Essential free software

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Protecting Kids at School With Free On-line Software

2007-10-26T18:09:00.001-07:00

Recently we told you how difficult it is for many law enforcement agencies to focus attention on on-line predators. Now, one company is trying to help you and schools keep your kids safe.

Educators say, now-a-days, kids are very computer savvy and parents need to know what they are doing and who they are talking to on-line.

Ken Shallcross, Director of Media and Public Relations with Pandora Corporation says "parents are the first and last line of defense but right behind them and standing next to them is our teachers."

Kids in schools like Chippewa Falls High School have easy access to computers and Principal Jim Sauter says educators need to keep tabs on the kids.

"It's very, very important that we have the ability to monitor activity on computers here" Jim says.

And a company called Pandora Corporation is hoping its program PC Pandora will help educators do just that.

Shallcross says "it works like a TiVo or D.V.R. for your computer. It basically records everything."

And knowing schools are on tight budgets, the company is offering the program to school districts for free.

"And we basically give as much as the school needs or wants up to $100,000.00 worth of software" says Shallcross.

The program records all on screen activity from the web pages the kids go to, emails they send and even captures instant messaging. The program saves thumbnail images for parents and administrators to look back on at a later time.

Shallcross says "knowing that it's there really kind of gives them good peace of mind."

Sauter says Chi-Hi already uses a similar system to monitor and prevent inappropriate on-line activity, saving librarians a lot of time.

"Before we had our filtering we had to go around. We spent half of our day watching what was going on on all the computers" says Chippewa Falls High School Librarian Debra Peterson.
But, with software in place, Sauter says students now know what to expect. "I think that it's more of a, the educational aspect as far as having students gain a better understanding of what some of the dangers or pitfalls are out there."

Pandora Corporation has helped two Wisconsin school districts get computer monitoring software and hopes to help even more districts nation wide. For more information follow this link to the PC Pandora website.

Grisoft spreads software by viral marketing

2007-10-26T18:08:00.001-07:00

Grisoft, a software company based in Brno, south Moravia, has a counterintuitive strategy for distributing its most popular product, AVG Anti-Virus: Give it away.

Since launching a free, fully functioning version of its software in 2000, Grisoft has seen use peak worldwide. The company most recently announced Oct. 17 that AVG Anti-Virus has become the most popular program on Download.com, one of the Internet's largest software sites, with more than 41 million downloads.
But popularity doesn't always lead to profit, and Grisoft is looking to convert the goodwill it is banking into future paying customers, says J.R. Smith, the company's chief executive officer.

"We see [the free version] as a form of marketing," he says. "It's extremely viral — the upkeep costs are made up by the word-of-mouth it gets us."

Computer security is a burgeoning field, its growth hastened by the multitude of pitfalls coming from increased Internet dependence. Beyond viruses, there are programs devoted to filtering junk mail, blocking fake Web sites used to steal bank information and establishing firewalls to prevent hackers from taking over a computer's controls.

Despite this variety, a large part of the security market remains in the hands of two American companies, McAfee and Symantec, says Ruggero Contu, a security analyst at the IT research firm Gartner. In particular, these companies dominate large-scale computer networks, including big business and education.

Companies like Grisoft must instead find room to grow in the consumer market, Smith says. For example, spreading the AVG name has led to two million paid downloads of its deluxe antivirus program, called AVG Anti-Virus Pro, which retails for $38.95 (750 Kč).

Grisoft gets most of its revenue from the UK and the United States, Smith says. Part of this localized success is purely a matter of language, as AVG's free version comes only in English, though the company promises more languages in the future, including the recent launch of a Japanese version.

Another growth strategy employed by small vendors is selling their products directly to Internet service providers, which then pipe the program to their customers, according to Contu.

"This has become a good way to do business," he says. "This is giving smaller vendors a good way to prove the effectiveness of their technology, a better opportunity to compete with the establishment."

Grisoft will be following a similar tack, says Smith. He joined the company earlier this year, lured by the firm's new majority owners, Enterprise Investors and Intel Capital, which bought 65 percent of the company in 2005 for $52 million.

Viral evolution

The causes and actors behind Internet attacks have changed since the early part of this decade, according to Karel Obluk, Grisoft's chief technology officer.

"Viruses are not about ego anymore," he says. "Virus makers don't look to create huge slowdowns or wipe hard drives. They're trying to make money. They may limit the virus to taking over 5,000 computers to extract information or set up 'bot nets' to attack companies or mail spam."

By limiting the number of infected computers, viruses become harder to identify and stop. And if that's not bad enough, malicious coders have also developed techniques that allow viruses to be polymorphic, meaning that the viruses subtly evolve when they replicate, doubly complicating tracking.

Many of these viruses and attacks come out of the former Soviet Union, Smith says, where organized crime has set up programming divisions that mirror the capabilities and organization of legitimate software companies in the West. These programs are then sold to the highest bidder.

The complexity of threats has prompted Internet security companies, including Grisoft, to offer integrated software.

"All of the major players have been working toward offering suites," Contu says. But "it's not just a matter of adding up these layers and you'll be successful. You must be able to integrate these different layers and make sure you don't have false positives."

That's the difficult path Grisoft has to cut, Smith says. While everyone wants to avoid the mountains of spam avalanching into their inboxes, should a program flag one important letter as junk the user will caterwaul —regardless of how many other threats have been prevented.

"There's always a risk of false positives," he says. "Engineers have to walk a fine line between accurately marking spam and not misidentifying important information. Consumers will only tolerate so many mistakes."
And what about computer users who decide to go it alone, trusting their own surfing savvy? While it may remain possible to stay virus free, the threats will only continue to multiply.

For one example, look to Estonia, a country advanced in its Internet use — it has even held national elections over the Web. This May, anonymous hackers brought the country's infrastructure to its knees, crippling many essential services, Obluk points out.

"It was an organized attack," he says. "It was a demonstration of what can be done to a country. We don't know who did it or why — and why it suddenly stopped."

Five Reasons for Making the Switch to Linux

2007-10-26T18:06:00.001-07:00

Reason 1: Productivity

Lets start with how the overall speed and general stability that Linux contributes to productivity. Granted there will be a small learning curve for users that aren't at least a bit computer savvy, but today's distributions are very easy for a Windows user to become accustomed to.

A huge amount of software is available on the Web, many of which are free of charge and some that are driven by large, well-known companies. For productivity it's hard to beat OpenOffice. A free and viable alternative to Microsoft Office, boasts compatibility with its file formats and offers functionality only the most hard core of users of the Office suite will miss. Open Office is free to download and distribute throughout your organization. This could represent a major savings of thousands of dollars in licensing fees that most businesses pay to Microsoft every year.

There are hundreds if not thousands of other free software titles available for Linux that can help with productivity. Wikipedia is a great resource for finding links to free Linux based open source software.

Reason 2: Security

There are constant news reports about the millions of dollars in damages and downtime caused by viruses and Trojans that attack Windows based PC's. Linux is virtually free of these kinds of attacks.

Another consideration is spyware, which generates countless calls to IT helpdesk's across the globe. Spyware is nearly non-existent for Linux. Linux, a variety of UNIX, is by default, a very secure multi-user platform. It is of course, made by humans and therefore not perfect and there are many websitse out there with ways to harden Linux and make it even more secure.

Locked down tight, Linux makes a great file server, proxy server, or firewall and has been used in this capacity for over a decade.

Reason 3: Linux Maturity

As every enterprise-class IT organization knows, Linux is a powerhouse on servers and its abilities have been fine tuned for years. There is no doubt that on low to mid-range servers, Linux is a Microsoft's largest competitor. However, with the recent release of the 2.6 kernel, many new features have been added that make this release even more robust. Take, for instance, tickless idle for power savings, which can translate into lower electrical bills and longer battery life. (For a short overview, see this Wikipedia entry.)

Although the Linux desktop is still not quite as mature as the Windows platform, there have been great strides that deserve a fresh look at this useful and free operating system. When you begin to evaluate whether a move to Linux on desktops is viable for your business, you will need to weigh cost factors like software availability, potential software integration issues, and usability.

If the software you require to run your business is available to run under Linux, you'll quickly see the cost savings.

Reason 4: Availability

There are several mainstream versions of Linux, and hundreds of other, smaller, specialty versions of Linux.

Among the most popular versions of Linux available today is Red Hat Linux, which is mainly a server version. For a desktop version check out the Fedora Project and Novell's SuSe Linux. Both, you will find, are very stable versions of Linux.

A newcomer to the Linux desktop scene and probably the most popular among home users is Ubuntu. The latest version of this OS, called "Gutsy Gibbon", was just released last week and was met with fantastic reviews. We've been running this on our laptops for several weeks with the pre-release copy that we received and we can't say enough about its performance and ease of use.

It's important to remember when pitching these OS alternatives to your senior management that they are completely free for as many copies as your business needs.

Reason 5: Cost

Linux cost range from very inexpensive -- depending on the distribution you choose -- to free. Yes you read that right, FREE. There are several version of Linux which you do pay for, but you are not paying for the software, you are paying for tech support, or documentation. However, one does not always need to purchase tech support from the software developer.

One of the major advantages of Linux is that there is a huge community of people across the globe that dedicate their own time and resources to help keep the community up to date on fixes and bugs.

Usually if a bug is found in Linux, it's fixed or patched within a few hours, versus weeks, or even months as is sometimes the case with Microsoft Windows. Plus you have right to modify the OS as you see fit with some programming experience. Try doing that with Windows and odds are you'll get a nasty cease and desist letter in the mail.

In closing, these reasons sum up how moving to a Linux based desktop or even server system can save your company where it counts most: the bottom line. With the amount of freely available software and support, now is the time to begin investigating how Linux can be a cost-effective component in helping your business to grow and succeed in the years to come.

Try out free software at research centers

2007-10-26T18:00:00.003-07:00

FamilySearch has just announced that many popular desktop genealogy products can now be used for free in its family history centers in North America.

Patrons who already own or use any of the products to manage personal family histories at home will be able to conveniently update personal files through flash drives while working at the research centers.

FamilySearch's popular genealogy management software, Personal Ancestral File, is already available as a free download at www.familysearch.org.

FamilySearch's family history centers are frequented by millions of genealogy enthusiasts.

These family history centers are branch facilities of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. There are 16 centers in Mississippi alone.

Paul Nauta, manager of Public Affairs for FamilySearch, pointed out that once you start moving beyond parents and grandparents in personal research, the use of paper files becomes very difficult.

The software programs now available make it easy to build, organize, manage, share and view family histories.

The challenge becomes matching software programs to specific needs.

People who are in the market for purchasing a commercial program for home use can now sample software applications in the centers to help decide which to purchase.

The following programs are now available for use in centers: Genealogy management software of Ancestral Quest 12 (by Incline Software); Legacy Family Tree (by Milennia Corp.) and Family History software utilities of Personal Historian (Milennia Corp.) which writes and preserves personal life stories;

PAFWiz 2.0 (Incline Software) with add-on tools and report utility for PAF 5.2; PAF Insight (Ohana Software), which performs advanced functions related to margins and editing; PAF Companion 5.2 (Progeny Software), an add-on utility that prints a variety of charts and reports in different formats;

Family Atlas (Roots Magic), which creates and publishes custom maps from personal genealogy data; Pedigree Analysis (Generation Maps); Genelines (Progeny Software) and Map My Family Tree (Progeny Software).

The Mississippi centers are located in Booneville, Columbia, Columbus, Greenville, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Liberty, Meridian, Natchez, and Oxford.

All operate on individual hours so it is best to call before going.

A list of addresses and phone numbers (and some operation hours) is available at www.FamilySearch.org.

McAfee to offer free security software

2007-10-26T18:00:00.001-07:00

McAfee is making a virtual trial of its McAfee Secure Internet Gateway appliance available to organisations as part of a free 30-day software trial.

Aimed at medium-sized enterprises, McAfee Secure Internet Gateway is an integrated web and email security appliance designed to help companies fend off spam, viruses, spyware and malicious websites.

Other features include the ability to block 98 per cent of existing spam, including hard-to-detect image spam, according to the company. The software also features McAfee anti-virus and anti-spyware technology and McAfee SiteAdvisor, designed prevent users from visiting websites laden with spyware, phishing scams, or spamming agents.

In addition, McAfee Secure Internet Gateway will offer the company's ePolicy Orchestrator allowing users to manage their gateway, desktop and mail server protection from a central location.

"For the first time, customers can try a spam-filtering appliance through the download of a virtual software file, to see how it performs relative to their current anti-spam solution," said Jack Marsal, director of product marketing for McAfee.

"We're giving customers the opportunity to experience the benefits of McAfee Secure Internet Gateway on their own server, before making an investment in an appliance."

Technical support is to be made available to customers on a selective basis. Only 'qualified' users actively participating in the evaluation of the product will be offered support during the 30-day trial period.

Keep It Clean For Free

2007-10-21T17:28:00.001-07:00

Buy any PC or notebook and you'll probably be offered the chance to trial and buy some kind of security suite, be it from McAfee, Symantec or any other of the "Internet Security" companies. Such software packages are intended to keep your system secure from viruses, spyware and all the other nefarious little blighters you'll encounter from using the Internet. However, it ought to be no great secret that you can gain the same functionality by using a combination of excellent freely available software. Here's our quick and to the point guide of software worth looking at.

Anti-Virus

AVG Free (Grisoft) & avast! (Alwil)

Anti-Virus is obviously an essential for any PC connected to the Internet, particularly if you're also sending and receiving lots of emails using your machine. There are many free Anti-Virus applications out there, but the two best and most popular are Grisoft's AVG Anti-Virus and avast! Anti-Virus from Alwil Software.

Both offer a comprehensive set of features, including real-time scanning and email scanning as well. Updates to software and anti-virus databases are also free, with both automatically updating during use. All-in-all there's very little to choose between them, though avast! does require a free activation that must be renewed every twelve months whereas AVG requires no activation at all.

Software Firewall

ZoneAlarm Firewall (Check Point) & Comodo Firewall ( Comodo)

Though many routers come with hardware firewalls a software firewall remains an important thing to have, especially if you're using a notebook on the move. Moreover, although Windows does have a built-in firewall, it isn't up to much and lacks many of the features these free alternatives have. Again, there's lots of choice out there but two of the best and most renowned include ZoneAlarm and Comodo.

ZoneAlarm is a user friendly application, requiring little in the way of configuration. As with most firewalls, initially you must train it to accept connection requests from programs you use regularly. One useful feature of ZoneAlarm is the Game Mode, which temporarily deactivates the firewall for playing online games.

Comodo is another excellent, though not so renowned option, that's well suited for more advanced users as well as beginners. There's a network monitor for those who want to take a closer look at what's going on, while everything is presented in a way that is comprehensible to the novice as well providing more detail than ZoneAlarm. Regrettably, though, it doesn't as yet support Vista, which will doubtless count it out for some.

Remote Desktop Connection for Mac.

2007-10-21T17:25:00.001-07:00

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) builds into Windows XP and Vista the ability to easily take control of another Windows machine's desktop. However, what if you have a Macintosh computer on a Windows network, and you'd like to easily access software on those PCs?

Microsoft has released a test version of Remote Desktop Connection 2.0 for Mac that's very simple to use. Once installed, and after you've set permissions on the Windows computer to allow remote access, just point Remote Desktop Connection at either the IP address or name of the PC you want to control. You'll be prompted to log in, and you'll then see that computer's desktop as a window on your Mac.

You can run any program that's installed on the Windows computer, though graphics-intensive programs may bog down.

You can also use it to transfer files between the Windows and Mac computers, as well as copy and paste text and images between computers.

Be aware, though, that while you're connected to the Windows PC from a Mac, someone sitting at the Windows computer won't be able to use it. The screen goes black, and a login is required to reclaim it.

You can't use this software to go back the other way -- i.e., control a Mac from a Windows machine. However, there are programs that use the Virtual Network Computing protocol, or VNC, which is built into the Mac OS. Windows users, try TightVNC.

Free for the Taking

2007-10-21T17:24:00.001-07:00

IE7 Pro 1.1. All the cooler kids may be Firefox devotees, but I'll happily admit to being a fan of Internet Explorer 7 on Windows Vista. I like almost everything about it, from its layout to its tools to the way it handles tabs. There is, however, one thing about Firefox I really love and wish was in IE7. When Firefox crashes and restores, it offers to bring up all the tabs that were open when the browser went down. IE7 will restart after a crash but only opens to a single tab with the start page.

Ed Bott recently recommended IE7 Pro, a free add-on for Internet Explorer 7 that brings this feature to the browser. I've been using IE7 Pro for several weeks, and really like it. It has saved my bacon on more than a couple of occasions.

It doesn't work quite the same as Firefox's crash-restore feature. When Firefox crashes and relaunches, it offers to restore your tabs with one click. IE7 Pro brings up a list of the tabs that were open at the crash, letting you pick and choose. This way, you can uncheck the Web site that may have caused the crash.

That works well if you had only one window with multiple tabs. However, if you had several, and you tell IE7 Pro to reopen all the tabs, it does so all in one window. After the first time this action opens 20 tabs in one browser, you'll be more judicious!

It has several other cool features, including a powerful ad blocker; separate histories for each tab in an IE7 window; a spelling checker; and mouse gestures, which let you navigate Web pages by moving your mouse in certain ways. There are a lot more features, and I think it's a must-have for any IE7 user.

FSF to host online GPLv3 pow-wow

2007-10-20T01:32:00.001-07:00

What's up with GPLv3? Hoping to clear up both confusion and FUD, the Free Software Foundation (FSF) Compliance Lab will hold a public Q&A session on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 2 PM (ET).

Since it was formally released on June 29, the FSF-authored GNU General Public License version 3 (GPLv3) has received a somewhat tepid response from the open source community, especially from Linux developers. Claiming that there has been a lot of "FUD" and "bad reporting" about GPLv3, the FSF hopes to answer developers' questions and concerns about the new open-software license and help them decide whether it makes sense to upgrade from GPLv2.

Linux device developers, in particular, are concerned over new "anti-tivoization" language in the license. How will GPLv3's new restrictions apply to device companies like TiVo, which incorporated software under the terms of GPL, but used encryption hardware to keep users from running modified versions on the hardware?

Linux developers also have questions about the new anti-patent collusion language in GPLv3 and what it means to joint patent partnerships such as the one between Microsoft and Novell.

To attend the meeting, visit the #gplv3-meeting channel on Freenode. For more information on the licensing issues, see the FSF's page on this topic.

Rediscover Life Through Self Hypnosis Only On MysticBoard.com

2007-10-18T17:15:00.001-07:00

It is hypnosis which characterizes the human mind by an extreme concentration of attention, helping to open the mind to suggestions that may be planted directly into a person's thinking and that is exactly what MB Free Hypnosis Software aims to do.

Swetha Lodha, the CEO of MysticBoard.com proudly announces the launch of MB Free Hypnosis Software (http://www.hypnosis-software.org/) - an effective, comprehensive and interactive self hypnosis program.

Speaking about the software and its features, Swetha says, "MB Free Hypnosis Software is a unique yet simple program. It helps the user understand his present problems and makes him realize the ways of overcoming the same. The program helps you relax and relieve yourself from all kinds of stress and strain." She adds further, "These days most of the online hypnosis audios and videos are mass produced copies; but each of us is a unique individual and so it is important that your hypnosis software should also be a unique one. MB Free Hypnosis Software allows you to make the correct settings to hypnotize yourself in the manner that fits in best with your personal needs and desires. It gives you an opportunity to rediscover yourself and achieve your goals."

Self-hypnosis is one of the most traditional, effective and practical ways for relaxing deeply. MB Free Hypnosis Software (http://www.hypnosis-software.org/) helps a person in the quest to attain deep relaxation. Using the software one can enjoy the hypnotic state as long as they wish. The program also enables the user, no matter what his level of expertise in hypnosis may be, to set up a unique personal hypnosis session, without the aid of any expert or hypnotist.

On the occasion of the launch Swetha said, "People have always thought of hypnosis as something mysterious, a dangerous phenomenon to unveil the deep rooted secret of an individual. We hope to do away with this feeling with MB Free Hypnosis Software (http://hypnosis-software.org/) which is why we launched this software for free. This program is extremely simple and very useful for people of all ages."

"Mystic Board is all about helping and healing people. And self hypnosis being an exceptional method, we wanted to provide people the benefit of an easy and universal access to customized hypnosis sessions, in the privacy of their homes, and that too, without the expense of a hypnotherapist. This led to the development of MB Free Hypnosis Software", says Swetha, when asked about her inspiration to develop the same.

MB Free Hypnosis Software software is absolutely a free software to install. People can use this program on themselves as well as on others to reach their personal goals and fulfill their objectives.

About MysticBoard.com
MysticBoard.com is a leading online forum and website on hypnosis, astrology, psychic, and tarot and other divination related topics. Mysticboard.com is an easy, user friendly, well defined and integrated Psychic forum on the Internet. Mystic Board has over 14,900 members and 125,000 live discussions. It has something to offer to all its members -- experts, amateurs and the general public at large. The forum gives an opportunity for amateurs to interact with experts, to learn and perfect their skills. It also offers an excellent platform for professional exchange of ideas and new findings.

Some other areas that MysticBoard.com includes are Western Astrology (Tropical Astrology), Vedic Astrology (Sidereal Astrology), Feng Shui, Chinese Astrology, Horary Astrology, Tarot, Psychic, Vaastu Shastra, Chakra, I Ching, Paranormal, Everyday Predictions, Dream Interpretation, Numerology, Runes, Occult and Magick, Palmistry, Crystal Healing, Graphology, Family And Parenting, Health and Beauty, Aromatherapy, Reincarnation, Symbols & Symbology, Reiki, Mind Control and Meditation. Registration is absolutely free. Visit http://www.mysticboard.com

Free for all

2007-10-18T17:14:00.001-07:00

Whether you're on the lookout for a laptop, a new broadband provider, a console or a mobile phone, it's never been easier to get your hands on the goods without paying anything. The offers I'm talking about here aren't the ones promoted via tacky banner ads on suspect websites – they're advertised in reputable newspapers, on billboards and even on mainstream TV channels.

Of course, offers of something for nothing have been around for years. In the computer industry, the free software movement has convinced many of us that we needn't pay inflated prices for bread-and-butter applications; there are alternatives for which you needn't pay a penny. Many of these software products are produced by the open-source movement or by dedicated techies who simply want to share their creations.

But now the freebies extend to products for which we've become accustomed to paying hundreds of pounds. Two deals in particular made the headlines during the summer. PC World set the ball rolling in July when it promised a new laptop worth £300 to anyone who signed up for a two-year Orange Broadband contract. Not to be outdone, The Carphone Warehouse followed two days later, promising a free Dell laptop to customers who bought a two-year contract for AOL's £20 broadband service. The PC World deal has since been discontinued; The Carphone Warehouse's was still on the table as we went to press, although the company was making no promises as to how long it would continue. But the message appears to be clear – laptops are now regarded as commodities that can be thrown in when you buy other services. We wouldn't bet against more of these deals surfacing over the coming months.

Nonetheless, most people's instinct is to err on the side of caution. How can these deals possibly make financial sense to the ISPs and retailers offering them? It doesn't take a mathematical genius to work out that 18 months of payments for a broadband subscription barely cover the apparent cost of the laptop you're being promised. So where's the catch?

In this month's cover feature we investigate these deals, explaining which ones can be trusted and which ones don't make financial sense in the long run. As well as free laptops, we look at free broadband, free software, free mobile phones and free games, among other things. There are some great deals out there, but make sure you know what you're getting yourself into before taking the plunge.
Dump the junk

Many of those who've taken up the free laptop offer may have been convinced to do so because their ageing computer has finally reached the end of its natural life. However, there will be others with relatively new systems who've simply become frustrated that their PC has slowed down to a crawl and feel a replacement is the only answer – particularly when such good deals are on offer.

If that sounds like you, read on. It's often fairly simple to give your computer a new lease of life. If you regularly download and install new programs, your computer will get jam-packed with junk that clogs up your hard disk and increases the load on your processor. But things don't have to be that way. Various tools are available that can clean up your PC – and many of them are free. Get the December issue of PC Advisor to see our pick of the plethora of PC cleaning tools available on the web. You may end up with a PC that's as good as new.

ICOS UNESCO IFAP (Russia) To Distribute Free Software, Including Comodo Firewall Pro, To Help Combat Piracy And Cybercrime

2007-10-18T17:06:00.001-07:00

Comodo, a leading security company and ICOS UNESCO IFAP (an NGO based in Russia) in collaboration with the LinuxCenter is announcing today the distribution of a new collection of software launched through a joint project called the "Free Software for Education, Science and Culture". The software will be distributed via CD-ROMs and includes a diverse set of applications to enable improved desktop security and to help users manage documents, graphic, audio and video data and office programs.

This initiative is privately funded by ICOS UNESCO IFAP, an NGO (Non Government Organization) focused on stimulating educational, science and cultural outreach within many ex-USSR regions. ICOS UNESCO IFAP will distribute this CD-ROM free of charge, and it includes a complete set of the most popular software products - Comodo Firewall Pro, Comodo AntiSPAM, office productivity software, graphic editors, FTP-client, etc.

"The total cost of these proprietary software products, would normally be around USD $4,000", noted project coordinator and ICOS UNESCO IFAP (Russia) representative Eugene Altovsky., " We are launching this initiative to stem the use of pirated copies of commercial software products by distributing users this free alternative. The CD-ROM gives users all this software at no cost to encourage people to use authorized versions of software rather than pirated versions".

In addition to combating software piracy in Russia, this initiative also serves another important purpose - to improve the cyber security of Russian PCs. This CD-ROM includes security software such as the award winning Comodo Firewall Pro, Comodo AntiSPAM and utilities for timely updating of operational systems.

"The release of this CD-ROM will protect many computers from harmful malware and viruses," said Melih Abdulhayoglu, CEO and Chief Security Architect of Comodo. " Our goal is to make the Internet safer for all users by making our high quality security products, like Comodo Firewall Pro, accessible to all. They are free, have the multilingual interface, and are available to all organizations to distribute as part of a worldwide effort to improve cyber security for all PCs users."

Other software copyright holders included in CD-ROM have been supportive of this initiative and include Solveig Multimedia and Adobe Systems Incorporated. The CD-ROM for Windows will be available at ICOS UNESCO IFAP (Russia) events and through an extended network of community centers within the framework of PCLI Programme. The CD-ROM can be copied and duplicated freely without further permission.

About ICOS UNESCO IFAP (Russia)

UNESCO Information for All Programme was established in the fall of 2000 as a result of merge of two large UNESCO programmes of the prior decade - General Information Programme and the Intergovernmental Informatics Programme. The programme became a platform for the international discussion about legal, ethical and social consequences of the Information Society and knowledge. The programme's main objective - development of the Information Society for all by narrowing the gap between the information rich and the information poor, in other words - by maintenance of universal and equal access to the information. For more information, please visit; http://www.ifap.ru/eng.

About Comodo

The Comodo companies provide the infrastructure that is essential in enabling e-merchants, other Internet-connected companies, software companies, and individual consumers to interact and conduct business via the Internet safely and securely. The Comodo companies offer PKI SSL, Code Signing, Content Verification and E-Mail Certificates ; award winning PC security software; vulnerability scanning services for PCI Compliance ; secure e-mail and fax services.

Continual innovation, a core competence in PKI, and a commitment to reversing the growth of Internet-crime distinguish the Comodo companies as vital players in the Internet's ongoing development. Comodo secures and authenticates online transactions and communications for over 200,000 business customers and 3,000,000 users of our desktop security products.

For additional information on Comodo - Creating Trust Online™ visit http://www.comodo.com

Free video-editing software

2007-10-17T17:52:00.001-07:00

One of the most frequent questions I get from CNET Download.com users is "What free software can I use to edit video?" If I didn't respond to you personally, it's likely because there's not an easy answer. It depends on what type of video you have, and what you want to do with it.

Let's start with the basics. If you didn't know, you likely already have Windows Movie Maker, which was included with Windows XP Service Pack 2 and recently beefed up for Windows Vista.

The XP version of Movie Maker is adequate for putting together clips into larger videos, adding simple transitions, and making basic edits, but I can't recommend the experience. The review on CNET Download.com is overly harsh, but it encapsulates several problems you may encounter.

Unfortunately, Avid Free DV is no longer supported, but if you can find a version of it, the forums are still active. It was a complicated interface, but the included feature set was fantastic.

One app with loads of potential is the open-source video editor Jahshaka. The key word is "potential." The interface is daunting, and help is nonexistent, aside from outdated tutorials on the Web site. It was also ported from Linux and requires installation of the GDK platform and OpenLibraries, both of which are included in the full Jahshaka installer.

However, if you take the time to learn the program and actually read some of those tutorials, you'll quickly discover that Jahshaka is a very serious editing application with a learning curve that will keep you occupied for a while. Wide file-format support, node-based effects, and editing in DV, SD, HD, and film are only a few of the bonus features.

For home users with simple needs and conventional formats, I might recommend a Web-based app such as JumpCut, which was acquired by Yahoo last year. I find the editing features at JumpCut to be the best in its class, but I have also found that uploads have been getting slower of late.

If you test out or have already tried any of these apps, let me know what you think. And if you have any better suggestions for free video-editing software, please be sure to tell me about them in the comments.

Microsoft: The Open Source Company

2007-10-17T17:50:00.003-07:00

If you can't beat them, join them? That may well be Microsoft's mantra, as it joins the open source community today with the blessing of the Open Source Initiative (OSI).

After weighing the software giant's license terms against 10 criteria defined by the Open Source Definition, the OSI said it approved the the Microsoft Public License (Ms-PL) and the Microsoft Reciprocal License (Ms-RL).

"Is this the beginning of the end? Or is this the end of the beginning?" Michael Tiemann, vice president of open source affairs at Red Hat and president of the OSI, wrote in a blog post. "I know that the eyes of the technology world will be on the OSI and on Microsoft to see what happens next.

"If, as some fear, the approval of these licenses ends up damaging open source, perhaps we will learn of some 11th condition or some change to the 10 that must be made to better preserve the integrity of what we call open source."

In July, Microsoft said it would pursue OSI approval of Ms-PL and the Ms-RL, a move that came nearly two years after the company first announced them.

At the time, Ms-PL and Ms-RL were among three licenses that Microsoft whittled down from 10 to represent its simplification of the Shared Source licensing program. The Free Software Foundation (FSF) praised Microsoft for developing the three Free Software-like licenses.

Bill Hilf, general manager of Windows Server marketing and platform strategy for Microsoft, said since the OSI approval process began in July, the company has worked closely with the open source community and the OSI board to listen to feedback, address concerns and make appropriate changes. "Today's approval by the OSI concludes a tremendous learning experience for Microsoft and I look forward to our continued participation in the open source community."

But Microsoft's submission to the OSI was met with some derision from those on the OSI mailing list, including some notable negative comments from Google.

Chris DiBona, open source program manager at Google, wanted to impose some additional conditions on Microsoft's OSI application, including having Microsoft refrain from using what he called its market-confusing term "shared source."

"If not, why should the OSI approve of your efforts?" DiBona wrote on the OSI mailing list. "That of a company who has called those who use the licenses that OSI purports to defend a communist or a cancer? Why should we see this seeking of approval as anything but yet another attack in the guise of friendliness?"

For some, this announcement is confirmation that the sky is falling and the end of the world is nigh, wrote 451 Group Analyst Matthew Aslett in a blog post. "For others, it represents the conclusion to a process that has seen Microsoft engaging with the OSI on the OSI's terms and showing that it is willing to be flexible."

Microsoft's support for open source may strike some as being somewhat ironic, considering that the company is also once more beating the war drum on payments from Linux customers.

HiTech Computer Services Releases Packed Financial Accounting Software

2007-10-17T17:50:00.001-07:00

The leading software vendor for Financial Accounting and Business Management software - HiTech Computer Services has added another feather to its cap namely Quick Financial Accounting, a totally free financial accounting software. This is the basic accounting module from full featured HiTech Financial Accounting Software Suite. Everyone can freely download the software from direct download link and use it totally free.

HiTech have made this feature packed software, Quick Financial Accounting, available to everyone totally free keeping in accordance with its mission policy that users in the SME (Small to Medium Enterprises) and SOHO (Small Office Home Office) segments should get to see the power of IT in enhancement of their business and profits. Getting a top of the line software will be the catalytic motivation to move in the right direction for increased business profitability.

HiTech Computer Services is having ready made off-the-shelf software for business organizations, traders, industries, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, petrol pumps, automobile dealers, service stations, newspapers, magazines, commodity brokers, medical stores and hospital suppliers.

The new totally free software Quick Financial Accounting is a Accounts Receivables and Accounts Payable Software with Financial Accounting.

This feature packed software with full financial accounting is available for download totally free. Enjoy HiTech accounting now free of cost. For Download, for seeing More Details or for Software Menu click the following link on the website.

HiTech Group has a very useful collection of website for business user in various segments. They have ready software products and web based applications for business management including financial accounting, billing and inventory control. Apart from HiTech-on-Web.com other websites of Hitech Group are Accounts-on-Web.com, e-trading.bz, AccountingSoftware.bz, OnlineAccounting.bz, WebsiteDesign.bz, SoftwareDevelopment.bz, BusinessSoftware.tv, Our-Earth.net and cityatleisure.com

Other software of HiTech are:
Product range developed by HiTech Computer Services:

• VAT Accounting and Inventory Control For Trading and Business Houses, Stockists, Distributors, Dealers, Supermarkets, Retailers

• HiTech Financial Accounting for Business Houses, organizations, all Computer Users wanting to use computerized Financial Accounting

• HiTech Sales, Stock and Accounts Manager for Trading and Business Houses, Stockists, Distributors, Dealers, Supermarkets, Retailers

• Hitech Industry Manager for Medium & Small Scale Industries, Manufacturing Units

• HiTech Hospital Manager for Hospital, Nursing Homes, Clinics, Diagnostic / Pathology Centers

• HiTech Hotel Manager for Hotels, Guest Houses, Motels

• HiTech Pharma Sales, Stock and Accounts Manager for Trading and Business Houses, Stockists, Wholesalers, Distributors & CFA for Drugs and Pharmaceuticals

• HiTech SSAM for Automobile Dealers for Car / Two wheeler / Automobile Dealers, Service Stations, Garage

• HiTech Newspaper Management Software for all newspapers, magazine publishers wanting to computerized Circulation, Advertisement, Dept. and Financial Accounting Dept..

• HiTech Financial Accounting for Petrol Pumps for Petrol Pumps, Gas Stations and All other Computer Users wanting to use computerized Financial Accounting

• HiTech Financial Accounting for Commodity Brokers for Commodity Brokers, Commission Agents, All other Computer Users wanting to use computerized Financial Accounting

60 day evaluation version of these software can be downloaded from the website of Hitech Computer Services.

For convenience of its visitors Hitech Computer Services (hitech-on-web.com) now provides with direct download link for evaluation version of each of its software. These links are available without submitting any info to our website. As they will not have your email we may not be able to support you about the download. You can also optionally fill in the form to download any software.

Review: Systran6 Home Translator 2007 utility software

2007-10-17T17:41:00.001-07:00

There aren't a great number of applications around that translate text to foreign languages, because it's a tricky business.

Professional translation software runs to hundreds of pounds, but there are less effective versions available for free online, the most popular of which is Google Translate.

Systran 6 uses the same translation engine as that but offers far more flexibility. The home version integrates nicely into Microsoft Word, Internet Explorer and Firefox to put instant text translation close to hand. You'll find support for a dozen languages here, including major European tongues along with Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

The software is controlled with the Systran Toolbar, which is integrated into each supported application. This gives the choice of translating an entire page by choosing a source and target language, selecting a specific paragraph of text and using the right-click menu to get an instant translation, or looking up specific words or phrases you can enter yourself.

Systran also include a dictionary manager that can be used to customise the meanings of specific words. You'll also find it can search for alternative meanings and will warn if any words aren't found, which can improve the accuracy of the translated text.

The software was extremely easy to use, both online and with text-based documents, but since most of the translations are quite literal, don't expect to be left with a perfect conversion. It's still accurate enough the majority of the time to be interpreted correctly, which we're assuming is the level of accuracy most users will want.

There are some small issues with translating web pages (embedded objects, including Java and Flash, aren't translated). This isn't really serious enough to undermine the software too much, considering its flexibility, but some users might consider whether it's worth the asking price in the light of free alternatives such as Google Translate. However, if the application integration and an added degree of control is something you're looking for in language translation, Systran6 certainly succeeds.

Vista compatible: Yes

A free Nokia N95 Tip - The Free WorldMate software

2007-10-17T17:40:00.001-07:00

Here's a tip on a very cool, free application to load on that Nokia N95... enjoy!

The Free WorldMate software for Nokia N95 provides the following 5 essential travel services - completely Free of charge:

Weathercaster
World Clocks
Global Weather Forecasts
Currency Converter and Exchange Rate Service
World Day/Night Map

http://www.mobimate.com/s60/

TC tracker: Free software worth paying for

2007-10-17T17:38:00.001-07:00

Trialware is a pain. Once you install it, its self-destruct sequence begins. If you don't have time to give trial software a thorough workout before it goes poof, it's unlikely that you'll come away from the experience impressed with that application.

Vendors are getting the message. Several of the InfoWorld Test Center's recent reviews focus on software that vendors offer to customers for free, forever, but with deployment limited to non-commercial use or a small number of users.

What brought this to mind is my recent discussions with CommuniGate Systems, which offers a community edition of its Communigate Pro unified messaging server. Its Flash-based Pronto! client is remarkable, and it's free as well.

InfoWorld contributing editor Randall C. Kennedy wrote up three streaming application virtualization solutions , two of which are free to those who meet the criteria. Symantec's SVS Pro 2.1 is free for non-commercial use, while Microsoft's Softgrid 4.2 is free if you're enrolled in the vendor's Software Assurance Program. Softgrid is also available to Microsoft Developer Network subscribers. This strains the definition of "free" a little, but IT likely meets one criteria or the other.

Mike Heck's roundup of content management systems has a dandy punchline: They're all free, they're all open source and all of them rate 8.3 or better on InfoWorld Test Center's 10 point scale.

What's filling up my PC?

2007-10-17T17:37:00.001-07:00

Is there a way to see what is taking up space on my hard drive?

Download and install SpaceMonger. This utility gives you a summary of what files are taking up space on your hard drive, by grouping them together and displaying their relative sizes.

There is a free version available that will give you this information, but you can also opt to download the commercial version, which includes a range of extra functions.

Go to this website for both — Version 2.1.1 at the top of this page is the commercial program (it has a 30-day free trial though), but to download the free version, you have to click on the "Free Software" tab on this page and scroll down to "SpaceMonger v1.4.0" and download that one. The instructions below are based on version 1.4.0.

To view what is taking up space on your hard drive:

Unzip the downloaded file and double-click on SpaceMonger.exe.
Click on the "Open" button.
Select the drive you wish to display and click on "OK".

Software for a blinking eye / Program helps disabled create text merely by looking at keyboard

2007-10-17T17:36:00.001-07:00

Since March, physically disabled people have been able to access the Internet using software to create text in Japanese that does not require fingers to tap a keyboard. All they have to do is look at an on-screen keyboard--and blink.

The software, which was released free of charge, is the brainchild of Kohei Arai, a professor of advanced information processing at Saga University. By the end of August, 248 people had downloaded the software, named "Mitsumeru Dake" (Just Look).

Needless to say, the people the software targets are extremely grateful.

"I'm told that the ability to see is the last function ALS patients like me can retain. I'm sure I'll be able to continue using a computer thanks to your software," one user wrote to Arai. ALS is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive and neurodegenerative disease better known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

According to Arai, it works like this:

-- Look at one of 15 on-screen buttons for one second and blink. The computer recognizes three points of an eye--the inner corner of the eye, the inner extremity of the eyebrow and the center of the pupil--for permanent registration with the help of a Web camera attached to the computer. Repeat the same process with the remaining on-screen buttons.

-- Ten hiragana characters--a, ka, sa, ta, na, ha, ma, ya, ra, wa--and five function keys, such as the "enter" key, appear on the screen.

-- When a user wants to input "u" in hiragana, for example, gaze at the "a" character for one second and blink. The computer then shows the "a" column of the kana syllabary--a, i, u, e and o. Look at "u" for one second and blink, and the "u" character will be displayed.

-- Gaze at one of the on-screen function keys and blink to convert hiragana characters to kanji.

The software can be used with a Web camera that creates images with a resolution of 300,000 pixels or more. The cameras are available for several thousand yen.

Arai said the idea for the software sprang to mind in 2001, when a heavily physically disabled student was admitted to Saga University. The student's mother kept providing assistance by taking notes in each class and using a personal computer to compile reports.

Arai is now trying to improve the software with a view to having his software display a full keyboard on the screen.

The updated version is being developed jointly with a private business in Saga Prefecture.

The existing free software can be downloaded from his home page:

http://www.ip.is.saga-u.ac.jp/-arai/arai.html

Free Moviestorm™ Demo With Newly Published, 'Machinima For Dummies'™

2007-10-09T01:24:00.001-07:00

Moviestorm™ officially announces that a free version of its machinima creation software is cover-mounted on the newly published "Machinima For Dummies" (Wiley Publishing, Inc.; September 2007; $U29.99, ISBN-10: 0470096918, ISBN-13: 978-0470096918).

Written by Hugh Hancock and Johnnie Ingram, two of the best-known authorities on machinima, "Machinima For Dummies" teaches how to - at little or no expense - make virtually any movie using machinima techniques generally and Moviestorm, specifically.

"Machinima for Dummies" is a comprehensive detailed machinima guide in which the authors share all the methods and techniques used to create movies using game engines, APIs, and other third-party video editing tools. The book covers every aspect of machinima production, from live filming in a game through the creation of sets, props and characters, as well detailing the basics of cinematography, storytelling and sound design. Readers are taken from making their first machinima movie to a grounding in both conventional filmmaking and machinima technology that will let them tackle very complex film projects.

Anyone who has ever been interested in animation and movie-making will be interested in exploiting machinima techniques and learning how to use Moviestorm to make high-quality, low-cost, easily-distributed videos. Perfect for amateur enthusiasts and professional filmmakers alike, as well as animators and gamers, "Machinima for Dummies" makes it possible for anyone to create anything from a short film to a feature-length movie, cheaply and easily, right in front of their computer.

"We are excited to be publishing 'Machinima For Dummies,'" said Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Wiley. " Experts Hugh Hancock and Johnnie Ingram show aspiring filmmakers everything they need to know to make animated movies. They've loaded the book with hands-on examples and great tips for creating characters, sets, props, storylines, and action -- everything you need to be a successful machinima filmmaker."

"When we were writing 'Machinima for Dummies,' we really wanted to give our readers the chance to make machinima right from buying the book, no matter what software they had access to," "Machinima for Dummies" co-author Hugh Hancock says. "Moviestorm was perfect – we'd never expected to be able to include a fully-featured machinima toolkit with the book. It's a great opportunity both for us and our readers." Said Hugh "In many ways, Moviestorm is the sort of package that long-term machinima creators have longed for ... We think Moviestorm is going to be huge."

"I think Moviestorm is one of the most exciting things to hit the machinima community for quite some time. Johnnie Ingram says "As a machinimator, having a product solely dedicated to the machinima creation process is a fantastic asset. Having commented on and documented Moviestorm extensively online and in 'Machinima For Dummies,' I'm delighted to be joining the team full time as Technical Author."

"We thoroughly enjoyed working with Hugh and Johnnie on this project, and are delighted to announce that Johnnie has accepted a position on the Moviestorm team, as our new Technical Author" Says Moviestorm Director of Marketing, Ann Garner. "If you're attending the European Machinima Festival, you'll find both Hugh and Johnny signing copies of 'Machinima for Dummies' on the Moviestorm stand."

More information and free software download can be found at www.moviestorm.co.uk.

Free fully featured form designer software from Zumesoft

2007-10-09T01:22:00.001-07:00

Zumesoft announces the release of WordFusion Free 1.56, now you can create forms and save information for free with a fully featured electronic form design package.

WordFusion Free allows you to create Forms to collect, store, organize and reuse information. Anyone can develop and deploy dynamic forms with WordFusion in minutes, and because Forms are saved in industry standard XML format they are easy to share with other users by simply copying a file.

WordFusion achieves this by providing a powerful designer to produce highly customized and user friendly Forms for any purpose. WordFusion also integrates with most other data sources to make use of your existing data. The WordFusion free form designer works without limitations for both designing and using forms and is available from Zumesoft at http://www.zumesoft.com.

In addition to the features provided by WordFusion Free, WordFusion Pro is a powerful Forms and Document Assembly solution which includes mail merge and much more. It can produce complex documents in Microsoft Word Format using its fully featured document assembly engine. WordFusion Pro is available for a limited time at only $200USD from Zumesoft at http://www.zumesoft.com.

A forms and document assembly solution built using WordFusion can help professional organizations streamline document creation, improve the quality of documents, ensure use of up-to-date-content, and increase employee productivity.

Zumesoft is a developer of office productivity software with significant experience in software design, client service and information management. Zumesoft is located in sunny Sydney, Australia.

Product page: http://www.zumesoft.com

Direct download link: http://www.zumesoft.com/files/download1.aspx (34.3 Mb)

GPhone not a phone, but a free software suite, due next year

2007-10-08T16:49:00.001-07:00

Don't call it a phone? Not even a GPhone? 'fraid not, according to yesterday's International Herald Tribune. Yes, Google is working on a mobile phone project, and has been for some two years now, but it's not an actual phone. The GPhone, it turns out, will be a Linux-based software suite that will be able to run other companies' cellphones.

How does this gel with what Biggs reported a few weeks ago? ::'I don't know' shoulder shrug::

Google devised the GPhone project in order to establish a presence in the mobile phone advertising industry. How many ads do you see on your present-day cellphone? I see none, but that's because I don't surf the Web with it. Google knows that mobile advertising is, for all intents and purposes, nonexistent. Hence, GPhone. That is, a whole host of free software plastered with the Google logo and full of ads. Whee!

In summary, GPhone is real, but it ain't a phone. It's a free software suite. Oh, and look for it to be announced as early as this year, with a release next year? CES? Your own show? Come on, Google…

With 'phone' project, Google has mobile ad dollars in its sights [International Herald Tribune]

InstallAware First Software Installer to Support New Windows Installer 4.5

2007-10-08T01:47:00.001-07:00

InstallAware Software Corporation has shipped a free plug-in update pack for InstallAware, allowing ISVs and enterprises to leverage the newest software installation technologies on the Microsoft Windows and .NET software platforms. InstallAware is the only commercial installation toolkit at this time to expose the new features available in Windows Installer 4.5, ahead of other competitors such as InstallShield.

"We have once again demonstrated our commitment to developers by beating all other vendors to providing native Windows Installer 4.5 support," says Sinan Karaca, Founder of InstallAware Software Corporation. "All our current users may immediately download the free plug-in update pack from our website -- without having to pay for or wait an extensive amount of time for a vital update like this."

Windows Installer 4.5 introduces major new features for application deployment, such as chaining multiple setup packages together. Multiple chained packages can be installed in a single, atomic transaction that can be rolled back if an error occurs in any one of the chained packages, or the end-user decides to abort the installation. This helps make application installations more robust, especially when most applications today have dependencies on component and technology frameworks. All .NET applications, for instance, require the installation of the Microsoft .NET Framework; which can now be installed together with your applications in a transactional, atomic way.

"Microsoft selected InstallAware as a launch partner on their first-ever coupled beta program for Windows Installer," says Panagiotis Kefalidis, Developer Evangelist at InstallAware Software Corporation. "We are proud to be working together with Microsoft in delivering our customer base the latest innovations in technology at breakneck speed."

Even without the Windows Installer 4.5 update, developers can already chain multiple packages together using InstallAware's advanced setup bootstrapping capabilities. InstallAware's advanced bootstrapper captures the actual installation progress of each chained package and displays it natively in your own setup wizard, dramatically improving the end-user experience, and impressing your brand throughout the entire duration of your application's setup -- even during the installation of its pre-requisites, such as the .NET Framework. InstallAware's advanced bootstrapper also pre-populates third-party package options as necessary -- instead of requiring end-users to manually populate configuration settings inside separate third-party installation windows -- eliminating yet another potential point of failure in your installations, which in turn helps reduce your support and maintenance costs.

It is not necessary to overhaul existing InstallAware projects to take advantage of Windows Installer 4.5 features. It literally takes two lines of InstallAware code -- one to begin a transaction, and the other to end the ongoing transaction -- to create atomic, transactional installation regions directly within existing setup projects. Absolutely no setup re-engineering is required. Coupled with InstallAware's existing bootstrapping capabilities, this makes InstallAware the tool of choice for building complex, powerful Windows Installer setups that span multiple setup packages.

Of course, if Windows Installer 4.5 is not available on an end-user system, InstallAware installs it automatically; if that is not possible, InstallAware gracefully downgrades chained installation packages to work successfully, even without transaction support.

InstallAware is available in multiple editions with prices starting at US$199. A time limited fully-functional trial download is available at http://www.installaware.com/ The plug-in update pack is available free of charge, for both trial and licensed users, at http://www.installaware.com/msi45plugin.asp

About InstallAware Software Corporation
InstallAware Software Corporation, founded in 2003, is a software development company focused solely on state of the art software installation tools which offer the highest compression ratios and bullet-proof installations. The company produces software installation and compression technologies for the Windows Installer (MSI) platform on the Microsoft Windows Operating System. InstallAware is supported by thousands of users worldwide, and is a CodeGear Integrated Partner. For more information, visit www.installaware.com.

Free Vista Software Sunday: MWAV antivirus - no installation required

2007-10-08T01:46:00.001-07:00

Starting today and every Sunday from now on, we will feature free downloadable cool tools for Windows Vista. To start the ball rolling, we're going to introduce you to MWAV.

MWAV is a free utility that allows you to scan for and remove viruses, adware, spyware, and other malware from your computer. The utility's unique feature is that it requires no installation. This means you can run it directly from anywhere on your computer's hard disk or from a CD ROM.

The utility can be run even if you have other installed antivirus software on your computer.

Developed by MicroWorld Technologies, MWAV 9.x is compatible with Microsoft Windows Vista & 64 bit OS.

MicroWorld says that the detection database for MWAV is updated on a daily basis to detect newer spyware and adware, and the engine is constantly being improvised for faster and intelligent detections.

Click here to download the software.

How to stay in tune with your friends

2007-10-07T21:12:00.001-07:00

Now you can listen to the music your friends enjoy while chatting away online.

The new version of AOL's instant-messaging software, AIM 6.5, offers a plug-in that lets users listen to songs their buddies have on their playlists. AIM Tunes does not require a separate media player. Copy- protected songs won't play, however.

The free software, from AOL, works with Windows-based computers only.

Search phrase : AIM 6.5

HealthVault helps manage records

2007-10-07T21:10:00.001-07:00

Microsoft has launched a website for managing personal health and medical information.

From the consumer's point of view, Microsoft's HealthVault site is part library, part filing cabinet and part fax machine for an individual or family's medical records and notes.

The free site is tied to a health information search engine the software company launched at the end of last month. It gives users a repository for health-related data such as medical histories, immunizations and records from the doctor's office and hospital visits, as well as measurements from devices like heart-rate monitors.

As the need arises, users can dole out access to different slices of their private health data to doctors, family members and other people they trust.

The HealthVault site itself doesn't do much more than provide a window into stored information and a mechanism for sharing it. Microsoft hopes hospitals, doctors' offices, advocacy groups and insurance companies will build Web applications that patients will want to use.

Is Linux right for your mother?

2007-10-07T21:06:00.001-07:00

One of the advantages of Apple Macintosh computers is that simply by not being Windows, they are immune to the plague of malware (malicious software) that constantly strikes at Windows based machines. Linux has this advantage too, plus it's cheaper. A computer running Linux may be ugly compared to a Mac, but it can cost in the neighborhood of 20% as much (more on this later).

The classic knock on Linux, when compared to Windows and Macs, has always been that it was harder to use, and indeed it was. But release after release it kept getting easier. How easy is it, now, for a Windows user to move to Linux? According to one blogger, it's easy enough for his mother. See Why My Mom Can Use Ubuntu.

My consulting practice puts me in contact with people with little computer experience, some who struggle just to use Windows, let alone deal with the care and feeding of anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Linux offers the opportunity to use an operating system where the user doesn't need to to deal with anti-anything software.

Mandriva Linux running Firefox (Click for full size)

Another advantage that Linux has over a Macintosh is that many versions ("distro" is the nerd term) can run from a bootable CD. That is, you can run Linux on a computer that doesn't even have a hard drive. For one of my clients, a couple of senior citizens, this was just what the doctor ordered.

I was called because their copy of Windows 2000 was terribly infected with malware. But the machine was old, and since removing malware can be a time consuming and ultimately fruitless endeavor, we opted not to bother. Buying a new computer however, takes time and they really needed email. Linux to the resue.

Like any good computer nerd, I travel with a Linux Live CD (a copy of Linux on a bootable CD) in my little black bag. After booting their machine using Knoppix all that was needed was a quick introduction to Firefox. They were familiar with webmail, so Firefox was all they needed. Knoppix never had a problem automatically detecting their broadband modem and connecting to the Internet. To my amazement, they chose to live with Knoppix for months before eventually buying a new Windows computer.

Installing

There is however a big difference between using Linux and it's initial setup, which can be much too difficult.

For example, I recently installed Ubuntu Linux on a computer connected to a KVM switch. The switch probably got in the way of Ubuntu detecting the monitor and the system booted using a 640x480 screen resolution. Making matters worse, the GUI interface wouldn't change the resolution. I searched around the Internet for solutions but found nothing simple enough for a non-Linux expert (me) to deal with.

The mom in the story got her computer with Ubuntu Linux pre-configured by someone expert enough in the matter who "... set up the few codecs, a proprietary video driver, a quick EasyUbuntu...". Not to mention installing mom's printer, software to replace Microsoft Publisher and, hopefully, a firewall.

But once it's installed, the learning curve going from Windows XP to Linux is probably about the same as going from Windows XP to Vista. Ironically, the time and effort Microsoft put into the Vista user interface just plays into the hands of Apple and Linux.

20 Percent

My earlier claim that Linux can cost 20% as much as a Macintosh, assumes not only getting the operating system for free, but also running it on an old computer. The ability to run on a wide variety of hardware is big advantage of Linux compared to Macs.

At what passes for press time in the blogging world, CompGeeks.com was selling a refurbished IBM NetVista desktop computer with a Pentium 4 processor running at 1.8GHz, 512megabytes of ram, a 40 gigabyte hard drive and no operating system for $105 (plus tax and shipping). It can't read DVDs and the USB ports are probably version 1, but it's capable of running a current version of Linux. In all, CompGeeks is selling twenty seven Pentium 4 based machines for under $200. This is not an endorsement of CompGeeks. I'm just using them as an example of a retailer selling old, refurbished computers capable of running Linux.

If you feel more comfortable dealing with a major computer manufacturer, the clearance section of HP's website offers refurbished machines with a one year warranty. Today they offered a handful of HP DX2250 machines for under $300. For example, a machine with 512 megabytes of ram and an 80 gigabyte hard drive could have been had for $223 (plus tax and shipping).

Software

Finding software for a new operating system that is equivalent to the software you already use, is obviously critical to any changeover. Some obvious Linux choices are Firefox for web browsing, Thunderbird for email and Open Office for word processing, spreadsheets, drawing, presentations and database. Adobe has a version of their Acrobat Reader for Linux. They also offer Flash v9, but it is only supported on two versions of Linux. All this software is free.

For the more adventurous, some Windows applications can be run directly on Linux. The first time I tried this it seemed like magic. Just today I learned of the free IEs 4 Linux which lets you run Internet Explorer version 6 on Linux, for the few websites that require IE. Wine is a step up, it lets you run dozens of Windows applications on Linux. Wine is included in some versions of Linux, but it can always be downloaded and installed if need be. Wine is free, and forms the foundation for the commercial Crossover Office which specializes in running Microsoft Office under Linux.

But what if you (or your mother) needs to run a Windows program that is not supported by Wine or Crossover Office?

A big plus for the new Intel based Macs is that they can run both the Mac OS X and Windows side by side using virtual machine software from either Parallels or VMware. This lets you run any Windows application on a Macintosh. Linux can do this too.

Today, VMware sells Fusion for the Mac for $60, but a $20 mail-in rebate reduces that, eventually, to $40. Parallels sells their Mac based virtual machine program (Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac) for $80.

Linux users have two very different choices. They can get the free VMware player to run existing virtual machines, but, unlike the Mac products, the VMware player can not create new virtual machines. For this, VMware offers their full featured Workstation product. However, VMware Workstation is expensive ($190 to download, $210 in a box) and the intended audience is techies.

Running virtual machines under Linux requires additional horsepower and likely rules out the cheap computers mentioned above. VMware says their Workstation product only needs 512 megabytes of RAM, but doubling this is probably the better way to go.

Downside

If you're going to move your mother off Windows, be aware that the big downside to Linux is technical support. This is an area where Apple excels, their technical support is constantly rated the best in the industry. Free versions of Linux, like all free software, come without technical support.

If your mom doesn't know a computer nerd, she can opt for a commercial version of Linux (typically selling for $50 to $100) that includes tech support. Or, you can buy her a computer with Linux pre-installed.

If you want to learn more, there is a Linux vs. Windows comparison.

Free Income Preparation Tax Software In The Internet

2007-10-07T21:03:00.001-07:00

An income tax is a financial charge imposed on the financial income of entities like persons and corporations. In short, any legal entity who has a value can be taxed which somehow makes sense. To see it in a positive light is to view tax as a contribution to society.

You give offerings and tithings to respective churches so why not give something back to the country you pledge allegiance to. If your church promises to improve some aspects of the religious community and as well as to give a portion of the church funds to the needy then the government supposedly does the same with the taxes. Improvement in roads and infrastructures along with programs related to health and education are all funded by tax money.

Tax is a complex manner. It is something you pay for out of duty that goes back to you in some other ways. There are however various income tax systems that exist. There is the flat tax, from the name itself a flat tax is a tax that is the same amount regardless of the income of the entity in question.

A progressive income tax is a tax that progresses depending on the income so naturally the more your income the more tax you have to pay. It is also sometimes referred to as the graduated income tax system and in this system, there are brackets for different financial incomes that will serve as a guide for the entities on how much they should file as income tax payable.

As mentioned earlier, any legal entity should pay tax. A business or a company pays what you call corporate tax, corporate income tax or corporation tax. An individual pays an income tax based on the total income of that particular individual.

There are some deductions permitted but you have to check for these tax deductions with your tax specialists. Even properties or inheritance have taxes so make sure that you are aware of these things not just because you own one but most especially in cases when you are acquiring new property for yourself or for your children.

An entity who wants to be a step ahead can download or get a copy of free income preparation tax software in the internet. Get a copy of the specific software that you need so that come time of filing tax you work is in fact already half done.

Low Jeremy maintains http://Tax-Software.ArticlesForReprint.com. This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included.

Which 3D Animation Software Should I Use?

2007-10-07T21:01:00.001-07:00

Do you just want to dabble or include a little 3D rendering in your website? Perhaps you are a 2D designer and want to start incorporating 3D in your illustration work. Maybe you have learned about 3D using free software and intend to pursue 3D as a career. Here we will go over the options available in three general sectors of the market: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Most 3D programs are available as demo versions, so you can try them out and get a feel of how they work before committing any of your hard-earned cash.

Basic

At the bottom end of the market there are plenty of low cost, easy to use 3D programs. Because of the low cost and small market share, this is a volatile sector, with 3D applications popping into and out of the market quite rapidly. Some of these applications last a little longer than normal, while others vanish without a trace, so don't be surprised if any mentioned here are no longer available by the time you read this! Whatever the name, they all tend to follow the same basic path-making 3D as easy as possible, but without the power and finesse of the more expensive packages.

If you want something for nothing, there are a few freeware versions of 3D packages available. 3D Canvas from amabilis.com is a cut down version of the company's commercial 3D packages. It's a fully functional 3D application but is probably more suited to the intermediate 3D users or keen beginners.

Xara 3D is a typical low end 3D package, still going strong after multiple versions. Costing about $39, it's a PC-only 3D program that won't break the bank but is pretty limited as 3D programs go. Xara is great for quick logos and fun titles, but really that is about it.

Adobe Dimension is a plug-in for illustrator (Mac or PC) that generates rendered 3D objects from illustrator curves and text. Again, it's limited but very simple to use, and for some it's all that is needed.

Although more suited to intermediate users, Amorphium from ElectricImage Inc. is an esy to use 3D program designed to work in a very hands on way. If you want to sculpt 3D objects as if they were lumps of clay then render them very simply, it's a good way to go.

Poser is included here because it is so easy to use, but in fact it's usefulness extends right up to the pro level. It's a 3D character renderer and animator that lets you pose and animate ready-made, high quality 3D figures. It's very powerful, but it's not an all rounder- it does one thing only-but does it very well.

Intermediate

The quality of intermediate 3D software can vary, but there are a few things to bear in mind. Make sure the rendering is up to speed, and examine online galleries of the software, which you can usually find on the developer's site. This will usually give you a good idea of the quality on offer. Most of the programs are available as demo versions, so they can be downloaded for evaluation.

Strata's Strata 3D has a long history and is available for Mac and PC. It's a sturdy if slightly archaic 3D program, but it has found favor with many digital illustrators. It has some good rendering features, including radiosity, which are rare at the price. www.strata3d.com

Pixels is a Mac-only 3D program that offers advanced rendering and animation and robust modeling for a modest cost. It also features a renderer based on the REYES algorithm-the same one used in Pixar's RenderMan software.

Corel's Bryce 3D is an interesting 3D program. It's primarily a landscape rendering application, designed to produce skies, seas, and terrains in a very efficient way. It can be pressed into service as a more general purpose 3D tool, but lacks any serious modeling tools. www.corel.com

One of the best free 3D applications available is Blender. This program is a full featured 3D production package featuring the kinds of tools you'd expect to see in a mid to high end application.

Advanced

At the high end level of 3D applications, it's not so much the tools as their implementation that makes the difference, and each 3D application listed here has its own style of working. Some of these applications are costly, seriously powerful, and used for many high-end effects in movies and television.

Newtek's Lightwave 3D is a dual application featuring separate modeler/texturing and animation/lighting/rendering apps. Its quirky interface is deceptively powerful, and it offers one of the best quality renderers out there.

Softimage XSI combines sublime modeling with non-linear animation, scripting, and phenomenal rendering through tight integration with Mental Images' Mental Ray rendering software. It also features an integrated 2D/3D compositor.

Alias's Maya 3D is extremely powerful. Its node-based architecture enables complex animation and rendering linkages to be created and it offers a nonlinear modeling history, plus Mental Ray rendering.

Discreet's 3Ds Max has always been a popular choice. Its design is not as modern as Maya or Softimage but it holds its own, especially in the games production market, and comes with Mental Ray rendering as standard.

Houdini is a fully procedural animation system that takes the node-based architecture to the nth degree. Sublimely powerful, it's not for the faint hearted, but offers the kind of flexibility other applications only hint at.

The full suite of plug-ins for Cinema 4D takes it into the high end. With advanced radiosity rendering, sophisticated character tools, and a GUI based expression system, it's also one of the easiest high-end 3D apps to get to grips with.

Now, go forth and CREATE!

By M Adley
http://www.your3dsource.com

What is the best free Spyware-Adware Software for free download?

2007-10-07T21:00:00.001-07:00

What is the best free Spyware-Adware software for free download?

#1 There are many free Spyware-Adware programs on the Internet. To be worthwile there are 4 things they must allow. They must scan your hard drive and they must allow you to remove any problems free. Some only allow you to scan your hard drive and then pay to have problems removed.

#2 They must allow you to download free updates when available.
#3 They must warn you when a threat is attempting to download.
#4 They must be free no strings, no nagging you to upgrade.

Finding free programs with those attributes is not easy but they are out there. I found two that I am using
together. One warns me when a threat is trying to download and the other one catches anything that gets by.

I have been using those two for 3 years and feel relatively safe. The problem is there are so many new threats being
created by scam artists, spies and advertising firms, it is hard for any one data base to cover all of them. Spyware and adware, viruses, worms and Trojan horses keep getting more potent.

About a week ago I decided to use one of the pay programs that allows you to scan free and then upgrade if any threats are found. My two free
programs reported no threats. The pay program found 27. 27 Adware programs. I think the best thing to do is use 2 or 3 free programs,then, once a month or so, do free scans with 2 or 3 pay to remove programs. If things are getting by your free program then you may want to bite the bullet and buy a $20,$30 or $40 program. Start with 2 or 3 good free programs.

If you have been surfing the web for two or three years and never ran a Spyware-Adware program you probably have over 100
Spyware-Adware programs gumming up your system. Good free Adware-Spyware removers will find and remove most of them.

One thing the free programs will not do is hide your IP address. "Surf Anonymously". By surfing Anonymously, it keeps your IP, or Internet address unlisted and hidden, so you can surf the Internet without being tracked. This keeps your online activities private so you can feel safe surfing the sites you want to surf! By surfing Anonymously you will not receive nearly as many spam emails from the sites you visit. Without surfing annonymously and using adware software every site you visit will be recorded and your Ip address will be sold to any one who wants it, leaving you open to problems. It is no ones business what sites you visit, what you search for or who you contact. If you decided to buy a Spyware program, it is a good idea to select one that has the surf annonymous feature.

More..

New free word counting and invoicing software for translators and writers

2007-10-07T20:57:00.001-07:00

QuickCount is an easy-to-use word counting and invoicing tool available at no charge to Translatorsbase.com and Directfreelance.com members. The tool is directed to professionals who base their quotations and invoices on number of words, characters, lines or pages.

VerbumSoft QuickCount 1.0 is able to provide various text statistics with incredible accuracy and speed. The easy to use interface allows to drag and drop files and folders from familiar windows explorer like navigation tree and automatically provide configurable statistics for each file including file name, file type, number of words, characters with spaces, characters without spaces, lines, pages and total charge amount. The amount is calculated based on the set rate per specified counting unit.

QuickCount is capable of providing counting statistics for many different file types including Microsoft Word, RTF, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power Point, PDF, Word Perfect, HTML, XML, ASP, PHP,TXT.

The counting statistics can be easily exported to various file formats including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, PDF or text document. The tool allows to specify what fields should be included in the reports.

Other great features of this tool are invoicing and client database. Invoices and estimates can be created using file calculation statistics with a click of a button. Included client database and invoicing module allows to create ready for print invoices or estimates in a matter of seconds. Invoices and estimates can be saved as PDF files or as Microsoft Word documents.

Verbumsoft utilized the newest Microsoft .NET 2.0 technology to provide high quality counting utility for translators and writers. The technology simplifies the update process of windows applications and ensures that each running instance of the software is up to date with the latest release.

QuickCount 1.0 is available for free to www.translatorsbase.com and www.directfreelance.com members. For non members free trial is available. The full version can be purchased via www.verbumsoft.com website for only 49 dollars.

You can download QuickCount at http://www.verbumsoft.com

More Services, Software On the Web

2007-10-06T01:36:00.001-07:00

Microsoft ratchets up its software-plus-services initiative with Office Live Workspace while AT&T buys Internet conferencing company Interwise.

Major technology vendors are continuing to push initiatives to bring collaboration tools online, fueled by equal parts customer demand and competition from rivals.

Moves by Microsoft and AT&T illustrate efforts by established tech companies to carve out space in the market contested by major vendors such as IBM and relative newcomers such as Google.

Microsoft, of Redmond, Wash., is ratcheting up its software-plus-services strategy with an offering known as Office Live Workspace that is due later this year and will let customers access, share and collaborate on documents online. But there is a catch: Users will not be able to edit the documents they are viewing through a browser unless they have Office installed on their computer.

"You need Microsoft Office to edit Office documents, but if you do not have it installed you can view Office documents in a browser [both Internet Explorer and Firefox will be supported] and can comment on them," a Microsoft spokesperson told eWeek Sept. 30.

For users who do have Office on their machine, when they click to edit a document, it will be downloaded into the version of Office they have on the desktop—Office 2003 and Office 2007 are supported. When changes are made and the document is saved, the changes are automatically saved to the online version of the document, the spokesperson said.

The service will be available at no charge when released later this year, and the software maker is accepting registrations from customers who want to help test the beta. While Office Live Workspace initially will not include advertising, the plan is to do so at a later stage. The company is also testing different designs and may also offer additional features or services for a price at some point, the spokesperson said.

The Office Live Workspace offering is yet another indication of how seriously Microsoft is taking the growing competition in the productivity space as well as the threats posed to its traditional business model by online competitors such as Google, with its Documents and Spreadsheets offerings. IBM has also announced Lotus Symphony, a suite of free software tools for creating and sharing documents, spreadsheets and presentations.

Microsoft is initially offering three online services—Exchange Online, Office SharePoint Online and Office Communications Online—to enterprises with 5,000 or more seats.

"This new era of connected computing is about empowering people and businesses to balance the power of the Internet with the rich interactivity and high performance of client and server software," said Jeff Raikes, president of the Microsoft Business Division. "With today's announcements, we are taking a significant step forward by combining our deep client and server software experience with our strong commitment to delivering flexible services offerings for our wide variety of customers and their unique needs."

When asked if Office Live Workspace was a response to the growing threats in the online productivity space, the Microsoft spokesperson said that it was "created to enable Office users to access their information anywhere and share their work with others, whether at home, work and school."

The existing Office Live offering will be rebranded Office Live Small Business, a change announced by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at the company's Worldwide Partner Conference in July.

Microsoft is also now differentiating between the "Live" services targeted at individuals, business users and virtual workgroups and the "online" services that live in its data centers and that are geared toward large organizations with more advanced IT needs.

The online offerings from Microsoft are one of the three ways customers can get their software; the others are by buying and hosting the software themselves on-premises or through the hosted services available from Microsoft's partners.

More..

10 New Features In Microsoft Windows Vista

2007-10-06T01:34:00.001-07:00

The curiosity levels and buzz regarding Windows Vista is probably greater than the news that spread when man landed on the moon. Extensively discusses and analyzed Microsoft's Windows Vista is scheduled for an end 2006 release with the corporate version coming first.
According to reports Windows Vista is all set to satisfy every need:

1. Security is comprehensive and takes care of every imaginable problem. Windows and spyware library are streamlined as also administrator tools.

2. The back up software is state-of –art and computer systems can be installed across several states and countries within a company by simple creating an image.

3. Windows side bar is atoll that has been designed to provide regular or continuous updates on weather, stock movements, temperature, sports scores and more. This just means you will be able to keep a tab on these while you are working on the main screen.

4. The internet explorer 7 has enhanced privacy management and security functions are all at the next level. The color coded address bar will indicate whether a page is designed to "phish" information or whether it is authentic.

5. A feature awaited for with bated breath is high-end graphics and aero-glass interface with great 3D rendering, animation, and effects. Translucent icons and other elements are all the latest technology and allow functions like viewing real time on minimized windows without opening programs. The Windows Vista is designed for people who multitask.

6. Integrated desktop search will allow powerful indexing, user specific searches and data access, and ease of filing and storing much used URLs. Searches can be extended to other PCs on the network by using Windows Longhorn.

7. Updates are streamlined and can be done directly without the use of Internet Explorer. A key component of the new system is said to be Windows Defender.

8. Windows Vista brings with it updated and revolutionary Windows Media Player, with an MP3 library. The Windows Photo Gallery in Vista brings photo library functionality and in Vista photos can get mega tags, titles, ratings, and what are more there are systems that allow limited editing and printing too.

9. Windows Vista recognizes parental concerns regarding computers and the World Wide Web. The new software has enhanced systems that allow greater parental control. Parents can limit access to files, and web pages, block sites, lock downloads, and screen objectionable content. Guess what even games can be blocked based on the game's Entertainment Software Rating.

10. Back ups are visionary in Windows Vista. The system can be set to take periodic snapshots of your whole operating system as well as files. This means in case of total break down you will not loose any data or software.
Windows Vista brings great news for business users. It not just facilitates P2P collaboration, but Vista users can share files and other data across the network. It allows even a mobile workforce to utilize computers while traveling.
Although there are releases, reviews, and speculation one needs to wait until Windows Vista is in actual use to judge how many hopes and promises are going to come true.

$8375 Blog

2007-03-03T05:17:00.001-08:00

Earn money with blogging

read more | digg story

Make Calls From Your PC

2007-02-21T05:07:00.000-08:00

Free, worldwide PC-to-PC Calls

Making free, worldwide PC-to-PC calls is easy. You and the person you call both need Yahoo! Messenger, plus a microphone and speakers (or headset.) The sound quality is so good, you won't be able to tell the difference between calling on Yahoo! Messenger and calling on a regular phone. Hear for yourself. For the best audio, just plug a headset into your computer and click the Call button. Here's one from Plantronics that works great with Yahoo! Messenger - and for a limited time save 10% off one, 30% off two (available to US residents only).

Talk with friends on their regular phones

Make PC-to-Phone calls to regular and mobile phones with the Yahoo! Phone Out service. Rates start at 1¢ per minute (and are just 2¢ per minute within the U.S. and to over 30 countries). Learn more - See all phone rates

Receive calls on your computer from friends using regular or mobile phones. With the Yahoo! Phone In service, you can choose a phone number for your PC from many countries and areas. Learn more

Voicemail and Call History

1. Voicemail. If you're offline or away from the computer, your friends can leave you voicemail. You'll see a star by the voicemail icon in your Messenger List. Click the voicemail icon, select the message, and press Play to hear your voicemail.

2. Call History. See all your voicemail - plus a log of all incoming, outgoing, and missed calls. Also see who called, at what time, on what day, and how long you talked.

Beef up PC calls with Soundboard and Soundtrack

Talk about fun — why not add a cow moo to your next call? It's easy with Soundboard. They're fun little sounds built into Yahoo! Messenger to use during PC calls. You'll find ones for everything from a breaking window and drum roll to (sorry) burping, laughing, applause and more.

You can also click on the Soundtracks icon to play your own MP3-format sounds in the background. That way while you and a friend are talking, you can play a hot song in the background (and even raise the music's volume during favorite part)

Ringtones

You can select the ringtone that plays when you receive a call through Yahoo! Messenger. You can even assign special ringtones to different contacts on your Messenger List, so you'll know who's calling right when you hear the ringtone!

Taken from Yahoo Website.

That is a very useful stuff included in Yahoo Messenger! Personally I think it is very good. But how about Google Talk?. Later on, we will see the differences.

For Fun Software

2007-02-20T02:32:00.000-08:00

Photos, music and IM

Even if you've purchased your computer primarily for work, you'll probably still want a few programs that are a bit more, well, fun. Download.com contains so many entertaining programs that you may never be productive again. We could suggest tons of games and screensavers, but we've kept the focus on essential media and communication tools.

FastStone Image Viewer
You can indeed view pictures with FastStone Image Viewer, but you also can do much more. For starters, you can convert and rename images in batches, and FastStone also provides a decent set of editing tools. There's a lot to like here, and nothing to pay. Download now

iTunes
Sure, you need iTunes to patronise Apple's online music store, but there's more to this jukebox. If you've never used the program, check out our iTunes Advanced feature, which provides basic tips as well as advice for veteran users. Download now

Quintessential Player
Other players get more attention, but it's hard to beat Quintessential Player's efficiency, stability, and flexibility. Built to support almost any plug-in format, this freeware tool offers a fine video player, CD ripping and MP3 converting. Download now

CDBurnerXP Pro
Don't let this free product's name fool you -- CDBurnerXP Pro does more than you think on more platforms. Not only does it burn CDs, it also lets you write to DVDs, create ISO files, rip audio CDs, and print simple covers. It runs on Windows 98, Me and 2000, in addition to XP.
Download now

Trillian
Running multiple chat clients simultaneously can kill system performance. Trillian lets you talk to Yahoo, AIM, MSN and ICQ contacts via one interface. Stop fooling with multiple windows, user names and passwords, and enjoy one-stop chatting. Download now

Skype
Place free PC-to-PC voice calls around the world via VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology. You'll need to pay to call a landline or cellular phones, but this is one technology that's on its way up. Download now

taken from : ncet.com.au

Security Free Software

2007-02-20T02:17:00.000-08:00

Safety first
From the minute you press the power button, think, "Safety first!" The right security software is a life-or-death matter for your computer, since spyware, viruses, Trojan horses, worms, and hackers can quickly send your PC to an early grave. These six security programs ensure your computer won't become a very expensive doorstop.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
True to its name, AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition keeps your computer safe from the Internet's hazards at no cost. While you may eventually upgrade to the Professional version or another antivirus suite altogether, AVG is a good start.Download now

ZoneAlarm
A firewall is absolutely essential to prevent hackers and other cyberthreats from accessing your PC. ZoneAlarm walks you through the setup process, offers several levels of security, and doesn't overload you with jargon. Set it and forget it.Download now

Microsoft Windows Defender beta
Microsoft recently beefed up its free antispyware app with new tools and other improvements, but the verification process is annoying. Still, if your operating system is compatible, Windows Defender provides excellent protection. Download now

WinPatrol
This program monitors several computer locations where malware is most likely to invade, including start-up programs, browser helper objects, scheduled tasks, services and cookies. While it won't cure serious infections, it will prevent new harm. Download now

HijackThis
If your spyware-removal arsenal has failed to defeat a particularly insidious intruder, this program could be your last hope. While you may need to consult a Web-based forum to make sense of the program's scans, this program will spot almost all potential threats. Download now

Artilcle from : cnet.com.au

Launch of this Blog

2007-02-20T01:51:00.000-08:00

Hello all,
I am about to start this blog for this new year 2007. New spirit with new strategy!..:)
Have fun here!