The test version of OmegaT was released back in November, but the team released version 2 update 1 on January 9.

If you’ve not heard of OmegaT, it’s a free, open-source translation memory program that runs on the Java Runtime Environment. This means that it is platform independent, and can run on Mac, Windows and Linux, which is an important step if you, like me, are looking to work without being tied to a specific operating system. Unlike Wordfast Pro, which currently can’t handle them, OmegaT works with the new XML Office 2007 format, though older MS-Office files will require conversion via OpenOffice.org.

OmegaT has a fairly simple interfact that is easy to use. It offers fairly basic glossary and TM functions, which have some handy features (TMX file compatibility for translation memories and plain-text glossary handling), but also some irritating factors, such as the lack of keyboard shortcut to insert terms from a glossary, as one finds in other packages.

All in all, it’s a fairly basic piece of software, and you can’t expect to find all the functions available in other packages, especially without paying a bean for it. Some additional scripts and macros to add additional functionality are available from its website, or a package of third-party plugins which might help you to fix some of the initial problems you may have, and remember, if you’re not afraid of getting your hands a little dirty, there’s always autohotkey if you fancy having a go yourself.

OmegaT is available as a free download for Windows, Mac and Linux.

Microsoft has announced the release of Windows 7 beta at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show. In his keynote speech to the CES, Steve Ballmer announced the immediate release of a beta version for software developers, and public release on Friday 9 January.

Windows 7 has seen a slick marketing campaign designed to get potential users interested by drip feeding them with information. In a departure from previous releases, this release has been assigned a number, rather than a name (though it was previously referred to as Vienna and Blackcomb). With what Bill Gates has referred to as a “user-centric” focus, Windows 7 has been designed with 3 goals in mind: to work the way consumers want, make everyday tasks faster and easier and offer a better entertainment experience.

BBC News has a video showing some neat new features included in Windows 7. Most obvious to users will be the redesigned taskbar, which allows easy switching between multiple windows, the ability to ‘peek’ through windows to the desktop, and easy access to recently-used documents or frequently-used features in software, called Jumplists. Windows 7 also promises better networking, and support for multitouch screens. And lets not forget the introduction of Internet Explorer 8.

Microsoft’s new operating has already come under fire, with some commentators stating that Windows 7 is essentially a re-designed version of Vista, whose unpopularity Microsoft have been desperate to overcome, trying to prove to people that Vista isn’t as bad as it’s made out to be, and reminding us that about a billion other people (including celebrities) use PCs (Take that, Apple Inc!). But don’t mention the weird Seinfeld ads.

Like what you see? You can already replicate some of the new features of the new operating system in Vista, such as the intriguing Aero Shake, that allows you to quickly get rid of all other windows than the one you’re interested in by literally shaking it, as this Lifehacker post explains. You can also replicate the look of Windows 7 with this Vista Theme (once you’ve patched Vista to allow unofficial themes).

Windows 7 public beta will be available from the official site from tomorrow.

The latest of Wordfast, the newly-baptised Wordfast Pro, was released on January 2nd. The previous trial version expired on December 31st, but the new trial will run until January 31st. Several bugs have been ironed out, including the ability to use TMX TMs and other issues such as Powerpoint export. This is not to say by any means that the new version is perfect, there are still issues with all versions of the software, from spellchecking to Office 2007 compatibility.

New users can use the free trial for small to medium jobs (500 translation units), and existing licence holders can obtain a full licence for the product from www.wordfast.net (Support | Login | Licence an application).

Wordfast Pro is available to download for Windows, Mac and Linux (and don’t forget the classic version is still available!).

Google moved into the browser market in September of this year, aiming to be a clean, simple, reliable and fast alternative for surfing the ‘net. Its clever technical features, such as running each tab in isolation and phishing detection set it aside from its competitors, and it was quickly adopted by many users (currently over 1% of all Internet users, and the recent IE7 scare may bring it more).

The most unusual part of Google’s browser is the interface. Following on from the streamlining seen with Microsoft’s IE7 (which dispensed with the menu bar appearing as a default option), Google Chome moves even the tabs up to the title bar of the window, and reduces the menu to two simple buttons. The slimming-down of the browser interface allows the actual viewable page area to be very large compared to other browsers, and the search box and status areas hardly even eat into this space. Unlike Firefox 3, there is a single address/search bar, the “omnibox”. This is another example of a general trend: the return of the command line - developers are increasingly shunning pretty graphical options in favour of encouraging users to enter commands directly. By correctly configuring Chrome’s search options, you can have the browser perform searches for you within that site simply by using the relevant keyword. For example, you could set up the keyword “wiki” to allow you to search directly in Wikipedia. This is nothing new, and you can find the same functionality in other browsers (see http://searchplugins.net/), but what’s different is how easy it is to install new search engines. Another feature that has impressed many users is the start page, that offers thumbnails of the most frequently-visited sites for quick access.

One notable feature that’s missing in Chrome, which probably helps to keep it stable, is the lack of extensions. People are beginning to find ways to replicate the functionality of their favourite extensions (such as Greasemetal to allow some Greasemonkey scripts to be run), although an extension api is planned. A other crucial feature in the pipeline is official support for Mac OS X and Linux.

On December 11, Google Chrome moved out of beta (something they’ve still not managed with Gmail!), fixing bugs, making improvements and becoming generally faster.

Download Google Chrome for Windows.

Autohotkey has been around for a while now, but has seemed to have been below my radar.

Quite simply, it’s one of those products that answers the question asked by so many users, namely, “why doesn’t it work like that?”. If you’re prepared to get your hands a little dirty, and learn a bit of scripting, you can solve many of the little, niggling problems you may have with your system.

When I downloaded Wordfast 6.0, I couldn’t activate an external dictionary using a keyboard shortcut. After a bit of trial and error, I managed to use Autohotkey to set up a dictionary lookup shortcut which works from all applications rather than only from within Wordfast. I also work with my taskbar at the top of the screen, which works fine in Linux, but in Windows all too often windows open with their menu bar hidden underneath (which would be fixed in Linux with ALT + drag anyway!). A simple Autohotkey script allows me to use a keyboard shortcut to move the window out from underneath, eliminating the need to unlock the taskbar, move it, then the window, and finally replace and lock the taskbar.

Simpler uses include remapping keys, meaning that you can make use of your insert key, rather than getting annoyed with overtype mode, or even using the autotext feature you’re used to from Word in any application, so text such as ’sorrycallback’ can be automatically expanded to something more meaningful, such as ’sorry I’ve not had a chance to call you back, as I’ve been very busy’ (or similar). The Autohotkey wiki offers a list of particularly useful scripts for your perusal.

Openoffice.org is a free, fully-featured, open source office suite for Windows, Mac and Linux.

You’ll have no trouble adapting to this office suite if you’re already familiar with Microsoft Office, as it has much of the same functionality as Microsoft’s package, the main difference being the price tag! It works with the same file formats as Microsoft Office, with a few useful extras, like the ability to export directly to .pdf from the file menu as standard. And the files it saves are as ISO/IEC 26300 OpenDocument files, which means your data is stored in an easily exchangeable between users and software packages, and you always have the option of saving in a variety of other formats, from .rtf and .txt to the Microsoft formats that your clients and colleagues are used to (including the new Office Open xml formats).

The openoffice.org suite offers Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Drawing, Presentation and Database applications, each with extensions and add-ons available, from dictionaries and file conversion extensions (such as .pdf import)

There is a whole host of new features in the latest version, including a native Mac OS version, support for the latest Open Document formats and collaborative spreadsheet editing. Perhaps most noticeable is the Start Center, which shows off the unified nature of the suite, where you can open any of the suite’s components or an existing document (openoffice.org then automatically selects the relevant application).

Openoffice.org, is available to download for a wide range of platforms, including Windows, Mac and Linux.

Wordfast 6.0 is now on to its second pre-release version!

I’ve been using Wordfast for a few years now, and it’s proved to be a fairly stable solution for translators who are looking for most of the features of big-ticket translation tools such as Trados, DVX and STAR Transit but aren’t so keen on the high price tag.

Previous versions of wordfast worked as a plug-in for Microsoft Word, which frustrated many users, particularly those working on different platforms such as Linux, or those who prefer to use alternative office products. One of the major bonuses of Wordfast is its ease of use, small size and good support. It is also highly customizable, allowing users to tweak many options to get it working according to their needs, and provides easy access to external dictionaries, whether a separate software product or online. One particular bonus for translators is that Wordfast is offered as a fully-functioning demo version, capable of working with translation memories of up to 500 units, perfect for small to medium jobs. Translation memories can also be exported to .tmx format for exchange between CAT tools.

I was very excited to hear of the release of Wordfast 6, as it is the first version to offer specific versions for Windows, Mac and Linux, which I thought would help me work towards my goal of not being tied to a specific operating system. Downloading and installing the Windows version was fairly straightforward, and I was pleased to see that I could set up a project, import my previous translation memories and get translating with ease. One disappointment was that I had to learn a new set of keyboard shortcuts, which can be a stumbling block for users, though these are customizable. Some of the features I had come to love, such as the dictionary feature I mentioned above, appear to be missing, although inspired by the previous version, I managed to get this set up with Autohotkey.

The initial pre-release version had a few major bugs, which included not being able to open any files in the Linux version, and a lack of Powerpoint compatibility in the Windows version, which are slowly being ironed out. There are a few surprising features lacking, including no support for Open Document formats or even .txt files, but we’ll have to wait for the final release to see how these are addressed.

Wordfast 6 is available to download for Windows, Linux and Mac.

Looking for an open-source replacement for Microsoft Outlook? Well, here’s a good place to start. The e-mail client I’ve been testing is Mozilla Thunderbird, from the people who brought you Firefox.

One of the major bonuses for new users is the easy-to-use interface, which will be familiar enough to all Outlook users.

Straight out of the box, Thunderbird offers IMAP and POP support, and also LDAP access so you can keep your contacts safely backed up online. It also offers some useful features you probably didn’t know you needed, such as the threaded e-mail display, which sorts your email into easy-to-follow message groups, and must-haves such as spell-checking and an excellent Junk Mail filter, which makes that early-morning e-mail check a little easier.

Thunderbird, like the other applications in the Mozilla suite, offer countless extensions to help you go about your business. If you use Hotmail, or another webmail account, you can download a webmail extension for direct integration. Fans of Google will be pleased to see that once you’ve got your Gmail or Googlemail account correctly set up, you can get 2-way sync with your Google Calendar.

Thunderbird is available for Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000 and XP, Linux, Mac OS X, OS/2 and Solaris.