Posted October 31, 2006 
Comments(4) 
Rating: 5
pick
Version tested: 3.3.4
Description: Karen’s Replicator is a free backup and synchronization utility. It will backup files, directories, or entire drives from one drive/folder to another, including network drives. It also does scheduled backups, so you never need to remember to do a backup again.
This is a remarkably powerful program. Here’s what you need to know about it: Read more »
Posted October 30, 2006 Comments(1) 
Rating: 5
Version tested: 0.9.3.0
Description: Pando is a file-sharing platform that enables users to easily share large files over the internet. It connects sender to recipient by sending a tiny file from the former to the latter over email or IM.
Let’s say you would like to send a 100 meg video file to a friend. Emailing such a file is out of the question, since its too big and will clog most email inboxes. With Pando, however, you can get the file sent as follows:
Posted October 29, 2006 Comments(18) 
Rating: 5 pick
Version tested: 1.0
With Launchy you can search for installed apps rather than browse for them manually in your start menu.
Launchy is invoked/dismissed by a hotkey (alt+space by default). It is pre-set to index your start menu links, but can be customized to index any location on your hard drive for any type of file.
For example, I typically tend to put a lot of files that I am working on on the desktop. I therefore set launchy to index the desktop (and all sub-folders recursively) to the types of files that I want that I typically deal with (xls, csv, jpg, mp3, exe, zip, rar, etc.)
I used to use a very similar program called Find and Run Robot, but I find that this one (a) is more customizable and flexible, and (b) has a much better look and feel overall (it also has tons of skins).
Posted October 28, 2006 Comments(4) 
Rating: 5
Version tested: 2.0
Rainlendar is a desktop calendar, to-do list, and events manager that is highly customizable. It hovers transparently over the desktop or other applications for easy access whenever you need it.
This software has everything going for it; it is very easy to use, extremely elegant, and requires very little system resources.
Rainlendar features all the standard calendar functions: Events/tasks can be ‘dated’, their duration defined, and they can be set as recurring (or not). They can be associated with audio alarms that go off at user-defined times before the event/task is due. They can also be categorized. Read more »
Posted October 26, 2006 Comments(9) [This page last updated Dec 9th, 2006]
I’ve noticed people are searching for this. Here are some solutions.
For Google Video:
Google Video now allows you to download videos straight into MP4 Ipod video format (see screenshot). My advice to you if you have a lot of videos already downloaded is to simply re-download in the MP4 format.
For YouTube
The Vixy web site provides an online conversion service that is fast and efficient (click here for a review of Vixy on Freewaregenius).
Another, less elegant solution is as follows:
Posted October 25, 2006 Comments(9) 
Rating: 5
Version tested: 1.3
My new favorite launcher!
STabLauncher is a tabbed launcher that resides either on top or bottom of the screen. Mouse over the tabs and they pull down; create as many tabs as you like, in the color(s) of your choice.
I must confess I like this better than Rocketdock, just because the tabs make a lot of sense in terms of organization. Read more »
Posted October 24, 2006 Comments(11) 
Rating: 5
Version tested: 1.34 build 892
Free Ipod Video Converter is a tool that converts most video file formats into MP4 files, the video format playable by video Ipods (as well as the Sony PSP).
It is a simple yet solid program that delivers exactly what it promises. Supported formats include AVI, MPEG, WMV (ASF), RM, RMVB, DivX, and ASF. It also converts VOB files, which means that you can rip a DVD to your hard drive (see the RipIt4Me review) and then convert the VOBs straight MP4s (I tried this and it works very well, although you do end up with 4 to 7 MP4s, depending on how many VOBs you have. You can then merge them together with a freeware program called Yamb).
Video conversion is done quite literally in 4 clicks. First: select the file/files to convert (will process files in batches); second: select size in pixels (you will typically default to the Ipod’s maximum 320×240): third; set the quality sliders for both audio and video (a process which will also show you an estimated file size to help you make a decision); finally, if you choose to, you can type in any tag info for your video file, or the program will get this info automatically if the input files contains them. Read more »
Posted October 22, 2006 Comments(2) 
Rating: 5 pick
Version tested: 2.35b
AutoGK is a free program that will convert DVD’s into high quality .AVI video files using DIVX or XVID compression.
This software is a user-friendly program that streamlines a number of powerful tools into an easy to use and very straightforward front end. This program will work with unencrypted DVD’s or ripped DVD files on your hard drive (you need a seperate program to do this, check out RipIt4Me). Read more »
Posted October 18, 2006 Comments(9) 
Rating: 5 pick
Version tested: 3.0
Since I reviewed Bullzip PDF Printer I’ve done more research on virtual pdf printers and found PrimoPDF. While Bullzip worked very well, I noticed that some of my PDFs were very big in terms of file size, which left me wondering whether there was a free pdf printer and that allowed for different file quality settings. Primo provides just that.
Primo, like Bullzip, allows you to convert any kind of printable document to PDF format. However, once you print your document you get to choose from 4 quality settings (see screenshot).
Posted October 18, 2006 Comments(2) Rating: 4
A couple of years ago or so I ran into a shareware program that converted image files into text characters. Being the software junkie that I am I gave it a try and was really pleased with the resulting effect. I remember thinking about using these text pictures as a design element in my personal website that I was building at the time (which I eventually did, although ironically I converted the text back into a jpeg as it was easier to handle that way, which is also what I did below).
Anyway, I recently came upon this service offered for free at http://www.text-image.com/. Check out the effect in this picture of our little family. Note: the preview pic is a bit scrunshed up as I had to make it small to fit most monitor screens. Click on the picture to open it actual size.
Posted October 15, 2006 Comments(8) 
Rating: 5 pick
Version tested: 2.36
Mp3Tag is a comprehensive audio-file tag management solution. I’ve been using this software for more than 2 years, during which time I have also tried and used other similar shareware and commerical programs, and I can honsestly say that Mp3Tag is the clear choice for this type of software. And its 100% free.
What I really like about Mp3Tag is that it can be launched through the context menu; right click on a folder with MP3’s and it will list all the audio files within the folder as well as any sub folders recursively. This enables you to work with a large number of files at once, but just those that you want to work with.
Mp3Tag provides all the basic tag and filename editing features that you would expect plus more. Some of the more useful fucntions: tag-to-filename, filename-to-tag, field find-and-replace, tags from text file, autonumbering for track field, playlist creation, importing (and exporting) cover art to/from file, and obtaining tag info from web resources (freedb, Amazon, and Discogs). Read more »
Posted October 13, 2006 Comments(11) 
Rating: 5
Version tested: 3.35.1
Let’s say you want a nice, efficient picture viewing software. You don’t want it to be a full-fledged image editor, but you do want it to support every image format you can possibly come across, you want it to have a nice, user friendly design, and you want it to support essential image editing function such as cropping, converting into different image file formats, image resizing, and image rotation. And, of course, you want it to be 100% free.
If so then ForceVision is the viewer for you; an elegant, one-click image viewing solution that is small yet powerful. Not only can it do all of the above (the batch image file format conversion function is particularly slick), it can also perform image scans (through a scanner). Forcevision also features some (30 or so) filtering options such as red eye correction, sharpening/blurring, etc. Read more »
Posted October 12, 2006 Comments(12) 
Rating: 5
Version tested: 2.1.0.0
Imgburn is a program that will burn any image file into CD’s or DVD’s.
It will burn ripped DVD images generated by DVD Decrypter or DVD Shrink. It will also burn to DVD or build an image from ripped VOB files on the hard drive.
Moreover Imgburn can burn 8 gigabyte double-layer DVDs. For these, it can either use the layer break in the IFO file (which can be user-specified) or it can calculate the best break location on its own. Read more »
Posted October 11, 2006 Comments(25) 
Rating: 5 pick
Version tested: 1.5.1.0
Description: Ripit4me is a program that works with either DVD Decrypter or DVD Shrink to rip copy protected DVD’s onto the hard drive.
RipIt4Me acts as a front-end for those other ripping programs and will not do the ripping itself; RipIt4Me’s added value is that it enables these programs to handle stronger copy protections that some newer DVD’s come with, such as ARccOS and RipGuard DVD. It will can adjust the ripped DVD files into better DVD compliance – I’m not sure exactly what that means but I know that in some cases this will enable you to fix an issue where burned DVDs would have problems working on a standard DVD player even when they play just fine on the computer.
Posted October 11, 2006 Comments(8) 
Rating: 5 pick
Version tested: 4.42
7-Zip is without a doubt the strongest free archiving program out there.
I recently downloaded a 4GB DVD ISO saved under RAR format and split into multiple archives. I was using IZarc as my archiving software and was surprised when the extracting process failed. I assumed it was a bad archive and was going to delete the files and move on when on a whim I decided to install try 7-Zip. Sure enough, the extraction worked. Great, I thought, a makeshift test that I could use to test different free archivers (ZipGenius, Quickzip, IZarc, and Extractnow failed to extract the file, while TUGzip and 7-Zip were successful).
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