Mediaboss Marketing

Kim Komando| Special to USA TODAY

There are more features and tricks hiding in your Mac or PC than most people will ever know. You can do even more if you know the right software to download.

If youre relying on your computers built-in spell check to catch all your grammar mistakes, for example, its time to upgrade. Here are five stellar options to make you sound smarter. I have used one for 223 weeks straight.

With everything else we shell out cash for online, you dont always want to pay for programs. If you need to save a little cash, Ive got your back. First, check this list of simple ways to save money on streaming, cable and internet bills each month.

Round out the savings with this list of full-featured programs that work just like popular software everyone else uses:

When it comes to productivity software, Microsoft Office is the gold standard. Unfortunately, it's also expensive. Yes, there are some ways to get a discount if you genuinely need the Microsoft version. Tap or click here for tricks to get it free or cheap.

A great no-cost alternative is LibreOffice. This open-source office suite is especially great because its creators continually update it. Youll get six programs, including Writer, Impress, and Calc, which work just like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, respectively.

LibreOffice allows you to edit documents created in the official MS Office and save new files in Office formats, too. Someone on the receiving end of your .docx file wont know you used a program other than Word to save it.

Tap or click here for direct download links for Mac and PC.

FreeOffice TextMaker is another solid Microsoft Office alternative. Its handy when you need to open .doc and .docx files. Unlike other free word processing programs, it offers a spell check feature in 58 languages. Like Word, you can insert tables, pictures, and drawings.

You can even create EPUB e-books. Thats convenient for aspiring authors who dont want to shell out cash for another program.

Tap or click here to download FreeOffice TextMaker.

Want more options? 7 free alternatives to Microsoft Windows

Another great offering from FreeOffice is PlanMaker, a free Excel alternative. Open and edit XLS and XLSX files from Excel or export your worksheets as PDFs.

It can go beyond the basics, too, with more than 430 computing functions. It comes loaded with templates compatible with Microsoft Excel 2019, too.

Tap or click here to download FreeOffice PlanMaker.

You can edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations for free with Google Drive, too. Tap or click for 15 tips and tricks power users rely on.

Designed for advanced users, GIMP is a professional photo editor almost identical to Adobe Photoshop. The open-source software has been around, and loved, since the 90s. Youll get access to many Photoshop tools, including advanced filters, text settings and layers.

And hey, you wont have to shell out $10 (or more) a month for Photoshop anymore.

GIMP is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. Tap or click here for a direct download link and more info.

Sometimes you want a solid program without downloading anything. That's where Pixlr comes in. This photo editing software runs in your browser; its compatible with Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

Pixlr includes advanced tools like drawing and photo filters, but its handy for easy cropping and resizing features, too. Unlike some other browser-based options, it opens nearly image format. That includes PSD (Photoshop documents), PXD, JPEG, PNG, WebP, and SVG.

If you want to work on your smartphone, you can download a lightweight version of the program on iOS and Android. The mobile apps dont need much space or memory. Plus, you can instantly share your creations with your social media apps.

Tap or click here to find out why it's such an excellent option for beginners.

Canva is not your typical photo editor. Yes, you can crop photos, add text, or resize in a snap. What makes it shine are the countless templates you can use to create your own presentations, social media graphics, greeting cards, marketing materials, posters, and anything else you need.

Canva is super easy to use, too. Its a drag and drop, intuitive editor just about anyone will be able to navigate. You can sign up for a paid account to get access to premium images and templates. For basic use, though, a free account should give you everything you need.

Tap or click for a direct download link and more reasons to love Canva.

VLC is a free, open-source media player that plays almost every audio and video file format in existence. VLC even handles webcams and streaming content and can convert media from one format to another.

Not only is VLC powerful, but its also lightweight. It runs fast, and there are no ads. Love that. Its also simple to use.

To run a video or audio file, you can drag and drop a file into the open VLC program or open it under the Media tab. The player buttons are simple and are easily accessible at the bottom of the VLC window.

VLC runs on just about any platform, is open-source, and is frequently upgraded, unlike some free software. Tap or click here to download VLC.

Not only is audio track editing complex especially for beginners but the programs for this task can cost you an arm and a leg. Not so with Audacity, one of my favorite free programs.

It is easy to use once you get the hang of it. Even a beginner can pick up the process after a few minutes of watching tutorials on YouTube.

If youve never used Audacity and the name sounds familiar, there were news stories back in July claiming policy changes to the terms and conditions effectively made Audacity spyware. After reading the policy and the companys response, I am not concerned.

Tap or click here to edit music, podcasts, or other audio like a pro.

Windows Movie Maker was one of the most popular platforms people used for editing videos for a long time. Sadly, the native PC app kicked the bucket in 2017.

Many people moved on to expensive alternatives, like Adobe Premiere Pro or Vegas Pro. If you need to edit video on the cheap, try out DaVinci Resolve 17. As with any powerful editing software, there is a learning curve. This goes beyond just simple cropping.

Its available for Mac, Windows and Linux operating systems and allows you to make quick edits to your video clips or packages. DaVinci 17 uses artificial intelligence and smart detection technology to identify faces in clips and organize them automatically into smart folders.

It's powerful enough to knock out basic editing, color correction, and audio post-production, along with visual effects and motion graphics.

Tap or click here to download DaVinci and see more of what it can do.

Bonus Tip: How the government and companies buy your personal data

Check out my podcast Kim Komando Explains on Apple, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast player.

We think of our gadgets as helpful tools that make our lives easier, but they can also be turned against us. The data your devices collect is so valuable it could be used against you in a criminal trial, requested by the police, or even bought by the government through a data broker. I sit down with Bennett Cyphers from the Electronic Frontier Foundation and he reveals all the secrets youre losing and which devices do the most stealing.

Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, Komando.

Learn about all the latest technology on theKim Komando Show, the nation's largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website atKomando.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.

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9 free software copycats that work better than the real expensive programs - USA TODAY

Here is a full guide on how to change the video aspect ratio on Windows 11/10 PC. The video aspect ratio is basically the proportion of width to height of a video. It determines how wide your videos are. It is not the resolution but the ratio of the width to height. Like, a video with an aspect ratio of 16:9 can be of 1920 px by 1080 px resolution. Now, if you want to change the aspect ratio of a video on your Windows 11/10 PC, this guide is for you. In this post, we are going to discuss methods to change the video aspect ratio on your computer. Let us check out now!

You can change the aspect ratio of a video using a free online tool. There are various tools available on the web that enable you to do that. Additionally, you can also use software to do that. We have discussed some online tools and software that can be used for modifying the aspect ratio of videos for free.

Here are the main methods to change the video aspect ratio on Windows 11/10:

Let us discuss the above methods in detail now!

The easiest way to change the aspect ratio of videos is to use an online tool. There are several free tools that allow you to change the video aspect ratio online in a web browser. Here are two good free online video aspect ratio changer tools that you can try:

Lets discuss these tools in detail now!

As the name suggests, OnlineConverter.com is a free online file converter tool. It lets you convert video and some other files. Along with converting video files, it also lets you resize them and change their aspect ratio according to your requirement. Let us discuss a dedicated step-by-step procedure to convert the aspect ratio of a video.

You can follow the below step to modify the video aspect ratio:

You will be able to download the resulting video when the processing is done.

This online tool can also be used to crop videos, merge videos, watermark videos, repair MP4 files, brighten videos, stabilize your videos, and more. You can use this handy tool here.

FileConverto is another file converter tool that also lets you change the video aspect ratio. You can find a lot of other tools on this website like Video Compressor, Video Joiner, Video Trimmer, Loop Video, and more. It also provides several audio, image, and PDF tools. It lets you change the video aspect ratio to fit Instagram, Instagram Story, IGTV, YouTube, Facebook/ Twitter Portrait, Facebook/ Twitter Landscape, or TV Standard.

Here are the main steps you can follow to convert the aspect ratio of videos online:

Try it here.

Read: Best free AVI to MP4 converter for Windows PC

Another method to change the video aspect ratio is to use free software. You can find plenty of software that let you convert the aspect ratio of videos on Windows 11/10. Some even let you change the video aspect ratio in bulk. Here are the free software that will let you change the aspect ratio of videos on Windows 11/10:

Now, let us talk about the above free software in detail!

XMedia Recode is a free batch video processor that lets you change the video aspect ratio on Windows. It can do a lot more like crop a video, flip/ rotate a video, watermark a video, blur videos, apply various filters, etc. To change the video aspect ratio, there is a very simple procedure you need to follow. Lets check it out.

Here are the main steps to change the video aspect ratio in bulk using this free software:

Let us discuss the above steps in detail!

Firstly, you need to download and install this free software on your PC, and then start it. It also provides a portable version that you can download, unzip, and then launch without installation.

Now, click on the Open Files button and add the source video files. Then, move to the Filters/Preview tab, and under the Resolution section, select the desired aspect ratio from 1:1, 3:2, 4:3, 11:9, 16:9, etc. You can also customize other parameters like aspect error, scaling mode, dithering algorithm, etc.

After that, go to the Format tab and customize the output format, output location, etc.

Finally, click on the Add to queue and then Encode button to start batch video processing.

Read: How to Resize a Video using Command-line with FFmpeg

As the name suggests, Free HD Video Converter is a free video converter using which you can also change the aspect ratio of input videos. It is very easy to use, plus it provides several handy features. Some of its features include crop, trim, color filters, merge, etc. Let us check out the steps of modifying the aspect ratio of videos below:

First, download and install Free HD Video Converter software on your PC. Now, launch the software.

Next, add an input video file. Then, click on the parameter Settings button to open up the window to customize output options.

After that, click on the Aspect Ratio drop-down option and select the desired output aspect ratio and press the OK button. You can select an aspect ratio from 4:3, 16:9, 37:20, and 47:20.

Finally, press the Run button and it will change the aspect ratio of the input video file.

You can download it from videoconverterfactory.com.

See: Best free Video to GIF maker software for Windows

Try AV Video Converter which is a batch video converter and can modify the aspect ratio of videos. You can add multiple videos and then change the aspect ratio for all the videos at once. Apart from that, it lets you modify video size, quality, and more.

To use it, download and install it on your PC. Then, open this software and add your videos files to it. Now, from the right panel, select the Aspect Ratio drop-down and choose the desired aspect ratio. After that, click on the Convert all tracks button to start processing your videos.

You can get it from here.

Media Coder is a video transcoder that also provides you a feature to change the aspect ratio. You can set pixel or display aspect ratio through it. It allows batch processing. So, import multiple videos files, change their aspect ratio and process them.

First, download and install it and then launch this software. After that, browse and select the source video files that you want to process. Next, go to the Picture tab from the bottom panel and select the aspect ratio you want to set. Select an aspect ratio and then click on the Start button to process all your videos and change their aspect ratio.

You can download it from here.

WinFF is an FFmpeg-based GUI software to convert videos. It also lets you change the aspect ratio of videos in a batch. It doesnt provide a set of predefined aspect ratios. You need to manually enter the aspect ratio that you want to apply to the output video.

You can download and install it and then start the software. Now, add your source video files and then click on the Options button. Next, go to the Video tab and inside the Aspect Ratio box, manually enter the output aspect ratio, such as 4:3, 16:9, etc. Finally, press the Convert button ad let it change the aspect ratio of all videos.

All the mentioned online tools and software let you change your video to an aspect ratio of 16:9. You can use a free online tool like OnlineConverter.com, or use free software like XMedia Recode for the same.

Thats it!

Now read: Best Free Video Quality Enhancers for Windows.

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Change Video Aspect Ratio using free online tools and software - TWCN Tech News

MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Is your workforce ready for 2022? To help strengthen the workforce for the new year, VKS is offering companies free access to VKS Lite. Companies can leverage this work instruction software to create visually interactive instructions that enhance the knowledge and skills of their workforce.

Theres no getting around it, the pandemic has accelerated the need for digital transformation. Increasing turnover rates, dependence on senior employees, and transitioning supply chains have impacted industries around the world. And issues like the skills gap and long training times have only been exacerbated by the world crisis. But companies are regaining control with work instruction software.

We are enabling companies to pursue Industry 4.0 innovation with no risk to their bottom line. Its very important to us to help people across the globe create stronger and more resilient practices. And this is another step towards that goal. With more companies and people using advanced technology to standardize their processes, increase quality, and enhance the knowledge of the workforce, the whole industry wins. - Kyle O'Reilly, VKS Director of Sales

Go paperless and update all work instructions with the click of a button. Use pictures, videos, annotations, and more to digitally transform your operation and guide workers through their tasks. With VKS Lite, its easy to begin your digital transformation journey.

About VKS (Visual Knowledge Share Ltd.)

VKS (Visual Knowledge Share) is a leading innovator in digital work instruction technology. Backed with over 50 years of manufacturing experience from its parent company CMP, VKS software is designed for manufacturers by manufacturers. With its intuitive and interactive visual platform, VKS Lite is a work instructions solution that equips companies with the tools to push the capabilities of manufacturing further into Industry 4.0.

For more information, visit VKS at VKSapp.com.

Continue reading here:
VKS is Breaking Barriers with Free Work Instruction Software - Business Wire

General Motors said Monday that it will start swapping new batteries into Chevy Bolt EVs in October in response to at least a dozen fires that triggered a massive recall. GM did not say when it will restart production of brand new versions of the electric car.

The news comes as LG is once again making batteries for the Bolt after stopping in August. GM says it worked closely with the South Korean conglomerate to make sure the new cells are free of defects that have led to at lest a dozen fires in the automakers electric vehicle and a massive recall.

Owners of older Bolts (model years 2017 to 2019) will have all the modules in their battery packs swapped for new ones. Owners of newer models may only get individual modules changed out, GM said.

GM said Monday that it will also have dealers start installing new diagnostic software on Bolts in the next 60 days. The software will continually scan the battery packs for signs of defects. If none are found, the software will eventually allow owners to once again charge their vehicles to 100 percent, and abandon some of the other safety guidelines GM has put in place while it worked out the recall.

The initial fix for the recall, announced in May, involved an earlier version of this diagnostic software, though at least two vehicles that received it still caught fire. GM did not go into much detail Monday about how this new software differs.

In the meantime, Bolt owners are supposed to continue adhering to that guidance. GM says owners should park outside and away from their homes after charging, and that they should not charge their vehicles indoors overnight. Owners should not charge their Bolts beyond 90 percent, and avoid depleting the battery below 70 miles of remaining range.

GM made one minor tweak to its guidance, though. As long as they follow the above guidelines, GM says owners need only leave ample space between their Bolt and other vehicles, instead 50 feet as it recently advised. It did not define ample, though.

GM first issued a recall for the the earlier models of the Bolt in November 2020 after a handful of fires. But it wasnt until July of this year that it announced what the problem was. In rare cases, some cells that LG made had two different defects a torn anode and a folded separator that, when combined, made it possible for a Bolts battery pack to catch fire while charging.

LG shut down production of the cells in August, around when GM decided to recall all model years of the Bolt. GM said Monday that production resumed at two locations it runs with LG in Michigan, but that factories in South Korea were still not back online.

The recall has already cost GM some $2 billion. The automaker has said it intends to recoup some or most of that amount from LG though the two companies are working together on GMs next-generation Ultium batteries, and will operate multiple new battery factories in the US.

Continue reading here:
GM says defect-free Bolt batteries are in production - The Verge

Interviewee: Rachel Zack, former Director of Policy

Remix is a paid web-based software that displays spatial data, models scenarios, and explores equity implications of changes to transportation networks. With high usability and few skill requirements, Remix boasts analysis with the click of a button for its transit agency clients. The software features neighborhood demographics, import of any data source merged with a shapefile, an editor for existing GTFS feeds to reflect potential transit systems, and rapid computation.

Jane is a mapping feature that measures access to destinations on transit (and other modes). Using Jane, one can see how many destinations a transit rider can reach in an amount of time starting from an origin, and how long it takes to travel between two points. The user can modify the destination type (e.g. jobs, hospitals, schools, parks, etc.), the trip duration, and the network itself to evaluate how changing a transit stop, line, or network shifts access from neighborhoods.

Remixs Title VI engine automates the required Title VI Service Equity Analysis. Users input proposed changes, and the engine estimates impacts on low-income and neighborhoods of color, in required report format. Going beyond Title VI, the engine weighs the potential change by how it shifts service frequency and by the number of people impacted by the change. The Title VI Engine simplifies what can be a days long analysis into a manageable, hours long task. In doing so, it benefits agencies, who wont hesitate to change service for lack of capacity to complete the associated FTA requirement, and it can benefit riders if the changes improve service and are equitable.

Remix does not advise users on how to interpret results from its software analysis. But it notes that the Title VI Engine analysis should only be a final check on equitable service multiple equity measures and robust public engagement are necessary for an equitable system. As additional resources for that work, Remix proffers its Jane access to destinations metric and Explore, its spatial data layering tool. It also notes that software can be used to present tradeoffs of potential service changes, as a way to make community meetings more productive and interactive.

Visit link:
Case Studies: Reviews of Emerging Tools to Measure Equity - transitcenter.org