Hello peeps please can you vote for my shed..(((*_*)))..hehe.....
frogncat shed vote
Thank you
Tuesday 17 June 2008
Friday 14 December 2007
Some more info from Gizmo
Some more info from Gizmo
Some more info from Gizmo support Nov
Turn Your Web Browser into Your Desktop
How to recover lost windows passwords
Downloadable boot disks
If you want the ultimate online office, with all your programs and data available from anywhere, you need a Web-based operating system and desktop environment. And eyeOS is just such a product. Install it on your web server, and everything can be accessed with nothing more than a standard Web browser. Best of all, it's open source.
I checked this out and its pretty cool its just one of the many operating systems that up and coming
http://www.eyeos.com
How to Recover Lost Windows Passwords
Trying to fix someone's Windows PC but he or she has forgotten the administrator password? Ophcrack is a bootable CD containing a pre-installed Linux OS plus password recovery tool. An essential addition to every IT support technician's toolkit, and it's free too.
Some peeps have asked me about this so here you go.
http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/
Downloadable Boot Disks
If your Windows installation is corrupted and the PC won't start up properly, a bootable CD or floppy disk will allow you to start trying to find out why. If you don't have any boot disks handy, bootdisk.com has dozens, going right back to DOS 3.3 and Windows 95.
This cool to have as a ref
http://www.bootdisk.com
Free Tool for Managing Shared Computers
Looking after a shared computer, in either a domestic or business environment, is never easy. Every time others use the machine, they create lots more temporary files, cached internet pages, registry entries, and possibly introduce spyware or adware or viruses which can affect subsequent users. If you've ever used a PC in an internet café and have been jealous of the way that those machines manage to reset everything after each user has accessed the machine, you need SteadyState. It's a free add-on for Windows XP, from Microsoft, which locks down the machine so that all changes made by a user are deleted when they log off. Freeware, Windows XP, 3.9MB. excellent utility.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/sharedaccess/default.mspx
Windows Home Server
Microsoft is finally shipping Windows Home Server, the latest addition to the Windows family. However, it's an OEM-only product, which means that you can't easily go out and buy a copy to install on an old PC that you happen to have lying about. You can, though, buy it pre-installed as part of a dedicated WHS box, which various companies such as HP are now shipping.
Windows Home Server is a superb idea, aimed at the growing number of households that have more than one PC. It's a cut-down version of Windows Server 2003 (no sign of Vista here, thankfully), that helps to ensure that your digital household runs smoothly and efficiently. It'll stream your collection of music and video files to other PCs, for example, as well as to devices such as your Xbox 360. It can even act as a Web server, allowing you and others to browse your pictures and other files via the internet from anywhere in the world, which is just wonderful if you want an easy way to keep in touch with relatives around the world.
In fact, all aspects of Home Server are accessed via a web browser so there's no need to have a monitor or keyboard connected to the machine itself. Just hide it in a cupboard somewhere, plug it into your network, and access it from wherever you wish.
Perhaps the best feature of Windows Home Server is that it provides an easy way to ensure that all household PCs are backed up. Install the client software on all your machines, and they get backed up to your Home Server every night. If anyone loses a file, or even an entire PC, it can be recovered from the Home Server. So is this the backup solution we've all been waiting for? Not entirely.
If you're going to go to the trouble of backing up every machine in your household, you need to be confident that you can recover data after just about every conceivable problem that might occur. Windows Home Server doesn't fully deliver, in my opinion, because there is no off-site backup. So a disaster at your house, like a flood or a fire or a robbery, could mean that you lose all your precious data files and all your backups too.
This is becoming more popular i expect more Questions tips and trix
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/windowshomeserver/default.mspx
Style Sheets Explained
CSS Zen Garden [1] is the ultimate example of just how much you can accomplish through clever use of HTML style sheets. Click through the various available styles and note how the layout of the page changes drastically. The authors of the site have even produced a book about CSS, which is an excellent read.
We all will know this soon. our kids do...
[1] http://www.csszengarden.com
Part 2
Over the next few issues I'll be showing you how you can use drive imaging to make backup copies of your Windows operating system. Once you've set this up, you'll never have to re-install Windows again.
To effectively use drive imaging you will need to partition or divide your hard drive into two separate areas: one containing Windows, the other containing your personal data.
This is a very simple partitioning scheme. A lot of advanced users divide their hard drive into many areas, not just two. Indeed, I have four on most of my PCs. The ideal number of separate partitions is, in fact, a very controversial issue.
So controversial that since I mentioned last month that I was going to talk about partitioning I've had over 80 subscribers write in offering their opinion on the best way to partition hard drives. These suggestions ranged from those who thought a single partition was ideal to those who proposed creating more than a dozen partitions - a veritable alphabetic soup of logical disk drives.
However, I'm not interested here in the "best" way to partition a hard drive, that's a topic for another time. Rather, my focus is on creating a simple setup so that users can easily backup Windows using freely available drive imaging software. That's why I'm proposing that you create only two partitions: one for Windows, and the other for your data.
But before we do anything there's a critical first step that needs to be taken: you need to identify and backup your personal data.
So what's hard about that? Just backup the "My Documents" folder to CD or an external drive, right?
Alas, it's not so simple.
One of the worst design failures in Windows is that it doesn't provide clear separation of user data from the operating system itself. Yes, the "My Documents" folder is designed for the user's data personal data but, unfortunately, user data is also scattered throughout Windows, and often in obscure locations that are totally unfamiliar to users.
Take, for example, your "Favorites" folder. It's definitely user data but it's not located in "My Documents"; it's usually located in the user profile at something like "C:\Documents and Settings\User\Favorites"
And what about your email files? Again, this is user data, but where is this data stored? The answer depends on the email client you use. For example, Outlook Express usually stores email files at "C:\Windows\Profiles\User\Application data\Microsoft\Outlook express\Mail", while Outlook stores its .PST file at several different locations, depending on version. For example, with Office XP it's "C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook"
Turn Your Web Browser into Your Desktop
How to recover lost windows passwords
Downloadable boot disks
If you want the ultimate online office, with all your programs and data available from anywhere, you need a Web-based operating system and desktop environment. And eyeOS is just such a product. Install it on your web server, and everything can be accessed with nothing more than a standard Web browser. Best of all, it's open source.
I checked this out and its pretty cool its just one of the many operating systems that up and coming
http://www.eyeos.com
How to Recover Lost Windows Passwords
Trying to fix someone's Windows PC but he or she has forgotten the administrator password? Ophcrack is a bootable CD containing a pre-installed Linux OS plus password recovery tool. An essential addition to every IT support technician's toolkit, and it's free too.
Some peeps have asked me about this so here you go.
http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/
Downloadable Boot Disks
If your Windows installation is corrupted and the PC won't start up properly, a bootable CD or floppy disk will allow you to start trying to find out why. If you don't have any boot disks handy, bootdisk.com has dozens, going right back to DOS 3.3 and Windows 95.
This cool to have as a ref
http://www.bootdisk.com
Free Tool for Managing Shared Computers
Looking after a shared computer, in either a domestic or business environment, is never easy. Every time others use the machine, they create lots more temporary files, cached internet pages, registry entries, and possibly introduce spyware or adware or viruses which can affect subsequent users. If you've ever used a PC in an internet café and have been jealous of the way that those machines manage to reset everything after each user has accessed the machine, you need SteadyState. It's a free add-on for Windows XP, from Microsoft, which locks down the machine so that all changes made by a user are deleted when they log off. Freeware, Windows XP, 3.9MB. excellent utility.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/sharedaccess/default.mspx
Windows Home Server
Microsoft is finally shipping Windows Home Server, the latest addition to the Windows family. However, it's an OEM-only product, which means that you can't easily go out and buy a copy to install on an old PC that you happen to have lying about. You can, though, buy it pre-installed as part of a dedicated WHS box, which various companies such as HP are now shipping.
Windows Home Server is a superb idea, aimed at the growing number of households that have more than one PC. It's a cut-down version of Windows Server 2003 (no sign of Vista here, thankfully), that helps to ensure that your digital household runs smoothly and efficiently. It'll stream your collection of music and video files to other PCs, for example, as well as to devices such as your Xbox 360. It can even act as a Web server, allowing you and others to browse your pictures and other files via the internet from anywhere in the world, which is just wonderful if you want an easy way to keep in touch with relatives around the world.
In fact, all aspects of Home Server are accessed via a web browser so there's no need to have a monitor or keyboard connected to the machine itself. Just hide it in a cupboard somewhere, plug it into your network, and access it from wherever you wish.
Perhaps the best feature of Windows Home Server is that it provides an easy way to ensure that all household PCs are backed up. Install the client software on all your machines, and they get backed up to your Home Server every night. If anyone loses a file, or even an entire PC, it can be recovered from the Home Server. So is this the backup solution we've all been waiting for? Not entirely.
If you're going to go to the trouble of backing up every machine in your household, you need to be confident that you can recover data after just about every conceivable problem that might occur. Windows Home Server doesn't fully deliver, in my opinion, because there is no off-site backup. So a disaster at your house, like a flood or a fire or a robbery, could mean that you lose all your precious data files and all your backups too.
This is becoming more popular i expect more Questions tips and trix
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/windowshomeserver/default.mspx
Style Sheets Explained
CSS Zen Garden [1] is the ultimate example of just how much you can accomplish through clever use of HTML style sheets. Click through the various available styles and note how the layout of the page changes drastically. The authors of the site have even produced a book about CSS, which is an excellent read.
We all will know this soon. our kids do...
[1] http://www.csszengarden.com
Part 2
Over the next few issues I'll be showing you how you can use drive imaging to make backup copies of your Windows operating system. Once you've set this up, you'll never have to re-install Windows again.
To effectively use drive imaging you will need to partition or divide your hard drive into two separate areas: one containing Windows, the other containing your personal data.
This is a very simple partitioning scheme. A lot of advanced users divide their hard drive into many areas, not just two. Indeed, I have four on most of my PCs. The ideal number of separate partitions is, in fact, a very controversial issue.
So controversial that since I mentioned last month that I was going to talk about partitioning I've had over 80 subscribers write in offering their opinion on the best way to partition hard drives. These suggestions ranged from those who thought a single partition was ideal to those who proposed creating more than a dozen partitions - a veritable alphabetic soup of logical disk drives.
However, I'm not interested here in the "best" way to partition a hard drive, that's a topic for another time. Rather, my focus is on creating a simple setup so that users can easily backup Windows using freely available drive imaging software. That's why I'm proposing that you create only two partitions: one for Windows, and the other for your data.
But before we do anything there's a critical first step that needs to be taken: you need to identify and backup your personal data.
So what's hard about that? Just backup the "My Documents" folder to CD or an external drive, right?
Alas, it's not so simple.
One of the worst design failures in Windows is that it doesn't provide clear separation of user data from the operating system itself. Yes, the "My Documents" folder is designed for the user's data personal data but, unfortunately, user data is also scattered throughout Windows, and often in obscure locations that are totally unfamiliar to users.
Take, for example, your "Favorites" folder. It's definitely user data but it's not located in "My Documents"; it's usually located in the user profile at something like "C:\Documents and Settings\User\Favorites"
And what about your email files? Again, this is user data, but where is this data stored? The answer depends on the email client you use. For example, Outlook Express usually stores email files at "C:\Windows\Profiles\User\Application data\Microsoft\Outlook express\Mail", while Outlook stores its .PST file at several different locations, depending on version. For example, with Office XP it's "C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook"
Other email clients store their email files in other locations, some of which are even more obscure than Outlook.
You application programs are also culprits here. They can store your user data just about anywhere. Some embed it in user profiles, and others store it in the application's Program Files folder or anywhere else that took the programmer's fancy.
No folks, you cannot cleanly separate out your user data from Windows. It's a mess. Worse still is what happens if you try to move these islands of personal data from your Windows drive to another drive or partition.
Commonly it will cause Windows to crash, your applications to crash, or both. For example, if you move your Program Files to another drive, your system will end up as a non-functioning mess. The same thing would happen if you move your user profiles. (There are actually ways of doing this safely but that topic, like complex partitioning schemes, will have to wait for another day.)
At this stage you are probably thinking "This makes no sense Gizmo. First you said that I should partition my hard drive into two and move my data to the second partition. Now you are telling me that my data is all mixed up with Windows and I'll wreck my PC if I try to move it."
The answer to this conundrum is to limit your ambitions. It's true that you cannot completely separate out your data from Windows, but you can quite easily separate out your most important sets of data.
Furthermore, you can move these important items without creating problems for Windows or your programs.
So what data should you move and how should you move it? That, folks, will be the subject of the next part in this series.
 |
Thursday 8 November 2007
Y-Tubed
- Rythm for reason - music in search for light 1993. play
- Tango - Time Bomb 1993 play
- 6 million ways to die - dope skills 1997 play
- OHM Boys - Thinking of you play
- Rythm for reason - Grand National 1991 play
- Congress - 40 Miles 1991 play
- Never lost his hardcore - NRG (hard mix) play
- Terra Ferma - Adventures Of play
- Hyper On Experience - Lord Of The Null Lines play
- E-Trax - Lets Rock play
- Ascension - Hyper on experience play
- Marradonna - out of my head 1997 play
- Frogncat - Go play
- The Western Tune - play
- Intergalactic - Rave starship play
Saturday 27 October 2007
mashed tech stuff
Here is my mashed techsupport info my best bits.
Here are some notes from supporttech (october)) as before these are some of the things that i find of interest and place up on my pages.
25GB of Free Online Storage
MediaMax [1] for online backup. I recommended it to my students and have heard nothing but good things about it." Nice find Charles; with 25GB of free space, file backup and synchronization, file sharing, browser access and large file send capability, it's a strong offering. However, while the 25GB storage limit is very generous, the download / share limit of 1GB/month and the modest 10MB maximum file send size is less impressive. Still, there is a lot to like here.
http://mediamax.com
I have had a quick look at this and will be signing up with several accounts..25 GB free..! (if it has no cost) * well the update on this as tried it the upload is ok it allows unlimited size and gives you basic access...but..but if you need to down load your upload...it asks you to sign up for the upgrade..but if you only upload 10mb bit its ok..whoa ..a downer..but i cant see if they encrypt the info..if you send or dload your stuff it say sorry you need to up grade to the paid V. mmm witch can be an advantage..the play file uses your default player but the file may not open unless you know your formats. the storage is there but lacks access. when you look at others like divshare or esnips, i will keep to the smaller uploads for sake of paying.
How to Create Self-Destructing Email
That's right: email that conveniently destroys itself once read. This article lists several providers and discusses the pros and cons. .
http://www.smartcomputing.com/Editorial/article.asp?guid=&article=articles/2007/s1811/49s11/49s11.asp
Well this i got to try..looks cool and i have used the first one.
The Best Free CD / DVD Burner
CDBurnerXP Pro [1] has long been one of the best free burners around. With the release of the new version 4.0 it goes straight to the top of its class. The new version, now rebranded as "CDBurnerXP," is a total re-write. In the process they have stripped out unnecessary features and added many new ones, including support for Vista, Double layer DVDs, Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. Other features include disk-to-disk copy, bootable disk creation and the ability to create, read or burn ISO files.Not to be dismissed is the latest version of the Open Source InfraCorder [2]. Like CDBurnerXP it handles CDs and DVDs, though not Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. That aside, the feature set is similar. Nero users will find the user interface both familiar and comfortable. My only complaint is that two of the ISOs I burned with InfraCorder were unreadable. It could be just my hardware, though CDBurnerXP didn't seem to have the same problem.
Check Web Link Safety
Type in a web link at this site and they will scan to see if the website is hostile. Use this free service when someone sends you a link that you don't quite trust.
This is cool i put my site in it and i got the big thumbs up..its worth bookmarking.
http://linkscanner.explabs.com/linkscanner/checkstep.asp
Useless Waste of Time Department
Is this [1] the most intellectually challenging game of all time. When you feel too mentally exhausted to continue, try this site [2] where you can harmlessly take revenge on websites you don't like. I liked the nuke option.
The netdisaster was very cool you must try it.
[1] http://www.zimm-co.com/PressTheSpaceBar/pressthespacebar2000.swf
[2] http://www.netdisaster.com/goff.php?mode=gun&lang=en&sound=on&url=http://www.google.com/
How to Generate a New Identity
Sick of those nosy websites that require all your personal details just to register? No problem, generate a new identity here [1] that you can use to complete registration.
This quite cool i love generators and will put this on my site
http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/
This next bit is a long read but could be usefull for the future i will take it on board when theres more info but i can see the benifits to get this right...
part 1
Have you ever had to re-install Windows from scratch? If so you know what a slow and tedious process it can be. But if you take a few precautions there's no need for you ever to do it again.
Here are some notes from supporttech (september) as before these are some of the things that i find of interest and place up on my pages.
Website Identifies Mystery Files
Usually you can identify the program you need to open a file by the file type, but what if it hasn't got one? This free service allows you to upload the file and have it identified. I tied it with a PDF file with the .pdf extension removed and it worked just fine.
I know you may have a file source checker , but heres one you may like.
http://mark0.net/onlinetrid.aspx
Free Online Service Offers Alternative to Powerpoint
These free online apps just keep coming. Preezo allows you to create and use presentations directly from their site. Presentations can also be mailed directly to clients. Collaborative working is fully supported.
well yes another one of those sites ending in 'o' ive not had the chance to use this yet but i like pps.
http://preezo.com/
How to Check Your Surfing Anonymity
How much information does your browser reveal about you and your computer? Run the tests at this site to find out.
im trying this at the moment
http://www.all-nettools.com/library,privacy,4
Test Suspicious Files for Malware
It's a good practice to run any file you download (or borrow) through a free web based file testing service that will check it for malware using multiple anti-virus and spyware engines. Here are two of my favorites: Jotti [1] currently uses 20 different anti-virus scanners, while Virus Total [2] uses 32! Using one of these services can't guarantee that a file is 100% free of malware, but it's a lot safer than installing an unknown program on the blind faith that it's OK.
[1] http://virusscan.jotti.org/
[2] http://www.virustotal.com/flash/index_en.html
PC in a Keyboard
Or in a monitor if you prefer. Nice idea where space is a premium. Thanks to Callie Jordan for the link.
This looks cool
http://www.cybernetman.com/default.cfm?DocId=602
Some fun stuff i have tried most of these and have them on my site, i will post my recommends
At this site [1] you'll find everything you didn't know about your birthday. At the second site [2] you can find out even more, provided, that is, you are younger than 50. ;>)
[1] http://www.paulsadowski.com/birthday.asp
[2] http://www.thisdayinmusic.com/member/birthdayno1.php
Fritter away your boss's money with these 57 Optical illusions [1]. They are all intriguing but this one at this site [2] is quite special. At this third illusion site [3] you'll find a good explanation why the room you just painted doesn't look quite the way you expected.
[1] http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/index.html
[2] http://www.patmedia.net/marklevinson/cool/cool_illusion.html
[3] http://www.echalk.co.uk/amusements/OpticalIllusions/colourPerception/colourPerception.html
Here are some notes from supporttech this months issue. And this text is by me frogncat paul. some of these i have seen before and put up on my pages called new try outs
The Uninstaller You Have Been Waiting For
Sooner or later every user encounters the situation where they try a program, decide they don't want it, and proceed to uninstall it only to find the uninstall goes wrong, or worse still, no uninstall program was included with the original program.
Normal uninstall utilities are of little help in this situation. That's because they work by taking a snapshot of your system before and after installing a software product and use the difference to uninstall that product if required. This is a useful capability but its weakness is that the uninstaller program must actively monitor every software product you install. Often this is not the case.
Revo is an uninstaller that works differently. It can uninstall a program without the need to monitor its installation. It works by automatically doing what an experienced user would do manually. It removes all the program's files, autostart entries and removes all obvious registry entries.
This process can never be better than an inspired guess, but it's sure better than nothing at all.
I ran some tests by getting Revo to uninstall a product whose installation I had monitored using ZSoft Uninstaller, a before and after uninstaller.
By and large Revo did a fine job, though not quite as good as a skilled user would do manually. There were still some remains left over, notably files stored in the user/local settings folder.
That said, the leftover files did no harm other than take up disk space, and they certainly would not interfere with the normal operation of the PC.
Note that when you ask Revo to uninstall a program, it first looks for the product's uninstall program and will run that program if it is found. Only if the search fails will it try to remove files and registry entries itself.
Note, too, that Revo can also act as a before and after uninstaller, but frankly this is not its forte. The freeware utility ZSoft Uninstaller [2] is a better choice for this particular application.
Overall I was very impressed by Revo. It is the only freeware product I know of that will make a decent job of cleaning up a failed install. It's not perfect in its un-installation, but it does a fine job in the circumstances and offers a lifeline to average users. Next time you encounter a failed uninstall, remember Revo. You will be glad you did. Thanks to subscriber Dieter Callens for the suggestion. Freeware, Windows 2000-Vista, 1.27MB.
I know ian ive sent this before but not its got more interest from gizmo..so i will be giving it a try its cool and will uninstall to your recycle bin
[1] http://www.revouninstaller.com/
[2] http://www.zsoft.dk/
Share Large Files with Anyone
DivShare is a free service that allows you to upload any number of files of any size and kind and share them with any number of people. All uploaded files are accessible via a unique download link that you can send to the intended recipient or publish publicly. Files are kept for a week for anonymous uploads but if you sign up for a free account they are kept permanently. DivShare can be integrated into Facebook and WordPress. The site free but supported by advertisements. I've tried it several times and the uploading and downloading speeds were variable but totally usable. Quite an offering for nix.
Now this i will have to try out as it looks cool and would like ian grumpy to maybe try it out.. its seems that some files get encrypted or are unreadable
http://www.divshare.com/
------------------------------------------------------
Free Remote Control Utility Offers Ease of Use
I'm impressed with CrossLoop. It's the easiest way yet to remotely control a distant PC. Before you get your hopes up, let me say that it is no substitute for products like LogMeIn or PCAnywhere, both of which allow you to login to a remote PC without anyone in attendance. By contrast, CrossLoop absolutely requires someone at the other end. If you can live with that limitation, CrossLoop may just what you have been looking for. It works like this: The user on the remote PC runs CrossLoop and generates a random 12 digit key which they send to you by email, phone, whatever. You plug this key into a copy of CrossLoop running on your own PC and request a connection with the remote. If the remote user accepts the connection you then can take control of the remote PC and operate it through your keyboard and screen. At all times the user at the remote sees on his screen exactly what is happening. That's pretty much standard remote computing, but it is the ease of use that makes CrossLoop different. No complex commands or firewall configuration are needed, just the ability to follow simple on-screen instructions. CrossLoop is really a smart front-end to the open source utility TightVNC. It supports 128 bit Blowfish encrypted connections and unlike the free version of LogMeIn, allows for two-way file transfers between the client and host PCs. Unlike Windows Remote Desktop, it will run on any PC from Windows 98 onwards. Just the thing for helping a friend with a PC problem, remote support or remote user training. Thanks to subscriber Mike Pasternack for the suggestion. Freeware, Windows 98 and later, 2.28MB
I got and use the logmein. but this is cool to have in my toolbox.
http://www.crossloop.com
------------------------------------------------------
A Real Computer for Your Car
I don't know about you but I often miss not having access to my PC when I'm in my car. Often a question will come up in discussion with my wife and I want to Google it but I can't. Sure, I could use my laptop, but by the time I drag it from the back seat, unpack it, boot it and get a wireless internet connection I would probably have forgotten the question I was going to look up. Here's the solution: a full-on Windows XP-based car PC that boots up when you turn on the ignition. With a 7" high-luminance touch screen and the ability to accept a wireless PCMCIA card, it looks to be just what I want.
This is cool and i would love to install these..
http://www.gnetcanada.com/vehiclepc-carpc-overview.asp
https://www.timekiller.org/carpc/ => Linux driven, home-brew car PC (copy to bar)
------------------------------------------------------
Here's a site where you can ponder reflectively as you watch the real-time statistics on world population, births, deaths, deforestation, oil burnt, cars produced and more. It's quite hypnotic watching these figures as we creep towards our Malthusian doom.
Wow what a clock i would like to make this into a gadget..
http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.htm
------------------------------------------------------
Get RoboForm Pro and ZoneAlarm Pro Suite for Free
RoboForm (version 4.6.8), available from lots of places including this site [1]. But last month I obtained the latest version of RoboForm for free. And I did it legally; in fact with Siber Systems' (the RoboForm company) invitation! First, some background. There are at least two promoters (probably different branches of the same company) who offer full-version software for free, in exchange for trying a product they are promoting: www.checkoutfree.com and www.trialpay.com. Most of the offers involve buying something else (usually just the shipping charge; a good deal if it's something you really want); but a few of the offers are no-charge-if-you-cancel-during-the-trial-period. Some people find this a bit dicey, given the notorious tendency of some companies to hang on to their customers when they try to cancel. I've done it twice though, with no hassle at all. I waited a full month before telling you, just to make sure there was no funny business on my next credit card statement. These webpages [2], [3] explain the system in more detail as well as list many of the products available. Most of the products are unnecessary; your website and others give excellent freeware alternatives. But a few of them are truly worthwhile such as RoboForm Pro and ZoneAlarm Pro."
Thanks for that Bruce. I've known about this setup for a while and have always wondered what the catch was. Based on your experience it looks like there may be none.
This i dont have and i know ian you use it and just giving it the thumbs up as you have no problems. but here it may interest you on the legal side..lol.
[1] http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/page7.html.
[2] http://www.oscandy.com/free/548-get-30-retail-commercial-software-for-free
[3] http://www.fatcash.com/t/18/740093/
And this link i had a quick view and there are some things that interest me so here..
Lots of Free Utilities to Help You Communicate
amazing collection of links to web-based communications services. This includes client-free chat systems, free fax services, web-based SMS, email to snail mail, tele-conferencing, invitation systems and many more. Chris's list is too long for this newsletter so I've put it up on my website. I strongly suggest you check it out as I'm sure you'll find something new and useful. Note that I haven't checked every service suggested so normal caution applies. However, those I did try really impressed me.
http://www.techsupportalert.com/e-communications.htm
Thats it for now have a read then let me know if this was of interest to you..haha grumpy. frogncat
Here are some notes from supporttech (october)) as before these are some of the things that i find of interest and place up on my pages.
25GB of Free Online Storage
MediaMax [1] for online backup. I recommended it to my students and have heard nothing but good things about it." Nice find Charles; with 25GB of free space, file backup and synchronization, file sharing, browser access and large file send capability, it's a strong offering. However, while the 25GB storage limit is very generous, the download / share limit of 1GB/month and the modest 10MB maximum file send size is less impressive. Still, there is a lot to like here.
http://mediamax.com
I have had a quick look at this and will be signing up with several accounts..25 GB free..! (if it has no cost) * well the update on this as tried it the upload is ok it allows unlimited size and gives you basic access...but..but if you need to down load your upload...it asks you to sign up for the upgrade..but if you only upload 10mb bit its ok..whoa ..a downer..but i cant see if they encrypt the info..if you send or dload your stuff it say sorry you need to up grade to the paid V. mmm witch can be an advantage..the play file uses your default player but the file may not open unless you know your formats. the storage is there but lacks access. when you look at others like divshare or esnips, i will keep to the smaller uploads for sake of paying.
How to Create Self-Destructing Email
That's right: email that conveniently destroys itself once read. This article lists several providers and discusses the pros and cons. .
http://www.smartcomputing.com/Editorial/article.asp?guid=&article=articles/2007/s1811/49s11/49s11.asp
Well this i got to try..looks cool and i have used the first one.
The Best Free CD / DVD Burner
CDBurnerXP Pro [1] has long been one of the best free burners around. With the release of the new version 4.0 it goes straight to the top of its class. The new version, now rebranded as "CDBurnerXP," is a total re-write. In the process they have stripped out unnecessary features and added many new ones, including support for Vista, Double layer DVDs, Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. Other features include disk-to-disk copy, bootable disk creation and the ability to create, read or burn ISO files.Not to be dismissed is the latest version of the Open Source InfraCorder [2]. Like CDBurnerXP it handles CDs and DVDs, though not Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. That aside, the feature set is similar. Nero users will find the user interface both familiar and comfortable. My only complaint is that two of the ISOs I burned with InfraCorder were unreadable. It could be just my hardware, though CDBurnerXP didn't seem to have the same problem.
I suggest you try both of these products and choose what best suits your hardware and personal burning needs. With software like this available for free, it seems hard to justify outlaying money on commercial burners.
[1] http://cdburnerxp.se Freeware, Windows 2000 -> Vista, 1.97MB
[2] http://infrarecorder.sourceforge.net/ Windows 2000 -> Vista, 2.6MB
Check Web Link Safety
Type in a web link at this site and they will scan to see if the website is hostile. Use this free service when someone sends you a link that you don't quite trust.
This is cool i put my site in it and i got the big thumbs up..its worth bookmarking.
http://linkscanner.explabs.com/linkscanner/checkstep.asp
Useless Waste of Time Department
Is this [1] the most intellectually challenging game of all time. When you feel too mentally exhausted to continue, try this site [2] where you can harmlessly take revenge on websites you don't like. I liked the nuke option.
The netdisaster was very cool you must try it.
[1] http://www.zimm-co.com/PressTheSpaceBar/pressthespacebar2000.swf
[2] http://www.netdisaster.com/goff.php?mode=gun&lang=en&sound=on&url=http://www.google.com/
How to Generate a New Identity
Sick of those nosy websites that require all your personal details just to register? No problem, generate a new identity here [1] that you can use to complete registration.
This quite cool i love generators and will put this on my site
http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/
This next bit is a long read but could be usefull for the future i will take it on board when theres more info but i can see the benifits to get this right...
part 1
Have you ever had to re-install Windows from scratch? If so you know what a slow and tedious process it can be. But if you take a few precautions there's no need for you ever to do it again.
I haven't re-installed Windows for years. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, I haven't re-installed Windows since the arrival of Windows XP in 2001.
Don't get me wrong. I've often had corrupted systems; probably more than most folks. It's just that I have solved the problem of getting Windows working again in another way.
Rather than re-install Windows, I recover my system from a backup image of my system drive. This usually takes around 10 minutes and I don't even have to be in attendance.
That's a big difference to the hours it takes to re-install Windows and go through the additional hoops of downloading all the Windows updates. Furthermore, I don't have to re-install my application software because they all get restored from the backup image along with Windows.
It's such an attractive and powerful approach that I recommend all users should setup a drive imaging backup system for their computers. You can even do it using free software.
Setting up a drive imaging solution is within the grasp of most computer users but it's not a piece of cake. It is, however, definitely worth the effort. Over the next couple of months I will walk you through the various steps involved and talk about the software you need. This month I'll start by explaining the process.
Drive imaging works by using special software to take a snapshot image of the hard drive on which you have Windows installed. If you create this image when Windows is working correctly, you can then use your imaging software to restore an exact replica of this working copy of Windows should Windows ever become corrupted.
Restoring from an image is a much more complete process than using Windows Restore. The latter only recovers the Windows Registry and some important system files. Restoring from an image recovers your entire Windows installation and everything else installed on your system drive, including all your software applications.
If you have ever had a corrupted Windows system or a spyware infection that cannot be removed, then you will understand just how valuable it is to restore a fresh and fully functional version of your system.
However for the drive imaging process to work effectively you need to do some preparation work before you create your images.
The first thing you need to do is to re-arrange your hard drive so that Windows and your application programs are on a separate disk drive or partition to your data.
Many PCs have only one large hard drive or partition, usually the C: drive. On that drive, Windows, your program files and your documents are all mixed in together. To separate them, you need to use a drive partitioning program to split the big C: drive into two or more smaller drives. These new drives created are logical, not physical, but the effect is the same as if you have physically separate drives.
So if you start with a 200GB C: drive containing everything, then after partitioning you might, for example, end up with a 20GB C: drive containing Windows, your Program Files and Windows user accounts, plus a 180GB D: drive containing your email, documents, photos, media files, etc.
The point of this partitioning is to allow the creation of a small manageable drive image of the 20GB partition containing only Windows and your application programs, rather than a huge drive image of everything on your hard drive.
And it's not only a question of image size. If you restore from a backup image you certainly don't want to overwrite your data. Otherwise you would lose any changes to your data since the time the backup image was created.
Once you have partitioned your hard drive, the next step is to move your data onto the new partition. This includes moving the "My Documents" folder plus any folders you have created containing your personal data. This step is not technically difficult but it does require a bit of care.
Finally, once you have partitioned your disk and moved your data to a separate partition, you can create your first system drive image. Compared to the previous steps this is a piece of cake. And so is restoring your system drive from an image. But that will have to wait until the end of this series. The first step is drive partitioning and that will be next month's topic.
Here are some notes from supporttech (september) as before these are some of the things that i find of interest and place up on my pages.
Website Identifies Mystery Files
Usually you can identify the program you need to open a file by the file type, but what if it hasn't got one? This free service allows you to upload the file and have it identified. I tied it with a PDF file with the .pdf extension removed and it worked just fine.
I know you may have a file source checker , but heres one you may like.
http://mark0.net/onlinetrid.aspx
Free Online Service Offers Alternative to Powerpoint
These free online apps just keep coming. Preezo allows you to create and use presentations directly from their site. Presentations can also be mailed directly to clients. Collaborative working is fully supported.
well yes another one of those sites ending in 'o' ive not had the chance to use this yet but i like pps.
http://preezo.com/
How to Check Your Surfing Anonymity
How much information does your browser reveal about you and your computer? Run the tests at this site to find out.
im trying this at the moment
http://www.all-nettools.com/library,privacy,4
Test Suspicious Files for Malware
It's a good practice to run any file you download (or borrow) through a free web based file testing service that will check it for malware using multiple anti-virus and spyware engines. Here are two of my favorites: Jotti [1] currently uses 20 different anti-virus scanners, while Virus Total [2] uses 32! Using one of these services can't guarantee that a file is 100% free of malware, but it's a lot safer than installing an unknown program on the blind faith that it's OK.
[1] http://virusscan.jotti.org/
[2] http://www.virustotal.com/flash/index_en.html
PC in a Keyboard
Or in a monitor if you prefer. Nice idea where space is a premium. Thanks to Callie Jordan for the link.
This looks cool
http://www.cybernetman.com/default.cfm?DocId=602
Some fun stuff i have tried most of these and have them on my site, i will post my recommends
At this site [1] you'll find everything you didn't know about your birthday. At the second site [2] you can find out even more, provided, that is, you are younger than 50. ;>)
[1] http://www.paulsadowski.com/birthday.asp
[2] http://www.thisdayinmusic.com/member/birthdayno1.php
Fritter away your boss's money with these 57 Optical illusions [1]. They are all intriguing but this one at this site [2] is quite special. At this third illusion site [3] you'll find a good explanation why the room you just painted doesn't look quite the way you expected.
[1] http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/index.html
[2] http://www.patmedia.net/marklevinson/cool/cool_illusion.html
[3] http://www.echalk.co.uk/amusements/OpticalIllusions/colourPerception/colourPerception.html
Here are some notes from supporttech this months issue. And this text is by me frogncat paul. some of these i have seen before and put up on my pages called new try outs
The Uninstaller You Have Been Waiting For
Sooner or later every user encounters the situation where they try a program, decide they don't want it, and proceed to uninstall it only to find the uninstall goes wrong, or worse still, no uninstall program was included with the original program.
Normal uninstall utilities are of little help in this situation. That's because they work by taking a snapshot of your system before and after installing a software product and use the difference to uninstall that product if required. This is a useful capability but its weakness is that the uninstaller program must actively monitor every software product you install. Often this is not the case.
Revo is an uninstaller that works differently. It can uninstall a program without the need to monitor its installation. It works by automatically doing what an experienced user would do manually. It removes all the program's files, autostart entries and removes all obvious registry entries.
This process can never be better than an inspired guess, but it's sure better than nothing at all.
I ran some tests by getting Revo to uninstall a product whose installation I had monitored using ZSoft Uninstaller, a before and after uninstaller.
By and large Revo did a fine job, though not quite as good as a skilled user would do manually. There were still some remains left over, notably files stored in the user/local settings folder.
That said, the leftover files did no harm other than take up disk space, and they certainly would not interfere with the normal operation of the PC.
Note that when you ask Revo to uninstall a program, it first looks for the product's uninstall program and will run that program if it is found. Only if the search fails will it try to remove files and registry entries itself.
Note, too, that Revo can also act as a before and after uninstaller, but frankly this is not its forte. The freeware utility ZSoft Uninstaller [2] is a better choice for this particular application.
Overall I was very impressed by Revo. It is the only freeware product I know of that will make a decent job of cleaning up a failed install. It's not perfect in its un-installation, but it does a fine job in the circumstances and offers a lifeline to average users. Next time you encounter a failed uninstall, remember Revo. You will be glad you did. Thanks to subscriber Dieter Callens for the suggestion. Freeware, Windows 2000-Vista, 1.27MB.
I know ian ive sent this before but not its got more interest from gizmo..so i will be giving it a try its cool and will uninstall to your recycle bin
[1] http://www.revouninstaller.com/
[2] http://www.zsoft.dk/
Share Large Files with Anyone
DivShare is a free service that allows you to upload any number of files of any size and kind and share them with any number of people. All uploaded files are accessible via a unique download link that you can send to the intended recipient or publish publicly. Files are kept for a week for anonymous uploads but if you sign up for a free account they are kept permanently. DivShare can be integrated into Facebook and WordPress. The site free but supported by advertisements. I've tried it several times and the uploading and downloading speeds were variable but totally usable. Quite an offering for nix.
Now this i will have to try out as it looks cool and would like ian grumpy to maybe try it out.. its seems that some files get encrypted or are unreadable
http://www.divshare.com/
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Free Remote Control Utility Offers Ease of Use
I'm impressed with CrossLoop. It's the easiest way yet to remotely control a distant PC. Before you get your hopes up, let me say that it is no substitute for products like LogMeIn or PCAnywhere, both of which allow you to login to a remote PC without anyone in attendance. By contrast, CrossLoop absolutely requires someone at the other end. If you can live with that limitation, CrossLoop may just what you have been looking for. It works like this: The user on the remote PC runs CrossLoop and generates a random 12 digit key which they send to you by email, phone, whatever. You plug this key into a copy of CrossLoop running on your own PC and request a connection with the remote. If the remote user accepts the connection you then can take control of the remote PC and operate it through your keyboard and screen. At all times the user at the remote sees on his screen exactly what is happening. That's pretty much standard remote computing, but it is the ease of use that makes CrossLoop different. No complex commands or firewall configuration are needed, just the ability to follow simple on-screen instructions. CrossLoop is really a smart front-end to the open source utility TightVNC. It supports 128 bit Blowfish encrypted connections and unlike the free version of LogMeIn, allows for two-way file transfers between the client and host PCs. Unlike Windows Remote Desktop, it will run on any PC from Windows 98 onwards. Just the thing for helping a friend with a PC problem, remote support or remote user training. Thanks to subscriber Mike Pasternack for the suggestion. Freeware, Windows 98 and later, 2.28MB
I got and use the logmein. but this is cool to have in my toolbox.
http://www.crossloop.com
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A Real Computer for Your Car
I don't know about you but I often miss not having access to my PC when I'm in my car. Often a question will come up in discussion with my wife and I want to Google it but I can't. Sure, I could use my laptop, but by the time I drag it from the back seat, unpack it, boot it and get a wireless internet connection I would probably have forgotten the question I was going to look up. Here's the solution: a full-on Windows XP-based car PC that boots up when you turn on the ignition. With a 7" high-luminance touch screen and the ability to accept a wireless PCMCIA card, it looks to be just what I want.
This is cool and i would love to install these..
http://www.gnetcanada.com/vehiclepc-carpc-overview.asp
https://www.timekiller.org/carpc/ => Linux driven, home-brew car PC (copy to bar)
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Here's a site where you can ponder reflectively as you watch the real-time statistics on world population, births, deaths, deforestation, oil burnt, cars produced and more. It's quite hypnotic watching these figures as we creep towards our Malthusian doom.
Wow what a clock i would like to make this into a gadget..
http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.htm
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Get RoboForm Pro and ZoneAlarm Pro Suite for Free
RoboForm (version 4.6.8), available from lots of places including this site [1]. But last month I obtained the latest version of RoboForm for free. And I did it legally; in fact with Siber Systems' (the RoboForm company) invitation! First, some background. There are at least two promoters (probably different branches of the same company) who offer full-version software for free, in exchange for trying a product they are promoting: www.checkoutfree.com and www.trialpay.com. Most of the offers involve buying something else (usually just the shipping charge; a good deal if it's something you really want); but a few of the offers are no-charge-if-you-cancel-during-the-trial-period. Some people find this a bit dicey, given the notorious tendency of some companies to hang on to their customers when they try to cancel. I've done it twice though, with no hassle at all. I waited a full month before telling you, just to make sure there was no funny business on my next credit card statement. These webpages [2], [3] explain the system in more detail as well as list many of the products available. Most of the products are unnecessary; your website and others give excellent freeware alternatives. But a few of them are truly worthwhile such as RoboForm Pro and ZoneAlarm Pro."
Thanks for that Bruce. I've known about this setup for a while and have always wondered what the catch was. Based on your experience it looks like there may be none.
This i dont have and i know ian you use it and just giving it the thumbs up as you have no problems. but here it may interest you on the legal side..lol.
[1] http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/page7.html.
[2] http://www.oscandy.com/free/548-get-30-retail-commercial-software-for-free
[3] http://www.fatcash.com/t/18/740093/
And this link i had a quick view and there are some things that interest me so here..
Lots of Free Utilities to Help You Communicate
amazing collection of links to web-based communications services. This includes client-free chat systems, free fax services, web-based SMS, email to snail mail, tele-conferencing, invitation systems and many more. Chris's list is too long for this newsletter so I've put it up on my website. I strongly suggest you check it out as I'm sure you'll find something new and useful. Note that I haven't checked every service suggested so normal caution applies. However, those I did try really impressed me.
http://www.techsupportalert.com/e-communications.htm
Thats it for now have a read then let me know if this was of interest to you..haha grumpy. frogncat
Wednesday 10 October 2007
Saturday 15 September 2007
Tuesday 4 September 2007
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