Toddler Keys can prevent unwanted key presses in your PC or just help when you want to clean your keyboard

Overview:

It is a useful tool for parents that allows you to lock your computer keyboard, CD drive doors and power-off button. When the keyboard is used it will display images and play sounds every time a key is pressed, thereby preventing access to the desktop and applications, while adding some entertainment value for the kid. You can select the images and sounds to be used by copying them to the Toddler Keys folder. To exit the locked screen, just type the word QUIT.


Review:

Toddler Keys like the previously mentioned ToddlerTrap is a program that can lock down your mouse and keyboard preventing them from being used, this is handy if you want to clean your keyboard however Toddler Keys goes a step further and can also display images and sounds (that you can set) when in a lock down state, this should keep small children entertained. To exit the lockdown state of Toddler Keys all you have to do is to type a customizable word which is by default "quit". The program worked well when i used tough it looks like development has stopped which a shame.
In conclusion whether you want to stop your small children from messing with your PC or just be able to clean your keyboard without turning your computer off Toddler Keys is worth a look. Available for all Windows versions.


Get it at http://tk.ms11.net/

Have all of Nirsoft apps into one small package with NirLauncher

If you check my blog archives you may notice that i have written a lot about programs made by Nir Sofer, his apps are pretty good so i like to keep an eye on his site. Anyway as it turns out Nirsoft recently made available a little portable package that holds pretty all of the programs that he has made over the years, it's called NirLauncher and while it's still in beta it works pretty well. Programs are organized in categories making finding a program a snap tough i would have appreciated having a search option.
In conclusion if you like Nirsoft apps then NirLauncher is a must. Available for all Windows versions.


Get it at http://blog.nirsoft.net/2009/10/04/beta-version-of-nirlauncher-package-is-available-to-download/

Check important info about your hard drives with CrystalDiskInfo

Overview:

CrystalDiskInfo is a HDD/SSD utility which supports S.M.A.R.T.

Review:

CrystalDiskInfo is a tool that can display technical information about your hard drives including but not limited to firmware, serial number, type of interface, how many times the hard drive has been started, how many hours has been on, Etc. This portable app also has the ability to tell you the status of your hard disks by a using a simple status message (it can be good, caution, bad or unknown) and the current temperature, it also displays S.M.A.R.T. statistics that can help you diagnostic a hard drive more accurately tough i wouldn't bother with this feature unless you can make sense of the very technical numbers that you are given. The last noteworthy feature i would like to mention is the controlling of certain special features that hard drives have, for example with CrystalDiskInfo you can manage the AAM and APM features of your disk, handy if you want to make your hard drives quiter or manage your power settings.
In conclusion i feel that CrystalDiskInfo is a pretty good program for knowing your hard disk info and optionally to do some very technical stuff, its' worth checking out. Available for Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista.


Get it at http://crystalmark.info/software/CrystalDiskInfo/index-e.html