Software from A to Z

A: Audio Software	B: Business Software	C: Converting Software	D: Dictation Software
E: Easy Software	F: FTP Software	G: Graphics Software	H: Hardware
I: International	J: Jamming Software	K: Keep (Protect & Save)	L: Live Broadcasting
M: Mobile Software	N: New Programs	O: Optimize	P: PDF Software
Q: Quick	R: Recording Software	S: Social Sharing	T: Typing Software
U: Utility Software	V: Video Software	W: Web Access	X: eXpress
Y: YouTube Software	Z: Zip Software

U is for Utilities

NCH Software ABCs Series

Software utilities utilities might be less glamorous than our other software products, but this category includes all of the software titles that you need to get your computer working for you. We’ve got software that can help with anything, including all of the day-to-day and maintenance tasks that you might need accomplished. Our focus to bring you fast and easy-to-use software is even more important for programs that fit in this category, as you want these utilities to get the job done. Whether you are burning a disc, backing up files, or cleaning your windows registry, here is our complete list of utility software:

• Bolt PDF printer
  
• Classic FTP file transfer software
  
• Doxillion document and pdf converter
  
• Express Burn disc burning software
  
• Express Zip file compression software
  
• FastFox word expander software
  
• FileFort backup software
  
• Fling ftp syncronization software
  
• KeyBlaze typing tutor software
  
• Meo file encryption software
  
• Orion data and photo recovery
  
• Verbose text to speech screen reader
  
• Verity parental control software
  
• Warp PC registry cleaner
  

<<< Previous: T is for Typing

Next: V is for Video >>>

Choosing the Best FTP Software: Classic FTP and Fling

File Transfer Protocol, also known as FTP, can be a very useful tool when we know how to utilize it. It is used for transferring files from computer to computer on a network. Most commonly, it is used by web developers to upload web pages to a web hosting server. You can also use FTP to back up files on your computer by setting up an FTP account on any FTP service provider.

NCH not only offers a straightforward FTP solution with Classic FTP, but also offers Fling, which streamlines the uploading and synchronization process. Classic FTP is a traditional ftp client offering the latest FTP features, allowing you to upload or download files manually, or synchronize your local directory with the remote directory. Fling was originally designed specifically for maintaining our website, so if you manage a website or need to synchronize local and remote data, Fling is absolutely the FTP software you need! Fling integrates directly with Windows Explorer and can be set to automatically upload file changes. FTP file management has never been easier.

Whether you want to manage one website or several, or simply back up or share files, FTP software will make the process both easy and efficient. Just like the rest of our software, Classic FTP and Fling are easy-to-use and have free 14-day trials, so you can download and start exploring just how easy file transfer can be and make sure you find the best FTP client for transferring your files.

F is for FTP

NCH Software ABCs Series

File Transfer Protocol, or FTP, is a very useful and standard way of transferring files over a network or the internet. The most common uses are for a web master or designer uploading files to a server, or designers transferring their large files to a printer, but those are is just two of the possibilities.

Despite our constantly growing computer hard drive capacities and faster internet speeds, transferring large files can still be a challenge because media files have been growing too. FTP was created as a solution to this file transfer and sharing problem, and it has withstood the test of time with few major changes since its first graphical user interface upgrade from command line operations.

NCH Software offers two flavors of FTP programs with distinct designs catering to different transfer management scenarios and/or personal preferences to make sure that you can find a streamlined and easy method to handle your FTP needs:

Classic FTP is just what the name implies. Its design is what those already familiar with FTP or other FTP clients have come to expect—a straight-forward interface where you browse your local computer on one side, and the remote server or machine on the other.

Fling is a different way to think about FTP, where the interface is rarely needed after the initial setup. You set up folders to map to an FTP server, then you can choose to have Fling automatically check for updates for you to keep the files synced, or you can choose to manually upload or transfer files from your local machine, which can be done by simply right-clicking on the file or folder and selecting Fling Upload. Fling does the rest.

So if you are looking for a file backup or transfer solution, an FTP client or FTP software, take a closer look at Classic FTP and Fling to see which one is the perfect fit for your file transferring.

<<< Previous: E is for Easy

Next: G is for Graphics >>>

NCH Software ABCs

We have put together a series of posts looking at many different aspects of NCH Software and what you can do with software. The gimmick is an A-Z tour of our software, but we’re confident it will thoroughly introduce you these different facets of the NCH Software world.

A is for Audio B is for Business C is for Converters D is for Dictation E is for Easy F is for FTP G is for Graphics H is for Hardware I is for International J is for Jams K is for Keep L is for Live M is for Mobile N is for New O is for Optimize P is for PDF Q is for Quick R is for Recording S is for Sharing T is for Typing U is for Utilities V is for Video W is for Web Access X is for eXpress Y is for YouTube Z is for Zip

First: A is for Audio >>>

Software You Didn't Even Know You Needed

Technology has become a huge part of our daily lives, and I am sure you could pretty easily come up with a list of devices or applications that you simply couldn't live without. But with so much technology out there, I'll bet there are programs out there that can make your life easier or more efficient that you never even thought to go searching for. The software surprises listed below will quickly climb to you must have list once you give them a try.

Shorthand Text Expander Software

Ever find yourself typing the same words, phrases or paragraphs repeatedly? Stop typing things over and over again with text expansion software. You might not think much about what you type out all the time, but if you really stop to think about it, I'm sure you could find multiple ways to use keyboard shortcuts that would save you time. Anything from inserting signatures in emails, filling out online forms, and writing long responses to customer questions don't need to be more than a few keystrokes away, instantly improving your typing speed and productivity.

Invoicing Software

Managing invoices is a never-ending process, and if you're doing them all by hand or in Excel you might be spending more time on invoicing than you need to. Invoicing software like Express Invoice allows you to set up automatically recurring invoices, where invoices can be automatically generated and sent as e-mails or faxes from the program. Express Invoice has other time saving features including mobile access, reminders for payments past due and storing item information to eliminate repeat data entry.

Timesheet Software

Another way to make invoicing easier for freelancers and other businesses that charge by the hour is using timesheet software to not only create a timesheet but track the amount of time spent on individual projects or clients.

Automatic FTP Uploading Client

Every web designer already knows that an FTP client is a must, but not all FTP clients are created equal. I personally couldn't live without Fling Automatic FTP Software, which can be used to automatically detect and upload changed files to keep files synchronized. Fling can also be used to upload files from your right click menu, so you can upload a change live without needing to open and browse through your files in the FTP client separately.

File Converter Software

If you've ever had trouble opening up an audio or video file, then you already know how helpful it can be to have a file converter on hand. With Switch Audio Converter, you can convert and compress sound files within minutes of downloading. For video files there is Prism Video Converter, plus Pixillion Image Converter, for images and Doxillion Document Converter to convert document types. Combined these software converters can help you get out of just about any file format compatibility problem.

Web Designers: Why You Don’t Need DreamWeaver

DreamWeaver is supposed to be a one-stop shop for web design. The package offer is very tempting to the beginning web designer in search of web-design training wheels, or even the small business owner who is comfortable working with HTML but needs help with everything else. But unless you can get DreamWeaver as part of a larger Adobe Suite, buying it alone is hardly worth it. Here, we break down the stages of designing a basic website and show how to avoid paying hundreds of dollars for something you really don’t need.

Concept Design

Obviously, the first place to start is with a paper and pencil. If you’re putting a site together for a client, ask as many questions about their design aesthetic as you can think of. If the site is for you or your business, make sure you cover all the functionality you need. Jot down the structure of the website as a chart or on separate pages. Plan everything out before you go to the computer.

Cost of Concept Design: $0

Graphic Layout

Not only is it nice to see what the site will look like before you do all the hard work, but a good digital mockup of your site will be easy to slice up for the images you’ll put in the code. Many designers use PhotoShop, but if your site doesn’t need to do back-flips and speak Martian, you can easily get away with using a more basic image editor.

PhotoPad Image Editor allows you to work with digital pictures, resize, and edit as you need for your website, then save in a web-friendly format. You can also add text and get a good feel for the layout you’ll be building into the site.

Cost of Graphic Layout: $0

To the Trenches: the Text Editor

This is where I geek out, so there’s no way I want a program that is going to do the coding for me! And the sooner you can wean yourself off the idea that web design can happen like any WYSIWYG word processor, the better. Plain and simple, you will have to know HTML and CSS to build a website. Once you’re comfortable with these two peas in a pod, any text editor will do. You want a fancy one, you say? Sure! Get one that color codes your tags for easy readability. Go big, but be sure to go free. There are several free, quality text editors out there that are more than qualified for this job.

Cost of Text Editor: $0

Test, Test, Test

Testing is a matter of opening your .html files in a browser and making sure they don’t look funny. And last time I checked, browser downloads are free.

Cost of Browsers for Testing: $0

FTP to Your Web Host

Your website is ready for the big time, finally! But how to get it off your local machine, and out into the World Wide Web? FTP, of course. You’ll do yourself a favor to find one that is easy to use, reliable, and can guide you through the initial setup with your web host.

Classic FTP is all of these. It has an intuitive interface that doesn’t get in the way of the functionality, and it stores your connection settings so that making updates to your site later on is absolutely painless.

Cost of FTP Software: about $45

There you have it. Web design without DreamWeaver, for a highly reasonable price. Try it. You’ll probably like saving money and getting just as much accomplished in the meantime.

Software to put the “Free” back in Freelancer

When you set out as a designer/writer/ artist/programmer on the freelancing path, you probably envisioned yourself working merrily at your home office desk. The word freelancing itself invokes thoughts of freedom—freedom from a boss, from a set schedule, from traffic jams and cranky coworkers. But you probably didn’t foresee all the details you would have to keep track of, and any freedom you may have hoped for was quickly squashed by the little things. The more successful you are as a freelancer, the more organized you need to be. Here are some software solutions that will put you back in control.

Timekeeper Software: HourGuard
Time is money, and your time is especially valuable. Not only will HourGuard track how much time you spend on work for each client, it’s easy to use, so your precious time won’t be spent trying to figure it all out. All you have to do is click the Start button when you begin a client’s work, and click Stop when the session is over. You can even set up a task schedule for large projects and track how much time you spend on each sub-task. When your billing period comes around, HourGuard will compile a time sheet, complete with what work you did, for how long, and when. You’ll wonder how you ever lived without this handy tool, especially after you download it for free.

Invoicing Software: Express Invoice
Stop using that sloppy-looking thing you call an invoice, and get organized with your finances. Express Invoice will not only generate professional looking invoices for you to send to your clients, it will help you keep track of how much money clients owe, past due payments, and how much money you’ve collected.

Customer Relationship Management Software: Reflect
If you’ve ever misplaced notes from your last phone conference, had trouble finding your client’s contact information, or lost the lead on a new job, you NEED this software! Use Reflect to create a complete customer record, complete with contact details, notes, event scheduling, and to advance your business. Reflect is free, so your ROI will be outstanding.

Business Card Creation Software: CardWorks
Getting new jobs is all about making great connections. Being caught without a business card is no excuse when creating your own business cards is this easy and free. CardWorks comes with a variety of pre-made templates for you to add your contact info to, then save to a pdf and take to the printer, or even print them out at home.

Depending on your line of work, you may find these other programs useful in your freelancing venture:

FTP File Transfer Software: Classic FTP For uploading your webpages, artwork, and code once your work is complete.
Disc Burning Software: Express Burn The easiest way to send your work, back up your work, or demo your work is still by creating a CD or DVD.
PDF Printer: Bolt PDF Sending professional PDFs of your resume, job bids, and other documents in PDF is the document sharing standard.

And be sure to check out our other Business Software to see all the business solutions we offer. Many of our business programs are scalable, so as your business grows, our software will grow with you.

A Webmaster's Love Affair with Fling FTP Software

I have a bit of a running joke with Laura, in our office, that I'm having a love affair with our FTP client, Fling, but it is based partly in truth. I really think that it is a very handy little application that does its job exceptionally well. I love it's simplicity. Fling offers such a clean and easy solution for uploading files to our website, it's admirable.

With over 80 software products in total that we make here at NCH, there is a lot of variety to what applications we might be talking about on any given day. But without fail if someone in the office mentions something about Fling, I will undoubtedly say something about how great I think it is, gushing like a girl in love.

I do personally use quite a few of our programs, which we have talked about in the blog before (Do we use our own software?) but Fling is one of the ones that I find myself using the most regularly.

I am one of the few people who reviews changes to our web pages here. After I have looked over a page and I'm ready to have it go live on the website all I have to do is right click on the file and select "Fling Upload." Fling does the rest. It's as simple as that.

It might seem a little silly to say that you are in love with an FTP client, but it's the little things, and even for such a little application I've found Fling to be a very useful and reliable little tool to have in my arsenal. I love Fling for its simplicity. I love how quick it is. I love how accomplished it makes me feel. If only every fling I've ever had had the same qualities.

Happy Valentine’s Day!