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iPhone Tool
Registry Fix Tool
Performance Tool
Backup Tool
AntiVirus Tool
AntiSpyware Tool
Disaster Recovery Tool
Wii Tool
Child Safe Tool
by Michael E. Callahan aka Dr. File Finder ™
Reviewed This Week......
Starfish Family Mail, by Lincoln Beach Software, is a perfect email program for the entire family. And what really caught my attention is that it addresses something that no other email program I've looked does -- family! And I've tried just about every email program out there. None of them are geared towards young children, teenagers, or even just people who find computers really challenging. Parents can create a list of approved email addresses or "Friends." Include Grandma and Grandpa, cousins, school friends, and whoever else you like. The key thing is that if an email address is not on the list, it can't be seen by your child. So, this is a perfect program for children and it would be great for use within schools!
Starfish Family Mail lets you create accounts so that each person can "log in" to do their email. And the program has all of the basic things you'd want from an email program. Send, receive, attach files, and so on. The program also supports the popular "skins" so you can make it have lots of different looks. At the same time, Starfish Family Mail strips out any HTML code that may be found in incoming emails so you'll only see text. That also means it won't run any hidden scripts that often carry viruses. Another very cool feature in the program is "authentication." What's that? Well, ever get an email from yourself? I have and lots of spammers use this trick to get past SPAM filters. The authentication feature lets user and sender agree on an authentication code that will be included in each email. Just a little line of text, like "itsreallyme" in the message. Then when email from that person comes in, the program will check to make sure the authentication text is there. If so, fine, and if not, no on
e will be able to read it. Very cool!
Starfish Family Mail, by Lincoln Beach Software, is a nice, basic email program that supports the POP3 and SMTP protocols. The interface is intuitive and it's very easy-to-use. It has a spell checker, Thesaurus, and even supports "skins!" At the same time it lets you determine exactly what email addresses you'll accept email from and it provides for extra authentication. In my opinion, it's the perfect email client for young people. At the same time, it would also be excellent for many older people who often have problems working with software. So, if you're looking for a nice, simple email program so you can email friends and family, this is it. And, if you're looking for something for your children to use, this is the best program I've seen. Give it a try - I recommend it.
TopStyle Pro, by Bradbury Software, LLC., is an HTML editor that's so much more. And while it's really designed for professional Web page creators, it really can be used by anyone. It has an intuitive interface and it's relatively easy-to-use. The program supports HTML, XHTML, CSS and gives you all of the tools you need to work in style! One feature that I thought was really cool is the programs "Full Screen Preview." This allows you to see your Web pages exactly as they'd be seen on the Web, and in full-screen mode. And, on top of that, it will also let you look at your pages as seen through Netscape and Internet explorer at the same time! Very slick. This allows you to see any differences between the two browsers. Excellent!
TopStyle Pro also has a "Style Checker" that will go through your Web pages and validate your style sheets. And, as it does so, it will validate your work -- and show you if there are any problems among different browsers. TopStyle Pro, will also let you convert all of your older Web pages with just a mouse click. This "Style Upgrade" feature instantly updates your pages -- very cool. Another really nice feature is that TopStyle Pro now has integration with CSE HTML Validator, which is an excellent program I reviewed awhile back. This makes sure that all of your HTML code is up-to-snuff! At the same time, TopStyle Pro also integrates with HomeSite, which is by the same author, and Dreamweaver MX. Slick!
TopStyle Pro is a powerful tool for working with your Web pages. It's loaded with powerful features, and yet, it has an interface that's intuitive. It works with CSS, HTML, and XHTML and can quickly convert your older Web pages. With its Style Checker, Full Screen Preview, Style Upgrade, and many other features, it's a dynamite product. And, with it's integration with other great programs like HomeSite, CSE HTML Validator, and Dreamweaver MX, it's a product that's hard to beat! So, if you're interested in spicing up your Web pages, fiddling with style sheets, and upgrading your HTML, this is the product to try! I doubt you'll find one better!
Masking Password Generator, by AccuSolve, Inc., is a really nifty tool for generating passwords. I received a lot of emails asking about passwords -- what were good ones, how do other people come up with them, and so on. So, in response, I'm going to tell you about this excellent product. Many people make the mistake of using passwords that are all too obvious to others. Birthdays, spouses name, pets name, etc. And these are the first things that a hacker tries. So, what you need are passwords that are random, and maybe downright odd. Nearly all passwords are case-sensitive, so you mix the case, like CaSe. You toss in some numbers, like Ca1s2e. Masking Password Generator does a great job of creating passwords that are both random and secure! And it uses "masks", which you can kind of think of as templates for how the password should be formed. Take a look at the screen shot to see some of the masks I used.
Masking Password Generator comes with a number of masks already defined for you. At the same time, you can create your own. I had a really good time seeing what kind of combinations I could come up with. For example, I did one mask that I titled "9 Char + 1 Number", and that's what it did. It would give me a password that had a mix of characters -- numbers and letters, but one that always had a number at the end. The program has excellent online help so it's easy for you to start creating your own masks, and generating passwords that are secure. Another excellent feature is that the program can run right in the Windows system tray. That means you can crank out a password anytime you need one! Very slick. And you can generate lists of passwords -- up to 1 MILLION at a time.
Masking Password Generator, by AccuSolve, Inc., is a powerful little tool for generating passwords. Of particular interest to anyone that needs to change their passwords regularly. Many corporations will have password criteria, and you can create a mask to always create acceptable passwords. For keeping track of all your passwords I'd recommend Darn! Passwords! by EmmaSoft because a password you can't remember is pretty much useless. And for generating passwords, take a good look at Masking Password Generator! You won't find a better product because this is the best I've seen -- I recommend it!
Well, sadly, that brings us to a close for this week. I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading about these Picks as much as I enjoyed writing about them. All of them are excellent products. And remember, if you use a shareware product, and find yourself using it, be sure to pay for. In that way the "shareware" concept works for all of us! I'll be back with more Picks to tell you about. Until then, be safe, stay warm (where applicable), and have a wonderful weekend. Happy downloading!
If you're a software developer, and would simply like to call my attention to your product here on Simtel, you can email me. Write me at reviews@drff.com and just include a brief bit of information about your product.
Doctor File Finder's Pick Archive
Michael E. Callahan, known around the world by the trademarked name "Dr. File Finder", is regarded as the world's leading expert on shareware. Dr. File Finder works with software programs and developers full-time, and in the average year he evaluates 10,000 programs. Since 1982 he has evaluated over 190,000 software and hardware products. He is an active member of the shareware community and a co-founder of the Shareware Industry Awards Foundation. Mr. Callahan is an honorary member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP), the President of the Educational Software Cooperative (ESC), and the chairman of the Shareware Industry Awards Foundation (SIAF). Dr. File Finder™ is also a recipient of the 1993 Shareware Industry Award for lifetime achievement and has been inducted into the ASP Hall of Fame. Mr. Callahan began evaluating software online in 1982 and no one has been at it longer. He currently works doing online PR and marketing for software companies.
All graphics courtesy of Lincoln Beach Software!
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