Free Software MPlayer for Windows (Full Package): Sound, Sound, Sound

MPlayer for Windows (Full Package), an open source audio and video player recently released under GNU Public License is sound to behold. MPlayer supports over 192 video and 85 audiocodecs. Including Quicktime and RealAudio, this is a fistful of megabyte savings, MPlayer takes 26 MB's in comparison.

When you install MPlayer, you'll be asked about your CPU - the player has been optimized for certain AMD and Intel chips. I'm convinced that this is a major reason MPlayer sounds so vibrant. I have a Logitech "surround sound" system with subwoofer on my computer, and my teeth grate at how some of the music sounds. Now that I have MPlayer, I'm smiling one great big smile. The music is bright, the background stands out - it's a huge improvement over my default player, "Slacker".

After you've loaded the player, you'll have 2 new icons on your desktop: MPUI plays audio, and SMPlayer (pictured above) plays audio and video. I tried a sample video that came with the application and Vista put up a yellow balloon saying "The color scheme has been changed to Windows Vista Basic" which I didn't understand. I surmised that I couldn't play a YouTube video from url because it didn't have an extension.

If you're going to have a player on your system, I'd say at this point, this is the one to have. It makes Logitech sound great! And yes, I've gone the whole nine yards with room correction so I hear all my speakers. This MPlayer is something to be enthused about!

To Download and read a little more about the player and see the specs, go to:
http://www.dailyfreeware.net/2008/07/28/mplayer-for-windows-full-package-2/

Free Software Icon Winamp Upgrades to 5.54

If you've never had the pleasure of hosting Winamp on your desktop, now is the time to go to http://www.winamp.com and download it, especially if you have speakers. The 10-year-old audio/video program just gets better with age.

Or follow the links to the video online tutorials and see the new redesigned "Now Playing" experience. There's also videos on:

• making your own Winamp skin
• Winamp Remote on your mobile phone

and they're planning many more "how to" videos.

But back to the "Now Playing" experience. You use search and access artist biographies (complete with similar artists and discographies), songlists, photos, videos, and radio stations on the internet that play the searched artist. I put in "Sting" and saw 4 videos (also one movie trailer and a commercial). Most disappointing was the songlist - out of 74 listings, about 1/2 were "Best of Sting & the Police", and that was the listing. I saw other songs I'll go back for, though. The discography was missing many works, I hope that's not the case with all artists!

Besides audio and video, Winamp has a Podcast Directory, CD recorder and handles DVD Drives. It features playlists, bookmarks, SHOUTcast and can work in conjunction with your iPod or Creative Zen.

To read more about Winamp's newest version:
http://lognot.blogspot.com/2008/07/download-winamp-media-player-554-pro.html
http://www.digitalhome.ca/content/view/2685/206

Free Software from Microsoft: SharedView

The Mac has it - it's time Windows has it, too. SharedView 1.0 is available now and the documentation, at least on the site, is good. With SharedView you can share your screen with up to 15 other people, collaborate and brainstorm. The menu, like the documentation, is simple and straightforward.

There are a few hitches: everyone participating has to have a copy of SharedView, but only the instigator of the meeting has to have a password/Windows Live ID. Then, required software includes Office, Excel, Powerpoint and/or Outlook. It was accepting of my Firefox browser, however. Live Messenger was required in the Betas, but looks to be optional in version 1.0.

You can share files, up to 200MB per session. SharedView can be a beneficial tool for co-workers. My advice: spend some time reading the online documentation and familiarize yourself with some of the idiosynchrasies this program has, then get a buddy or a co-worker to get online with you! For Windows XP sp2 and Vista.

Creative Pro Office: Free Software on the Web

Here's a free software program for service people like developers, designers, webmasters - basically, anyone who bills by the hour and keeps track of clients. Creative Pro Office is a very classy free software application, and it's web-based so it doesn't take up space on your hard drive.

CPO features Project Tracking, Invoicing and Expense Tracking, along with a Customer File. There are lots of drop-down boxes to select from, making input a breeze. You can be as abbreviated or specific as you choose in filling out the forms.

Invoices can be printed, emailed or downloaded in PDF format. The invoice I printed was professional in appearance. What distressed me was that I had to go back into the project section to get the hours I was billing and price I was billing at - the timesheets did not automatically transfer to the invoice. Of course, Creative Pro Office is still in beta and this could change.

I find the program worth watching. My main complaint was that I had to fill out the url, phone # and tags more than once when registering a client. If you try this program (and I hope you do) use Firefox as your browser, there are issues with IE 6&7 and also with Safari. The developer is at a crossroads right now (see CPO's blog) and he pays attention to the comments. Go and open a free account (while it's still free) and give it a try. Don't doubt for a minute that your comments won't go to the top.

Free Software: Portable Applications

The applications I'm posting on today are totally free software that you can keep on your flash drive. The inspiration for this post came from Dilip Acharya, pictured here, and his post http://dacharya.blogspot.com/2008/07/blog-on-go-surf-anonymously-and-do-more.html - I encourage you to read his article, as I'm not going into the topics he expounded on. Don't miss him if you want to know how to surf annonymously on the web.

It's in Italian, but http://www.winpenpack.com/main/news.php packages groups of programs together for download to your flash device, including essentials, personal, and the web. FileZilla, an FTP program; Mozilla Firefox, a web browser; OpenOffice.org, a comprehensive office suite; these and more are found in all the sites discussed today.

Exclusively for Mac OS X is http://osxportableapps.sourceforge.net/, at last count sporting 26 applications that you can load on a flash drive. I should point out that you can not only use a flash drive, but a memory card, iPod, portable hard drive - any of these will hold these programs and you can take them with you wherever you go. You can store your data on them, too!

http://www.portableapps.com might be your choice if the Italian site offers programs differing from your desires, but be sure to check out http://www.pendriveapps.com - a wealth of information and descriptions of the software featured abound.

For further information read Online-Tech-Tips blog of June 25th. There's another great article on portable applications.

Apnoti: Auto Price Watch on Amazon

I think we've all shopped at Amazon.com: Now there's a tool to track their prices. It's called "Apnoti" and you can download it as a toolbar on your browser, or go to apnoti.com and use their form. Here's how it works:

Apnoti takes your requested product and at least once an hour, checks the price. If the cost of the item goes down, Apnoti emails you.

So, if you have an eye on purchasing something in the near future, Apnoti will let you know if the price has come down. They can't track items with sizes and colors, and the same with not-in-stock products. This by no means leaves them with little to choose from, however. You establish a direct link to the item you're interested in, and, after registering, you can tell Apnoti when to alert you of the product's availability.

Another big plus - after you have spent your money at Amazon, you're entitled to a refund if the price goes down 30 days after purchase. Let Apnoti do the checking for you and receive an email if the price drops. So how do you get the refund? Visit the Apnoti site and see their example...an email, some copy and paste, and viola!

Apnoti is run in the UK and they earn their expenses from the Amazon Associates Program. I will admit that blogging about Apnoti puts me in a raffle for an iPod - you, too, can be in the drawing by emailing someone about Apnoti. Good Luck!

A Word on Wind Chimes

Wind Chimes are attractive indoors as well as out. Whether hung on the wall, from an object like a coat rack or suspended from the ceiling, wind chimes offer a unique change from the ordinary.

Often wind chimes are used in the home to create feng shui. People put them on doors, some use them for dinner bells and ring them to call everyone to the table. Many wind chimes are so lightweight they would not survive in the outdoor elements.

At my house we have two kinds of wind chimes indoors - contemporary and ones on their way to becoming collectible. I have one by the piano. It was given to me by a dear friend, and is made up of musical motifs. It is my most contemporary chime. Another one is glass (like Pyrex) from South Africa and it hangs in my kitchen window over the sink. I'm constantly bumping it, and it plays the most clear-toned melody.

Then, decorating the kitchen are to wind chimes from the 70's. They are made of clay and stoneware and both have beading on them. Beading was popular in the 70's on wind chimes, as was the use of jute and some macrame. If these even so much as fell on the floor they would probably break. Friends have them to me way-back-when. The 'temple bells", I call them, adorn the stoneware wind chimes and were popular during this era, too. At the top of this post is a photo of the 70's clay wind chime. Hold on to them if you have any - they're bound to be collectible!

I have many chimes I'm banking on becoming collectibles that are contemporary now. Don't be surprised if you're rummaging through a storage box and find a chime that someone gave you, tucked away. Take it out and decorate your living space with it - you'll be surprised at the cheer it brings you!

Freeware Web Services - Try Now!

As I stumble through StumbleUpon I do a lot of del.icio.us bookmarking - these three services are among them and they all three are freeware. We have a free file converter, freeware spambox, and a virtual typewriter on the boards today.

First off, You Convert It takes audio, document, video and units of measure, converting them into other file formats via email. You simply enter your email address and insert up to 5 files at a time. I had some killer soundbytes of wind chimes in Mp3 format that I wanted in WAV for an add-on in Thunderbird email. Five files were ready to download in my email box 1 minute later. I imagine the video file formats are just as useful. Has anyone tried You Convert It? What did you think?

Second, we have Spambox. This little goodie will give you a temporary email address for one hour to one year, and the time can be extended. You get the emails, but the company's that get your temporary email address don't get your real address, (and here's the point) can't spam or sell your real email address. No hidden agenda with Spambox, it's freeware, and the system is set up in many countries.

Last of all is DarkCopy, with it's ebony black screen and it's green print - meant to take you back to the days of a typewriter, before we had all these icons and formatting tools to pay attention to. The purpose of DarkCopy is to give you somewhere to write, and concentrate on writing. It also gives you the option to save as file, or go full screen (to go half screen again wave your mouse up in the top right hand corner). It has a built-in spell checker and lets you focus on the task at hand. Try it next time you're fiddling with the fonts, procrastinating on your writing.