Tablet Pen Search allows you to search the web with your tablet pen

I have created a new Tablet PC tool for searching the web – its similar the the Microsoft Web Search Power tool from way back. This one will require .NET Framework 4, converts your ink to text as you write and allows you to select your search engine right on the same interface (no behind the scene options). You can select multiple search providers, and your results will be launched in multiple tabs (or windows, depending on your local settings). Currently I have Bing and Google, and, for those seeking specific information, Wikipedia and Wolfram Alpha. These will do for most people. I haven’t tested it anywhere other than my hp touchsmart running 64bit Windows 7, so let me know if there are issues.

See here for more information, or download from here.

Lab Calculator Now Supports Ink Input

The new version of Lab Calculator that I have just posted (see here), supports ink input directly using your tablet pen. I have also removed some redundant functions to give a more stripped down version for tablet pc users. you can download it here.

See screenshots below.

It requires the new .NET Framework 4. Ink away.

How to make acrobat reader remember the last viewed page

If you read pdf ebooks (or other long documents) on your computer and get frustrated when you have to remember the last opened page each time you launch, acrobat reader can allow you to open a document to the last viewed page. However, it does not do this by default (unlike, say, Sumatra). To enable this functionality

1. Open your acrobat reader

2. Go  to Edit, Preferences.

3. On the Documents tab, make sure “Restore Last View Settings when reopening documents” is checked.

That’s it. Next time you open a document it will restore the last viewed page.

We are back!

We are back to talk about lab software and other interesting Windows tools after a long break. Watch this space.

Dry habits for the new year

So you entered the new year and decided a few things were going to change. More than a week later if you are still holding up, congratulations. Whatever work you do in the lab, you are anchored on your computer for putting it all together.There are a few ‘dry’ habits you may have to refine to ensure that everything else will flow smoothly as you do your work this year.  I will list a few of them.

1. Back up!

The golden rule of the digital world; if it exists in only one location, it is not safe. Your lab data is your gold. Protect it and backit up at least once a week.

2. Google it

Never annoy tech experts and others by asking for help on something that takes only a few clicks to get on Google (or whatever your favorite search engine is). Whatever tech problem you are facing, someone faced it before and probably wrote about it on some website, blog or forum.

3. Keep it clean

To keep your computer running smoothly, you will need to learn just a little about computers. People usually blame Windows for their own ignorance. The excellent crew at Lifehacker have tips for efficient computer use (among other things). The best way to use your computer is to actually become a student of computers. Keep your computer clean by frequently cleaning your registry and harddrive and, importantly, avoiding the temptation to install crapware.

4. Keep good how-to notes

We talked about Onenote earlier as a PC note-taking and keeping tool. If you find a cool hack while doing your work, it is prudent to store it somewhere in your notebook for reference later in case you or someone you work with face the same problem. That may save you a few minutes later. Since paper can be easily lost, it is no longer the best extension of your mind. There are many other good reasons for banishing paper, for our purposes now let us say it helps you easily keep track of your stuff. After all, summoning the search function in Windows is certainly better than frantically going through your stack of papers.

5. Find a better way

There is probably a better and more efficient way to do what you are doing. It will probably not take you too much time to find it. Doing manually things that you can automate (such as those calculations for your research) does not show that you are smart. It shows that you are, well, inefficient at best and stupid at worst. We discuss some of the tools here, such as The Lab Calculator for your routine lab math and Mendeley Desktop for managing your research papers. There are more tips on Lifehacker and other places. It doesn’t hurt to take a look every once in a while.

Zambezi Task Timer helps you time yourself while you work (or play)

Your day consists of wet and dry duties. You shuttle back and forth between your computer in the office and your bench, sometimes annoying your workmates because your timer on the bench runs itself out before you can get to it. You need to have a timer on your PC to remind you of the things you are doing back at the bench. It would be great of that timer allows you to label your tasks, has both countup and countdown functions, can time breaks and can perform additional operations such as locking your workstation, shutting down your pc or getting to sleep. One such timer is Zambezi Task Timer from yours truly.

Download it free from here.

Sumatra PDF remembers where you left off

There are a number of alternatives for the (in)famous acrobat reader, but if you read long documents like ebooks on your computer, consider Sumatra.

Sumatra is small, fast and, if you are a touchscreen user, has a friendly full screen view. But my favorite feature is its ability to remember where I left off in the document I was reading, so I don’t have to scroll down looking. Easy way to get through all those long papers, theses or texts you have gathered on your pc (assuming of course they are in PDF format). Try SUMATRA. You may like it.