze-Framer 2.0 USB which I wrote about in this post..

emWave PC is a combination software and hardware system which collects pulse data through a finger or ear sensor which plugs into your computer. The program translates the information from your heart rhythms into user friendly graphics displayed on your computer screen.

* Watch your heart rhythms in real time.
* See how emotions affect your heart rhythms.
* Discover which emotions you can activate to more effectively manage stress and boost vitality.

With emWave PC, you learn to build a buffer against stress by accessing a high performance state called "coherence." Coherence is a mental and emotional state that people experience when they are "in-sync" or in the "zone"--when the heart, brain and nervous system are working in harmony. Simply stated, more coherence equals more energy and less wear and tear from stress.

What's new about emWave PC is its great new software. Here are its features:

Coherence Coach™ "An interactive program that uses audio instruction, visual images and a variable breathing pacer for learning and practicing the Quick Coherence® technique and improving coherence scores. 

Games: Three new colorful interactive games designed to help you transform stress into creative energy while building your coherence scores.

Emotion Visualizer™: Provides stunning colorful images which vary according to your emotional state and coherence level.

Application Sections which include Health and Well-Being Health Professionals Sports Performance Workplace Performance Learning and Testing.

Comprehensive Tutorial covering: How To Getting Started Science Quick Coherence

For lots more information or to purchase the emWave, please visit them through this link!