creme de blog

AVG 8.0 and Clamwin Antivirus .92 - Which One is Right For You?

2008-11-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

I recently loaded ClamWin Antivirus on my "work" machine, it's an open source program and doesn't have the constrictions that AVG carries for non-commercial use. If you're paying for antivirus via Norton, McAfee, or even AVG I'd encourage you to consider either of these two programs in the future and save your $30 to $50 - they both perform well.

AVG is by far the slicker interface, and they'll try to sell you their pro package, but you can have it for free, schedule your scans, have real-time file scanning and email scanning as well. AVG is harder on your resources than ClamWin - at least on my machine, the fan is always going full speed and I experience momentary screen freeze-ups when working with AVG running in the background.

ClamWin's interface in comparison is primitive, but it came up with two viruses that AVG never reported to me. ClamWin is not scanning all the time, you have to run the scanner or configure it to run daily, weekly, or on weekends. When you see it's "preferences" menu under tools, you'll find a myriad of options, including email notification of a virus. You can scan memory or hard disks, or configure for both to be scanned. The more advanced user may appreciate the options you have with ClamWin.

As it stands for me, ClamWin will be on my "work" machine and AVG on my "personal" machine, at least until ClamWin develops further. At least I'm legal!

Find Your Password within IE, Foxfire & Google Chrome

2008-10-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

The thing about letting your browser save your password is that over time, you tend to forget it. There's a way to get your password (as well as your user name), and they are small programs that are very easy to operate. And they're free software!

PasswordFox, IE PassView and
ChromePass download as zip files. Above, see a screenshot of each program and the information it provides...IE is the least friendly, giving you an IP address rather than the name of the site. To me, ChromePass is the friendliest, giving you the create date and time.

If I used my browser to store passwords, I'd download my browser program and get a copy and store it in a safe place. I don't know how browsers are about sharing passwords like they do bookmarks, but it might enable you to transfer to another browser. I use both Firefox & Chrome, and could see how having your passwords in Internet Explorer might hinder you in trying another browser.

A good read-me file accompanies each program, with a command line listing for different formats. You can get these programs at:

http://www.nirsoft.net/password_recovery_tools.html

While you're there, have a look around at other little utilities you might find helpful.

OpenOffice 3.0 - Your New Office Suite

2008-10-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

OpenOffice, an open source package of productivity, has been around since 2000. Sun is very involved with it, and the culmination of version 3.0, recently released, finds a suite to be reckoned with, and it's free. It contains software that can read and be read by Microsoft Office 2007, as well as more obscure file formats. The new features in 3.0 are well documented and a welcome upgrade. In fact, the only criticism of OpenOffice I've ever read is that they're interface was boring - the new icons really jazz things up!

The programs you get are word processing (with html & xml capabilities), spreadsheet, database, presentation software (Impress) and draw. There are also extensions you can download and add to your Office. The index appears thorough, and there is help for the many different phases of tasks you will want to perform.

OpenOffice.org is also available for the Mac OS X - you might want to check out Computerworld's article, it provides links for the Mac and more information about Intel machines vs. older machines.

"In Pictures" is a web site that teaches by pictures of the screens, and offers Writer, Calc, Base and Impress tutorials for free - I went through the Base one and learned my way around. While these tutorials are for version 2.x, there's that old adage, "the more things change, the more they remain the same". I bet you can find your way around, and they should come out with version 3 soon. Also available at this site are Microsoft Office programs, both 2003 & 2007.

For further reading, try "PC & Network Support Services Limited" blog, and check out "The Tech's Blog".

I'm enthusiastic about OpenOffice.org version 3.0 and look forward to working with it. A database without the "Access" price!

Yahoo! Zimbra Desktop: Are You Ready for a New Email App?

2008-10-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

Zimbra is an email, contacts and calendar in one application. It runs on Windows, Mac's and Linux.

When I downloaded Zimbra my first reaction was "such a good-looking screen!". As I've used this for a couple of days I think Zimbra may push Outlook Express and Windows Live aside. At first glance, I was distressed at the short subject column, but soon learned that by hovering my mouse over the subject, I could see way more than I see in Outlook. And I found the information in Windows Live to hook up my hotmail accounts to Zimbra, too. You can also set up AOL, Gmail and Apple email accounts (any POP or IMAP email account) in Zimbra, and have all your email in one place.

In the email section you have flags, priorities (!) and tags to mark your email. You can search your messages by folder, picture, date, person, subject or attachment. You can even save searches as virtual folders, i.e. "Matt's photos". Drag and drop messages into new folders or the trash. Automatically, you can reply with the correct 'from' address when you have multiple email accounts. The amount of storage for your emails is unlimited. And if you're offline, you can compose messages - they'll stay in your outbox until you're online again.

Highlights of the contact section includes storing all the contacts from your accounts in one place. With these contacts you can create groups and tags to organize them. You can add photos to contacts, and import new contacts from other apps as .csv files or export contacts as .csv files for backup.

The calendar is being upgraded, currently you can manage multiple color-coded calendars. You can view in day/week/work week/month/list views. Use drag and drop to change events to a different day or time. And you can import public web calendars (iCal format), like sports schedules, for example.

The new features enable Zimbra to work with Google, Microsoft, Apple, AOL and Mozilla calendars. You will have the ability to set instant messaging or SMS reminders for events and a to-do list. Eventually, Zimbra will automatically sync with Microsoft Outlook and Apple IPhone. The beta will be rolled out later this year - a handful of users got the beta on October 8th.

In all my reading about Zimbra I could not find what "Zimlets" are, but they're another feature of Zimbra. If you're tired of your email program or would like to have more features (many I have not touched on here), I suggest you try Zimbra.

Revo Uninstaller: Free Yourself from Windows Uninstaller

2008-09-29T19:18:00.000-07:00

I am constantly loading and unloading new programs that I try out for this blog as well as my personal use. I was aware that Windows Uninstaller (through Control Panel) was leaving register entries, icons, folders and files, but I hadn't heard about Revo Uninstaller. I was most impressed when I checked it out. This program is free.

Now, I don't know that it is any faster than Windows Installer - there's a lot more "hands on" with Revo. But I got a complete picture of my program installations. I deleted in "Advanced" mode, which is the slowest mode in the program.

Revo has four uninstall modes:

Built-in runs the application's uninstaller without any additional scanning
Safe performs additional scans in the Registry and on the hard drive - fastest mode
Moderate performs an extended scan
Advanced performs a deep and thorough scan

Yes, it is possible to run into problems, that's why Revo includes a .bak file with a restore point set at the beginning of the uninstall. That beats some of the messages I've gotten with Windows Uninstaller in the past. I'd encourage you to go to their site and read about the features and the FAQ's, and get your Registry cleaned up right!

Revo Uninstaller also has a portable version available.

Chandler Project: Note-to-Self Organizer of Free Software

2008-09-03T19:49:00.000-07:00

With a very savvy interface, the Chandler Project has released a note-keeping, message and calendar application. It's open source software, free to use and develop and features a cross platform of a desktop application, sharing service and a web app. It's strength is in handling multi-step projects.

There is a Chandler Server and a Chandler Hub - you need the hub if you want to share your notes and calendar, but I'm not sure you need the server. And of course, you can keep it as just a desktop application if you so choose.

A triage/table view (shown) is divided into 3 sections: Now, Later and Done. Then there's a calendar view, of which you can import in and export to Outlook, Apple iCal, and Google Calendars. You can set reminder alarms in Chandler Project, and keep track of not only Work but Home, Fun & Holidays.

Email, both incoming and outgoing are handled in this program but the Developers want to complete this section of the app with spell checking, junk mail detection, and the ability to add attachments among other things.

This very ambitious program will see lots of improvement, I think. Take some time to read the FAQ's (with links!) and the troubleshooting guide if you get stuck, and be prepared to spend some time learning the program. For a good app, download Chandler Project.

Free Software: Desktop Maestro2 by PC Tools

2008-08-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

In an agreement between vnunet.com and PC Tools, "Desktop Maestro" is being made available as free software. Desktop Maestro is a registry cleaner, defragmenter and optimizes your system in an easy-to-use format.

The "Scan Your Computer" is speedy and is ready for the next step in nothing flat. Scan Your Computer will display a list and tell you how many errors there are. I had 402.

But I get ahead of myself - the first thing I think you should do is go into Settings and configure the system...most importantly, configure the system backup so you can restore should anything go wrong. There may be a few other checkboxes you'd like to mark as you go through Settings.

After scanning, Desktop Maestro compacts the registry - I saved 6% of my hard drive and cut the errors down to three.

There's a Privacy Guardian in this program, too. To get your activation code, click the "Register" button within the software and select "Get Free License". The code will be emailed to you and you can copy & paste it into the application.

vnunet.com is your only source for this program. Given my experience with PC Tools programs, this is surely another to take advantage of. It sure beats the plethora of programs that offer a free scan but make you buy it to clean out your registry.

Mint: Track Expenses, Budget Your Money with Virtually No Bookkeeping!

2008-08-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

Would you like to know how much you're spending, available to you on a daily basis, without keeping books? Want to start saving but don't know how to budget? Mint will teach you, and let you know if you've exceeded your budget via email or text message. In fact, Mint will let you know all these things without you ever making a bookkeeping entry.

This web-based application allows you to enroll in about 5 minutes. You don't have to give your name, social security # or address, and money can't be transferred within mint. You give it your banking #'s, your credit card accounts, and Mint downloads daily your transactions. It will notify you of a change in interest rate and notify you of purchases above a limit set by you to guard against fraud.

Mint has graphs that show your expenditures, comparison graphs and sends you an email report weekly that shows all your activity. The automatic expense categories are customizable. The blog is full of money-saving tips and advice for getting out of debt.

The downside of Mint could be that your spending habits are being tracked for later marketing, but I think it's a small price to pay for the convenience of gathering this information without entry time. Check it out at http://www.mint.com, read the fine print, and see if this program is for you!

iClone 3.0 EX: Freeware for the Interactive Fans

2008-08-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

Short & sweet today - just wanted to tell you about Reallusion's iClone 3.0 EX, a "Play to Create" 3D program for filmmaking.

To appeal to gamers and those into interactivity, here's your chance to make 10 second movies. The Standard and Professional versions still exist for a fee, but the 3.0 EX version is partially upgradeable. This program aims to make things simple, you're in either editor or director mode. Too bad my nephew has a Mac, I'd tell him to "Play to Create" rather than "Play to Play".

Free Software Energy-Saving Solutions: Edison

2008-08-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

A company based in Seattle WA, Verdiem, has come up
with a software program, aptly named "Edison", for the individual user and they're giving it away for free. Highlights of the program include working and non-working hours, options to change Verdiem's recommendations, and estimate calculations of how much money and carbon dioxide you save by using the program.

For Windows XP (with servicepack 2) and Vista, Verdiem recognizes that on a newer PC the savings may be just a few dollars, but machines with mileage on them are likely to see considerably more in savings.

Verdiem works with energy waste from large corporations the world over. Half the energy of a home computer is wasted. Not only that, but a typical PC uses enough electricity to emit 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide.

Computers account for 1-2% of energy used in the United States. Go to www.verdiem.com/edison/. Click on download, and go thru your settings. If you go out of Edison's parameters, they won't be able to estimate your savings. Install Edison on all your home computers and then celebrate: you did something green today!

Adeona - Free Software, Hope of Recovering Stolen Computers

2008-08-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

Adeona is named after the Roman goddess of safe returns. It exemplifies what the University of Washington has been researching, with help from the University of California San Diego and the University of California Davis. Thanks to them, there is now a free service in place to track stolen computers (if the thief isn't too tech-savvy). It works on Mac OS X 10.4 or 10.5, Linux,
and Windows XP/Vista. Mac and Linux have been tested on both 64 & 32-bit machines, only 32-bit on Windows while the program is still beta.

All you need to do is download a free software program. You give a password during installation. The program generates a file and puts it on your desktop, you transfer the data as recommended by the program. Then the software anonymously sends encrypted notes about the computer's location to internet servers approximately averaging one every 30 minutes. If your computer is stolen, you download another program, enter the password, and get the IP address where it was last used as well as data on nearby routers it used to connect to the internet. With that information, law enforcement could track down the thief.

Mac's even have a freeware program that will photograph anyone using the computer (you can find a link to this program in Adeona's "Overview"). The documentation section has the retreival process on their site with screenshots and steps you through the process. The FAQ's are a must-read. Something great out of acadamia once again!

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

2008-07-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-07-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

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.

Free Everything But the Material: Posterous

2008-06-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

Maybe you don't fancy yourself as a designer, or one who can do layout, even though you'd kind of like to have a blog. With Posterous, you can email your copy, attach Mp3's, photos, files, even YouTube clips and they'll turn it into a blog for you. Swift, huh? No technical jargon to get in your way. We're going to do a little test tonight and paste my copy in the email and attach the image from Posterous. then include an Mp3 (which I can't put on Blogger) and a link. I'll send them the HTML so the link is included, and see what we get.

Posterous is a start-up company and I think they offer a special tool for the beginning wannabe Blogger. Later on they'll add premium services, but for now, they're just trying to get known about.

I'm sending them the 2 paragraphs from above. Their reply, within 3 minutes, showed my HTML but had layed out the images. I opened an account and you can see the results by going to swishy.posterous.com/free-everything-but-the-materi

I think sending a link in regular text will work - anyway, I will try to do that soon. Why don't you create a post for posterous.com and send me the link so I can visit your site?

Test it While it's Freeware - Jing

2008-06-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

If you spend much time on StumbleUpon, you may have already had the opportunity to try freeware called "Jing", a video screen capture tool by TechSmith. Grab it while it's freeware, this software is being tested and if they decide to release it (for the Mac OS X and Windows), it's going to cost a pretty penny.

Jing is based on the idea that you can communicate your computer ideas more fully if you have this tool. With screen captures and videos up to 5 minutes in length, one can cover a great deal of territory. Also with the program is a starter account at Screencast.com, so you can upload your videos and pictures to share. I saw a Foxfire intro to version 3, and it was done with Jing. Very professional.

I think the whole concept around Jing brings goodwill to TechSmith. I have both SnagIt and Camtasia by this company, Jing falls somewhere in the middle. Maybe they'll decide to release it as a commercial version, maybe they'll decide there's not enough interest. I'd recommend you give it a try and see what you can produce with it. Some7666 have bookmarked it on del.icio.us.

So why not hustle over to http://www.jingproject.com and check it out? You'll have a new interesting tool to try and a golden globe at the top of your screen.

Miro: Freeware Worth Big Bucks

2008-06-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

When I found Miro I thought I'd hit gold. This is Freeware??? I still think that. I downloaded it because it would play almost every video format and had already run into my share of non- Freeware answers for non-compatible video extensions. I refuse to put QuickTime on my computer, although Miro plays it.

I soon learned that Miro was much more than a video player - as of today, it has 4583 Channels, all free. And a discriminating search. For example, "tech tips" and "technology tips" will bring up very different listings. I found segments on "Gimp", a freeware Adobe photoshop; ZDNet segments and CNET shows. I don't watch TV at all but I try to get to my technology programs on Miro once a week. You can watch UTube on Miro, too.

Miro has many advanced features: email to a friend, automatic download, automatic removal ( you choose when) - you can see programs in HD, and you can give Channels star ratings, they'll give you recommendations. But watch out for this: Miro can use all your available disk space if you have too many shows or don't tend to housekeeping.

This open video platform is from the non-profit Participatory Culture Foundation (it used to be called the Democracy Player). They have downloads for Mac OS X, Windows and Wountu. Besides a well-rounded player, we have protection of free speech in Miro.

For other articles, see:

Rob Safuto - a video on Miro

Bill Mullins - an article about Miro

Slacker: Freeware Radio

2008-06-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

Slacker is many things that we'll barely touch on in this post, but its' freeware radio deserves PCWorld's #1 choice as best freeware product in their recent edition spotlighting the best for free. I had never heard of it, although I was an avid fan of MusicMatch before it was sold to Yahoo! by Dennis Mudd, founder of Slacker.

Slacker sports nearly 100 genre stations, and somewhere around 10,000 artist stations that play the best of the chosen artist mixed with related musicians. Best of all, you can define your own custom station. If this isn't enough for free, then look into these options: choose whether you like new or older material, or if you want new music and artists introduced - a little bit to a lot. If you hear something you don't like, ban it from your station forever...you can do this six times an hour. Pick whether you want a DJ or not. and you may hear 2 commercials an hour, but I haven't so far.

I had a favorite radio station that never talked or played a promo over a song. This radio station didn't play the same song in a 24 hour period. Best of all, it played a wide variety of songs by my favorites, but all that is gone now. My favorites have one token song played.

Slacker has 50 artists in my custom list and it sounds remarkably like my old favorite station except for the lack of commercials - I say my ears don't get a rest because 12 minutes of commercials are not coming on per hour. It's music, Music, MUSIC!

I'll fault them one, though, and that is this: Slacker starves you for your favorite artist. You hardly ever hear them. I say it's because they want you to buy their premium service. At $7.50/month get ad free radio, skip as many tunes as you want, and save tracks to your personal library, where you can listen to them as often as you like. There's also the Slacker Portable Radio from $199 to $299.

To read more about Slacker:

http://archive.laptopmag.com/Features/Interview-with-Slacker-CEO-Dennis-Mudd.htm?page=3

New Format, New Freeware

2008-06-11T19:50:00.001-07:00

Having just absconded from WordPress last night, I've been getting set up here at Blogger and hope I have better luck now. What a great evening, setting up FTP and watching training videos. I hope this works out well for you and for me.

We have some topics on their way:

Think Free
CCleaner
Ace Money
Indoor/Collectible Wind Chimes

and lots more I've been thinking of.

I'm dying to see a picture in here, so I'll post one now. 'THERE WERE ERRORS PUBLISHING TO YOUR FTP SERVER, CONNECTION TIMED OUT". Oh dear. Back to work for me.

Best,
Beth