Showing posts with label easy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label easy. Show all posts

Friday, February 19, 2016

Converting Multiple Video Files Quickly and Easily Using Prism Video Converter

Converting Multiple Video Files Quickly and Easily Using Prism Video Converter


There are times when one needs to convert many video files at once - transferring them into your phone or handheld gaming device, or turning them into WMV format to include them in a PowerPoint presentation.

There are many video converters out there, but Prism Video Converter is designed for this purpose with:
  • Support for most major video formats
  • Ability to take in different formats in the same batch
  • Output video/audio quality options
  • Ability to resize video and add effects
  • Command line mode for batch conversion automation (advanced users only

  • Source: Wikipedia

How to Batch Convert Videos Using Prism

Note: This is a feature available in the premium version - the free regular version allows for one conversion at a time.

Converting multiple files in Prism is a simple process:
  1. In Prism, click 'Add Files' to select the video files you want formatted. It is okay to have differing file types in the same batch.
    • To make the process faster, it is recommended to move/copy the files ahead of time to a single folder on your computer so you can easily add all the files at once by clicking 'Add Folder'.
  2. At the bottom of the screen, set your destination folder - if the folder specified does not exist, Prism will prompt you to create it.
  3. Specify the output format you would like. The dropdown menu will have all of the formats available as well as formats ready for specific devices (phones, iPads, Xbox, etc)
  4. Set 'Encoder Settings', which determines video and audio quality. The Prism manual has more information on what each setting does.
  5. Set 'Video Options' to resize the videos or set them to a particular aspect ratio and to limit framerates if necessary.
  6. Add desired effects - color settings, filters, adding a caption or watermark, and rotate/flip.
  7. Hit 'Convert' and watch as the converted files are placed in your specified output folder!

Click on the link to download or purchase:
Prism Video Converter by NCH Software



Thursday, October 3, 2013

Video Editing On The Go - VideoPad For Android Is Here

In May 2013, YouTube celebrated its 8th anniversary announcing that 100 hours worth of video is uploaded every minute—that's four days worth of video every minute! And YouTube isn't the only place to upload videos, there are lots of other sites to upload videos of our children, pets, vacations or just about any aspect of our daily lives.

A lot of us shoot videos in all kinds of locations and don't want to wait to get home to our computers to edit that video. We want to share that video with our family and friends as soon as possible.

With VideoPad for Android, NCH Software has made it incredibly easy to edit and enhance videos while on-the-go. This new release for Android lets you take advantage of all the powerful video recording and editing tools you have come to love, from the convenience of your Kindle or Android tablet.

VideoPad Android Video Editing App

With VideoPad for Android it's easier than ever to create top-quality videos and have the instant gratification of sharing your videos in record time.

VideoPad Movie & Video Editor for Android lets you record or import video from your tablet and get straight to editing instead of waiting to get to a computer. VideoPad includes features to fine-tune the brightness and color of videos and add other visual effects. You can rotate videos that were recorded at different orientations so their perspectives match. You can trim videos down to size, zoom in on clips, add music, narration, video effects, transitions and complete all edits quickly and easily.

Even though VideoPad for Android has only just been released it's already getting four- and five-star reviews on the Google Play app store, and we are certain you will love it too. If you're already shooting and editing lots of video, or if you're just getting started, VideoPad for Android tablets is one app you won't want to miss. Install it today to create videos you'll be proud to share from wherever you are.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Express Points: A New Free PowerPoint Alternative from NCH

Need to give a report? Presenting a paper or results? Making a sales pitch? PowerPoint has been the standard for creating slide presentations for all these uses and more, but for many, it has also become a crutch. The Internet is littered with advice and the Dos and Don'ts of making effective presentations. Audiences have become numb and turned off to excessive use of standard templates and poorly planned presentations.

Hands down, no matter what program you use, thinking out the presentation, and what media, elements, and ideas you need to support and enhance what you have to say will make a world of difference more than the actual application used to make it. Like a calculator only being as smart as its user, adding slides won't make a presentation better just because they are there. That being said, if you are looking for an alternative program, we hope you will try the new Express Points Presentation Software.

As with all of our software, we have approached this application with the goal of making everything as easy as possible, so you can focus on what you want to say and do instead of how to get it done. We hope you will give Express Points a try when working on your next presentation, and give us your feedback on how we can improve it in future releases to make it even more effective.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Teaching Reading Fluency With Podcasts

Book About Teaching Reading Fluency We were excited to hear about the newly published book, From Fluency to Comprehension, part of a Teaching Practices That Work Series. Not only is this an important topic and a resource full of practical information for teachers, we first heard about this book from Sheri Vasinda and Julie McLeod who wrote one of the chapters on podcasting approaches to reading fluency. In that chapter they feature the Pocket WavePad mobile application, complete with illustrations, for recording and emailing scripts.

So if you are an educator or parent of a young reader, take a closer look at this new book about building the skills students need to read accurately, meaningfully and expressively. This guide incorporates activities, examples and technology—like our very own WavePad—to provide students with the essential components of reading comprehension. A fundamental skill for learning, and as someone who strongly believes in lifelong learning, a cause I am happy to see us support even in the littlest of ways.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Do the Splits and See Where Your Money is Going

Managing your personal finances is much easier when you know exactly where your money is coming from and where it's going. MoneyLine Personal Finance Software helps you track your cash flow quickly and easily.

split transaction to see where your money goes with MoneyLine personal finance software One of the easiest ways to see what's happening with your money is to use the split transaction feature in MoneyLine. For example, let's say you go to a store like Target or Walmart to buy groceries. Along with your groceries, you stop off in the automotive section to pick up a couple of quarts of oil, then stop by the clothing section to pick up a few pairs of socks, and finally drop by the toy aisle to buy a birthday gift for a young relative.

Once you're home and have put away the groceries and the other items you bought, enter the purchase in MoneyLine. You can either record the total amount of the transaction and stop there, or take a few extra seconds and split the transaction into different categories. After entering the total amount spent at the store, break down exactly how much money you spent on food and allocate that to the Groceries category. Record the amount spent for the motor oil to Auto, put the socks under Clothing, and finally the toy can go under Gifts.

You can even add subcategories to track things in still finer detail. For example, if you have two cars, you could make a subcategory for each vehicle underneath Auto expenses.

Over time, as you continue to categorize and split transactions you will have a better picture of exactly where you are spending your money. This helps when you are trying to create or stick to a budget—another feature of MoneyLine. You may find areas where you can cut back, or maybe you will find a few extra dollars that you can use for vacation and entertainment expenses—that's when keeping track of your money becomes fun.

Keeping track of your personal finances can be a chore, but with MoneyLine Personal Finance Software you'll find that it's actually a lot quicker than you may have feared.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

New Mac Digital Photo Slideshow Software

New Mac version of PhotoStage slideshow maker software One of our most popular programs, PhotoStage Slideshow Maker is now not only the best slideshow software for Windows but also an easy way to make slideshows with music, photos, video clips, narration and more on Mac OS X. Slideshows are a great way to keep your memories alive and creating dynamic video slideshows couldn't be easier. From Camera to DVD or posting online to share with friends and family follow the easy steps to add your media, enhance your photos and add effects for a professional touch in minutes. Download PhotoStage today to start making your own video picture slideshows and see how easy it is for yourself.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Are You A Typing Hero?

New typing hero game in KeyBlaze typing tutor We know that leaning to type is important. Touch typing is a skill you'll use throughout your life. And with the need to learn how tow to type at a younger age we are continuing to work on making learning to type more fun. Besides, whoever said practice had to be boring? To make learning to type more fun, we just added a new typing game to KeyBlaze typing tutorTyping Hero.

In the spirit of Guitar Hero, in Typing Hero, letters come down the screen and the player needs to type those letters as they cross the line. It starts out slow, but as the speed increases it starts to create a typing rhythm in addition to encouraging the use of the correct fingers which are color coded for you at the bottom of the screen.

Give Typing Hero and the other typing games in KeyBlaze typing tutor software a try and see if you don't enjoy improving your typing skills and speed just a little bit more. Then let us know, what’s your best score?

Friday, July 5, 2013

New Book: Video Editing with NCH VideoPad for Dummies

video editing with videopad for dummies There is a new way to learn how easy video editing can be. Now at Best Buy you can find Video Editing with NCH VideoPad Software for Dummies. If you, or someone you know, is intimidated by the thought of sitting down and trying to edit your home movies, this book is the answer. Coming with a copy of VideoPad you can install on your Windows or Macintosh computer it will guide you through the editing process with all the tips and tricks you would expect from any for Dummies publication.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Stop Balancing Your Checkbook By Hand

Checkbook Balancing The Old Way How do you track your spending? Did you learn how to balance a checkbook in school? Do you take the time to go through it by hand each month? Or, maybe the question should be if you balance your checkbook at all?

The good news is that there is no reason for your checkbook to stay analog in this digital world. You can track your spending and balance your checkbook easily with simple software like MoneyLine Personal Finance Software, which will even download statements directly from your bank. So save yourself the trouble and the time of doing things the old-fashioned way without letting the chore gets left on the side of the road.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Easy CD/DVD Copying and Burning

As new features and operating systems come out, some things start to go away. You probably don't miss floppy drives much, but one thing that is getting harder on a Mac is an easy way to burn things like your home movies to DVD. If you have videos, music, or even data you want to burn to CD, DVD, or Blu-ray, take a look at this preview of how easy it is to create and copy disc with Express Burn.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Bringing Fond Memories Back to Life

Guest post by John Albergo

My dad was an engineer and a shutterbug, which meant that our vacations were meticulously captured through the lens of his German Leica. This was both a blessing and a curse.

Up close and personal with a buffalo

First, the blessing: Our summer car trips covered the Dakotas, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Alberta, and Dad captured everything on film—35mm slides, to be specific. The engineer in him demanded perfection, which resulted in beautiful photos of incredible, indescribable landscapes that most people never see. Even as children, we were awestruck by the forces of nature that merged to create these scenes—Yellowstone Park, Old Faithful, Twin Falls, the Grand Tetons, Glacier Park, the Badlands, rivers, forests, plains, snow-capped mountains and, of course, wildlife.

John's brother Pat, at Badlands National Park. "Take just a few more steps back..."

Now the curse: Fast forward to 2012. I inherited more than 1,000 slides, all neatly organized into cartridges, that were taking up space in my basement. Suddenly, there was a renewed interest in slides that no one has seen in years; now everyone wanted to see them again. I had to figure out how to digitize and share them across several states. It would have taken me weeks to scan, edit and clean up all of the old slides, so I opted to have them professionally scanned. (Hint: Some photo and film digitizing services send their work overseas on container ships, which can take months, so I chose a company that does everything locally)

Rather than simply send everyone CDs with a bunch of images, I wanted to create a slide show in which they could identify what the photos were. I downloaded a trial of PhotoStage Slideshow Maker and created a show with a few scanned images; I was sold immediately. Creating and editing a slide show is simple. Once I created a slide show, altering the duration of each slide took only a few clicks, allowing me to time the music I added to the showdown to the second.

That was nice for starters, but the real test was when I got nearly 500 hi-res images back from the scanning service. I found that uploading even a high volume of images into PhotoStage is fast, and it allowed me the option of transferring everything in sub-folders that indicated where groups of photos were taken, such as "Glacier Park" and "Little Bighorn." The folders show up in the menu system of DVD players, allowing viewers to select sideshows by location or subject. Once I created and saved the show, it was just a matter of copying it to a CD or DVD.

Memories Preserved for Lifetime
Whether your family's cherished memories are sitting in boxes of photos, neatly arranged photo albums or encased in slide carousels, that's all they're doing—just sitting there. And they can fade over time or, heaven forbid, be destroyed by natural disasters. Once you digitize them, PhotoStage lets you recreate and preserve those memories and enhance them with music, titles and other effects. Everyone in my family can now view these photos as a reminder not only of our beautiful country but how truly fortunate we were to have a Dad who wanted us to see it.

John Albergo is a writer with more than 15 years of experience in business communications, spanning IT services, software licensing, health and safety programs, and general business. He's also a bit of a shutterbug and even had his own darkroom while in high school.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Preview Switch Audio Converting Software

CNET recently started making download preview videos to give you a quick taste of a program before you download. Take a look at the speedy Switch Sound Converter below. It really only takes seconds to convert audio and music files to mp3, aiff, wav, wma, or any one of the other audio formats—over 40 formats in all.



So now that you've had a peek, download Switch Audio Converter for your Mac or PC today for quick and easy audio converting whenever you need it.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Express Invoice Now Available for Android

Express Invoice Android App Now Available
Adding to the NCH Android collection and giving you the ability to create invoices from anywhere, the popular, Express Invoice invoicing program is now available for Android tablets on both Google Play and on the Amazon app store. So business people who couldn't jump on the recent Express Invoice iPad release because they have an Android device don't need to feel left out anymore.

Take your billing on the road with you for easy, streamlined invoicing that is less of a chore. And for an even more comprehensive invoicing solution for multiple users, you can still use the popular desktop versions of Express Invoice invoicing software.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Smart Text Auto Complete Software

FastFox Smart Auto Complete Text Expander Software With FastFox instant text expander you can improve your typing speed and productivity not only with personalized keyboard shortcuts and shorthand abbreviations, but FastFox also learns what you type the most often and will make suggestions for completing phrases as you type with a popup alert in the corner of your screen. Just like the regular hotkey shortcuts, the auto complete feature will work while you type in any application, so you can select, insert and finish text phrases on the fly.

Bring the power of auto complete to all your typing with FastFox word expander software.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Simple Ways To Protect Your Online Data

Guest post by Rick Delgado

Cybercrime is becoming a more prevalent problem every year in the United States. This is because much of what used to be performed in face-to-face interactions are now done online. For example, you probably did most of your holiday shopping last year while sitting down at your computer. Criminals are well aware of the type of information you are providing websites with and are making greater efforts to access that information.
Preventing a problem is always better than trying to clean up afterwards. Knowing how to protect yourself online will save you a lot of stress and problems.
With so much risk attributed to the internet, it is essential to take necessary precautions. In addition to heavy-duty network security programs, or encrypting data before emailing sensitive information, there are simple steps you can take to make sure criminals can't steal sensitive information. Consider some of the following:

Use Privacy Settings
Social media sites allow you to choose how private you want your profile to be. It is smart to only allow people you know and trust to view your social media sites. Identity thieves will often study someone's Facebook or Twitter account to help them take on your identity

Don't Use Personal Information on Social Media
In addition to making your social media private, don't put potentially sensitive information about yourself on it. Even a birthday can give cyber-criminal clues to a password or verification question on your bank account's website. While it seems harmless, it might be a good idea to leave that information out. Your family and friends should know your birthday anyways.

Use Several Usernames and Passwords
Don't use the same password for your Facebook and bank account. Criminals use algorithms to figure out passwords. If they do happen to figure one out, they still won't be able to access information from all your accounts. Also, change your passwords frequently for an added layer of protection. Don't make your passwords obvious either.

Be Cautious of Foreign Facebook Apps
Apps have the potential to access a lot of personal information. Some of these apps are specifically designed to take your information and sell it to criminals. Be cautious of which apps you buy and what country the app is from. You are likely to be safer with apps made in developed countries like the United States.

Don't Trust Public Computers
Don't use public computers, like those in libraries or internet cafes, for sensitive financial transactions. That information could be stolen through the network. If you do use public computers, make sure to log out when you leave. If you don't, people can trace your history or log into your accounts.

Lock Your Phone
People who use smartphones are more likely to have information stolen. Have a lock or password on your screen. Don't leave passwords up on important websites. You have a lot of important information traveling around with you in your pocket. If your information isn't properly secured and you lose or misplace your phone, you could be in serious trouble.

Close Old Accounts
It is always a good idea to reduce your digital footprint. For example, if you no longer use certain social media sites, delete them. The less information you have about yourself on the internet, the harder it will be for identity thieves to trace you.

Keep An Eye on Your Accounts
Once criminals access your information they will make purchases with your credit card. Review your finances frequently to make sure there aren't any unaccounted for transactions. If you do notice any, report them immediately to your bank so you don't lose any more money.

You can never be too careful when it comes to protecting yourself and your family from hackers, identity thieves, and other cyber threats. Your virtual security is extremely important and can keep you from becoming a victim of not so virtual crimes.


About the Author: Rick Delgado is a freelance writer who specializes in the latest advancements in technology and gadgets, and is an expert in preventing online fraud.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Everday Text Expansion

What do you type the most? your email address? your mailing address? maybe your phone number? or your web address? Are there any words you struggle to remember how to spell causing you to slow down and correct misspellings or typos? Or maybe you frequently browse to webpages just so you can copy and paste the links to make sure you get them correct.

Spring loaded text expansion for everyday use We are all constantly typing, from emails to forms online, and some of the things we are typing we have to type all of the time. FastFox text expansion software lets you save those words or phrases so you can not only enter them in faster, but also avoid typos. Think of it like auto complete that will work anywhere on your computer, or like a super powered clipboard that can save much more than just one snippet of text at a time. You pick your own shortcuts and what they are short for, then whenever you type the shortcut it will be automatically replaced. So, typing something like :em could be all you need to type to enter your email address, or you could just type :sig to add a signature to the end of an email, a comment you're making on a forum. Anywhere you type, if you enter one of your text shortcuts FastFox will automatically replace it with the expanded text.

The possibilities are endless, you don't need to be a typist or transcriptionist to find things that would make useful text shortcuts, just think, what do you type the most often? Once you've created shortcuts for those common items and phrases you will wonder what you ever did without them. Spend less time typing with this fast, everyday solution.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Make "Picture-in-Picture" Videos with VideoPad

Create picture in picture video with videopad for pip video editing The picture-in-picture (PIP) effect is commonly used in videos where more than one set of images is shown simultaneously in order to tell a story or convey additional information. Picture-in-picture is frequently used as part of news clips and in instructional videos.

The PIP effect can easily be achieved using VideoPad Video Editor software (version 3.0) by adding the video clip you want to overlay as your picture-in-picture onto the timeline so that it is positioned above the video you want to serve as the background in your video.

With this clip selected in the timeline, click on the "Effects" button then choose "Motion" from the drop-down menu at the top of the dialog box. Use the "Scale," "Position X" and "Position Y" controls to adjust the size and placement of your clip. You will be able to see the position and size change in the preview window on the right side of the Effects dialog box.

When everything is positioned the way you want it simply close the dialog box to apply your changes. Then, when you preview your movie, you will see your re-sized and re-positioned video clip overlaid on top of the larger clip.

Creating a picture-in-picture video in VideoPad is that easy. Use the same process to position images on the screen, making it an easy way for businesses to add their logo to videos.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Create Videos From Photos

Take photos from your camera or hard drive and transform those photos into videos in no time. With PhotoStage photo movie maker you can quickly bring new life to your digital photos.

Use the quick create option to add all the photos in a folder into a slideshow to get you started. Simply drag and drop to rearrange photos. Add effects, captions, music and narration for that little something extra to truly turn your photos into something special.

Monday, January 14, 2013

New iPad Express Invoice App

Now available in the iTunes store is the brand new iPad version of Express Invoice, providing a new portable and easy invoicing solution for business people on the go. Create and send invoices, quotes and estimates, automate recurring invoices and payment past due reminders, plus access up-to-the-minute statements and reports all from the convenience of your iPad.

Sales and business people who are always on the move and spend more time with customers than at their desk won't want to miss out on the convenience of the express invoice iPad app. And for a more comprehensive solution including support for multiple users, multiple businesses and remote access, be sure to check out the desktop versions of this popular invoicing software.