Florence Virtual Keyboard

Woke up in the morning just to find out that the navigation keys of your keyboard are not working ? Things can't get worse than this. No social networking ? no Google or other downloads ? Probably your keyboard had its fare share of coffee yesterday.
Well, your world should not really stop. It may get 'virtual' though.


Get the 'Florence Virtual Keyboard' from the 'Ubuntu Software Center'. Install it even if your keyboard is working fine. It might come in handy someday.




With a pretty smooth and intuitive interface, 'Florence' provides a great typing and navigational experience. Use your mouse to click on the keys and type on the currently active window. It comes loaded with a number of features which let you configure the looks and extend your keyboard. The key with the 'tools' logo lets you configure this keyboard. You can add additional keys , change the colors and opacity of the keyboard.

Florence provides very interesting 'Behaviour' patterns. Check out the 'Timer' and 'Ramble' patterns. Though it may take time getting used to these patterns.
But there are certain things even 'Florence' can't sort out for you. What if you have to switch to the Windows OS at the Grub startup. You can use the 'End' and 'Home' keys to find your way out of this predicament. Hope these two work , at least.

Let Figaro Remember Your Passwords.

'Figaro's Password Manager' is another password manager that can be installed from the 'Synaptic Package Manager'.
After installation , launch it from the 'Accessories' menu. A master password needs to be provided to encrypt all other passwords.So, it is extremely crucial to remember the master password.



Once the master password is set, you can start adding passwords by clicking on the 'New' button.An adequate number of fields are provided to keep a password safe.These include the 'Title','URL','User Name','Password','Category','Notes' and 'Launcher'.




A new password can also be generated by clicking on the 'Generate' button.Once again, a large number of options are provided to configure password generation.



Passwords may also be imported through password files.Launchers (web,ssh and generic commands) may also be created.
To find for a particular entry,click on the 'Find' button under the 'Edit' menu.
To enable a tray icon, open the 'Preferences' under the 'Settings' menu.

Screenruler- A Ruler For Measuring Objects On Screen.

'Screenruler' is a very interesting application that lets you measure the length of objects present on your screen.
It can be installed from the 'Synaptic Package Manager'.After installation ,lauch 'Screenruler' from the 'Accessories' menu.



This would result in a ruler being displayed on the screen.Right click on the ruler to set preferences and change the metric unit.'Screenruler' allows users to choose from among six units-pixels,centimeters,inches,picas,points and percentage.Measurements can be made horizontally and vertically.
The background color and fonts can be changed from the 'Preferences' menu.
To make measurements,align the ruler with an object and drag the right end with the mouse.

'Resolution Switcher'-Change your monitor's display resolution from the notification area.

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'Resolution Switcher' is a simple program that can be installed from the 'Synaptic package manager'.After installation,launch it from the 'Accessories' menu.

Now,click on the 'Resolution Switcher' icon in the notification area to set the display's resolution.

'Leafpad' Text Editor.

'Leafpad' is a very simple and notepad like text editor for Ubuntu.'Leafpad' can be downloaded from the 'Synaptic Package Manager'.After installation ,launch it from the 'Accessories' menu.
To change font and apply line numbers ,click on the 'Options' menu.

Create your own avatars with 'MeMaker'.

'MeMaker' is an application that allows you to easily create your own personalized avatars that you can upload on your favourite sites and use with different applications.It is extremely easy to get creative with 'MeMaker'.


Launch 'MeMaker' from the 'Accessories' menu.Now, select a theme from the options provided.The themes that can be used include 'artistic','plastitudes','plazmoid','animal-crackers','freestyle',and 'cocohead'.Depending on the theme selected,you would get to choose the facial elements like the head,eyes,eyebrows and even accessories.
After creation of an avatar,it can be saved in SVG,PNG,BMP and some other formats also.

Be Notified Of Everything With 'Specto'!

'Specto' is an amazing application available in the Ubuntu repository that lets you keep track of a website,email client,folder,file,process and even a port.'Specto' provides a very simple and easy to use GUI.


Its pretty easy to get started.
Simply click on the 'ADD' button under the 'Edit' menu or on the toolbar to add a new "watch".Provide a name to your watch and choose the "Watch Type" that determines the nature of the task.Also,customize the refresh interval.Other options provided in this window would depend on the "Watch Type".


To further customize the notifications,click on 'Preferences' under the 'Edit' menu.Here you would get to customize the duration of the pop up and enable sounds.



Specto 0.22
Jean-Francois Fortin Tam
http://specto.sourceforge.net

Get a simple screen resolution switcher in the Gnome notification area.

Download the 'Resolution Switcher' that is available in the 'Synaptic package Manager'.Search for 'resapplet' and mark for installation.
To get started,simply launch 'Resolution Switcher' from the 'Accessories' menu.


Now click on the small button activated in the notification area.Simply choose a resolution and let it take effect immediately.An option to keep previous resolution settings is provided, in case something goes wrong.

iCalc- A Simple Text Based Calculator

'iCalc' is a very simple text based calculator for Ubuntu. Maybe simplicity is its USP.Do not compare it with the conventional Gnome click based calculator.What you get with 'iCalc' is a simple black window with a welcome message, previous number in the memory and an option to choose an operator.You can choose up to 10 operators or commands. Two of these commands are the 'help' and 'quit' options.Simply type in the command or the operator symbol and work according to the next message displayed.The arithmetic operators work only with two numbers at a time.The 'log' command provides you with the natural logarithm of the number typed in.Type in 'help' to view some more details about 'icalc'.
There is another version of 'iCalc' called 'iCalc-Term' that works in the terminal.The working of this version is same as that of 'iCalc'.


Download 'iCalc' by clicking here.

'gworldclock'-Tracking Time Can't Get Easier.

Apart from the Gnome notification area world clock ,you can use 'gworldclock' to keep track of a large number of time zones with a lot of ease.
It is very basic,light and simple application.
It can be installed from the 'Synaptic Package Manager' (search for 'gworldclock').After installation,launch it from the 'Accessories' section.
The default display shows the current system time-zone.To add a new time-zone,
click on the 'Options' menu and then 'Add Timezone'.
A new window having 'Continents','Countries' and 'Regions' tab would appear.
Make selections under these tabs to select a time-zone.You would have to configure all the three sections to add a time-zone.


Select the time display format from the 'Preferences' section,under the 'File' menu.Customized display format can also be created.


You may also "rendezvous" your time zones to a specified time and date ('Options' menu).
Make sure to 'Save Zones' ('File' menu) before exiting the program.
Developer:Drew Parsons 18 March 2005
License: Released under the General Public License (GPL) v2.0

Get a cross platform 'Gorilla' for your passwords.

'Password Gorilla' can help you manage all your passwords that you you forget again and again.It is a cross platform application which is a boon if you switch between different OSs.The interface and fonts of 'Password Gorilla' might not please you but that is not really what matters here.Install this application from the 'Synaptic Package Manager' and launch from the 'Accessories' menu.Even with the first run of the program, you would be asked to open a database.Simply click on the 'Cancel' button to enter the main program.


To create a new database of passwords ,click on 'New' in the 'File' menu.You will be asked to provide a master password for the database.To create a new login account within a database, click on the 'Login' menu.A new window allowing you to provide a title , URL ,username and password would appear.Additional notes can also be provided.A random password can also be generated here.Save the database before exiting the program.


Now whenever you require your passwords ,simply open the corresponding database and copy usernames and passwords to clipboard and paste them in their respective fields.This feature of 'Password Manager' makes it pretty safe to use it in the presence of others.
Open 'Preferences' from the 'File' menu to provide the default time after which the clipboard should be cleared.This is set to 0 (never) by default.



It is also important to clear clipboard as quickly as possible.For random password generation,edit he 'Password Policy',that allows you to configure the kind of passwords that are generated.



If you forget the master password ,then things can turn pretty bad.

GShutdown-An Avanced Shutdown Utility

GShutdown is an advanced shutdown utility that lets you schedule a shut down or a restart of your system.The interface of GShutdown is very simple.It also stays in the GNOME notification area.Once you open GShutdown from the Accessories menu,you get to choose a date and time to schedule an execution.There are two more options provided to shutdown or restart the system after a delay of a certain amount of time and to execute a command immediately.You can execute three commands from GShutdown.These are turning off the system,restarting the system and ending the current session.Click on Start to activate the process.
Get to the Preferences section under the Edit menu.Here you get an option of running a particular command before the scheduled action.Under the Misc tab you get to customize the notification message.GShutdown gives a notification before executing an action so that you do not lose an important data or work.It gives you an option to cancel the scheduled action just before executing it.


If you take the cursor to the GShutdown icon in the notification area you can see a countdown to the execution of the command. GShutdown is a very handy utility for your ubuntu system.Install it from the Synaptic Packages Manager(Search for "gshutdown" in the Universe section).

Installing Google Gadgets In Ubuntu!

Get cool widgets for your desktop with Google Gadgets.Google Desktop Search has been available for Linux for quite some time now.Now,Google Gadgets are also available.Get a Debian package for easy installation from here.

After the installation go to the Accessories section and run Google Gadgets.

A sidebar would appear on the right side of the desktop.You would find a basic set of gadgets on this sidebar consisting of an image viewer,a web clips reader,an analog clock etc.But these are not the only gadgets available for installation.Click here to view the full gallery of Google Gadgets.

Download the Glass Media Player,a digital clock,a CPU meter and any other gadget of your choice.

Now how would you install these extra gadgets? Notice that these gadgets have an extension gg(google gadgets).The installation is pretty simple.Right click on a gadget and click "Open with other application".Now go to custom command section and type in "ggl-gtk".Now you would get a message asking you to confirm the installation.After confirmation the gadget you installed would start working on the sidebar.

Browse through the installed gadgets using the plus(+) button on the top of the sidebar.You can even take the gadgets out of the sidebar and place them at any position on the desktop.

These gadgets perform almost any sort of operation.So keep exploring and even try developing your own gadgets.

Click here to view a Google Gadgets video.

Circular Application Menu

Circular Application Menu provides a new way of browsing through the installed applications in ubuntu.Once you click on the Circular Application Menu icon ,a black window appears in a full screen mode.In the middle of the screen it provides the icons of the entries in the Applications menu.Bringing the mouse pointer on a particular icon displays its name and a small explanation.
Now if you select a particular entry,it further displays the applications of that section.Open an application by clicking on its icon.
You can close the circular menu by a single left click at an empty area or by clicking on the "close this menu" button in the middle of the menu.
Take the circular menu left or right by right clicking in an empty area in the direction.
For quick access put its icon on a panel.
Download the Circular Application Menu.

Click Here To Watch The Video.

GPRename

Rename a batch of files in one go with GPRename.
GPRename allows you to apply changes to the names of a group of files in one go.The interface of GPRename is very simple with an explorer at the left.Enter a directory with this explorer.The contents of the directory chosen are shown in the section adjoining the explorer.At the lower part of the window you have a section that allows you to edit the names of the files in the directory chosen.It is a tabbed section with the "Case Change","Insert/Delete","Replace/Remove",and the "Numerical"tabs.
All these sections provide you a very detailed set of options to edit the names of your files.Consider for example the "Insert/Delete" tab.Under this section,you can insert characters in the names of the files and also give the position number where you wish to insert the character.

It gives the options to add numerals to the names of the files and even replace a specific word with another.
Install GPRename from the Synaptic Package Manager.Search for "GPRename"
and mark for installation.
Enable Automatic Preview to see the changes applied instantly.Get to see the hidden files and even work in a full screen mode by using the options menu.
This application comes with a help file providing you some tips.
See the about window for credits.
Mailing list - gprename-users@lists.sourceforge.net
Home Page - http://gprename.sourceforge.net
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPRename
Copyright (C) 2007 gprename-users@lists.sourceforge.net
Click Here to Watch GPRename Video.

Graphical Disk Map.

Get to know your hard disk usage in a refreshing new way with the Graphical Disk Map.This application displays tree maps which vary in size depending upon the size of the file they represent.So you can get straight down to the folder or file that holds the maximum amount of data.Ubuntu installs with itself the Disk Usage Analyzer that does a similar job but Graphical Disk Map is faster and makes it is easy to track down a file or a folder.
It uses different color profiles for folders and files so it becomes very easy to distinguish between the two.These color profiles are customizable and you can select colors for various file formats also.

It gives you an option to choose the display type from the standard cushioned tree maps and squarified cushioned tree maps.You can also vary the height factor,decreasing height and the maximum display.
Install this application using the Synaptic Package Manager.Search for gdmap and mark for installation.

Avant Window Navigator!

Avant Window Navigator is a MAC OS like dockbar for linux.It is a panel to which launchers can be dragged.Besides launching applications ,it is a window navigator displaying the active windows.It is written in C and brings with itself some eye candy in the form of transparency and zoom features.It looks beautiful in the Gnome Desktop Environment and is a wonderful replacement of the regular Gnome panel.Awn can be customized from the Awn Manager in the Preferences section of the System menu.Here you can change the colors of the dock and change its behaviour also.Play around with the icon effects under the general tab (Have a look at this video).You can also choose to auto hide the dock when not in use.Change the look from the "flat bar" to "3d look" under the Bar Appearance tab.Instead of dragging launchers to the dock,you can add them directly from the Launchers section,but dragging is simpler and quicker.
Download additional themes and applets for AWN and install them using the Awn Manager.Install this dock using the Synaptic Package Manager (search for avant).
To set an automatic startup for the Avant Window Navigator,add it as a Startup Program in the Sessions window under the preferences section (Refer to the screenshot).
Click here to download Avant Applets.
Click here to download Avant themes.

Gnome Do!

Do things Quickly with Gnome Do!
Gnome Do is a launcher for your Gnome Desktop Environment.With Gnome Do ,you can quickly launch your favourite applications,open folders and even work with bookmarks.
To install Gnome Do go to the synaptic package manager and search for "gnome do" and mark it for installation.After installation go to the Accessories section of the Application menu and click on Gnome Do.Now start typing the name of your favourite application.As you type in the keyword,Gnome Do displays the list of possible applications or folders.If you see the application of your choice press enter.Press down the arrow key to view more options.The screenshot shows the launch of the Rhythmbox media player by just typing in "rh" in Gnome Do.Gnome Do provides the option of opening a web page by typing in the web address.This application is plugin based and can be extended by adding more plugins from within the package manager.Browse through artists ,albums and add tracks to the playing queue using the Rhythmbox plugin.Add Gnome Do to a panel to make it more useful.
Although made for the Gnome,it works with other window managers as well.
Watch the Gnome Do video here.

All Tray

ALL TRAY is a great piece of software for the people who multitask a lot and keep a lot of windows opened at the same time.It provides a great docking facility by removing the clutter of the opened windows and provides a better way of organising the opened windows. To dock a window simply click on the ALL TRAY icon in the accessories section of the application menu.Then click the generated +
(plus) sign on the window to be docked.Now the window would be docked in the system tray or the notification area of the GNOME Desktop Environment.To open a particular window , just click on its icon in the notification area.
Installation: Installation of ALL TRAY is very simple. Go to the Synaptic Package Manager and search for "alltray" (universe section) and mark it for installation.
Tip:If at any instant after clicking on the alltray icon the application hangs and the generated text body refuses to go, the go to the system monitor in the administration section of the system menu and kill the alltary process but please keep in mind that this would close the window as well and you may lose your work.ALL TRAY is a wonderful tool for any user. If you use it then pl,ease share your opinion in the comments box.

Alarm Clock

Most of us use an alarm clock.There is nothing special about it.
But what about an alarm clock for the Gnome desktop.
Alarm Clock is the personal alarm clock for GNOME desktop environment.
It supports sound fading, passive and normal dialogs, full screen dialogs,
scheduling options command line running and few standard actions.
This is a highly customisable Alarm Clockwith loads of options.The interface is very simple .To create an alarm ,simply click on the ADD button.Now, you will be provided with an option of creating an alarm from scratch or a simple counter.
Now what about the Alarm sound.Once an alarm is created , simply highlight and right click on the
alarm and select properties. Here you can provide name to your alarm ,set alarm time.
Just click on the Notification tab to select the sound file. Apart from WAV sounds , MP3 files can also be selected.Once you are awake simply click on the STOP button.
There is an option to create notifications for birthdays and customised templates.
Once activated this alarm clock rests in the system tray.
Just give it a try and share your opinion.
Developer : (c) 2008 Tomasz Sałaciński
Download Alarm Clock 0.9.10 now.