Category Archives: Tech

PyTube: the best YouTube manager, downloader and video converter for Linux!

This week, in our Linux Page (in Spanish), we have posted a short review about PyTube, an opensource software which allows you to easier search, manage and convert your YouTube videos. Installing PyTube is very simple; for example, on Ubuntu you can directly add this software using the Synaptic Package Manager and marking it for installation from the menu (as usual, using the Search field you will reduce your searching time). The graphical interface is very simple and all the features can be intuitively understood. Using the search bar you are able to find all the related videos very rapidly, and you can select just the videos you desire to download. PyTube has also many interesting “minor” features like merge-rotate-resize video or -generate a ringtone- contained in the “Multimedia Tool” menu. Moreover PyTube is able to convert them to avi, in just a click. I found this software very useful to improve my Ubuntu knowledge and I recommend to all the people who need a flexible software to deeply navigate YouTube. Recommended!

Just a simple Flock icon with the transparent background.

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Some days ago, after the update from Firefox 3.0 to the 3.0.1 version I completely lost my favorite browser. I have not already solved the problem so I installed Flock but I was not able to find a Flock icon with a transparent background to insert on the AWN dock. So I decided to create a 48×48 icon using a common Flock icon with a white background. For this purpose I used KIconEdit (version 3.5.9 – Ubuntu version) and in just five minutes I solved my problem. The result is not perfect but acceptable so I would like to share it with all you. I hope it would be useful to someone. Enjoy it!

Ex Falso: the best audio file metadata editor for Linux!

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Today, in our Linux Page (in Spanish) we posted some brief notes about Ex Falso: a very useful software which allows you to manage your mp3 collections with just few clicks. When saving my CDs on my hard disk, I convert them into mp3 files and then I change their metadata order (or simply I add some more information) using Ex Falso. This software is very simple to install (in Ubuntu, for example, you can add it directly from the “Add/Remove” function contained in the Application menu) and very easy to use. Ex Falso is graphically divided in three main areas: Folders, Songs and a menu area where you directly decide what and how to change your metadatas. After few tests you will able to rapidly use Ex Falso and (we hope) enjoy all its features. Strongly recommended for all that people who have big mp3 collections!

XBMC: the best multiplatform, open source media-player on the web.

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Today, in our Linux Page (in Spanish) we added a brief post about XBMC, the best open source (GPL), free entertainment hub you can find on internet. XBMC is really easy to install (for Linux users, especially in Ubuntu) and its features are very intuitive and simple to configure. Moreover the graphics themes are very attractive and it is able to manage many multimedia formats, “playlists, audio visualizations, slideshow and weather forecast functions”. It is also possible to add many interesting third-party plugins that you can find through a simple google query (XBMC plugin). Last, but not least, XBMC is a multiplatform software, in fact the download page contains four different versions for Windows, XBox, Linux and MAC OSX. When we compared XBMC to the Windows Media Center we did not notice any loss in this open-source media center and, honestly, we were positively impressed by all the XBMC featured we tested. Recommended!

Project Neon: the fastest way to install Amarok 2.0 on your Kubuntu!

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This week, in our Linux Page (in Spanish), Frank has added an interesting post about Project Neon which is the best solution for people who desire to have the new nightly builds service for Amarok. Following the simple instructions contained in Project Neon you will able to enjoy the last developing packages for Amarok 2.0 without waiting the release of the stable version. Project Neon also provides simple instructions to install Amarok 2.0 on your Ubuntu in just five minutes. Last but not least, it is necessary to remember that Amarok 2.0 is not in its final version yet and it could potentially create some serious problems on your PC. To install it just add:

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/project-neon/ubuntu hardy main

in your sources (/etc/apt/sources.list) and the install it using the following command lines:

$ sudo apt-get uptdate

$ sudo apt-get install amarok-nightly

Enjoy it!

Pictomio: the most advanced photo and video manager for Windows

How to fix the number of kernels during the Ubuntu boot up!

How to freely annotate, typewrite and draw your pdf files: Foxit Reader 2.3!

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More or less two years ago, at the very beginning stage of this blog, we wrote a post about Foxit Reader, a freeware software which allows you to read pdf files without using Acrobat reader or other proprietary programs. Today, in our Freeware Page, we have written a simple but effective post about the new features contained in Foxit Reader 2.3, the new updated version of this wonderful software. First of all it is necessary to focus on the new features contained in the Tools menu which allow you to typewrite, draw or commenting your pdf files even if they are locked by their authors. Using Foxit Reader you can actually personalize your pdf documents adding notes and -de facto- improving their value for your own goals. Please, do not forgive to save an extra copy of your original pdf files if you do not want to delete all the comments/drawings you have added. Moreover, the new version of Foxit Reader includes also a player to watch or listen the multimedia elements coming with pdf files. Last but not least, in my experience Foxit Reader 2.3 contains more features and it is simpler to use than its Ubuntu competitor PDF Editor. A freeware to try!

CDBurnerXP: how to burn your CD/DVD/HD-DVD or Blu-Ray just using a freeware!

How to publish and share nice pdf documents, newsletters or magazines using Scribd.com and Issuu.com

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More than one year ago we wrote a short post about creating pdf files using Openoffice (also in its portable version), now, in our Freeware Page, we would like to talk about two interesting Web 2.0 websites which allow you to publish and share your documents. On one hand, Scribd.com is an interesting website you can use to upload and share files in the following formats: Microsoft Word (doc, docx), Microsoft Powerpoint (ppt, pptx, pps), Microsoft Excel (xls, xlsx), PDF (pdf, ps), Open Office Documents (odt, odp, sxw, sxi, etc.), Images (jpg, png, gif, tiff) and Text Documents (txt, rtf). On the other hand, Issuu.com is very intuitive to use but very effective. Using Issuu you can upload a pdf files transforming it into a “cool magazine format”. In few words, you can modify, with just a click, your pdf file in a browsable magazine, with active links and notes. Moreover you can also insert your “brand new” magazine as a htlm widget directly in your blog or website. Recommended!