Portrait Professional

Portrait Professional Studio 9 is nothing short of amazing!

When reviewing or testing software, I rarely find an application lacking or nearly lacking any flaws. This is one of those rare finds. Portrait Professional’s website is loaded with before/after pictures and long lists of features, and honestly, I was skeptical that a program would be able to make such significant changes with little human interaction. Read the rest of this entry »

Pamela for Skype

Pamela for Skype is a piece of software that, as you would imagine integrates with Skype.

Note: At the time of writing, I was using Pamela Professional, version 4.6.

The application is loaded with various features that include call recording (audio and video), Local Voicemail, auto chat reply, auto Mood and Status changes, chat logging, podcasting, and more. However, the app comes in various versions: Basic, Standard, Professional, and Business. A purchased license comes with free updates for life.

The Basic version is their freeware version, and thus also very limited. You are limited to 15 minutes of audio-only recording per call. You have the mood changer, local answering machine, and auto chat reply from above.

The status and mood changer is very useful if you’re using Skype with many contacts throughout the day. A scenario where it would come in play is for those using Skype as a support line. When you are on a call, your Skype mood/status changes to busy (configurable) and you can put a message saying something along the lines of “I’m on a call right now, please call me when I’m available.” Auto chat reply can come in too. If they send you a chat message, Pamela will automatically respond with a message that you can customize. Here you can write something like, “Thanks for contacting support. I am currently on a call, but I’ve received your message. I will get back to you shortly.”
Read the rest of this entry »

WebcamMax

Have you guys checked out WebcamMax?

This handy piece of software allows you to add THOUSANDS of effects to your webcam video.

I’m always on Facebook and I always see all those pictures with crazy effects taken by Mac users. I used to think that Windows users were left in the dark with the lack of fun tools like Photo Booth (for Mac). Then I stumbled on WebcamMax. I’ve been using it for weeks now and have compared it to other similar products on the market.

WebcamMax blows them all out of the water. It’s head-tracking feature is amazing and surprisingly flawless. The software actually acts as a webcam/video source. So all you need to do is select WebcamMax as your webcam in Skype, MSN, AIM, etc… There’s no lengthy setup or integration process. Read the rest of this entry »

VirusTotal

I’ve been using this free service left and right and it has saved me quite a few times.

www.virustotal.com lets you upload your files and get a virus report. The system automatically tests your file against 40 different virus/malware programs that are constantly updated. Depending on the file size, it could take 10 seconds to a couple of minutes. Many times, you’ll see that someone already scanned that file, and you are able to get instant results.

Don’t open a file you don’t fully trust, send it to VirusTotal first. I’ve had some false negatives with my active anti-virus that were caught by VirusTotal.

Goodbye HP

Today I had to send in my HP laptop for the THIRD time!
The first two times, the hard drive failed completely. Had to get them replaced.
In fact there were many issues. One issue was the speakers.

They did NOT fix them in the first repair. The second repair was supposed to be just for the speakers.
By the time I got the box and was ready to package the laptop, the hard drive failed again.

So what do they do? Fix the hard drive and don’t fix the speakers. In fact, they made them worse.
Instead of being just low quality, now the left speaker did not work at all and the right sucked.

Sent it in today just for the speakers. Thankfully the hard drive still works this time.

Wii Review

Today, I’ll be quickly reviewing the Wii.

It’s a great system intended for the family. Key word: family.
If you’re looking for hardcore games, move along, PS3 and 360 are waiting for you…

The system has been gaining little tastes of hardcore games such as shooters, but the console still remains family friendly for the most part.

It is filled with mini-games and party games. Very arcade style.
If that’s what you’re into. This is your system.

HOWEVER:
Super Smash Bros. Brawl is ridiculously incredible. If you’re a fan of the N64 version and haven’t played the Wii-make (hah), you’re missing out!