Picks: Reviews of Alive Video Converter, Engage, D'Accord iChords, and more!

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• Alive Video Converter
• Version: 3.1.2.8
• System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/2003/XP/Vista
• Get more info
• Download Alive Video ConverterNOW!
• View A Screen Shot

Alive Video Converter, by AliveMedia, Inc.is a powerful tool if you need to convert video from one format toanother. The program supports a wide range of file formats includingWMV, AVI, MOV, MP4, ASF, and many more. In testing it out I was evenable to make movies that would go on my iPod. There's alsosupport for Zune from Microsoft. I really like the fact that oneprogram can convert movies so they work on my phone, my iPod, my PC, andso on.

Alive Video Converter has an intuitive user interface and is veryeasy-to-use. To me that makes it perfect for users with all levels ofexperience. While testing it out I found I could convert multiple moviesin one batch. That's a real time-saver. Another cool feature is that theprogram can lift the audio tracks out of a video. That's a greatfeature if you have movies of concerts or other live performances.

Alive Video Converter is a cool, all around tool for convertingmovies. It should be noted that in the trial version the programconverts only 60% of each movie. To get a full conversion you need topurchase the full version. That's cool with me because Alive VideoConverter may well be the only video converter you'll need for theforeseeable future. So, if you're into video check it out for yourself.I recommend it.

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• Engage
• Version: 1.1.0.73
• System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP
• Get more info
• Download EngageNOW!
• View A Screen Shot

Engage, by LyricCode Software caught my eye because the term Engage! reminded me of JeanLuc Picard from Star Trek. As it turned out I found the program, thesoftware program, to be really engaging! It provides an excellentway to launch programs, navigate to Web sites, do searches, and lotsmore. I have to say I was impressed and it takes quite a bit to impressme nowadays.

The screen shot shows the main part of the program that's displayed whenyou click Start. The programs on the left make up your FastLaunch selections and you can pick what you want to go there.Engage indexes all your programs and documents so it can findthem easily. So, for example, I could start typing in a program name andwithin a few characters Engage had found it. There's also a function fornavigating to Web pages that's really slick. Instead of typing in the entire URL, just type in the name of the company, like sears, forexample, and the program adds the rest and takes you to the site. Nice!

Engage lets you individualize how it works by letting youtag items. That means you can select items that Engage has listedand put them in specific categories. Do this once and you're all set. Itallows you to get organized and remove clutter. Don't find a categoryyou want? No problem because you can add your own. Engage iseasy-to-use and perfect for all users. I like it so much that it's notonly a Pick, but I'm also making it one of my Dr.File Finder Favorites and in 25 years of evaluating softwarethere aren't many of those. So, if you'd like a fast easy way to movearound your system, launch programs, visit Web sites, and more, giveEngage a try, I recommend it!

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• D'Accord iChords
• Version: 1.1
• System Requirements: Windows 2000/2003/XP
• Get more info
• Download D'Accord iChordsNOW!
• View A Screen Shot

D'Accord iChords, by D'AccordMusic Software is a program I just had to look at. As a guitarplayer I'm always fascinated by how far technology has moved into thearena of music. From electronic equipment to software the impact ishuge. D'Accord iChords makes it really easy to transcribe chords.What's really cool is that it can tell you what chords are being playedin the music you're listening to. It eliminates the guess work if youwant to learn a song quickly.

In testing it out here I found D'Accord iChords to be very easy-to-use and intuitive. It's excellent tool for beginners and noviceplayers as well. I took MP3 files of several songs I didn't know how toplay and let the software show me the chords. Geez, where was thissoftware when I was playing in bands? It shows you the intervals, thenotation, and even the fingering. Another cool feature is the ability toslow the music down so you can more easily learn a new lead guitar part,for example. Slick.

D'Accord iChords has a notebook function so you take the chords,add chord diagrams and lyrics, and give them to your band mates. This isreally an ideal package for the guitar player in your life. So, if youplay guitar or know someone who does, this should be a gift yougive them. Really nicely done. I recommend it.

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• InstallAware Developer for Windows Installer
• Version: 6.2
• System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP
• Get more info
• Download InstallAware Developer for Windows InstallerNOW!
• View A Screen Shot

InstallAware Developer for Windows Installer, by Install Aware, Inc.is a an excellent product for programmers. The program features wizards,support for drag-and-drop, and other cool features that will make yoursetup creation easier. It makes it easy for you to create differentversions without a lot of muss or fuss. There are lots of configurableoptions you can take advantage of in InstallAware Developer.

InstallAware Developer for Windows Installer creates setups thatare really compressed so your programs download faster. If you're aprogrammer this is a program you need to check out for yourself to fullyappreciate. Give it a try.

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• Bello Network Monitoring WinGUI 5.3.3.642 by Paessler AG
• Check ItOut!

Bello Network Monitoring WinGUI 5.3.3.642 is a slick little toolfor monitoring your Web site, your server, and more. It watches theaction and if there's a problem it can notify you in a variety of waysincluding on your pager or via ICQ. If you need to know when somethingis wrong this may be just what you've been looking for. I'll get to myfull review as soon as possible, but don't wait for me. Check it out.

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• PROTASM - Professional Test & Survey Maker 1.0.78 by pcOffice Pro
• Check It Out!

PROTASM - Professional Test & Survey Maker 1.0.78 is an allpurpose tool for creating tests. You can also use it to create surveys.The program also includes a way to gather the data and put it togetherfor you in a logical format. Depending on your needs there are threeversions of the program. The program is easy-to-use, intuitive, and haslots of configurable options. So, check it out for yourself.

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Well, once again we've come to the end of our time for today. I hopeyou'll download these programs and try them out for yourself. I'll beback next week with more cool software to tell you about. I hope you'lljoin me. Till then have a great week, a wonderful weekend, and happydownloading.

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