Archive for the ‘Free Software’ Category

Sonic Mania on PC has surprise DRM, but at least it’s now playable offline – Polygon

Sonic Mania is now on Steam after a two-week delay, but those who waited find it comes with a catch: The PC version comes with Denuvo, an unpopular anti-piracy software that surprised players with its inclusion.

Complaints about Denuvo cropped up on Sonic Manias Steam community forum shortly after launch. Sega failed to note on the games store page that Mania came with the digital rights management service built in, so when buyers found it included in the game, they felt duped.

Nice job Sega, one Sonic fan wrote in a thread about the DRM. You just shot yourselves in the foot by turning away customers who don't want anything to do with Denuvo, and you have absolutely nothing to show for it. DRM doesn't work. If anything, it has the opposite effect to what it's supposed to accomplish.

Denuvo has gained particular notoriety for being difficult to remove from a computer, even after the attached game or software is uninstalled. It becomes a point of pride for modders to crack the protection once its found in a game and remove all remnants of it from the software files.

But Denuvo can also cause gameplay issues, as seems to be the case with Sonic Mania. Not only did Sega not market the PC version as having DRM, but players found that the game only worked when their computers were connected to the internet. Sonic Mania on PC wouldnt work while in offline mode, which players blamed on the anti-tamper software.

Sega addressed the issues on Sonic Manias Steam page, with a developer writing that the game is intended to be played offline and were investigating reports on that.

The publisher later posted a longer note to players on Facebook.

Weve found the problem within the game code that was stopping people playing offline and its been corrected by the dev team, the post reads. The fix is now being tested by SEGA QA to ensure it is working properly and well let you know when it will be implemented via our social channels ASAP. Weve looked into the DRM complaints and can confirm this was not the cause of the problem.

The update that makes Sonic Mania playable offline is now live on PC. Denuvo, however, remains a part of the PC version. Those who arent happy with the DRM have been advised to complain to Sega directly, but we wouldnt be shocked if the software was cracked sooner than later.

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Sonic Mania on PC has surprise DRM, but at least it's now playable offline - Polygon

Stocks Under Scanner in the Application Software Space — Appian, Five9, MINDBODY, and Proofpoint – Markets Insider

NEW YORK, August 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

If you want a Stock Review on APPN, FIVN, MB, or PFPT then come over to http://dailystocktracker.com/register/ and sign up for your free customized report today. On Monday, August 28, 2017, the NASDAQ Composite ended the trading session at 6,283.02, up 0.28%; the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.02% lower, to finish at 21,808.40; and the S&P 500 closed at 2,444.24, slightly advancing 0.05%. US markets saw four out of nine sectors finishing the day in red, two in green, and three in neutral territory. This Tuesday, DailyStockTracker.com has initiated reports coverage on the following Application Software equities: Appian Corp. (NASDAQ: APPN), Five9 Inc. (NASDAQ: FIVN), MINDBODY Inc. (NASDAQ: MB), and Proofpoint Inc. (NASDAQ: PFPT). Take a look at the free research reports issued today on DailyStockTracker.com for these stocks by signing up at:

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Appian

Reston, Virginia headquartered Appian Corp.'s stock finished Monday's session 3.02% higher at $22.54 with a total trading volume of 258,043 shares. The Company's shares have advanced 15.53% in the last month, 25.92% in the previous three months, and 50.17% since the start of this year. The stock is trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages by 14.29% and 16.38%, respectively. Additionally, shares of Appian, which provides low-code software development platform that enables organizations to develop various applications in the US and internationally, have a Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 64.94. Sign up and read the free research report on APPN at:

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Five9

On Monday, shares in San Ramon, California headquartered Five9 Inc. recorded a trading volume of 752,231 shares, which was above its three months average of 531.88 thousand shares. The stock ended the session 0.05% lower at $20.75. The Company's shares have advanced 39.26% over the last twelve months and 46.23% on an YTD basis. The stock is trading above its 200-day moving average by 13.20%. Moreover, shares of Five9, which together with its subsidiaries, provides cloud software for contact centers in the US and internationally, have an RSI of 46.52. The complimentary research report on FIVN can be downloaded at:

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MINDBODY

San Luis Obispo, California headquartered MINDBODY Inc.'s shares closed the day 1.13% higher at $22.35. The stock recorded a trading volume of 250,710 shares. The Company's shares have gained 30.40% over the last twelve months. The stock is trading below its 50-day moving average by 12.13%. Additionally, shares of MINDBODY, which operates a cloud-based business management software and payments platform for the small and medium-sized businesses in the wellness services industry, have an RSI of 32.82.

On August 25th, 2017, research firm Jefferies initiated a 'Hold' rating on the Company's stock, with a target price of $26 per share. Register for free on DailyStockTracker.com and access the latest report on MB at:

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Proofpoint

Shares in Sunnyvale, California headquartered Proofpoint Inc. finished 0.41% higher at $90.72. The stock recorded a trading volume of 283,466 shares. The Company's shares have advanced 17.51% over the last twelve months and 28.41% on an YTD basis. The stock is trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages by 3.35% and 11.35%, respectively. Furthermore, shares of Proofpoint, which operates as a security-as-a-service provider that enables large and mid-sized organizations to defend, protect, archive, and govern their sensitive data worldwide, have an RSI of 58.88. Get free access to your research report on PFPT at:

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Stocks Under Scanner in the Application Software Space -- Appian, Five9, MINDBODY, and Proofpoint - Markets Insider

Avast vs. Bitdefender Which is the Best Free Antivirus? – Blorge

Lately there have been a lot of cyber-crimes which should definitely be countered with using a good antimalware. But a good antivirus comes with a subscription and you must pay for the service. Since many people dont want to buy such a service, there are a few options of free software but not all are good.

So what are the best two free antivirus software? Weve gathered and compared Avast and Bitdefender to see which is the best out of the top free antimalware programs.

A Closer Look on Avast

This software has a high rating on the list of antivirus programs. It has a free 2017 version and a lot of features.

Avast is effective against malware, against PUPs (Potentially unwanted Programs) and detects and shuts down every Malware you get. Its effective against phishing attacks and works on IE, Firefox and Chrome, showing you which site is unsafe by adding a semi-transparent logo on it and telling you that its not safe.

Avast has Impressive Free Features

You have wifi scanner, password scanners, and password manager. It can help you create strong passwords and access them through the program, automatically filling them in. It checks your wifi and sees if the network is secure on all your devices. It can block unwanted trackers, flag unsafe sites and more.

What about Bitdefender?

Bitdefender is a top virus protection software. It lacks many of Avast features but its a bit stronger. Its very good in fighting phishing risks, protects users from website scams and fraud. Its a slim version of protection which it does its job very well, effectively protecting users from viruses.

Which is the Best Antivirus? Avast or Bitdefender?

It comes down to what you expect from an antivirus. Avast has a lot of features and some users might like them, while some might think its a little too bloated. Bitdefender is a simple and gread antivirus program, equal as Avast in protecting you from malware, having an edge against phishing scams.

If we were to choose a victor, Bitdefender should rise on top due to its simple, bloat-free and excellent protection.

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Avast vs. Bitdefender Which is the Best Free Antivirus? - Blorge

Finding Software Classes at Any Hour – New York Times

Q. I had my office install Dragon NaturallySpeaking on my computer, but Im having trouble using it. They were looking for a trainer, but cant locate anyone in the Miami area. Any suggestions?

A. Speech recognition programs like Nuances Dragon NaturallySpeaking convert words spoken into a microphone into typed text on a computer screen and can save significant amounts of time not to mention the physical wear and tear of typing. However, these programs do require a get-acquainted period to work best. In addition to repeating a series of scripted phrases so the software can learn your voice and inflections, most programs require that you use a set of specific oral commands to format and navigate the document for truly hands-free typing.

Like most programs, Dragons dictation software comes with a basic tutorial and help guide to get you started. If you are having trouble or find the included materials insufficient, though, you have more extensive training options available even if a personal software trainer is not available in your area.

For starters, the support area of Nuances Dragon products site has links to printable command cheat sheets, workbooks, and guides to the Dragon or Plantronics headset microphones that work well with the software. The support options go beyond PDF files you can download. You can also find a series of free how-to videos for the Windows version and Dragon Dictate for Mac.

The Dragon support site hosts free online webinars devoted to specific uses of the software (like for legal or financial offices), and links to resellers that may offer hands-on training can be found as well. Nuance also offers a $30 training video you can order, or a $30 online training course you can take right away.

Other sources of instruction can be found elsewhere. YouTube is full of instructional videos on Dragon NaturallySpeaking (and practically everything else), and the subscription-based Lynda.com training site for hundreds of programs has at least one course devoted to the dictation software; a free 30-day trial period is available.

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Finding Software Classes at Any Hour - New York Times

6 Easiest Free Online Database Software for Small Businesses – Stock Review

Lets check a list of the easiest free online database software for small businesses. When you start a small business you need the right tools, facilities, software for a reasonable price. If they are free its better. NowInsider Monkey has published an interesting article about this topic in order to help you.

Every small business should have a way to keep its database clean and organized and, sometimes, thats best done by choosing a web solution that will take care of every aspect that you need. There are lots of solutions, but you can find free ones, of course.

Now without a further ado lets see what Insider Monkey has investigated for us. We have picked two software from their list.

The first one isAgile CRM.Aside from the free tier, there are three additional ones the Starter for $9, the Regular, for $30 and the Enterprise, for $48.Back to the free tier, which can be used by ten users. They all have access to enough space for 1,000 contacts and companies, entries they can customize to their hearts desire. They also have access to unlimited deals, tasks and documents, as well as a tool that allows them to make appointments.Users can further manage marketing campaigns from the app, whether that means firing off emails, checking web engagement or checking out analytics.Another feature thats really cool with Agile CRM is that it comes with a Chrome extension to you can easily have access to most of the features you need instantly.

The second one isInsightly.They, too, offer multiple tiers for those looking to an easy solution to their business problems. The free tier permits access to only two people. The Basic package costs $12 per user per month, allowing you to automate your customer activity. Next, the Plus package costs $29 per user per month and offers additional support by providing customers with a way to segment, communicate and monitor outreach efforts. The Professional package costs $49 per user per month and adds workflow automation and team security to the mix, while the Enterprise package, which costs $99 per use per month allows users to properly scale your CRM to fit the requirements of the business.The free package comes with loads of features, although it does have some limitations too, such as the maximum number of 2,500 records, or the maximum 10 mass emails you can send a day.

For any further interesting information read Insider Monkeys article about6 easiest free online database software for small businesses.

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6 Easiest Free Online Database Software for Small Businesses - Stock Review