Monthly Archives: June 2006
Opera 9
One would have thought that there was only a limited amount that could be done with an Internet browser but yet another alternative to Internet Explorer has just hit the market going under the name of Opera 9.Whilst not technically groundbreaking this new browser does offer a number of unique features that are not currently found in any other application which is why I thought it was worthy of inclusion in Click.
BitTorrent support: Opera 9 is the first mainstream browser to integrate BitTorrent support without any additional software.BitTorrent is a technology that uses distributed file networks to share large files such as movies over the Internet quickly and easily.Because you can download these files from multiple sources simultaneously it dramatically reduces your download times if used on a decent speed broadband connection.
Widgets: Opera 9 embraces AJAX technology by providing support for widgets which are tiny little programs … Read the rest
Google SketchUp
My partner has recently decided that it is a good idea if we start redecorating and redesigning my house however unfortunately it looks like a large number of our plans will consist of taking a sledgehammer to the interior walls of the building.I really do have very limited skills when it comes to DIY so I won’t be undertaking this myself however I would like to see how our plans will look before any work takes place which was why I was interested when I heard about a free program by Google called ‘SketchUp’
I know that you’re probably bored of me talking about software provided by Google but it really does seem that a large amount of the good quality free software out there at the moment is produced by this one company.I’ll be honest in saying that I don’t … Read the rest
Reader Contribution
This week has been pretty hectic for me, so for todays Click article I’m going to hand over to my most avid contributor, Ian McMillan, for a few updates on the IT industry as he sees it.
One of the biggest stories in the computer world recently has been the fuss that is being made over Google’s plans to introduce an online storage scheme.The media pounced on this story after notes from a Google company meeting were inadvertently published on the internet, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4782108.stm.The only actual surprise here is that such a fuss has been made – there is currently no shortage of online storage facilities, with Streamload (www.streamload.com) being a popular free service with paid upgrades.The fuss may be due to Google’s size and the fact that it already has encyclopaedic knowledge about its users’ computer habits.
In the news as well lately comes the revelation that many … Read the rest
Inkscape
This week I’ll once again take the time to answer a question recently sent to me by a Click reader.
I’m a student doing art studies and also a regular reader of your column ‘Click’ in the Heard Express. To assist me with my course I’m currently looking for a good quality colouring program that I can download for free. Whilst I have downloaded programs in the past which were excellent they are all limited by 30 day trials and as a schoolgirl I don’t have enough money to buy to buy the full versions.
I was wondering if you would be able to recommend a good program that is available free of charge?
Lisa Penny, Torquay
When you say ‘colouring program’ I’m assuming that you’re after a drawing package which is capable of handling basic functions such as line, text and fill tools as well as more advanced features … Read the rest
