Newsletter Archive Reviews Archive 

January 7, 2007
Thank you all for being patient during my two weeks of vacation.
I wish you all a Happy New Year!

review from ClifNotes, Jan 2007, permalink _ Notes and Reminders
I can't decide which Calendar is best for you ...
I tried these four calendar programs. Each of them do some basic things for you. They allow you to see the current month and add future events or appointments to keep you on your own schedule.
RainLender
Sunbird
UKs Kalendar
KalendraTell me about your own favorite calendar programs below in the comments.
George's Article
article by GeorgesFreeware, Nov 2005 - _ Desktop Tools
Here is another fantastic article from the cutting edge of freeware. George describes how you can completely change the look and feel of Windows XP using a neat freeware hack. He also includes two demonstration videos of how his PC looked when he was done and how he did it.
Version 5 of UXtheme Multipatcher
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/OS-Enhancements/UXTheme-MultiPatcher.shtml
Here is a nice website that CC found for UXtheme patcher themes.
http://www.studio7designs.com/studiotwentyeight.com_kols_graphics.cfm
CC also told me about a tool set that uses UXtheme patcher to make your Windows XP look like Windows Vista.
http://www.windowsxlive.net/index.php?page_id=15
review from Tony at TopFreeware, Jan 2007, permalink _ Games
From Tony:
Terragon
Swistakowy Klopotreview from Steven Burns at Ur I.T. Mate Freeware, 2006, permalink _ Info Management
Steven Says:
You don't tear newspaper into pieces to read them. Why should reading rss news articles be any different? GreatNews is optimized for full page reading, so you can scan through rss articles quickly. Combined with functions like "Open Next Unread Channel", you don't need to waste any time to find where all the unread articles are.
review from ClifNotes, Jan 2007, permalink _ Games
This is a nice attempt at bringing 3D to an old classic 2D game. I'm not crazy about the look and feel and I hope the author works on this one to keep improving it.
Quote from the website
If you love Mario games, then you have to try this superb 3D platform game. A game in 3 worlds with 8 stages total.
Controls:
Enter = start game
Arrows = move and jump
W, A, S, D = move camera
R, F = zoom
F4 = Windows task bar on/off
Esc = exit game
The author's home page is missing, but you can get it here.
http://slicedoranges.com/index.php?act=view&id=311
review from ClifNotes, Jan 2007, permalink _ Video Tools
They are all doing it ...
YouTube, Google Video ... use Flash to display all those cool videos that people upload. Now we can do it too with this free tool.
Quote from the website
Transcode your existing videofiles to the advanced Flash Video (FLV) format with this free Riva FLV Encoder.
After selecting a source-file you can easily transcode it into Flash Video using one of the presets or your custom settings.
To view the result Riva FLV Encoder comes with the free Riva FLV Player. At present you can transcode the following formats: AVI, MPEG, Quicktime, WMV.
review from ClifNotes, Jan 2007, permalink _ Web Service
Those videos at YouTube and Google Video are pretty cool. What do you do if you want to keep a copy of them in some format other than FLV? Go here and find out ...
Quote from the website
This service converts a Flash Video / FLV file (Youtube's movie,etc) to MPEG4 (AVI/MOV/MP4/MP3/3GP) file. The service is using a compressed domain transcoder technology. Converts FLV to MPEG4 faster and losslessy than a typical transcoder.
When you submit an url, this service will download and convert to the video format. Then you can download the converted file.
review from ClifNotes, Jan 2007, permalink _ Desktop Tools
There are many screensavers available that will display your JPG pictures. This one works well, is small, and has lots of transition effects. I didn't see an option for it playing sounds, but I find sound in a screensaver to be an irritation more than a feature.
Quote from the website
So what is it?
It's a big swirly thing. No, not really. It's a Windows screen saver for displaying images with a few options that make it a bit more interesting.
Which types of image can it load?
Currently it supports JPEG, PNG, JPEG 2000 .jpc and .jp2 files and some types of BMP file. If you want support for other formats, let me know and I'll see what I can do.
How many images can it handle?
JPEG Saver has been successfully tested with over 68000 files in more than 700 directories, which used around 16Mb of memory. I really don't know how many it can actually cope with - and I haven't imposed any limit in the software.
Why did you write it?
Originally I wrote JPEG Saver because I couldn't find a screen saver on the web that would display a bunch of JPEGs. After Windows XP came out with the "My Pictures Slideshow" screen saver I thought JPEG Saver would be obsolete. But "My Pictures Slideshow" has some limitations that I didn't like, so this year* I dug out the source code and started work again.
What does JPEG Saver do that My Pictures Slideshow can't?
Well, the most obvious difference is that JPEG Saver supports multiple directories. There are also options for setting where the image will appear on the screen, and the order in which the images will be displayed. And you can turn individual transitions on or off. And there is more control over the resizing of images. And you can change the background.
http://www.goat1000.com/jpegsaver.html
review from ClifNotes and TerrysComputerTips, Jan 2007, permalink _ Browser Tools
Should I use the Firefox plugin called NoScript?
My opinion is no. I'd give you a lengthy explanation but my friend Terry has already done so. I typically agree with his security philosophies except I use all freeware in the places he uses payware.
Here's what Terry says about NoScript ...
Quote from the website
Extra protection for your Firefox: NoScript allows JavaScript, Java and other executable content only for trusted domains of your choice, e.g. your home-banking web site.
This whitelist based preemptive blocking approach prevents exploitation of security vulnerabilities (known and even unknown!) with no loss of functionality...
Experts do agree: Firefox is really safer with NoScript ;-)
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/722/
review from CyberGuide, Dec 2006, permalink _ Browser Tools
From Zia's CyberGuide
Quote from the website
How is Clipmarks different from other social media sites?
What makes the content on Clipmarks unique is that instead of posting links to entire web pages, our clipping tool lets users extract pieces of compelling content from within pages and post those select pieces for everyone to see. Only clips that are under 2,000 characters can get on the Clipmarks homepage.
Drop by and visit Zia's CyberGuide for more tips
http://ziarezvi.com
review from Tiffany, Dec 2006, permalink _ Music Management
From Tiffany C.
Quote from the website
MediaMonkey is a music manager and jukebox for serious music collectors and iPod users. It catalogs your CDs, OGG, WMA, MPC, FLAC, APE, WAV and MP3 audio files. It offers an intelligent tag editor which looks up missing Album Art and track information via Freedb and the web, and an automated file and directory renamer to organize your music library. It includes a CD ripper, CD/DVD Burner, and audio converter for saving music, and manual or automated playlist editors for creating music mixes. It's player automatically adjusts volume levels so that you don't have continually fiddle with the volume control and supports hundreds of Winamp plug-ins and visualizations; or if you prefer, it can use Winamp as the default player. It also includes portable audio device synchronization that allows you to quickly synch tracks and playlists with iPods and other portable audio devices.
http://www.mediamonkey.com/product.htm
Jan 2007, permalink
Just before Christmas, Andy Goh, the author of 8Start Launcher wrote to tell us that he's updated his program. He says ...
I've gotten lots of comments about this program. Here's what RonR said about it.
Quote from the website:
8start Launcher is a free portable application launcher, I created 8start Launcher because I believe there should be a convenient way to access application than using windows start menu, quick launch and desktop. Windows desktop look messy if too many shortcuts in the desktop, windows start menu become hard to access if too many applications installed in the computer, windows quick launch not suitable to handle too many shortcuts.
I like to look back and see what I was thinking about. Here's another letter from the wayback machine.
http://freewarewiki.pbwiki.com/ClifNotesNewsletter050109

Dec 1 2006, permalink _ Computer Help
From John:
I went looking for clipboard keepers, which are helpful when you are pasting more than one thing to the clipboard. I went around and around and finally came back to my personal favorite, Arsclip. No install, you just run it.
Another nice application is Kana Reminder. This is a terrific replacement for the Windows Task Scheduler, which has an annoying knack of not running your scheduled tasks if you look at it wrong. Kana let's you do far more stuff than just run programs at a set time.
I used to be a big Yahoo buff (see below). I am rapidly switching to Google for free email, calendar, todo, and contacts. Why? It's a lot faster, the personalized home feature lets me display it all, and even better, I can send reminders and notes to my cell phone without lugging a PDA around. The downside, I tried Goosync, which syncs the phone calender to the Google one, but alas my carrier doesn't allow that kind of traffic (Warning, Cingular users! ...and Gcalsync doesn't work either!). Google Docs and Spreadsheets has improved the interface and I am a (grudging) user.
I'm adding OpenOffice Premium to the OpenOffice entry. Premium is an OpenOffice install that has all the bells, whistles and extras that you'd have to grab individually otherwise. It's pretty impressive.
John Hood's - The Best of Free Software for Business and Productivity
From Clif:
Mike at Carputers.net is in the business of helping people. He often writes in with a tip or two, so I decided to collect some of his wisdom on a page here. I'll continue adding to it as long as he keeps writing ...
Tip from Mike at Carputers.net - Jan 5, 2007
Quote from the website
VCW VicMan's Photo Editor is a versatile image editor with an intuitive interface and a wide variety of features. This powerful application is user friendly, offering simple image editing, high productivity and easy customization.
From Clif:
Tiffany writes me occasionally to tell me about her favorite websites and new freebies she tries out. Tiffany's comments are in brown.
From Tiffany:
Jan 6, 2007
A Surprise Video You Will LOVE!
I almost didn't watch this video, as I was afraid the little bunny would be killed by the snake, and I refuse to watch any type of animal cruelty or suffering. But am I ever glad I decided to see "just a little more", as this turns out to be one of the best videos I've ever seen. I know you'll enjoy it and please share with your friends who love animals.
TC
********************************************
http://tiffanycartier.stumbleupon.com/
http://hello-kitty.group.stumbleupon.com/ =^..^=
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From Tiffany:
Dec 22, 2006
Look no further:
http://freegoodgames.net/
Enjoy yourself!
Quote from the website:
Free Games ! Free good games .NET gives you the chance of playing online flash games with no cost at all. All our arcade games are totally free and we won't charge you anything at all. To play free arcade games, just click on the picture of the arcade and wait the game to load.
It is simple and enjoying. Give our free games a try and dont forget to bookmark our page freegoodgames.net. Enjoy your stay and play the games. Thanks.
********************************************
http://tiffanycartier.stumbleupon.com/
http://hello-kitty.group.stumbleupon.com/ =^..^=
From Tiffany:
Dec 28 2006
PlateWire, a public repository and electronic forum of drivers by drivers is finally here: http://www.platewire.com/ This new site is indeed one to rave about, and has already been heralded on FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS and many other news channels nationwide.
How many times have you had a "close call" due to another driver's carelessness? We've all seen instances where we wished a police car were right behind us; a road rage crazy? Someone in a hurry, cutting people off? Kids jumping around in the car with no seat belts on? A car weaving all over the road, the driver obviously under the influence? But all too often the offender drives off, never to be punished and most likely to repeat the same behavior over again, until someone gets hurt. Or killed. Now you can do something about it, and help to make our roads safer to drive on. Take down the license plate and report him/her to PlateWire. Ahhhh.... revenge is sweet!
PlateWire is a unique concept, and a much needed one at that. Thanks to TV coverage from all our major news channels, this long overdue site is already on it's way to becoming well known all over the country. I hope it will soon be famous world wide. What a great idea!
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http://tiffanycartier.stumbleupon.com/
http://hello-kitty.group.stumbleupon.com/ =^..^=
From Tiffany:
Dec 20, 2006
Hi Clif,
Here's a great program for sending email with the sound of your own voice, and you can do it even if you don't know how to type. I often put off sending email to friends because I have a lot to say, but not enough time to write a long letter. JDVoiceMail is a wonderful little program that will save you time and add a personal touch to all your email. You can even sing a Christmas carol to someone! I've tried TalkSender and other voice mail programs in the past, but in my opinion, JDVoiceMail beats them all. It's easy enough for a 5 year old to use, so check it out. SnapFiles gives it a 5 star rating (Excellent), and so will you, once you try it!
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http://tiffanycartier.stumbleupon.com/
http://hello-kitty.group.stumbleupon.com/ =^..^=
permalink
From Clif:
CC writes in so often that he deserves an entire website for all of his tips. Here is a small portion of the programs he has tried. CC's comments are in brown font.
Tip from CC, January 5, 2007
CC wrote me with only this single link and the subject line was "good for at least a year". With 2385 freeware links to look through, this site will keep anyone busy for at least a year. Good call CC.
http://dubber6.tripod.com/whereisit/id18.html/
Quote from the website:
Welcome to Dubber's Computer Resources. Here you will find links in Computer Categories below that I think will be useful to you, especially if you are not too experienced with computers. Look around a little bit. You may find something that you didn't even know you were looking for.
Tip from CC, January 2, 2007
http://www.punksoftware.com/rocketdock
I use this has a spare taskbar; I keep all of my graphics programs
on it......If you need a extra taskbar this is for you.
http://m8software.com/clipboards/freeclip/freeclip.htm
This application has a whole new look, a lot more options
have been added to make it compatible with some of the
better clipboards, it's freeware.
cc
Tip from CC, December 30, 2006
From Clif:
CC wrote me with a link to this site. Not much explanation needed. Want to write your own newsletter? They sure try to make it look easy ... and sometimes it really is.
Quote from the website:
You can make Beautifully Creative Newsletters in minutes.
Easy, Fun, Powerful—with no software to download.
You can use LetterPop! to create stunning:
Tip from CC, December 20, 2006

http://www.wojanware.com/
and it's free!
Tip from CC, December 19, 2006
Quote from the website: Freeware tool Hitman Pro combines the best of both worlds to fight spyware.
Hitman Pro is a freeware tool that combines a number of powerful anti-spyware programs in one integrated solution. In nearly all anti-spyware reviews, the conclusion is that none of the anti-spyware programs removes all spyware. A combination of two programs is recommended.
This is exactly what Hitman Pro does: it combines Ad-Aware SE, SpyBot Search & Destroy, Spy Sweeper, Spyware Doctor, CWShredder, Spyware Blaster, NOD32, Sysclean package. Most of the included programs are freeware. Some of these programs are limited trial editions of commercial programs, and the user can decide to switch these off after the trial period.
http://www.hitmanpro.nl/hitmanpro/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3&Itemid=9
Thanks to everyone who commented on the articles last week. You gave me more ideas and some good advice. If you see comments on an article, you will be missing out if you don't click on them to take a look.
If you commented last week, check to see who commented on your comment!
Here are the comments from last week.
REVIEWS
Eclipse Crossword - who likes making crosswords? •
Web-Email-Cloaker - post your email address in relative safety •
Merry Frog - might make you hopping mad •
LineRider - simple yet addictive sledding game •
ZipCentral - zipping, unzipping and creating installers •
FreeSpell - spelling right in any Windows text area •
Secunia Software Inspector •
CleanUp! - flushing out the useless files •
File Association Editor - keeps three letter words from turning into four •
TIPS AND FEEDBACK
Wizards of Winter - are you ready for Christmas? •
10 Free Personal Firewalls •
Setting Up Spam Filtration Using Gmail Accounts •
Wikipedia's lists of free games •
Netzero's PrivatePhone - free phone voicemail messaging •
COOL WEBSITES
Snow Globe - shake'em up and hear the screams •
Giveaway of the Day - free commercial software? •
Brian's Freeware Pages •

Have you seen any cool websites you want to share with us?

Source - http://snapfiles.com/freeware

blog by TeMerc Internet Countermeasures, source
Infected? Go to http://temerc.com for help

Get Gmail! and Get Firefox!
You need a free 2.7 GB Gmail account to access many of the cool features at Google. I'll send you an invitation right away if you write me and say I WANT GMAIL.


I think Gmail works best in the awesome Firefox browser. It's free, easy to use, and it's way more secure than Internet Explorer. My favorite thing to do is to customize Firefox so that it does much more than IE ever could. You can select new button controls for your toolbars, install extensions to add new features, or change the look of your browser with themes - the way Firefox looks and works is under your control.
Now you can chat with anyone visiting a website by using Gabbly. To see who's gabbing at this website, click here.
Find out more about Gabbly.com
Wow! Over 400 people and still growing! I invite all of you to record your locations on this map. You can include as little or as much information as you wish. I think you'll enjoy seeing yourself there.
Here's a small look at my frapper map.

I get many of the reviews in the newsletter from the readers. You don't have to be a genius or computer guru. Just answer a few questions and send me a review. I'll probably put you in the newsletter.
Just tell me what article you are talking about and leave me your comment.
Have fun and surf safely.
Clif

http://clifnotes.net & http://freewarewiki.pbwiki.com
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