Windows only: DemoHelper is a tiny (76k!) portable application that creates on-the-fly screen annotations, so you can draw all over your next presentation like a hyperactive sports announcer DemoHelper resides in the system tray, able to be activated and controlled by keyboard shortcuts, even if you’re doing the drawing with a mouse pointer. You can draw freehand, use shapes like ovals and arrows, and change colours and objects on the fly. You can also set the screen to erase all the annotations after a set period of time, letting you move ahead without stopping to clear it away. There’s also a zoom mode, also activated by user-defined hot keys. DemoHelper is freeware, Windows only.
DemoHelper [via Freeware Home]Let’s not pretend that a new version of Windows, even one getting great marks, will end an open source OS entirely. But could Windows 7 cut off Linux’s potential growth in netbooks and other markets? That’s what Robin Harris at ZDNet seems to think, and he’s not alone in spreading the uncertainty. To summate why many pundits see the promising growth of Linux slowing: Netbooks, especially the very cheap and small varieties, are seen as a huge growth area for the computer market, as wallets tighten and more computing life moves onto the internet. Windows 7 has nearly the same, if not a little lower, system requirements than Vista, and seems to be ready for netbooks. Linux was seeing some surprising popularity on netbooks (surprising for an OS with a normally single-digit share of the desktop market), which could be scuttled if Microsoft turns its marketing/market-pushing forces onto netbook makers. The average consumer is far more familiar with Windows than Linux, and devices makers are far more likely to provide Windows drivers.
Again, as CrunchGear points out, the stories of Linux’s death have been greatly exaggerated and re-told many times before, and the idea of a legion of open-source innovators just giving up their work’s ideology and grabbing Windows Live subscriptions is a non-sequitur.
But we do have to wonder: Could a resurgent Windows keep Linux, at least for the time being, as a true hobbyist’s desktop? If Linux did/does grow through the netbook market, would average consumers start caring a lot less about having a Microsoft-made machine? Tell us your take on Linux, netbooks, and that other OS you might have heard about in the comments. Photo by zieak.
Windows kicks Linux to the curb [ZDNet/Storage Bits via CrunchGear]Tasmania has fabulous rivers and rainforests and mountains and conference venues, but when it comes to communications options, the menu is nowhere near as impressive. How did Road Worrier fare when testing out the main mobile networks in Hobart? More »
Hoyts has paired up with PayPal to offer the ability to book and pay for movie tickets via your (Net-enabled) mobile phone, a potentially convenient option if you don’t fancy hitting the Web. Payment can be made either by a standalone credit card or through a full PayPal account. There’s a couple of catches — you can only book for movies today or tomorrow, there’s a one-dollar booking fee which seems a tad unfair, and you still have to queue at the cinema to get an actual ticket — but it’s a handy option if you want to be sure of snagging a seat for a competitive evening session. If you’ve found the service useful or useless, share your experience in the comments.
Hoyts MobileIn the midst of the current financial crunch, the popular, free Linux distribution Ubuntu has never looked more attractive. If you’ve considered switching, a free copy of the Ubuntu Pocket Guide is the perfect place to start. Written by Keir Thomas, author of Ubuntu Kung Fu, Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference covers all the beginner-to-expert knowledge you’ll need to make the move to Ubuntu.
Our gadget-gaga siblings at Gizmodo report that you could run into some serious problems if you try jailbreaking your iPhone on a MacBook running OS X 10.5.6, causing serious system freezes. The post details the cause as well as how to solve the problem. Whether you’ve already jailbroken your iPhone or you’re planning to jailbreak your iPhone, be sure to read through Gizmodo’s post to be safe.
Windows only: Batch renaming utility Ant Renamer 2 has a simple interface that quickly automates the tedious task of renaming multiple files, saving you from aggravating your carpal tunnel. To use, simply drag your files into the Files pane, and then select from one of the many available functions in the Actions pane. There are plenty of functions to choose, from changing extensions and string replacement to more advanced tasks like regular expressions or even using the EXIF info from your camera. You can also chain multiple renaming tasks together into a batch, and preview the results back in the Files pane (make sure to use the F5 key to refresh the window after making changes). Once perfected, batches can then be saved for re-use—a great feature for working with downloaded files. We’ve featured other Windows renaming utilities on many other occasions, from Bulk Rename Utility to Wildrename to Ken Rename, but Ant Renamer is an especially lightweight utility that offers a portable edition as a handy addition to your flash drive toolkit. Ant Renamer 2 is a free download for Windows only.
Ant Renamer 2Firefox only (Windows/Mac/Linux): The YouTube Cinema Firefox extension lowers the lights on any playing YouTube video, removing distracting ads and comments so you can focus on the video. The popular video sharing site added theatre view for select videos a few months ago, but the feature still isn’t available for most videos. With YouTube Cinema installed, clicking on a new video opens that video in a custom tab where you can adjust the video size, background colour, and view the title and description. The extension works well and is fairly configurable, but it’s a little overreaching. For example, it’d be much better if it just mimicked the default Lights Out feature rather than hijacking the expected YouTube experience altogether. Still, if you prefer a video-only view when you’re watching videos on YouTube, YouTube Cinema does the trick. YouTube Cinema is a free download, works wherever Firefox does. Alternately, you may want to check out the YouTube Theater feature included in our very own Better YouTube extension.
YouTube Cinema [Firefox Add-ons via CNET]A week ago we pointed toward indications that a Google storage solution—unofficially called Google Web Drive—was on its way. Weblog Google Operating System continues the sleuthing, this time uncovering a new Web Drive icon buried in the depths of a CSS file for Google Apps, hosted on Google.com, and blown up all pixely in the screenshot to the right. Snazzy.
Workplace embarrassment via YouTube is nothing new, but the Federal Government now appears to be getting seriously stressed about the problem. Andrew Colley at AustralianIT reports that new guidelines urge agencies to consider carefully the implications of using the popular Google-owned video sharing site, most particularly because they won’t have control over what other videos appear alongside their content. Given the obvious benefits of YouTube in purely financial terms (do you want your tax dollars paying to replicate its infrastructure), I can’t help thinking the government’s concern over appearing near videos like the one above is perhaps a little OTT. Caution urged on net videos [AustralianIT]
