FTP Keep Alive

Improving FTP software:
Why are FTP clients lazy?

Restarting FTP can be annoying.
FTP timeout and FTP auto-disconnect is a waste of time.

"Keep Alive" -- avoid being disconnected from FTP servers is a new feature.

"Cache FTP folders" to speed up browsing and stop frequent server demands.

"On The Fly Compression" saves bandwidth.

Good software is automatic software. Desktops need hard working agents to carry out tasks automatically. Software must "easily schedule jobs".

Control several FTP sites simultaneously.
Use a "tabbed interface to multiple connections".

For Windows 98/Me/NT4.0/2000/XP/2003
Do it here. FTPRush.
$10 to $25 per workstation OR negotiate.

Dictionary site

OneLook Dictionaries
Conducting a search with OneLook
allows you to explore more than 6,000,000 words
in over 950 dictionaries simultaneously!

Google cheat sheet

Go here for simple EXAMPLES of using Google
http://www.google.com/help/cheatsheet.html

Deep searching

THE INVISIBLE WEB REVEALED

'If only I had known!' was the bitter cry of the searcher who relied just on search engines to search the web. Although many popular search engines boast about their ability to index information on the web, more of it (dynamically-generated pages, certain file formats, and information held within numerous databases) has become invisible to their searching spiders.Much of the web is hiding information from us, but we can access this hidden content!Learn how you can reveal the secrets of these dark, hiding places. [via preSurfer]

Repair XP

One fellow's experiences with repairing XP;
a long listing of tips and tweaks.

Speed up XP

How to Speed Disk Access in Windows XP
In this excerpt from the ExtremeTech book Hacking Windows XP, we show you how to use the Intel Application Accelerator and fine-tune page-file settings to give your Windows XP apps more zip. Read this story

Search tutorial

This tutorial presents the substance of the Internet Workshops (current schedule) offered year-round by the Teaching Library at the University of California at Berkeley. The content on this site has been updated to reflect the latest trends in search engines, directories, and evaluating web pages. The title reflects our belief that there is a lot of great material on the Web - primary sources, specialized directories and databases, statistical information, educational sites on many levels, policy, opinion of all kinds, and so much more - and we have better tools for finding this great stuff.

Kitchen table computer

This site is dedicated to the thousands of ordinary people every year who decide to build their own PC's -- very often, on their kitchen tables. Our goals are to present basic information in simple language to help make your computer-building experience as enjoyable, educational, and rewarding as it can be. Why build your own computer?

Domain Name Basics

It's amazing how we take things for granted. Take domain names, for instance. Most people know what they are but few understand all of the details involved.

Data and metadata

Data and Metadata
David Weinberger writes:
There used to be a difference between data and metadata. Data was the suitcase and metadata was the name tag on it. Data was the folder and metadata was its label. Data was the contents of the book and metadata was the Dewey Decimal number on its spine. But, in the Third Age of Order, everything is becoming metadata.

For example, imagine you're at a large corporation doing a Third Order treatment of its digital library of research articles. Instead of (or, in addition to) designing a large, complex, hierarchical taxonomy, you focus on adding enough metadata to each article so that people will be able to sort and classify them any which way they want. If someone wants to find all the articles that talk about hydrocarbons written in Italian in 1965 and that have more than 30 footnotes, they'll be able to. If someone wants to make a browsable hierarchy based not on topic but on gender or on the number of co-authors, they'll be able to. You build enriched objects first so your users can forever after taxonomize the way they want to, instead of the way you think they'll want to.

Now take a closer look at these information objects. They look like contents tagged with lots of metadata, but in fact they're all metadata. If I'm looking for an article about hydrocarbons written by Barbara Rodriguez, then the article's topic ("hydrocarbons") and author's name ("Rodriguez, Barbara") are metadata, and the content is the data. But, I could just as well be trying to remember the name of the author who wrote an article that included the phrase "Hydrocarbons are the burros of the the cosmos" sometime in the 1960s, in which case the content and date are metadata and the author's name is the data. What's data and what's metadata depends on the person doing the asking.

So, in the Third Age of Order, all data is metadata. Contents are labels. Data is all surface and no insides. It's all handles and no suitcase. It's a folder whose content is just another label. It's all sticker and no bumper.

Why does this matter? It changes the primary job of information architects. It makes stores of information more useful to users. It enables research that otherwise would be difficult, thus making our culture smarter overall. But, most interestingly (at least to me), this does the ol' Einsteinian reverse flip to Aristotle. Aristotle assumed that of the 10 categories by which one could understand a thing, one must be primary: Where that thing fits into the tree of knowledge. So, you could say that Alcibiades is made of flesh or lived in Greece, but if you really want to understand him, you have to say that he is an animal of a particular kind. But, now that everything is metadata, no particular way of understanding something is any more inherently valuable than any other; it all depends on what you're trying to do. The old framework of knowledge - and authority - are getting a pretty good shake.

Cellphone tuner

Phonature PhonTuner is an advanced guitar tuner that also works for violin, piano, and even vocal practice like barbershop quartet. It is the FIRST real-time precision tuner to detect off-tuned notes in continuous performance and a cappella singing. It is the best companion for choir, musicians and studio / bandroom professionals. It even works for DRUM and other tricky instruments. With PhonTuner for your mobile phone, you don't need standalone tuners any more.

PC alarm clock

Easy MP3 Alarm Clock v1.0
FREE!
The days of your annoying alarm clock noises are over. Now you can use this Easy MP3 Alarm Clock which supports MP3 and other audio files to wake up to the pleasant sound of your favorite audio clip. Simply choose your audio file, set the time, and... go to sleep! Get it from CNET Download.com! (636 KB)

Anti-trojan programs

A survey of the best anti-trojan programs
from Tech Support Alert

Most folk harbor the belief that they are totally protected from malicious trojan horses by their anti-virus scanner.

The bad news is that many anti-virus scanners give only limited protection against trojans. For the best protection against a trojan you really need a specialist anti-trojan program in addition to your anti-virus software.

At Tech Support Alert we identified 42 currently available trojan remover programs. After a lot of culling and testing we ended up with only 6 recommended products and these are listed below. To see how we reviewed, click here.

Dump the Windows Firewall

[via WindowsSecrets] We're well known for advocating the installation of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP because of the upgrade's many security-related enhancements. (Our most recent articles on installing SP2, including coverage of some glitches that you might encounter, were in the Aug. 19 and Sept. 9 issues of the Windows Secrets Newsletter.)

But Microsoft's latest XP service pack isn't perfect. It's missing many key features, such as utilities to protect against and remove malware. And some of its features — including XP's defensive program that was recently renamed the Windows Firewall — are woefully inadequate.

The problems with Windows Firewall, as they say, are legion. First, it only monitors inbound network traffic, ignoring malware that might already be installed on your system and communicating with Internet servers.

Second, Windows Firewall inherently trusts the local network subnet, leading to the possibility that nearby computers could be used to launch deliberate or "zombie" attacks on your system.And third, while it's possible to run Windows Firewall at the same time as a more capable personal firewall product, such as ZoneAlarm, doing so can be needless confusing and could potentially lead to problems.We recommend, therefore, that you turn off SP2's Windows Firewall and immediately replace it with ZoneAlarm or another personal firewall of your own choice.

Fortunately, replacing Windows Firewall isn't hard.

Remote file service

ZNAIL. Rather than attaching monstrous files to your email, consider uploading them to Znail, then your intended recipients can get them there at their leisure. Your friends connecting via dialup are sure to appreciate it and you can send up to 5 mb per file free.

CSS tip sheets

Seven New Side Links

1. Left Justified - Mean design for this helpful coding site.
   20 October 2004
2. Common Coding Problems with HTML & CSS - Essential guide to the many bugs designers face. (Hello, IE6.)
   20 October 2004
3. Webcoding Terminology - Superb beginner's guide to common web design questions.
   20 October 2004
4. Web browsers - a mini-farce - IE6 the most secure browser? How other browsers can be crashed easier!
   20 October 2004
5. sIFR 2.0: Release Candidate - Brilliant! Flash text replacement tool matures nicely. The future? (via)
   20 October 2004
6. Google Your Desktop - Shame it's focused on Microsoft's browser, email and office programs.
   20 October 2004
7. CSS Drive - Rather cool site for top CSS layout examples. Read the tutorials too.
   20 October 2004

PCNet

Handpicked selection of software

Essential setup

Your first question--- what are the most essential tools and utilities
to add to a new Windows setup?---is where we'll spend most of our time.
In looking back through past articles and newsletters, I see we haven't
really touched on that subject since 2001--- an eternity in computing.
It's definitely time for an update, so in a new (free) InformationWeek
article, I've listed my favorite add-ons, utilities and tools--- the
ones I install on my personal-use PCs. It's now posted at
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=49901840 .

The answer to your second question--- how best to set up a system from
scratch--- is one we've covered in some detail, and which I address that
in a series of links also posted as part of the above article--- "System
Setup Secrets" and more for Win98, WinME, and XP. Those links are a
great place to start whenever you're setting up a new PC, or doing a
reinstall of the operating system on an in-use PC: That information will
let you set up any system for long-lasting stability and ease of use,
and provide a rock-solid foundation for just about any computing need.
You'll find my list of "must have" tools, the links to all the setup
secrets, and a place to add your own favorite tools to the list at
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=49901840 .

Syware guide

Spyware and Adware Removal Guide

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The folks over at Tweak Town have put together a pretty good collection of Spyware tool reviews. I think the winner will really surprise you.

"Today we are going to tell you about some of the best Spyware remover programs available for you to download, how to use those programs, and also how to monitor processes which are running on your computer to establish if the processes are a security risk or not. After you’re finished with this guide your PC will be free of Spyware and running the way it should without any nasty programs running in the background chewing up your computer performance and violating your privacy."

- Tweak Town Article

Dual monitors

How to Use a Multimonitor Display
If you've got a second monitor sitting around, maybe it's time to hook it up to your system and expand your desktop. We walk you through the process and look at how both ATI and Nvidia handle multiple displays. Read this story

Quantum Computing

UC Berkeley physicist Michael Crommie is bringing us closer to the next computer revolution by understanding and manipulating magnetism at the atomic level.

"The magnets that most of us know are simple things with a north and south pole," says Crommie, also a faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). "But when you shrink a magnet down to the size of a single atom or molecule, the properties change considerably. There's a whole world down there with a wealth of different phenomena that depend on very subtle interactions."

At the atomic scale, magnetism is known as "spin." An electron's spin is similar, at least conceptually, to the direction of a rotating top. It can either be "spin-up" or "spin-down" or, Crommie says "kind of up and kind of down." This spin state, called a "superposition" state, can be altered by a magnetic field.

In a futuristic quantum computer, Crommie explains, the direction of an electron's spin could be used as a quantum bit, or "qubit." The power of quantum computers lies in the qubit's ability to exist in a superposition state, representing multiple values at one time. This quantum weirdness is what enables quantum computers to process so much data at once.

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The emerging science of nanotechnology works with things at the unbelievable scale of a few billionths of a meter (nanometers). For comparison, a typical bacterium is about 1,000 nanometers across, while the smallest virus particles measure 20 nanometers. A hydrogen atom stretches 1 nanometer. And research scientists are now building incredible things at this scale of atoms and molecules.

Submit to Froogle

Speedo Froogle Feed Generator v1.2 - $19.95
It's never been easier to submit your products to Froogle! No more spreadsheets. You don't need to own or learn Excel to quickly submit your items. The Product Wizard with detailed explanations walks you through adding your product step by step, and lets beginners submit products to Froogle in minutes. Pro version available soon.

Download drivers

TechSpot's Drivers section that opened last year has now over 2,000 files listed and it's now being updated on a daily basis, during the last 48 hours for example, we have listed new BIOS updates for MSI, AOpen and Gigabyte motherboards. Then of course you'll be able to find much more, from videocard and soundcard drivers, to network adapters and firmware for optical devices.

Ximeta NetDisk

Envy News: Quality Gadgets for Hardware Zealots: "The Ximeta NetDisk not only lets you have a file server on your Ethernet network without the server, but can go mobile when you want your data all to yourself via USB. This versatility is not only a gimmick, it is the basis of what the NetDisk is designed around. This design is sure to be a winner for Ximeta. Both SOHO and power users will benefit greatly from using the NetDisk. Ximeta's NetDisk should be a must buy for those that are looking for a file server that don't care to spend the extra money on the 'server' components."

Copy ANY text

CaptureText.com
Price: 29.95
http://www.capturetext.com/
http://www.capturetext.com/capturetext.exe
Description:
Capture Text was designed specifically to meet the demands of those who works with large amount of texts and prizes their time to spend it on endless typing.

How often were you in the situation when you needed to save some data but wasn't able to do it because words or figures were protected by some script of just cannot be copied? Well, here's the tool that will help you to avoid all these problems and settle them once and for all. Capture Text recognizes any text that is displayed on the screen and saves it to clipboard, so you can work with it. [via NewestShareware.com]

Setup guide

PCStats.com has loads of great beginner guides
PCStats.com has loads of great beginner guides, including:

• Remote access
• Printer sharing
• Wireless security
• Annual PC checkup
• Setting up an FTP server

Desktop hygiene

Keep It Simple

Cut the clutter on your PC and you can stop aggravations before they begin.
PC World's 50 tips show you how to simplify Windows and your system from startup to shutdown.

Fog screen

FogScreen is a break-through technology, literally! FogScreen is a novel and intriguing method for forming a superior quality, physically penetrable dry fog display, a fog screen. The key features are that the screen is flat and thin, enabling high-quality projections, and walk-through is possible.

The FogScreen feels dry and cool to the touch. It creates a magical effect as if the images are floating in thin air.

FogScreen is now available for sale and rent at trade shows, classy events, and anywhere else. Write your message in fog - it will not vanish in the air. You can create walk-through or drive-through posters.

Favorites to html

Favorites 2 HTML creates a web-page from your Internet Explorer Favorites. This web-page can then be uploaded to your website, or any webspace that you have access to. This allows you to gain access to your favorites when you are away from your PC, at work, at a friends place or in a web cafe.

Free ISP portal

"Free Webspace" is the LARGEST directory on the Internet of free web hosting providers, with over 800 free web space hosts and growing, and is updated daily.

Building your computer

Should you tackle the project of building your own computer? Well, there is no reason not to. Even if you know nothing about computers, if you have a desire to learn them, then you can. And once you know the basics, you can build! You can learn as you go. In my opinion, it is best to do this at least once. If you go to buy a pre-built PC by HP or Compaq, they are fine. But, keep in mind that, often, PC manufacturers reduce price by using lesser quality parts. Also, if you do not know you're ass from a PC, you can be certain the salesman will pick up on that and really take advantage of it. I'm not saying all computer salesmen are dishonest, but you wouldn't believe some of the stories I've heard. In short, you need to know what you're talking about. We help you do this on PC Mechanic and I think you will find this tutorial in particular quite helpful.
In the following pages, you will find the steps to building your own PC. Enjoy!

Old software

Dan's 20th Century Abandonware site. No software, just a huge list and screenshots of old old software. Useful for research or if you're just feeling pathetically nostalgic about your first ever word processor package.

old software and old computer games
OldVersion.com
sixlegs.com - Old Shareware

ABANDONWARE
Makenzie's Abandonware
Zork's Abandonware Site
Abandonware Central Ring
Abandonware.net
MCR's Awesome Abandonware

PDA main computer

With your Pocket PC inserted into the Blue Dock you can surf the web and work while using a full screen monitor, USB keyboard and mouse. The Blue Dock enables you to use your handheld as a 'desktop alternative computing platform', by allowing you to work with a full screen monitor, USB keyboard and mouse. The Blue Dock includes the following features:

Small, convenient package
Interoperability with Windows Mobile
Pass-through PDA charging
SD Memory expansion
Compatibility with standard computer keyboard, mouse, monitor, and network equipment

Re-size jpeg

AutoSize: Freeware program to automatically re-size jpegs to thumbnails or other sizes.

Cleaning computers

Cleaning your computer and your computer components helps keep them in working and good condition. Depending on the environment that your computer operates in determines how often you should clean your computer case printers scanners etc etc If you are an end-user or business who does not smoke in the location of the computer it is recommended you clean your computer components every five months as well as doing the standard dusting as you choose keeping it looking clean. If you are a end-user who smokes in the location of the computer it is recommend that you clean your computer components every three months as well as doing the standard dusting as you choose keeping it looking clean. If you are a business which does not allow smoking in the location of the computers or is a company which manufacturers any possible airborne chemicals or produces excessive amounts of dust it is recommend that you clean your computers every 2-3 months.

Firefox setup tips

Firefox modifications and other information edmeister collected from the MozillaZine forum message boards and from various other websites:
descriptions of the 4 user preference files
userChrome.css Category Page
userContent.css Category Page
user.js Category Page
Firefox Tips and Tricks Page
Firefox Information Links
Firefox Extension Lnks

Setting up a new PC

Fred Langa of LangaList shows his preferred method for setting up a new PC fully explained in three articles:

System Setup Secrets For Windows XP http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=12803122 10 Ways To

Make Windows XP Run Better http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20011204S0009

10 More Ways To Make Windows XP Run Better http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=17500569Once the new system is set up and running just the way it should, I thensimply copy my data files (e.g. the contents of "My Documents," etc.) via network, transfer cable, CD, DVD, or from secondary drive to primarydrive--- whatever's convenient. That way, my data migrates, but my old tuning, tweaks, and setups that were ideal for the old system stay there; leaving the new setup pristine and ideal in its own, separate way.

I freely admit that my way takes longer, at first. But I've had something like 50 PCs over the years, and have found (by painful trialand error) that taking a little more time on the front end when you first get a new PC usually saves a ton of time--- and hassle--- in the long run. But your mileage may vary. All the above methods work. Some save time, at the cost of a maybe less-than-ideal setup; my way gives you a perfect setup, but takes more time. It's a trade-off either way

GPS reviews

Fred Langa of LangaList recently bought a new GPS unit, and have been trying the new softwarethat's available. For an up-to-the-minute update on Hand-Held Units, Permanent-Mount GPSes, GPS-Enabled PDAs And Laptops, Hybrid Units, Low-End Units, and more, please click to http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=49400016 .

Self-tuning guitar

The Performa Automated Tuning System.
'A small computer mounted inside the self tuning guitar controls motors that are linked to each string. The bridge and tailpiece are replaced by the self tuning system, allowing your imagination to run wild. At the touch of a button or footswitch, motors are activated to adjust the tension of each string.'

Computer mirror

The iMate Computer Mirror - See the big picture! Are you folks in Aus really that paranoid? Arf!

Priced at $22.95 US.

'Don't be stuck in a corner again!

With the imate's wide-angle view, you can see everything around you - your work-mates, your visitors, the view behind you... and anyone approaching from behind!'

[via redferret]

Record records & tapes

Tape to CD. Blaze Audio's definitive tutorial on how to convert your music from vinyl or cassette to CD. Should be bookmarked for friends and family.

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The Xitel INport is a neat little doohickey which lets you record easily from your stereo system to your PC. What's more, it apparently gives really high quality results. A bargain then, at $69.95, especially since it comes with 30 foot of cable and software an' stuff. 'With Xitel's INport, you can now record all your favourite vinyl and tapes back into your computer with crystal clear fidelity. Archive them, turn them into CDs, or even turn them into MP3s.'

Bulk email

Direct Sender - Win9x/ME/NT4/2000/XP - Internet
Company/Author: Proxymis MultimediaEmail: contact@proxymis.com
Price: 39.90Download file size: 560 KInstalled Size: 560 K
Program Homepage/Download urlhttp://www.directsender.comhttp://www.directsender.com/download/directsender.exe
Description:
Direct Sender allows you to quickly and easily send unlimited numbers of personalized e-mail messages using any kind of database (Access97/2000, Excel, text, ODBC...) The bulk process sends up to 100 simultanous emails directly to recipients, checking its state before, without using your provider''s SMTP: You can send millions of customized emails in HTML or plain format, with or without attachments without overloading your ISP''s servers

Security synopsis

Today's journey of our little bus of Internet happiness is the much-anticipated fourth part in my never-ending Home Computer Security series. If you missed any of the previous posts, you can find themall online in the Tourbus archives:
Part One: Exploits and Patch Management http://tinyurl.com/4gdt6
Part Two: Firewalls http://tinyurl.com/66vfa
Part Two and a half: Odds and Ends http://tinyurl.com/5ru8z
Part Three: Testing your Firewall http://tinyurl.com/46zuz

Blog insights

Blogcount.com
[via Desktop Pipeline] I just discovered this blog about 15 minutes ago, doing research for this article, and added it to my list immediately. Blogcount tracks statistics about the "blogosphere," including how many blogs there are in the world, what the demographics of bloggers are, where they live, and what platforms they use.

Blogcount says his gut feeling is that there are about 10 million weblogs in the world and 110 million people read weblogs. But it's really hard to be sure, because many blogs are hidden, either intentionally, by accident, or because the blogger just doesn't care how many people read what he writes.

blogs' posts contained the following motivations
(more than one motivation can be present):

• Self-expression – 82.4%
• Social interaction – 59.5%
• Entertainment - 51.7%
• Passing time – 24.3%
• Information - 8.4%
• Professional advancement – 2.2%

Word printing tips

Microsoft Word Tip Of The Week: Printing And Preview Tricks
Ironically, Microsoft Word actually has limited printing features.
Here are some ways to get around them and print what you want.

FAT free

[via NewsScan] In a victory for "open source" advocates, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has rejected a Microsoft application for a patent on a system called File Allocation Table (FAT), which lets people create and find files on a computer using easy-to-remember names. The reason for the rejection is that the technology in question is already widely used throughout the industry. Independent patent expert Greg Aharonian comments: "It's like getting a patent on cheesecake." Microsoft plans to file an appeal. (AP/USA Today 1 Oct 2004)

Instand

Lets you sit comfortably and move around at will. High-tech materials provide a stable platform free from wobbling or vibration. The non-skid 9 5/8" x 12" tray-top holds every size laptop securely. Connects instantly and securely to the fully adjustable tripod which extends from 14" to 31" and weighs just 22 oz. Features patented ergonomic tilt feature to adjust keyboard angle for comfort. Black anodized aircraft-quality aluminum and composites. $99 http://instand.com/

Audio tools

The Cobweb Audio site features a bunch of links to cool audio sites, services and tools, including the rather clever MuseBook MidiMic program which lets you convert your voice to MIDI to control synths etc.

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The death of file downloading?
I have seen the future, peeps, and have only two words to say - streaming music recorders. [huh? -Ed]. That's right, a world where music is shared via internet radio rather than files. Sure it's more cumbersome, but it appears to be at least as legal as listening and recording off the radiowaves.

We've talked about the genre before, with Station Ripper, but Bill of Applian just sent me their new Replay Music proggie, and while it still has a few V.1 glitches, it's very cool. Key feature is the ability to record music streams off a variety of Net radio stations while saving the tracks to individual files.

It's only single stream right now, and Applian has decided to go with a Moodlogic licence for the tagging, which means you need to re-purchase the program every 1000 tracks (which I calculate is around 60 hours of music), but it's a great start. And I'm certain that there'll be a nice lot of free and commercial competitive products along in just a while. The $19.95 software will also automatically burn a CD once you have accumulated enough material.

'Replay Music is a revolutionary new way to capture online music into individual MP3 files. Just play music from your favorite online radio station or streaming music service, and every song is saved on your PC as a high quality MP3 file, tagged with the artist and track name, and perfectly separated into individual tracks.

You can even burn songs directly to CDs. It's a great way to discover new music!...Besides just recording and tagging, each MP3 file contains the entire song -- no more, no less. Other recording programs may chop off the start or end of the song, or add unwanted noise.'

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WireTap 1.0
http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/freebies/

Conjuring up images of clandestine Cold War counter-espionage, the word “wiretap” may not exactly sound like an appropriate net tool, but in fact it will prove to be quite handy to many users of the Scout Report. This free product allows users to record any audio playing on their computer, saving it to a file for later listening or processing. With this tool, visitors can record their favorite BBC broadcasts, or just about anything else they come across during their web browsing. This version is compatible with all systems running Mac OS X 10.2 or higher.

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An essential and free tool for recording anything from your Microphone or Line In inputs which automatically converts to several digital formats is HarddiskOgg. You can find it at http://www.fridgesoft.de/harddiskogg.php The unique advantage of this program is adjustable "on the fly" normalization. Works great for recording live or for copying LPs and cassette tapes.

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Free Audio Recorder v1.0
Free Audio Recorder is an easy to use free software that enables you to easily record any sound you can hear on your computer, from internet radio stations to streaming music. You can set the recording audio quality, from a low quality taking minimal disk space, up to CD quality.Using Free Audio Recorder is very easy and intuitive: simply select the file to be saved, set the audio quality, and click Record! As this program is completely free, there are no limitations on the length of the recording, or the recording quality. Get it from CNET Download.com! (578 KB)

Presentation tool

Pan n' Scan.
Rostrum Camera is a cool piece of freeware which lets you mimic a rostrum camera. Eh? Well, it means that you can pan across still images to make them more interesting before adding them into your video footage, web clips etc. They do this stuff on TV all the time, peeps. Wake up at the back there.'Automaticallly [sic] produces a series of bitmap files which can then be converted into a single AVI file using a supplied utility.. Can be set to track horizontally and vertically, or zoom in or out... Controls for track distance, zoom range and clip duration..' [via redferret]

XP Auto Play repair

Auto Fix. One of the big hassles with Windows XP is when it loses the ability to auto play. You know, when the option box which pops up automatically when you plug in a digicam, flash memory drive, CD or other removable drive stops working?Well if that happens to you, try downloading the Microsoft AutoPlay Repair Wizard. And mirrored here.'The Microsoft AutoPlay Repair Wizard scans your computer devices to find defective AutoPlay settings, and attempts to fix those it finds.' [via redferret]