Keith Kim’s Blog

Windows Live Writer

Posted by Keith under Cool Apps

I was a bit puzzled why MS developed such an application like when blogging can be done online with any browser, and blogging software supports auto save.  I now appreciate this software more and use this at home, as I have several blogs with different service and software.  I can configure all the blogs and easily edit offline and publish to different blogs without logging in.  It has not many, but some useful plug-ins to insert code, video, map, table, etc.

Try it: http://get.live.com/writer/overview

EverNote, better than Microsoft OneNote

Posted by Keith under Cool Apps

EverNote 3 Beta — it’s the coolest application I’ve seen lately. (besides Android, but it’s a dev tool.) I do a lot of reading, researching, googling, and clipping on internet. I tried many different methods for clipping articles I read, and EverNote 3 is the only tool that does everything I need. Of course, OneNote has other advantages, but for average users like myself, EverNote is more than enough, and it’s free (so far). I tried followings in the past:

1. Bookmark
   Only find out that pages and/or sites are gone. Or, site rearranged their URL structure, or article IDs changed, so can’t find them any more. I still do use bookmark, but if it’s valuable enough, I use EverNote to clipping it, and/or print them as well. By the way, I use Firefox with Foxmarks for bookmark synchronization. I tried Google’s bookmark sync, but it stopped working once my bookmark size became too big.
2. Print and/or save as full HTML doc with images.
   Way too cumbersome — difficult to organize, and find/search.
3. Copy&Paste into a wordprocessor and keep it as a file.
   Same incovenience as #2. But I still do this sometimes.
4. Google note
   Web only, and each note has size limit.  But it is pretty good with Firefox extension, and I still do this for other purposes.
5. OneNote
   Commercial software, too many features I don’t need, and copy&pasting web pages don’t work well. This is more for corporate users, IMO.

I liked EverNote v2.x also, but with this v3, I can synchronize my clippings for different PCs. I use it at work, and two PCs at home, and I can log onto EverNote site and see my notes(clippings) online too. This service is free now, may be because it’s still Beta. I’m sure they’ll release free version (no sync option?), and paid/subscription later. (EverNote 2 also had free version and commercial version.)

This is the best way to do reading/clipping web pages.

I also use:

• DocSyncer
  This is a cool service too. It synchronize “My Documents” folder (most of types of files are supported — Office files, text files, images, etc) with another computer, and log onto the site and read/get the files using browser.
• Google Calendar Sync
  To synchronize Outlook calendar, so I can view my calendar with browser, and sync the calendar with two different PCs. I also use Palm on two PCs — but if I forget my Palm, I can’t view it.
• Palm Plucker, DocToGo
  Also running it on two computers with Palm. Plucker is more of web clipping, offline reader for Palm. And for DocToGo, I can sync office docs on two PCs, and also read them on my Palm.

…and my work PC and notebook are sync’d too. I’m doing this sync’ing too much? Well, it sounds all complicated, but just install software on two computers, and that’s all. And it’s for making documents and notes available on different computers, online, and Palm, and synchronization is done at different times. When I’m at work, I use work PC, on business trip, use Notebook. At home, using my desktop PC. While I’m commuting, I use Palm to read them. If I forgot everything, but if there’s internet access, I can use the web browser.

Some day, all of these will be much simpler… I hope Android can handle all these sync’ing business with some company providing the service — store/sync office docs, emails, clippings on PCs, notebook, and on Android phone, web sites, then I can read anywhere, any time. One installation on each PC, one login (openID?). Any one?

Application Menu for Vista

Posted by Keith under Cool Apps

With Vista, it is very convenient to use the ‘Start Search’ menu in Start button (it’s not ’start’ button any more). Just press the window key and start typing — it’ll find applications, email, docs, etc. (There are many freeware programs do this in XP, by the way).

But I have too many applications, and with XP, I usually organize the “Programs” menu; put all the CD/DVD utilities in a folder, and so on. That way, I can quickly find the application I need. With the Vista’s ‘Start Search’ feature, it’s only useful if I remember at least partial name of an application to find it.

I can still go back to ‘classic’ menu and organize ‘Programs’ folder in Start menu, but then I lose this ‘Start Search’ feature of Vista. How can I keep both? I’ve found this little utility from snapfiles.com, called “TrayBar.”

This is exactly what I wanted! (The screenshot shows XP, but it supports Vista, and I run it on my Vista home premium fine.)

Just uncompress it, and run. No need to install. I usually put applications that don’t need to be installed in c:\bin\ directory, by the way.

I have added several applications in “Start Menu”, and also in sidebar’s launcher gadget.  But they can only have several apps.  With this app, I can list all of my applications, grouped by folders.

Nice job!

Create PDF files: Primo PDF

Posted by Keith under Cool Apps

PrimoPDF

This is also very light, and is a printer driver to print anything into PDF file format. It runs on Vista flawlessly.

Lightweight PDF reader

Posted by Keith under Cool Apps

Two lightweight PDF viewers:

• FoxIt Reader
• Sumatra PDF

I only used FoxIt Reader, and I am very happy with it. I just found Sumatra PDF, didn’t have a chance to try out. It looks like it’s even lighter than FoxIt Reader.