Screenshot editor cum manager in windows 10

The default screenshot tool in Windows 10 is a lot better than the older ones for sure, but it doesn't really provide the kind of usability that other 3rd party screen shot editors provide.

Today, I'm sharing my favorite tool for screenshot management in Windows 10 and it's free to use and easy to use: GreenShot

Here's some of the reasons why I love this tool so much.

Encoding Webcam data in Java

Java is the blue eyed boy of modern society. From Open Source lovers to Oracle, they all love Java. So, apparently, something like capturing data from a webcam and creating a video out if it should be a walk in the walk in the park, right?


Well, in this case, the walk appears to be rather full of potholes! Not only that, the road seems to veer off and disappear at times.


You see, there are various multimedia frameworks available in Java that allow you to capture webcam, but all of them have a JNI interface. This is where things so ugly. On Linux, such specific bits of code rely on Video for Linux (v4l or v4l2) abstractions. On Windows, DirectShow is the way to go.

Become a DJ!

There's a lot of things people do with their computers... among them Listening to music is one of my favorites! DJs are people who play with music, remix mixes and create new stuff that is oh-so-cool!

Perhaps some of you already use Virtual DJ, however it is marred with Copyright breach of OpenSource Libraries ^[1]. So here's something good that let's you flanger through your DJ-ing ambitions without making you consult your lawyer!

OSS on Linux Mint 10

 Finally a relief! The Mint 10 based on Ubuntu maveric meerkat proved useful to me as I could install OSSv4.

Firstly, an introduction on OSSv4 is required. OSS or Open Sound System was developed by 2 hackers, who feel the current scene in Linux Audio is pathetic and also feel that they are not bound to be ruled by the GPL only. They have come up with an audio solution for *nix based systems (works on Linux, Solaris, BSD and other nix-es) that, judging from sound quality and mixing capabilities is much better than ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture). True, ALSA is far more advanced in terms of harware support and general integration, but take a look at OSS! It is coming to terms with the real world and now has an experimental USB sound driver included. Bluetooth would not be far behind, and well, it would really close the gap between ALSA and OSS.

Google Voice on Linux

Finally, the day of reckoning has arrived. Google voice plug-in now works on Linux based systems... Yipee!!

Thumbs up for Google for this. I knew this was coming. And today I have been awarded.

Download this here:

http://www.google.com/talk/

Spread the love!

Voice Notification System

Want to make the computer remind you the time every hour, so you don't lose track?

Here's a simple voice (I've chosen a female US speaker for this ;-) notification system that will remind every hour the time.

Pre-requisites:

festival

To install festival:

sudo apt-get install festival

OSS Hack

The latest OSS (Open Sound System) version 4.2 from 4front technologies is a rock solid sound solution of *Nix-es and worked beautifully on my Mint* OS. (The * Actually means a heavily customized Mint very far from the real Mint.) Well actually it made my new Creative X-Fi 6 channel + Midi Enabled sound card produce Music! ALSA will not work (as of Now Jun, 2010) and Creative officially does not support Linux (or any other *NIX). A series of e-mails I wrote made me confirm I cannot exchange my sound card with another model from them... and a refund was out of question!

Okay, so Apparently the latest download drivers will expire on May 2010, 6 days ago that is. But I am enjoying music from my OSS right now! How is that possible!

Mystery ended, mere mortals... here's how it can be reversed:

So, the OSS system starts-up via
soundon.

M$ Windoz Vista - A piece of crap

Here's a not so very nice-looking video shot at a college friends' PG-room. He had lost his pirated Product Key and Vista would not log him on. He was required to enter a valid key. Vista was good.

But then I came,

and I showed him,

that Vista was pretty lame,

and that pleased him!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhEAKBFGrJE

NB: This is actually a pretty serious bug. I can start any program from Vista without any Product Key on my machine! Looks like Microsoft's recession source is something else.