All posts in Software

PDF Password Remover 1.0.4 is being given away for free until 24 Feb 2010, it normally costs $19.95. It’s a password removal tool for protected PDFs.

Website: http://www.anypdftools.com/pdf-password-remover.html

If you are a programmer or an ISV (Independent Software Vendor) then you have probably heard about Joel Spolsky and his company and his book and his blog and his projects. If not, then he is one of the guys you should follow… especially if you are into creating successful startups, products and hiring bright minds to your IT startups.

He has now launched a new project called StackOverflow Careers (Beta) for programmers to submit their CVs. Basically it will be a repository of CVs of programmers. The idea is to reverse the hiring process where instead of employees searching and submitting their CVs for various companies and job openings, it will be employers who will come to StackOverflow Careers database and look for talented programmers.

It’s similar to JobStreet’s http://PitchYourTalent.com but it’s only for software developers.

Website: http://careers.stackoverflow.com

Here is some laws to take into consideration when developing a software:

Hofstadter’s law
It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take Hofstadter’s Law into account.

Brooks’s law
Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later.

Lister’s law
People under time pressure don’t think faster.

The ninety-ninety rule
The first 90% of the code accounts for the first 90% of the development time. The remaining 10% of the code accounts for the other 90% of the development time.

Worse is better (New Jersey style)
Describes how a seemingly “inferior” product can be better from a user perspective. A limited but easy-to-use software may be more popular among users than a “better”, more comprehensive one.

Wirth’s law
Software is getting slower more rapidly than hardware becomes faster.

Source: pingdom blog

Need to cut MP3′s? Use this simple free software called Split MP3:

Website: http://www.prvsoft.com/split-mp3-download.html

via techblisonline

Since getting hdd media player with 650GB of disk space I have been doing some large data transfers. But Windows operating system does a terrible job in transferring large files especially to external hard disks. It hangs, it prematurely terminates the transfers, files get corrupted… you name it.

One way to do large file transfers is using MSDOS’ xcopy command, but it can get troublesome using MS Command Prompt especially when you do not know the commands.

Luckily there is a better way. FastCopy (freeware) (see screenshot) does the same what xcopy does, and even faster. Since it doesn’t use the cache of OS at all, other processes (applications) won’t be affected (i.e become heavy or hang) by the transfer.

It can also verify the copied files making sure that you do not have the corrupted files.

Since finding it I have been using it extensively and so far it’s doing a great job. Highly recommend it.

Website: http://www.ipmsg.org/tools/fastcopy.html.en
Download: FastCopy v1.98 (placed it in my shared folder)

If you are using Microsoft Office 2007, you can add this free add-on from Microsoft for saving files as PDF (see screenshot). Once installed it will allow you to save files as PDF in all eight 2007 Microsoft Office programs:

• Microsoft Office Access 2007
• Microsoft Office Excel 2007
• Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007
• Microsoft Office OneNote 2007
• Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
• Microsoft Office Publisher 2007
• Microsoft Office Visio 2007
• Microsoft Office Word 2007

If you want to convert other files, see the post below.

Have you ever thought of backing up your Gmail? Probably not. Because most of us use Gmail as the backup point, and not the other way round. But what if for some reason your Google account gets disabled? Or someone hacks your email?

If you want to play it safe, use the following free tool to backup your Gmail with one click.

URL: http://www.gmail-backup.com