OpenOffice.org is a great microsoft`s office replacement

Overview:

OpenOffice.org 2 is the leading open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It is available in many languages and works on all common computers. It stores all your data in an international open standard format and can also read and write files from other common office software packages. It can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for any purpose.


Review:

If for some reason you don`t like Microsoft`s office suit then i highly suggest that you go with the free alternative openOffice.org. This open source program is a fully featured office suit complete with a word processor, excel like spreadsheet, a presentation program, database, a vecto0r graphics editor and a mathematical editor. All of these features work similar like in their Microsoft counterparts and work just as well if not better. Unfortunately this program requires you to have java in your PC which is annoying if you ask me and there is a lack of premade designs for stuff like presentations but these can be downloaded from the internet.
In conclusion if you want to have a fully featured office suit that is completely free and good i suggest you use OpenOffice.org. Available for Windows, Linux, MacOSX.


Get it at http://www.openoffice.org/

PhotoFiltre is an image editor with a large amount of image effects

Overview:

PhotoFiltre is a complete image retouching program. It allows you to do simple or advanced adjustments to an image and apply a vast range of filters on it. It is simple and intuitive to use, and has an easy learning curve. The toolbar, giving you access to the standard filters with just a few clicks, gives PhotoFiltre a robust look.


Features:

*Image browser

*Plug-in management

*Scanning of images using a TWAIN compatible device scanner, webcam, photocamera

*Transparency management for GIF images and exporting them to icons 16, 256 or 16 millions of colors

*Advanced text effects rotation, shading, bevel

*Several types of contours and textures

*Blending and assembling of images


Review:

Editing pictures can be a complicated process that requires some work, thankfully this can be made easier by using photofiltre. This program is an image editor with a simple but effective user interface that can be used to apply a variety of filters and effects like making a picture look like it was taken a century ago for example, you can get even more effects by downloading the plugins available in the official site. In addition to the editing there is a nice batch processor that will allow you to apply various effects to several pictures at the same time. Unfortunately this program doesn´t support layers like photoshop which is disappointing, hopefully this will be added in a future version.
In conclusion if you want a simple image editor with a bunch of image effects then i suggest you use photofiltre. Available for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP.


Get it at http://photofiltre.free.fr/frames_en.htm

WhoisThisDomain will look up information about an internet domain

Overview:

This utility allows you to easily get information about a registered domain. It automatically connect to the right WHOIS server, according to the top-level domain name, and retrieve the WHOIS record of the domain.
It support both generic domains and country code domains.


System Requirements

* Windows operating system: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista.
* Internet connection.
* On a firewall, you should allow outgoing connections to port 43.


Review:

By using WhoisThisDomain you can know the owner, the ipaddress and other information about an internet domain. You just gotta type the domain or domains that you want to look up and click ok, soon all the info will be displayed for your perusal. Now i know most people would think using a program like whoisthisdomain is pretty useless but i know some persons would like an utility like this one so i am posting it. Anyway this programs works as intended and is portable so you can carry it in your pendrive.
In conclusion if you are interested in finding the WHOIS information about a domain then use whoisthisdomain. Available for 98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista.


Get it at http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/whois_this_domain.html

BgInfo will show information about your PC right in your desktop

Overview:

How many times have you walked up to a system in your office and needed to click through several diagnostic windows to remind yourself of important aspects of its configuration, such as its name, IP address, or operating system version If you manage multiple computers you probably need BGInfo. It automatically displays relevant information about a Windows computer on the desktop's background, such as the computer name, IP address, service pack version, and more. You can edit any field as well as the font and background colors, and can place it in your startup folder so that it runs every boot, or even configure it to display as the background for the logon screen.
Because BGInfo simply writes a new desktop bitmap and exits you don't have to worry about it consuming system resources or interfering with other applications.

Review:

Bginfo is a little utility that will display useful information about your computer right in your desktop. information like your current ip address, processor, boot time and many more are displayed, you can configure where and how bginfo will show all of this which is great. Ultimately this program is not really useful for people with only one PC since they know their computer well but to people that have to work with many computers at a time like network administrators and such. Oh and unfortunately this program doesn´t refresh automatically which is a disappointment if you ask me.
In conclusion if you work with many computers and want to save some time in knowing their configuration then i suggest you use bginfo. Available for all windows versions.


Get it at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897557.aspx

Seventh poll results

So the seventh poll is now over and in response to the question "Will you download and install the firefox 3 final release?" 14 people responded "yes", 2 voted "no", 4 voted "already been using the betas" and finally one person voted "IE forever". So these results tell me that already 85% of the people that voted in the poll are going to us or already are using firefox 3 which is awesome because firefox is truly a great browser(btw i laughed when i noticed that someone voted "IE forever"). However i have a confession to make, i am still using firefox 2. I am waiting for the stop and reload button extension to be FF3 compatible before i make the jump, yeah its a crappy excuse but i hate having two unmerged stop and reload buttons. Anyway thanks to all the people that took the time in voting in my poll.

Defrag your registry with Auslogics Registry Defrag

Overview:

Download FREE Auslogics Registry Defrag to defragment and compact the Windows Registry in less than a minute. The program will scan through the registry to remove slack spaces, reducing the registry size and ultimately the amount of RAM the registry takes up, and improving your computer performance.


Review:

Using windows every day will ultimately fragment your registry slowing down performance, fortunately you can defrag the registry using auslogics registry defrag. After a scan it will show you how much space you can gain in the registry and the percentage of performance that you will obtain. When i defragmented my registry auslogic registry defrag said that i would gain 16% of extra performance, when i rebooted i found the speed of my PC slightly faster which is great by my standards, anyway this program appears to work and work well.
In conclusion if you want speed up your computer a little then i suggest that you use auslogics registry defrag. Available for Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista.


Get it at http://www.auslogics.com/en/software/registry-defrag/

Resize a gif online

http://www.smileygenerator.us/t/gifresize/

In this website you can resize gifs online, you can do so by using several options like rotate, flip, crop ,Etc. Just remember that the resized gifs are not stored in the webpage´s server so if you want to save them you must download the resized gifs to your computer. Anyway this is a handy site that i found today that may be useful to someone.

Defraggler will defragment your hard drive

Overview:

From everyone here at Piriform, the company that brought you CCleaner and Recuva... we now bring you a file defragmentation tool... Defraggler!

It differs from other defrag tools on the market, by enabling you to quickly and simply defrag the files you want to, without having to process the whole drive. Simply run it, select the file and defragment in seconds. No more struggling with the Windows defragmentation tool!

And remember like all Piriform products, Defraggler is completely free for both corporate and individual use.

Features:


Defrag Individual Files

Most defragmentation tools only let you defrag the whole drive. Defraggler gives you the power to select individual files and folders to defrag. So you can get the job done in seconds, rather than waiting for the whole drive to complete. Of course if you want to defrag the whole drive Defraggler will let you do that too.

Compact and Portable

Defraggler was written in the same compact architecture as other Piriform products CCleaner and Recuva. This results in a compact single EXE application, which can be copied to a thumbdrive and then used whenever you need it, without a complex installation process. The EXE itself is less than 1MB!

Vista Support

Defraggler supports all OSs released since Windows 2000, this includes Windows 2000, 2003, XP and Vista. 64-bit support has also just been added! Additionally Defraggler supports both NTFS and FAT32 file systems.

Locate Files on the Drive

After analysis Defraggler lists all the fragmented files on the drive. Selecting one or many will highlight their location on the disk. Allowing you to visually see the location of files on the disk.

Freeware

Why pay hundreds of dollars for a commercial defragmentation tool, when you can use Defraggler for free! This includes corporate use as well!


Review:

Defraggler is yet another great utility from the creators of ccleaner and recuva. This program will defragment your hard drive improving performance. You can defrag your entire hard disk or single files and folders which will save you some time if you only have one highly fragmented file and don´t want to waste time by defragmenting your entire disk. In my tests i found that defraggler was faster than the standard windows defragmentation tool which is awesome.
In conclusion defraggler is an essential utility for keeping your hard disk performance high, highly recommended. Available for Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista.


Get it at http://www.defraggler.com/

iQ-Notes lets you have post-it notes in your desktop

Overview:

This application gives the user the ability to track notes on their computer just like Post-It notes. The application is freeware, which means you can download and use it, at no cost! One neat thing you can do with it is that it can synchronize with an FTP server so the notes on one computer is the same as the notes on your other computers or laptop. If you have notes all over your desk, or want to save information all in one place without losing them, you'll find this program very easy to use with many useful features. Simply just install this program and it appears on your task-tray. Whenever you want to create a fast note, just double-click on the post-it note icon on your task tray. It's that easy.


Features:


* Unlimited Notes can be created and resized.

* Archive Notes, Print Notes and Sort Notes.

* Notes are not stored in a text or ini file that are easy to read or hack from other people touching your computer. You can also protect certain notes with a password.

* Synchronize notes with a server when using multiple computers.

* Set an alarm on the note so it pops up at a certain date and time..

* Attach notes to webpages, spreadsheets, applications, anything and have them automatically open.

* Support for English, Italian and Dutch languages see below

* It's Free!


Review:

If you spend all your time in front of your computer and immerse yourself in porn or other time wasting activities then you need something to remind yourself of important stuff to do in real life, one good way of doing that is by using iQ-notes. This program allows you to create post-it notes with important stuff to remember, like showering or food eating. You can synchronize notes between different computers and attach them to programs and files which is pretty cool. Unfortunately the "open all notes" option doesn´t work in my system which sucks but other than that this program works as intended.
In conclusion iq-notes is a solid post-it note taking program that will help you remember important events and things to do. Available for Windows XP/Vista.


Get it at http://www.paresi.net/iqnotes/

CleanMem will prevent any memory leaks from windows processes

Overview:

Cleanmem works in a matter of about 5 sec. It uses a windows api call that is in Windows 2000,xp,2003,Vista & 2008
that tells windows to cleanup the workspace of a processes thus freeing up any memory the process no longer needs. Other memory cleaners end up forcing the memory into the page file slowing down your system.
This tool does not. The API call frees up unused memory from programs, when a program needs the memory again it can simply take it back instead of forcing the memory out of ram and into the page file.


Review:

Sometimes a window process will take up lots of memory that doesn`t really needs which will cause headaches for you, you can prevent this by using cleanmem. This program will free up the unused memory of a program so that you can have it back and if a program requires the memory again it will simply take it back. If you have any doubts about the efficacy of the program then just simply start the task manager and then type in the run command "cleanmem" and watch how all the process`s usage of RAM drops significantly. After installation cleanmem will run automatically once every 30 minutes or you can run it yourself.
In conclusion cleanmem is an excellent way of stopping memory leaks from processes. Available for Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista.


Get it at http://www.pcwintech.com/tools/CleanMem.html

Ad-Aware Free edition will scan your PC for adware and spyware

Overview:

Protect yourself against identity theft,online fraud, and other cyber crimes with the world's most popular anti-spyware.


Features:

* Improved Threat Detection

o Spyware, Adware, Trojans & Hijackers

o Fraud Tools & Rogue Applications

o Password Stealers & Keyloggers

* Enhanced Rootkit removal system

* Faster Updates & Faster Scans

* Less Resource Usage for optimal computer performance

* Easy to Download, Install and Use

* Lavasoft ThreatWork submission tool

* Compatible with Windows Vista 32- and 64-bit


Review:

Connecting your PC to the internet can brings lots of nice knowledge and content however it can also bring unwanted spyware and adware that threaten your privacy. An excellent way to find and remove these dangerous elements is by using ad-aware free edition. With this program you can scan your computer in order to remove crappy search bars that sometimes comes with other programs, worms, trojans, Etc. The list of known malignant software is constantly updated so you can be secure of new threats. Unfortunately ad-aware doesn`t offer real time protection or anti-virus protection which is very disappointing considering that you will not be able to remove a bad element until after has entered your computer. Also there is no automatic updates which sucks.
In conclusion ad-aware is an impressive piece of free software that lacks some important features that puts a little dirt on the whole package, but it is still a good way of finding all of those unwanted elements in your computer. Available for Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista.


Get it at http://lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php

YMail Notifier is a firefox extension that will check for new emails in your yahoo mail

Overview:

Adds a little status-bar icon that notifies you when you get new Yahoo! Mail. Click on it to change the frequency of checking and other settings.

When new mail arrives you can choose to be notified with sound, a sliding alert, or by running an external application. When there is no mail, the status-bar icon hides itself (optional) to avoid cluttering the screen.


Review:

Since webmail notifier stopped checking my yahoo inbox for new emails (I think this is because yahoo! revamped their yahoo mail interface or something like that) i was forced to find a new way to check for incoming yahoo emails. Fortunately i found ymail notifier which is a good replacement until webmail notifier fixes the yahoo mail problem. This extension will check for new emails in your yahoo mail inbox, which was just was i was looking for but in addition it has some nice extra features. you can play a sound or run an application when a new email has been received which is handy but the "autohide when not in use" option is the one i hope is added to webmail notifier because is so good not having the icon just sitting there distracting you.
In conclusion ymail notifier is a good firefox extension for those people that want to check for new yahoo emails while using firefox. Available up to the Firefox 3 beta 3 , i dunnno if this extension will work with the firefox 3 final release tough.


Get it at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1252

Firefox 3 is finally released!

Firefox 3 has been finally released in a non beta form which means you can download the final release now. Firefox 3 has a bunch of new features like a new password manager, a new download manager, full page zoom, a new smart address bar, improved memory management and much more! Also you can help establish a Guinness world record for the most downloads of a software in a single day, so download firefox by 17:00 UTC of june 18 so that we can get that guinness record. You also get a pretty good internet browser for free.



Get it at http://www.getfirefox.com/

Process Lasso will keep your windows processes in control

Overview:

Process Lasso is a unique new technology intended to automatically adjust the allocation of CPU cycles so that system responsiveness is improved in high-load situations. It does this by temporarily lowering the priorities of processes that are consuming too many CPU cycles, there-by giving other processes a chance to run if they are in need. This process priority optimization is useful for both single and multi-core processors. No longer will a single process be able to bring your system to a virtual stall.


Features:


# Dynamic priority optimization to improve system responsiveness*

# Default process priorities and affinities

# Foreground boosting

# Auto-termination

# Process launch logging

# Stand-alone core engine

# System responsiveness calculation and graph

# And so much more... its free, give it a try


Review:

When a windows process uses excessive amounts of CPU cycles your computer will slow down to a crawl, making your life miserable. You can prevent this by using process lasso. This program will automatically lower the priority of a program when it uses too much CPU cycles, preventing your computer from being stalled. You don`t have to configure the program after installation since the defaults are fine but if you want to play with the more advanced options you will find that process lasso comes pack with useful features like auto termination of processes, giving processes a defined priority and much more. Also of note is the low usage of RAM which in my system is something like 5MB which can be lowered even further by removing the GUI which is great!
In conclusion process lasso is a must have program if you ever had the misfortune of having your PC stalled by an out of control process. Available for Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista.



Get it at http://www.bitsum.com/prolasso.php

HydraIRC is a good portable IRC client

Overview:

HydraIRC is an open-source IRC client with an attractive and easy to use interface. It supports DCC Chat and File transfers, Connecting to multiple servers, Dockable Floating Tabbed Windows, Autohiding Windows, DLL Plugins, Channel Monitoring, Message Logs, Event Viewer, Themes, Color schemes, Buddy groups, Audible and Visual Notifications , Reg-Exp Highlighting, Favorites and much more.


Features:

*Connects to multiple servers.

*DCC File Transfers and Chat windows.

*Fully Customizable GUI Layout.

*Channel Monitor.

*Event Logging.

*Much much more!


Review:

Before the fancy instant messengers that we have now there was a simple way of chatting with users around the world, this system was called IRC. Now i bet most of you haven`t even heard of IRC or even know how to connect to servers. However for those of us who need an IRC client the open source hydraIRC is a good choice. As an IRC client it is very competent and has a wide range of features but unfortunately it appears the development has stopped. The author must have been eaten by a bear or some other wild animal (This is pure speculation on my part) thankfully the program is open source so a brave soul out there may have the mad skills and the will to continue development, so anyone? oh well.
In conclusion if you want a portable IRC client i recommend hydraIRC. Available for Windows 98/2000/2003/XP.


Get it at http://www.hydrairc.com/

HoverSnap is a small snapshot tool for windows

Overview:

HoverSnap is a a free handy snapshot tool with jpg, png, bmp and gif support.HoverSnap can take snapshots of the full screen, active window or a selected area. It can even capture layered windows alphablended ones under 2K / XP. You can even FTP upload your screenshots !


Features:

*You can set up the capture folder / filename and format.

*You can reduce the capture size.

*Auto-generate filename option will add the time stamp date/time to your filename in order to be able to take several captures without having to change the filename.

*Optional sound when capture is done.

*HoverSnap is FREE for personal use only !


Review:

Hoversnap is a small and very handy snapshot utility. It will sit in the system tray and will allow you to take various types of screenshots using the printscreen key with some keyboard combinations. For example you can use alt+printscreen to take a picture of the currently selected windows or use ctrl+printscreen in order to select the area that you want to take a picture of. The pictures that you take can be uploaded to a FTP server with the built in client which is good i guess if you have a need for that stuff. This program only has a couple of faults in my eyes. for one taking a screenshot of the currently selected window is not perfect, it will show some of the background around the edges of the window which is disappointing. Also the "auto-generate filename on new capture" is disabled by default which is stupid because without that option each new snapshot will overwrite the previous one.
In conclusion hoversnap is a good way of taking quick screenshots. Available for all Windows versions.


Get it at http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm

AMD Overdrive beta 2.11 can overclock your AMD CPU and AMD videocard if you have a series 7 chipset

So i noticed that the new amd overdrive beta was leaked in another forum and i took the liberty to post the program here because those rapidshare cats are annoying. Basically amd overdrive is an overclocking tool for AMD`s CPU and videocards. What makes it interesting is the fact that you can overclock in real time which is handy to check if your PC will handle the tweaking. This program has a bunch of features that can be found here. Now i couldn`t try this program myself but i have heard that it works well but keep in mind that overclocking can be a dangerous task that must be performed by people that know their stuff, i take no responsibilty if you fry your PC mmmmkay?
Available for Windows XP/Vista and keep in mind that AMD overdrive will only work if you have series 7 chipset (Motherboards that have the 740, 780,790,etc. number)


Get it at


(WOW this is my 200th post, life sure moves fast...)

MP3DirectCut can edit MP3s directly without decompressing them

Overview:

mp3DirectCut is a fast and extensive audio editor and recorder for compressed mp3. You can directly cut, copy, paste or change the volume with no need to decompress your files for audio editing. This saves encoding time and preserves the original quality, because nothing will be re-encoded. The built in recorder creates mp3 on the fly from your audio input. Using Cue sheets, pause detection or Auto cue you can easily divide long files.


Features:

# Non-destructive cut, copy, paste

# Volume change, fade, normalize, pause detection

# mp3 recording with ACM or Lame encoder

# Fast mp3 visualisation and easy navigation

# Supports Layer 2 dvd/dvb audio

# ID3v1.1 tag editor · ID3v2 tag keeping

# Cue Sheet support

# Auto cue track dividing by time values

# Track splitting with filename and tag creation

# Trim · Crop · Fast play · Loop play

# VU meter, bitrate visualisation

# High speed recorder · Command line usage


Review:

If you want to edit some MP3s then MP3directcut maybe what you are looking for. You can cut the extra silence of a song or edit a podcast that you made, you can do this by using a simple but effective (when you learn how to use it) interface. Mp3directcut doesn`t have many features so its focused for some basic editing, on the other hand it is portable so you can carry it in your pendrive with you.
In conclusion mp3directcut is a good choice for basic mp3 editing. Available for all windows versions.


Get it at http://mpesch3.de1.cc/mp3dc.html

Sixth poll results

So the sixth poll of the website is over (for a few days now i think...) and in response to the question: "Do you use custom themes in Windows XP or other microsoft OS?" 3 people voted "yes", 3 people voted "no" and finally there were no votes for "i dunno how to install custom themes". Truthfully i though there was going to be more yes votes since the default theme for windows xp got in my face after awhile. Anyway thanks to all the people that voted in my silly poll.

µTorrent is probably the best bittorrent client out there

Overview:

uTorrent is an efficient and feature rich BitTorrent client for Windows sporting a very small footprint. It was designed to use as little cpu, memory and space as possible while offering all the functionality expected from advanced clients.


Features:

* Multiple simultaneous downloads

* Configurable bandwidth scheduler

* Global and per-torrent speed limiting

* Quick-resumes interrupted transfers

* RSS Downloader

* Trackerless support Mainline DHT



Review:

So i have been using µTorrent for awhile now and i can say that its probably the bittorrent client available. Its main strengths are its low memory usage and a lot of features like a bandwidth scheduler, a RSS downloader and more stuff. Of course i don`t use most of that stuff because i am content just being able to set µTorrent to shutdown my PC after a download has been completed but its nice that all those features are there if i want to use them someday. Ultimately you can µTorrent in a very basic way (like me) or use the more advanced features but either way its fine because this program is awesome! So start downloading copyrighted stuff (Seriously what else is there to download with torrents?) with µTorrent. Available for Windows 95/98/2000/2003/XP/Vista.


Get it at http://www.utorrent.com/

I present to you some websites for the purpose of customization

Since i am in the mood for customization recently i thought i would share some cools website that will help anyone looking for custom stuff like icons, themes,Etc.


http://www.iconarchive.com/

Great website for getting some free icons. Lots of categories like games, fun,Etc.


http://customize.org/

Probably one of the largest websites for getting themes for windows and dozens of other applications that supports skins. Actually you can get mostly anything that deals with customizing here, one of my favorites.


https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/browse/type:2

If you want to change the default look for firefox you must start here, hundreds of themes available for download.

Flexcrypt Folder will encrypt files and folders

Overview:

Flexcrypt Folder enables you to encrypt a file or a folder. After installation, right-click on a file/folder and select Encrypt with Flexcrypt folder, make up a password, thats it.
Decryption is done by double-clicking on the encrypted file and enter the correct password.
The BIG advantage with Flexcrypt Folder is that it does not require any software to decrypt an encrypted file, simply click on it and enter the correct password.
Flexcrypt Folder is Free to use.


Review:

So flexcrypt folder is a very basic way of encrypting files and folders. After a long and probably overly complicated installation (When the prompt to reboot appears just ignore it, the program worked fine when i did that) you will find a new context menu option that will allow you to encrypt files and folders. When the encryption finishes you will have a new executable file that can be decrypted without any additional software, which is good. This program works like its supposed to but the lengthly installation (its like 1 to 2 minutes of duration which is pretty long if you consider that the program only adds a single context option) is a big con that can be ignored if you feel this program is worth it, personally i don`t think it is. So why i am posting this mediocre program? its because i was running out of time and i needed to post something. I promise ill do better in the future but you know life gets in the way.....so yeah. Available for Windows XP/Vista.


Get it at http://www.flexcrypt.com/flexcryptfolder.html

Add taskbar thumbnails in windows XP with Visual Task Tips

Overview:

Visual Task Tips is a lightweight shell enhancement utility. It provides thumbnail preview image for each task in the Windows Taskbar, as seen in the Microsoft Windows Vista.

Windows XP or Vista (Classic theme) is required to run Visual Task Tips. 64-bit editions not supported, currently.

Review:

So you want to have some cool taskbar thumbnails but don`t want to switch to windows vista? then i suggest you use visual task tips. This program will add some cool thumbnails to your taskbar , these thumbnails are live so they are constantly changing. You can can change the size of the thumbnails, their popup delay and finally their refresh rate which makes this program highly flexible if you don`t have a very strong computer and want to scale the program back a bit. Also this program doesn`t take much space, in my system it used something like 5MB which is great! oh and the thumbnails were fast and they worked as intended.
In conclusion visual task tips is a great way of having live thumbnails in Windows XP. Available for Windows XP/Vista (yes it works on vista too but apparently vista has live thumbnails already)


Get it at http://www.visualtasktips.com/

QuickMonth Calendar is a good way of quickly checking the calendar

Overview:

QuickMonth Calendar is a freeware program which displays a small calendar on your Windows desktop whenever your mouse hovers over the clock in the system tray. The calendar display may also be toggled on and off by using the Windows+Q keyboard shortcut or a different key combination that you specify.


Features:

Here are a few of QuickMonth Calendar's features:

• To quickly jump to today's date, right-click on the calendar or left-click the bottom of the calendar where it says "Today."
• Use the buttons at the top of the calendar to change the month. You can also left-click on the name of the month to see a popup menu of all the months (see example 1).
• Left-click on the year to quickly change the year (see example 2).
• The calendar automatically detects the location of your Windows taskbar, so if you move the taskbar to the top, left, or right side of the screen, the calendar will still display next to your system tray clock (you may have to restart Windows once for the change to take effect).
• The look of the calendar changes according to what your system colors are (as determined by your current Windows theme or visual style).

Review:

Quickmonth calendar is a small utility that displays a small calendar when you hover your mouse over the clock in the system tray, that`s it. Without quickmonth calendar you would have to double quick the clock in order to check the calendar for the month, which is of course an annoyance. However quickmonth calendar only allows you to see the calendar, it can`t add events or to do lists which is a shame considering how nice would that be.
In conclusion if you are bored of double clicking the clock in order to check out the calendar and don`t mind not having fancy features like events and to do lists i suggest you use quickmonth calendar. Available for Windows 2000/XP.


Get it at http://www.codedawn.com/home/quickmonth-calendar/

Organize your quick launch bar with Free Launch Bar

Overview:

free Launch Bar is a Free replacement for the standard Quick Launch bar. All functions presented in Quick Launch are also in Free Launch Bar. However, the Free Launch Bar is fully compatible with Quick Launch because it uses the same folder for shortcuts. But there is one huge difference. Free Launch Bar allows you to combine your shortcuts into groups. This feature looks like popup menus. This vastly improves the management of your shortcuts and save working space on your desktop. By using Free Launch Bar, you speed up the launching of your applications like never before.


Features:

* Creating menu on taskbar with unlimited levels

* Compatibility with Windows XP

* Integration into Windows Shell

* Low resources

* Compatibility with Quick Launch

* Creating separators to group shortcuts inside menus

* Different view modes

* Hotkeys

* Using PNG pictures as icons

* Support of Windows Drag&Drop technology. To add shortcuts you can simply drag them into menus

* Improved tips. You can include some of HTML tags into button description.

* Fast toolbar switching

* Absolutely FREE


Review:

Keeping with the theme of windows customization that i started yesterday i present to you the free launch bar, this an excellent replacement for the standard windows quick launch bar. The quick launch bar is a useful method of running your favorites programs very easily and quickly. However when you have a very large amount of programs that you want put in the quick launch bar you will realize that you will have to shrink severely the amount of space allocated for the windows taskbar. Free launch bar solves all of this by organizing your programs in folders , for example you can have an "utility" folder and a "games" folder and so on. You can organize them even more by using separators with titles inside the folders that will keep programs in neatly arranged groups. The feature that i really like is the one that allows you to change the icons of folders so that you can have a good looking bar like the one in the picture, you just need to choose an icon file or a PNG picture.
Except for the fact that there is no Vista version I couldn`t find any faults with free launch bar , but it really suffers in features in comparison with its big brother truelaunchbar. This is understandable since truelaunchbar is a paid program but its still kinda disappointing, Anyway this should be of no concern for the majority of people since free launch bar offers plenty of functionality as it.
In conclusion free launch bar is an awesome quick launch replacement that is really handy when you have a bunch of program in your quick launch bar and want to organize them. Available for Windows 9x/Me/2000/NT4/XP.



Get it at http://www.freelaunchbar.com/

Use third party themes in windows XP with Uxtheme Multi-patcher

Overview:

Uxtheme Multi-patcher will allow you to use any 3rd party msstyle theme on Windows XP/SP1/SP2 or Windows Server 2003 (with Themes enabled) just by patching the uxtheme.dll (dynamic link library)


Review:

Windows XP has a lot of what i call stupid flaws, they are stupid because even the most basic user can see that they just plainly suck. one of these flaws is that window won`t let you install a third party theme, you can only use the "official" themes handed out by Microsoft. Now this wouldn`t be so bad if they were thousands of "official" windows xp themes available but in reality there is like one for download, ONE! Seriously this travesty can`t go like this anymore so i present to you the Uxtheme Multi-patcher 6.0 . This awesome piece of software will allow you to use third party windows XP themes like all the cool kids do now, i should know, i am one of those kids! just run the program , wait about a minute when the setup windows screen appears (Don`t insert your windows CD!) then cancel it and click and you will be prompted to reboot your system. After the reboot you will be able to use third party themes with no problems.
I know i am late with this program for some years now but i though i may as well post it since i just used it (Yes i am an idiot) and i am probably gonna post more things about customizing windows since i am just starting with my own customizing, so yeah. Available for Windows XP/SP1/SP2 or Windows Server 2003 (with Themes enabled).


Get it at