

Picks: Reviews of Schedule Wizard 2008, Guitar Guru, Power Clock, and Search and Recover.
Published: | Dec 31, 1997 | |||
Author: | Michael E, Callahan | |||
Related OS: | Windows |

Schedule Wizard 2008, by Author Direct
is a clever utility program that helps you automate many tasks
you do on the computer over and over again. The program is intuitive and
easy-to-use, perfect for users with all levels of experience. In testing
it out I used it to automate a number of functions on my machine and it
worked perfectly. For example, I set it up to start my newsgroup reader
and to go out and fetch the new messages.
I also used it to schedule when certain programs would run. This is a
great feature for automatically starting a backup program, for example.
You can use Schedule Wizard 2008 to create macros, send email,
and notify you of appointments or meetings. Another cool feature is the
ability to go online. This means you can use the program to FTP
information to your Web site or upload an updated calendar for your
employees. The thing to keep in mind is that you can use Schedule
Wizard 2008 to perform tasks that are both simple and complex. If
you wish you can also make the interface secure so no one that isn't
authorized can alter your schedule. Schedule Wizard 2008 gives
you the power to manage and perform repetitive tasks on your PC. So, if
you'd like to take the hassle out of the things you do over and over
take a good look at Schedule Wizard 2008. It may be the solution
you've been looking for.
System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/2003/XP/Vista
Download Schedule Wizard 2008 NOW!
Guitar Guru, by Musicnotes,
Inc. is a program I just had to look at. Being a guitarist I
wanted to see what it could do. I have to say that I'm pretty impressed.
If they'd had things like this when I was learning to play guitar it
would have been a lot easier. Guitar Guru can break down songs
note by note so you can learn them more easily. What's really cool is
the "virtual fretboard" where you can watch the correct
fingering so you learn music the right way.
The screen shot shows the program as it's playing a segment of
"Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. The beauty of this system
is that you can slow the playback down so you can learn the notes
more easily. When I was a kid learning guitar I'd have to have to be
next to the record player (a device that plays black, vinyl disks), and
constantly start and stop it. Or, I'd have to have my younger brother
man the device so I could make sure I got the notes right. With
something like Guitar Guru it's amazingly simple. Just move the
slider to slow the music down, or you can speed it up if you like. You
can also print out sheet music if that helps you to learn the song. In
the screen shot you can see the fretboard and it's in the smallest size.
If you like you can maximize it so it pops out on your screen so you can
see it better. You can also move along the fretboard and go all the way
up to the 19th fret. Another really cool feature is the ability to
control the program with your voice! The commands are simple and
it allows you to stay with your guitar and not have to be moving between
guitar and program. Slick. Guitar Guru can handle acoustic,
electric, and bass guitars as well as 6-string and 12-string guitars.
There's a wealth of music from all genres available for you to learn
using Guitar Guru. So, if you're a struggling artist trying to
learn the guitar, struggle no more. Guitar Guru is a perfect
solution to help you play better, faster.
System Requirements: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista
Power Clock, by Powerclock.com
is a slick program that replace the old-fashioned "time clock."
Really very slick. The program is loaded with cool features. It's also
very intuitive and easy-to-use, perfect for both new and experienced
users. I don't know why you'd use a mechanical clock with you could use
Power Clock> I like the fact that the program can work over the
Internet and gather information from multiple locations. That means that
if your business has five branches or stores Power Clock can
grab the hours for all the employees and syncs them for you.
Another cool feature is that the program can backup and restore all of
your time data. You never have to worry about losing your time
information. Another cool feature is support for biometrics. That means
employees can "clock in" using their Fingerprint. It also means that
others can't punch in for them. Power Clock data can be exported
in a variety of formats including text, dBase, and even QuickBooks. On
top of all the Power Clock also has a built-in email system.
Employees can be notified of emails while they're punching in our out.
In working with the program it seems like the programmers thought of
just about everything. Backups, biometrics, security, and even
automatically deducting for lunch hours. So, if you have a business
where you need to track time this is a program you want to look
at. It's a really slick solution.
System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/2003/XP/Vista
Search and Recover, by iolo technologies, LLC
is a program you'll want if you're trying to save data. It can search
your drives and find lost files and then helps you to recover them. I
really like the fact that it offers an option to run the search from a
CD. That's a great option because it helps increase your chances of
getting your data back. Why? Because the program isn't writing data to
the disk that you're trying to recover data from. Search and Recover
doesn't just work on hard drives, but also on CDs, DVDs, USB thumb
drives, Flash memory cards, memory sticks, and more. In testing it out I
found the program to work really well. It recovered every deleted
file I tried it on. The program claims that Search and Recover
can even restore files from drives that have been formatted or even
repartitioned, but I didn't have time to test that out. The program is
intuitive and easy-to-use which makes it ideal for users with all levels
of experience. It should be noted that with all such programs
that the sooner you attempt recovery after the deletion the better your
chances of saving your data. So, if you have a tendency to erase files
you actually need, take a look at Search ad Recover. It may be
just what you need to save the day.
System Requirements: Windows 2000/XP/Vista
Download Search and Recover NOW!
If you have a question on how to do something on the computer you can ask me and I'll review some software that will give you a solution to your problem. You can email me by clicking HERE You may not receive a reply, but all requests will be considered.

Michael E. Callahan, known around the world by the trademarked name Dr. File Finder, is regarded as the world's leading expert on shareware. Dr. File Finder works with software programs and developers full-time, and in the average year he evaluates 10,000 programs. Since 1982 he has evaluated over 250,000 software and hardware products. Mr. Callahan began evaluating software online in 1982 and no one has been at it longer. He currently works doing online PR and marketing for software companies, and is the Senior Content Producer for Butterscotch.Com.
