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I have installed an interesting application - BlogJet. It’s a cool Windows-only (the only negative aspect I’ve encountered) client for my blog tool. Get your copy here: http://blogjet.com
“Computers are incredibly fast, accurate and stupid; humans are incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful beyond imagination.” — Albert Einstein
It’s 30–day trialware, but appears to be well worth the $39 registration.
Within the last month I’ve upgraded 13 blogs, two just today. All the upgrades went smoothly because I follow WP’s suggestions and do the following:
Microsoft could stand to learn a thing or two from its competitors. I just received this…
…this is George from OfficeZilla.com with an update about some new features I have added to your account that you can start using right away!
Feature #1: Name the modules
Some people like Forums some people like Message Boards… I am not going to hold it against you if you wished you could name a module something different! In the past that was impossible but now you can and it is really easy to do. Just login to your account, click on Admin then click on Configuration. On that page you will see a new link called Modules. Click there and you will see all of the modules, the checkboxes to turn them on or off and an empty box next to each where you can put in your own module name.Feature #2: User Directory
Many companies and organizations want to have a user directory now there is a module just for that purpose called Directory. This lists all of your users so they can be found easily by other users. Users can exclude themselves from the directory by clicking on Options then clicking the checkbox off next to Directory. Directory is not automatically selected to display so be sure to click on Admin > Configuration > Modules to turn it on.Feature #3: Private Messages
Sometimes an email is too much, private messages allow users to contact each other, you also have a tool in your admin that allows you to send personalized private messages in bulk. To use this you have to turn it on from Admin > Configuration > Modules. For now private messages (if turned on) are sent from the Directory module but sometime in the near future I will expand this to every feature. I am excited about this feature and how it can make your virtual office much more interactive
I use and recommend Webroot’s SpySweeper with Anti-Virus. It’s shareware but well worth the price.
I also recommend their firewall, but with one condition. It does not work with Windows Vista. You won’t know that unless you go digging in their FAQ’s.
The bottom line: if you’re using XP, by all means consider getting the full package. But if you have Vista installed on your computer, use SpySweeper and the anti-virus application, but stick with PC Tools firewall or Zone Alarm, both of which work well with Vista. Do not rely on Windows firewall to provide you with full protection.
(UPDATE) December 20, 2007
Webroot now certifies their firewall to work with Vista. It’s too soon for me to want to see if that’s true, but their firewall is performing quite well on my XP Professional laptop.
How many times have you used software you thought was amazingly useful and priced reasonably, but wished the user interface was friendlier, even cuter?
AL Tools is here to make your day a little brighter as you unzip, FTP and listen to your favorite tunes. All in the company of some of the most darling mascots you’ve seen.
The applications are free, and do just what they promise. I can easily recommend this company.
I recently attended a Microsoft for Small Business seminar, and on the whole I was impressed with the degree of interconnectedness Windows Vista provides between the operating system and applications like Outlook and Word. Seemless integration means that you aren’t switching between open windows constantly. Instead, you can do many common tasks in a single window, accessing your computer files and the web effortlessly.
One of the niftiest improvements Microsoft has made to the user interface is the Search function. Forget about opening Start/Programs and hunting for the application you want to open. In the Search window, type “fire” and the option to open Firefox will appear as you type. Click Enter and Firefox opens. Whether file or application, Search will open it in far less time than in previous versions of Windows.
For those of us holding off on installing Vista, those of us who don’t want to shell out $400+ for the ability to open apps from the Search window, there’s an application that runs on XP called Launchy.
Launchy is a free windows utility designed to help you forget about your start menu, the icons on your desktop, and even your file manager.
Launchy indexes the programs in your start menu and can launch your documents, project files, folders, and bookmarks with just a few keystrokes!
Josh Karlin (Launchy)
Once Launchy has been started, it hides in the background. You bring it forward by holding the alt key and tapping the space key. You then type in a few keys of the program you are searching for and hit enter once it has been found. You can also make Launchy dissappear again by hitting escape or alt+space.
Launchy is developed to run on XP, however you can try downloading the gdiplus.dll and unzipping it into your Launchy directory to get it to run with Win2000.
For more advanced documentation, please see the readme.pdf file in your Launchy directory.
For support, please see the forums on Launchy’s SourceForge webpage.
There are skins and add-ons available from members of the Launchy community. This is a single-purpose application that exemplifies the concept of doing one thing and doing it well.
Vista provides very few advantages that cannot be added into your existing XP desktop. You can expand your productivity while still saving money. SourceForge and MajorGeeks both offer hundreds of freeware and shareware applications that bring all the usefullness of Vista to the XP platform.
Almost all, that is. AEI Computer Tech has many of my favorite software applications pertaining to security and system cleaning collected on one page, and you can find it here. CCleaner and Irfanview are two must-have applications for every Windows system, and you will find a few other gems there as well.
I’m very careful about recommending software to others. But there are certain applications that I not only recommend to everyone I talk to but also install on every computer I work on.
TinySpell falls into that category, as does IrfanView. Both of these applications will improve anyone’s productivity.
Security applications, though, are another matter. It’s harder for me to recommend my favorites because they may either conflict with the security you already have on your computer or they may require specific configuration that’s beyond some people’s abilities.
One security program I have no hesitation in recommending, though, is WinPatrol from BillP Studios. There is a free version and a shareware version, and Bill has just announced the release of a beta version. I’d encourage you to try the free version, then install the shareware version, if for no other reason than to support the excellent work Bill is doing.
As a MULTI PURPOSE SUPPORT UTILITY WinPatrol replaces multiple system utilities with its enhanced functionality. Explore deep into your system and understand what programs are installed and why. WinPatrol PLUS provides easy to understand descriptions of over 12,000 programs.
As a robust SECURITY MONITOR, WinPatrol will alert you to hijackings, malware attacks and critical changes made to your computer without your permission. WinPatrol PLUS includes our unique, patent pending R.I.D. technology.
WinPatrol uses a heuristic approach to detecting attacks and violations of your computing environment. Traditional security programs scan your hard drive searching for previously identified threats. WinPatrol takes snapshot of your critical system resources and alerts you to any changes that may occur without your knowledge. You’ll be removing dangerous new programs while others download new reference files.
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