Do More With Software

Video Surveillance at Home

2012-01-26T18:09:00.001-07:00

We all know that there are some obvious benefits to using video surveillance within your home. It allows you to watch for intruders when you are away, you can monitor when your children arrive home from school, or keep an eye on the new nanny, but the list doesn't end there. Here are some additional reasons to use Eyeline Video Surveillance Software that you might not have thought of.

Daytime Pet Monitor

Have you ever had a time that you've gotten home and wondered how in the world your dog could have managed to get something off of your counter? I have. I have very small dogs, yet if I was in a hurry in the morning and happened to leave the bagels on the counter somehow they would manage to pull them off and devour them while I was gone. With EyeLine, I can go back and see. Apparently Jack Russel Terriers can jump surprisingly high when they have a mind to.

With EyeLine it easy to find out just which pup is deciding to destroy the remote, whether they are relaxing on the furniture they shouldn't be on, and see what other trouble they might be getting into while you are away.

Is Your Pet Expecting?

This may seem a bit strange to the non-animal owner, but it can be very important to know exactly when your dog, cat, or horse go into labor. Horse breeders set up constant surveillance when waiting for their mothers to deliver, as complications can result in devastating results. A friend of mine is a dog breeder and it is important for her to have the ability to check in on her mothers on a regular basis. With Eyeline she can log in and check on her pets with the web access feature from her office.

New Baby Monitor

For those of you with children, video surveillance is quickly becoming the popular way to check on your new baby. You can check on your sleeping child without running the risk of waking them up. Simply fire up your computer.

Outdoor Surveillance

Obviously there are times that it is nice to know whether or not someone is outside your home. However I have some friends that have a different concern - wildlife. They need to know whether or not they have a large predator around their house as they recently purchased a puppy. While they would like to let the puppy into the dog run during the day they live where mountain lions may be a problem. They use Eyeline to make sure they do not have a visitor that may not be safe while they are away.

Video surveillance is a valuable asset, regardless of whether you use it at home or in a business setting. Now it is easy and affordable to use too, giving you the ability to use it for security or simple monitoring.

Dictation Software On the Go: Four Ways to Save Time

2012-01-24T16:23:00.003-07:00

If dictations are a major part of your practice or business, you know how it feels to be tied down to devices and software set up on a limited number of computers. We've anticipated the times you can't use your regular dictation setup, or when you're looking to add flexibility to the ways you can make dictations. No matter where you are, or what kind of device/computer/laptop you are or aren't carrying with you, we have dictation solutions for you to make your medical, law, or business dictations and send to your transcriptionist securely.

Pocket Dictate

This iPhone app gives you ultimate freedom to make dictations away from the office. Record into your phone, then send directly to your transcription service or typist.
Download Pocket Dictate free

Express Dictate

If you already have a dictation device, make sure you're familiar with the Express Dictate Dock feature to load dictations you record away from your desk. Express Dictate also makes it easy to send dictations to your transcriptionist and monitor the status of dictation jobs.
Download Express Dictate

Web Dictate

This program allows you to make your dictations over a web application and disburse them to any typist immediately. That means it doesn't matter where you are, as long as you have a microphone and a computer with web access, you can make and send dictations.
Download Web Dictate

Dial Dictate

When computers are out of reach for creating and sending dictations, this dictation program is a great solution. You can phone in your dictations from any phone or cell phone, and have it sent to your typist for transcription.
Download Dial Dictate

For more on the go solutions see business software on the go to learn how the web access feature in our business software programs can help you keep your business running smoothly no matter where you are.

C is for Converting

2012-01-19T10:53:00.001-07:00

NCH Software ABCs Series

Converting is a great example of what we strive to do with all of our software programs—solve problems quickly. Our file converters have powerful tools built in for batch converting many files at once and command line integration, but what really makes them great and keeps people coming back is that they are easy, they convert more file types than the competitors, and they give you a reliable solution to convert, compress, open and share less common files formats fast.

If you need to convert the format of any type of media, look no further:

<<< Previous: B is for Business

Next: D is for Dictation >>>

VirtualDub Plugins for VideoPad

2012-01-17T09:36:00.002-07:00

Want to do more with VideoPad? You can add VirtualDub Video Plugin Effects to VideoPad Video Editor, giving you access to additional tools and effects. Some of the most common VirtualDub plugin features you will find out there have already been added as built-in features of VideoPad, but there are certainly more out there if you take a little time to look. For example, if you want to disguise someone before you post a video on YouTube, you might want to take a look at the NVeiler Video Filter from NeuroTechnology, which can be used to detect and pixelize faces to hide a person's identity.

Find more information on adding and using plugins in VideoPad on our site, and let us know what your favorite VirtualDub plugins are for expanding your copy of VideoPad.

B is for Business

2012-01-12T14:02:00.005-07:00

NCH Software ABCs Series

NCH Software has a wide range of business solutions, and just like our other software categories, each program is focused on doing a specific task in an easy and efficient manner. The individual programs can be combined, making it easy for a small business to grow into other applications at their own pace, and customize a software solution for the unique needs of their business. Along with our software utilities for file management and other essential software tools, these core business products will help you keep track of how your business is doing and keep things running smoothly at a cost-effective price.

<<< Previous: A is for Audio

Next: C is for Converting >>>

New Mac Typing Tutor Software

2012-01-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

KeyBlaze typing tutor software has a brand new Mac version, providing all the same typing lessons and exercises for learning how to type or improving your typing skills and speed, that are in the Windows version. With basic lessons starting with the home keys, typing tests for measuring your speed and accuracy, a typing game, and even audio files to practice typing from dictation, there are a ton of ways to learn. So whether you have a PC or a Mac, if you want to improve your typing you can download KeyBlaze typing tutor and start improving your typing in no time.

A is for Audio

2012-01-06T13:47:00.004-07:00

NCH Software ABCs Series

What better place to start our A to Z software tour than at the beginning—both the beginning of the alphabet and the beginning of NCH—Audio.

NCH Software was originally named NCH Swift Sound when it was founded in 1993 largely because many of our earliest products were sound and audio software solutions. Even though we have since expanded our range of software tremendously, to this day our WavePad audio editing software remains not only a company favorite, but our top selling program, currently available for Windows, Mac, iPhone and the iPad with millions of users worldwide.

WavePad may be the core of our audio software category but there are several other big players including MixPad multi-track mixer, Switch audio converter and SoundTap streaming audio recorder, just to name a few. You really can do more with audio using our complete range of audio software programs:

Next: B is for Business >>>

NCH Software ABCs

2012-01-06T13:45:00.005-07:00

We've put together a series of posts looking at many different aspects of NCH Software and what you can do with software. The gimmick is an A to Z tour of our software, but we’re confident it will thoroughly introduce you to these different facets of the NCH Software world.

A is for Audio
B is for Business
C is for Converters
D is for Dictation
E is for Easy
F is for FTP
G is for Graphics
H is for Hardware
I is for International
J is for Jams
K is for Keep
L is for Live
M is for Mobile
N is for New
O is for Optimize
P is for PDF
Q is for Quick
R is for Recording
S is for Sharing
T is for Typing
U is for Utilities
V is for Video
W is for Web Access
X is for eXpress
Y is for YouTube
Z is for Zip

2011 Top Software Posts Roundup

2012-01-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

Like so many others, I find the new year a time of reflection both personally and professionally. Last year at this time I took a look at the posts that were getting the most attention on our blog to try to learn more about what our customers and readers are most interested in. With 2012 upon us, here I am again looking at the top posts of 2011:

So what can I glean from this list? Not only is there still interest in Mac versions of our applications, of which we have added several additions to this year (and more already in the works), there is a large interest in how to take advantage of the more advanced features in our VideoPad video editor. as well as other how-to instructions. I'm pleased to report that we are expecting a significant new release of VideoPad this year that will have a new interface designed to add more advanced features to our easy to use video editing software. That is just one of the big plans already on the horizon to keep your eyes open for, but as always, be sure to let us know what you think and what you want to see in future releases that will help you do more with software.

Run Your Business from Anywhere

2012-01-03T18:11:00.001-07:00

Small business owners frequently wear different hats, run errands and are pulled in a million directions. That is one of the many reasons why we built the web access feature into our business software applications. We know you aren’t always at your desk when you need to update your records and accounts, check your inventory levels, or check the status of a client’s account. Here’s an overview of a few of our business programs that include the web access feature:

Inventoria stock control software–update stock levels as you buy or sell product from the road, or from any of your warehouse locations.
Express Invoice invoicing software–send invoices or print customer receipts from tradeshows, or anywhere else your business takes you.
Express Accounts accounting software–the value of seeing your business performance no matter where you are is invaluable

By setting up the web interface for any of these programs, you make it possible for other staff members to log into the system, and you can also log in and update information from your mobile phone or any remote computer. This means if you are at a meeting with a client you can make an invoice, and if you are at your warehouse you can update your inventory. To help make sure you take full advantage of this ability to access your data on the go, we created a video tutorial on setting up the Inventoria web access for easy access to your business inventory information wherever and whenever you need it. You can also view tutorials for setting up web access for Express Invoice and Express Accounts.

Reflect Mac Customer Relationship Management Software

2011-12-29T15:51:00.001-07:00

You're not seeing double—there is twice the convenience for business with our ever-expanding range of business software that is available for both PC and Mac platforms. This week the list of Mac business applications grew with the release of Reflect CRM Software for OS X.

With Reflect customer database software, your business can move past just making transactions by storing and organizing client information. Consolidating valuable customer data gives businesses more complete insight into their clients and customers, helping front-line employees make faster, better informed decisions and build stronger relationships with customers for increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Top Smart Rated Inventory Software

2011-12-22T14:36:00.001-07:00

Inventory control is an important aspect of many businesses, so you want to make sure that you have all the necessary tools at your disposal to stay on top of your inventory. We know how important tracking stock levels and reporting can be, which is why we are so pleased that our Inventoria inventory software has just been listed as a top inventory program by the reviewers at findthebest.com.

Already this year Inventoria was named a top inventory software by TopTenReviews. We are grateful for both of these positive reviews and all of the businesses out there that have trusted NCH Software to help them manage their inventory. With all these positive ratings, we look forward to the new businesses to add to that list in the new year.

Send Personalized Video Greeting Cards

2011-12-19T14:21:00.078-07:00

The holidays are right on top of us, so I hope you got your presents mailed and your cards and letters sent. But even if you haven't gotten something in the mail yet, it isn't too late to send a heartfelt message to your loved ones, both near and far. With Debut Video Capture Software and a webcam, you can record yourself or your whole family in front of the computer to make a quick and easy video greeting card. Just like you've seen in those holiday commercials with the audio-recorded talking greeting cards and books, you can make a sentimental message with both video and voice that can be played over and over again, without going to the store, that can be delivered to a loved one's email inbox, or burned onto a DVD.

If you want your video to really shine, you can import the clips from your webcam into either VideoPad Video Editor, or PhotoStage Slideshow Software to do more polishing and editing, and combine with other video clips, or photos and music, but any heartfelt holiday message to family members far away can be enough to bring a smile and some holiday cheer.

Want a Unique Gift Idea? Make Them a Radio Star

2011-12-17T13:11:00.001-07:00

Guest Post by Emma Bell

One of the coolest things about modern technology is that anyone who has a story to tell has a pretty decent shot of getting it on the radio or their very own podcast. Unlike the days where a radio professional would be required to be in the studio reporting, now anyone can record an interview or story with any number of small and affordable recording devices; and the best part is that many stations are constantly looking for material. Like with any creative medium, the quality of content does matter – as does covering a topic that is timely, or timeless (also known as evergreen).

Some radio buffs go all out and purchase gear like digital flash recorders and professional microphones but many others simply use their phones to record, or their phone answering machines, laptops, etc. In terms of production you can get as detailed or simplistic as you choose because the truth of the matter is that if your story is compelling enough or something that no one else is covering many radio stations will be willing to work with it, no matter what the quality.

If you've got something of value to say you can simply record it and let the seasoned pros edit the piece, or you can try your hand at editing. There are many affordable audio software programs available that will take a bit of trial and error to learn but even Youtube offers video tutorials for many different programs on the market.

There are also many organizations who are encouraging budding radiomakers and documentarians of all ages by offering recording tips and advice, as well as platforms in which to present their features. Vocalo, based out of Chicago, is an interesting public radio platform that allows everyday people to have their own shows. Transom is a non-profit website that offers tips on the best gear to get and tips on telling stories and the Public Radio Exchange is a depot where you place your work and have radio stations come looking for you instead of the other way around. And with the rising popularity of do-it-yourself podcasts you can make your own radio show and build a following of fans without any need for a radio station to sign you on.

Thanks to technology it's a new day in radio making; an exciting time that rewards the everyday people who have interesting stories to tell. It's hardly the best way to try and get rich but it's a wonderful chance to say whatever's on your mind to an ever-growing audience. As a radiomaker you can help inform, entertain, get people to thinking and even help shape opinions. The best part is that with today's technology you can run your own show and get your own brand of uniqueness out there for all the world to hear.

Author Emma Bell writes for Coupon Croc. If you're looking for a new phone that records audio check out this Discount Voucher.

Don't Panic, Photo Recovery Software

2011-12-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

If you take a lot of photos, you have probably experienced that moment of panic when you connect one of your memory cards to your computer and you don't see anything there. Where could the photos be? Oh no! This should have lots of pictures from my vacation to Bali and my daughter’s ballet recital on it! What happened?!? First make sure you are looking at the right memory card, and if you are, before you mourn the loss of those photos, there still might be hope.

When electronic files get "deleted," whether they were on a memory card or a hard disk, the space they occupy is typically only flagged as free to have something else saved there. So recovering a "deleted" or "missing" file is only a matter of using a program like Orion Photo Recovery Software to scan for the pictures that have been mistakenly flagged as free space. With Orion, you can search your computer or any external device, such as a memory card or your camera, for these files, restoring them to their former visible glory for you to share, print and save.

Make A Seasonal Slideshow

2011-12-12T15:37:00.001-07:00

There is something nostalgic about this time of year. Shopping for gifts, making holiday plans, going to parties. And between the parties, presents, and traditions—like sitting on Santa's lap, cutting a Christmas tree, decking the halls, or cooking the special family recipes that only come out once a year—there are also a lot of photos to share.

But what if this year, instead of posting hundreds of individual pictures to Facebook, you combined all your favorites into a slideshow that will warm the heart? PhotoStage Slideshow Creator, rated the best slideshow software by TopTenReviews, makes it easy to combine your memories into a truly magical movie slideshow starring none other than your family. TopTenReviews recently posted an article that runs down how to make a personalized winter slideshow with PhotoStage. With its easy-to-use interface, the most important thing is just to come to the table with your imagination, ready to play with and perfect your slideshow.

Whether you want set your photos to your favorite holiday songs, record the family caroling, or add captions or narrations, you have complete creative control to tell the story of any memorable holiday, moment or event. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a slideshow is easily worth ten thousand, and with easy sharing options, lots of transitions, and dynamic features, there is no better way to create a slideshow than with PhotoStage Slideshow Maker.

Create a Time-lapse Video with Debut

2011-12-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

You've seen videos that condense hours and hours of time into a short clip: a flower blooms in 30 seconds, or a city scene showcases the busy flit of people and traffic as the shadows of buildings move slowly across the street.

You can easily create your own time-lapse video using your webcam and Debut video capture software. Here is what you need to do:

Click the Edit Output button and select the devices tab.
Select the option to Enable Time-lapse.
Specify how often you want an image to be taken. For the charactaristic choppness of many time lapse videos, space image captures apart by a minute or longer. For a smoother result, take captures at shorter intervals.

When your recording is finished, it will be saved as one video clip rather than a series of images, so you can watch the time fly by in a resulting video.

Next, to turn your time-lapse into something really worth sharing, add a title screen using VideoPad video editor. Keep in mind that VideoPad can also do other time manipulations, such as speeding up or slowing down your video footage, in case you want to fine-tune your time-lapse results.

Lightning Fast PDF Creation

2011-12-07T14:18:00.002-07:00

Bolt PDF Printer makes creating PDF files as easy as printing. See exactly how easy it is to print files to PDF in this short video introduction.

And if you need to convert a large number of documents to PDF, you will also want to try Doxillion Document Converter to batch convert thousands of files at once.

Do More with Audio - Blog Carnival December 5, 2011

2011-12-05T11:11:00.001-07:00

Here are this edition's entries to Do More with Audio:

Adrian Try presents 20 Podcasts that Musicians Should Subscribe To And Why posted at Audio Tutorials Plus A list of twenty great podcasts that teach you about producing music for keeping you entertained and educated.

Emerson Maningo presents Advantages and disadvantages of "In the Box" and "Out of the Box" Audio Mixing posted at Audio recording tips. A list of all the possible advantages and disadvantages with respect to sound quality, efficiency and overall music production process.

T. Michael Testi presents Book Review: Soundtrack Success: A Digital Storyteller's Guide To Audio Post-Production by Jeffery P. Fisher posted at Blog Critics: Books. There is no short cut to creating good sound and the goal of Soundtrack Success is to help you sharpen your skills so that you can provide a vibrant sound track to your visuals.

Mike Sessler presents Using Audio Delay posted at Technical Arts in the Church. Most audio effects processors include a simple delay which often gets overlooked however adding some delay can create some very cool effects.

Olivia presents Basic Best Practices For Capturing Quality Audio posted at OliviaTech. Robert from JuicedLink comes into the studio to guide me through his top 3 suggested best practices for capturing quality audio.

Slater's Garage presents The Power of Audio Triggers posted at Ads & Audio: Put a Voice to Your Marketing. Don’t underestimate the power of a sound effect, a jingle, musical hook, or some other audio cue in your advertising to help you make that emotional connection with your listener.

You might also be interested in:

That concludes this edition of Do More with Audio. If you have an audio story to share or advice, tips or tricks to share, we hope you will submit your audio posts and articles to the next edition.

New Remote Computer Access Software

2011-12-01T16:58:00.001-07:00

DesktopNow is a newly released, free program for remotely accessing your computer. After you install DesktopNow, you can select which folders you want access to. Then, when you are away from your computer, no matter where you are or which computer or device you use, log in to your computer using any web browser. You’ll have fast, easy, and secure access to all your important files.

Having DesktopNow means you never need to worry about not having that file you need. You’ll always be able to log in to your computer to upload, access or retrieve files.

And this first release of DesktopNow Remote Computer Access Software is just the beginning. Future releases will include additional features for controlling your computer and desktop from remote locations in addition to the current file management features.

Upgrades to MixPad Music Mixer include VST plugin support

2011-11-29T21:15:00.003-07:00

For recording your band, creating voiceovers, or mixing music, MixPad Multitrack Audio Software has always been a valuable tool. It's both easy to use, and robust enough to handle your biggest audio production projects. And most recently MixPad has had some significant updates that include a tabbed interface for quick access to all of the music mixing and editing features, VST plugin support to apply extended effects to your projects, improved selection making mixing even faster and improved effects chain allows you to apply non-destructive effects to individual tracks. All of these upgrades are available now with the same great small download size to get you working on audio production projects in mere minutes without taking up your valuable disk space.

Create Your Own Photo Mosaics for the Holidays

2011-11-25T10:33:00.003-07:00

Give a unique and personalized gift this holiday season as well as share and preserve memories, make a photo mosaic image with PhotoPad photo editing software. The photo mosaic feature is similar to the collage feature but it builds a larger, composite image out of your photo collection using many small images. Unlike the mosaic posters and photos you may have seen on sale at the mall, the mosaics you make with PhotoPad can contain dozens of pictures all of your family and friends.

This a really fun tool to play with since there are a lot of different options and settings to experiment with as you edit the photo mosaic to get the results you want. You can change the numbers of tiles, swap out the template image which is the "big picture," change the folder that the tile images will be taken from, and the size of the image. I changed the background color of the image and made the mosaic smaller to add border around my mosaic.

On the Insert tab of PhotoPad's menu, click the mosaic button and select the image that will be used as the template for the mosaic. The level of detail in the mosaic is proportional to the number of images in the Tile Collection folder and the number of tile columns and rows specified in the Mosaic Image Properties. The default amount of tiles is rather low, so I recommend increasing the initial numbers. I also encountered mixed results when I only had 20 images in my Tile Collection folder. I saw a much greater variation in my final mosaic image when I had dozens of images in the Tile Collection folder, so make sure you give PhotoPad a good variety of photos to choose from.

PhotoPad is free, so download PhotoPad today and try out the mosaic feature. And if you like PhotoPad, check out more of our software gift ideas including PhotoStage slideshow software for another fun way to combine your photos into a unique and personal gift.

Easy Email Encryption Software

2011-11-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

Have you ever worried about sending private information via email? Needed to send sensitive information to someone that could cause problems if it fell into the wrong hands? Privacy and security are of growing concern in the digital world with the rising levels of crimes such as identity theft. This doesn't mean that you should not send sensitive information, but it does mean that you need to be cautious about how you do it. An easy method of protecting sensitive information is to encrypt it.

With MEO File Encryption Software encrypting files, folders, and emails is easy. If you want to encrypt an email, you simply hit the Encrypt an email button from the main window of MEO and type in the To:, Subject: and Body of the email, add any attachments and hit Send. You will need to set a password for the encrypted file, keeping in mind that all of the rules you know and love regarding password strength still apply. Finally, you need inform the person receiving the email of the password or they will be unable to open and read what you sent them. It is up to you to choose a method to share the password with your email recipient, you may tell them on the phone, in another email, or even send them a riddle to figure it out. The original email they receive from you will let them know that they need MEO to decrypt the attachment. Since MEO is a free encryption software, that's really no problem at all!

Make Animated GIFs from Video Files

2011-11-14T17:11:00.002-07:00

Did you know that Prism Video Converter can be used to convert video clips into animated gifs? In addition to sharing video files, animated gifs are also a popular way to share short or funny video clips on websites without needing to embed and wait on larger video files to download/buffer.

To create an animated gif simply add the video clip in Prism and select .gif as the Output Format. You should also consider resizing the video in the Video Options, to make an animated gif at a smaller resolution that will be better suited for posting on the web.

Express Scribe Pro for Mac

2011-11-11T10:30:00.001-07:00

Following the September announcement of the new professional version of Express Scribe, we are pleased to say that now the Mac version of our extremely popular transcription software has followed suit and now there are both free and professional versions of Express Scribe available for Mac OS X as well. Features of the professional version include video playback and support for proprietary audio file formats including dss, ds2 and mvf for those professionals working in legal or medical transcription.