Innovation junkies, take note: the Internet has a lot to offer. From invoicing to marketing, these are tools that freelancers need to know about.
The Freelancer’s Toolset: 100 Web Apps for Everything You Will Possibly Need : Codswallop
The Freelancer’s Toolset: 100 Web Apps for Everything You Will Possibly Need : Codswallop
Running a business for yourself means you have to be inventive and always on the lookout for a new and better way to get things done.
Innovation junkies, take note: the Internet has a lot to offer. From invoicing to marketing, these are tools that freelancers need to know about.
The Freelancer’s Toolset: 100 Web Apps for Everything You Will Possibly Need : Codswallop
Innovation junkies, take note: the Internet has a lot to offer. From invoicing to marketing, these are tools that freelancers need to know about.
The Freelancer’s Toolset: 100 Web Apps for Everything You Will Possibly Need : Codswallop
Linux Compose Key | Derek Sivers
I often need to type characters that aren’t on the keyboard, like ½ ÷ © ¥ or ¢.
On Mac, they’re done with the [option] key, but not always intuitive. For example: © is [option]-G and £ is [option]-3. I never did memorize all of these combinations, but there’s a nice cheat sheet of Mac accent codes, here.
On Windows, it’s horrible. You need a separate numeric keypad on your keyboard, then you use the [Alt] key plus a 4-digit unicode number to create the character. For example: © is [Alt]-0169 and £ is [Alt]-0163. See Windows alt codes, here.
On Linux, though, they have the most brilliant intuitive way of doing this:
You pick a key on your keyboard you don’t use much, like [Insert], [CapsLock], or [menu], and make it the “compose key”.
Then to make any character, you just hit the compose key, then type the two obvious keys that, when combined, make up the character.
For example:
* To get ©, just type c then o (Get it? It’s like drawing. The letter c, then a circle.)
* To get £, just type L then - (like L with a line through it.)
* To get ¥, just type Y then =
* ¢ is c then |
* ÷ is - then :
* ½ is 1 then 2
* ñ is n then ~
It’s like drawing with your keyboard!
Linux Compose Key | Derek SiversOn Mac, they’re done with the [option] key, but not always intuitive. For example: © is [option]-G and £ is [option]-3. I never did memorize all of these combinations, but there’s a nice cheat sheet of Mac accent codes, here.
On Windows, it’s horrible. You need a separate numeric keypad on your keyboard, then you use the [Alt] key plus a 4-digit unicode number to create the character. For example: © is [Alt]-0169 and £ is [Alt]-0163. See Windows alt codes, here.
On Linux, though, they have the most brilliant intuitive way of doing this:
You pick a key on your keyboard you don’t use much, like [Insert], [CapsLock], or [menu], and make it the “compose key”.
Then to make any character, you just hit the compose key, then type the two obvious keys that, when combined, make up the character.
For example:
* To get ©, just type c then o (Get it? It’s like drawing. The letter c, then a circle.)
* To get £, just type L then - (like L with a line through it.)
* To get ¥, just type Y then =
* ¢ is c then |
* ÷ is - then :
* ½ is 1 then 2
* ñ is n then ~
It’s like drawing with your keyboard!
Feature: Improve Windows XP and boost performance - Personal Computer World
Windows XP is designed to be compatible with the broadest possible amount of hardware and software. As a result, more operating system services than necessary are started or modules you don’t need are loaded.
This can lead to problems; in extreme cases, installation can take hours, lots of unwanted and sometimes useless programs and services are installed and the user interface is optimised simply to look pretty. All this can be to the detriment of system performance and reliability.
If you’ve installed Windows XP a couple of times, you’ll be familiar with the amount of time you need to spend customising it to your requirements – installing up-to-date drivers and getting rid of unnecessary ballast, with the aim of creating a fast, slim and secure operating system from the resource-gobbling monster that is the default Windows XP.
Nlite to the rescueOne easy way to get to the root of the problem is to use the freeware program Nlite to create a made-to-measure Windows XP installation CD. The biggest benefit of this is the almost endless configuration options this procedure offers.
Whether you are talking about integrating service packs, hotfixes and drivers, removing unwanted components or adding Registry tweaks, you can use this remarkable little program to create your own personalised XP installation CD.
The software, which is just 1.37MB in size, is available on the Nlite website. We used version 1 Beta 6 and, despite its beta status, it gave us no problems.
The program has since moved to Release Candidate 5 status. The program is only free for non-commercial personal use.
The big benefit of this free software is its modular construction: you don’t have to perform all the XP modifications shown in this feature in the sequence shown.
You can use the program’s main menu to decide exactly which XP components you want to include on your personalised installation CD and which to leave out.
This makes it possible, for example, to make updated Windows XP CDs that include hotfixes, altered system settings, or with unwanted XP components left out.
You do need about three hours and a bit of patience to use this utility effectively. Whatever you do, make sure after creating your Mini XP CD you take time to test it.
To test your customised CD, use an empty partition or separate hard disk to reduce the risk of losing your data. Alternatively, it’s an ideal use for software like Microsoft Virtual PC or Vmware Workstation.
You can use virtual PCs created with these utilities to carry out a risk-free installation of the Nlite-modified XP version. You don’t even have to burn a CD or DVD, as both Virtual PC and VMware can use ISO image files directly to install the OS.
Whichever route you take, you’ll need a valid Windows XP licence key, and the installation will still be subject to the Microsoft licensing and product activation requirements.
Feature: Improve Windows XP and boost performance - Personal Computer World
This can lead to problems; in extreme cases, installation can take hours, lots of unwanted and sometimes useless programs and services are installed and the user interface is optimised simply to look pretty. All this can be to the detriment of system performance and reliability.
If you’ve installed Windows XP a couple of times, you’ll be familiar with the amount of time you need to spend customising it to your requirements – installing up-to-date drivers and getting rid of unnecessary ballast, with the aim of creating a fast, slim and secure operating system from the resource-gobbling monster that is the default Windows XP.
Nlite to the rescueOne easy way to get to the root of the problem is to use the freeware program Nlite to create a made-to-measure Windows XP installation CD. The biggest benefit of this is the almost endless configuration options this procedure offers.
Whether you are talking about integrating service packs, hotfixes and drivers, removing unwanted components or adding Registry tweaks, you can use this remarkable little program to create your own personalised XP installation CD.
The software, which is just 1.37MB in size, is available on the Nlite website. We used version 1 Beta 6 and, despite its beta status, it gave us no problems.
The program has since moved to Release Candidate 5 status. The program is only free for non-commercial personal use.
The big benefit of this free software is its modular construction: you don’t have to perform all the XP modifications shown in this feature in the sequence shown.
You can use the program’s main menu to decide exactly which XP components you want to include on your personalised installation CD and which to leave out.
This makes it possible, for example, to make updated Windows XP CDs that include hotfixes, altered system settings, or with unwanted XP components left out.
You do need about three hours and a bit of patience to use this utility effectively. Whatever you do, make sure after creating your Mini XP CD you take time to test it.
To test your customised CD, use an empty partition or separate hard disk to reduce the risk of losing your data. Alternatively, it’s an ideal use for software like Microsoft Virtual PC or Vmware Workstation.
You can use virtual PCs created with these utilities to carry out a risk-free installation of the Nlite-modified XP version. You don’t even have to burn a CD or DVD, as both Virtual PC and VMware can use ISO image files directly to install the OS.
Whichever route you take, you’ll need a valid Windows XP licence key, and the installation will still be subject to the Microsoft licensing and product activation requirements.
Feature: Improve Windows XP and boost performance - Personal Computer World
PDF to Word Converter — 100% Free!
The Most Accurate PDF-to-Word Converter
Using our PDF-to-Word conversion technology, you can quickly and easily create editable DOC/RTF files, making it a cinch to re-use PDF content in applications like Microsoft Word, Excel, OpenOffice, and WordPerfect.Best of all, it's entirely free!
PDF to Word Converter — 100% Free!
Clonezilla
You're probably familiar with the popular proprietary commercial package Norton Ghost®, and its OpenSource counterpart, Partition Image. The problem with these software packages is that it takes a lot of time to massively clone systems to many computers. You've probably also heard of Symantec's solution to this problem, Symantec Ghost Corporate Edition® with multicasting. Well, now there is an OpenSource clone system (OCS) solution called Clonezilla with unicasting and multicasting!
Clonezilla, based on DRBL, partclone, Partition Image, ntfsclone and udpcast, allows you to do bare metal backup and recovery. Two types of Clonezilla are available, Clonezilla live and Clonezilla SE (server edition). Clonezilla live is suitable for single machine backup and restore. While Clonezilla SE is for massive deployment, it can clone many (40 plus!) computers simultaneously. Clonezilla saves and restores only used blocks in the harddisk. This increases the clone efficiency. At the NCHC's Classroom C, Clonezilla SE was used to clone 41 computers simultaneously. It took only about 10 minutes to clone a 5.6 GBytes system image to all 41 computers via multicasting!
Clonezilla
Clonezilla, based on DRBL, partclone, Partition Image, ntfsclone and udpcast, allows you to do bare metal backup and recovery. Two types of Clonezilla are available, Clonezilla live and Clonezilla SE (server edition). Clonezilla live is suitable for single machine backup and restore. While Clonezilla SE is for massive deployment, it can clone many (40 plus!) computers simultaneously. Clonezilla saves and restores only used blocks in the harddisk. This increases the clone efficiency. At the NCHC's Classroom C, Clonezilla SE was used to clone 41 computers simultaneously. It took only about 10 minutes to clone a 5.6 GBytes system image to all 41 computers via multicasting!
Clonezilla
Copywhiz (Piky Basket): Efficient ways of copying files on Windows (7/Vista/XP) - Copywhiz: Flexible file copy program for Windows 7/Vista/XP
Copywhiz was formerly known as 'Piky Basket'.
Copywhiz enhances your file copy experience in Windows. It offers more flexibility when copying files by letting you choose which type of files to copy & which to ignore.
With its popular collect & paste-at-once feature, Copywhiz lets you pick files from different folders and paste them all together.
Copywhiz enhances your file copy experience in Windows. It offers more flexibility when copying files by letting you choose which type of files to copy & which to ignore.
With its popular collect & paste-at-once feature, Copywhiz lets you pick files from different folders and paste them all together.
Highlights
-
Gain Control
Copywhiz allows you to copy only new or modified files or copy files based on file name or extension. You have the complete control. -
Save Time
Copywhiz lets you collect files from different folders and paste them all together. Saves time & effort. -
Play Safe
When a duplicate file is found, Copywhiz allows you to replace the existing file if it is older or rename the file before copying the new file. -
Operate Hands-Free
Use Copywhiz command line options to automate file copy tasks. Copy files to multiple computers or multiple folders in a single click.
-
Enjoy Convenience
Use Copywhiz right from within Windows Explorer. Also supports other file managers like Total Commander, xplorer2 , Directory Opus (dopus), RecentX, XYPlorer & ExplorerXP. -
Be Right The First Time
Review list of files that will actually be copied. Ensure that no important file is left behind & no unnecessary file is copied. -
Stay Relaxed
Copywhiz lets you retry or skip a file on error. It does not stop abruptly if a file is in use or if the disk is full. -
Save The Effort
Wish to copy the same set of files again? Just save the list in Copywhiz & re-use it in future.
Copywhiz (Piky Basket): Efficient ways of copying files on Windows (7/Vista/XP) - Copywhiz: Flexible file copy program for Windows 7/Vista/XP
How to: install Windows (any version from XP to Win7) from a USB/flash drive | dotTech
I just posted about how one can attain a 90 day trial of Windows 7 Enterprise to see if you really want to purchase Win7 or not. In the post I mentioned to install Windows 7 Enterprise you will need to put the .ISO you download on a DVD or on a bootable USB. Now I figure I should explain how to create a bootable USB.
For the longest time trying to install Windows from a USB was a pain. You had to do this, do that, blah, blah. However recently freeware programs have been created to help make this task easier. Today I am going to tell you about two of such programs.
How to: install Windows (any version from XP to Win7) from a USB/flash drive | dotTech
For the longest time trying to install Windows from a USB was a pain. You had to do this, do that, blah, blah. However recently freeware programs have been created to help make this task easier. Today I am going to tell you about two of such programs.
How to: install Windows (any version from XP to Win7) from a USB/flash drive | dotTech
Double Driver - backup and restore installed drivers
One of the main reasons why you would want to collect installed drivers is if you don’t have the Driver CD that came with the computer or they are unavailable online. This comes in quite handy if you purchase a computer and want to backup the initial set of drivers. It can be quite difficulty for example to find drivers for hardware installed in a notebook if the operating system has to be setup again. Luckily Double Driver can now lend you a hand with that and save you a lot of time.
Double Driver is a very simple and useful tool which not only allows you to view all the drivers installed on your system but also allows you to backup, restore, save and print all chosen drivers.
Double Driver analyzes your system and lists the most important driver details such as version, date, provider, etc. All drivers that are found can easily be backed up the application and easily restored at a later point in one go.
Double Driver is freeware. Feel free to use and give this program to anyone you know. Your donation or feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Ultimate List of Free Windows Vista Software & Resources from Microsoft
Ultimate List of Free Windows Vista Software & Resources from Microsoft
WINDOWS VISTA GOODIES
Ultimate List of Free Windows Vista Software & Resources from Microsoft
The Road to Know Where
WINDOWS VISTA GOODIES
Ultimate List of Free Windows Vista Software & Resources from Microsoft
The Road to Know Where
Online Presentation Software- SlideRocket
Replaces: Microsoft PowerPoint
Sliderocket is a fully functional presentation web app that allows you to create, manage, edit, and share presentations on the fly. It offers many of the same features present in PowerPoint and then some. Sliderocket is an awesome tool and if you want to read more about it, take a look at our in-depth review of Sliderocket.
Online Presentation Software | Free PowerPoint Online | Web Presentation | SlideRocket: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Online Presentation Software | Free PowerPoint Online | Web Presentation | SlideRocket: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Aviary: Replaces: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Soundbooth
Replaces: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Soundbooth
We have already covered a list of online image editors, and of that list, my favorite would have to be Aviary. The Aviary web suite offers powerful tools that allow you to edit images, vectors, and even audio! Take a look at the huge list of the tools included in their suite:
• Phoenix: Image Editor
• Toucan: Color Editor
• Myna: Audio Editor
• Peacock: Effects Editor
• Raven: Vector Editor
• Falcon: Image Markup
• Roc: Music Creator. Check out our in-depth review of Roc.
Aviary
Aviary
• Phoenix: Image Editor
• Toucan: Color Editor
• Myna: Audio Editor
• Peacock: Effects Editor
• Raven: Vector Editor
• Falcon: Image Markup
• Roc: Music Creator. Check out our in-depth review of Roc.
Aviary
50+ Useful Firefox Extensions for College Students | College Degrees
Firefox has recently released a campus edition of its popular open source software that school and lab administrators can install on their computers. While this new version has increased functionality there’s no reason students can’t create their own version of Firefox that’s loaded with tons of tools to make it easier to do everything from finding research materials to checking the score of the latest college basketball game. Here are numerous extensions from Firefox that can help make it an indispensable tool for any college student, young or old.
50+ Useful Firefox Extensions for College Students | College Degrees
50+ Useful Firefox Extensions for College Students | College Degrees
Mint: Free Personal Finance Software, Budget Software, Online Money Management and Budget Planner
Replaces: Quicken
If you’re still using Quicken to manage your money, it’s time to toss it out and move on to the better solution: Mint.com. Mint is a very popular personal-finance tool that allows you to keep track your credit card transactions, balance your budget, and create charts or graphs to help you visualize your spending. Mint is the free and secure way to manage your money online. In fact, Mint has been so successful that the makers of Quicken and TurboTax purchased it in 2009. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and sign up!
Free Personal Finance Software, Budget Software, Online Money Management and Budget Planner | Mint.com
Free Personal Finance Software, Budget Software, Online Money Management and Budget Planner | Mint.com
Social Folders
Windows/Mac: If you've ever wanted to keep a local copy of all the pictures, video, and files you post on social media sites like Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, and Google Docs, Social Folders can give you just that. Additionally, it'll sync any changes you make online or locally so managing your online media from your desktop is incredibly easy.
All you have to do to get started with Social Folders is download the app for Windows or Mac, sign up for an account, and start linking your social media accounts through the Social Folders web app. If you're already signed in to those accounts this process will only take a few clicks. You'll be able to connect to a good variety of services, such as Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, Google Docs, Instagram, YouTube, and Box. Social Folders will then sync all your content so you can access it easily from your computer. It will also scan for updates periodically, whether they were added via the web or to one of the synced folders on your machine, and synchronize the changes. This means, for example, that you can upload new photos to Facebook by just dropping them in a folder.
Social Folders isn't as quick about noticing updates as it could be, but you can always manually initiate a sync to hurry the process along. Even if you're using it solely to keep local copies of the stuff you post online, it's a very useful utility.
Mohawke's Best of the Best Free and Open Source Software Collection: Mac OS X and Windows software Collection
Mohawke's Best of the Best Free and Open Source Software Collection from Dark Artistry
Mohawke's Best of the Best Free and Open Source Software CollectionZamzar - Free online file conversion
Replaces: File Conversion Software
Instead of downloading dozens of different programs to convert a file, you can always use the Zamzar, the free online file conversion tool.
Can’t open a crucial .docx or .pptx file and your boss is screaming in your ear? No problem, just upload and convert your files using Zamzar.
Zamzar supports dozens of image, document, video, and music formats and is the only tool you will ever need to convert files.
Zamzar - Free online file conversion
Zamzar
Can’t open a crucial .docx or .pptx file and your boss is screaming in your ear? No problem, just upload and convert your files using Zamzar.
Zamzar supports dozens of image, document, video, and music formats and is the only tool you will ever need to convert files.
Zamzar - Free online file conversion
Hulu - Watch your favorites. Anytime. For free.
Replaces: TV Tuner Software
How could I watch my favorite TV shows without leaving my computer?
Well, I could purchase a TV tuner and install their lame software or I could head to Hulu.com and watch my favorite shows for free. Hulu is a website that offers streaming video of popular TV shows and movies in the US. It is ad supported, but allows you to watch your favorite shows from the comfort of your computer.
Although Hulu is a U.S. only website, there are ways to access Hulu from outside the U.S.
Hulu - Watch your favorites. Anytime. For free
Hulu
Well, I could purchase a TV tuner and install their lame software or I could head to Hulu.com and watch my favorite shows for free. Hulu is a website that offers streaming video of popular TV shows and movies in the US. It is ad supported, but allows you to watch your favorite shows from the comfort of your computer.
Although Hulu is a U.S. only website, there are ways to access Hulu from outside the U.S.
Hulu - Watch your favorites. Anytime. For free
meebo.com : Replaces: Desktop Chat Clients
Replaces: Desktop Chat Clients
With Meebo, you can chat with your friends from anywhere as long as you have a browser and an internet connection. Meebo is an online tool that allows you to login to any major IM network, including AIM, MSN, GTalk, and Facebook.
You don’t even need to create an account, just input your IM information and you’re ready to go. If you take the 20 seconds to set up a Meebo account, you can login to multiple accounts at once. This sure beats downloading and managing three IM programs at once, doesn’t it?
meebo.com
You don’t even need to create an account, just input your IM information and you’re ready to go. If you take the 20 seconds to set up a Meebo account, you can login to multiple accounts at once. This sure beats downloading and managing three IM programs at once, doesn’t it?
meebo.com
Free video chat platform and video conferencing application | TokBox
Replaces: Video Chat
TokBox is an online video chatting app that enables you to chat with up to 20 people for free. There are no downloads required, just sign up and start a video chat! Invite your friends via social networks or IM and set up a chat in just minutes. TokBox is free to use, but if you’d like more options, you can sign up for monthly plans. TokBox may be free, but you’re going to need your own microphone and webcam.
Free video chat platform and video conferencing application | TokBox: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
TokBox
Free video chat platform and video conferencing application | TokBox: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Free PDF Reader - Sumatra PDF by Krzysztof Kowalczyk
Free PDF Reader - Sumatra PDF by Krzysztof Kowalczyk
:
:
Sumatra PDF is a free PDF, XPS, DjVu, CBZ and CBR reader for Windows.
Sumatra PDF is small and starts up very fast.
Simplicity of the user interface has a high priority.
Portable version included (a single executable that can be run e.g. from USB drive and doesn't write to registry).
Thunderbird Tweaks
Mozilla Thunderbird is an open-source e-mail and news client that can be customized by applying add-ons.
These extensions will provide users access to more languages that can be typed when sending messages, whereas other tweaks can add sidebar dictionaries for these languages.
Also, users will be able to manage all the download threads with any download manager previously installed on the computer.
Moreover, one can handle their daily schedule directly within Thunderbird or preview complete information cards for their contacts.
There are also some add-ons that allow users to report spam on dedicated servers, to bookmark mail folders, to rearrange accounts or modify the start-up folder, while also having the possibility to access the Twitter account and post status updates.
10 Chrome Web Apps to Check Out
The Google Chrome Web Store has only been open for a few hours, and already hundreds of apps are available to use.
To be fair, not every app offers a new experience; some are merely bookmarks to existing web apps. There are already a number of apps, however, that really push the boundaries of what we expect from a web app, offering new, optimized experiences and tight browser integration.
The great thing about web apps is that you don’t necessarily have to use Google Chrome to benefit from these great interfaces. Some of the apps do use Chrome-specific optimizations, but most will work identically in Safari or Firefox 4 beta.
Here are 10 Chrome web apps that we think are worth exploring
'via Blog this'
Moof - Social Music Reinvented
Replaces: iTunes
You may have a huge iTunes library, but what happens when you go out and forget to bring your iPod along? Moof is the solution. Moof is another web app that streams music online, but I think of it as an iTunes alternative.
You can export your entire iTunes library as an .xml file and upload that to Moof, so you can have a full backup of your music online.
Where does Moof get all its music from? Youtube. Yeah, I know, it’s a little disappointing, but the quality isn’t that bad.
Don’t like Moof?
Check out our roundup of the top apps for music streaming.
Moof - Social Music Reinvented
Moof
You can export your entire iTunes library as an .xml file and upload that to Moof, so you can have a full backup of your music online.
Where does Moof get all its music from? Youtube. Yeah, I know, it’s a little disappointing, but the quality isn’t that bad.
Don’t like Moof?
Check out our roundup of the top apps for music streaming.
Moof - Social Music Reinvented
BitLet - the BitTorrent Applet
Replaces: BitTorrent Client
When you don’t have access to a BitTorrent client on your computer, you can use the BitLet app to download your torrents. BitLet is a Java based file sharing protocol that allows you to download torrent files from your browser. Just upload a .torrent file from your computer or direct BitLet to the torrent URL and it’ll do the rest for you.
BitLet - the BitTorrent Applet
BitLet
BitLet - the BitTorrent Applet
Amazon Kindle Fire tablet is official, priced at just $199
The long-rumored Amazon tablet is finally here. The new device — which has been dubbed the Kindle Fire — is poised to take on its Android and iOS competitors this holiday season, but does it stand a chance? Let's take a look at what the new slate has to offer and see if we can determine where it will stand when the tablet wars dust finally settles.
A true Amazon experience
Amazon's take on the consumer tablet is a bit different than what we're used to seeing from the droves of Android slates and Apple's iPad line. With the Kindle Fire, it's all about Amazon. If you're looking for high-resolution cameras and a plethora of random third-party apps, this isn't the device for you. But if your ideal tablet experience includes seamless eBook integration and a marketplace of the best hand-picked apps available for the Android platform, you may have found the perfect device. (Check out our Kindle Fire gallery to see the device from every angle)
Amazon's take on the consumer tablet is a bit different than what we're used to seeing from the droves of Android slates and Apple's iPad line. With the Kindle Fire, it's all about Amazon. If you're looking for high-resolution cameras and a plethora of random third-party apps, this isn't the device for you. But if your ideal tablet experience includes seamless eBook integration and a marketplace of the best hand-picked apps available for the Android platform, you may have found the perfect device. (Check out our Kindle Fire gallery to see the device from every angle)
The Kindle Fire runs on a highly-customized version of the Android operating system. Amazon has gone to great lengths to make its tablet stand out from the rest of the Android clones on the market by tweaking the OS to its own purposes. When new updates for Android roll out to the likes of the Xoom and Galaxy Tab, the Fire will likely rely on Amazon for software upgrades.
Amazon's tablet is finally here
Books, movies, and music
As any web-goer can tell you, Amazon is the one-stop shop for just about anything you could ever want to buy online. The Fire looks to capitalize on that by allowing users to easily browse the company's collection of downloadable movies, music, and apps. If there's one digital storefront that could challenge iTunes, it's Amazon's massive archive.
As any web-goer can tell you, Amazon is the one-stop shop for just about anything you could ever want to buy online. The Fire looks to capitalize on that by allowing users to easily browse the company's collection of downloadable movies, music, and apps. If there's one digital storefront that could challenge iTunes, it's Amazon's massive archive.
Users will be able to rent, buy, and preview new content right on the device. You can place your favorite titles right on your home screen for easy access or browse your entire collection via tabs on the top of the screen. The Amazon App Marketplace includes hit games like Angry Birds and Cut The Rope, as well as social networking apps like Facebook and Twitter. There are thousands of additional downloads also available, and unlike the anything-goes nature of the Android Marketplace, Amazon's version has a bit more quality control.
Hardware
As early rumors have suggested, the Kindle Fire sports a 7" backlit display with touchscreen capabilities. There is a generous bezel surrounding the entire display, which looks like it will be a perfect place to rest your thumbs as you page through an eBook. In short, the tablet looks a lot like the BlackBerry PlayBook, and with good reason — Gdgt reports that both devices were built by the same manufacturer, with the PlayBook used as a starting point for Amazon's tablet wishes.
As early rumors have suggested, the Kindle Fire sports a 7" backlit display with touchscreen capabilities. There is a generous bezel surrounding the entire display, which looks like it will be a perfect place to rest your thumbs as you page through an eBook. In short, the tablet looks a lot like the BlackBerry PlayBook, and with good reason — Gdgt reports that both devices were built by the same manufacturer, with the PlayBook used as a starting point for Amazon's tablet wishes.
Compared to the iPad's 9.7" screen and the new Galaxy Tab's 10.1" display, the Fire comes up a bit short. However, with a slightly smaller form factor comes added portability. Not everyone wants to be lugging around a 10" tablet on their daily trip to the coffee shop, but the sleek 7" Fire may just be small enough to grab on your way out the door.
Enter the cloud
There is also a big emphasis on using the cloud to hold much of your content. With just 8GB of internal memory, the Fire will rely heavily on non-local storage to make sure you have as much room as you need for your movies and music — and at no additional monthly cost. The launch of Amazon Cloud Drive earlier this year was the perfect precursor, and with plenty of Amazon customers already using the service, it should be easy to access all that content with just a few taps on the touchscreen.
There is also a big emphasis on using the cloud to hold much of your content. With just 8GB of internal memory, the Fire will rely heavily on non-local storage to make sure you have as much room as you need for your movies and music — and at no additional monthly cost. The launch of Amazon Cloud Drive earlier this year was the perfect precursor, and with plenty of Amazon customers already using the service, it should be easy to access all that content with just a few taps on the touchscreen.
Fire owners who use Amazon to watch movies on their TVs will be able to wirelessly sync their content and stop a show or movie on one device and pick up in the same spot on another. Netflix customers will be familiar with this concept, and while it's certainly a convenient feature, it's not totally groundbreaking.
The Fire will also use the cloud for web browsing. A new browser called Amazon Silk aims to make rendering web content on the go faster than ever. In a demonstration during the Amazon press event today, company CEO Jeff Bezos showcased the smooth page transitions that the new tablet can perform while browsing the web. The built-in web browser can prioritize certain aspects of a web page to optimize performance, which is great when you're using a mobile broadband connection.
Priced to sell
Perhaps the best feature of the Kindle Fire is its almost laughably low price of $199. In an iPad-dominated world, pricing a new tablet at less than half of what Apple is charging — the base model iPad 2 is $499 — is indeed a smart move. What's more, the Fire already has a massive body of customers comfortable and loyal to the Kindle brand name, which is something no other iPad competitor can boast.
Perhaps the best feature of the Kindle Fire is its almost laughably low price of $199. In an iPad-dominated world, pricing a new tablet at less than half of what Apple is charging — the base model iPad 2 is $499 — is indeed a smart move. What's more, the Fire already has a massive body of customers comfortable and loyal to the Kindle brand name, which is something no other iPad competitor can boast.
Amazon's new tablet will begin shipping on November 15, and it looks to be a solid contender to the iPad. If there's anyone who can pose a threat to Apple's dominance in the tablet market, it's Amazon, and the Fire is the first step towards achieving that goal. A rock-bottom price and list of impressive features should serve the company well in its first true tablet outing, but we'll have to see how consumers respond before declaring it a success.
The company has been quick to spread the word on the web, and the first Kindle Fire ad is already lighting up social networking circles.
The 7 Best Powerful Netbook Applications That Don’t Chug System Resources
This means that anyone who wants a snappy netbook needs to pick the best netbook applications. Finding and judging the best netbook applications can take some time, which is why I’ve handled it for you.
Full list here: The 7 Best Powerful Netbook Applications That Don’t Chug System ResourcesPanda USB Vaccine
Panda USB Vaccine completely disables autorun on your computer. The next time a friend of yours plugs in a USB pen drive, you can be sure that malicious programs won’t run from there.
In addition to disabling autorun, the tool can also create a dummy autorun.inf file on removable drives, thereby “vaccinating” them from getting infected. Indispensable if you’re still on Windows Vista and if you frequently exchange or lend pen drives.
ANTI MALWARE: Panda USB Vaccine - Download FREE - PANDA SECURITY
20 Windows Keyboard Shortcuts You Might Not Know
Mastering the keyboard will not only increase your navigation speed but it can also help with wrist fatigue. Here are some lesser known Windows shortcuts to help you become a keyboard ninja.
Global Windows Shortcuts
Win+1, 2, 3, 4, etc. will launch each program in your taskbar. It is helpful then to keep your most used programs at the beginning of your task bar so you can open them one right after another. This also works in Windows Vista for the quick launch icons.
Win+Alt+1, 2, 3, etc. will open the jump list for each program in the taskbar. You can then use your arrows to select which jump list option you want to open.
See them all here: 20 Windows Keyboard Shortcuts You Might Not Know
Free Software
Why are you paying for software that you could be getting for free. Here is a list of some of bigBrains favorite free software.
http://www.bigbrains.com/free-software/
| Category | Link | Description | bB Fav |
| 3D | 3DelightFree | 3D renderer | |
| 3D | Blender3D | 3D renderer | |
| 3D | Maya Learning Edition | 3D modeling | |
| 3D | SketchUp | 3D modeling | |
| Archive | 7-Zip | Winzip type program | |
| Archive | CabPack | compression program | |
| Archive | IZArc | compression program | |
| Archive | TugZIP | compression program |
How to install firefox 4 in ubuntu using PPA | Ubuntu Geek
This tutorial is going to explain how to install firefox 4 in ubuntu using PPA
You can check here what is new in firefox 4 from here
Install firefox 4 using GUI
Go to Applications > Ubuntu Software Center from the top panel go to Edit > Software Sources and click the ‘Other Software’ tab.Press ‘Add’ button and then paste the following line
ppa:mozillateam/firefox-stable
After adding the PPA you will be prompted to update your sources.
Once the update is done you can head to System > Administration > Update Manager to perform an upgrade.
Install firefox 4 using terminal
Go to Applications > Terminal in the terminal just enter the following commands
: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/firefox-stable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
Free ESET Online Antivirus Scanner
While the ESET Online Virus scanner is a great alternative to Anti-Virus programs, you shouldn’t literally replace your Anti-Virus program. Think of this tool as a backup tool, in case your Anti-Virus software malfunctions. Made by the folks that brought you NOD32, the ESET online scanner uses the same threat signatures as NOD32 and allows you to scan your computer from your browser. It may take a while, but after the scan, suspicious files will be quarantined for you to restore or permanently delete. A great tool for your security toolbox.
ESET Online Scanner
ESET Online Scanner is a user friendly, free and powerful tool which you can use to remove malware from any PC utilizing only your web browser without having to install anti-virus software. ESET Online Scanner uses the same ThreatSense® technology and signatures as ESET Smart Security/ESET NOD32 Antivirus, and is always up-to-date.
IMPORTANT: Administrator privileges are required to run ESET Online Scanner
Free ESET Online Antivirus Scanner
15 Web Alternatives to Popular Desktop Software
Web applications have come a long way. They used to be amateur imitations of their desktop counterparts, with only one or two functions and not at all practical. But my, have these web apps grown. Web apps these days have become so powerful and useful that in some cases, they’ve begun to replace desktop software.
Desktop programs are great and all, but they don’t provide the same benefits as web apps that make use of cloud computing. With most web apps, you only need a browser and an internet connection to access all your data online. That beats having to install annoying programs any day. To give you a better sense of how useful web apps have become, I’ve compiled a list of web tools and apps that can very well replace some desktop programs. I hope you take the time to try them all out. You’ll be surprised how well they work.
Without further ado, here are some great web alternatives to the popular desktop programs we all love.
Find them all here: 15 Web Alternatives to Popular Desktop Software
The Best Free Portable Windows CD DVD Burning Software Alternatives to Nero
Nero used to be the best piece of softwares available in the market for CD/DVD Burning Purposes.But after a few major updates, it has turned into a bulky software and comes with a lot of unnecessary programs that you’ll never really use.And what’s more it’s quite expensive.
So,why not try some freeware CD DVD Burning Apps applications that can serve as an alternative to Nero Burning ROM for your Windows PC?
There are a lot of disc burning software, tons of them,but unfortunately not many that are portable and free at the same time. I suggest portable tools so that the software doesn’t need to drop files on other locations and also not add extra entries to the registry.Here are some portable disc burning software that I recommend to use.
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