I’ve been wanting to test out Firefox 3 since it was released a short time ago. I have so many tweaks and plugins installed on my old Firefox 2 instance, that I am not ready to blow it away just yet. Also, over time I’ve been burned many times by becoming an early adopter that I’ve learned just because its new, does not necessarily mean its better. I decided it would probably be a good idea to install FF3 to my USB thumb drive instead of my main system for now. Luckily PortableApps has packaged and released Firefox3 portable for USB drives.
There are many free software applications for the Windows Mobile platform, unfortunately many of them are horrible. After years of testing various apps on both WM5 and Windows Mobile 6 Professional, I have settled on my essential free programs. I’ve decided to only include those programs I use on a regular basis, or find incredibly helpful. I know everyone has their favorites, but these are mine. I recently had several friends purchase windows mobile based phones (after years of me telling them to do so), so this will also serve as a resource for them to get up to speed. I’ve already done the testing to figure out what works and what doesn’t, so you can just start enjoying your phone for all the cool stuff it can do.
I know there are hundreds, if not thousands of list of Windows “free software” on the web. But every time I read one of those lists, I usually find one or two applications which I wasn’t aware of previously. So I figured that one more list couldn’t hurt. People like lists. There will obviously be a lot of things that you have seen before, but I’m sure some of you will find some new gems to try. This is by no means a complete list of Freeware. I am only adding software to this list that I’ve used and determined to be worthwhile. Many of these applications may fall on the “geeky” side, as I mainly do IT consulting.
I know, everybody has their own list of "best whatever". But sometimes there is one gem in the rough that you find that makes it worthwhile. When I build a PC I find that I’ve got to hunt down all the software I need to make it go. I’ve rebuilt enough PCs in my day to have this process down, but there may be others out there that don’t have a clue. This list will include FREE software that I use during the course of my work, whatever it may be. I like having everything on my workstation "just right" before I really get into working on a project. It sucks when you are in a groove and you have to stop to install some drivers or hunt for an application you need. I will include links to the software project’s homepage and a brief description. Trust me, these applications are the "best of class" variety and well worth your time.
How to access ALL of your digital media from almost any internet device…
For the past several months I’ve been using Orb to stream music, video, photos, and live tv to my cell phone, from my media collection at my home. Orb the best mix of web 2.0 and mobile technology I’ve seen so far, a truly "killer app" in the realm of accessing your data from any location on demand. In fact I would go so far as to call Orb a prolific release that isn’t getting its due attention. In this article I’ll explain how Orb works and allows you to access your digital media from anywhere…
(To give you a brief rundown of some of the devices you can stream your media to: Microsoft Xbox360, Nintendo Wii, Smartphones, PDAs, Sony Playstation 3, Laptops, Desktops, etc…) and (To give you a brief rundown of some of the data formats you can access through Orb: RSS feeds, photos, .mp3, xvid, divx, .mp4, .wav, .avi, .mpg, mpeg, live tv, etc…)
Free Windows Applications for Small Business
I test a lot of software in the course of my work for clients as a freelance consultant. I work with several non-profits and small/medium sized businesses. Controlling costs is always a concern for small business and I always try to suggest free solutions whenever its appropriate. There are several very good open source and freeware Windows applications available now. If you end up using any of these free solutions with your clients, please suggest they donate to the developer. Supporting the tools you use will help them continue to grow and support your business in return. In this article I will suggest a few of the applications I use or suggest to customers on a regular basis. The software listed in this article is geared toward the "average office worker".
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