November
A better way to eBay
A customizable desktop calendar
Surf the Web for music
All the portable apps you could want
Video of the day - 11-27-08 - Butter Ball Turkey
Video of the day - 11-28-09 - Playing for Change
Video of the day - 11-24-08 - Raccoon, dog & cat
Video of the day - 11-25-08 - Motor home racing
Video of the day - 11-26-08 Rich Little
Video of the day - 09-23-08World record shallow dive
Video of the day - 01-29-08Slingshot-bungee + girl + atv
Video of the day - 07-06-08Dangerous highline
Video of the day - 05-19-08John West bear fight
Video of the day - 11-29-08The Junk Raft
Password-protecting a Web site
What’s a wiki?
A virtual drop box
Find free tunes
Turn gadgets into cash
Amazing classic photos
Don't miss a flight
Gussy up your blog
Find a hotspot
Cellular broadband without a contract
December 6th, 2008
Microsoft Office - Christmas templates
Microsoft Office - gift certificate templates
Open Yahtzee - freeware
Vista Start Menu - Free, Platforms NT - Vista
Video of the Day, 12-01-08 - A meteor caught on tape
Video of the Day, 12-02-08 - Online Poker Unmasked
Video of the Day, 12-03-08 - Dancing Christmas Lights
Video of the Day, 09-16-08 - Jeff Foxworthy's Redneck Fashion Tips
Video of the Day, 09-27-08 - Fishing Bloopers
Video of the Day, 10-17-08 - Wedding Gone Wrong
Video of the Day, 11-05-08 - The Amazing Johnathan
Video of the Day, 12-06-08 - The iconic Migrant Mother
Video of the Day, 12-07-08 - Johnny Carson & Jack Webb
How to use my tool to save YouTube videos
Laptops and TV tuner cards
Five places to watch TV for free
Miss a show? Watch it online
The DTV transition and battery-powered TVs
All things DTV
Yahoo! mail in Outlook
Webmail on your desktop
CF and SD cards
Where did those lost photos go?
Is this memory card all washed up?
Offloading a memory card while on vacation
Trace your family tree
A different way to buy and sell online
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
CDCheck - CDCheck, an error-checking and data-recovery utility that's free for consumers. The program creates error-checking files for a CD, stores them on your hard drive, and then lets you compare these files with those kept on your backup CD to ensure that the disc is still readable. If CDCheck finds evidence of CD damage or corrupted data, it may be able to recover the lost files.
DiskMon - You can set DiskMon to run as a light in your system tray to show when your hard drive is reading or writing. DiskMon also logs and displays all hard disk activity.
Create a Guinea Pig PC - Play it super-safe by keeping a second Internet-connected PC handy - Jul 23, 2007
Painless Backups to USB Drives - Low-cost USB drives make it easier than ever to back up your data and take it with you - Jul 23, 2007
The Cheapskates Guide to Supercharging Your PC - Overclock your CPU, upgrade your graphics, and swap out your motherboard to give your PC a boost - Jun 14, 2007
DIY Surveillance Protects Your Home or Business - Webcams and IP cameras let you keep an eye on your property while you're away - May 21, 2007
Minimize your Vista Related Hardware Hassles - Ease your move to the new OS with these tips; a fan to help your PC beat the summer heat - Apr 26, 2007
Help Your PC's Graphics Make Vista and XP Sparkle - Upgrade your graphics hardware; download a free network data utility - Mar 22, 2007
Useful Upgrades That Will Outlast Your Aging PC - Plus: Setting up simultaneous audio channels, and a USB/FireWire hub that offers plenty of ports - Jan 24, 2007
Be A PC Crime Fighter: Keep Your Hardware Safe - A variety of products and strategies will protect your PC from theft - Dec 20, 2006
Hardware Tips: Keep Your Notebook PC Safe from the Elements - How to protect against heat, cold, spills, and battering - Nov 22, 2006
Hardware Tips: Make Your Old Computer Ready for its Next Owner - How to prep your PC for giveaway so that you protect yourself in the process. Plus: gadget-friendly clothing, and a better cordless mouse - Oct 23, 2006
Hardware Tips: The Right Hardware Keeps VOIP Calls Loud and Clear - Find out what equipment you need for high-quality VoIP phone calls - Sep 25, 2006
Hardware Tips: Plan Ahead to Extend the Life of Your Hardware - Buy new computer equipment and peripherals with an eye on the future - Aug 21, 2006
Hardware Tips: Find and Eliminate Your Hardware Bottlenecks - Use the tools in Windows' System Monitor utility; a site for downloading hardware manuals - Jul 24, 2006
Hardware Tips: Cheap Notebook Tweaks -- Maximize Your Laptop - Simple laptop component upgrades, mobile peripherals, longer battery life, and more - Jun 20, 2006
Hardware Tips: Make Your Hard Drives Faster and Safer with RAID - Choose the RAID configuration most appropriate for your needs - Apr 21, 2006
Planning Your RAID Setup - How to install a suitable RAID configuration to meet your needs - Apr 21, 2006
Hardware Tips: Improve Your Image With 13 Simple Graphics Tweaks - Some small adjustments to your LCD monitor can make a big difference in picture quality - Mar 17, 2006
Hardware Tips: Free Tools Keep Your Hardware Humming - Third-party utilities provide system information, diagnostics, stress testing, and more - Dec 29, 2005
Hardware Tips: Prepare Your Hardware for a Windows Reinstall - Take these steps to ensure your PC works well following a refresh of the OS - Aug 23, 2005
Hardware Tips: Ten Quick Tips to Keep PC Trouble at Arms Length - From backup strategies to easy maintenance routines, these tips help keep your PC humming along - Jun 17, 2005
Tips & Tweaks: Recycle PCs, Notebooks, and Components - May 11, 2005
Hardware Tips: Salvage the Files You Lost from Your Hard Drive - Use a utility to recover 'permanently' deleted files. Plus: Check your USB port's power demands - Mar 22, 2005
Hardware Tips: Complete PC Preventive Maintenance Guide - Jun 23, 2004
Belarc Advisor - If you're looking for an exquisitely detailed audit of your hardware, this is the download you need--no other hardware utility comes close. It starts with the basics, such as the computer manufacturer, installed RAM, hard-disk size, and processor type and speed. But it also shows you the motherboard maker, hard-disk manufacturer, chassis serial
number, PC service tag, bus type and speed, multimedia devices...the list goes on and on. You'll also find details about your Windows installation, including which security hotfixes you've installed and which you're missing, plus a list of all user accounts on your PC and a lot more.
Active@ Kill Disk Hard Drive Eraser - This program, a powerful (and free!) set of tools uses a variety of data-erasure algorithms (from fast and slightly-risky to slow and suitable for James Bond), it will make sure nothing can recover data from a discarded hard drive.
Whether you're passing an old computer on to a child or co-worker, or tossing it in the trash, this software helps ensure that no data remains.
Pando - Pando is free P2P software that makes downloading, streaming and sharing large media files fast, easy and fun. Need to email large attachments, IM a folder, or publish your downloadable videos to the Web? Maybe you'd just like to watch full-screen HD Internet TV. Meet Pando.
Answer Line: Move Your Data, Settings, and Apps to a New PC - Apr 27, 2004
The 10 Worst Games of All Time
AceMoney Lite - AceMoney Lite makes it easy to manage a checkbook, create and manage
budgets, juggle finances in multiple currencies, track spending habits, record expenses, and even do on-line banking. The account information can be shared or password protected. The program offers an easy to use interface that is straight forward and much easier to use than most commercial packages. Yet it offers everything you need to balance your personal bank account and keep track of where your money is going. The free version is limited to one bank account.
Evernote - Evernote allows you to easily capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible and searchable at any time, from anywhere. You can easily capture, store and quickly access typed
and handwritten memos, webpage excerpts, emails, phone messages,
addresses, passwords, brainstorms, sketches, documents and more!
Customize Folders - CustomizeFolders is freeware application that will help you to change folders icons easy and fast.
Miro - Miro (formerly Democracy Player) is an Internet video player that allows you to choose from a variety of channels, subscribe to video
feeds and view them with the integrated player. The channel guide includes more than 600 channels, mostly podcasts and user submitted video clips, and you can also add your own podcast by entering the URL. The program also includes video search for Google, YouTube and Yahoo Video allowing you to find additional content based on your keywords. Miro integrates BitTorrent and can work as a standalone BitTorrent
client. Other features include a personal media library, video playlists, fullscreen mode, automatic channel downloads and more.
Firefox Showcase - Firefox Showcase is a Firefox add-on that enables you to navigate open
tabs as thumbnail views of the actual website. It can run as a sidebar or in a special Showcase tab. You can configure it in various ways, view zoomed versions of the thumbnails on mouseover, close or activate a tab by clicking on the thumbnail and quickly switch between web pages. The program offers flexible configuration options that allow you to customize everything from thumbnail size, mouseover actions and info display to thumbnail labels and mouse actions. Note: After installing, you need to add the Showcase buttons to the Firefox toolbar.
DiskMon - You can set DiskMon to run as a light in your system tray to show when your hard drive is reading or writing. DiskMon also logs and displays all hard disk activity.
Create a Guinea Pig PC - Play it super-safe by keeping a second Internet-connected PC handy - Jul 23, 2007
Painless Backups to USB Drives - Low-cost USB drives make it easier than ever to back up your data and take it with you - Jul 23, 2007
The Cheapskates Guide to Supercharging Your PC - Overclock your CPU, upgrade your graphics, and swap out your motherboard to give your PC a boost - Jun 14, 2007
DIY Surveillance Protects Your Home or Business - Webcams and IP cameras let you keep an eye on your property while you're away - May 21, 2007
Minimize your Vista Related Hardware Hassles - Ease your move to the new OS with these tips; a fan to help your PC beat the summer heat - Apr 26, 2007
Help Your PC's Graphics Make Vista and XP Sparkle - Upgrade your graphics hardware; download a free network data utility - Mar 22, 2007
Useful Upgrades That Will Outlast Your Aging PC - Plus: Setting up simultaneous audio channels, and a USB/FireWire hub that offers plenty of ports - Jan 24, 2007
Be A PC Crime Fighter: Keep Your Hardware Safe - A variety of products and strategies will protect your PC from theft - Dec 20, 2006
Hardware Tips: Keep Your Notebook PC Safe from the Elements - How to protect against heat, cold, spills, and battering - Nov 22, 2006
Hardware Tips: Make Your Old Computer Ready for its Next Owner - How to prep your PC for giveaway so that you protect yourself in the process. Plus: gadget-friendly clothing, and a better cordless mouse - Oct 23, 2006
Hardware Tips: The Right Hardware Keeps VOIP Calls Loud and Clear - Find out what equipment you need for high-quality VoIP phone calls - Sep 25, 2006
Hardware Tips: Plan Ahead to Extend the Life of Your Hardware - Buy new computer equipment and peripherals with an eye on the future - Aug 21, 2006
Hardware Tips: Find and Eliminate Your Hardware Bottlenecks - Use the tools in Windows' System Monitor utility; a site for downloading hardware manuals - Jul 24, 2006
Hardware Tips: Cheap Notebook Tweaks -- Maximize Your Laptop - Simple laptop component upgrades, mobile peripherals, longer battery life, and more - Jun 20, 2006
Hardware Tips: Make Your Hard Drives Faster and Safer with RAID - Choose the RAID configuration most appropriate for your needs - Apr 21, 2006
Planning Your RAID Setup - How to install a suitable RAID configuration to meet your needs - Apr 21, 2006
Hardware Tips: Improve Your Image With 13 Simple Graphics Tweaks - Some small adjustments to your LCD monitor can make a big difference in picture quality - Mar 17, 2006
Hardware Tips: Free Tools Keep Your Hardware Humming - Third-party utilities provide system information, diagnostics, stress testing, and more - Dec 29, 2005
Hardware Tips: Prepare Your Hardware for a Windows Reinstall - Take these steps to ensure your PC works well following a refresh of the OS - Aug 23, 2005
Hardware Tips: Ten Quick Tips to Keep PC Trouble at Arms Length - From backup strategies to easy maintenance routines, these tips help keep your PC humming along - Jun 17, 2005
Tips & Tweaks: Recycle PCs, Notebooks, and Components - May 11, 2005
Hardware Tips: Salvage the Files You Lost from Your Hard Drive - Use a utility to recover 'permanently' deleted files. Plus: Check your USB port's power demands - Mar 22, 2005
Hardware Tips: Complete PC Preventive Maintenance Guide - Jun 23, 2004
Belarc Advisor - If you're looking for an exquisitely detailed audit of your hardware, this is the download you need--no other hardware utility comes close. It starts with the basics, such as the computer manufacturer, installed RAM, hard-disk size, and processor type and speed. But it also shows you the motherboard maker, hard-disk manufacturer, chassis serial
number, PC service tag, bus type and speed, multimedia devices...the list goes on and on. You'll also find details about your Windows installation, including which security hotfixes you've installed and which you're missing, plus a list of all user accounts on your PC and a lot more.
Active@ Kill Disk Hard Drive Eraser - This program, a powerful (and free!) set of tools uses a variety of data-erasure algorithms (from fast and slightly-risky to slow and suitable for James Bond), it will make sure nothing can recover data from a discarded hard drive.
Whether you're passing an old computer on to a child or co-worker, or tossing it in the trash, this software helps ensure that no data remains.
Pando - Pando is free P2P software that makes downloading, streaming and sharing large media files fast, easy and fun. Need to email large attachments, IM a folder, or publish your downloadable videos to the Web? Maybe you'd just like to watch full-screen HD Internet TV. Meet Pando.
Answer Line: Move Your Data, Settings, and Apps to a New PC - Apr 27, 2004
The 10 Worst Games of All Time
AceMoney Lite - AceMoney Lite makes it easy to manage a checkbook, create and manage
budgets, juggle finances in multiple currencies, track spending habits, record expenses, and even do on-line banking. The account information can be shared or password protected. The program offers an easy to use interface that is straight forward and much easier to use than most commercial packages. Yet it offers everything you need to balance your personal bank account and keep track of where your money is going. The free version is limited to one bank account.
Evernote - Evernote allows you to easily capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible and searchable at any time, from anywhere. You can easily capture, store and quickly access typed
and handwritten memos, webpage excerpts, emails, phone messages,
addresses, passwords, brainstorms, sketches, documents and more!
Customize Folders - CustomizeFolders is freeware application that will help you to change folders icons easy and fast.
Miro - Miro (formerly Democracy Player) is an Internet video player that allows you to choose from a variety of channels, subscribe to video
feeds and view them with the integrated player. The channel guide includes more than 600 channels, mostly podcasts and user submitted video clips, and you can also add your own podcast by entering the URL. The program also includes video search for Google, YouTube and Yahoo Video allowing you to find additional content based on your keywords. Miro integrates BitTorrent and can work as a standalone BitTorrent
client. Other features include a personal media library, video playlists, fullscreen mode, automatic channel downloads and more.
Firefox Showcase - Firefox Showcase is a Firefox add-on that enables you to navigate open
tabs as thumbnail views of the actual website. It can run as a sidebar or in a special Showcase tab. You can configure it in various ways, view zoomed versions of the thumbnails on mouseover, close or activate a tab by clicking on the thumbnail and quickly switch between web pages. The program offers flexible configuration options that allow you to customize everything from thumbnail size, mouseover actions and info display to thumbnail labels and mouse actions. Note: After installing, you need to add the Showcase buttons to the Firefox toolbar.
The 30 Products and Services We Miss Most - Oct 20, 2006
15 Great, Free Privacy Downloads - Aug 6, 2008
Steve Bass - Smart Phishing Threat, Nifty DVD Player - Oct 18, 2006
Spybot Search & Destroy - Though its name sounds like bad
dialog from a 60's sci-fi flick, Spybot Search & Destroy is a good program to have around for those trying times when you think someone is lurking behind the browser curtain tracking your every Web move. Fire it up and it'll spot all sorts of tracking cookies and the like, then remove them if you choose to do so. Spybot offers an immunization feature which supposedly protects against the kinds of spyware that the program will remove. Not having used this feature for more than a few days, I can't say how effective it is, but it didn't seem to interfere with browsing and supported both Internet Explorer and Firefox. My scan inside a fairly new virtual machine didn't turn up much, but it turned up more than I thought it would. I've only used a browser a few times in the VM and there were already a
bunch of tracking cookies. Some tracking cookies are actually useful while others are simple marketing spies and Spybot seemed to recognize the difference in most cases. The program also offers a restore function in case you delete one of the good kind by accident, and there's what seems to be an effective resident shield (TeaTimer) which will warn you of suspicious behavior like registry entries being
changed or removed. Though Spybot is free, if you find it useful you might consider
donating a couple of bucks to the author who dedicated this program to "the most wonderful girl on earth" in the license agreement. How can you say no to a worthy program and sentiments like that?--Jon L. Jacobi
DVD Shrink
Here's one for anyone who wants to make backup copies of their DVDs on their hard disk. That way, you can use Windows Media Center or another DVD media player to play the DVDs on your PC. The program lets you rip the DVD to your hard disk in a variety of formats, including a lossless one that keeps the image and audio quality intact. You can choose from other formats if you want to save hard disk space. And you can also customize the quality on any DVD you rip. DVD Shrink will preserve all your DVD content, including menus, trailers, subtitles, and so on. If you'd like, though, you can eliminate any of that content as well. Maybe best of all, it's free.--Preston Gralla
ISO Recorder - Windows XP knows how to write files to CDs, but it doesn't know what to do with the .iso CD disc-image files that have become a handy way to distribute software. ISO Recorder is a shell extension that adds a new CD recording option to Windows XP's context menus.
When you right-click a .iso file in Windows Explorer, the command 'Copy Image to CD' appears. Selecting the command launches a series of dialog boxes in which you can select the destination drive and start
recording. ISO Recorder also knows how to create .iso files from data CDs, but it doesn't read or write .iso files of audio or video discs.
Halloween Icons
Halloween Desktop Theme - Polehammer
The Shadowlands: Ghost and Hauntings
Celebrities doing Japanese commercials
Sound Effects - The Wilhelm Scream
Repeated use of "the Wilhelm scream" over the years in movies
Urbanchillers, the original home of fear, chills, and horror
The Science Fiction and Telefantasy Databanks
A Brief History of Computers, As Seen in Old TV Ads - Oct 14, 2006
Brrrn - Burns audio files onto CDs - Oct 6, 2006
This Week's Fav Freebies - Miranda, Cryptainer LE, IrfanView, ISO Recorder - Oct 17, 2006
The 15 Freakiest Web Sites - Oct 17, 2006
The 25 Worst Web Sites - Sep 15, 2006
101 Fabulous Freebies - Mar 28, 2006
15 Great, Free Privacy Downloads - Aug 6, 2008
Steve Bass - Smart Phishing Threat, Nifty DVD Player - Oct 18, 2006
Spybot Search & Destroy - Though its name sounds like bad
dialog from a 60's sci-fi flick, Spybot Search & Destroy is a good program to have around for those trying times when you think someone is lurking behind the browser curtain tracking your every Web move. Fire it up and it'll spot all sorts of tracking cookies and the like, then remove them if you choose to do so. Spybot offers an immunization feature which supposedly protects against the kinds of spyware that the program will remove. Not having used this feature for more than a few days, I can't say how effective it is, but it didn't seem to interfere with browsing and supported both Internet Explorer and Firefox. My scan inside a fairly new virtual machine didn't turn up much, but it turned up more than I thought it would. I've only used a browser a few times in the VM and there were already a
bunch of tracking cookies. Some tracking cookies are actually useful while others are simple marketing spies and Spybot seemed to recognize the difference in most cases. The program also offers a restore function in case you delete one of the good kind by accident, and there's what seems to be an effective resident shield (TeaTimer) which will warn you of suspicious behavior like registry entries being
changed or removed. Though Spybot is free, if you find it useful you might consider
donating a couple of bucks to the author who dedicated this program to "the most wonderful girl on earth" in the license agreement. How can you say no to a worthy program and sentiments like that?--Jon L. Jacobi
DVD Shrink
Here's one for anyone who wants to make backup copies of their DVDs on their hard disk. That way, you can use Windows Media Center or another DVD media player to play the DVDs on your PC. The program lets you rip the DVD to your hard disk in a variety of formats, including a lossless one that keeps the image and audio quality intact. You can choose from other formats if you want to save hard disk space. And you can also customize the quality on any DVD you rip. DVD Shrink will preserve all your DVD content, including menus, trailers, subtitles, and so on. If you'd like, though, you can eliminate any of that content as well. Maybe best of all, it's free.--Preston Gralla
ISO Recorder - Windows XP knows how to write files to CDs, but it doesn't know what to do with the .iso CD disc-image files that have become a handy way to distribute software. ISO Recorder is a shell extension that adds a new CD recording option to Windows XP's context menus.
When you right-click a .iso file in Windows Explorer, the command 'Copy Image to CD' appears. Selecting the command launches a series of dialog boxes in which you can select the destination drive and start
recording. ISO Recorder also knows how to create .iso files from data CDs, but it doesn't read or write .iso files of audio or video discs.
Halloween Icons
Halloween Desktop Theme - Polehammer
The Shadowlands: Ghost and Hauntings
Celebrities doing Japanese commercials
Sound Effects - The Wilhelm Scream
Repeated use of "the Wilhelm scream" over the years in movies
Urbanchillers, the original home of fear, chills, and horror
The Science Fiction and Telefantasy Databanks
A Brief History of Computers, As Seen in Old TV Ads - Oct 14, 2006
Brrrn - Burns audio files onto CDs - Oct 6, 2006
This Week's Fav Freebies - Miranda, Cryptainer LE, IrfanView, ISO Recorder - Oct 17, 2006
The 15 Freakiest Web Sites - Oct 17, 2006
The 25 Worst Web Sites - Sep 15, 2006
101 Fabulous Freebies - Mar 28, 2006
Hi All,
I have been telling everyone on my Christmas card list that I will have a running blog and a computer blog for a couple of years. Well ... the running blog is going strong.
After a long period of good intentions on dougscomputerservice, this is my initial post.
I will be posting all the stuff that I have collected over the years ... stuff from PCWorld, TechRepublic (registration required), and other places as they come along. I have a whole bunch of stuff so be patient.
Tech Regards, Doug
I have been telling everyone on my Christmas card list that I will have a running blog and a computer blog for a couple of years. Well ... the running blog is going strong.
After a long period of good intentions on dougscomputerservice, this is my initial post.
I will be posting all the stuff that I have collected over the years ... stuff from PCWorld, TechRepublic (registration required), and other places as they come along. I have a whole bunch of stuff so be patient.
Tech Regards, Doug
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