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Windows has hundreds of thousands of programs. Because of this great volume and lack of a central store, software discovery (aka finding new and useful programs) is extremely difficult. With our Windows Software of the Day initiative, dotTech aims to change that. Everyday we post three programs, allowing our readers to discover new software, daily. Enjoy! [Subscribe to our Windows section to never miss an article: RSS Feed | E-mail]
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Software for April 6th, 2012
Hardwipe
File wiping is no joking matter. If the wrong files get into the wrong hands, people could lose their job, or worse, their livelihood. However unlikely as this is, it’s good to wipe any critically secure files. Hardwipe lets you do that.
Recently updated to version 2.0, Hardwipe lets you wipe not just individual files but entire drives. It also allows multiple passing methods, from a simple one pass to the Gutmann 35 pass method.
If you’re looking for a free way to wipe your files and drives, Hardwipe is perfect.
Price: Free!
Version discovered: v2.0.0
Supported OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8
Download size: 5.7MB
Malware scan: VirusTotal scan results 0/42
Document.Editor
Document.Editor is a really nice looking editor that follows the Ribbon rules while still maintaining ease of use. It’s a little like a cross between WordPad and Microsoft Word: it has more functionality that WordPad (including the ability to spell check and things like tables) but still maintains a limited feature set.
However, it also has some features of its own. It supports tabbed documents, which is common in many other editors, but not any other Ribbon-based ones. It also supports Text to Speech and automatic translation, which are nice to have
Price: Free!
Version discovered: v2012.2
Supported OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8
Download size: 3.30MB ClickOnce; 2.5MB EXE
Malware scan: Setup.exe 0/42
Seam Carving GUI
Power lines. Tourists. Awkward flag poles.
What do all these things have in common? They’re all really annoying to have in your pictures. Seam carving, a technique that uses a special algorithm to remove specified parts of images without impacting the rest of the image by finding curvy lines of least importance to remove, is a great way to take all of these things out, but it usually requires a complicated program or a special brand name and a copy of Photoshop.
Seam Carving GUI is a simple program designed to get you in, remove the part you don’t want, and get out. For instance, I decided that I didn’t want the flower in the lower right of this picture. So, I selected it with the removing pen and clicked Remove. A few seconds later, I got this picture back — no more flower!
Seam Carving GUI is a great and easy-to-use program that’s perfect for removing objects from your photos.
Price: Free!
Version discovered: v1.11
Supported OS: Windows XP/Vista/7, Mac OS X, etc
Download size: 7.3MB
Malware scan: VirusTotal scan results 0/42
dotTechies: We have tested all the software listed above. However, Windows Software of the Day articles are not intended as “reviews” but rather as “heads-up” to help you discover new programs. Always use your best judgement when downloading programs, such as trying trial/free versions before purchasing shareware programs, if applicable.
