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FREE Anitvirus and Firewall alternatives

GOOGLE SEARCH TOOLBAR
Hey, just found this task bar tool for google searching from google.  I personally think it’s great, I did uncheck the send statistical information box during setup just because!  As always, you might ask the PC people at work before installing it there.

http://toolbar.google.com/deskbar/index.html

 

X-Setup  W9x/NT/2K FREE

Download X-Setup Pro from http://www.x-setup.net/downloads/.

One of the best system configuration utilities around has a new beta version available that puts even more tweakability in the hands of those that live to squeeze every last ounce of performance and convenience out of Windows. New features include interface enhancements, additional configuration wizards and an X-Update feature that provides automatic installation of updated X-Setup versions. All previous plug-ins that greatly expand the X-Setup functionality appear to work seamlessly with the new version as well.

 

TClockEx running on my computer.

TClockEx:   Version:   Released:   Platform:

Freeware 1.4.2 9 March 2000 Windows 9x/NT/2000 What about Windows XP?

  XP USERS ONLY USE DEFAULT THEME!
 

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TClockEx enhances the standard Windows taskbar clock, adding the ability to display the date, time and lots of other information in any format you like. TClockEx is highly customizable, from the format to the font and colour, and even the tooltip information. Many people have wondered why this wasn't built into the standard clock to begin with.  ON XP use the classic theme or their is a problem with the display.

World Timeserver FREE

http://www.worldtimeserver.com/

The site has a free Atomic Clock Sync available for downloading to keep your PC clock accurate. World Time Server lives up to its clever slogan, "Any time, anywhere." FYI:

Microsoft Software Alternatives

Internet Explorer: Mozilla or Firefox
Outlook Express: Thunderbird
Microsoft Office: OpenOffice.org
MSN Messenger: Trillian Basic

These are fantastic software replacements, but what if you want to get away from Windows altogether? If this is your situation, then get with the penguin - Linux. This open source operating system is getting easier than ever to use. For example, Mandrake provides an easy-to-use flavor of Linux that is worth a look. If you'd rather slap a copy of Linux on a CD and play with it before installing, go to Knoppix.net to download Knoppix. They also have some great resources that will help you out with all of the questions that you are sure to have.

 

OpenOffice

http://www.openoffice.org/

OpenOffice is a free, open source alternative to MS Office with a Word- compatible word processor, a complete Excel-compatible spreadsheet program, and a PowerPoint-like presentation software and drawing program. It also allows you to save to a PDF file. In addition, it offers enhanced printing capabilities and options for direct connection with external e-mail software as well as form-letter management to send letters to addresses in a database. Also included are Indexing functions, a layout manager, third-party import filters, HTML export capability and a context-sensitive HTML editor. OpenOffice also includes a variety of graphics tools and manipulation options as well as slideshow support and an option to create "portable" presentations. If you are looking for a free Office suite, take a look at this one - you'll be impressed! [MWA]

PGP Freeware offers basic PGP encryption capability for messages and files, but does not include many features available in other PGP products. http://www.pgp.com/products/freeware.html

EasyDivX Standard v0.8.2.0  FREE   Ever try to back up a DVD movie to VHS? You can't, normally, due to heavy-duty copy protection. But with some effort, you can back it up digitally. EasyDivX is a DVD backup program -- intended for personal backup only, developers take pains to note. EasyDivX automatically decrypts the DVD and copies it to your hard drive. The trick with EasyDivX is that you back up to the DivX codec, which allows for relatively high quality video with a small file size. For example, you can normally fit a DivX backup of a DVD movie onto a single CD-recordable disc. It also rips embedded subtitles, in case you're interested. click here

ASFRecorder FREE   So you really want to view that N'Sync Webcast, but you're rehearsing with your own band at the time it's being streamed? This utility allows you to grab that file to watch at a more convenient time. First find the address of the streaming file that you'd like to capture, and then download and store the Windows Media file (.asx, .wmx., or .wmvt) onto your hard drive or removable media. (Many music videos, movie trailers, live broadcasts, and songs use the Windows Media format.) You can then view files offline and copy them as often as you wish. Contents are in a format that you can distribute using programs such as Napster, Gnutella, FTP, and IRC. Note: This program is freeware, and the program's author wishes to remain anonymous. The author has stated that this version (1.1) is the last version he will release. click here

Resources & Information For Developing Your Web Site

 

Browsers

Browsers allow you to view web sites on your computer and depending upon the type and version, can incorporate plugins to view pictures, sounds and animation files. It is important that you test your finished web site for browser compatibility. Too often a new designer finds their site looks good on their browser/monitor but does not on other computers. Here are links to the most common browsers used today.

Microsoft Explorer Popular browser included with Microsoft Windows products

Netscape Navigator Another popular browser used with AOL and many private customers.  (NOT SUGGESTED!!!)

Opera A lesser known browser from that is known for speed and stablity. Free or paid versions are available.

 

Web Site Design
You can design a web site. Four different ways: 1) Use an online web site builder. This is perfect for beginners and offers a fast and easy way to build a simple web site fast but it has some limitations. 2) Use an HTML editor to build your site using the raw software code. This is for advanced users who want to have the ultimate control over their web site. It can take months to learn and is not recommended unless you have lots of time and patience. 3) WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) web site design software. This software allows you to build a web site without having to learn HTML code. You create pages just like you do in common graphic design or word-processing software where you insert text, pictures and tables and the program will create all the HTML code for you. This is the way that most web site designers build their web sites 4) Hire a professional web site designer to build your site. If you don't have the time, patience, software or hardware and don't mind paying, this can be a good option. If you are a business where image is important and need your site up quickly, then this might be an option. Web site design can range from a few hundred dollars to many thousands and typical rates run $20-$45 per hour. Remember, when you hire a designer, you are paying for their thousands of hours of experience and often years of knowledge just like any other professional like a doctor or lawyer. Make sure to ask for references and negotiate rates carefully before they begin any work. You can check our forum boards under "web designers" to locate designers already familiar with Lowesthosting.com.
Design Software
Dreamweaver This WYSIWYG software is the choice of most professional web designers. It is a mid-priced program that is well worth the investment and can manage multiple web sites
Microsoft Front Page 2002 Mid-priced WYSIWYG web site design program that incorporates tools that make it easier to incorporate counters and forms into your web pages. Requires special"front page extensions" to be initialized on our server.
WebPage-O-Matic Personal - makes a simple personal website in 10 minutes. just 1.6mb FREE
WebPage-O-Matic Business - makes a simple business website in 10 minutes. just 1.4 mb FREE
Enersoft SiteGenWiz - (rt click for direct download) Free and small 2.4mb GPL website generator that offers a choice of top or side bar navigation and simple page and picture additon via a tree menu system. FREE
Mozilla Composer This WYSIWYG free software is included with the Mozilla browser and is our number one choice for easy to use drag and drop web page design. FREE
IMS Web Dwarf Free WYSIWYG web site design software for creating web pages. FREE
Page Plus 1.0 Another FREE WYSIWYG web site design program, this is a large download offers the most choices. FREE
Online Web Page Creator-Click here to access our tutorial to an excellent online web page creator or and editor. This is an excellent WYSIWYG program that will work with 56k modem access, best best suited for cable or dsl users. (opens in new window) FREE
Free and Low Cost Website Templates
One of the best and fastest ways of creating a professional looking website is to use a pre-made template. These are websites that have been made by professional designers that allow you permission to use their copyrighted designs as a start and simply edit them to add your own pictures, logos and text.
340 Free Templates- These are for our clients	Graphics By Dezign- Free templates
Free templates-Excellent source of free templates	Bimsans- Free templates
HTML Tutorials & Links
This is a guide for producing documents in HTML, the hypertext markup language used on the World Wide Web.
A beginners guide to HTML	HTML quick reference
HTML Editors
Arachnophilia - An excellent free html editor
Hotdog HotDog Professional provides an editing environment for HTML, CSS, ASP, PHP, VBScript, and JavaScript.
Macintosh HTML Editor This is an html editor for Macintosh users
Color Design Tips
Using color is an art in itself, these articles will help you understand color
Color Basics	Websafe Colors & their Codes
Graphics Tools
Most web sites incorporate pictures and graphics. It is important to save your images using the best file format optimized for a particular kind of image. Pictures are generally in the JPEG format and graphics (buttons, banners, logos, line art) are usually saved in the GIF format.
Jpeg or Gif what you need to know
photo manipulation How to prepare photos for use in your web page
gif animation Gif animation is a way to animate small - medium sized images Download free gif creation software here.
Photo Plus Is a full photo image manipulation tool that you can download for free
Checking Your Code & Optimizing Your Graphics
Optimizing for 56k Most web site users are still using a 56k dial up modem, therefore it takes a longer time for their web pages to download. It is essential to optimize your web site and make it the smallest it can be without loss of graphics or content, to keep download time low and not lose your customers because your page downloads too slowly. Think minimal. Give people what they want and no more.
Web page size guide in Bytes & Pixels
Graphic optimization software: Optimize your gifs to make them download in the fastest time possible Ignite Xat
Free online graphics optimizers: adobe netmechanic bills jpeg optimizer

 

Adding Counters
Page counters are not really required as the webalizer statistics program offeres both page hit counts and full statistics however, if you prefer to place a counter on a page here are a few options.
Ultimate counter A free counter	Fastcounter A very popular low profile counter with stats

 

FTP Software
These are programs that run on your computer that you use to upload your website files onto the server.
Max FTP A free FTP Program	Win FTP LE A very popular Free FTP Program
Ace FTP Another free FTP Program	Cute FTP Another popular paid program
Fetch A very popular Macintosh FTP Program	CaptainFTP A Free Macintosh FTP Program

 

Adding E-Commerce

If your business sells a product or service, then adding a shopping cart or real time payment gateway might be just what you require.

E-Commerce Overview An explanation of how e-commerce works

Mals E Commerce Mals offers an excellent free shopping cart complete with secure ordering & more.

Agora CGI Is a free shopping cart script that adds a cart to your site

E-Commerce Site builders WebGIZMO Merchant Edition lets you easily create sophisticated commerce-oriented web sites that are both attractive and easy to use

Merchant Accounts You need one of these in order to process credit card payments

Payment Gateways The payment gateway provides a "bridge" between the merchant's web site (using a secure Internet connection from the merchant's web site to the gateway provider) and the processor.

 

Java/Pearl Scripts

These are small programs that you upload onto the server that can add functionality to your web page. These are generally for advanced users. Lowest hosting does not offer technical support for scripts.

The Javascript Source The JavaScript Source is an excellent JavaScript resource with lots of "cut and paste" JavaScript examples for your web pages.

Perl resources This is an online Perl tutorial for beginners.

Dynamic Drive- One of the best Java script sites around

 

Marketing Resources

These are small programs that you upload onto the server that can add functionality to your web page. These are generally for advanced users. Lowest hosting does not offer technical support for scripts.

Meta Tags Meta Tags provide information such as who created the page, how often it is updated, what the page is about, and which keywords represent the page's content. Many search engines use this information when building their indexes. Learn all about meta tags and use this handy meta tag generator.

Search Engine Submission How to submit your web site to search engines

Search Engine Ranking How search engines rank your web site

Affiliate Programs A beginner's guide to affiliate, revenue sharing, resale, partner, bounty, associate programs

 

Tips & Tricks

Forwarding one webpage to another via the meta refresh tag: This is how you can create a redirection page using html code to forward one web page to another. This can be useful if you want to place a hidden counter on a page and then redirect to another page, or if you phase out a page and want to redirect people to your updated page or to another website. It will work with any html page and by varying the content tag number from 0 to any other number will determine the time delay for the forward to occur. simply cut and paste this text into the header of the page you wish to redirect and make sure you change the URL to the domain you want to forward to. <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; URL=http://www.domain_you_want_to_forward_to.com"> No right click: If you want to keep people from saving your pictures or web content, add this simple java script to the head of your webpage. Works with most browsers. Select All <script> <!--hide script from old browsers BroW = parseInt(navigator.appVersion) if (BroW >= 4) {Vs = true} else {Vs = false} if (Vs == true) { Wid = screen.availWidth - 30 Hei = screen.availHeight + 50 Left = Math.floor((Wid - 350) / 2) ; Top = Math.floor((Hei - 100) / 2) if (document.layers) { document.captureEvents(Event.MOUSEDOWN) } document.onmousedown = noClick } // function noClick (e) { flag = false if (document.layers) {which = e.which ; if (which == 3) {flag = true} } else {which = event.button ; if (which == 2) {flag = true}} if (flag) { alert('All the graphics on this site have been protected against right-clicking') return false } } // //end hiding contents--> </script>

 
 
 
 

 

Learn the Net

www.learnthenet.com

If you just want to know how the Internet works, visit this well-organized Web site. You can find tons of good, well-written information, but not so much that you’ll be overwhelmed. Be sure to check out the excellent section devoted Web site building.

Webmonkey

hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey

The attitude-filled folks at Webmonkey offer advice about all things Web design. Enthusiastic Web publishers can spend hours here; the site contains information on everything from basic Web page creation to advanced design and programming tips.

Builder.com

www.builder.com        

If you like to keep on top of Web publishing happenings, make this Web site one of your regular stops. Builder.com contains practical how-to articles for all sorts of Web tricks.

Microsoft Knowledge Base

support.microsoft.com

Got a question? This mammoth online database contains thousands of articles that answer common software questions or explain annoying bugs. The Knowledge Base contains articles pertaining to all Microsoft products, including FrontPage.

Microsoft FrontPage Home Page

www.microsoft.com/frontpage

This site is the place to go for all things FrontPage. Here you find FrontPage tips and information, free accessory downloads, and links to related resources. You can also access online support and FrontPage help, including FrontPage newsgroups, a list of frequently asked questions, and much more

Download.com

www.download.com

Everyone keeps talking about the gigabytes of free software available on the Net, but where do you get all that stuff? This site groups shareware offerings into categories such as Business and Finance, Multimedia and Design, and Internet. Or you can look at a list of top picks or the most-popular titles.

Dummies.com

www.dummies.com

If you can’t wait to get your hands on your next good read, check out the Dummies.com Web site. Find out which new books are about to hit the shelves, pick up some savvy tips, or order a title online.

 

This is a Collection of download freeware/shareware and their links:

FileVault v1.81 [299k] W9x/NT/2k FREE

http://www.parisien.org/down/fv-w95.zip
http://www.parisien.org/

"Places a number of user selected files in a single self extracting / self decrypting executable file called a File Vault. A File Vault can be sent easily to anyone over the Internet and only accessed with your password. The recipient of a File Vault does not have to have any special software installed to decrypt or access a file vault. Each File Vault is totally self contained. This makes for easy attaching, receiving and general use. FILE VAULT USES THE BLOWFISH ALGORITHM. File Vault allows you to open the vault, access the files, then close the vault which performs a secure wipe of the files from the disk surface." 

Burn to the Brim v1.3 Beta [309k] W9x/NT/2k FREE

http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/bttb/BTTB281.exe?download
http://members.ams.chello.nl/e.m.oost/bttb.html
http://screenshot.lockergnome.com/burntothebrim.png

{Maximize empty CD space} You've paid for the entire CD-ROM disc, but how can you make sure that you're using it to its fullest capacity? Grab this bodacious burning binary! It'll analyze all the files and folders (found in a specific folder) and group them so that you're using every last chunk of space on that piece of media. Larger files have priority over smaller ones (which can be saved for the subsequent burn). Oh yes, you can span your archiving over several discs. I haven't been this excited about burning things sense those days on the sidewalk with the ants and my magnifying glass. Or was it boy scout camp with that can of propellant?

I very highly recommend anyone interested in networking cozy up with Network Monitor or other network analysis tool. Here's a Network Analysis 101 self-paced course (in zipped .MPG format) to get you started, and a there's my favorite book on the subject, Network Analysis and Troubleshooting by my good friend J. Scott Haugdahl.

Advanced Properties v0.5 [75k] W9x/NT/2k FREE

http://www.unixmage.com/util/ADVPROPS.EXE
http://www.solutions.nu/advprop/
http://screenshot.lockergnome.com/advanced.png

{Extended Web page info} Some people have yet to discover the joy of right-clicking on a Web page. You can move back or forward, save items, copy text, and do all sorts of fun stuff. Okay, maybe it's not THAT exciting, but the feature can save you time. Get even more page data instantly through this BHO. It's nestled in the familiar "right-click menu" and provides you with administrative, technical, and billing information for the site you're visiting (via a WHOIS query). You can also click and get server software information and uncover related content (thanks to ALTAVISTA). If only it came with a kitchen sink...

Microsoft Office XP Product Guide

http://www.microsoft.com/office/xpguide.htm

"Microsoft Office XP redefines the relationship between people and software by delivering a new set of experiences that provide a smarter way of working. Office XP delivers a personal experience, simplifying the way you work; a collaborative experience, helping your team work easily together; and an extended experience, enabling you to continually integrate additional services into Office and access information anytime. Download this document to learn about the new Office experience. Included in this document: Introducing Microsoft Office XP, and New Features and Enhancements in the Individual Office XP Programs."

CPU-Z v1.07a [101k] W9x/NT/2k FREE

http://www.cpuid.com/download/cpu-z-107a.zip
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.htm
http://screenshot.lockergnome.com/cpu.png

{Total CPU discovery} Geeks like myself know how to dig deep into our personal computers and uncover relevant information. But even we have a difficult time getting to the numbers without using powerful utilities. What kind of processor is your system using? Do you know its current core voltage, clock speed, and cache information? CPU-Z will clue you in to all those little things that are going on inside the case (and a whole lot more). And the best part is -- you can't change anything. Which is to say: it's safe for anyone to use. My mom always told me that it's what's on the inside that truly counts.

PrcView v3.2.3.1 [70k] W9x/NT/2k FREE

http://www.teamcti.com/pview/PrcView.zip
http://www.teamcti.com/pview/

"PrcView is a process viewer utility that displays detailed information about processes running under Windows. For each process it displays memory, threads and module usage. For each DLL it shows full path and version information. PrcView comes with a command line version that allows you to write scripts to check if a process is running, kill it, etc."

How to Query the Microsoft Knowledge Base Using Keywords

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q242/4/50.ASP

"This article describes how to more effectively query the Microsoft Knowledge Base by using keywords, including Microsoft product-specific keywords. By using keywords, you may be able to find the article or articles that may help to resolve your issue or question. When you perform a query, begin by using a product keyword that relates to your issue, such as "win95" for Microsoft Windows 95, "win98" for Windows 98, "outexw95" for Microsoft Outlook Express for Windows 95, and so on. You can then combine product keywords with other related keywords to help narrow your search, and locate the information you need. Note that if you search by using a small amount of keywords, you may receive a large amount of articles, possibly making it difficult to find the article you are looking for."

Nokia Phone Customization

http://www.gnokii.org/

Nokia offers a software package that enables you to upload custom ring tones, display background images and to sync contact information right to your phone so you can avoid the 3 hours it takes to manually enter the 100 most important phone numbers in your life. I don't have 3 hours, and I don't care to shell out the bucks Nokia wants for something I frankly won't use all that often. Gnokii is a free tool that will accomplish many of the same tasks as the full-blown commercial product, and it supports Linux as well as Windows clients. And if you're really a bithead and want to play with things yourself, the source code is included and there are some links that provide the protocol structures for a few phone types on the FAQ page.

UpNet [338K] W9x/NT/2K FREE

http://upnet.pdabusiness.com/upnet.zip
http://upnet.pdabusiness.com/info.php
http://upnet.pdabusiness.com/screen.php

{Distributed webserver monitoring} UpNet is an interesting idea in server monitoring in that it doesn't depend on a static location monitoring your resources from remote. When you install the client software, you can specify a URL that you'd like monitored, which is then distributed to other clients on the Internet for testing. These remote clients then test connectivity to your server every few minutes. If a problem is encountered, you can be notified via email within minutes of a failure. There are all sorts of expensive monitoring packages and commercial services available, but they don't provide the wide scope that this distributed client can offer... for free, no less!

CD Freaks

http://www.cdfreaks.com/

{Burn your CD knowledge} CD, CD-ROM, DVD, CD-R... some people really live for this stuff. No one seems more maniacal about this technology than the folks at CD Freaks. Learn how to make the most out of those shiny discs with a little help from your digital friends. If you have extensive knowledge of burning, ripping, and all that fun stuff, you can join their legion and share your insight with visitors-at-large. Stay up-to-date on all the latest news (ripped from the headlines, so to speak). They'll even let you know about the newest hardware and software releases. Freaks, I tell ya! FREAKS!

Audio Encoding and Editing

Thotor  W9x/NT/2k FREE

http://www.dominativ.com/thotor/
"Thotor is a tool for generating thumbnails of photos and index.html files for these thumbnails with links to the original photos or to html-pages generated by the program containing the photos. Ever found yourself with a newly developed and scanned roll of film? Some 24-36 photos there. All nice and tidy in a directory of their own. Hmm..." Quit doing things by hand; I know you have better things to do with your time.

Webpage Design Sizing

I design for 800x600 and I sometimes resize the browers depending on available width. This way if the web page comes up in the higher res. browsers they only get the page. And... I've seen many people surf the web without ever maximizing their screens, so by resizing (where possible)I am sorta telling them I need this much space to make the page look ok.

I found a great article by Steve Mulder on webmonkey not to long ago. He did a great job "Sizing Up the Browsers"
http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey....html?tw=design

And thanks for the link to cross-browser.com!

Scott's Box Shot Maker  W9x/2k/XP FREE

http://www.boxshotmaker.com/

{Create a virtual product package} I may not be a marketing professional, but I know that when I go to buy a product on a Web site I feel a little more reassured about the product if they have a picture of the boxed version of that product. I know that I won't receive a boxed version, but it is just the perception that they have a boxed version that is reassuring to me. Scott's Box Shot Maker will help you take a set of images (one of which might be your company's logo) and turn them into a virtual package for your product. You have the choice of a 2-sided or a 3-sided virtual box. The 2-sided box shows you the front and left side of the box, where the 3-sided box does the same thing but throws in a view of the top. (Did I mention that you can also choose to make a virtual book cover in mere seconds?) Once you have created your virtual product package, what do you do? Save your virtual product package as either a BMP, GIF, or JPG file that is perfect for posting directly to a Web page. I have thought about writing a book and maybe now that I have the power to create an awesome book cover, I may find the motivation to try.

Identifont
Unearthed by Karina Sottini

http://www.identifont.com/

{Find a font} Lookin' for a font? Maybe you aren't at this particular moment, but eventually you'll run across a font that's so amazing you'll go crazy if you don't get your grubby little hands on it. So what does one do in such a situation? You visit this site to narrow down your font search. Just answer a series of questions, and, with any luck, you'll find just what you're looking for. If you already know the name of the font you're searching for, you can do that as well. A list of sites where the font can be found and downloaded is also provided.

ZPaint  W9x/NT/2k FREE

http://www.steffengerlach.de/freeware/zp1.exe
http://www.steffengerlach.de/freeware/

"Forget your button maker! This software for creating 3D-looking elements for websites and software interfaces is much more flexible. Easily paint raised or lowered shapes such as buttons, rings, boxes... or add those effects to existing graphics. Color/texture selection, adjustable extrusion depth, gloss and other effects. Used best in cooperation with an image editor."

JavaScript Cookie Recipe

http://javascript.internet.com/cookies/to-do-list.html

Normally, cookies are assumed to be a bad thing, but I've come to rely on them for some sites so I don't have to constantly re-enter usernames and passwords. I go through them regularly to crumble any that I don't recognize, which keeps them at a reasonable number. Proving that not all cookies are bad, here's a nifty use of them that also helps you keep track of your pending tasks. It's a JavaScript To-Do list that makes use of cookies to store the information it gathers. Even if you're not into the to-do list within a browser, it provides a nice example of how cookies are created and modified for those interested in learning more about the subject.

W3C - World Wide Web Consortium

You've probably at least heard of this organization, but may not know the scope of their responsibility, therefore I thought I'd briefly touch on it, then point out some extremely useful links for you web developer types.

The W3C is the group responsible for defining guidelines used on the Internet, including HTML, CSS, XML, etc. The recognized inventor of the Web, Tim Berners-Lee originally founded the organization in 1994 while working at MIT. Once they planted their roots, they began to work on many different specifications for how content should be developed in order to be as compatible as possible with all of the various resources tied to the Internet. If you want to know the "book answer" on a web standard, this is the place to go.

Aside from just defining the specifications, they've developed some extremely useful tools for developers to use in order to be sure their code is as compatible as possible. Here are just a few of the many valuable links you'll find on their site:

Introduction to HTML 4
XML In 10 Points
HTML Validator
CSS Validator
Open Source Software

Camembert v1.0 [827k] W9x/NT/2k FREE

http://pink-mouse-productions.com/camembert/cmb10.exe
http://pink-mouse-productions.com/camembert/index.htm

{View multiple Webcams} I like Webcams, you like Webcams, everybody in the world likes Webcams. Maybe not everybody, but they are rather popular. Jake even features a new one in the Digital Media newsletter every day. This pictorial program will keep track of an unlimited number of Webcams and have them automatically update when you specify. What's really cool for those of you who like to view multiple cams is the thumbnail option that reduces your pics and doesn't clog up a lot of desktop space. You also have four GnomeCams from which to choose. Just though I'd mention that. So what does this have to do with Camembert cheese? Absolutely nothing.

ZIP Password Finder W9x/NT/2k FREE
http://www.astonsoft.com/prod3.htm

{Recover .ZIP passwords} This password-detecting tool will, oddly enough, reveal ZIPped archive passwords. If you're a frequent zipper (or a frequent unzipper, which I guess is more appropriate) you'll want to download this free utility. Just tell it which archive file to search through, select the character type, and hit Start. That's what's known as a brain-dead simple interface. All this zipping and unzipping reminds me of... a zipper factory. What did you think I was going to say? By the way, XYZ... don't want to be caught with your pants down.

MakeCDROM v4.0 [1.7M] W9x/NT/2K FREE

http://www.killersoftware.com/software/makecdrom.exe
http://www.killersoftware.com/makecdrom/index.htm
http://www.killersoftware.com/makecdrom/ss.htm

{Create a multimedia interface for CDs} Burning my own CDs is something I do just about every day, but I don't usually put any sort of fancy interface to be used with the Autorun functionality. When I hand the CD to someone else, I usually have to explain where a particular utility is or instructions for performing the installation. MakeCDROM allows you to create a very full-featured multimedia interface to go with your data collection. Great for distributing customized applications to users or even your friends and family, but equally good for simply providing information about the contents of the volume.

I couldn't pass up the chance to use my new Dremel a bit more this weekend to make a few adjustments to various annoyances around the house. Improved quality of life through power tools [insert loud and raucous Tim Allen grunt here]. A few of you inquired as to what the heck a Dremel is, so let me explain. It's basically a handheld grinding tool that can accommodate some exorbitant number of attachments to perform detailed cutting, grinding, sanding, engraving, routing, drilling, sawing, etc. Great things to have around!

There were a number of you that pointed me to the Virtual Hideout, which is a fantastic site to visit if you're even considering making some alterations to your PC case - a Dremel is one of the major tools of the trade. They have a MASSIVE gallery of custom case designs and modifications. Many of the hacks are to provide additional cooling or to attach wheels, handles and carrying straps. Then there's the artwork that goes into these as well... amazing work! I've always kind of wanted to do up a really cool case with a wicked lighting system to spiff up the webcam shot, but I find I lack the artistic talent, not to mention the time. I might give it a go one of these days, though.

Tech Comedy

http://www.techcomedy.com/

{Tales from tech supporters} This site is hilarious! Okay, we've all had to call tech support at one time or another (myself included). Most of us know the routine: be in front of the computer, have your serial number ready, etc. But, when you're answering hundreds of calls a day, you're bound to have some interesting stories to relay. This site has ROTFL tales and audio clips from those poor souls in tech support. It's great for an honest laugh. Mind you, some of those audio clips can get nasty; they weren't encoded for the sensitive soul. Geek or otherwise, you'll chuckle.

Convert W9x/NT/2k FREE
http://www.joshmadison.com/software/convert/

"Convert is an easy to use unit conversion program that will convert the most popular units of distance, temperature, volume, time, speed, mass, power, density, pressure, energy and many others, including the ability to create custom conversions! You simply select the tab of the category you want, select the input unit, select the output unit, and type in the input value."

TagCheck RHA v1.3 [265k] W9x/NT/2k FREE

http://users.aol.com/rhamini01/tcksetup.zip
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/rhaminisys/tagcheck.html

{Make sure your tags are closed} HTML and XML tags must be properly nested or they get cold. Aye, but on those dark and stormy nights when you stay up 'til four in the morning trying to get tomorrow's issue out, you might forget to close a tag or two... or fifteen. Don't fret, just open your document with TagCheck and it'll holler if you've left tags exposed. You can even modify this program to ignore items that don't require closing tags. Batch checking is also allowed, and it will even correct any mistakes you might have made.

Flaming Text

http://www.flamingtext.com/

{Free text and graphics} You need graphics. No, I'm telling you: You need graphics. You might be designing a Web page, working on invitations, or any number of things, and this site is there to satisfy all of your graphical needs. The best part is that it's free. Need some cool text effects? Just select the font size, the color, the style, the shadow, the bevel... you get the picture. There's also cool links to clip art, buttons, wallpaper, and tools. All of those things that make your fancy web world even fancier.

IconS v1.90 [319k] W9x/NT/2k FREE

http://www.neuropower.de/freeware/icons.zip
http://www.neuropower.de/freeware/

{Extract icons easily} We've all seen those war movies where a man gets shot and has to have an icon extracted. Wait, that's not right. Thankfully, the only extracting I have to worry about is done through this powerful puller. It'll dig up icons within EXE, ICO, DLL, ICL, CPL, NIL, and IL file types. Just select the folder or subfolder, click the Search button, and there you have it. The interface is button-based, and you can even change the language setting (you know, in case you want to extract in Russian).

AutoIt v2.51 [305k] W9x/NT/2k FREE

http://www.hiddensoft.com/cgi-bin/countdown.pl?AutoIt/AutoIt.exe
http://www.hiddensoft.com/AutoIt/

"AutoIt is a simple tool that can simulate key presses, mouse movements and window commands (maximize, minimize, wait for, etc.) in order to automate any windows based task (or even windowed DOS tasks). It was primarily designed to assist in automatically installing software that cannot be automatically installed by other means. This is most useful during a PC rollout where hundreds or thousands of client machines need to be automatically installed. However, AutoIt is not limited to software installation and can be used to automate most simple windows tasks. When AutoIt is executed, it reads a specified script file. This script file allows AutoIt to perform a number of functions."

ABC-EDUCA Startpage Creator v0.3 [1.5M] W9x/NT/2k FREE

http://www.abc-educa.nl/SPC-1003.exe
http://www.abc-educa.nl/download-spc.html
http://screenshot.lockergnome.com/startpagina.png

{Dynamic HTML from Favorites} Quit scrolling through all those saved Web links; you've got better things to do with your time (ya know, besides reading Lockergnome). Place all of them into your very own (very dynamic) start page. Have you ever visited pages covered in "boxed" link sections? The process is straightforward, for the most part. The EDUCA front-end sports quite a few fields; it'll help kindle your creation. You will need to change the names of the (appropriate) Favorites folders, but the result should make that switch worthwhile. When you're finished (and satisfied with the results), you can upload your new HTML file to the Web!

ID3-TagIT v2.1.0 [4.0] W9x/2k/XP FREE
Unearthed by Bryan Gauntt
http://www.id3-tagit.de/english/download.htm

{Edit those tags} ID3 tags are those little bits of information that come attached to MP3s. Ya know, data like artist, song, genre, year, etc. If you've got a ton of tunes on your system (and I know a few of you do) then these tags are just the ticket for keeping all those song files in order. Sometimes, though, that information is either incorrect, needs to be changed, or hasn't been added at all. The solution: download this Explorer-like editor and get your tunes sorted out correctly. You can change one song at a time, or edit multiple files all at once. You can also play your MP3s with it. Go figure.

Diskmap [623k] NT/W2K FREE

http://microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/existing/diskmap-o.asp

"This command-line tool produces a detailed report on the configuration of the hard disk that you specify. It provides information from the registry about disk characteristics and geometry, and reads and displays data about all of the partitions and logical drives defined on the disk. A good way to use this tool is to run it for each disk in your computer, print out the configuration report for each disk, and save the hard copy with the other configuration information that you maintain for your computer. In case of some kinds of disk problems, this information can then be used to reconstruct the hard disk structure." Note: Diskmap is meant for Windows 2000, but a quick test on Windows NT 4.0 Server and Workstation seemed to work ok. Your mileage may vary.

Eraser  W9x/NT/2K FREE

http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/

"Eraser is an advanced security tool (for Windows), which allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selected patterns. The patterns used for overwriting are based on Peter Gutmann's paper 'Secure Deletion of Data from Magnetic and Solid-State Memory' and they are selected to effectively remove magnetic remnants from the hard drive." I know it's featured in Bits and Bytes too, but I've had several questions about such a tool, so on the off chance that you missed it there (you are visiting the page, aren't you?), I thought it belonged here as well. 

Play It By Ear  W9x/NT/2k FREE

http://happynote.com/music/learn.html

{Train those ears} Someone may have discovered a way to actually make me want to learn music; they added cartoon characters to the scale. This is one of those games that makes learning less of a chore. In this case, Play It By Ear helps train your ears (!) to recognize different notes. As long as you're not tone deaf, this game can be fun for the whole family. Switch between "real" notes or use "Do Re Mi" if you require a more re-me-di-al approach. Be sure to press the space bar when you need to hear a note more than once. "No previous knowledge of music is required to play [this] Happy Note! [program]"

Happy Note! Treble and Bass Clef  W9x/NT/2k FREE

http://www.happynote.com/hncleusa.exe
http://www.happynote.com/music/game/treblebass/game_treblebass.html

{Learn to read music} I'm not the most musically inclined person , but as many of you know, that hasn't stopped me from belting out a song or two. Anyway, it's never too late to learn and that's what this tuneful utility is all about. Ya see, it's not a boring lesson, it's an actually game, and it'll teach you how to read notes. You can set the speed to match your particular expertise, then start learning. Oh, and you get to fire missiles at the notes... that was my favorite part.

FormFill  W9x/NT/2K FREE

http://www.cerefect.com/FormFill/FormFill.htm

While this normally fits into Chris's newsletter, I found it so useful that I thought you should know about it. How many times do you get forms crossing your desk that you'd rather have filled out by your printer than by hand? All the time for me. There are apps that can scan such forms and you can create form fields in the appropriate places, but that's just too much work for simple things. FormFill prints a grid on a spare copy of the form, then works from the line and column entries that you type in for each field. Enter the data, then crank out the completed forms.

http://www.coffeecup.com/freestuff/ for FREE web tools

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