Best free home & hobbies apps
A free reminder program that's also a PC scheduler
Regular contributor Leib Moscovitz recently wrote to let me know about Kana Reminder. This is a pretty standard reminder program with all the usual features such as popup notification; hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or annually scheduling etc. What makes it different is that instead of just notifying you of a scheduled even it can also be used to launch a program on your PC at a scheduled time or schedule a shutdown, reboot, or log off. Freeware, Windows 9x-XP, 548KB
http://www.kanasolution.com/index.php?fid=11&pid=2
Great list of free "abandoned" software
This is a very interesting list [1] of software that is no longer being sold and is now free. A lot of the products are old DOS programs, but there are some quite recent apps as well, plus a good selection of classic games. Thanks to subscriber Dave Berger for the link. Note: I can't vouch for these downloads, so initially install them in a sandbox or submit them to Jotti [2] for testing prior to installation
[1] http://www.vetusware.com/
[2] http://virusscan.jotti.org/
Free time management and productivity utilities
The folks over at DonationCoder have been running a contest for their programmers to write some little utilities geared to personal productivity. They have had quite a response. Some of the programs are very specialized, but others are for more general application. The usefulness of these products depends on your individual needs, so do check out what's available; you may find something that you have long been searching for. I did :>) Yes, they are all free.
http://goe2007.donationcoder.com
http://www.donationcoder.com/nany2008/
Thousands of free fonts
Font Garden [1] is a collection of thousands of free fonts, ideal for producing logos and other designs for your site. It comes highly recommended by subscriber Tony Bennett. Keep in mind, though, that it's not wise to include non-standard fonts in your web page text, because the people who look at your site probably won't have the font installed on their computer. But there's no harm in turning a small amount of text into a graphic and inserting it as an image on your page instead. If you really need to include text in a non-standard font on a web page, there's actually a pretty neat solution that uses Flash to embed the font. Check out sIFR [2] for details.
[1] http://www.fontgarden.com
[2] http://www.mikeindustries.com/sifr
Dozens of free games
This is a personal selection of the best free games from the Gnomes' Lair. Most are familiar but there are some excellent freebies I've never seen before. The games I tried were all spyware free but I haven't checked them all.
http://gnomeslair.blogspot.com/2006/02/our-freshly-hand-picked-free-games.html
Useless waste of time department
I've got two diversions for you this month. First, an online puzzle [1] that is rather more challenging than you might think. The second is a great rag doll simulation [2] that uses a George Bush figure rather than the attractive bikini clad gal used in the simulation I mentioned a few issues back. Sorry George, I like the chic in the bikini best.
[1] http://www.planarity.net/game.php
[2] http://www.planetdan.net/pics/misc/georgie.htm
Customized Internet radio only plays songs you like
The Music Genome Project set for itself the objective of working out how to identify in music, the elements common to different musical tastes and genres. They have now applied this knowledge to create a streaming music radio service that delivers music to your PC that claims to be personalized to your particular personal taste. Initially you have to define your preferences by stating favorite artists and songs. As songs get delivered you can then refine your choices by stating what you like and what you don't. It all works quite well but be aware it will quickly eat up your broadband bandwidth allowance. It's a free service supported by advertising, though you can elect to pay for an ad- free service. Thanks to regular contributor Mikel Peters for letting me know about this.
http://pandora.com
Make your own CD cases from paper
Thanks to subscriber Andrew Seward for letting me know about this site that shows you how to make a paper CD case rather than use a plastic one. Better still, the site allows you to print the case complete with the Album title and tracks. If you want to use a plastic case you can optionally print just the cover insert. However, the killer feature is the ability to import an iTunes Playlist.
http://www.papercdcase.com/
The five best freeware games of 2005
These are not my choices but rather those of a gamer dude. If you want even more ways to idle away those spare moments check out the reader feedback comments at the end of the page where you can find more suggestions.
http://www.ghacks.net/2005/12/29/5-best-freeware-games-of-2005/
What plug is that?
Can you tell a PS2 socket from an S-video at a quick glance? Fear not; just consult this comprehensive guide to PC plugs and sockets. Another web page to add to your bookmarks.
http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20051123/index.html
Lots of small free programs
Subscriber "Towelie" wrote in to remind me that I haven't mentioned TinyApps for a while. Guilty as charged. This is an excellent site offering dozens of free programs notable for their compact code, a refreshing change from the huge bloated programs that have become all too common. Small doesn't necessary mean lacking in features; many of the apps here are as powerful as their XXOS cousins. As a bonus, most don't even need to be installed. Not every program listed is a gem, but the site is well worth a long browse.
http://www.tinyapps.org/