Gizmo's Freeware: Top selections

Updated: The Best Android Tips and Tricks

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:19:31 +1000

This is a fabulous collection of practical tips. If you have an Android device you are bound to get something out of this article.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/best-android-tips-and-tricks.htm

Wallpaper of the Week

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:15:39 +1000

This weeks wallpaper takes us back to the beach with a long expanse of white sand with a row of weathered wood posts down the center - the remains of a buried ship hull perhaps. Waves in the distance and a long orange sunset glow in the sky complete the picture. The colors in this wallpaper are somewhat subdued, making desktop icons quite visible. A wallpaper that is beautiful, restful and totally practical.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/wallpaper-week-white-sand-weathered-wood-and-waves.htm

Website of the Week

Mon, 14 May 2012 18:11:09 +1000

"If you've ever been frustrated by being on hold or not being able to reach someone in a company that can help with a problem, GetHuman is the site for you. They list phone numbers for thousands of companies (8000+) in 45 countries. That's an amazing feat but GetHuman takes it even farther, supplying the best free tools and information to get you where you want to go."

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/website-week-gethuman.htm

Get Ten Free Full-Length E-Books From Microsoft Press

Sun, 13 May 2012 18:49:19 +1000

If you want to supplement your collection of technical e-books, or you need in-depth information about Microsoft technologies, you may be interested in a set of works from Microsoft Press which are being offered for download free of charge. There are 10 books on offer including Office 2010, Windows Phone 7, SQL Server, Office 365 and Windows Server and Visual Studio.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/get-ten-free-full-length-e-books-microsoft-press.htm

"Fat Fingers" - a Free Mobile App that Could Save you Big Money on eBay

Sat, 12 May 2012 17:23:02 +1000

This is an interesting idea. This app searches eBay not only the product you want, but countless misspellings of the product as well. For example, a PlayStation on eBay will likely be over $150 after bidding has ended. However, Fat Fingers searches for "PlaStation" and "PlaySation" as well. You can bid on these misspelled goods that no one else will find, theoretically saving you heaps.

Available for Android, iPhone and iPad.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/put-those-fat-fingers-work.htm

Simple Online Tool Helps Verify Suspicious Emails

Fri, 11 May 2012 16:19:23 +1000

Although email is a useful tool, it has its problems. Primarily, that it can easily be forged or faked. All too often, you might suspect that a message you've received is not all that it seems. Maybe, for example, it appears to be from a friend of yours who's in trouble, but you suspect that it might be a scam.

Here's a handy tool to help put your mind at rest (or to confirm your worst fears). Paste the header from the email into the form on this website and you'll get a detailed report about where the message actually came from.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/simple-online-tool-helps-verify-suspicious-emails.htm

A Shameless Plug by Gizmo for one of our First Editors

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:57:54 +1000

Long time readers of Gizmo's Freeware will fondly remember editor "Briard" whose long, funny articles on Linux were a delight to read as well as being highly original and informative. You won't then be surprised to hear that Briard , whose real name is Kim Brebach has actually written several novels as well as running a successful technology consulting business.

Kim helped this site a lot when it first started out so I'm repaying the favor by helping publicize his newest writing adventure.

It is a blog. Not just your ordinary blog but one of the strangest and most engaging blogs you are likely to read. The subject matter is mostly a mix of Technology, Photography, Food and Wine. That sounds like an unholy combination but it works brilliantly helped of course by the quality of Kim's writing. As it turns out, an interest in all of these subject areas is surprisingly common. I certainly am which is why I've become a regular reader. If that sounds like you as well then check it out. Here's a sample of some recent posts:

"A breakthrough in internet security: 100% protection, 0% system load. But alas not totally free"

Nikon’s D3200 – As good as it gets for $700?

The best wines under $25

Dead Easy Scrumptious Lamb Shank s

I can assure you Kim really knows his wines so although his selections are mainly Australian and New Zealand wines you should, with the assistance of a little Google searching, be able to locate them in your region. If you do, you are going to be rewarded with wines of near Grand Cru quality at ridiculously low prices. Better still they are wines your friends and colleagues will have no idea even existed. That will do a lot for your wine cred.

Warning: As Kim's blog covers photography there are occasional studies of nudes. It's all very tasteful but if you find nudity offensive then stay away.

http://briard.typepad.com/get_the_picture/2012/05/webroot-secure-anywhere-the-mouse-that-roars.html

Use this Free Microsoft Tool to Find Out How to Make Your Laptop Battery Last Longer

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:54:12 +1000

Is your laptop battery running out of power all too quickly? Here’s a quick way to get some suggestions for better power settings using an obscure tool built into Windows.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-get-evaluation-your-laptop-s-power-efficiency.htm

List of 100 Free PC System Tools

Wed, 9 May 2012 16:34:15 +1000

Our Tip Editor Vic Laurie says "Do you like to keep your PC tuned up and humming along? Gizmo’s offers plenty of top-notch free tools for maintaining the system and keeping it safe but it doesn't hurt to check out some other lists. Here is another large collection of free PC system tools that I came across."

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/list-100-free-pc-system-tools.htm

Versatile Free Program for Saving or Printing a List of Your Windows Files and Folders

Tue, 8 May 2012 17:33:13 +1000

"One of the features lacking in Windows Explorer is a way to create a list of the files in a folder. Several ways of dealing with this omission have been mentioned in previous tips at Gizmos. One tip showed how to get an entry in the right-click context menu for printing a list of your files and another tip told how to use the command line to make lists of files. This time, I will describe a free program that provides even more ways to list the files on your PC."

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/versatile-free-program-saving-or-printing-list-your-windows-files-and-folders.htm

Updated: Rest Free iPad Apps

Mon, 7 May 2012 21:23:13 +1000

Now with 104 apps in 74 categories this list is essential reading for both new and existing iPad owners. The wide range of brilliant free apps in this list is simply amazing.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-ipad-apps.htm

Wallpaper of the Week

Sun, 6 May 2012 19:01:15 +1000

This weeks wallpaper is a highly atmospheric image of forked lightning against a dark blue sky, highlighting a large tree with smaller trees along the bottom of the image. This low contrast but dramatic image plays well with desktop icons - they stand out nicely. Dark, brooding and subtly exciting.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/wallpaper-week-night-lightning.htm

Finds of the Week

Sat, 5 May 2012 22:34:18 +1000

Here's what or roving editor Rhiannon has found for you this week:

- 20 Free E-books For Web Designers
- The Google Drive Review You've Been Waiting For
- How To Block advertisements in Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Opera
- Generate Passwords at Wolfram Alpha
- Display Internet Explorer 9 Menu Bar Always and On Top

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/finds-week-april-27-2012.htm

Get This $49 DVD Slideshow Builder For Free

Fri, 4 May 2012 18:24:17 +1000

DVD Slideshow Builder is a Windows program to help you assemble a slideshow from a selection of your favourite digital photos, which will then be burned to a DVD disc so the recipient can play it in their DVD player. Ideal for sending a sweet memento to your mother for Mothers' Day or for any other purpose. The software normally costs $49.95 but is free until May 14.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/get-49-dvd-slideshow-builder-free.htm

Instant, Collaborative Document Creation

Thu, 3 May 2012 19:38:42 +1000

Imagine, for example, that you're talking to a friend or colleague on the phone, and you decide that the answer to the problem you've been discussing is for the two to you to sit down and draft a letter or document. The wonders of modern technology means, of course, that there's no need to wait until you can get together in the same room, in front of the same computer screen.

All you need is for each of you to head to the nearest computer and log into this special website. Think of a title for your document, type it in, and both surf to the same web address. Within seconds, you're both working on the same document in real time. As you type, your words and edits are instantly reflected on the other person's screen. Separate colours are automatically added to make it clear who typed what. And if there's more than 2 of you, additional people can even join in too.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/instant-collaborative-document-creation.htm

Explore These Stunning World Panoramic Tours From Your PC

Wed, 2 May 2012 21:37:04 +1000

This web site was set up by a team of dedicated photographers, determined to bring us some superb panoramic shots of the world's best sights. Scroll, pan and zoom through ultra high resolution images of castles, US states, Victoria Falls, the Himalayas, and more. The result is quite stunning. All you need is a modern web browser and a reasonably fast broadband connection.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/explore-these-stunning-world-panoramic-tours-your-pc.htm

Website of the Week

Tue, 1 May 2012 20:43:27 +1000

"If you want to keep up with what's going on with technology and web trends but don't want to wade through tech jargon to find out, ReadWriteWeb is a great place to start. ReadWriteWeb follows technology trends, providing thoughtful commentary and analysis with jargon kept to a minimum. With several writers the topics are wide ranging, making it easy to find something of interest."

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/website-week-readwriteweb.htm

We have a new Top Pick for the Best Free Audio-Video Format Conversion Program

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:14:10 +1000

I had never heard of the program that editor DrBaker selected as his new top pick for our Best Free Audio-Video Format Conversion Program category so I decided to give it a test run. My conclusion: it is a terrific program and a worthy nomination for the best in its class. Its real strength is an elegant interface that simplifies the messy business of video format conversion. The default options are well chosen for most users but more advanced users can fiddle with the settings as well. When you add in the fact that it handles audio, digital photo and YouTube conversion as well as video and it also includes a DVD ripper and media burner then you have one heck of a freebie. Recommended. - Gizmo

http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-audio-video-format-conversion-program.htm

Publish a Web Site From Your Free Cloud Storage Account

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 19:27:16 +1000

Most PC users are aware of the free cloud storage service DropBox. Now a company called Pancake is offering a free service that allows you to use DropBox to host a web site. Your web pages are stored in a folder in your DropBox, and you can edit them in there or via the Pancake online system. Anyone can view your pages via their web browser (but of course, your other DropBox folders remain private).

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/publish-web-site-your-free-cloud-storage-account.htm

Mobile App of the Week: Get "Gooder" Vocabulary

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 19:01:39 +1000

Mobile App editor "NicNeely" says "this app that gives me so much more than just word definitions. It has become one of the most used apps on my phone" Available for Android, iOS, Blackberry and Windows Mobile.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/get-gooder-vocabulary.htm

How to Optimize USB Drive Performance in Windows 7

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:27:42 +1000

Would you like to make copying files to your USB drives go a little faster? Here's how you can do it.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-optimize-usb-drive-performance-windows-7.htm

This Visual Thesaurus Helps You Generate Ideas

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:34:14 +1000

This site offers a free service that produces output which is a cross between a mindmap and a tag cloud. Just enter a word and, a couple of seconds later, you have a scrollable, zoomable diagram full of words and phrases related to your original word.

Whether you're a writer, or simply looking for a great codename for your next project, this is a great productivity tool. It's free to use, and should work with most modern web browsers.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/visual-thesaurus-helps-you-think-ideas.htm

Google (finally) Launches Free Cloud Drive Storage

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:56:13 +1000

Yesterday Microsoft released an app that gives easy access to 7GB of free storage on their SkyDrive service. Today Google launched its own free 5GB storage service called Google Drive.

Google Drive has apps for desktops (Windows and Macs), and an Android app. iPad and iPhone apps are coming soon according to the Google Drive home page, though there will likely be a delay as the app makes its way through Apple's app vetting process. You'll need a Google account to use Google Drive.

So folks we are now blessed with choice with so many key players falling over backwards to give you free space in the cloud. But as the saying goes "When you get a product for free then it is YOU who are the product" :)

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/google-finally-launches-free-cloud-drive-storage.htm

Microsoft SkyDrive Finally Gets Its Desktop App with 7 to 25GB of Storage for Free

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:42:38 +1000

"Until now, the main difference between the way that you use Dropbox and Microsoft's SkyDrive is that the latter is only available via a web site. There's no officially supported way to mount your SkyDrive as a virtual drive in Windows 7, to which you can copy and save files.

As of today, that's changed. Microsoft has finally released a Windows app that integrates your SkyDrive into the operating system. So now you have a drive which you can use just like any other, but which is held in the cloud and automatically synced to your other computers too. Safe, secure, and reliable. Well, as much as any cloud-based service can be. And be aware that Microsoft has cut the storage allowance for new accounts, so you only get 7 gig for free instead of 25 but it's still more than the 2 GB which you get for free with Dropbox."

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/microsoft-skydrive-finally-gets-its-desktop-app.htm

Free Computing Courses

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:24:13 +1000

"This is a web-based college/university that offers free courses in various computer-related subjects. Courses typically last 7 weeks, and you can follow at your own pace in your own time. The courses are free to access, and cover a variety of topics, with more due to be added soon."

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/sign-free-computing-course.htm

Site of the Week

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 18:23:52 +1000

What if there were a site that gathered all known information about the many life forms on Earth (plants, animals, bacteria, fungi and protists) from books, databases, specimen collections, journals, websites and people so all that information could be found in one easily accessible place? Well this site has done it and it is fascinating reading.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/site-week-encyclopedia-life.htm

How to Improve the Look of Your Photos in Just a Few Seconds

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 19:26:55 +1000

Our Hot Finds Editor says "There are quite a few excellent web-based photo editors around, which claim to be able to make even the dullest picture look much improved. So when I heard about this new site, I had to give it a try. The key to this site's success is that it's easy and simple to use, and you can see your results instantly. Just click on each of the icons in turn, and adjust the sliders to see the results in real time. I was impressed with the ease of use. I reckon that this site might just become my photo touch-up tool of choice."

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/improve-look-photo-seconds.htm