Picasa from Google
One-click download link
(note: clicking this link will begin the download)
Picasa allows you to edit, organize and share photos. It scans your computer for all of your digital images. Add keywords to each picture to help organize them. Edit your pictures by cropping, removing red-eye and enhancing the color and contrast. You can print or e-mail directly from the program.
Cost: Free
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Essential Software Downloads
Ad-aware from Lavasoft
Download link
This program finds spyware, also known as adware. These are little programs that advertising companies place on our computers. They report back on our browsing habits. Run Ad-aware weekly, and get this garbage off your hard drive.
Cost: Free
AVG Antivirus from Grisoft
Download link
This antivirus program not only protects your computer against viruses, worms and malicious code - it's free! AVG AntiVirus allows you to scan on demand or at scheduled times. It also features an e-mail scanner that supports most e-mail programs such as Outlook Express and Eudora.
Cost: Free
Google Toolbar from Google
Download link
If you use Internet Explorer 5.0 or above, you can use Google to search from any Web site location without returning to the Google home page. Internet Explorer 5.5 or above users can take advantage of its great pop-up blocker!
Cost: Free
Spybot Search and Destroy from PepiMK
Download link
This program finds spyware, also known as adware. These are little programs that advertising companies place on our computers. They report back on our browsing habits. It allows you to fix registry inconsistencies related to adware.
Cost: Free
Belarc Advisor from Belarc, Inc.
One-click download link
(note: clicking this link will begin the download)
This little gem will tell you exactly what you’ve got on your computer. It takes seconds to run and produces a window of easy-to-read information. Belarc displays information on hardware and software.
Cost: Free for personal use
Professional graphics for free
http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/paint.net/
Paint.NET from Rick Brewster, Microsoft
Paint.NET started out as a student project at Washington State University. The students’ original purpose was to supercharge Windows’ Microsoft Paint. It had some sponsorship from Microsoft, but I’m still blown away!
Paint.NET looks and feels similar to premium programs like Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop. It uses layers and offers lots of special effects. You can make photos look like old paintings, add motion blur for excitement, or just remove red-eye.
For those of you without artistic genius, Paint.NET has you covered. It provides infinite “Undo,” so you can always backtrack to your original image.
This is a fantastic replacement for Microsoft Paint. In fact, Paint.NET gives you the option to do just that during installation. I opted to install it separately, just to be safe. Why do away with ol’ Paint when I can have both programs?
Paint.NET requires the .NET framework. You may already have it if you use Windows Update. If you don’t, find it now at: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Requirements: Windows 2000, XP
Cost: Free
Lost in space
http://celestia.sourceforge.net/
If you’ve ever dreamt of becoming an astronaut, then you must see Celestia. It’s a downloadable space exploration program.
Celestia maps out our solar system and beyond. You can float through space, learning the names of the stars. Or zoom in on stars and planets for a close-up look. The graphics are “stellar!”
If that’s not enough for you, visit the Motherlode. At the Motherlode, you’ll find add-ons that add even more cool features. For example, you can add spacecraft and planets. They can be real or fictional. It seems that some Star Trek fans had a hand in this.
Note: The program is 11 megabytes, so it will take awhile to download on a dial-up connection.
Notice: We give Web sites a "heads-up" before mentioning them in our Cool Sites of the Day. Still, my newsletters generate so much traffic that Web sites sometimes become unavailable. If you are unable to access this site now, please try later. It is a working site.
Download link
This program finds spyware, also known as adware. These are little programs that advertising companies place on our computers. They report back on our browsing habits. Run Ad-aware weekly, and get this garbage off your hard drive.
Cost: Free
AVG Antivirus from Grisoft
Download link
This antivirus program not only protects your computer against viruses, worms and malicious code - it's free! AVG AntiVirus allows you to scan on demand or at scheduled times. It also features an e-mail scanner that supports most e-mail programs such as Outlook Express and Eudora.
Cost: Free
Google Toolbar from Google
Download link
If you use Internet Explorer 5.0 or above, you can use Google to search from any Web site location without returning to the Google home page. Internet Explorer 5.5 or above users can take advantage of its great pop-up blocker!
Cost: Free
Spybot Search and Destroy from PepiMK
Download link
This program finds spyware, also known as adware. These are little programs that advertising companies place on our computers. They report back on our browsing habits. It allows you to fix registry inconsistencies related to adware.
Cost: Free
Belarc Advisor from Belarc, Inc.
One-click download link
(note: clicking this link will begin the download)
This little gem will tell you exactly what you’ve got on your computer. It takes seconds to run and produces a window of easy-to-read information. Belarc displays information on hardware and software.
Cost: Free for personal use
Professional graphics for free
http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/paint.net/
Paint.NET from Rick Brewster, Microsoft
Paint.NET started out as a student project at Washington State University. The students’ original purpose was to supercharge Windows’ Microsoft Paint. It had some sponsorship from Microsoft, but I’m still blown away!
Paint.NET looks and feels similar to premium programs like Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop. It uses layers and offers lots of special effects. You can make photos look like old paintings, add motion blur for excitement, or just remove red-eye.
For those of you without artistic genius, Paint.NET has you covered. It provides infinite “Undo,” so you can always backtrack to your original image.
This is a fantastic replacement for Microsoft Paint. In fact, Paint.NET gives you the option to do just that during installation. I opted to install it separately, just to be safe. Why do away with ol’ Paint when I can have both programs?
Paint.NET requires the .NET framework. You may already have it if you use Windows Update. If you don’t, find it now at: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Requirements: Windows 2000, XP
Cost: Free
Lost in space
http://celestia.sourceforge.net/
If you’ve ever dreamt of becoming an astronaut, then you must see Celestia. It’s a downloadable space exploration program.
Celestia maps out our solar system and beyond. You can float through space, learning the names of the stars. Or zoom in on stars and planets for a close-up look. The graphics are “stellar!”
If that’s not enough for you, visit the Motherlode. At the Motherlode, you’ll find add-ons that add even more cool features. For example, you can add spacecraft and planets. They can be real or fictional. It seems that some Star Trek fans had a hand in this.
Note: The program is 11 megabytes, so it will take awhile to download on a dial-up connection.
Notice: We give Web sites a "heads-up" before mentioning them in our Cool Sites of the Day. Still, my newsletters generate so much traffic that Web sites sometimes become unavailable. If you are unable to access this site now, please try later. It is a working site.
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