I’m looking to start doing software reviews as a regular feature of TM, but there’s some things I’m looking for before I start in order to make the reviews truly professional.
One of the things I’d like to do is a “scoring system”. My idea is to have several categories that each review will cover, such as “Ease of Use”, “Value for Money” etc; and for each category I will give a score of 1-10; then the scores should be totalled and the final score shown at the bottom.
Unfortunately, I can’t find a feature to draw tables or add a scoring system anywhere in WordPress. So, I wondered if anyone knew of, or could design a good Add-On I could add to the site to give me a Scoring System like what I described, or at least will allow me to design simple table templates to do it myself.
If you know of an existing add-on or can design one for me, please let me know in the comments, or leave a reply on the Forum Topic I just created about this – it’d be a HUGE help!
I read this news earlier in the week, but I decided not to talk about it because I didn’t trust the source and thought it may be a joke. However, with the story now being picked up by wider media, I think it’s safe now to mention it.
Starting from August 1st, Google has reportedly been rolling out a new feature that allows users to sign into multiple Google accounts in the same browser. According to a post on the unofficial Google Operating System blog, a Multiple Sign-In option is beginning to appear in the Personal Settings area of your Google Accounts page — and if it’s not there yet, it will be soon.
The feature gives you the option to sign into another Google Account after you’ve already signed in to one, and then use a link switch to quickly switch between the two (or more). Obviously it’s ideal for people who have multiple GMail inboxes, because you can sign in to every account and then switch between all your boxes with two clicks, if you so wanted. It is also supported in six other Google products: App Engine, Code, Calendar, Reader, Sites, and Voice. Sadly, no other Google property allows for multiple logins yet, although Docs is listed as “coming soon”. When you sign in to a property that does not support it, the first email address you signed in to will be used.
Now Google is quick to point out that this is a work-in-progress, and not everything will work smoothly just yet. Indeed, some issues have already been discovered, such as use you cannot use offline calendars or mail while signed in to multiple accounts, and some Google gadgets break or mess up. You also can’t use it on the Mobile versions at the moment. Even so, this is a very useful feature that some are already praising Google for.
But what do you all think? Leave your comments below or on the Forums. And if you want to know more about this new feature, you can find more info on Google’s Getting Started: Enabling Multiple Sign-In help page.
I’m pleased to announce that with everything now tested; at least half of the sections now created; and some basic Rules and Regulations written up, today – August 1, 2010 – marks the official opening of Technically Motivated Forums to the general public.
The Forums will be empty for a short while as I’m the only one who’s been able to make topics there until now and I’ve been busy, but feel free to fill it up with any thoughts you all may have. Oh, and if you think there’s a serious lack of categories and sections to post in, don’t worry – more will come soon, and I’m open to suggestions too.
Earlier in the week, I posted a lengthy article explaining why “deleting” a file does not actually get rid of it from your computer. In it, I stated that the only true way to delete a file permanently that you either don’t want, or think could be a problem if the wrong hands got a hold of it, is by using a Secure File Erasing tool. So let me present to you one such tool that I particularly like.
Eraser, by the Eraser Project, is a tool that needs little introduction, being as its very name explains its purpose better than any description could. But to give it a basic description, it’s a secure file-erasing tool that the developers describe as “an advanced security tool for Windows which allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive”. Here is the list of all of its features according to the developer:
- It works with Windows XP (with Service Pack 3), Windows Server 2003 (with Service Pack 2), Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
- Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000 can still be used with version 5.7!
- It works with any drive that works with Windows
- Secure drive erasure methods are supported out of the box
- Erases files, folders and their previously deleted counterparts
- Works with an extremely customisable Scheduler
To explain the last one – Eraser allows you to “schedule” an Erasing task to perform when YOU want it to, as well as the usual “erase this now” options.
Also, Eraser can securely erase files already in your Recycle Bin using a single right-click on the Bin. And it also has “Free Space Erasing” options, which will clean all the unused space on any of your drives, ensuring files that are still on the drive despite being “deleted” are gone for good. Now THAT’S peace of mind!
Eraser is available in two flavours – a Full Installer, for placing directly onto your computer, and a Portable Edition that you could install and run directly from a Memory Stick or other removable media, though the portable edition is a little old compared to the full installer (still works wonders, though). The best part is since Eraser is free, open source software, it’s free to download and will never cost you a single penny to use – a rare find these days. The open-source nature also makes it something you can trust.
Eraser homepage (Find out more about, and get Eraser)
Portable Edition
Recently I’ve been addicted to a little Flash Game I discovered while searching the net, and I thought I’d share it. The game is called Super Mario Bros. Crossover, and it’s a non-profit Fan Game that aims to answer the very question I asked in the title: What would the first Super Mario Bros. game have been like if OTHER Nintendo characters had been the star?
SMB Crossover takes the original Super Mario Bros. game and twists it up a little. As well as Mario, you can play every level with other famous Nintendo characters like Mega Man, Samus (from Metroid), Link, Simon (from Castlevania) and many more, each of which offers a unique play style. According to the developer, SMB Crossover “exists as a tribute to classic video games and celebrates the games and characters that many of us grew up playing. It gives attention to our gaming roots and serves as a reminder that games do not have to be complicated to be fun. It is not intended to inhibit the copyright holders of the original games it is based on in any way.”
The game faithfully recreates the original Super Mario Bros. completely and accurately, with only small changes here and there to adapt for the new characters’ styles. However, larger changes are also available in the form of unlockable cheats, which become available when you complete the game once; and options such as removing the timer. The game also has a difficulty select at the start, and there’s five difficulty levels – Medium, which faithfully recreates the original game; Super Easy and Easy, which slow down the action and give fewer and easier enemies, for those new to Mario games; Hard, which gives the same harder challenge you’d get after completing the original Super Mario Bros. once (otherwise known as the Star Levels); and Extreme which gives the hardest challenge of all. There’s lots of options too, and there’s even unlockable cheats if you complete the game once. The best thing about SMB Crossover though is that it’s constantly updated, and the developer is keen to hear people’s ideas, some of which may actually end up into future versions of the game.
SMB Crossover in my opinion wins a thumbs-up from me simply because it’s a novel idea that has actually turned out to work amazingly well; and the nostalgia value and the nods to gaming history just make it a treat for retroheads; while the challenge of playing Mario with someone like Mega Man has enough humour value to entertain any Nintendo fan. I implore everyone to try this game at least once!
Play the latest version: http://supermariobroscrossover.com/
When you have no use for a particular file any more and you either want to save hard drive space or stop prying eyes from seeing it, it’s common behaviour to delete it from your computer. Like any good computer, Windows makes “deleting” a file very easy – just press Delete, or right-click and choose Delete, and it will put it in the Recycle Bin so you can decide whether or not you REALLY wanted it gone. Empty the Recycle Bin or press Delete again while it’s inside, and the file disappears from your computer.
You’ve probably thought that once you’ve deleted a file, it’s gone for good and you can forget about it, right? Wrong! Read the rest of this entry »
I’m Techie Jinji, the owner of Technically Motivated, and I’d like to formerly welcome you as one of the first visitors to my brand new site. Since you’re probably wondering what such an empty site could be good for right now, let me explain what Technically Motivated is going to be all about.
Technically Motivated is a brand new blog focused on Computers and Technology. The aim of Technically Motivated is to create a wide variety of articles discussing various technological advances around the world: from new and updated software; to useful utilities that anyone will find useful; to new hardware like smartphones – if it’s Tech, I hope to cover it. Along the way I’ll also be looking out for special stuff you might like to know about too, such as freebies. My aim is simply to make every article a useful and/or entertaining read to everybody who visits the site; and I hope you’ll bookmark and keep visiting to see what new stuff comes up.
But I want to make sure everything is what you, the visitors, would find useful and interesting. So here at Technically Motivated, every article will have an open commenting system where you can say just how useful – or not – you found something we talked about, as well as bring up any interesting side notes. And we also have a Forum for more general discussions and to give ideas for future articles.
Now I have only just started setting up this site, which is why it’s so empty right now – bear with me while I get everything up to working order. But I hope you’ll visit again soon!