If you do, UltraEdit and UltraEdit Studio are applications that you should be looking at. I have used UltraEdit since the beginning -- that's 20 years -- and it's still an application that I use every single day. Besides being an application that provides code highlighting for every programming language most people have ever heard of, it's a great way to write prose when you want to make sure that formatting doesn't get in the way.
Let's take that second use case first.
Our brains have two modes when it comes to writing: Composing and Editing. Except for legendary writers like Isaac Asimov who could write faster than some people can read and seemed to be able to write fully formed text on the first pass, most of us need to get our thoughts down first, then work to improve the structure and grammar.
Writing in a standard word processor such as Microsoft Word adds yet another layer. Because Word can format text with bold, italic, indents, headlines, bullets and a lot more, it's hard not to think about those capabilities and that makes it easy to run off the track.
Writing in an application such as UltraEdit eliminates that distraction so that the user can concentrate on getting the thoughts down. That's why just about every article you see on TechByter Worldwide begins in a text editor. Most of the time that text editor is UltraEdit Studio.
I knew that I always wanted to have the current version of UltraEdit Studio so several years ago I signed up for their continuous update program. The cost was double (or maybe a little more) than the cost of a single license, but I now receive every update without additional charge. When UltraEdit Studio 16 was released recently, I expected numerous incremental improvements. What I got was a completely new approach to text editing.
More about the improvements in a bit, but before we go there, let's consider the primary use case for a text editor: Writing programs.
Programming languages are similar to spoken and written languages in that they have subjects, verbs, objects, and syntax rules. Ideally a program editor will help the user make sense of these components. That's what color coding is all about.
Many languages use parentheses, square brackets, and curly brackets to enclose certain terms. When writing in English, it's not uncommon for me to omit a closing parenthesis. In English, it's bad writing. In a programming language, omitting one of the closing marks will almost always lead to trouble. UltraEdit Studio automatically adds ")" immediately after the user types "(" and the same is true for the other pairs such as "{}" and "[]".
For example, #1 shows how UltraEdit Studio automatically includes the closing parenthesis. In the case shown here, the function (ValidateForm) takes no argument, which is what would go inside the parentheses if it did, but the parentheses are required to tell Javascript that this is a function.
Whenever the cursor is on a beginning or ending mark, UltraEdit studio highlights the corresponding mark. In the example, this is #2.
Code inside curly braces can be collapsed. Clicking the minus sign (#3) would hide the lines down to the closing curly brace. This is handy if you've confirmed that the code within the section is OK and you want to concentrate on other code.
None of these functions is unique to UltraEdit Studio and I include the description here only in the interest of illustrating why a program editor has special features.
Why are the numbers different? UltraEdit was the original program. UltraEdit Studio is a super-set of UltraEdit features with a variety of additional functions and tools for programmers. So the numbering sequences differ.
I mentioned that this was a surprising release. That's because the user interface received a complete overhaul. Long time users may be puzzled and even unable to find favorite features for a while, but reviewing what's in the menus will get you back in operation quickly.
Despite the fact that Microsoft received a lot of grief for the ribbon interface that was introduced half a decade ago in Word, UltraEdit Studio now has a ribbon interface. That's because users asked for it and IDM listens to users. The ribbon makes the interface more customizable and if there's one thing that seems to differentiate software developers from the rest of the world, it's their desire to make the tools their own. There's also improved support for for ultra-high definition displays.
IDM surveyed users to find out what was desired. "The results were very telling," the release notes say. "You wanted a more contemporary look while not sacrificing ease of use and functionality, an easier user interface, better handling of customizations, and last but not least, ultra-high-definition display support."
The new version succeeds, but not without some growing pains. "As a necessity of new window framework of UEStudio v16 and later," the release notes say, "existing menu/toolbar/layout customizations cannot be maintained in the new version. However, any future customizations in v16 and later will be preserved throughout all future releases." The ribbon makes it possible for users to create new tabs with custom names, create groups within those tabs, and add favorite functions to the groups.
Users have complete control over the overall interface colors as well as the colors used to highlight various elements in programming languages. Although most programmers will choose a typeface in which all character widths are the same, those who prefer a typeface with proportional characters can have UltraEdit use it instead.
Oh -- and if you're somebody who detests ribbon interfaces, you can revert to the older Toolbar/Menu mode with two clicks of your mouse.
If you're a software developer who has used previous versions of UltraEdit or UltraEdit Studio, you should take a look at the new versions. And if you're someone who needs to write but finds that a word processor gets in your way, maybe it's time for you to take a look at UltraEdit, too.
For writers, once the text is complete and you've done the necessary editing for structure, usage, and grammar, it's easy to pour the words into a word processor (Word, for example) or into a desktop typesetting application such as Adobe InDesign.
No Matter How You Use a Text Editor, UltraEdit Has You CoveredUltraEdit has led the way in this market segment for more than 20 years. If you're a programmer, UltraEdit Studio includes all the tools you need to stay organized. If you're a writer, UltraEdit lets you concentrate on writing without being distracted by formatting.
Additional details are available on the UltraEdit website.
What should you be worrying about these days? Well, maybe not worry, but just be cautious. Millions of people use free live streaming websites to watch sports and other events on-line, but this comes with a security risk. Researchers from KU Leuven University in Belgium and New York's Stony Brook University have found that viewers can be exposed to malware infections, personal data theft, and scams.
And maybe "worry" isn't too strong a word, after all: As much as half of the video overlay ads on free live streaming websites are malicious.
Video content on these websites is typically streamed without the content owner's consent, which means that the providers aren't exactly running an above-board operation. As users watch the live streaming events, some of the services plant malware on their computers and portable devices.
Free live streaming services (FLIS) have generally been analyzed from a legal perspective, but one of the study's directors, M. Zubair Rafique, says that their research revealed substantial risks to users.
The researchers built a semi-automated tool that helped them identify more than 23,000 free live streaming websites on 5600 domains. They then performed more than 850,000 visits and reviewed more than 1 terabyte of traffic from the sites.
Stony Brook University's Nick Nikiforakis says that live streamers use deceptive techniques. "One example is the use of malicious overlay ads, which cover the video player with fake 'close' buttons. When users click these buttons, they risk being exposed to malware."
To alert users to potentially dangerous pages, the researchers have engineered a classification system that security analysts can use to find and report malware laden pages. Currently this system is available only to researchers, but the plan is to make it publicly available at some point.
For more details, see the KU Leuven University website.
A federal court says that high-speed internet service can be defined as a "utility" and that is an important point for those who support "net neutrality". I am one of those who supports the concept because it offers to maintain an equal footing for websites, whether large or small.
Early in the week, a TechByter Worldwide reader in California wrote, "If I don't find some mention of net neutrality, and court decisions this week, I will think I have the wrong website." Well, you're on the right website.
This week's court decision confirms the Federal Communications Commission's opinion that broadband is as essential as the telephone service, water lines, and electric power. In effect, it says that these should all be available to every citizen and not just to the rich who can afford luxuries.
The decision came from a 3-judge panel at the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The ruling was 2 to 1.
The FCC created rules to manage internet access in 2015 and, as expected the big providers sued to overturn the revised regulations. While the court of appeals ruling is a big step, it is not the final step. Clearly the cable, telecom, and wireless internet providers will carry the battle forward to the Supreme Court.
A Supreme Court with only 8 judges might produce a result different from a court operating at full strength. The appeals court's opinion placed an emphasis on the internet's importance to all Americans.
At least for the time being Comcast and Verizon are prohibited from opening "fast lanes" for the rich and relegating the rest of us to de facto slow lanes. Note that I'm not talking about network management, which can be used to route non-time-sensitive data such as e-mail more slowly that streaming media.
Fight for the Future, one of the groups that has lobbed for net neutrality, says "one of the cable industry's best shots at overturning the rules has come up empty." But the organization warns that the fight isn't over.
The ruling runs to more than 180 pages and seems to offer opportunities for the FCC to establish even stronger oversight. The agency, for example, has suggested privacy rules that would reduce the ability of broadband providers to collect and share data about their subscribers.
Microsoft and LinkedIn have announced an agreement under which Microsoft will acquire LinkedIn for $196 per share in an all-cash transaction. Now sit down for a moment while considering the math. The cash deal is worth $26.2 billion. Wow.
LinkedIn will operate independently and Jeff Weiner will remain CEO, but will report to Satya Nadella, Microsoft's CEO.
LinkedIn is a large and powerful business-related social network. Within the past year, it has launched a new version of its mobile app and that has increased member engagement. The company also recently acquired Lynda.com, an on-line learning platform and rolled out a new version of its Recruiter product to its enterprise customers.
LinkedIn says the enhancements have resulted in increased membership and better financial results:
Nadella says that Microsoft expects to accelerate the growth of LinkedIn and also sees the acquisition as a way to promote Microsoft Office 365.
The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both LinkedIn and Microsoft. The deal is expected to close before the end of the year and is subject to approval by LinkedIn's shareholders as well as some regulatory approvals.
