Follow me on Google+
What I’ve been doing lately is trying to make something useful of my bookmarks. It’s not another bookmark manager that’s needed; it’s bookmark management. … [continued]
filing
As we approach winter in the Northern Hemisphere, this is as good a time as any to consider computer inventory. … [continued]
After a year and a half with Windows 7 I’ve finally had a look at how Libraries work. I’ll give you the prognosis first. Not what I was hoping for. … [continued]
This is a typical (although partial due to the scroll bar getting in the way) Assigned Sources screen in my Legacy database for a single individual. … [continued]
This is my New Year’s 2010 present to myself, a humongous pile of paper and four brand-new two and a half inch binders. A bystander at the cash register agreed that anything larger will break my wrists. When was the last time I had a Christmas that didn’t involve genealogy? I can’t remember.
The other day I was looking for an old vaccination certificate so I could get the address of where I lived when I was 11 years old to add to some old photos. When I was returning the box (where I did not find what I was looking for) to the shelf, the bottom fell out of it and a cascade of compressed paper splashed to the floor leaving me stunned.
I’m used to computers where there’s a Back button, an Undo option, a keyboard shortcut for it and of course, our favorite – Delete. I stood there for a full minute trying to decide which of those buttons would solve my sudden dilemma. None of them. Welcome to Earth & Gravity. … [continued]
It’s official. Canto Single User is the same insanely complex software as MediaDex.
It has the same help file with the same uselessly-small graphics.
They changed the icons, shape and color, on the main menu. Whoopdeedoo. They removed the most important one (add assets) and added one for configuring the screen layout. (That’s nice.)
The new ‘photo editor’ can hardly be called an editor. It can crop and re-size photos and change brightness levels.
The slideshow works now without crashing the program. That’s nice.
The search options in MediaDex were simple to access from the menu bar; this is a pain.
You can create and play QuickTime movies from your pictures. Big deal.
It’s still missing a simple way to rename files.
If you’re an organizing junkie you’d probably like it, but be prepared for a long hard slog to learn this software.
If you’re determined, please read my post called MediaDex Primer.
Don’t get me wrong. I liked this software, having made it past the intense learning curve to a basic level of usability. But it cost me $80 a year and a half ago. I don’t see what suddenly makes it worth $400. Because they changed the color of the icons?
(Update: Apparently the form of IPTC they use/used is/was all messed up as well. I found out after I moved to GeoSetter. So, nix on this product. Entirely.)
MediaDex is no more. Convoluted, but I think the story went like this. In the beginning was (still is) Canto Cumulus, corporate-level digital asset management system with a price tag so high they don’t quote it on the website. Then they came up with a single user version called MediaDex, organization minus the worldwide sharing part. Horribly abstruse piece of software with a support forum full of frustrated users. Nevertheless, potential to salivate over.
Apparently, someone else thought so, too. Now it’s become Canto Single User, being sold and supported through partners in Germany, France and Australia. So far I see there’s an image editor, watermarking and a modernized interface added. It will take more than that to impress me. Going by the price tag, I’m expecting all the bugs to be fixed and a good dash of user-friendliness added. Fortunately, there’s a trial version so I can find out.
User datasheet PDF
$400 USD or $200 for the upgrade from MediaDex.
Windows and Mac compatible.
All Ye Faithful,
Back in April I applied for a U.S. passport since I’m still a citizen there and the government has made it so that we can’t go across the border without one. This is a mind-boggling process. Here’s the short version: If you don’t live in the U.S. don’t try to get a U.S. passport.
The subject of genealogy organization never ends.
Since I’m in another tidying up phase I decided to have another look at the old survey. One of the outstanding comments there is in answer to the question: “What other content would be useful to you?”
“How to know when to stop re-organizing when you have a system set up, a curse of a Virgo.”
While we’re busy crossing our t’s and dotting our i’s for dead people, how much time are we giving to the paperwork of the living? Our own estate planning rather than preservation of the estates of the deceased.
OK, so I’m sort of organized. I’ve put all my passwords, card numbers and serials in KeePass. I carry KeePass with me on a flash-drive every time I leave my house. At least every time I leave by car. That’s most of the time. First chink in armor. Start counting your chinks.
