Creating and Editing Extreme Electronic Music

Guest post by Scott Lefebvre

My motivation for creating digital music is that the music I want to hear doesn�t exist yet, so I have to create it myself. I was looking for extreme break-core music and although I appreciate the work of musical artists like Bong-Ra, Drumcorps, Babylon Disco, Atari Teenage Riot, and Aphex Twin, I wasn�t able to find anything extreme enough to satisfy my desire for the ultimate in extreme electronic music, so it looked like it was up to me to try to create the sounds I was looking for.

Although the technology has existed for a few years to perform this task, the software has often been expensive, and required a significant amount of time to put towards learning how to use the software with any kind of proficiency.

I originally discovered NCH Software�s WavePad audio editing software through a general search for �Edit MP3s� on Cnet.com because I wanted to edit out the silence associated with many �Unlisted Tracks� on albums released by self-indulgent artists and play long, unnecessary silent periods.

While I was editing out those silences, I noticed that WavePad offered many other options to copy, save clips and to combine clips, so I began to assemble a sample library and experiment with mixing clips.

The single-track mixing offered by WavePad was prohibitive when I started thinking about compiling a full-length song, so I decided to try out NCH Software�s MixPad multi-track audio software. The interface of MixPad was simple to master and after only a couple missteps I was able to easily put together my clips in the way that I wanted to create new songs from the clips I had compiled.

A tip for new users: Don�t try to add all of your clips to your project at the same time or it will all play at the same time as an un-listenable jumble of sound. Add them one at a time and ease them into the sequence for the desired effect.

When I had a completed song, I wanted to post it to my YouTube account to share, but I wanted to create something visually stimulating to accompany the song so it wouldn�t be accompanied by a blank black screen. First I tried to use Windows Movie Maker, which I used to great effect when I was running Windows Vista, unfortunately, with my new laptop running Windows 7, Microsoft simplified the interface for Windows Movie Maker so much that it was impossible to do what I wanted. Since I had a positive experience with NCH Software so far, I downloaded their VideoPad video editing software.

VideoPad had all of the usability that older versions of Windows Movie Maker used to have so after about an hour of fumbling and playing around I was well on my way to creating the videos I wanted to make. Also it�s a relief that VideoPad has all of the effects and transitions making it possible to do some pretty amazing things.

Using Microsoft Paint and a 4,000 font package I downloaded for free from Cnet.com I was able to create a tribute to the title sequence to Gaspar Noe�s �Enter the Void� to accompany a re-mix I made while compiling a sample library from the discography of Japanese extreme pop music band Melt Banana:

Granted, it took a little time to figure out. But what probably took the film-maker thousands of dollars and weeks of time to put together I was able to do in a couple hours by myself using VideoPad.

My ultimate goal for this project is to put together an album of extreme digital music and to put together a band to perform the music live, kind of like Nine Inch Nails in concert was a live cover band for music created by Trent Reznor. I also want to create a video presentation to play behind the band to supplement the audio/video experience of the live show as I�ve seen done by Nine Inch Nails, KMFDM, and Neurosis.

To be perfectly honest, anyone can do what I�m doing with the NCH Software suite. All you need is the time and effort required to mix-down and sample your music library and the aesthetic sensibility to see how you would prefer that the samples be rearranged to suit your preference. So if you�re thinking about purchasing software from NCH Software, I say, don�t hesitate. The pros of this software are too many to list and the cons are so few that they are dwarfed by the incredible flexibility of the pros.

The only minor problem I have is with WavePad, and that I am not able to load an entire album of songs for editing down at the same time, but editing an album in ten song groups is a small price to pay for being able to capture whatever sample you want from whatever song you want and to be able to amplify and reduce noise on any sample.

The NCH Software suite has made it possible for me to easily create the music that I want to hear and I would recommend it to anyone interested in creating their own digital music without a moment of hesitation.

Scott Lefebvre creates digital music under the name Master Control. You can see more of his music projects on his YouTube channel or follow the adventures of Master Control at www.facebook.com/TheLefebvre

VideoPad Introduction in Manga

Not only is it fun for us to learn about see or listen to the audio and video projects that people create with NCH Software products, we also enjoy hearing and seeing what people think about and have to say about our software. When we stumbled upon a comic in a Japanese blog introducing readers to our VideoPad video editing software we contacted the creator and asked for permission to share a translated version with our readers. So take a look at the translated VideoPad comic below.

For those of you who are curious or know Japaenese you can view the original and read more of his thoughts on VideoPad in his blog, Try! Various things! (?????!????!). While you're there scroll to the bottom of the post to watch his test video showing some of the things that VideoPad is capable of.


If you are read to give VideoPad your own test drive, visit www.nchsoftware.com/videopad to download a copy for yourself.

Screencasting For Better Communication & Teaching

Guest post by Eric Karkovack

Sometimes, your job title doesn't always necessarily explain the full extent of what you do. Personally, I'm a freelance web designer (and have been since 1996). But a great portion of my job is about doing things that have very little to do with design itself.

For example, one role I often find myself taking on is that of a teacher. Whenever I create a website that my clients will update themselves, I have to teach them how the process works. Sometimes it can be difficult to get my point across. It's especially hard when clients don't have much experience with technology.

For awhile, I offered manuals to my clients to use as a reference material. While that helped, it certainly wasn't as interactive as their website's content management system. I felt that I really had to find a better way of communicating.

The idea of "screencasting," or recording my screen with a voice-over, came to me. If my clients can see what I'm doing on my screen and can hear my explanations of how to accomplish specific tasks, it could be of great benefit to all of us.

When I found Debut Video Capture Software, I was sold. It works exactly as advertised, it's affordable and easy to customize to my needs.

Probably my favorite part of Debut is that I can simply plug in my headset microphone, open up the software and start recording. That's really all there is to it. Within a half hour, I've created a few short tutorials that will help my clients. I've saved a ton of travel time and my client has an interactive reference that illustrates exactly how to update their website. It's hard to put a price on that kind of convenience.

Eric Karkovack is a freelance web designer with well over a decade of experience. He designs and maintains websites for clients in a wide range of industries. For more information, visit him on the web at www.karks.com

5 Star Burning Software for Mac

There are a lot of choices when it comes to burning software these days, which is just one of the reasons that it is wonderful to see strong reviews like this one from BurnWorld.com, calling NCH's Express Burn "a great application, working fast, featuring the most important processes a user would want." Better yet that, while these experts clearly recognize and point out that "the interface is very easy to use," this review was from a previous release, before we made modifications to the interface to make the creation of DVDs and audio or MP3 CDs even easier. Along with other additions, including better DVD authoring with several included menu templates, and the ability to burn not only data to Blu-ray discs, but to burn your high-definition Blu-ray movies too.

You can read the complete review of Express Burn, and we encourage Mac and PC users alike to try all the burning features and see how easy burning software can be.

NCH Software Packages Fully Accessible to the Blind and Visually Impaired

Guest post by Craig Faris, President of Seeds of Promise International Child Welfare

This information does not apply to everyone, but for the blind and/or those using screen-reading software, I can save you a bit of time. I myself am totally blind, live in Canada, use Window-Eyes 7.5 as my screen-reader of choice, and recently tried Express Scribe. Much to my immense surprise and considerable delight, the software package is fully accessible to the blind, as every single option can be selected from ordinary text-based menus! In addition, the software uses ordinary dialogue boxes which can be fully read aloud with a screen-reader, and generally the software is fast and easy to use.

This simple fact is a rarity in today's graphics-based computing environment, where custom dialogue boxes, photo buttons, and other generally inaccessible programming methods are commonly employed to make the screen busy and appealing to sighted folks.

I have since tried some of NCH Software's business point-of-sale software, such as Copper, Inventoria, and Barillo, and these packages are all also easily used by a totally blind individual like myself!

Hats off to NCH Software for, perhaps inadvertently, making their lightning-fast, user-friendly software packages fully accessible to blind computer users.

Now all we need is for the POS software packages to somehow be linked together, or at least use a common database, and I can open my own storefront with 100% accessible software!

Easier Than Ever Audio Mixing

When you�re mixing an audio project, you want things to be as simple as possible. Some great new features have been added to the latest version of MixPad recording and mixing software making it easier to use than ever.

To help you quickly make changes to the tracks in your projects - like adjusting the volume of tracks, adding effects, or using a VSTi - we've added a "mixer" view that opens in a separate floating window so you can still see the tracks. You can move the mixer anywhere on your desktop, or minimize or close it when you don�t need to use it. The mixer includes faders for each track along with a Master fader so you can control the volume of your entire project. Along with the faders for each track, the mixer has controls to:

• Pan a track right or left
• Arm a track to record
• Mute or Solo a track
• Open the Effects Chain to add, modify or delete effects
• Adjust the Audio Options
• Add a VSTi for a MIDI track

Another improvement you're sure to like is the ability to change the colors of the waveforms in each track. Use this feature to help organize your project. For example set your drum tracks to blue, your guitar tracks to green, and your vocal tracks to yellow. Now, at a glance, you can see where things are located in your project. It�s simple to change the colors of each track using the controls on the mixer, or just right-click on a track and select "Track Color" from the menu

Other enhancements you�ll find in the new version of MixPad multitrack mixing software include presets for effects, and an easier way to delete fade points. So if you mix audio, you will definitely want to check it out.

Recording Screencast Tutorials with Debut

Guest post by Dalvin Aboagye

I'm sort of what you call a tech-oriented person and usually know my way around tech products. I maintain a YouTube channel dubbed Tech Time HD where I review and critique products sent by a myriad of companies, and cover tech rumors and news sometimes as well. I first started out on YouTube doing tutorials, so I needed a screen recording software solution to make these screen casting tutorials. I tried other software such as Cam Studio and Fraps but they didn't cut it for me. I stumbled upon Debut Video Recording Software whilst browsing Google. My first impression when I installed it was that it was a bit gimmicky and I wasn't impressed with the user interface, but after a couple weeks of using Debut I took back everything I said. The UI is very easy-to-use and intuitive, it doesn't gobble up on system resources as much as other programs I had tried, it supports a wide variety of video formats and has a great set of features�even the free version. I found myself hooked and would recommend it to anyone and everyone who needs to record a screencast, capture card or webcam. You won't regret downloading the trial, and you surely won't regret buying the software. My only wish is that the watermark feature was included in the free version, but it's a small price to pay for such great recording software.

E is for Easy

NCH Software ABCs Series

We are constantly reviewing our software, not only to add new features, but also to make them easier to use. Can we make something more clear to the user? Would a startup wizard help? Is the help manual easy to understand? Would a video tutorial be helpful? Where are people getting stuck, lost or confused? These are all questions we ask when looking at any of our software programs, trying to find ways to make sure you have the ideal experience with your software.

We have posted before about how it is our continuing mission to make it possible for you to install and be using our software in 3 minutes or less. That's it. Just three minutes. That really isn't very long and it can go by faster than you think, so it is very important to make things clear, easy and intuitive. So if we haven't completely solved your problem in those three minutes you should at least feel like you are well on your way, and with each new release we are looking for ways to help make that getting-started time frame smaller.

So if you're looking for easy software, try our programs, and if you have ideas on how we can make them easier or better suited for what you want to do, please share your suggestions here.

<<< Previous: D is for Dictation

Next: F is for FTP >>>

Flying High with First Person Video and VideoPad

Guest Post by Scott Turchin

In 1986 I was living in a dorm at Washington State University on the eleventh floor that looked over the rolling hills of wheat fields. I daydreamed about flying an RC plane from there, over the hills. The technology just was not there back then.

But today it is, it's called FPV or First Person Video and with the advent of micro technology you can put a camera on an RC plane and fly it and also pack along an HD camera to film some beautiful shots.

After buying the gear and waiting on it to be delivered, I found myself in a quandary. The GoPro recorded in Mp4 format and I had no editor that could handle it. I had used Windows Movie Maker previously, but it lacked a lot of the things that I wanted and it did not work with MP4 files.

After some research I came upon VideoPad Editor and started filming various things just to edit the video and test out VideoPad. I recorded a trip to pick up my brother on Christmas Eve, and did some mixing with that video without any trouble, so I could not wait to get my RC plane into the air.

This past weekend we had some beautiful weather and I got the chance to fly to my heart's content. After coming home and downloading the video, I fired up VideoPad and two hours later I had exactly what I wanted to best represent the day flying.

I've heard of problems people have using the big name brands but I have not had any of those issues with VideoPad, the software just works!

I hope you enjoy my video. Check my YouTube channel for more high flying videos in the future. I plan to go back to Pullman this summer to fulfill that dream of flying over the wheat fields!

New Typing Game Makes Typing Fun in KeyBlaze

Everyone has a slightly different learning style, but learning by doing is one of the most effective ways to ingrain something in your memory. As the saying goes, "practice makes perfect," but there are some things that just aren't any fun to practice. Touch typing has the potential to be one of those tedious task, but we have been working to keep KeyBlaze typing tutor software out of the realm of typing tedium by making it a fun way to learn the vital skill of touch typing.

One of fun ways KeyBlaze does recognizes accomplishments is by awarding certificates as you test your typing speed and accuracy throughout the lesson structure. Another, that we recently added, is the addition of a typing game where words fall down the screen like rain drops. You have to type the words correctly to prevent them from hitting the pavement, bringing the competitive edge to touch typing practice by providing a challenge in the heat of the moment while you try to outdo your high score. So whether you have kids who need to learn to type or you want to improve your own typing skills, take a look at KeyBlaze for more than just typing lessons, but a fun way to practice and learn how to type.

The End of Accounting Nightmares

Guest post by John Chellan of ISOBE Soft Pvt. Ltd.

I am a small software business owner with lots of experience in software development, but little real knowledge of accounting. Sure, I have done my taxes online, but had never balanced a balance sheet or did any type of journal entry work. Honestly, I�d rather not think about accounting, and just spend my time being more productive developing software and meeting clients.

But at the end of every month, I knew it was inevitable that all those transactions needed to be somehow entered into Excel and create some kind of crude income statement. That was all I could do, and that is all I knew how to do. In the back of my mind, I realized there is was lot more information in those numbers, and I needed either a professional accountant or software to get to that data. So I called a few accountants. Ouch, they were expensive! Next, I tried the trial versions of the two most popular, very expensive accounting programs and I couldn�t figure out what to do�and trust me I spent days trying to figure out what I was doing. Then I tried some free programs off the internet, and they were just silly with no good reports and user interfaces that looked like they came out of the Stone Age of programming. Almost at the verge of going back to Excel, I ran across Express Accounts.

I was skeptical at first and didn�t expect anything different from what I had seen from the trials of the other software. Well let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised. First of all, Express Accounts was easy to install and quick, too. The interface was broken down in such a manner that one only needs to understand how the sales and purchase process works, and how to enter in expenses. The interface is quite user friendly and intuitive. The wealth of reports was the big thing that really impressed me about the software. Setting up the electronic invoicing and purchase ordering system was also very easy.

I have been using this software for 6 months now, looking for something to go wrong. The reality is, the more I use it, the more I become accustomed to its wealth of functionality. I really think this is one of the best cost-saving tools for small businesses that can�t afford to put up a professional accounting staff and need to streamline the accounting process and produce business data on the fly. Express Accounts has made the end of the month a stress free time, and now I spend my nights dreaming of growing my business.

John Chellan founded ISOBE in 2009. ISOBE started as a humble English language training center in Tamil Nadu and by 2010 had evolved into an educational consultant for colleges, schools and business. In 2011, ISOBE became ISOBE Soft Pvt. Ltd; and began to develop its own home grown software for small to large businesses.

Express Accounts: New Look Gives Users a Better Experience

Some of you may have noticed that Express Accounts accounting software has a different look these days. Earlier this year, we optimized the interface workflow after considering research we conducted about the features our customers use most within the program. What resulted was a "tabbed" interface�by clicking category tabs at the top of the main interface, the user can pull up tasks related to that category, such as Sales, Purchases, Banking and Reports.

The updated interface gives users the option to ignore functionality they don�t use without giving up precious screen space, but also provides quick access to the full range of features for businesses that require a more robust accounting system. The category tab solution also allowed us to stick with the basic interface structure Express Accounts has had for some time now, one that has proven to be easy to navigate, work with, and simple enough to understand quickly. Seasoned Express Accounts users will still find links to their tasks in the left-hand Explorer Bar, within the center control panel, on the toolbar, and within the program�s menus, no matter which category tab they are on.

Here are a few other new characteristics worth highlighting:

• The Home tab saves users from clicking through tabs in search of common tasks they would rather have quick access to. Express Accounts always opens to the Home tab.
• Account overviews are provided in the lower left section of each tab, giving the user a quick reference to how their business is doing without running reports.
• Accounts payable: One of Express Account�s strengths has always been in tracking payments due to your business by your customers. Now you can track your own accounts payable by entering them as they come in and paying them when they are due.
• Improved help documentation gives users new to bookkeeping and accounting a solid introduction to the program. To access the Help, press F1 from within the program, or click the Help button from any window to find the help topic specific to the task you are working on.

We are very excited about the changes in Express Accounts, but we�re not finished yet. Currently, our development team is working on adding more inventory tracking capability into the program, mirroring the features available within target="_blank"Inventoria inventory management software. For all of you who have asked for complete integration between these two powerful programs, keep a lookout over the next six months for this exciting feature update.

Learn more about Express Accounts or sign up for the NCH Software newsletter to stay informed of version updates, new software features, and receive special offers.

Video-Sharing from Software to Site

Where do you share videos?

It should come as no surprise to anyone that the use of video-sharing sites is on the rise, which is why we are working on making it as easy as possible to share your finished video projects from our video software, including VideoPad video editor and PhotoStage. Most recently we added direct uploading to Facebook and Flickr in addition to YouTube to the export options in VideoPad. All you have to do is set up your account information the first time, and VideoPad will do the rest. By automating the uploading process, we allow you to post more videos online.

But are there any other video-sharing sites that should be added? You tell us. We want to make sure that our software is as easy to use as possible. Post a comment to this post and we�ll take your suggestions to the developers. Thanks for the feedback!

Localization Efforts Pay Off in NCH International Offerings

It has been about a year and a half since NCH Software put in place a localization initiative in order to offer our most popular software applications in French, German, Japanese and Spanish. The challenges have been many but we now provide numerous applications, including WavePad Sound Editor, VideoPad Video Editor, Prism Video Converter, and several more, in the 4 languages mentioned. Working in cooperation with NCH developers, the localization specialists at NCH translate the general user interface (GUI), test functionality for country-specific appropriateness, suggest changes to implement to better adapt NCH applications to non-English speaking markets. They also translate a significant number of web-based material to make sure that French, German, Japanese or Spanish-speaking Internet users can find relevant information, download and purchase products securely in their own languages.

Bucking the current trend of outsourcing translation and localization and relying instead on "in-house" linguists allows NCH to leverage a valuable internal product knowledge and capitalize on direct interdepartmental relationships to produce more accurate translations, faster.

Please click on the language of your choice to find out more about NCH Software's localized software applications.

• Fran�ais
  
• Deutsch
  
• ???
  
• Espa�ol

Making A Music Video

Over on Review Explorer Chris McGivern posted a detailed interview with Singer-songwriter Andy Fosberry of Ironlight River about making a music video. Fosberry took a do-it-yourself attitude and made a great video without sacrificing his creativity or breaking the bank. And we were particularly thrilled that Fosberry turned to NCH Software using Switch Audio Converter, Prism Video Converter and VideoPad Video Editor to help him along the way.

"As a musician, I use a piece of software call Switch by NCH Software which converts audio formats. And it�s brilliant. To convert these video files I used their A/V equivalent which is called Prism. When it was downloading, I had the option on loads of other things and saw something called VideoPad, which was billed as editing software. I figured it would be like WavePad and, therefore, just for clips etc, but it�s a fully working, kind of mid-level piece of editing software ... Its just so beautifully usable. So much so that I had a working edit in about 8 hours. All the effects, are nicely editable in themselves. So you can really make significant changes to what you are working on."

� Andy Fosberry

If you're interested in making your own music video(s) we would encourage you to go over to Review Explorer and read How To Make A Music Video � For Free for more details on what Fosberry did for his video, and to see the results.

Hitting the Software Nail on the Head

How many shirts do you need to try on before you find one you want to buy? How many cars do take for a test drive when shopping for a new car? And how many pieces of software do you download and try before you find one to solve your problem? Results from a study of software vendors show only about 1 sale is made for every hundred trials that are downloaded, which is a remarkably low number when you think how many programs people must end up trying or how often they just give up without finding what they want. In the blog post Why Hammers Sell Better Than Your Software, Bob Walsh concludes that the reason there are so many people walking away is that it is simply too hard to figure out how to use the program and they give up.

His suggestion to software companies is something that NCH has been striving for for years - make users immediately comfortable with your applications. Simplify things: provide quick start guides and tutorials or screenscasts to help get the user get through the first few minutes of uncertainty when they don't know what to do with the software they have just downloaded. We have long focused on the first three minutes of a user's experience when using our software, trying to remove as many road blocks as possible so that you can start using the program immediately. Our range of video tutorials and documentation resources helps those who prefer to see how it all works before they dive in. We are doing our best to make sure that when you download our software you will find that the shoe fits and you don't need to worry about breaking it in.

PhotoPad: Proving that Change Can be Good

PhotoPad Image and Photo Editor has a new look. It now uses tabs to sort the categories of features, effects, and filters to make more efficient use of the toolbar. Each time you click a new tab, the toolbar displays the options associated with that tab:



Remember when we first started seeing tabs in our Internet browser windows? At first we had to get over the impulse to keep numerous windows open and play the memory game with the task bar, but we recognized the convenience they provided us. Now we�re getting used to tabs atop some programs, such as Word and Excel, which Microsoft calls a ribbon. The initial change was stilting to those of us who had become experts at navigating the labyrinth of menus and options, but we�re starting to get used to this change too.

My point is, even though we resist it, without change we wouldn�t grow and develop.

When developing software, the rule of thumb is to stick with what people are comfortable with, or what they are used to seeing. That way, people won�t spend too much time looking around the interface before they can actually start using their new program. Another rule of thumb is to do what is best for your users. Sometimes these rules clash, and decisions have to be made. That�s what happened with PhotoPad.

PhotoPad is a product with lots of features, options, and cool buttons. Imagine all the possible photo manipulations there are, and then imagine designing a program that will organize all those features into the most user-friendly way possible. Then imagine that you are going to add features to the program over time, and need to plan for where those features might go. Enter tabs. They allow us to display many more options along the toolbar than one static toolbar would.

I know a lot of you are dubious. If you never got used to the Microsoft ribbon, and you really miss the menus. But believe me, everything that was in the menu is now on this tab, and the tabs require much less fine motor control over the mouse than using menus would. I happen to be a great fan of the new look.

Let us know what you think about the tabs, and look for them in more NCH Software products in the future. Let�s embrace change!

Software On-Demand

I recently finished reading The On-Demand Brand by Rick Mathieson, which takes a look at how our culture has become increasingly demanding, seeking instant gratification. From everything from fast food to television, we are no longer willing to wait for things. While Mathieson points to Burger King and their "have it your way" campaign in 1970's as a starting point for this trend, technology and the internet have only increased our need for having things the way we want them on our own schedule. Mathieson goes on to examine ten rules that marketers should know in this on-demand world, all relating to how companies need to shift their thinking to be in line with the expectations consumers have.

The software industry has seen this shift too. We've talked before about software buying trends and the percentage of people who buy their software in a retail store versus purchasing online. It used to be the only way to get software was to get the box with several floppy drives or CDs inside to install from, and it could be a rather time consuming process. Now, you can download and install software in fraction of the time. You don't really need to make plans in advance about your software needs; if you come across a need you can download a software solution on-demand.

NCH Software has adapted to this on-demand mentality quite well. We spend a lot of time trying to improve the usability of our programs so that a user can have the software up and running in three minutes or less, catering to this high-speed demand. Most of our products are under 1 MB in size, so the download time is negligible. We also have a wide range of products that are easily integrated, making it easier for customers to customize a software solution to meet their needs by picking and choosing only the exact products and features that they are looking for. All so you can "have it your way" with software on-demand.

Assistive Technology

Recently I stumbled across an article by Luke Hsieh, an assistive technology advocate, about building a low cost electronic magnifier with a webcam and Debut video capture software. This was not only a nice example of how versatile our video recording software is, but it got me thinking a bit about assistive technology, which doesn't always get its due.

A lot of technology is designed with a somewhat constrained image of the typical user, and as a result can sometimes be very difficult or even impossible for people with various disabilities to use. Assistive Technology, on the other hand, makes it easier for individuals with disabilities to access information technology, which is extremely important in the high tech world we live in.

I have heard from customers in the past complementing our software applications because they have found them to be very accessible. While I am thrilled that they have found our software accessible, I have to admit this is more the result of our efforts to make our products as intuitive and user-friendly across the board than anything else. It makes sense that software that it easy to use is also more accessible, and as a result, we hope everyone will find our software easy and accessible.

Some examples of how our software can be used as assistive technology include Verbose text-to-speech software to convert a document to an mp3 file to listen to latter, or as a screen reader; and as Hsieh pointed out you can use Debut video capture software to make a custom electronic magnifier, or when you're making your next YouTube video. We will continue striving to make all our software easy to use for everyone, and hope that everyone finds our software accessible along the way.

Helping or Hindering Users

I can't stand it when a software program like Word decides it knows what I want to do better than I do. In their efforts to be user-friendly they seem to actually gone past helping me do what I want to do, and have started making some incorrect guesses that make it harder for me to do what I wanted in the first place. While I applaud the effort to remove some of the tedious work of formatting out of the hands of the user so that they can focus on the content I find some of the formatting changes disrupting. While on the other hand automatically correcting obvious typos like changing 'teh' to 'the' for example actually was an absolutely marvelous idea.

Sometimes we as developers think we know best, but it is a question worth considering: Where do you draw that line between what you do for the user in the name of usability and what you leave for the user to do themselves?

At NCH Software we strive to make our software as user-friendly, and easy to setup as possible, so we need to think a lot about what the default settings for programs should be and make as many educated guesses as possible about what will work for the most users. Whenever there are options you will never be able to pick settings that will actually work for everyone but you want the defaults to work for as large a majority as possible, and make it easy for the few that need to change them to do so.

If there are too many question marks as to what will work best for the majority of people that is often when we introduce a setup wizard for programs like Axon PBX Software which allows us to ask questions to help us set default values for the user instead of straight out guessing how many phone lines the user will have on their phone system. By carefully choosing the questions we ask we can get all the answers we need to help the user get their customized system ready as quickly as possible without them needing to hunt down every option on their first run, even though all of those settings can easily be changed later.

It is a fine line to walk trying to help the user along the way but not get in their way of being able to configure options for themselves, but it is one we are doing are best to get better at in our ongoing effort to make our applications user-friendly.