numberof improvements to Notepad,
including new keyboard shortcuts and
the ability to restore unsaved content,
but there are many superior third-party
replacements available.
Notepad++
notepad-plus-plus.org
Our favourite Notepad alternative is
undoubtedly Notepad++, which has a
handytab-basedinterface that lets you
have multiple documents openat the
same time. Otherfeaturesworth
mentioning include auto-completion,
WYSIWYG printing, bookmarks, a
zoomtool andthe ability to record
macrosandplay themback.
The program’s interface is fully
customisable, so you can make it look
and behave however you like. If you
decide to switchto it permanently, you
can use aspecial Windowscommand
(foundonthe website) to set
Notepad++ as the replacement for
Notepad in Windows.
Notepad++ is one of the programs
included in the EuropeanCommission-
funded bug bounty program announced
in January, so you can beconfident that
there are no major problemswith it.
VIDEO ED ITOR
Adobe Premiere Elements
bit.ly/prem482
Premiere Elements is another
sophisticated tool fromAdobe that
comes with several excellent features.
The softwareoffers Quick, Guided
andExpert modes, andcan
automatically create photo and
videoslideshowsandcollagesfor
you using Sensei, Adobe’s artificial-
intelligence engine.
AlthoughPremiere Elements is a
great program, the latest update
doesn’t really add much in the way of
new features. The Windowsversion
doesn’t work with HEVCandHEIF file
formats (althoughthe macOSversion
supports H.265)and doesn’t support
360 -degree VRvideo and multicam
editing either – you’ll needto upgrade
to the expensive Premiere Pro for £238
if you want those features.
If all you want is a programfor editing
andsharing videos recordedonyour
phone, the £86.56asking price (or
£130.36 if you want Photoshop
Elements too) probably seems fartoo
expensive. You also needto create an
Adobe account to use the program.OpenShot
http://www.openshot.org
OpenShot started lifein 2008as a free,
open-source videoeditor for Linux. It’s
now availablefor Windowsand macOS
too, and has all the features you’re likely
to needfor editing videos, including a
drag-and-drop timeline, audio mixing
andediting, a range of effects and
transitions (withreal-timepreviews)
and more. You can have unlimitedaudio
andvideotracks, anduse the titleeditor
and3Danimatedtitl es to give your
movies a professional finish.
If you have a phone or camcorder
that shoots in 4K, thenOpenShot is
particularly useful for editing the
recordedclips andturning theminto
professional-looking movies.MUSIC STREAMINGSpotify Desktop
http://www.spotify.com
If you prefer to streamyour music rather
than buy it, there’s agoodchance you
use Spotify, the service that brought
streaming to the massesand
transformedthe music industry. While
Spotify provides a goodservice, its
desktop client has alwaysbeenits weak
link, with annoyingadverts for free
users, andseveral featuresyou’re
unlikely to care about, suchas the
Friend activity panel that clutters up
the already bloated interface. It can
often be quite buggy too.Xpo Music
bit.ly/xpo482
The deficiencies in Spotify’s official
softwarehave left plenty of roomfor
unofficial open-source alternatives to
spring up, including our favourite –Xpo
Music. It was originally calledXpotify,
but that name got it removed
temporarily fromthe Microsoft Store
for legalreasons, hence the new title.Adobe Premiere El emen ts is no longer
cutting-edge and costs too much
44 21 Aug - 3 Sept 2019
Notepad++ takes the buil t-in Wind ows
tool and adds pluses to it
OpenShot lets you edit your videos to perfection without paying a pennySpotify’s desktop program is the music-
streaming se rvice’s weak link