CherryTree: Feature-Laden Note-Taking Application

May 28, 2012 GMT

CherryTree is not the only hierarchical note-taking application out there, but it's probably the most powerful one. Besides the basic note-taking functionality, CherryTree offers an impressive array of advanced features that make it a very versatile tool indeed. For starters, CherryTree offers a wide range of text formatting options and provides support for images, lists, and tables. You can also apply special formatting to headings and sub-headings, and then generate a hyperlinked table of contents. The application can also handle links to web pages, tree nodes, files, and folders. CherryTree's bookmarking functionality can come in handy for keeping tabs on complex trees, while the...

Universal Word Count Shell Script

May 23, 2012 GMT

The File Thingie web-based file manager features a no-frills yet functional text editor which I use as a simple drafting tool when I'm on the move. However, the editor lacks the word count feature which is essential for my work. While there are several word count extensions for Google Chrome and Chromium (which is currently my browser of choice), none of them seem to be able to handle text selection in the File Thingie's text editor. So I hacked my own shell script that solves the problem: #!/bin/bash xsel | wc | zenity --text-infoThe xsel tool obtains the X selection (i.e., the currently selected text snippet) and pipes it to the wc word count utility which, in turn, pipes the output...

Set Up A File Syncing Solution in an Instant with ownCloud

May 15, 2012 GMT

File syncing services are a dime a dozen nowadays. But why bother with third-party offerings when you can roll out your own full-blown file syncing solution in a matter of minutes?There are several ways to set up your own instance of ownCloud. If you already have a machine running the Apache web server, you can deploy ownCloud by following installation instructions on the project's website. The easiest way to set up ownCloud from scratch is to install it through a dedicated software repository, and you can find an appropriate repository for your specific Linux distro at the project's download page. On Ubuntu 12.04 and its derivatives, installing ownCloud and the ownCloud sync client is as...

Protect Sensitive Data on Android with Secret Space Encryptor

May 14, 2012 GMT

Storing sensitive data like passwords and confidential information on your Android device unprotected is risky to say the least. Fortunately, the Secret Space Encryptor (SSE) app can take good care of your precious data. Using it, you can securely store passwords, encrypt text messages, and encrypt individual files and entire folders. The app offers several strong encryption algorithms, including 256-bit AES, 256-bit Serpent, and 256-bit Blowfish. SSE consists of three modules: Password Vault, Message Encryptor, and File/Dir Encryptor. The Password Vault module allows you to safely store passwords and organize them into folders. In addition...

Herd Your Tasks with Nitro

May 10, 2012 GMT

Still haven't found a task manager that fits your needs? Perhaps you should take a look at Nitro. It doesn't offer any revolutionary functionality, and the current version doesn't even allow you to sync data across different platforms and devices (although this feature is in the works). But this no-frills task management tool offers all the basic features that can help you to keep tabs on your tasks and to-dos with a minimum of effort. For each task, you can specify priority and deadline, and color codes make it easier to identify the urgency of each task. Tasks in Nitro can be organized into lists, and the application features a few built-in date-based smart lists which can help you to...

KDE Plasma Netbook Revisited

May 09, 2012 GMT

With Unity, Cinnamon, and Gnome 3 getting all the buzz, it's easy to overlook other interesting projects that attempt to rethink the traditional desktop metaphor. Case in point, the KDE Plasma Netbook interface. Despite its moniker, the KDE's alternative interface is not limited to netbooks, although it's designed for devices with small screens. KDE's alternative interface has been around for a while, but I only recently started using it as a primary environment on my trusty ASUS Eee PC 1005HA netbook, and I grew fond of it for a number of reasons. For starters, KDE Plasma Netbook is surprisingly snappy. Even on my 3-year-old underpowered...

Host Your Own Secure Pastebin with ZeroBin

May 08, 2012 GMT

A webapp for storing text fragments and code snippets can come in handy in many situations, and there are several third-party pastebins at your disposal. But if you prefer to host a pastebin on your own server, ZeroBin is right up your alley. For starters, ZeroBin is rather easy to install. Grab the latest version of the application, extract the download archive, move the resulting directory to the document root of your server, and ZeroBin is ready to go. Using the application is not particularly difficult either. Paste a text or code fragment, press the Send button, and use the generated URL to share the specific page. For each pasted...