Q:
Can you tell me what drivers do?

A:
Drivers are mini-programs (instructions) that tell your computer how to use its hardware. Each hardware device has a driver.

Some, like drivers for a keyboard or mouse, are built into the computer itself. Others, like video card drivers or modem drivers, need to be installed when you get a the new hardware device. Without the proper driver, your stuff won't work.

If you're having trouble with a particular hardware cialis natural device, chances are that an updated driver may solve your problem. These can be found at the website for the company that made your equipment. Two good sources to help you locate updated drivers are Windrivers and DriverGuide.

Does Linux have what it takes to meet the needs of the corporate desktop? Jack Wallen thinks so. Here’s his list of office apps that can handle everything from word processing to project management to data backups.

Let’s face it: Without a good set of office applications, your workday will be a waste of time. Productivity requires the right tools, and contrary to what some people think, Linux has everything you need to get you through the day without a hitch. We’re going to look at applications that will satisfy everyone in the organization — from HR to marketing to the front office.

Note: This information is also available as a PDF download.

#1: OpenOffice

This one goes without saying, offering word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, database management, drawing, and Web page editing. Add to that the ability to read and write Microsoft Office files and export to PDF and Flash (among other formats), and you have a complete office suite that should meet every need your office has. The OpenOffice user interface has little to no learning curve, so users will hardly know the difference between Microsoft Office and OpenOffice. OpenOffice is also cross-platform capable, with installation binaries for Linux, Solaris, Windows, and OS X (both Intel and PPC).

#2: Evolution

This is the Linux version of Outlook. Another one-stop shop, only this time it’s all about the PIM. E-mail, calendar, contacts, tasks, advanced searching, desktop integration, shared vCards, junk filters, encryption, LDAP support, iCal support, and much more. And if your company uses an Exchange server, you’re in luck because the Evolution Connector will be able to keep you connected. Evolution tends to be the default e-mail client for the GNOME desktop, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy Evolution on KDE (or any other window manager.)

#3: Scribus

This is desktop publishing at its open source finest. Scribus can do almost anything Adobe  Acrobat can do — minus draining your wallet. Scribus does layering, opacity, ICC color management, CMYK color separations, and versatile PDF creation. With this tool, your newsletters, press packets, fliers, books, manuals, etc., are done in-house and on the cheap. I have used Scribus on numerous projects ranging from simple fliers to complex books.

#4: Gnucash

Gnucash is one of the best accounting packages available for Linux. It uses double-entry bookkeeping and is a suitable replacement for individual accounting as well as a small business accounting. Gnucash is one of the only accounting packages that is available across most all platforms (Linux, Solaris, UNIX, OS X, and Windows).

#5: OpenProj

This is the open source replacement for Microsoft Project. OpenProj has an equivalent user interface and functionality similar to Project and is interoperable with Project. OpenProj is released under the CPAL (Common Public Attribution License) license and is available for Linux, OS X, 32-bit Windows, BSD, and UNIX-like operating systems. OpenProj does require Java.

#6: Meeting Room Booking System

MRBS is a Web-based booking system for meeting rooms but can be altered to suit your needs. Although I wanted to include only applications that could be installed locally, I felt it necessary to include this application simply because it’s so useful. For corporate environments that have multiple rooms to book, this small-footprint application is perfect. It can also be modified for use as an appointment book, too. MRBS can do repeated bookings, reports, DAY/WEEK/MONTH views, multiple authorization levels, and multiple language support. The installation is simple but requires both a Web server (Apache) and a database server (either MySQL or Postgres).

#7: GnoTime

Formerly GTT, GnoTime is a desktop application that tracks time spent on projects and offers time-based invoice generation. Numerous reports can be generated (Journal, Activity, Daily, Status, To Do, Invoices, Query, Primer, New Reports, Edit Reports), and the interface is simple to use. GnoTime also includes a diary entry editor for each project. With GnoTime you can embed simple SQL queries into report templates. In addition, GnoTime benefits from autosave. So in the rare event your Linux desktop crashes, your data is safe from loss. GnoTime runs on Linux, UNIX, and OS X.

#8: GIMP

I realize that graphics software isn’t always included in lists of necessary office software — but if your office does any of its PR or marketing in-house, graphics tools are a necessity. And when using Linux, GIMP is the de facto standard for graphics creation and/or manipulation. GIMP is to Linux what Photoshop is to OS X and Windows. But GIMP goes Photoshop one better because it’s cross-platform ready. You can install GIMP on Linux, OS X, or Windows. It features a customizable interface, photo enhancement, digital retouching, cialis dosage side effects hardware support, a huge range of file format support, plug-in support, its own scripting language, filters, and a host of other outstanding features.

#9: Pidgen

Many corporate businesses have started regarding instant messaging as a legitimate form of interoffice (or inter-cubicle) communication. And Pidgin is one of the finest of the instant messaging clients. Pidgen works with nearly all of the instant messaging services and can have multiple accounts configured. It’s released under the GNU License, it’s free, and it works on Linux, UNIX, Windows, and OS X. Pidgen supports file transfer, typing notification, spell-check, buddy pouncing, away messages, etc.

#10: K3b

What office doesn’t back up data? None, if they employ safe business practices. And the CD offers one of the safest means of data backup. K3b makes backing up to CD simple. Not only can you do multiple backup types (audio, data cd, data dvd, copy cd, iso cd, iso dvd), you can save the backup information to a file. If you do the same backup regularly, all you need to do is open up the particular backup file and click burn. (No more having to drag and drop or hunt for particular files/folders to back up.) K3b can also blank CDR-Ws, retrieve TOCs, and write cue/bin files. K3b is available only for Linux and has been optimized for KDE.

This short list includes software that can easily handle much of your day-to-day office needs and do it on the Linux operating system. The software listed here is simple to use, reliable, (mostly) scalable, and business ready. Of course, this is a generalized list. Far more specialized office-type software is available on the Linux platform. One of the best places to look for such software is in your Install Software tool, such as Synaptic or Yumex. (The tool you have will depend upon the distribution you use.) Fire that tool up and look through the various categories (a good place to start is the “Office” category) to find what you need.

Linux is an outstanding platform for the office. It is flexible, cost-effective, reliable, secure, and enjoys a small learning curve. So if you’re doubting Linux can take over your office software needs, doubt no more!

By Diana Huggins

Windows XP includes many different features that make it accessible to all different types of users. One such feature is the Narrator, which uses Text-to-Speech (TTS) technology to enable Windows XP to play back printed text in a pre-recorded spoken voice. This can be very useful if there are users on the network who have vision impairments and difficulty reading the text that is displayed on the screen. In this article I will outline how you can configure Text-to-Speech in Windows XP and then use the Narrator to read the text that is displayed on the screen.

This blog post is also available in PDF format in a TechRepublic download.

Text-to-Speech in Windows XP

A sound card and speakers are all you need to make Windows XP talk to you. This is because Microsoft Windows XP is capable of playing back text in a spoken voice. This technology is referred to as Text-to-Speech (TTS). Not only is this technology useful for a person with visual impairments, but it is also useful for someone who is working on multiple tasks at one time.

Windows XP makes this possible through a built-in driver called a TTS engine that is able to recognize text. It can play displayed text back using a pre-generated voice. Although it is a very useful technology, the engine included with Windows XP provides limited Text-to-Speech functionality, but you can obtain third-party engines from other manufacturers. In any case, let’s take a look at how you can configure the TTS engine included with Windows XP.

Configuring speech properties

Configuring TTS is very straightforward. Open the Speech folder within the Control Panel. The Speech Properties dialog box will appear, as shown in Figure A. It allows you to control various TTS settings.

Under Voice Selection, you can select the voice you want to use. By default, there is only one voice available in Windows XP called Microsoft Sam. Additional voices can be downloaded from various Web sites.

Figure A

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Configure speech properties in Windows XP.

Once you have selected a voice using the drop-down arrow, you can preview the voice by clicking the Preview Voice button. Assuming that the speakers are already connected to your computer, the voice will read the default text displayed in the Use the Following Text to Preview the Voice field. Alternatively, you can type in specific text to preview by highlighting the existing default text and typing in the text you want read.

Along with selecting a specific voice, you can also control the speed at which the voice reads text. By dragging the slider you can increase or decrease the voice speed, although the default value of Normal tends to be fine for most people.

By clicking the Audio Output button, you can select the audio output device (Figure B). From the Text to Speech Sound Output Settings dialog box, select from one of the two options: User Preferred Audio Output Device or Use This Audio Output Device. By leaving the default Use Preferred Audio Output Device option selected, the audio device used for all other sound is also used for TTS. Conversely, if there is more than one audio device installed on the computer, you can specify a separate audio output device for use with your speech programs.

Figure B

Select the Text To Speech output device.

The Text To Speech Sound Output Settings dialog box also includes a Volume button. This allows you to control the TTS volume. When you click this button, the Master Volume dialog box will appear, as shown in Figure C, allowing you to adjust the volume output levels.

Figure C

Configure the text-to-speech volume.

As you will now see in the next section, once you have configured all the text-to-speech options, you can have Windows XP read the text on your screen using the Narrator.

Configuring the Narrator

Windows XP includes its own TTS utility called the Narrator. If you require a TTS utility, keep in mind that it is limited in functionality. First of all, it is designed to work with a specific set of programs that include Control Panel programs, Notepad, WordPad, Internet Explorer, Windows Setup, and the Windows desktop. This means it may not work for other programs. Second, the Narrator is only supported on the English version of Windows XP.

To start the utility, press [Ctrl][Esc], press [R], type narrator, and press [Enter]. You can also configure the Narrator to start automatically each time you log on to the computer. Open the Utility Manager by pressing the [Windows Key][U]. Select Narrator and place a check beside the Start Automatically When I Log In option. As you can see, the Narrator is configured to start automatically when you launch the Utility Manager.

Once you open the Narrator, a dialog box will appear, as shown in Figure D. As you can see, it can be configured to perform several different TTS functions that include:

Figure D

Configure the Narrator to perform Text-to-Speech functions.

The Narrator dialog box includes a Voice button that can be used to control voice settings. As shown in Figure E, voice settings for the Narrator include Speed, Volume, and Pitch. Once you have configured the appropriate values, click OK to return to the Narrator dialog box.

Figure E

Configure Narrator voice settings.

With the Narrator settings configured, your speakers turned on, and the volume turned up, you can minimize the Narrator dialog box, and Windows XP will be ready to talk to you. Depending on how you have the Narrator configure, you should hear the pre-configured voice read the text that appears on your screen. For example, if you are working in Microsoft Word, the Narrator will repeat the text as you type. You can turn off the Narrator at any time by clicking Exit from the Narrator dialog box and clicking Yes when prompted.

Troubleshooting Text-to-Speech in Windows XP

Troubleshooting can be a difficult task, especially if you have not worked with a specific technology before. When it comes to troubleshooting Text-to-Sspeech problems, there are a few points that you should keep in mind.

• Use the Preview Text button from the Speech Properties dialog box to verify that the TTS engine.
• Open the Utility Manager to check the status of the Narrator program.
• If you do not hear any sound and you are using external speakers, make sure they are turned on.
• Check the Master Volume dialog box to make sure that muting is not enabled.
• Verify that the speakers are properly connected to the computer. You may need to check the documentation that came with the speakers for the proper procedure.
• Use Device Manager to check the status of the computer’s sound card. If necessary, reinstall or update the drivers for the device.

Now your computer can talk back to you too

Windows XP includes built-in technology to make it more accessible for users who are blind or who have vision impairments. The Text-to-Speech engine can read text on the screen using a pre-generated voice. Windows XP includes a default voice called Microsoft Sam. Other voices are available through third-party manufacturers.

You can hear your computer talk using the Narrator. This is the built-in Text-to-Speech utility that is included with Windows XP. It is designed to work with common programs that come with Windows XP, such as Internet Explorer and WordPad. You can launch the utility by typing narrator using the Run command. The Narrator provides limited Text-to-Speech functionality, but third-party programs are available from various manufacturers.

February 7th, 2009

Posted by Dana Blankenhorn

cialis discount price border=”0″ title=”monty-widenius” width=”175″ height=”197″ />Michael “Monty” Widenius (right), author of the original mySQL, has left the company to launch a new start-up, Monty Program AB.

He joins former CEO Martin Mickos on the outside looking in.

This has led to much wailing and gnashing of teeth, not just here but elsewhere in the computer press.

Please excuse me if I don’t join in.

For me this is a case of deja vu all over again. One of the first stories I covered here involved the acquisition of the JBOSS framework by Red Hat and the subsequent leave-taking of its founder, Marc Fleury.

As with many today I was certain this was the end of JBOSS, possibly of open source itself.

I was wrong.

Some in the old JBOSS team did leave, and pretty quickly, after Marc did. But they landed on their feet. Some went to their own start-ups, others became key men within other open source companies. JBOSS survived, too. It took time to digest, and it found new competition along the way, but the ending is not an unhappy one.

With the perspective of time I suspect things will be the same in this case. The only surprise to me is that Mickos and Widenius stayed as long as they did.

Entrepreneurs are a special breed, not built for suits and hierarchies. They can’t handle people over them saying no, and they should not have to.

They’re too precious as what they are. Open source needs more great entrepreneurs, and to have two with experience back in the fray is very exciting. The mySQL deal was worth $1 billion. Money won’t be a problem for their next projects.

All Monty has so far is a Wiki page, where he talks about building a transactional storage engine for mySQL dubbed Maria, and a branch of the language supporting it. That’s good, for him, for us, and for mySQL. A project becomes powerful as it builds an ecosystem which supports it, and no ecosystem can be contained within four corporate walls.

Besides, if Sun messes up with mySQL, remember that it’s open source. The code still lives. Mickos and Witinius could then fork it and it would continue moving forward. I hope they don’t have to, because working on cool new stuff is always more fun than maintaining the old stuff.

The JBOSS deal worked out great for everyone. I think the mySQL deal will do the same. So, too, will its founders. And so will all of us.

For this week's download, I found something for those of you who want to keep your ideas organized. The program is called Evernote and it's much more than just a program! Evernote can be installed on your computer, visited on the Web or even installed on some cell phones, like the iPhone and a few Blackberrys.

Here's how it works! When you install Evernote on your computer, you can put things you want to keep for later use on it. For example, you can write a small note using your keyboard, you can drag images, words and Web sites to it, you can drag whole Web sites to it and you can even record a voice note to it.

After doing that, Evernote will save the information for you and index it so that you can find it later. Now, here's the coolest part! Let's say you were on a friend's computer and you wanted to show them something you saved on Evernote. To do that, all you have to do is go to www.evernote.com and log in. Everything you saved to Evernote will be there. All the pictures, shortcuts and words you put on your own computer. Pretty cool, huh?!

On top of all that, if you have a supported cell phone, you can install Evernote and save items from your phone too. That way, you can take a picture with your phone and it will be organized and saved on your computer.

If you want to learn more about Evernote and sign up for a free account, you can do so cheap cialis professional title=”http://www.evernote.com/”>here. Enjoy!