Mashed Articles

This issue we’re featuring projects spanning mobile, networking, er, mobile networking, as well as Linux and everything in between. Here are the files you’ll need.

Make an Android App

Putting together an Android app is far easier than doing the same for iOS, particularly if you count the brilliant and simple App Inventor. But if you’re going the full-on coding route, you’ll need this selection of tools.

Eclipse IDE for Java Developers

Android apps are essentially Java, so a decent development environment is a must. Eclipse does the trick, and it’s free.

Website
www.eclipse.org

Download (32-bit)
http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/download.php?file=/technology/epp/downloads/release/indigo/SR1/eclipse-java-indigo-SR1-win32.zip

Download (64-bit)
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html

Download
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jdk-7u1-download-513651.html
(Note: you must accept the Oracle license agreement to download this software, so we cannot supply a direct link)

Android SDK

The Android end of Java programming is supplied by Google itself. This includes all the libraries you’ll need to get started with the Android platform.

Website
http://developer.android.com/sdk

Download
http://dl.google.com/android/installer_r14-windows.exe

Try a new filesystem

Want to try something out of the ordinary? Is ext no longer floating your boat? There are plenty of custom filesystems to try, and we show you how in our article. But you’ll need the latest Linux distro to get the most out of them. Try one of the below to get your fix.

Ubuntu
http://www.ubuntu.com/
Download Ubuntu 11.10 (LiveCD)
http://www.ubuntu.com/start-download?distro=desktop&bits=32&release=latest

Linux Mint
http://www.linuxmint.com/
Download Mint 11 (DVD edition)
http://mirror.sov.uk.goscomb.net/linuxmint.com/stable/11/linuxmint-11-gnome-dvd-32bit.iso

Arch Linux
http://www.archlinux.org/download/

Add Action and Depth to Photos

We’ll recommend this application until the end of time: the GNU Image Manipulation Program, or GIMP, is a great Photoshop-esque tool, and it’s completely free.

Website
http://www.gimp.org/
Direct download
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/gimp-win/gimp-2.6.11-i686-setup-1.exe

Use Multiple Machines At Once

There’s only one tool you need for this task: Synergy, the brilliant mouse-and-keyboard networker which lets you take the reigns of all your computers from a single point of command. Download the beta if you can; it’s a little buggy, but includes some great new features.

Website
http://synergy-foss.org/
Direct download
http://synergy.googlecode.com/files/synergy-1.4.4-Windows-x86.exe (Beta, 32-bit)
http://synergy.googlecode.com/files/synergy-1.4.4-Windows-x64.exe (Beta, 64-bit)
http://synergy.googlecode.com/files/synergy-1.3.7-Windows-x86.exe (Stable, 32-bit)
http://synergy.googlecode.com/files/synergy-1.3.7-Windows-x64.exe (Stable, 64-bit)

All these great tools are part of issue 315 of PC Plus, on the shelves on 11th November 2011. Subscribe today to the paper edition and you can get it up to a week early! Subscribe to PC Plus.

Why not save some money and get PC Plus on your smartphone, laptop or tablet? PC Plus is on Apple’s Newsstand, with a 3 month subscription — which includes the latest issue — coming in at a bargain £8.99. Find out more at http://goo.gl/fgb2F (UK) or http://goo.gl/DeRNf (US).

Not got an iOS device? Buy the PC Plus Zinio digital edition for a bargain price, or save the most and subscribe to PC Plus through Zinio.

Has the moment passed? Don’t panic. You can pickup a copy of issue 315 through our back issues service. Buy PC Plus paper back issues or, if you’re digitally inclined, buy single issues on Zinio.

Windows 7 brought with it a whole host of new features to the desktop but their novelty has now begun to wear off and users are looking for better ways to do things. These ten little gems will inject new life into the Windows 7 desktop and give you the control you have been looking for since you got your PC.

Fences
Your Windows desktop is the hub of your PC use, with all of your favourite programs, pictures, games and documents spread across it. Fences makes navigating those favourites super-easy by allowing you to setup multiple areas, give them titles, size them as you wish and have them fade into the background to keep from distracting you. If you feel like you need to clear your mind, double-clicking on empty desktop space will hide everything.
Website
Download from here

Take control of your desktop and organise your icons with Fences

Find and Run Robot
Locating an application in your Windows system can often be unnecessarily awkward. If something hasn’t installed to your expected location, it could be almost anywhere. FARR operates an intelligent real-time (no indexing required, therefore saving your CPU usage) search of all applications, and presents the top ten results for you to choose. It has a wide range of customisable features, such as weighting options, heuristics employed per search and even caches file locations to speed-up locating them next time.
Website
Download from here

Yahoo Widgets 
Since the introduction of Vista, Windows has had extra usability in the form of customisable widgets – tiny apps that run on the desktop, providing snippets of information from things like weather forecasts to CPU temperatures and network connection speeds. Yahoo widgets is a cross-platform widget community, with thousands of contributions from users and developers alike.
Website
Download from here

Wikitup 
If your curiosity gets the better of you and you end up spending hours researching every little thing you see online, this handy little tool will free up your browsing time for the more important things. Simply CTRL+Right-click anything you see on the web and Wikitup runs off to find the info for you. It can return results in video, picture and sound, too, so you will find it a lot quicker to jump from subject to subject.
Website
Download from here

Winstep Nexus Dock
Apple have got a few things right with their OSX family of operating systems, one of which is the Dock system. It is the natural evolution of the task bar, allowing quick and easy launching of programs, documents etc from one easy-on-the-eye location. Winstep’s Nexus dock is by far the best free Windows based version of the dock system, andwith the premium features in their Ultimate version they have arguably evolved the dock system beyond even Apple’s current level.
Website
Download from here

Get on board with Winstep’s Nexus Dock, the natural successor to the Windows Taskbar

Okozo Desktop
Live desktop wallpapers are nothing new, but Okozo definitely gives the whole idea a new lease of life. The program runs a desktop wallpaper of your choosing, from images to videos to Flash games – all integrating seamlessly with your Windows desktop.
Website
Download from here (32-bit edition)
Download from here (64-bit edition)

Capture .NET Free
If there’s something you want to do from your Windows desktop, the chances are Capture .NET will do it. Describing itself as “the Swiss army knife of PC tools”, this compiles many, many functions into a small, handy and accessible program. From calendar and reminder functions right the way through to image editing and mathematics tools, this really is the most complete PC multitool.
Website
Download from here

Rainmeter
Like widgets, Rainmeter is all about providing the information you want quickly and easily. What Rainmeter really brings to the table, though, is an emphasis on sleek, stylish functionality and customisation. It provides extensive documentation and support for users to create their own ‘skins’ (widgets) so that if you can’t find exactly what you want, you can make it yourself.
Website
Download from here

4t Tray Minimizer Free
We all know and love Windows’ eponymous program windows, and the buttons in the title bar are as familiar as any part of the operating system. But the fact that they have been the same for decades shows a lack of progress in an everyday part of using a Windows PC. With 4T’s Tray Minimizer there are now some new buttons, with useful commands attached, as well as the ability to minimize any window to the system tray.
Website
Download from here

Right Click Enhancer
The secondary mouse button is an underrated tool for PC users, largely because a lot of its functions are somewhat concealed. Right Click Enhancer breathes new life into your tired old mouse, enabling many useful and time saving functions directly from a right click. Setup your context menus exactly as you wish, and in Windows 7 you can even tweak the sub-menus too. One-click actions for files, such as copying/moving to a folder of your choice will increase your productivity.
Website
Download from here

All these great tools are part of issue 315 of PC Plus, on the shelves on 11th November 2011. Subscribe today to the paper edition and you can get it up to a week early! Subscribe to PC Plus.

Why not save some money and get PC Plus on your smartphone, laptop or tablet? Buy the PC Plus digital edition for a bargain price, or save the most and subscribe to PC Plus through Zinio.

Has the moment passed? Don’t panic. You can pickup a copy of issue 315 through our back issues service. Buy PC Plus paper back issues or, if you’re digitally inclined, buy single issues on Zinio.

VPN-based remote control and maintenance is the backbone of any business supporting large numbers of workstations, it’s an incredibly efficient way of deploying software and fixing problems. The same software has many uses in small scale environments too. Accessing your home PC remotely from work, visa-versa, or from a laptop while travelling can be incredible useful. And the chances are you’ve been asked by a friend or relative to help them solve a computer related issue, and unless you can actually have the system right in front of you it’s nigh on impossible to relay useful assistance over the phone, through email or in conversation.

There are numerous software solutions that perform the task of creating virtual private networks over an internet connection to make controlling remote PC’s possible, plus the added bonus of encrypted P2P file sharing and communications make this a useful option for privacy.

Hamatchi 
Free for non-commercial use and promises you’ll to be up and running within 10 minutes. Hamatchi hits all the critical areas for a VPN service, namely, functioning as a LAN over internet, working through a firewall and allowing multiple PC’s to connect to a main server PC. You’ll need to register online before you can use Hamatchi, then you’re ready to get going. The same software is used for both client and server and the setup process is incredibly simple. A unique Hamatchi IP is generated for the server PC, along with a password and that’s it. To connect to the server PC, you just use these log in details and away you go.
Website
Download from here

TeamViewer 
Arrives in both installer and portable versions for convience, TeamViewer is both a simple and fast solution for desktop sharing, peer-to-peer file transfers and remote control. On launch a unique ID is generated, which is used to establish the connection between two TeamViewer PC’s. It’s also possible to switch which user has control mid session and functions in presentation mode where you can show your own desktop to a partner.
Website
Download from here

VNC Free Edition 
The free version of this package is restricted to remote control only, so file transfers and communications are locked out. For just under £20, the personal edition edition makes these functions and numerous others available including printing from the remote PC directly through the host PC’s printer.
RealVNC

UltraVNC 
For non-commercial settings, TeamViewer maybe the the better straightforward option. However for cost conscious businesses (few aren’t in the current climate) then UltraVNC is completely free under the GNU General Public License. More importantly UltraVNC contains the essential functions wanted by IT department for remote support.
Website
Download from here

Splashtop Remote Streamer 
Splashtop Remote Streamer has the consumer in mind here. The package is in two parts, the Streamer (Mac and PC) software is installed on the systems to be controlled. While the Remote Desktop software is required access remote computers. Remote Desktop is free for Windows, however the Mac, iOS and Android versions will cost a few dollars. You did read correctly, smartphone and tablet users can access and control their home computers too. Backed by the right bandwidth conditions, the software can stream HD movies at 30 frames per second, in addition makes it possible play games remotely at decent frame rates.
Website
Download from here

Consumer orientated Splashtop Remote Streamer promises low latency connections making it possible to stream remote video content

Mingle View 
Unlike some others on offer in our round up, Mingle View is totally free for personal and commercial use. Simplicity should be it’s slogan, it requires no installation, opening a session requires the remote PC to start a meeting, whereby an ID is generated to be used to join in. The software isn’t the best suited solution for remote control tasks, however does support multiple connected users making it ideal for peer-to-peer private gatherings.
Website
Download from here

It’s easy to set up and begin a session, but some limitations doesn’t make Mingle View our first choice

Comodo Unite
Offering an impressive amount of features and security settings, Comodo Unite packs in remote access control, private networks for friends and family to gather virtually, share files and screen share. Remotely accessing your work or home PC is a powerful feature of Comodo Unite, and from a business built around online security, protection is paramount. This does make the initial set up process a little tricky to jump through the various security setting hoops, so following the step-by-step online help guides is essential.
Website
Download from here

Remobo
The zero configuration approach makes Remobo an attractive multi-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux) solution for remote assistance to technically limited friends and family members. Each user must first create an account, then simply add them to the buddy list. From here you can create your private network, share files, communicate and control the remote PC.
Website
Download from here

Windows Live Mesh 2011
Included in the Windows Live Essentials suite, the Windows Live Mesh component is Microsoft’s take on secure VPN remote access and control. One interesting addition is file syncing to Windows Live SkyDrive, 5Gb of free cloud storage.
Website

Gbridge
Gbridge utilises Google Talk for creating and managing Google based virtual private networks. The built-in VNC fully enables remote access to PC desktops and desktop collaboration. Gbridge supports P2P file transfers, file syncing, plus VPN folder shares.
Website
Download from here

All these great tools are part of issue 315 of PC Plus, on the shelves on 11th November 2011. Subscribe today to the paper edition and you can get it up to a week early! Subscribe to PC Plus.

Why not save some money and get PC Plus on your smartphone, laptop or tablet? Buy the PC Plus digital edition for a bargain price, or save the most and subscribe to PC Plus through Zinio.

Has the moment passed? Don’t panic. You can pickup a copy of issue 315 through our back issues service. Buy PC Plus paper back issues or, if you’re digitally inclined, buy single issues on Zinio.