Eliminate On Screen Information Overload With The NEW CinemaDrape

I had the developer(s) of CinemaDrape contact me to let me know that a NEW version of CinemaDrape has been released. It is a new major release, with many important improvements and changes.

If you do not know what CinemaDrape is, let me explain:

CinemaDrape helps you focus on your current task on screen, by instantly blanking or dimming the other less important areas in a web page or in the background windows.

For example, let’s say you are working on an important document, that is requiring your complete attention and focus. With CinemaDrape you can block out the external areas on the screen, leaving only your document visible, for your full attention. In other words, it blocks out the external screen noise.

I personally use this application to block out the background areas on the screen when I am watching the TV on my computer or a movie. It really makes a difference, and actually makes it easier on the eyes, especially when watching a movie.

CinemaDrape is available as a full install program or as a portable app. I personally like the portable app, where you download and run.

Also, to get you going using this program, after you get it up and running:

Just remember to use the CTRL + F11 keys to toggle CinemaDrape on an off. When you have CinemaDrape active, click the right mouse button, long tap, or press Escape to open the main CinemaDrape menu (see below). The menu, tells it all…  Great job to the developer(s) of CinemaDrape.

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Hide Everything Outside the Main Application with CinemaDrape

With the advent of the widescreen LCD/LED monitor we have established a visual landscape where we can easily open more than one application on the screen and take in more information. Under most circumstances this is a wonderful thing; however, I know myself there are times I wish I could create a distraction free environment and hide everything on the screen except the main task (or application) I am focused on.

Well, my wish came true with CinemaDrape…

CinemaDrape helps you focus on your current task on the screen (such as a video in a web page, a photo or a document editor area) by instantly blanking or dimming the other less important areas in a web page or in the background windows.

CinemaDrape gives you the ability to turn off (or hide) the side elements by exposing a drape.  For example, let’s say you want to watch a video and hide everything else on the screen.  It is possible with CinemaDrape.  The drape will cover everything but the video.  To get the idea, watch the video [ HERE ] .

Once you install CinemaDrape, there are two things to remember. By pressing Ctrl + F12 on your keyboard will startup CinemaDrape and by pressing Esc on your keyboard will close CinemaDrape. CinemaDrape requires no memory when the drape is not active and no extra tray icon!

Easy to start

CinemaDrape is easy to start: just move your mouse over the area you want to focus on and press Ctrl+F12 (or your own favorite custom keyboard combination). This works in any Web browser or in any other program you are using.

To focus an entire window (such as your current, active window), just move your mouse over the title bar at the top of the window and press Ctrl+F12.

To focus the previously selected area from the last time the CinemaDrape was used, use the Ctrl+Alt+F12 keyboard shortcut anywhere in Windows.

Easy to close

CinemaDrape is easy to close: just press Esc or select Quit from the context menu.

CinemaDrape is also very customizable in that you can resize the focus window, save the focus window as a favorite (to use later), and  change the color of the surrounding drape.

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An Alt-Tab Switcher That Uses Screen Hotspots

Here is a really cool utility (portable app), called Win7se, that you simply download, run and then place your mouse pointer in any of the four corners (hotspots) of your screen for the magic to happen.

For example, if I place my mouse pointer in the top left of the screen, the Windows 7 Alt-Tab Switcher will come up allowing me to toggle between any of the multiple apps I have running. If I place the pointer in the top right corner of the screen my desktop and desktop icons will (overlay) appear on top of whatever I am working on allowing me to start another application. If I place the mouse pointer in the bottom left corner of the screen, the monitor display will go to sleep. If I place the pointer in the bottom right corner of the screen my screensaver will start.

Each of these four corner hotspots are configurable (to a certain degree), by simply right mouse clicking the Win7se icon in the system tray and selecting “Settings”.  At this point you can select how you want each hotspot to respond.  Win7se, I am finding, is a very clever and handy tool.

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A FREE Web Based Screen Recorder

Recently my brother asked me if I could download  some online video news footage of his son (my nephew) in a featured sporting event? They wanted to archive the video so that his son (my nephew) would have something in the future to show his kids.  Exhausting all of the tricks that I knew for grabbing the download stream of the video, I had to start thinking outside the box, which is something new for me, and focused on not downloading the video, but on a method to capture (or record the video). I knew from experience I could install software to perform this task; however, I did not want to install any software and began to wonder if there were any online web based services out there where I could perform this task. This is when and how I discovered the online web based screen recorder service called Screencast-O-Matic .

Using my web browser and a microphone connected to the computer I used Screencast-O-Matic to record (and capture) the video and audio of the news clip. The end result turned out better than I ever anticipated.

Screencast-O-Matic is a web based screen recorder that can be used in an instance such as I described, but is primarily designed to record your actions on the computer for purposes of “how to” instruction.

There is nothing to install when using Screencast-O-Matic.  Visit the website, click on Start Recording.  The first occasion of using Screencast-O-Matic you will be prompted to download a Java Plugin.

Following the download, the adjustable Screencast-O-Matic capture window, with various controls, will appear on the screen.  The capture window will remain on the window over top of any application you bring up.

There is a FREE and PRO version of Screencast-O-Matic .  The FREE version enables you to:

• Record for a max of 15 minutes
• FREE Hosting (15 minutes per upload)
• Upload to YouTube HD
• Export to MP4, AVI, FLV movie
• Record web camera

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Geek Squeak (#103) – PicPick Tools 3.0.0 Screen Capture Utility

The NEW version of PicPick Tools is worthy of the NEW What’s On My PC – Geek Squeak Trophy.

There is no method or madness to the trophy selection, but is typically given to those who exemplify the world of computers, information technology, and blogging.  More awards will be forthcoming…

If you do not have a screen capture utility on your computer, then this is the one to get. PicPick Tools continues to only get better and the best part is that it is totally FREE (for non-commercial use).  PicPick Tools is non-obtrusive and works from the tray on the Windows Task Bar. Your screen captures can be edited using the built in editor. It will even run from your flash drive. After installing PicPick Tools to your computer, simply copy the folder over to your flash drive (to make it a portable app).

PicPick is user friendly and full of features for creating your image, suitable for software developers, graphic designers and home user. It is an all-in-one program that provides full-featured screen capture tool, intuitive image editor, color picker, color palette, pixel ruler, protractor, crosshair and even whiteboard.

Captures

Full Screen (Support for Dual Monitors)
Active Window
Window Control
Region, Fixed Region
FreeHand
Webpages (Scroll the page automatically)
Repeat Last Capture

Image Editor

It´s very similar to Microsoft Paint, but you can do more.

It provides an effect like selection opacity, blur, sharpen, brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, flip, rotate and etc.

Color Picker
Color Palette
Pixel Ruler
Screen Protractor
Crosshair
Screen Whiteboard

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A FREE Screen Zoom and Annotation Tool

Windows 7 (and XP and Vista) has a display utility available, called ‘Magnifier’, that you can use to make the screen more readable. I recently needed such an utility to zoom in on my HTPC (Home Theater PC) screen when browsing the internet. You can get to this utility from the Start Menu (Start>Accessories>Ease of Access) or by typing “magnify” in the “Run” box on the Start Menu or by hitting the “win+plus button” on your keyboard. You have option of various zoom levels available and you can perform a full screen zoom, a region (or lens) zoom or a docked zoom.

The Windows version of the zoom tool is nice; however, my preference for the Home Theater setup is a portable app called ZoomIt.

ZoomIt is screen zoom and annotation tool for technical presentations that include application demonstrations. ZoomIt runs unobtrusively in the tray and activates with customizable hotkeys to zoom in on an area of the screen, move around while zoomed, and draw on the zoomed image. I wrote ZoomIt to fit my specific needs and use it in all my presentations.

ZoomIt works on all versions of Windows and you can use pen input for ZoomIt drawing on tablet PCs.

The feature I like the most about ZoomIt is the customizable hot keys. In my Home Theater setup where you need to quickly enlarge the screen, you can zoom in and zoom out, by hitting a few keys on the keyboard. I especially like the ‘LiveZoom’ feature where the screen can be magnified and the screen will move with the mouse. ZoomIt is a great visual aid and enhancement tool for computer users.

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Best Full Featured All-In-One Screen Capture Program

I have said it before and will say it again. If there is a software package out there that is FREE, that continues to evolve and is of great quality; it will be worthy of mention here at What’s On My PC, over and over. I call software apps of this calibre, Hall of Fame software.

Today I bring you a small screen capture application, called PicPick, that definitely falls into that Hall of Fame category and is in a class of its’ own. Since my last review of PicPick, this application has come a long ways’.

A screen capture application is a software app that allows you take a snapshot of what’s on your computer screen, whether it is the whole screen or just a portion of it, and save it as a graphic file.  The good about this is, once you have the captured screen in a graphic file format, you can then insert it into documents or simply save the captured file to disk. If you are a graphic designer, software developer, a blogger, a desktop publisher, a Powerpoint user or someone at home who simply needs something that will allow you to grab clips on the internet, then PicPick, I highly recommend.

Now that you have a general idea of what a screen capture application, what is so great about PicPick?  It is simply this, PicPick is easy to use well thought out application; AND for a small program application that you can also carry around on your flash drive, it is loaded with additional features.

After PicPick is installed and launched you will see the PicPick icon in the system tray (bottom right corner of your screen on the taskbar). Simply click on that icon and you will be presented with a popup menu that is self explanatory. If you notice the screenshot below, I want you to look at the other tools that are included such as a color picker, color palette, magnifier, pixel ruler, protractor, cross hair, whiteboard and image editor. All of these tools are mini apps in themselves that compliment the task of screen capturing.

The image editor is what has most impressed me and has greatly improved since the last review. For example, for the screenshot above, I selected “fixed region”, to capture a fixed area on the screen and once I made the capture, the capture automatically opened in the “Image Editor”; very nice. I was then able to manipulate the image in the editor any way I liked. There are numerous enhancement options in the editor that are just plain awesome.

Screenshot – [click here]

Well, you heard me rave about this app and the only thing I can tell you is to download it and play with it. Very, very nice (FREE) software app that is well worth installing on your PC. Kudos to the developer of PicPick.  PicPick is FREE for personal use [ click here ] .

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