SUPER converts a sceptic

Sat, 27 Oct 2007

Since installing an ATSC TV tuner in my home computer, I’ve been recording a lot of hi-def programs. I’m using DVR software that has great tools for file conversion, but even the best applications have limitations.

I needed a more versatile video converter utility. SUPER © looked like a candidate, so I decided to test it out.

But downloading a copy proved harder than I could imagine. The process is complicated enough to require a guide: How to download Super from erightsoft - Tongue and Groove

When something is this difficult, it will set off alarm bells. People look askance when asked to change security settings to download a file. Was the file infected? Probably not: eRightSoft’s SUPER Video Converter Looks Safe - Monkeyless. My own research seemed to confirm this appraisal.

Over several days, I tried and failed to download the file from the authorized site. I would get an incomplete file, every time.

Finally, I resorted to getting the file from a shareware site, here: SUPER - Download SUPERsetup.exe - Digital Digest

The file scanned clean, so I installed it. At this point, I was fully prepared to hate the product. Then I tested it.

Wow! It really is super! The interface is a bit cluttered and non-intuitive, but the FAQ cleared up a few things for me.

If Santa should put mp4 players in our stockings this year, I’ll have the tools to convert my TV shows and movies to portable video. Meanwhile, I have more options for optimizing video to run on our old Pocket PC.

» Link: / reviews / utilities / SUPER converts a sceptic

Solitaire gains some perspective

Fri, 26 Oct 2007

Recently, I caught sight of Big Solitaires 3D, which features forty classic solitaire games. This open source software is available for Linux and Windows.

OpenGL 3D rendering technology adds a new dimension to the gaming experience. (Most modern graphics cards should support it.) Two default views are available in the menu. The camera can be freely repositioned, using the keyboard.

Big Solitaires 3D is a fresh look at old card games.

Related:

» Link: / reviews / games / Solitaire gains some perspective

Solo shot first.

Tue, 21 Aug 2007

The best solitaire game of all time is Solo. With more than eighty included games, a tourney option and a game maker that allows users to design their own solitaire games, Solo is a freeware classic that deserves to be remembered.

It's an old game that I used to run on Windows 95, but it works well on XP.

Solo is no longer available from the original author. It has not been updated in many years. I'm hosting the file on my site: SOLO v2.10 Oct-2000, Solitaire Player/Maker for Win32, by Dan Reed (Bad Elf Software). Download solo.exe (950k), or download it from freedownloadscenter.com: Solo free download.

» Link: / reviews / games / Solo shot first.

Patience is a virtue.

Tue, 21 Aug 2007

Some believe playing cards is a vice. There's enough evidence that I'm forced to agree, to an extent.

Putting that aside, cards can be innocent and light-hearted fun. A game can sharpen the mind and provide a welcome stress relief. If it can be said that playing cards hold any virtue, it is in the sharpening of concentration and the development of strategic thinking.

I've long had an interest in solitaire... By ten, I knew a dozen variations. (Before cable TV, kids found their own fun on a rainy afternoon.) Nowadays, I play solitaire on the computer.

Patience Solitaire, (for Windows), with over 200 games, is one of the most enjoyable freeware products I've ever downloaded. From Ace-in-the-Hole to Zebra, Patience Solitaire is crafted to be a comprehensive and infinitely replayable gaming experience.

We all have our vices, but patience is a virtue.

» Link: / reviews / games / Patience is a virtue.