Layout

Apple provides a number of layouts for various purposes in Mac OS X--mainly for international layout differences, but also for variations such as Dvorak. Besides localization purposes, there are also times when specialized layouts may be useful for certain technical applications, to just disable a key, or to swap two modifier keys' functions on a standard keyboard layout. Regardless of the reason, people have wanted to easily edit or create new keyboard layouts in OS X, but have not been able to do so with any utilities Apple provides.… Read more

PhotoLine provides a wealth of tools for editing photographs. While there is a great deal of options, the program seems to be aimed at users with a lot of prior image altering knowledge.

The program's interface kept us guessing when we started since it was cluttered with icons for editing tools and various windows with technical information. A visit to the Help file's definitions clarified a lot, but we still needed to experiment, especially to understand the more technical aspects. The program offered a great deal of editing options, from ones that fix small facial blemishes to cropping … Read more

Desktop Icon Toy is a fun and useful utility that allows users to customize the display of their desktop icons. The program combines a variety of features in an easy-to-use format.

The program's interface consists of a slide-out menu that's accessed from the system tray, with the program's features neatly arranged within. The online Help file doesn't go into much detail about the program's features, but most of them are fairly self-explanatory, and users should be able to quickly figure them out. The less obvious features have tool-tip explanations that describe their functions. The program … Read more

OrgScheduler Pro is a calendar and schedule manager that allows users to keep track of their schedules in several ways. Although we like the interface, some of the program's key features are hard to figure out.

The program will look familiar to users of Microsoft Outlook. For the most part, the program's functions are well organized with tabs and large, graphical buttons. The interface has a sleek, professional feel to it that allows it to integrate well with later versions of Windows. We liked the fact that the calendar interface is so customizable; users can view calendars that … Read more

Sandvox is an easy-to-use, WYSIWYG tool for creating Web sites. It's perfect for less technical users who don't want to edit HTML but do want an attractive site that ranks well in search-engine results. This app's intuitive interface is organized around a straightforward toolbar on top and a site outline on the side. You can drag and drop images, text, and even movies, and you can see what your changes look like in real time while you're working. More experienced Web developers might feel constrained by Sandvox's simple, code-free workflow, but Web design novices will … Read more

If you often use the print story button just to get a Web article on one page, and without the hijinks that get you to mistakenly click on advertisements, Readability may be just what you're looking for. This small bookmarklet, which you simply drag up to your bookmarks toolbar to add to your browser, will re-format the page you're on to make it easier to read. It gets rid of layout, advertising, and any of the site's original navigation. In return, the story retains its links, photos, and any embedded content, letting you read freely and without … Read more

I recently finished working on a project that generated a dozen separate reports published together in a single booklet. Each report was from three to eight pages long, and most of them included at least one table or chart.

When we were done, several of my co-workers commented on how nicely the reports were laid out. All I had done was create a Word template with a simple two-column layout for long text sections.

To create this template, open a new document, type a dummy document title on the first line, choose a font type and size (I used 12-point … Read more

If you're building or rebuilding a Web site, there are several advanced and complex tools that can help you prototype your new product. There are also a few newer products that can capture the basics of design and let you share it with others--and that barely require more than a few functioning neurons to use.

At the most basic, there's the site-tree builder WriteMaps, which is so simple I initially thought it was a joke. It lets you create a tree of Web pages. It can also display your overall site in an outline view. I have never … Read more