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13 Mar 2020 - Podcast #684 - (22:27)
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Not everyone likes the methods Microsoft has provided to start applications in Windows 10. If you're in that group, maybe you'd like some additional options, but let's start by reviewing what Microsoft offers:
Each of those options works, but each leaves me wanting something more despite the fact that I accepted the Start screen not long after it was introduced in Windows 8. My long-time preference has been to pin the 100+ applications that I use most often to the Task bar. Doing that requires two settings thar are less than ideal: Using small icons, which makes them harder to see, and pulling the Task bar up so that two rows of icons will fit.
Because the width of the Notification Area (previously known as the System Tray) can change depending on which applications are running, some icons at the far right of the Task Bar's top row can be pushed down to the left side of the bottom row. An icon that's not in the right location is annoying because it slows the process of launching the application it represents.
Launchy is, as its name suggests, an application launcher. It predates Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7. Launchy's initial release was in 2007, a year after Microsoft had released Vista. So here we are, 13 years later, and I've decided to give Launchy a try.
When you visit the Launchy developer's website to download the application, you'll be asked to donate. Most people probably won't donate before they give the application a test drive, so go ahead and download without paying but keep the site in mind so that you can return and chip in a bit if you decide that Launchy is worth paying for. Downloads are available for Windows (XP and above), MacOS, and Linux. Some of the keystrokes differ from one operating system to another, so I'll describe the operation for Windows users.
Launchy adds a link to the Startup folder so that it will start with Windows. When you want to use it, press Alt and the space bar. If you don't like that key combination, you can change it. Launchy pops up and you can start typing the name of the application you want to run. Type (A) dream and you'll be offered Dreamweaver. Wait a few moments and Lauchy will offer other options. In my case, it offered a few HTML documents and some PDF documents. But Launchy also learns. The letters d and w are part of Dreamweaver's name, so if I type (B) dw and wait a bit, Launchy offers several choices and one of them — Dreamweaver — is fairly far down the list. If I scroll down to Dreamweaver and press Enter, Launchy learns that I'd like to use dw to launch Dreamweaver.
The same is true for other applications. Typing word displays Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, Wordpad, and Wordperfect Lightning. Maybe I'd like to use mw to start Word. This time Microsoft Word isn't in the list. This requires a bit of work that starts by finding where Start Menu's link for Word is stored (C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs). Next, create a directory where that you can point Linky to. I chose D:\_Settings\LaunchyLinks\. Copy (don't move) the link from the original location to the new location. Open Linky's settings and choose the Catalog tab, then add the new directory to the catalog and tell Linky to rescan the catalog. Now word or mw will start Microsoft Word. That may seem like a lot of work, but it needs to be done only once and only for applications that Launchy can't figure out on its own.
One significant advantage a launcher provides is the ability to start applications without reaching for the mouse. Alt-spacebar, mw, Enter takes less than a second to type and Word opens immediately. Admittedly, tapping the Windows Key, typing wor, and pressing Enter is nearly as fast. Maybe you need another reason to use an application such as Launchy. Fine, I have more.
If you use the command prompt (CMD) frequently, you've probably noticed by by default is opens in the user's directory. That's C:\Users\willi> on my computer, but that's hardly ever the directory I want. When I open Launchy and type c, CMD is shown. Pressing the Tab key, typing cd /, and pressing Enter opens the command prompt and switches to the root directory on C.
Typing (2+56)*3 in Launchy may surprise you. The display will show 174, which is the result of adding 2 and 56, then multiplying the sum by 3. Launchy is able to do this because the default installation include a plug-in called Calcy. This isn't a full-function calculator and it's limited to the four basic match functions and parentheses. Plug-ins lead to more useful functionality.
In addition to Calcy, plugins that are installed with Launchy include Controly, GCalc, Runner, Verby, and Weby. The Launchy website lists several other plugins, but they seem to be unavailable. Killy, for example, would allow the user to terminate running applications and System Power could be used to shut down or reboot the computer. These plugins were once stored in Microsoft OneDrive accounts or on other cloud-based locations that are no longer present. Although the missing plugins would be handy, the more important ones come with the Launchy installer. Not all of them work as expected, though because the application seems not to have been updated since 2008.
Verby adds additional commands that can be run against the application Launchy selects. Typing ue (tab) and then pausing for a moment adds file properties, open shortcut folder, copy path to clipboard, open containing folder, and run as a different user for UltraEdit Studio.Launchy is unquestionably one of the oldest launcher applications for Windows and it seems to be one of the most useful launcher application even though it hasn't been updated since early 2014. Download Launchy from the developer's website. The website is outdated, too, and your browser may warn that it's unsafe because the link I've provided specifies secure HTTP. You can safely ignore the warning, or copy and paste this URL: http://www.launchy.org/.
There are more recent launcher applications so if you like the idea of a launcher but not Launchy, take a look at these:
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not particularly neat, but sometimes the dust, dirt, grit, and crumbs in the keyboard become too much for even me to bear. That's when it's time to clean the thing.
When this happens, the keyboard is always well beyond what can be resolved by just wiping the keys with a damp rag. The key tops are OK. The serious dirt and grunge are below. That means it's time to remove the key caps, wash them, vaccuum the keyboard base, and then reassemble everything.
If you decide to clean a keyboard, do yourself a favor an take a picture of it first. You may think that you remember where all the keys go, but you'll forget some of them. Trust me on this. It's a lesson I learned many years ago.
👈 You'll find the job is easier if you have a key puller that's intended for the task of separating the keys from the keyboard. I couldn't find mine the last time I had an urge to clean the keyboard. Instead of ordering one and expecting to still be in the mood to clean the keyboard when the tool arrived, I improvised.
If you're careful, a small screwdriver can be used to lift the key while keeping pressure on the opposite side of the key so that it doesn't twist. Long keys such as the Spacebar, Shift, and Enter are best lifted from the horizontal center and you'll probably find a stabilizer bar under the key. Replacing keys with stabilizer bars is more difficult than replacing keys without them. If this concerns you, consider working around the wide keys.
The area below the keys was a bit dusty and dirty. After dumping the keys from the left side of the keyboard into hot water with dishwashing detergent, I used a tiny nozzle to vaccum out the mess. I have an articulated keyboard, so it has two distinct sides and I cleaned one side at a time. Even if the keyboard is straight , doing one side at a time eliminates the danger of mixing up the left and right Shift keys, the left and right Windows keys, the left and right Alt keys, and the left and right Control keys. Yes, that's another lesson I learned many years ago.
When it's time to reinstall the wide keys with stabilizer bars, tilting the keyboard usually helps. Align the center post, use a small screwdriver to position the two sides of the stabilizer bar by the channel they slide into, and then press the key into the center post. This is actually harder than it sounds and it takes a while to master the procedure. Depending on whether you're right handed or left handed, wide keys on one side of the keyboard will be harder to replace than those on the other side.
When you have the wide keys back in place, use the photos of the keyboard to make sure that you put the other keys back where they belong. It's easy to return a key to the wrong location or to install it so that it's facing the wrong way. Af the end of the process, you'll have a clean, like-new keyboard.
British software developer Serif's Affinity line of applications were all updated to version 1.8 at the end of February and the result is a series of powerful applications with surprisingly low prices.
Photo, Designer, and Publisher each cost $50 and those who have purchased the applications can update to the new versions without additional cost. Serif allows users to install the applications on whatever number of computers that they personally own, but all of the computers must use the same operating system. Those who want to use the applications on both Windows and MacOS computers will need to purchase two licenses.
After performing the updates, be sure to reboot the computer to avoid application crashes. Designer crashed three times and then started properly. Four attempts to start the Photo application all failed. The problem was reduced after I rebooted the computer, but each of the applications occasionally crashes on launch.
So let's take a look at what's new.
The designer application competes with Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw.
Version 1.8 adds a feature that was already in Photo and Publisher, the ability to search three royalty-free image services: Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixaby. Users may be annoyed by having to click an "I understand" box to acknowledge that the images are not being provided by Serif each time they use the feature. The connections to Unsplash and Pixaby worked as expected, but Pexels always failed to connect so the developers and Pexels will need to fix that.
Images can be dragged into any of the three Affinity applications, but the thumbnail images are so small that it might be better to double-click an image that appears to be usable so that it will open full-size in a browser.
Serif's developers have built the three applications to work together. The user interfaces are similar across all applications, and each application has additions that are essential for the intended tasks. For Designer that means the ability to work with vector graphics.
The vector engine has been improved in version 1.8 so that operation seems more responsive. A feature called Expand Stroke has seen the most significant improvement. Expand Stroke is a cousin of convert to curves, but works on both letters and geometric forms. It locks in the size relationship of outline strokes so that resizing the object maintains the proportion of the stroke. Improvements in Designer's code make the operation faster.
Designer comes with several built-in templates and allows the user to create and name new ones. Facebook graphics, for example work best when they 2048 pixels wide and 1075 pixels tall. Creating such a template and then selecting it for a new document intended for use on Facebook ensures that it will be sized properly.
Graphic designers often specify colors using the Pantone color referencing and version 1.8 of the application has been fully updated Pantone version 4 colors.
The photo application competes with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop as well as Corel PhotoPaint and other photo editing applications.
Affinity Photo's ability to process camera raw images was improved in version 1.7 and has been enhanced again in version 1.8. The most significant change is the application's ability to process multiple raw files simultaneously instead of one at a time. Raw image processing also offers 32-bit output, the ability to remove the default tone curve, better demosaicing, and enhanced noise reduction.
The photo application has a big improvement for those who use smart objects in Adobe Photoshop files. Affinity Photo could import PSD files previously, but only those without smart objects. These are now converted to embedded documents when the user opens a Photoshop file.
Developers have also added manual overrides to the existing automatic lens corrections. Most users will choose the manual override when they work with older lenses or specialized lenses that have no electronic connection with the camera.
Affinity Photo now supports Nik Plugins. These are popular with photographers because they allow 16-bit photo editing for better color control.
The publisher application is a competitor for Adobe InDesign and Quark XPress.
Although Affinity Publisher can't import standard Adobe InDesign files, it can import InDesign Markup Language (IDML) files. Adobe created this format to allow users of InDesign to create output files that could be loaded into old versions of the application. Previously, InDesign files had to be rendered as PDF documents to be imported into Publisher.
Swapping master pages in earlier versions of Affinity Publisher stripped out any content that had been added to pages based on the template, but version 1.8 eliminates this problem. Those who want to retain content when changing a master page can choose to migrate existing content.
Those who send documents out for professional printing need to be sure that the files are perfect and a new preflight panel gives feedback that eliminates errors. The absence of preflight warnings was a key concern when Publisher was released in 2019.
The screenshot illustrates:
Other tests include missing items, images that have been edited but not updated in the document, missing fonts, invalid hyperlinks, and more that a dozen other potential errors. The preflight checks are still a work in process, but this is enough of a start to make the application a valid option for professonal designers.
Manufacturers of hardware reviewed on TechByter Worldwide typically loan the hardware and it must be returned at the end of the review period. Developers of software reviewed on TechByter Worldwide generally provide a free not-for-resale (NFR) license so that all features of the application will be unlocked.
Adobe Creative Cloud has added images from two stock photo agencies and expanded the offerings from a third in Adobe Stock.
Print and website designers often turn to stock photo agencies because they can obtain usable images without having to pay for a custom shoot. Stock images are available at prices ranging from one dollar (and sometimes free) to several hundred dollars, depending on the planned use. A custom photo shoot will cost hundreds, and possibly tens of thousands, of dollars. Stock images are also available immediately so a project isn't delayed by finding sites and models, waiting for a photo shoot, and post-production work by the photographer.
Stock agencies provide some income for photographers and good images for designers. Depending on licensing, a photo used for one project may show up in another organization's print or online materials.
Adobe Stock is available to Creative Cloud subscribers and non-subscribers alike. Users can download 10 basic images each month for $30 per month, so $3 per image. Adobe also offers video, premium images, and exclusive rights to images at substantially higher prices.
Hero Images and Caia Images are new. Images from EyeEm have been offered previously and now more of the organizations images are being added. London-based Caia Images and Alberta Canada-based Hero images are known for providing recreations of large events and diversity. Berlin-based EyeEm specializes in sequential images that tell a story.
All three of the agencies are premium additions to Adobe Stock, so images are typically licensed for several hundred dollars each.
For more information about Adobe Stock and the new partner agencies, see Adobe senior content marketing manager Irene Malatesta's blog post.
Research organization Canalys says computer manufacturers will take a hit from the new coronavirus.
Revising earlier predictions, the company says the number of personal computers shipped during the first quarter will be down by three to nine percent and the trend will continue into the second quarter to cause a decline of a little less than nine percent to more than twenty percent.
The drop seems to be more a factor of production capacity than of demand because so many manufacturing facilities are shut down. Canalys says production should rebound by the third quarter and a slow recovery will begin early next year.
China will be the country affected most by the decline and Canalys predicts "a 12% year-on-year decline over 2019." Work stoppages resulting from the new coronavirus have resulted in shortages of printed circuit boards, memory, and other components.
Forrester Research said the number of US households connecting to the internet would exceed 44 million by the end of 2000. As of 2018, the number of US households connected to the internet via broadband was approaching 111 million. Add another 10 million or so users who still use a dial-up connection.
Twenty years ago, services that offered free dial-up internet access gained the attention of those who wanted to save "the $100 to $200 annual cost of an ISP." Today in the United States many users pay $100 per month for access because we have the highest prices in the world and some of the lowest broadband speeds. Perhps this reminds you of health care in the United States.
In 2000, 71% of those who responded to a Forrester Research poll said that they would consider using a free service. At the time WorldSpy.com was the only free ISP that didn't have ad banners. Instead, WorldSpy displayed a single advertising page on start-up. The user could return to the WorldSpy.com home page at any time to go shopping, but it is by far the least intrusive of the free services. The service no longer esists.