I use a variety of software and time and time again when I'm at work I find myself using this one quite a bit. The software I'm talking about is Portable Apps. Like it sounds, it is software on the go. It can be run from any USB Drive or even an iPod connected via USB. What would the advantage of this be? Say you need to print a word document at a friend's house... then you come to realize that your friend doesn't have Word or OpenOffice. You're up a creek without a paddle... right? Wrong! The very same USB Drive that you have the document on can now be used to run a portable version of OpenOffice. Pretty neat huh?
Portable Apps has a wide variety of open source software in portable form that you can choose from. So be more productive... and don't be stuck without your paddle.
http://portableapps.com/
Unless you've been under a rock for a few years, you've heard of social networking sites like Myspace or Facebook. What is the purpose of sites like this? To summarize, it's a web-space where you can write about yourself, post pictures, and connect with people to become "friends" and even blog and post videos... Amazing. I even belong to some of these sites, including the two mentioned above.
I was reading in a local paper the other day, Boston Now, that people who use Facebook usually go to college and are more well adjusted then those using Myspace (See original reference Here.) Now if you view the comments on the article it brings up a very good point... Facebook started as a college only networking site which has just recently expanded to allow anyone with an email address to join... just like Myspace. Does this mean that Facebook will be infected by the "burnouts" of Myspace? I doubt it. More likely, people like myself already have both types of accounts, at least the younger generation of networkers do.
Are these sites safe? Even before sites like these, there were chatrooms where people asked the same questions. These sites are safe for adults with a good head on there shoulders... as for teens... I don't think they have the ability to cope with the distractions that come with these sites. Working at several community technology centers, I can attest to the face that Myspace is very popular with teens. They don't only use the site to connect with friends, but use it to try to "hook up" with people and some even practice "cyberbullying". Seeing this usually upsets me, because they should be using their limited time at the computer labs to do something productive and learn something new.
So, are social networking sites good or bad? Like anything else, it really depends on how you use them.
Keep Your Computer Running Smooth...
Okay, so you buy a computer and it's running great for a few months or so, then it starts to get slow and pop-ups start sprouting everywhere. "What happened?" you may ask yourself.
This is a common problem and I've seen it on every computer that I've looked at. There are way to prevent this from happening with regular maintenance and prevention. Below I'll list free programs that I use myself and you might find come in handy.
Firewall: Windows comes with its own firewall but I prefer something with a little more muscle. That's why I use the free version of ZoneAlarm. I admit it can be annoying sometimes to have the ZoneAlarm warning pop-up when it sees something is trying to access the internet, but with a simple click you can have the program save your preferences to allow the programs you want to go online and deny the ones you don't. This also helps prevent hackers from gaining access to your computer.
Anti-Virus: Something everyone who goes online regularly needs to have. AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is what I use. It has a regularly updated database of virus definitions available for download. Virus' can cause a lot of damage to your machine, and even take it over without you even knowing.
Anti-Spyware: Again, everyone who goes online needs this program. I highly recommend having more then one Anti-spyware program. The one I recommend the most is Ad-Aware. Spyware is what causes all of those popups, so make sure you download this one.
System Optimizer: Now, there are tons of little files that just sit around your computer and do absolutely nothing. You obviously don't need these files taking up space on your hard drive. "How do I get rid of them you ask?" Try CCleaner. When I used this tool it cleaned up almost 2 gigabytes of space. This tool also has a Registry cleaning tool. If you don't know what can be deleted safely, you should avoid using this option because it can lead to some serious troubles.
System Defragment: What does this mean? Well, when you download a file or install it, it isn't saved as one big file, instead its broken up into pieces. This can slow your system down because it has to find the pieces. Windows has a program that will do this but Auslogics Disk Defrag 1.1.5 works much faster and is easier to use. This program made my computer 16% faster!
There is a wealth of good software out on the web for free and people just don't know about it. Open Source Software is a great alternative to paying hundreds of dollars for something that is basically the equivalent to the freebies. Now, don't get me wrong, I use proprietary products all the time and I'm not saying that we should all stop using them, they are solid and good products. For people that can't afford software, or for those who want to support the people making free software, open source is the way to go.
Why am I making this post? Well, I have been doing research on the various software titles for an upcoming workshop that I will be teaching at work. I have put together a list of my favorite titles and programs that I think are the most beneficial. Open Source Software
Download and try the programs and let me know what you think!