Excel vs. Access: Part 1

The Project:
List 2,031 coins by country, date, denomination, grade, value, quantity, variety, and worth.

 

Excel	Access
Very customizable	Limited options
Sheets for each country	Tables can be made
Macros needed get sheet names	Data easily manipulated
Shared easily	Few people use it

Decision: 
Excel, because using Access at work I noticed some short comings when converting to Excel. Plus when sharing no one wants Access files. Plus at the beginning I did not know how to classify varieties and thought Excel gave me more choices.

Verdict:
I like the look of the Excel sheets and stuff is easy to find. Unfortunately it is difficult to make graphs and tables involving all the coins. On second thought I should have done it in Acces and just like my work files take a day or day to adjust the Excel output.

When I have time I will make an Access file version.

McAfee Net Guard

McAfee Net Guard

For a week every time I got on the internet everything was slow. Gmail would get stuck, could not download anything, Youtube videos would not play beyond 14 seconds, and most sites needed to be constantly refreshed to work. At the beginning of last week everything updated. Windows, Adobe, and McAfee all updated on the same day.

It took a while to figure what messed up but thanks to some Youtube research it was narrowed down to firewall issues. I checked McAfee and turn several things on and off until the internet worked again. The culprit was Net Guard.

Net Guard is a feature that automatically avoids risky connections. The problem is that it labels everything as "risky". There is a way to edit the untrusted connection but they had names like http:122.1090.019 and server.theuun.ooap/aihoia/%20pabuua.thh.555. All this is gibberish to me and I have no time to go one by one and change each setting. Add to that I visit 20 to 100 sites a day, most just once, so I found this feature a major annoyance.

Solution
Turned it off.
Maybe later if I have time I will turn it on and "trust" each site I visit but that seems like a hassle for now.

Here's why this is a 10% program...
Pros

1. Worked great until the last update.

Cons

1. It's a beast. It will block everything and cripple all your browsers.

Rating: 1 out of 10 (10%)

Got it at:
McAfee for about $90 for the full package.

Camera Fun Pro

Camera Fun Pro

The only app I ever uninstalled. 

It worked great the first day but now it makes a horrible sound on my Droid X and online research has  shown it can destroy your camera.

What a shame. It had some great effects and worked very smooth.

No originals images of this since once it started making that clicking noise that would not stop until I turned off the phone I just got rid of it.

Here's why this is a 10% program...
Pros

1. Works great when working

Cons

1. Does not work

Rating: 1 out of 10 (10%)

Got it at:
Amazon: Camera Fun Pro

Arcade by Kongregate

Kongregate: Arcade 2.0

Thousands of free games online and hundreds available on their smartphone version. The games can range from extremely simple to huge role  playing complex adventures.

Phone version

Online/PC version

Here's why this is a 90% program...
Pros

1. Fun games
2. Smooth game play
3. Ability to earn points and keep progress

Cons

1. Not all games available to play even with wi-fi

Rating: 9 out of 10 (90%)

Got it at:
Kongregate: Free

AutoCAD 2010

AutoCAD

A 2D and 3D CAD(Computer-Aided Design) program that is one of best and definitely one of the most complicated. It can used to design everything from dresses to coins to skyscrapers.

Simple widget design.

The reason I am using 2010 is because that was the last year I was in college and could get it with the student discount for free.

Learning the program is simple enough but you should keep up since each version changes slightly. I started with AutoCAD 2002 and the changes are significant. Weather creating parts for a vehicle or adding layers to an HVAC system the need for good math skills becomes apparent.

The ribbon replaces the menu but using both is a better option.

Here's why this is a 80% program...
Pros

1. Mouse is not necessary
2. Huge files handles great
3. Many options and plug-ins available

Cons

1. Expensive
2. Hard to navigate menus
3. Help (F1) not really helpful

Rating: 8 out of 10 (80%)

Got it at:
College: (try your local college)
AutoCAD: AutoCAD, $4,295

Kindle

Kindle for PC
Kindle for Android with Whispersync

That famous e-book reader without having to spend one cent on the hardware. Well assuming you already own a smartphone or computer.

For PC version is not as easy to read but is very fast.

For Android version much easier to read, also has a better format.

The PC version tries to imitate a Mac experience which I never liked. The list in Android makes every seem organized. On Android there is a Whispersync feature that syncs all versions of your Kindle this way you never have to scroll through the pages.

Here's why this is a 70% program...
Pros

1. Android version is better
2. Books make you smarter 
3. Thanks for the Sepia option

Cons

1. PC version make my eyes twitch
2. Still they are books

Rating: 7 out of 10 (70%)

Got it at:
Amazon:  Kindle for PC, free
Android Market: Kindle for Android with Whispersync, free

FireFox 5.0

FireFox 5.0

Recently I reviewed Firefox 4.01 which turned out to be a crash-crazy browser. I got the new version over a week ago and it has not crashed once while doing the same task as always.

Here it is while using Google's new search format.

Hundreds of tiny improvements have worked. But the best feature is the Do Not Track function. To quote Mozilla "...transmitting a Do Not Track HTTP header every time your data is requested from the Web." is how it works. I have been noticing that my Google ads are the same no matter what site I visit hopefully that will stop.

Here's why this is a 80% program...
Pros

1. Easy to use
2. It has stopped crashing

Cons

1. Is hogging more memory

Rating: 8 out of 10 (80%)

Got it at: FireFox 5.0

Peggle

Peggle

This was one of my favorite games on PopCap but due to its limited play online I stopped playing it a year ago. Now it is on Android phones making it something else to distract me and zap my battery life.

Quick to open

Typical instructions.

With the lack of a mouse you use a touch screen scroll wheel instead. Since the game is limited to left and right movements it does work well.

And then let the pinball type fun begin.

Here's why this is a 90% program...
Pros

1. Easy to play
2. Great graphics and game play

Cons

1. Wi-Fi only download
2. Waste of time and energy although fun

Rating: 9 out of 10 (90%)

Got it at: Peggle on Amazon Free today, Usually $2.99

Image Resizer

Image Resizer Powertoy

This was a staple in Windows XP. Just right click any image file in your folders and you get the choice to resize. You can select multiple images and even make them bigger.

Right click an image and you have the choice to Resize Picture without opening it.

The options are simple but you can customize them as you need.

Although eliminated from all Windows versions after XP there is an unofficial version for Vista and 7.

Here's why this is a 100% program...
Pros

1. Easy to use
2. Advance options are simple and actually useful

Cons

1. Is not standard on Windows

Rating: 10 out of 10 (100%)

Got it at: Image Resizer for Windows, free (Vista is my OS)

Angry Birds: Trilogy

Angry Birds Rio
Angry Birds
Angry Birds Seasons

The ultimate game for phones. There is little to add that can not be found on a thousand different sites. I will say this is my go to game when I am very bored. Unfortunately my memory card failed once and it wiped out my scores until I found a back up. The small interruption was enough to make me slow down playing most games.

Here's why this is a 90% program...
Pros

1. Easy to learn
2. Great graphics and game play

Cons

1. Some levels are a it hard and getting three stars is tough
2. Gets redundant

Rating: 9 out of 10 (90%)

Got it at: Android Market,Amazon App Store (All free at the time)

Dropbox

Dropbox

A file sharing and online storage site. I prefer yousendit but that one is more costly, granted when working it is worth it. This has a feature to download a program to your computer this way you can drag and drop any file without having to power up your browser.

There is also a mobile version but I have yet to try it.

Storage is at 2GB but with tricks and codes and a little work you can expand it. If you want to pay it  goes upto 100GB.

Simply interface and the ability to share files of any type with categories are the best features.

It quietly sits on the toolbar when activated but it can also be turned off with a quick click.

Here's why this is a 70% program...
Pros

1. Easy to use
2. Ability to share and un-share whatever you want

Cons

1. Not as many file sharing choices as other cloud storage programs
2. If you have Gmail then Dropbox seems redundant

Rating: 7 out of 10 (70%)

Got it at: Through a friend's recommendation at Dropbox, free for 2GB

Advanced Task Killer

Advanced Task Killer 1.9.6B76

An app to kill all other apps. And yes it can kill itself.

There is some controversy over this app. Apparently most phones Android 2.2 or higher are so great with managing applications this kind of app is not necessary. That said it is still good to have in case you want to end some apps immediately.

Here's why this is a 80% program...

Pros

1. Can stop most apps
2. It is customizable

Cons

1. Mostly useless, still nice to have

Rating: 8 out of 10 (80%)

Got it at: Market Android, free

New Blogger Interface

I use draft blogger when at 2:20am eastern time I found this new interface.

New Draft Blogger front page. Each of your blogs has it's own square for new posts or to access the dashboard. The right hand column shows Blogger Buzz feed as well as blog you follow.

New dashboard for each individual blog It shows a list of things that can be changed like setting, posts, pages, etc. on the left. On the right it shows your blog stats like comments, mine has 20,743. It shows a list of

Post editing and viewing has also changed. I use to keep 300 post on view but now I am limited to 100. They also added stats for comments and page-views for each post.

Editing each post has changed to a center iframe box that you can scroll. The problem is that my Amazon and Zemanta boxes are know gone. They were useful tools.

Filtering is easier and quicker. I can easily find my most commented post which happens to be Canada Penny Find with 1,788 comments. (Not sure why this was not my best post and it was one the earliest.)

While I have not tested all of the features not much appears to have been changed except for the general appearance, facade anyone?

Adobe Reader X

Adobe Reader X

The original PDF reader available for free. This is the tenth version and one of the worst. At work there is a mix of version 6 and 7 on various computers and that reminds me how great these Adobe Readers use to be. Even version 9 had better controls.

My biggest complaint is the lack of simple control for views. Most of the files I work with has to be at 150% and when switching the pages in Reader X it always goes back to 33% or page fit. This never happened in the other versions. I can not find how to solve the problem since I spend more time in version 6 or 7.

Anyone knows how to fix the size for every page just leave a comment?

Here's why this is a 50% program...

Pros

1. Can handle most PDF files

Cons

1. Bad controls 
2. Hard to customize
3. Web portion has no preview, partial download are unreadable

Rating: 5 out of 10 (50%)

Got it at: Official Adobe Reader download (Free)

4 Player Reactor

4 Player Reactor

Simple game where things pop-up and you got to touch it. The more people the better unfortunately they may get rough and rinks may spill. Playing alone is not as fun but still enjoyable.

Select screen

Quick hit when white appears

Many games in one

Here's why this is a 70% program...

Pros

1. Easy to use
2. Very responsive

Cons

1. Time and battery waster
2. May get dangerous for your phone if used with alcohol

Rating: 7 out of 10 (70%)

Got it at: Amazon: 4 Player Reactor  (Was free, now $1.99)

Microsoft Mathematics 4.0

Microsoft Mathematics 4.0

Always wanted this program but even at $14.95 it was too expensive but with the 4.0 version it became free. It works great but it is limited take the simple heart function for graphs. When it is Valentine's Day and you want to quickly draw a heart virtually any graphing program would do. Except for this one.

I used this simple formula.

The results in any other graphing calculator is a pretty heart. I did confirm this in Maple, MATLAB, and GraphCalc.

The results in Microsoft Math 4.0 is absolutely nothing.

I figure you have to transform the equation first but that defeats the purpose. When graphing it is good to know how to manipulate an equation but efficiency is also important.

Here's why this is a 70% program...

Pros

1. Step by step equation solver
2. Nice interface

Cons

1. Does not graph well
2. Difficult to change equations once written

Rating: 7 out of 10 (70%)

Got it at: Microsoft Download Center

Plants vs. Zombies

Plants vs. Zombies

This is a Wi-Fi only download because the file is so larger it would clog the 3G pipeline. This is a fun little game from PopCap. The free online version was great if not short. Not much more to say but it's a beautiful game.

You need to finish some levels to get more.

The ask for a name...

...if you don't the give a gentle reminder.

 

Then start to play

Here's why this is a 80% program...

Pros

1. Easy to use
2. Great graphics

Cons

1. Time and battery waster
2. Even on Wi-Fi it took a while to download

Rating: 8 out of 10 (80%)

Got it at: Amazon: Plants vs. Zombies (Was free, now $1.49)

Zoner Photo Studio 13 Home

 Zoner Photo Studio 13 Home

This is a medium level photo organizer and processor. It is more powerful than my basic Microsoft Picture Manager 2010 but still not a heavyweight like Gimp.

While it can organize your picture the best part is the editor. Quick and precise crops and a variety of effects can be done with out hogging up that precious memory.

Here are the full highlights from the Zoner.com site...

• Catalog, advanced picture management and archival NEW!
• 64-bit program version NEW!
• direct upload to Facebook, Flickr and Picassa Web Albums NEW!
• acquire photos from your camera, scanner, card, or screen
• fix pictures fast with Quick Fix
• save time with convenient batch operations
• create panoramas and 3D photos easily
• use a wide array of edits and effects
• add GPS photo locations and see them on a map
• publish to the web easily and directly
• templates for calendars, greeting cards, and more

While I have not used all the options I am glad that they are available. The Pro Edition is said to be twice as awesome.

Here's why this is a 80% program...
Pros

1. Easy to use
2. Each photo has its own tab all set in the program window (unlike Gimp)

Cons

1. Buttons are often confusing
2. Can't open the program directly, need to right click the picture (maybe my fault but I can't find a fix)

Rating: 8 out of 10 (80%)

Got it at: Giveaway of the Day (back in January, it will probably come up again soon if not $44.99)

Google Goggles

Google Goggles

This great little app that allows you to use your phone's camera to analyze anything and match it to something similar on the web. You can take a picture of a brand and find prices online. Take a picture of a magazine page and find the product or entire magazine online. Take a picture of some foreign language and have it translated. Take a picture of anything else and find others online. I can scan business cards and add them to your contact list.

Of course it also sans bar codes and other VR type codes.

Let's see how it does on something that is new to the web...

Taking the picture.

The picture is getting scanned for text or images that Google can search for.

It recognizes some text and ask you to rate the results.

Finally you click on the link and see that it is 50% accurate but this won't help.

I have to admit I gave it a tough task trying to recognize something new but most odd things will leave with the same results. Common things like Pepsi cans or movie posters will get you great results. I can see this being used to learn more. For instance take a picture of a Picasso painting and use the links to see what it is called and all the facts surrounding the piece.

Here's why this is a 60% program...
Pros

1. Scans are somewhat fast
2. The possibilities are only limited by Google's reach

Cons

1. Less than 50% success rate even among common objects
2. Can get stuck
3. Lack of manual focus

Rating: 6 out of 10 (60%)

Got it at: Google Mobile