In former blog entries we have talked about what encryption, encoding, and hashing are and what you possibly might need checksums and hashes for. The names of several algorithms and ciphers that can be used for creating hashes or processing encryption have been mentioned as well, yet, which system should be used for which purpose?
This is the purpose of this article. Let’s have a look at different kinds of hashing and encryption ciphers you can use to produce checksums.… Read the rest
The world of personal music has changed a great deal. Long gone are the days of 8-track tapes, cassettes, 45s and records. In fact, many people don’t even buy cd’s anymore and instead focus on getting all of their new music in an electronic format.
Of course, most people today have already begun transferring their old, physical music to the digital formats, but that is only part of the story. You also need to organize your music even when it’s all digital.… Read the rest
In a former blog post we have looked at all kinds of media files that can be opened by programs that come with Microsoft Windows like the Movie Player or Photo Viewer. Today, our focus is on document and spreadsheet files that are native to the Microsoft Office Suit or can at least be opened by these Windows programs.
So, even when you are using another Open Source Office Suit, people using Microsoft Word or Excel may be able to open the native files you send them.… Read the rest
There are many different types of word processing platforms available now and most people are getting very used to taking advantage of the many different formatting options available. The result can
be documents that really look fantastic. However, sometimes you just need a basic document that doesn’t have any extra formatting in it. If this is the case, you need to convert your documents, and the best option is to convert from DOC to TXT.… Read the rest
If you work on a computer and like taking pictures (and even if not) you have heard about programs like Photoshop for sure. But that means you also know how expensive they are to get. Since we have presented you with a list of the best free office programs already, we thought it’s about time to present you the best free or even online accessible programs for photo editing.
First, we will concentrate on three open source image editing software that you can download and install for free.… Read the rest
The creation of e-readers is either the best invention since sliced bread, or it’s the biggest curse of the last decade, depending upon your perspective. However, regardless of your perspective, if you do use e-readers, you should know more about the limitations of e-reader files and learn about how to convert e-books to a pdf format.
If you’re an “old school” reader, you may not be excited about these devices because you lose the feel of having a good book in your hands, and turning one page after another as you read through the book.… Read the rest
There are many free programs you can use to watch videos, listen to audio files, or view pictures and images with. Yet, not many people feel comfortable downloading and installing unknown software – especially since some can’t even open all formats. After having had a look at native Apple files before, we will have a look at media files that are supported by Windows native programs this time.
We will concentrate on Media files like videos, audio files, and images only this time (with the exception of some project files), since document, presentation, and spreadsheet files is a topic for another day.… Read the rest
Microsoft Word is the most widely used word processing platform in the world, as you would expect from a Microsoft product. It can be used in countries all over the world and can be used on both Windows devices as well as Apple. However, just because Word is so immensely popular doesn’t mean it is the only option. People who have never used anything except Word sometimes become confused and frustrated when they receive a file they want to open, only to find out that Word can’t open it.… Read the rest
Everyone loves animated GIFs!
They are smaller in size than movies and focus on the short sequences you want to re-watch or share. They are view-able without a problem in all browsers on almost every device. Reactions to forum posts, funny sequences from videos, pointing something out in a specific scene – those are just a few reasons for why you may want to create a moving and animated GIF.
Most people use Adobe Photoshop or another photo-editing software to create these small moving pictures, but not everyone knows how to utilize them – or can afford buying such a program.… Read the rest
“Back in the day”, it was easy to make a video, or to watch one. While the options were very limited and we didn’t have all the tools and extras that we have today, it was a much simpler time. If you were going to shoot a video, you would use a camcorder and if you wanted to transfer it to something to watch outside of the recorder, you put it on a VHS tape.… Read the rest