HandBrake: Open Source Video Transcoder

 

HandBrake is an open-source, GPL-licensed, multiplatform, multithreaded DVD to MPEG-4 converter, available for MacOS X, Linux and Windows.



Supported sources: HandBrake is not limited to DVDs: it will now accept practically any type of video as a source.
Outputs:

• File format: MP4, MKV, AVI or OGM
• Video: MPEG-4 or H.264 (1 or 2 passes or constant quantizer/rate encoding)
• Audio: AAC, MP3, Vorbis or AC-3 pass-through (supports encoding of several audio tracks)

Misc features:

• Chapter selection
• Basic subtitle support (burned into the picture)
• Integrated bitrate calculator
• Picture deinterlacing, cropping and scaling
• Grayscale encoding 

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How to enable Windows Desktop Gadgets in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012?

If you are used to desktop gadgets being a windows 7 user but missing them in Windows 8 then here is a detailed tutorial on how to get desktop gadgets and sidebar in Windows 8.

Though Microsoft has not enabled desktop gadgets by default in Windows 8 yet there are some unofficial software that allow you to install windows 8 desktop gadgets. After installing these utilities, you will get sidebar on your desktop where you can add gadgets but note that your charms bar will still operate in the same manner as it normally does in Windows 8.

Microsoft does not support gadgets in any version of its operating system anymore. After the security advisory in July 2012, Microsoft now urges users to disable desktop gadgets considering security issues (Viruses and Mal-wares etc. can contain third party gadgets, ). Also the company has taken back online gadgets repository in the same regard.

The software discussed here are completely unofficial and you should install them on your own as we do not take credit for their integrity.

Reference :  Addgadgets.com    8gadgetpack.net  Teamwindows8.com

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Portable Update - A Tool for Update Windows Offline or Online

PortableUpdate is a tool for updating a Microsoft Windows® computer without the necessity to be connected to any network.

This is useful in many circumstances:

• When the computer reside on a secure LAN isolated from internet;
• When the computer to update doesn’t have access or can't use a proxy server;
• When is necessary to completely update a fresh-formatted computer with the last update before connect it to the network;
• When the computer doesn’t have an hardware network connection at all;
• When the network connection speed is too low or it is necessary to update the computer very speedily;
• In all the other cases when is mandatory to have the complete control on the whole updating process without connecting the computer to the network.

...but of course it works very well also if connected!

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Speccy - An Advanced System Information Tool

Speccy is an advanced System Information tool for your PC. Need to find out what's inside your computer? No problem! Speccy will give you all the information you need.


When you go to a computer store and see all the bright shiny PCs laid out next to each other, most will have tags or stickers indicating the:

•     Processor brand and model
•     Hard drive size and speed
•     Amount of memory (RAM)
•     Graphics card
•     Operating system

Speccy will give you detailed statistics on every piece of hardware in your computer. Including CPU, Motherboard, RAM, Graphics Cards, Hard Disks, Optical Drives, Audio support. Additionally Speccy adds the temperatures of your different components, so you can easily see if there's a problem!.

At first glance, Speccy may seem like an application for system administrators and power users. It certainly is, but Speccy can also help normal users, in everyday computing life.

If you need to add more memory to your system, for example, you can check how many memory slots your computer has and what memory's already installed. Then you can go out and buy the right type of memory to add on or replace what you've already got.

Two or three years later, when it comes time to upgrade your computer, that tag or sticker may be long gone. Speccy was designed as a free electronic "what's inside" sticker for your PC.

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Barcode Studio - A Smart way to Print Barcodes and More..

TEC-IT Barcode Studio is a tool for generating and printing barcodes.

Barcode Studio creates more than 100 different barcode symbologies: linear, 2D, postal and GS1 composite barcodes are supported. All barcode parameters are adjustable. The barcodes are created as image files (e.g. for using it in your artwork), as high quality vector images (for graphics design or pre-press applications), copied to the clipboard or printed directly with any printer. Batch bar-code generation with external or manual entered data is also supported.

With Barcode Studio you quickly create high-quality bar code images for pre-press requirements and desktop publishing applications. Barcode Studio operates on its own, no additional software and no programming skills are required. Ready-to-use barcode templates support the creation of compliance bar-codes.

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Xibo - An Open Source Digital Signage Software

 Xibo is a software package which provides a high quality digital signage system for free! Digital signage is essentially any form of digital display, such as a TV, which is used for showing notices, public announcements, advertisements, etc.

There are an ever increasing number of software packages that do this job – Xibo sets itself apart in both functionality and cost (Xibo is completely free!). The people behind the Xibo project believe that the software used to display content shouldn’t break the bank and shouldn’t be inflexible, unwieldy or out of date – and we are happy that Xibo is none of these things.

Xibo is community driven and open source which means that if there is something you don’t like, you are completely free to change it (or to get it changed by the community).


Xibo is a “client/server” application – which means it comes in two parts.

The Xibo server is a PHP/MySQL web application which can run on Windows/Mac or Linux. It is the central administration interface for the display network (if its a network of 1, or 1000).


The server is used to upload content, design layouts, schedule content to the display and various other administration tasks.

A client is essentially a “display” (tv, projector, etc) which you will use to show content. Each client can have its own schedule of content and layout on screen. Xibo will run on a PC behind the screen, communicate with the Xibo server and display what its told. It will also report back exactly what has been displayed and for how long.

The two parts can be on the same physical hardware (usual for a single display installation) or span multiple different machines across the network – the server can even be hosted online!

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QuickMark - An Easy-to-Use Barcode/QR Code Scanner for PC, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android

QuickMark for PC is a powerful, yet easy to use PC application that lets you decode multiple popular 2D & 1D barcode formats via a image file (drag & drop), a screen capture, or your webcam. Not only does QuickMark let you scan barcodes, it also allows you to create your own 2D barcodes via a simple interface. Several useful user configurable options are also available, such as an output mode to use a webcam for automatic keyboard input. The Standard Edition is free and packs a bunch of features, download it now!

If you have previously used QuickMark for WebCam beta, you might be interested in checking out some of the following new features:

 

 Supported Platforms :  

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Start Menu for Windows 8 - Pokki Start Menu Free !

Open up the Windows 8 desktop mode and you’ll notice a major change: The Start menu is gone; that iconic "Click here to Start" has been replaced with the new customizable Metro UI. Without the familiar button at the lower left corner, many veteran Windows desktop users are lost in Windows 8.

Today, we’ve found a free program called Pokki which brings back the Start Menu to WIndows 8. If you’re imagining the standard Start Menu where all you get is the list of installed programs, then you’ll be surprised to see that Pokki has many other features and apps that work within its version of the Start Menu, despite not diverting from taking the place of the old Start Menu we so loved.
What is good about Pokki is that it is not ‘hardwired’ into the OS which means you can easily install and start using it without restarting your computer.

You can view all the installed programs on your computer when you click on the All Apps tab. You can also click on the Star icon to mark that program as a ‘favourite’.


A starred program will appear in the 4-by-4 grid when you first hit the start button or the windows key. You can also ‘favourite’ folders and websites that will be displayed here.

The search bar works the same way; you can immediately start typing the moment the Start Menu is shown. However, the Pokki search is also much more powerful as it can retrieve results for files, programs and even from the Internet.

Pokki also has an App Store where you can install apps like Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, games and much more.

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AMMY Admin - A FREE Lite Weight Remote Desktop Software

 

 Ammyy Admin - is a free remote desktop sharing and PC remote control software that can be used for remote administration, remote office arrangement, remote support or distant education purposes. Ammyy Admin lets get quick remote PC access via Internet without problems with firewalls or NAT and work with remote PC as if you're sitting right in front of it. Ammyy Admin uses advanced encryption algorithm system. It provides high class data security. Ammyy Admin is a reliable, trustworthy and affordable software for remote assistance, administration, remote desktop sharing and distant education from any place on the globe. It doesn't require installation or specific settings adjustments. The remote desktop is available for work within few seconds after Ammyy Admin has been started.

The key advantages of Ammyy Admin are: ease of use, high standard of data transfer security, vast number of features and affordability for broad range of private and corporate users. Ammyy Admin is transparent for Firewalls so you don't have to make additional adjustments on Firewall or VPN connection settings, exposing local PCs or remote computer network to a risk of security bug. You can easily access remote desktops of computers behind gateways NAT without port mapping. Ammyy Admin has a very user-friendly interface. It's simple for use and can be managed by both professional and inexperienced PC users.



You can also use Ammyy Admin for remote PC and server control without human presence at the client side. Ammyy Admin makes it easy to control remote desktop of unattended computers, restart them, log-in/ out, change users etc. using included Ammyy Admin Service for remote desktop sharing. All communications with remote desktop including display images, cursor, keyboard, files transferred between local and remote computers are encrypted with high standard security algorithm AES and RSA which use different keys for each session.


 Ammyy Admin is a highly reliable and very friendly tool for remote computer access. You can provide remote assistance, remote administration or remote teaching for your clients, employees and friends regardless of their location. Ammyy Admin connects remote computers within seconds without any installation or configuration. You can view and/or control (using your keyboard and mouse) any applications running on the remote computers.

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