Software

Google SketchUp is software that Google recently acquired. It’s aimed at architects and designers, since it lets users create 3D drawings. Its features are pretty much like AutoCAD’s, but it’s free, unlike the expensive AutoCAD. Also, it can make 3D drawings (AutoCAD might be able to as well, @@). Anyway, in short, it’s a really great program~~ (for designers). Also, according to the official Google SketchUp website, if you know the Ruby programming language, you can write your own plugins for it (too bad it’s not VB). Note: Google SketchUp comes in two versions, one paid and one free. Features: Free Supports plugins Quickly and accurately create 3D models Can export to 3DS, OBJ, XSI, FBX, EPS, PDF, VRML, EPX, DAE, and KMZ files Program Info: Software name: Google SketchUp File size: 31.7 MB (Google SketchUp 6) Official website: http://sketchup.google.com/ Tutorials: http://sketchup.google.com/support/?hl=zh-TW Plugins: http://sketchup.google.com/download/plugins.html . ...

You’re probably all familiar with PhotoImpact, the photo editing software. Did you know it has a hidden feature for making animated buttons? These are the buttons you put on a website that change their background when the mouse moves over them. I find it quite handy. However, if you have another way to make them, I’d recommend not using this one, because the generated code is very long, and it misbehaves when viewed in Firefox. Still, for people who don’t know how to make animated buttons, it’s quite convenient XD So how do you actually make one? Read on below~~~~~~~ ...

Freez Screen Video Capture offers many basic screen recording features. It’s free, someone has made a Chinese-language version, and it can export files in AVI format. However, it has no built-in editor, which is a bit of a pity. ...

I think many people have played games, and you probably know that many single-player games need the disc in the drive to start. If the disc gets damaged, you can’t play the game anymore, so at this point everyone probably wants to make a backup copy! But game companies, for their own interests, add copy protection, so ordinary methods can’t burn it. So… what do you do? In this post, I’ll show you step by step how to use Alcohol 120 to get around the copy protection. Required Software: Alcohol 120 (30-day trial version) Official download | Virus scan report A-Ray Scanner (for identifying copy protection) Box.net | Xun6 | Virus scan report Note: Alcohol 120 is a trial version that can only be used for 30 days, so I recommend finishing the cracking work within 30 days of installation. Have you prepared the two programs above? Now let’s learn step by step. ...

Firefox 3.5 is finally out, and I’m rushing to download it XD. The version I’m using right now is still just an RC. So what’s different in this update? ...

Desktops is a very practical virtual desktop program. It was developed by Microsoft, so you don’t need to worry too much about compatibility. Personally, I really like using Desktops, because Desktops can open up to 4 windows at once, and the computer doesn’t slow down much. That means you can quietly write a report while chatting on instant messaging! Also, Desktops doesn’t need to be installed, so you can put it on a USB flash drive and use it anywhere. Update (12/12): Lately, something called a boss key has become very popular. Desktops can also work as a boss key program. A boss key is a shortcut that hides whatever you shouldn’t let your boss see when he walks over to check on your work. So Desktops is also a great fit as a boss key. ...

Anyone who uses 7-Zip has probably wondered whether 7-Zip could change its skin the way Firefox and other programs do, because seeing the same look every day gets really boring~~ Today’s program, 7-Zip Theme Manager 1.1, can change 7-Zip’s look. It has many built-in themes, but the program itself is in English, so some people may not like that…………… I’ll make a Chinese version one of these days! Program Info Official website: http://www.7ztm.de.vu/ File size: 5.85MB Download: Xun6 | 4Shared | Box.net | Official mirror Virus scan report: VirusTotal MD5 hash: 3ac366604273cdd96e1c13efe16b4780 ...

As everyone knows, Vista’s most famous feature is its gorgeous visual effects. The best of them is the 3D effect when switching windows. However, the 3D effects aren’t available in Home Basic. So I went online and found a program to simulate this effect on XP. That program is WFlip. As far as I know, WFlip has only been updated up to version 050. It does have a Chinese language option, and it doesn’t need to be installed, so you can run it from a USB flash drive. Some people think WFlip slows down the system. I tested WFlip myself, and installing it doesn’t really hurt performance. WFlip uses very few system resources. ...

Opera is a browser that stands alongside Firefox and IE. Opera’s strengths are that it uses very few system resources when it starts and its files are small, so it’s great for keeping on a USB flash drive. Opera’s stability is also just as good as Firefox’s. Opera also has strong support for CSS syntax, supporting most of it, unlike IE, which doesn’t support a whole bunch of syntax. ...

Did you know? Firefox has a great feature: you can subscribe to RSS feeds directly, with no add-on needed, and it loads quite fast. I’m not sure when this feature was introduced, I only recently discovered it :: ) Without further ado, here is how to subscribe to a website’s RSS feed with Firefox………………………….