Eleven must have free add-ons for Skype

Eleven must have free add-ons for Skype:

Skype is transforming the world on a daily basis. It is one of those programs that is as likely to be used in the middle of nowhere in some third world country as it is in a fortune 500 company. This article will present eleven must have free add-ons for Skype that extend what it can do and enhance it’s user experience.

The add-ons: Clownfish for Skype (multiple functions), Idroo (whiteboard), Multiple Skype Launcher (launcher), Vodburner (video recorder), MP3 Skype Recorder (audio recorder), MAXA Notifier for Skype (notifier), SkyHistory (history log), Skype Translate (translation), Ursa Spell Checker (spellcheck), and SkyRemote (remote desktop access).

The list

1. Clownfish for Skype: adds a wide range of text and voice functions to Skype


2. Idroo: a shared whiteboard for your thoughts and ideas, within Skype


3. Multi Skype Launcher:store and launch multiple Skype accounts quickly and easily


4. SkypeAutoAnswer: answer incoming calls automatically


5. Vodburner: video record and edit your Skype video calls


6. MP3 Skype Recorder: record voice calls to MP3


7. MAXA Notifier for Skype: get notified when there’s a change in the status of specific contacts


8. SkyHistory: log your instant message chat history


9. Skype Translate: real-time translation of incoming and outgoing text messages


10. Ursa Spell Checker: real time spellcheck for Skype text chats


11. SkyRemote: share your desktop or remote control someone else’s, right from Skype

---

1. Clownfish for Skype: adds a wide range of text and voice functions to Skype

Clownfish offers tons of added functionality to Skype. For instant (text) messaging it offers built in spell checking, text-to-speech for incoming messages, message encryption, online translation for both incoming and outgoing text messages in over 50 languages (for those times, if any, where you are instant messaging with someone who speaks a different language), and various other functions.

For voice Clownfish offers the following noteworthy functions: a voice call recorder, voice changer, and even even an AI talking robot (that can replace you if you like).

This add-on is simply remarkable (and free). Get it!

---

2. Idroo: a shared whiteboard for your thoughts and ideas, within Skype

In the ‘real’ world, collaborators and educators will sketch out ideas and illustrations on a piece of paper. With Idroo, that can now be done inside of Skype.

An unlimited number of participants can access and sketch on the same page; you will see their cursor(s) and they will see yours, in real time, just like the ‘real’ world. Also noteworthy is Idroo’s support for math equations and functions, which make it perfect for math tutoring (see screenshot to the right).

Note, however, that Idroo is free for personal, non-commercial use. For business use you need to purchase a license.

---

3. Multi Skype Launcher: store and launch multiple Skype accounts quickly and easily

Does more than one person use Skype on a single computer? Do you ever find yourself searching for your Skype password after finding that someone else had logged into Skype?

If so, this add-on is a must. It will let you store user profiles and launch any particular Skype account that you need in a single click. Strangely, it will even let you launch multiple instances of Skype, each logged into a different account, on the same computer (presumably, to make sure that user x is online and receptive to incoming calls while user y is actively using Skype).

---

4. SkypeAutoAnswer: answer incoming calls automatically

Skype auto answer allows you to add the names to a list of contacts whose incoming calls will be automatically answered, presumably for users who are waiting for that all important call, or wanting to ensure they do not miss that Skype call from that special someone while they may be otherwise engaged with non computer activity (and why not).

---

5. Vodburner: video record and edit your Skype video calls

Some Skype sessions such as presentations, online tutorials, or even business communications, etc. are worth video recording. If that is what you are after then Vodburner is for you. This program tries to add value beyond the typical screen recording program by offering options to quickly edit your video, allowing you to switch back and forth between the two sides of the conversation (or displaying both simultaneously), tweaking the aspect ratio, tweaking the volume, and exporting at high video quality (with the option to upload straight to YouTube). It can also send an automatic notification to the other side that the session is being video recorded. Or not. It’s up to you.

The trial version reverts to the freeware version after 14 days, after-which you are limited to exporting in WMV, and are unable to record unless the other side also has Vodburner installed on their Skype. This may not be a problem, but certainly can be. I must confess to being somewhat puzzled by this restriction, since you could easily use a free screen recording program (such as this one, this one, or this one) to achieve more or less the same thing. Still, if both you and your interlocutor have Vodburner installed simultaneously, it is worth having.

---

6. MP3 Skype Recorder: record voice calls to MP3

This program will record any Skype voice call to MP3 (Skype to Skype, Skype to regular phone number, SkypeOut). It will do so automatically or manually, and can even record and save simultaneous conversations separately.

Although other software mentioned in this article can record voice calls and more (see Clownfish above), this software is excellent if you just want recording to MP3 without adding a ton of other functions which you do not need.

---

7. MAXA Notifier for Skype: get notified when there’s a change in the status of specific contacts

This free Skype Add-on will let you add contacts to a list and to request audible notifications when it detects a specific change in their status, such as being online, available, offline, etc.

The software can play an audio file or can ‘say’ something specific via the text to speech engine, such that you only have to be within hearing distance from your computer to know what is going on.

If you are the kind of frequent user of Skype that keeps it on at all times, this add-on is for you.

---

8. SkyHistory: log your instant message chat history

This free Skype add-on will keep a log of all your Skype chat history and supports an advanced search function that can filter by a certain group of users or a certain period of time. Chat logs are easily exportable to other locations (e.g. your work vs. your home computer, etc.)

---

9. Skype Translate: real-time translation of incoming and outgoing text messages

Skype Translate translates in real time during Skype text chat, and can be easily switched on and off via it’s icon in the system tray. It can even auto detect the language of your interlocutor based on their profile settings.

---

10. Ursa Spell Checker: real time spellcheck for Skype text chats

This program works invisibly in the background, providing real time spell checks for your Skype text chats in almost any language (for those of you who are multilingual, Ursa Spell Checker will let you enable spell-checking for multiple languages simultaneously). Ursa Spell Checker is easily enabled/disabled via a hotkey combination.

---

11. SkyRemote: share your desktop or remote control someone else’s, right from Skype

Ask yourself if there are times when it would be useful if you could see the desktop of the person you are Skyping with, or show them your own desktop, and/or be able to access their desktop and perform a fix or a task, or demonstrate to them how to use a program or feature on your or their computers.

If the answer to the above is yes, SkyRemote is what you need. This Skype add-on provides full fledged remote desktop capabilities right from within Skype. All you have to do is install SkyRemote on both machines (you and your Skyping partner), and make a call; once the call is underway you can access the SkyRemote icon in the system tray to either request access to the other person’s desktop or give access to your own.

SkyRemote is very easy to use, although I did find it a little unresponsive at times. Although the program recommends the installation of a VGA driver that is bundled with the installer to improve performance, it didn’t seem to install properly on my Win 7 64 bit machine despite repeated tries; however, I am sure this minor glitch will be fixed in future releases.

---

How to manage Skype add-ins

• Go to Tools > Options > Advanced > Manage other program access to Skype (see screenshot below)

• You can then choose the add-on and click ‘change’ (or ‘remove’)


• You can choose to allow the program to use Skype, or you disallow it; at the end press ok

---

[Thanks go to Alla K for doing most of the research and screenshots for this post].

Do you know of any must-have Skype add-ins that we missed? Let us know in the comments section!

Eliminate Unnecessary Reaches To Your Mouse With The Fingertips Application Launcher

Eliminate Unnecessary Reaches To Your Mouse With The Fingertips Application Launcher:

Part of becoming a true power user is minimizing the number of long and exhausting reaches you go for between your keyboard and mouse. We’ve shared all sorts of keyboard tricks with you before, but Fingertips is a Windows software that can really shift your stance on productive application launching. I didn’t know what I was missing until I downloaded and tried it.

Fingertips is not like other application launchers in the sense that there is no real GUI, no slide-outs or menus, and we’re not replacing the visual Windows Start button. This software puts a new spin on keyboard hotkeys and achieves it in the most simple way. You just type in what application you want to launch and hit the Enter key.

Now, as a Windows user we’ve got an awful lot of real estate at our disposal – the Windows desktop, the Windows Start menu, the Quick Launch toolbar, and so on. If you’re anything like me, you need more than that. You need an instant, easy way to get to the program you’re looking for without minimizing windows and hunting for specific icons. That is where Fingertips comes in.

Right out of the box, Fingertips comes at you preloaded with every application already in your Windows Start menu. With that being said, the Start menu is now practically obsolete. It’ll also add in your Favorites from Internet Explorer. As you can see in the following screenshot, I’ve got hundreds of items ready for access right after my installation.

In the next tab over (Hotkeys), I really recommend you bind a hotkey combination to launching the Fingertip command window. Not doing so would mean putting yourself through that extra work and those extra motions before getting to where we really want to be.

As that screenshot shows, I have the command window showing after the Ctrl+` hotkey combination is executed.

For the sake of our example, let’s say I wanted to launch Control Center 3 (software that comes along with particular Brother scanners and printers). It takes two steps:

1. Hit Ctrl+`
2. Begin typing in the application’s name.
3. Hit Enter.

You don’t even have to type out the entire name before Fingertips begins to suggest for you. Just a few letters will do.

That takes you no more than three seconds and then boom, there it is.

Now isn’t that a lot easier than retreating to your desktop and minimizing everything you’re working on? It’s easier than scrolling through a huge list of Windows Start menu items, too.

This software really shines when it comes to adding your own entries to the list. I originally picked up this software because I needed a simple way to launch my portable Dropbox applications. It works wonders.

To enter a new entry, go into Setup and check beneath the list on the Commands tab. Click “New“. Set your abbreviation, which is your text-based “hotkey” to launch that application or action. From there, enter what needs be. Fingertips can work with more than just applications alone, it can bring you straight to certain websites and perform actions in Outlook and Windows overall. You can check here for more on that.

I made my own hotkey for MakeUseOf and it sure beats bringing up a new browser, waiting around for it to load, and then typing in the URL.

In such a small and simple package, Fingertips can completely transform the way you launch your most frequently used applications and perform other actions.

If Fingertips isn’t quite what you were looking for, take a peek at some of the other application launchers we’ve covered. More of a mouse person, instead of keyboard? Take a look at MouseExtender.

Manage your online files from multiple cloud services in a single place with Joukuu Lite

Manage your online files from multiple cloud services in a single place with Joukuu Lite:

Joukuu is software that helps to access and manage online storage. Through Joukuu (which is Japanese for ‘cloud’) you can manage your files in Google Docs, Dropbox and Box.net from a single place, just as if your files were on the desktop.

There are several online storage providers available that they offer free online disk space. For instance Box.net has 5 GB, Dropbox has 2 GB and Google (Docs) has 1 GB of free space. Usually they have their own web interfaces through which You can access the online files. But Joukuu provides a single place to access all the 3 accounts, and it does so just as if the files were on Your desktop.

The good: This is a wonderful concept, and although here are also other programs that make online storage appear like a drag-and-drop-able folders (Dropbox client, SDExplorer for Skydrive etc), Joukuu is the first one that can access several online storage accounts at a time. So for instance it is possible to hold Your music in Box.net and your documents in Google Docs etc and access them all through Joukuu. Currently, they are testing Joukuu support for Skydrive, Sugarsync and a few other services and hopefully support for these will be available in the near future.

The bad: unfortunately Joukuu’s free version is (predictably) less attractive that the commercial version; the paid Joukuu Plus version allows creating several accounts at one storage provider and using these to multiply the online capacity. It also allows renaming files and folders, making automatic backups of your local files to cloud storage, creating and assign categories to files etc. None of these nice options are available in the free version, but most of them are ‘extras’ above and beyond the core functionality of this software.

Actually there are 2 free versions – Joukuu Web and Joukuu Lite. The main difference between the free local version and free web version is that the latter will let you have unlimited accounts from each online service, while Joukuu Lite enables to create 3 accounts, one for each service providers: Box.net, Dropbox and Google Docs. More differences are listed in this comparison. The Web version works online, You have to create a free Joukuu Web account on the home page, then log on and then create the access to the online storage accounts.

How it works: for Joukuu lite, you can drag local files to Joukuu and drop to the folders on the accounts; download and delete the files; drag-drop the files between different accounts and folders.

And this is pretty much all. You cannot copy whole folders, rename files and folders, synchronize local and online files and organize file categories. Joukuu Lite has 5 automatically assigned file categories (music, documents, videos, images, other) and You cannot change them like in the Plus version.

Conclusion

Joukuu has an excellent concept, but the interface is a bit weird – maybe too innovative. I am hoping that successive versions will be better. Unfortunately many good features are removed from the free versions; lets hope that similar fully functional freeware programs will be available in the future, but either way this program deserves to be considered, espeically for those who might have active accounts in either or all of: Dropbox account, Google Docs, and/or Box.net.

[Thanks to reader Panzer for the tip about this software].

Visit the Joukuu website to sign up and go here to download Joukuu Lite (approx. 1.51 megs).

Firefox Add-On Management: 5 Add-Ons For The User Who Installs A Lot Of Add-Ons

Firefox Add-On Management: 5 Add-Ons For The User Who Installs A Lot Of Add-Ons:

How many add-ons do you have stowed away in your Firefox browser? Okay…how many of them do you actually use? If the answer to both is somewhere in the highs, then it means you can be awarded the ‘Firefox Add-ons Power User’ badge.

Installing those little helper applications to do everything from search to security is always a temptation. The numbers keep stacking up and ultimately we are forced to look beyond manual means to a few automatic ways of add-on management.

So, let’s check out a few add-ons that are sure to help out the average Firefox user as well as the user who installs a lot of add-ons.

Restartless Restart

We wish we didn’t have to restart our browser every time we installed a browser extension. Something like the system in Chrome would really help with productivity. Firefox has a few add-ons which do not need a browser restart and it marks them out as such. But if you keep on adding add-ons and uninstalling them, Restartless Restart is the first add-on you should install if you ever have to manually restart your browser. The 12KB restartless add-on works very simply by adding a restart option in the right click menu and a CTRL/CMD + Alt + R hotkey to restart Firefox or Seamonkey. With its help, you don’t have to search for the Firefox start icon every time.

Add-on Compatibility Reporter

As a long-standing Firefox user, you probably don’t wait around for the final release version of the browser; instead opting to try out the alpha and beta releases. That creates a few compatibility issues with your current set of add-ons. The Add-on Compatibility Reporter helps by letting you try out your add-ons with the current version of the browser and test if they fit. If they don’t work as expected, you can send a report to Mozilla that says – This add-on no longer works. You can also let Mozilla know if the add-on does indeed work. This add-on turns you into an add-on tester and helps to ensure the development of your favorite add-ons.

Is It Compatible?

This is a very simple add-on that displays the compatibility versions for each add-on in the Add-ons Manager window. This add-on helps you to make informed decisions about avoiding upgrading the browser immediately or sacrificing a few of your favorite add-ons with an upgrade.

FEBE (Firefox Environment Backup Extension)

This add-on is a one-click solution for all your backup and restore needs. It can help you backup your extensions, themes, bookmarks, preferences, passwords, cookies, and any other file or folder. Then, it gives you the option to selectively restore the ones you want. You can schedule your backups and store them in date stamped folders. All backups can also be uploaded to a Box.net account automatically. For the guy who installs a lot of extensions, FEBE also backs up all or specific extensions and saves them together in a single, installable xpi file.

CLEO ((Compact Library Extension Organizer)

CLEO works like an extension packager. It’s really useful if you have lots of add-ons and want to keep them together. CLEO packages them all in a single installable file which can be kept as a backup, exported to someplace else, or used across multiple computers as a single installable package. CLEO works with FEBE as a multiple add-on packager and installer.

I was a bit surprised that browser extensions to manage add-ons weren’t that large a tribe. In fact, these are the best I could find, with a few others being either incompatible or getting some not-so-hot remarks from users. Of course, I would like to put in a good word for the Mozilla Firefox Add-on Collector. I did a full review of this tool last year. It still remains relevant if you want some help managing your extensive add-on collections.

Do you have a Firefox add-on in mind that you like to include here? At last count, how many add-ons do you have installed?