Nibbles and Bytes

Flickr is Excellent.

2011-06-27T16:55:00.003+10:00

I recently restarted using online photo sharing website, Flickr. This time around, instead of just occasionally using the site to casually share a few pics, I've been exploring more of what Flickr has to offer with a view to using the site much more seriously. And I must say I'm pretty impressed.

One of Flickr's great advantages is that it is very easy to use, even if you are not a computer guru. Uploading and organizing your images is very simple and intuitive. You can store your images in "Sets" or "Collections" and you can even have "Collections" of "Sets". Your front page features your "Photostream" which displays your most recent uploads, and, depending on the layout you choose, your sets or collections as well.

Flickr makes it easy to share photos via email and via Twitter and Facebook. For many blogging platforms, you can also send your Flickr images direct to your blog if you wish. Or you can embed a slideshow into your blog posts or web pages, as I've done below.

Flickr also allows you a lot of control over who sees your images and what license you want to apply to them. There are a variety of ways of controlling who sees what, ranging from full public access to completely private. And, if you want to keep your images private, but would still like to share them with certain people, you can create Guest Passes that achieve just that.

Flickr doubles as a powerful and lively image orientated social network that allows you to participate as much or as little as you please. You can join or create Groups that focus on a great many different subjects as well as "Favorite" and comment on images and create Galleries featuring the work of other users.

Flickr offers a free account that should be more than adequate for a lot of users. And, if you want more storage and other extras you can upgrade to a Pro account for a nominal yearly fee.

Check out Flickr

Please don't Play Music at Me Without Asking!

2011-06-25T15:52:00.000+10:00

There seems to be quite a lot of website creators who think it is cool to have music automatically play when you visit their site. Personally, I find that irritating. I often listen to music while I'm browsing, so having another unexpected music track suddenly assault my eardrums on top of what I'm already listening to can be quite jarring.

If you must have music play automatically on your website, at the very least provide a prominent "off" switch so that your visitors can choose to listen or not to listen according to their preference.

Frankly, if I visit a site that plays music without me requesting it to do so, I'm app to hit the "back" button and never return.

Google Moderator

2011-06-11T12:41:00.000+10:00

I've recently been experimenting with one of Google's less well known tools, Google Moderator. Google Moderator allows you to easily create an online discussion page were you can ask for and receive feedback from other web users about just about any subject you like. The site's help files explain:

What does Google Moderator do?
Google Moderator allows you to create a series about anything that you are interested in discussing and open it up for people to submit questions, ideas, or suggestions. These are called submissions.
Anyone can come to the site and submit a question, idea, or vote, and anyone can vote. Google Moderator shows you a question in the box with the blue background. This is called the Featured Question.
A topic is a way to break up your series into smaller, more manageable topics of discussion. You can have one topic, or multiple topics. For example, if you create a series of 'Book clubs' for your organization, topics could be 'Fiction,' 'Non-fiction,' or 'Auto-biographies.'

You can create your series right on the Google Moderator website. There is also an option to embed Moderator in an IFRAME on your own website if you wish.

Explore Google Moderator Here

Clavier+

2011-06-09T09:30:00.000+10:00

Some software applications become such a normal part of your daily computing routine that you almost forget they are there. For me, once such software is Clavier+. This little freeware program lets you create and configure universal keyboard shortcuts that will work in just about any program you are using on your computer.

I mainly use Clavier+ for quickly adding snippets of text to various documents such as email, Word files, HTML documents, Evernote notes and more. To set up a shortcut, you input your desired text into the software's simple interface, choose a key combination and save your settings. Then, whenever you key your chosen combination, the text will appear magically in the document you are working on. If, like me, you often have a need to enter the same snippets of text over and over again, this can be a real time saver.

You can also create shortcuts to open specific programs, files or websites.

The software can be configured to start with Windows which means it is always available.

Visit the Clavier+ website

Exploring iPad

2011-06-08T16:43:00.000+10:00

Well, my much anticipated new toy is here at last and, of course, I'm in geek heaven - at least until the next cool gadget comes out! Right now, I'm still exploring the device and installing essential apps like Evernote for iPad. It's certainly well worth the wait. It's just the right size for both portability and ease of use. For example, tying to blog from an iPhone is a little fiddly, but blogging from an iPad (as I'm doing now)is easy and fun and I can do it from my lounge room or where ever else I may be!

Xmarks Bookmark Sync

2011-06-07T15:44:00.000+10:00

I've just downloaded and installed Xmarks for Firefox. Xmarks is a browser tool that allows you to easily sync all of your bookmarks across computers. The "Features" page on the Xmarks website notes:

Install Xmarks on each computer you use, and it seamlessly integrates with your web browser and keeps your bookmarks safely backed up and in sync.

Xmarks will sync across browsers too. Today we support Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Safari (Mac OS).

You can also simply login to your Xmarks account from any computer and access all of your bookmarks very easily. When using another computer, you can even remotely load tabs (including Firefox App Tabs) that are open on the computer that has Xmarks installed.

Xmarks has quite a lot of other features that I've yet to explore properly. But even as just a quick and easy way to access your bookmarks when away from your primary computer, it looks to be a very useful application.

Check out Xmarks here

New Facebook Page

2011-06-07T15:00:00.000+10:00

I've now set up a companion Facebook Page for the Nibbles and Bytes blog. The page is a great place to discuss and recommend cool software and websites and a lot of other stuff. When I post a new article here on the blog, I'll also post a link to it on the Nibbles and Bytes Facebook page. So, "liking" the page is a good way to stay notified of new blog posts as well as participate in what I hope will grow into a lively and interesting little community.

Check out the new Nibbles and Bytes Facebook Page

Of Rice and iPhones

2011-06-07T10:14:00.000+10:00

Not too long after I got my much loved iPhone, I managed to drop the bloody thing in a toilet bowl while doing my husbandly cleaning duties! It fell right out of my shirt pocket and plummeted helplessly down into the water, with me screaming in horror all the while. I fished it out within seconds, but I thought the poor thing would be well and truly deceased.

But around the same time, with my Hoax-Slayer hat on, I was checking into a circulating tip that claimed that you could save the life of a wet mobile phone by covering it in uncooked rice overnight. So I thought I'd give it a go.

Well, the good news is that the phone dried out! I left it in the rice for around 24 hours, cranked it up, and it worked perfectly and has been going ever since.

So did the rice actually save the phone? In truth, there is no way of knowing for sure. It is quite possible that even if I'd left the phone, forlorn and riceless on the bench, it may well have dried out and fully recovered anyway.

Unless you were to take two identical phones in precisely the same condition, immerse them in water for precisely the same length of time and then place one in rice and the other on the bench, there is no real proof that the rice method is effective or not. Even if you did conduct such a controlled experiment, other uncontrolled factors such as the relative robustness of components inside the phones might affect the results. To be really sure, you'd probably have to conduct the same experiment a number of times and correlate the overall results.

The theory is that the rice helps to draw out and absorb the liquid caught in the phone. That may well be the case. Anyway, regardless of whether the rice saved the day or not, I was just glad to have my iPhone back!

iPad Anticipation!

2011-06-06T19:53:00.000+10:00

I ordered an iPad 2 via the Apple Store a couple of weeks ago and I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on it! I already love my iPhone and have installed a lot of useful (and not so useful but fun - think "Fruit Ninja") apps on it. So, I can't wait to get hold of the iPad and start installing :) Hopefully, it will arrive by the end of the week. It's the 64 GB model, so it should have plenty of room for lots of stuff.

I'm Back!

2011-06-05T20:25:00.000+10:00

Well, how time flies! I added a couple of items to this blog earlier this evening and then realized that it was the first time I'd posted here since June 2007. But, I'll certainly try to make up for my callous and shameful neglect by posting a lot more from now on. Promise! Really! :)

Hell, I even changed the blog template and fiddled with the settings a bit.

Here's a picture of a camel I snapped in Tasmania a while back. Why am I including it here? No reason really. I just like camels:

An old man, a boy & a donkey

2011-06-05T18:38:00.001+10:00

Crossed my Inbox today :)

An old man, a boy & a donkey were going to town. The man rode on the donkey & the boy walked.

As they went along they passed some people who remarked "What a shame he makes that little boy walk."

The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions.

Later they passed some people who remarked " What a shame the old man is walking and the boy is riding." So they then decided they'd both walk! Soon they passed some more people who remarked, "They're really stupid to walk when they have a decent donkey to ride."

So, they both rode the donkey. Now they passed some people who shamed them by saying "How awful to put such a load on a poor donkey."

The boy and man figured they were probably right, so they decide to carry the donkey. As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal and he fell into the river and drowned.

The moral of the story?

If you try to please everyone, you might as well kiss your ass goodbye!

Evernote

2011-06-05T16:11:00.000+10:00

Some software applications or web services become such an important part of your everyday working life that you'd wonder how you'd manage to get anything done without them. For me, one such tool is Evernote. Evernote allows you to capture and store thoughts, ideas, information from websites, images, scanned documents, files and just about anything else you can think of with ease.

The great thing about Evernote is that you can add notes in multiple ways, including via the Evernote website, its desktop software and its smartphone application. And, best of all, your notes are automatically synched between these various devices! What this means in practice is that I'm never very far from a device that allows me to add a note to my Evernote account, so I can record thoughts and ideas on the fly. For example, if I'm out shopping, and get an idea I'd like to record, I can whip out my iPhone and jot down the outline of my idea in just a few seconds. Later, at home, I can look at the idea on my Evernote desktop software, expand on it as necessary and file it for future attention.

Evernote is a very powerful and versatile application that really does help me stay organized, increase productivity and remember things.

Check out Evernote Here

Zoom Search Engine

2007-06-25T16:10:00.000+10:00

I recently purchased a copy of the Zoom Search Engine to replace the existing site search engine that I was using on Hoax-Slayer.com. I have previously tried several site search engines, but I was not particularly happy with any of them.

However, Zoom is simply outstanding and is streets ahead of other search solutions I have tried. It is highly configurable, and allows webmasters to set up a very professional internal search engine that blends seamlessly with the design of your website. Most importantly, it produces reliable and relevant search results for users.

Zoom comes as a software package that installs on your computer rather than a fully web-based script and control panel like others I have tried. This means that you can configure your search, index your site and upload the necessary files from software installed right on your computer.

Moreover, the support offered by the company is excellent. After I bought the program, I encountered some quite server-specific problems with Zoom's logging function. Even though the problems were caused by the way my hosting company's servers are set up and were not explicitly caused by the Zoom software itself, Zoom's support staff went out of their way to help and even rolled out an updated version of the software that addressed the issues.

Zoom is free for small sites with other fee-based versions available depending on the specific needs of your website. I opted for the professional version and I consider it worth every cent and more.

Find out more about Zoom Search Engine

See Zoom in action on Hoax-Slayer

SyncToy - Folder Synchronization Tool

2007-06-05T19:02:00.000+10:00

Recently, I was looking around for a program that would allow me to easily synchronize two folders across two computers on my home network. While there are a number of applications that will perform this fairly simple task and a lot more, Microsoft's SyncToy v 1.4 turned out to be just the ticket for what I required.

This free little PowerToy makes it simple to keep the contents of two folders in sync with each other. Once you create your desired folder pair or pairs, you can then just click the "Run" button and the program will update the folders so that they both hold the very same contents. If you add, rename, delete or modify a file in one of the folders in the pair and then run SyncToy, the changes will be reflected in the second folder.

SyncToy v 1.4 works on Windows XP and Vista.

SyncToy interface

Grab a copy of SyncToy

Google Buys Feedburner

2007-06-03T16:29:00.000+10:00

For the past few weeks, I've been using Feedburner to manage my new Hoax-Slayer New Articles feed. Feedburner offers an excellent service, especially for those of us like Yours Truly who are still fairly new to the heady world of RSS.

Soon after I signed up for a Feedburner Account, rumours began spreading that Google was in the process of buying Feedburner. Turns out the stories are true.

Overall, I'd say that the change in ownership will be positive. Google's reach and resources will probably improve an already excellent product.

Still, it is a little concerning how many companies Google has managed to acquire.

Where will it end? Maybe, one day Google Earth, will REALLY be Google Earth...lol.

APOD Desktop Version

2006-04-07T14:21:00.000+10:00

One of my favourite websites is NASA's excellent Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD). Every day, APOD features an outstanding photograph or image of some aspect of "our fascinating universe". A succinct but informative explanation compliments each picture.

There is also a downloadable version of APOD available that automatically downloads a new astronomy picture every day and displays it on your computer desktop. The desktop version includes the image explanation, which is heavily hyperlinked for those seeking more information. It is therefore educational as well as aesthetically pleasing.

The APOD software is free and "as is". However, I've been running it for several weeks on my Windows XP system with nary a hitch.

Grab your own copy here

PCI Modem Connection Problem

2006-04-01T13:45:00.000+10:00

Last weekend, my neighbour asked if I could help solve an Internet connection problem she was having. She could successfully connect using her dial-up account, but could not browse web sites or receive email.

After first ensuring that the computer was virus, spyware and trojan free, I tried pinging websites via a command prompt, but this was unsuccessful, even though the connection was still active. I tried disabling any programs that might be interfering with the connection, including the firewall and various scanners. This did not resolve the issue.

To check that it was not a problem with the ISP, I tried the account on another computer and found that it worked perfectly. I also tried another working dial-up account on the problem computer and encountered the same connection issue. Thus the problem was clearly on the client computer.

After some resolute googling, I tried altering the modem settings as described on several sites, but this did not help either. I installed a network card in the problem computer so that I could use my broadband connection to do a Windows update and install a more up-to-date modem driver. No joy!

Next, I replaced the modem with another that I knew was working correctly but the problem still remained. This really had me scratching my head! In fact, if I had hair, I probably would have pulled it all out!

Then I realized that I had not yet tried swapping the modem to a different PCI slot. Lo and behold, this simple procedure fixed the problem completely! I suspect some sort of conflict must have been causing the problem with that particular PCI slot. Updating the BIOS or doing some prolonged conflict hunting may have solved the PCI slot issue, but I decided to leave well enough alone (grin).

So, if you are having problems solving a modem connection issue, don’t forget to try moving the modem to another PCI slot. It may not solve your problem, but it’s certainly worth a try.

Google Calculator

2005-10-20T16:28:00.000+10:00

Google has quite a few extra web search features that can make your browsing experience just a little more efficient. One of these is the Calculator feature. You can perform conversions and calculations on the fly right in your browser. Just input your calculation into the Google search field, press the “Enter” key, and a page with your result will be displayed.

For example, lets say you come across a page that states a distance between two destinations as being 357 miles, but you are more comfortable with kilometres. Just enter “357 miles in kilometres” (without quotes) into Google and you’ll instantly get the result “357 miles = 574.535808 kilometres”

You can also perform other conversions, such as pounds to kilograms, Celsius to Fahrenheit, modern numbers to Roman Numerals and many more. The calculator supports a raft of mathematical functions including addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, square root, logarithm and others.

Combine the Google Calculator with a tabbed browser that has built in Google Search such as Mozilla Firefox and you can quickly perform calculations without surfing away from the web page your are examining.

Find out more about using the Google calculator

Xandros Linux

2005-10-20T15:41:00.000+10:00

A few months back I installed a copy of Xandros Desktop OS 3 Open Circulation Edition on one of my computers. The computer is an older, fairly low-end machine that was originally running Windows 98. Now that I have installed Xandros on this machine, I can choose at start-up to load either the Linux OS or Windows 98.

I was quite surprised at the simplicity of this installation. The install went very smoothly and I had Xandros up and running on the system in around an hour. The Express install feature can automatically set up a partition on your hard drive and install Xandros on it with a minimum of fuss. You are given the option of keeping an existing operating system or overwriting it completely. If you choose to keep the existing OS, Xandros will be installed alongside it and you can subsequently choose at boot-up which OS to use. During installation, you are required to set-up an administrator account and a single user account by supplying passwords and user names.

This version of Xandros is free for non-commercial use. Information on the Xandros site states that:

The Open Circulation Edition is a limited version of Xandros Desktop OS that can be download at no charge and freely distributed to others. It is strictly for non-commercial use, and no e-mail installation support is included.

Xandros is a great choice for those of us who are new to Linux. Windows users will probably find that they can find their way around Xandros quite easily. Xandros runs very nicely on my old machine and comes preinstalled with a raft of useful software.

Visit the Xandros website for more information.

Email Etiquette Tip: - DON'T SHOUT!

2005-10-18T11:22:00.000+10:00

If you USE ALL CAPS in your email, you will immediately make yourself look like a newbie. For those of us who spend a lot of time hanging out in cyberspace, using all capital letters in a message is akin to shouting. For those new to the Internet, this restriction might seem silly. However, using all caps WILL adversely alter how people perceive you online.

Capital letters are best left for their intended usage and, sparingly, to emphasize a particular word or phrase.

If you wish to communicate effectively via email, the importance of Email Etiquette should not be underestimated.

How do you pronunce "Linux"?

2005-10-16T12:24:00.000+10:00

A vexing question, indeed! Since I'm beginning to seriously deepen my relationship with the Linux Operating System, I decided I'd better find out how to pronounce the damn thing correctly. The fear is that I will immediately identify myself as a clueless Linux newbie just by opening my mouth (grin). Mind you, at present, I am a clueless Linux newbie, but I'm hoping to remedy that sad state of affairs over the next few months.

Anyway, I've been doing some research and it seems that there are actually several ways of saying the word.

To me, "lynuks" seems the most natural at first. However, I’ve now taken to using the "linnuks" variation, which seems to be more popular in my neck of the woods at least.

Nibble or Nybble?

2005-10-16T12:16:00.000+10:00

A reader has suggested that the correct spelling for "Nibble" (in a computer science context) should be "Nybble". The truth is that both spellings are correct, although "nibble" is probably the most common. According to a Wikipedia entry on the subject,

The term nibble originates from the fact that the term byte is a pun on the English word bite. A nibble is a small bite, or half a bite. The nybble spelling parallels the spelling of byte.

Many references suggest that both "nibble" and "nybble" represent 4 bits or half a bite. Others maintain that 1 nybble represents 8 nibbles in the same way that 1 byte represents 8 bits.

Name change: Nibbles and Bytes

2005-10-16T12:09:00.000+10:00

A few months back I launched a new webzine called Nibbles and Bytes that was hosted as part of my Hoax-Slayer website. Nibbles and Bytes started out as a fortnightly webzine that featured material on a large variety of subjects. Nibbles and Bytes was intended as an expression of my desire to share some of the interesting and unusual things I've come across online.

Issues featured such items as:

Brief reviews of interesting and helpful websites

Personal comments about software that I'm trying out

Internet and computer tips

Unusual stories, factoids and trivia

A dash of humour

Basically, anything else that took my fancy (grin)

However, due to the desire to fulfil other projects (I tend to over-commit myself..lol), the webzine stalled somewhat and new issues languished on my rather lengthy "to-do" list. Also, the subject matter and scope of this blog and the webzine tended to cover a lot of the same territory.

Therefore, I've decided to roll this blog and the Nibbles and Bytes Webzine into one package. The blog format makes it a lot easier and less time consuming for me to add new material.

Since I rather like the name "Nibbles and Bytes" I’ve decided to use it for this blog rather than the somewhat unwieldy "Software Reviews & PC Tips"

Just for the record…a byte is the common IT term for 8 bits. A nibble is half a byte.

Don't Click It - Innovative Website

2005-09-29T12:54:00.000+10:00

Don't Click It is a very interesting website that offers a novel way of navigating. As the name implies, you can make your way around the site without clicking your mouse. There is a lot of innovative and thought provoking content on this site and it is well worth a visit.

By the way, if you accidentally click something on the site, you get told off, so to speak :).

Opera Browser is now Free

2005-09-25T14:48:00.000+10:00

In an earlier post, I mentioned that Opera was giving away free registrations for a limited period. At the time, paying a registration fee removed the banners that helped to support Opera, so the free registration offer was good value. However, it seems that there was no need to rush, as the Opera Browser is now completely free.

According to information on the Opera Website:

Opera has removed the banners, found within our browser, and the licensing fee. Opera's growth, due to tremendous worldwide customer support, has made today's milestone an achievable goal. Premium support is available.

Thanks to ClifNotes for the heads-up about Opera going free.

Read ClifNotes review of Opera

Check out and download the free Opera Browser

Free Opera Browser Rego

2005-08-31T15:44:00.000+10:00

As part of their 10th birthday celebrations, Opera is currently giving away free registrations for the Opera browser! Opera is an excellent browser that I’ve used extensively in the past. (At the moment, I'm using Mozilla Firefox, which IMHO, is simply the best web browser available today).

Opera always offers a free version of their browser that is ad supported. These ads are quite unobtrusive and are displayed across the top of the browser window. However, a registration fee is required if you want to remove these advertisements. The good news is that, right now, you can get a free registration code for your copy of Opera.

I'm not sure how long this deal will last, so if you want the free rego, it would be best to head over to the MyOpera website ASAP.

Opera 10-year online anniversary party

New Site: XP-Tips.com

2005-08-29T11:37:00.000+10:00

I've recently launched a new website that features computer tips for the Microsoft Windows XP operating system.

Windows XP is highly configurable. There are a great many ways to enhance and personalize your computing experience. The computer tips and tweaks included on XP-Tips.com are designed to help you get the most out of Windows XP.

Each tip is clearly presented in plain English. Where appropriate, step-by-step instructions and screen shots are included for clarity. Windows XP tips are grouped into categories for easy access.

The site is still very new, and there are only a few tips available as yet. However, I'll be adding many more XP tips over the coming weeks. You can take a look at the new site via the link below:

XP Tips - Computer Tips for Windows XP

Google Talk

2005-08-26T16:52:00.000+10:00

Google Talk, Google's new instant messaging and live talk application is now available.

I've just downloaded a copy to give it a test run. Google Talk has an uncluttered, no-nonsense interface that is quite simple to use. The application integrates with Gmail, and can notify you when new messages arrive. A summary of new messages is displayed in a small pop-up and you can click to go directly to your Gmail inbox.

I haven't tested out the IM or Talk features as yet, but I’ll run it through its paces directly

Here's what Google has to say about Google Talk:

Google Talk is a downloadable Windows application that enables users to quickly and easily talk or send instant messages to their friends for free. Calls are made through your computer using the latest voice technology; all you need is an Internet connection, a microphone and a speaker. If you don't have a speaker or built-in microphone, you may want to consider buying a headset, which will also provide the best voice quality when using Google Talk.

Check out Google Talk

Tux Paint

2005-08-25T08:28:00.000+10:00

If you have young children or grand children who use your
computer, you might like to let them loose in Tux Paint. Tux
Paint is a very easy-to-use drawing program that allows young
children to explore their artistic side without getting poster
paint all over the carpet (and themselves).

From the developers site:

Tux Paint is a free drawing program designed for young children
(kids ages 3 and up). It has a simple, easy-to-use interface,
fun sound effects, and an encouraging cartoon mascot who helps
guide children as they use the program.

My children and their neighbourhood friends have thoroughly tested
Tux Paint over the last few weeks. They just love it! I have it
installed on my Windows XP system as well as an older (and
considerably slower) Windows 98 machine. The program is quite
stable and has not caused any problems on either system.

An outstanding feature of Tux Paint is that it runs on several
operating systems, including Windows, Mac and Linux.

To find out more about Tux Paint, visit the developer's site.

Adding an External Hard Drive - External Enclosure Method

2005-08-20T16:36:00.000+10:00

If you are looking for an easy way to add another hard drive to your system, an external enclosure system might be the way to go. I needed extra space to externally store backups of important files and a growing archive of disk-consuming digital photos.

There are several methods to solve such a problem. After discussing such options at my favourite local computer shop, I decided on a Zynet External Enclosure fitted with an 80GB Seagate Hard Drive. This is a fairly simple solution that allows you to slip a standard hard drive into an elegant, desk-friendly case and plug it into your computer via USB or FireWire. Once the new hard drive is formatted, it should register as an extra drive on your machine and you can add, change, create and delete files in the normal way. An advantage of an external enclosure system is that you can change the hard drive with a minimum of fuss if you need even more space or if the original goes belly-up. And you don't have to delve into the innards of your system to do it!

During assembly

Up and running

Using Thunderbird For RSS Subscriptions

2005-08-06T16:23:00.000+10:00

For quite some time, I’ve been using the excellent Mozilla Thunderbird as my default email client. Lately I’ve been using Thunderbird to manage my RSS subscriptions as well. It is quite convenient to have just the one application to handle both your email and RSS feeds.

Adding and managing your feeds is super easy and you can drag and drop RSS messages to different folders, create filters and search messages in the same way that you can with email.

For more information, you can visit the Mozilla Thunderbird homepage. You might also like to check out my earlier review of Thunderbird.

On-Screen Keyboard in Windows XP

2005-08-02T19:45:00.000+10:00

You may not realize that Windows XP comes with a rather cool virtual keyboard that you can operate with your mouse. When you start the On-Screen Keyboard a graphical representation of a keyboard is loaded as a separate window.

To type with the virtual keyboard, you simply click the corresponding key with your mouse. This feature is mainly intended as an accessibility option. The On-Screen Keyboard allows people with mobility impairments to type using a mouse or joystick in place of a standard keyboard. It might also come in handy as a temporary workaround if your normal keyboard goes haywire.

To access the On-Screen Keyboard:
1. Open the document that you want to type into.
2. Hit Windows Key + R to open Run (Or click “Start /Run”)
3. Input "OSK" (without the quotes) in the Run box and hit enter.
4. The virtual keyboard should load.

Even if you never have a legitimate need to use the On-Screen Keyboard, its good to know its there. Besides, my children like playing with it (grin).

More information:
Microsoft Article - Using On–Screen Keyboard

Google Earth – Outstanding!

2005-07-30T15:33:00.000+10:00

Earlier today I downloaded Google Earth and Matthew (my 11 year old) and myself have been running it through its paces over the last hour or so. Google Earth is a program that allows you to easily view images of different areas of the planet, zoom in on towns or cities, search for specific location such as schools and restaurants, get driving directions and a host of other data and even bookmark certain places so you can easily return.

Google Earth uses satellite and aerial images combined with maps and Google’s exceptional search capabilities to “put the world's geographic information at your fingertips.”

This really is an awesome piece of software! It is educational as well as a lot of fun.

Please note that Google Earth may not run properly on older computers. Make sure you read the system requirements to find out if your machine is up to the job before you download the program.

Find out more about Google Earth

My little corner of the planet:

Personalized Google Homepage Update

2005-07-28T11:11:00.000+10:00

Google's Personal Home Page feature has recently been updated. There are now new ways to customize the content of your page. A side bar feature lets you easily choose content to include and you can rearrange the content display simply by dragging and dropping.

You can preview your Gmail messages right on the home page, save bookmarks and add feeds to a variety of news and information sources. One of the best new features is the ability to create your own sections by adding feeds in the field provided.

To personalize your Google Homepage, you need to have a Google Account. If you already use Gmail or another Google service you can use the same login details.

In the past, I’ve generally used a blank page as my default browser home page, but I've now switched over to the new personal Google. The page is intuitive to use, uncluttered, loads fast, and provides useful content.

Personalize your Google Homepage Here

Simple Notepad Snippet Store

2005-07-26T10:03:00.000+10:00

When I'm working on my computer, I often need to temporarily store a snippet of information such as a web link, a reference to another document or just a reminder to myself to check into something later. There are a number of ways such a "snippet store" can be implemented, including the use of "Sticky Note" programs, some of which are quite sophisticated.

However, if you like to keep things simple, you can use Windows Notepad to create a quite functional snippet store.

Here’s how:

1. Open a new Windows Notepad document, name it “snippit.txt” (or whatever you like) and save it to your hard drive.

2. Locate the file and create a shortcut to it on your desktop.

3. Right-click the shortcut on your desktop and select "Properties". Use the "Properties" dialog to select a new icon for the shortcut and give it a suitable name.

4.Drag the shortcut to your Quick Launch bar.

Now, any time you want to rapidly store some information, you can simply click the snippet icon on the Quick Launch bar and add your snippet. Naturally, you can use the same procedure with other applications such as a word processor if you want more advanced formatting options. However, the advantage of using a Notepad file is that it will load very quickly and will only consume a small amount of your computer's available resources.

You can even "network enable" your Notepad snippet store. I've saved my snippet file in a folder that is accessible from either of my networked computers. Both machines have Quick Launch shortcuts to this file with identical icons. Thus, regardless of which machine I'm working on, I can save my snippets in the same file for future reference.

W3C Validation Service

2005-07-19T19:09:00.000+10:00

To validate your HTML, XHTML or CSS documents you can use the online validation service provided by the The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

This is a free service that checks HTML, XHTML and CSS documents for conformance to W3C Recommendations and other standards. The validator will check the file and flag any errors it discovers.

Validate HTML and XHTML documents
Validate CSS documents

You can check files that are already online as well as files on your
computer.

Once you have created files that validate correctly, you can display the
"Valid HTML", Valid XHTML" or "Valid CSS" icons on you website.

WinAlarm – Simple Reminder Program

2005-07-18T10:49:00.000+10:00

WinAlarm is an elegant little program that can be configured to remind you of upcoming events such as meetings, birthdays and bill due dates. The program reminds you about a specified event by sounding an alarm and popping up a window with the reminder details. Although WinAlarm is very simple to use, it is quite versatile and provides a number of configuration options, including repeat reminders, snooze feature, the ability to change the alarm sound and pop-up graphics and multiple language choices.

If you are after a simple reminder program without the overhead of a fully-fledged personal information manager, then this little app is well worth checking out.

Find out more about WinAlarm

Hoax-Slayer Forums

2005-07-15T17:12:00.000+10:00

Ok, so this is a shameless plug..what can I say? (grin)

I've recently set up an online forum for the Hoax-Slayer website, and I'm now on a bit of a recruitment drive.

The forums will provide a place to discuss scams, hoaxes and a lot more. Although the primary focus is scams and hoaxes, there is plenty of room for other topic areas as well, including software discussion, computer help and the like.

My fellow administrator, Jean, and myself are open to suggestions and looking to get the forums up and running, so any ideas you have will be most welcome!

I hope that the forums will grow into an active community and represent a worthwhile addition to the Hoax-Slayer website. Please help us build an informative and friendly hoax and scam busting online community.

Naturally, the forums are completely free to join, although registration is required to weed out scummy spammers. Hope to see you there!

Check out the forums:
Hoax-Slayer Forums

Managing Downloads

2005-07-15T17:10:00.000+10:00

For a while now I've been using a system of managing downloads
that I feel is quite effective, especially if you download a lot
of software.

First of all, I have a parent folder on my C drive that I call
'AAADownloads' so that it stays at the top in Windows Explorer
for easy access.

Every time I download a program, I create a new sub-folder within
this parent folder that has the same name as the software I'm
downloading.

Normally I store all the files and folders associated with the
software in this sub-folder. I also create a plain text software
log for each download that records the following information.

**Name:
**Source:
**Download Date:
**Install Date:
**Installation Report:
**Eula:
**Review:

To save time, I have a template file set up so I can just fill
in the blanks and save the resulting file to the new program's
sub-folder.

I find that it can be really useful to have all the information
and files you need for a program in an easily accessible and
well-organized location

SearchStatus Firefox Extension

2005-07-11T17:58:00.000+10:00

If you are looking for a way to easily check PageRank and backlinks, but don't have a need for the full Google Toolbar, then this little Firefox extension might be just the ticket!

SearchStatus unobtrusively displays a website's Google PageRank and Alexa Rank in the Firefox browser's status bar. Right-clicking the icon gives you a variety of other options, including backlinks information for Google, Yahoo and MSN, Whois data, fast access to Meta Tags and more.

This extension is a very handy tool for webmasters who use Mozilla Firefox

Find out more about SearchStatus

Clif Notes Newsletter

2005-07-11T08:32:00.000+10:00

I subscribe to a lot of email newsletters as I think they are an excellent way to increase your knowledge, find out about interesting products, websites, people and ideas, and perhaps just get a good laugh.

One email newsletter that I would highly recommend is Clif Notes. Here is what the publisher has to say about Clif Notes:

What is Clif Notes Newsletter? Each week, I send out a plain text newsletter with a link to the newsletter website. I review several freeware applications. I offer Windows tips, tricks, and security advice. I also recommend interesting websites I've visited. Best of all, it's free. No spam, No ads, Nobody else sees your email address.

I've discovered several excellent websites and freeware programs via the Clif Notes Newsletter. Click the link below to check out Clif Notes and grab your own free subscription.

Clif Notes Newsletter - Freeware and Website Reviews

Google Toolbar for Firefox

2005-07-08T08:51:00.000+10:00

Google has just released a Mozilla Firefox compatible version of the excellent Google Toolbar. I'm testing it out right now. Although it is still a beta, the toolbar seems to be working fine, so far.

Please note that the System requirements for the toolbar are Windows XP/2000 SP3+, Mac OS X 10.2+, or Red Hat Linux 8.0+.

More info about Google Toolbar BETA for Firefox

Advanced Diary

2005-07-04T21:40:00.000+10:00

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been trying out Advanced Diary, an excellent freeware diary application. I’ve tried a few digital diaries in the past. In fact, I even created a fairly primitive one of my own using Visual Basic. However, Advanced Diary is by far the best I’ve used. (At least until I find the time, inclination and expertise to enhance my own creation..lol).

Advanced Diary has an impressive list of features, including:

· Ability to create multiple diaries
· Password Protection
· Extensive formatting options
· Calender or Document mode
· Very clean and intuitive interface
· Backup facility

This is remarkable little package, especially for a freebie!

The brand new beta version, which I'm currently trying out, also features an excellent spell checker and thesaurus.

Check out Advanced Diary

Single Click To Open Programs and Folders

2005-07-02T22:34:00.000+10:00

In order to open a program or folder, the normal procedure is to
double-click the associated icon. Generally, one click will
highlight the icon while two will open it. However, if you would
prefer to open programs and folders with just one click, you can
easily configure your Windows system to allow this:

Windows XP Users:

1. Press Widows Key + E to open Windows Explorer

2. Click on "Tools" then on "Folder Options".

3. With the "General" tab selected, choose the item labelled
"Single click to open an item (point to select)".

4. Exit out of the Folder Options dialog and out of Windows
Explorer.

Windows 9x Users:

1. Press Widows Key + E to open Windows Explorer

2. Click on "View" then on "Folder Options".

3. With the "General" tab selected, choose "Custom, based on
setting you choose, and then click the "Settings" button.

4. Choose the item labelled "Single click to open an item
(point to select)".

5. Exit out of the open dialogs and out of Windows Explorer.

Now a single click on an icon will open your programs or folders

By the way, I've just added a compter tips section to my website. I'll be adding more tips over the next few weeks. You can check the tips out via the link below:

Computer Tips - Enhance Your Computing Experience

Paint.Net

2005-07-01T14:53:00.000+10:00

MS Paint, the graphics application that comes bundled with Windows Operating Systems is a quite basic package. It is adequate for producing very simple graphics but not suitable for creating anything too fancy.

However, there is an excellent free replacement for MS Paint that offers much more sophisticated graphics manipulation capabilities. Paint.NET looks a lot like MS Paint, but boasts advanced features such as the ability to use layers, a number of built in effects, photo and image adjustment options and a lot more.

Paint.net runs on Windows 2000, XP, or Server 2003 and is written in the C# programming language.

Check out Paint.NET

Change in Scope

2005-07-01T14:48:00.000+10:00

I'm sorry to say I have neglected this little blog for far too long! Anyway, I’ve decided to widen the scope of the blog a little. I'll now offer brief reviews and opinions about both free and fee-based software. I'll also throw in a few computer tips that I've found useful, and link to some interesting, unusual or amusing websites that I've come across while browsing.

Restoration

2004-09-29T07:25:00.000+10:00

As the name implies, Restoration is a file restoration program. This one seems to work really well on my XP system. It is simple to use, and also gives you the option to really delete files, that is, destroy them so that simple undelete programs like this one cannot restore them. ( Experts with specilized software might
still be able to retrieve data after you use the "delete completely" option).

From the Download site:
"Restoration is an easy to use and straight forward tool to undelete files
that were removed from the recycle bin or directly deleted from within
Windows. Upon start, you can scan for all files that may be recovered and
also limit the results by entering a search term or extension. In
addition, it also provides the option to wipe the found files beyond
simple recovery. The program is small and standalone, it does not require
installation and can also run from a Floppy disk. Restoration works with
FAT and NTFS as well as digital cameras cards. "

Runs on:
98/ME/2000/XP

Get it here:
Restoration

ProcInfo

2004-09-29T07:21:00.000+10:00

ProcInfo is a very handy little program that gives information about
running processes just by clicking! It works really well!

From the Download site:

"ProcInfo provides you with a quick overview of all currently running
processes and displays detailed information for many of them, explaining
what they do and if they are needed. It uses several online resources to
gather the information (if available) and allows you to classify processes
by assigning an icon to each. In addition, you can terminate a selected
process and browse the local folder for further investigation. "

Runs on:
98/ME/2000/XP

Get it here:
ProcInfo From Snapfiles

Open Expert

2004-09-23T08:02:00.000+10:00

This is a handy little app that enhances the "Open With" function on the
right-click menu. It works really well on both my XP and 98 systems.

From the developers site:

"Ever had the problem that you frequently use a file type with more
than one application, while you can only associate one application
with that file type?

OpenExpert enables you to specify any number of suitable applications for
each file type. In this way, when you open a file, instead of being
restricted to using a single pre-determined application, you can easily
choose among a list of suitable applications.

Easily open your graphic files in your favorite paint programs or
view your HTML files in either Netscape or Internet Explorer, just
with a few mouse clicks. You can even add different versions of the
same program to the OpenExpert menu."

Runs on Windows 9x/ME/NT/2000/XP

You can get it here:
Open Expert

Pegasus Mail

2004-09-23T07:56:00.000+10:00

For quite a long time I have been exclusively using the Pegasus email client, which in my opinion, is streets ahead of any other email program that I've tried to date.

Pegasus is the brain-child of gifted New Zealand programmer, David Harris. In spite of the vast amount of work involved in maintaining and updating such a complex program, David is committed to keeping Pegasus totally free. The only revenue that the programmer derives from Pegasus is through the sale of manual sets and Pegasus novelty items such as clocks and coffee cups. The online help files that come with the software are very good, so there is no need to buy the manual unless you need help with particularly advanced configurations.

The program's comparative security is just one of its outstanding features. As the information on the site states:

"Pegasus Mail protects you from even the worst HTML-borne virus and trojans, and protects your privacy by intercepting web bugs. Pegasus Mail is immune to *all* the exploits that affect the "other" mailer - browse your mail with genuine confidence."

Pegasus also has an outstanding filtering system that allows you to set up simple, or very complex, rule sets to ensure that your mail ends up exactly where you want it. This includes the ability to manipulate copies of sent emails to appropriate folders as well as server side filtering. This powerful content control can be an excellent anti-spam tool.

Another plus is the control the user has over the way email is sorted. Within each individual folder, you can set one of a number of views, such as threaded, or grouped, views, subject, date, sender, or size, and the folders will retain this configuration between openings.

This software has so many features that it would be impossible for me to write about them all here. For me, its the attention to detail that makes the software so good. For example, if you include the word "attachment" in the text of an email and then don't actually attach anything, it will ask you if there was meant to be an attachment before it executes the send. This can prove to be a real embarrassment saver!

As you may have gathered from the above, this is software that I, and many others in the worldwide community of Pegasus users, have grown to love.

However, because the program is so powerful and feature rich, it may not be quite as easy to "drive" as clients like Outlook Express. That is, to get the most out of the client, you may need to spend some time learning its secrets. Also, the aforementioned security features mean that it may handle HTML email differently than OE users have grown to expect.

All in all, I consider Pegasus Email to be among the very best programs that I use, and this includes bought programs as well as freeware.

Click the link below to download the program and find out more.

You can find out more about Pegasus and download the program via the link below:
Pegasus Mail

Read Please 2003

2004-09-13T08:35:00.000+10:00

ReadPlease 2003 is an excellent freeware program that converts text to
speech. To use it, you simply copy and paste the text you want
to here into the program window and press "play". There are two
female and two male voices to choose from and you can vary the
speed of the voices as well as the font size of the written text.

I use ReadPlease as a way of checking essays or other written
work. Actually hearing the material spoken out loud can help to
identify grammatical errors, missing words and even spelling
mistakes.

You can also use ReadPlease to read emails or website content
while you relax with your morning coffee.

A bonus for me is that my young children love it. They can type
in words or sentences and have it spoken back to them very slowly
or very fast. Also, if they type in some strange word like
hoooaaaaaapppp, the voices come out with some weird sounds which
they think are hilarious.

The standard version of the software is free, but you can also
purchase a "plus" version. When you download the free version,
you can choose to install a trial of the plus version. This will
revert to the standard version after a set time.

You can download the program from here:
ReadPlease 2003

First Thoughts on Gmail.

2004-09-10T09:00:00.000+10:00

What can I say? Gmail is great! For someone who has never been a fan of web-based email, that is high praise indeed!

A couple of weeks ago I finally received an invitation to start a Gmail account. Gmail is Google's web based email service. Currently, I think you can only get a Gmail account via an official invitation. I believe this is Google's way of rolling out the new product in a controlled and sensible fashion. So far I'm very impressed. Now that I have an account, I get to send invites to a few other people.

Gmail has some quite innovative ways of handling web-based email. It is also very fast, and has a massive amount of storage space. Very powerful search facilities make it easy to find exactly what you want. I'm planning on using it for some of the ezines I subscribe to. With a 1000mb of storage and excellent search capability you could store 100’s of issues of a newsletter and find the article you're after very quickly.

Gmail is still new and will need some improvements in some areas, but I'm sure it will just get better and better. One thing that bugs me at the moment is that it won't work correctly in Opera 7, which is the browser I mostly use.

I haven't had time to fully explore Gmail yet, but I'll write more about the product in the near future.

Virtual Desktop Manager

2004-09-09T21:47:00.000+10:00

I've been playing around with some of the Microsoft XP Power Toys.
One of the coolest is the Virtual Desktop Manager. If you work on
your computer with several applications open at once, then this toy
might increase your efficiency quite a lot. It took me a day or so
to get used to using virtual desktops, but now I'm finding it to be a
very efficient and intuitive way to use Windows.

Of course, your opinion of it will be largely dependant on your
personal taste and your individual computing style. Still, if you
use XP, you might like to give it a whirl.

From the download site:

"Virtual Desktop Manager is a Microsoft Powertoy for Windows XP. It
allows you to maintain up to 4 different desktops, each with its own
applications and desktop wallpapers. It integrates into the taskbar and
allows you to quickly switch between your virtual desktops. You can also
assign keyboard hotkeys to switch between or preview all 4 desktops at
once. For example, you can open your e-mail program on one desktop, an
Internet chess game on the second, several Internet sessions on the third,
and multiple database sessions on the fourth."

Runs on: Windows XP only.

Get Virtual Desktop Manager

Picasa

2004-08-21T17:06:00.000+10:00

For the last couple of weeks I've been trying out Picasa, a
digital photo organizing program. This is *great* software, the
best I've used in the field. It's very easy to use and I love the
interface. It's much better than the rather stodgy software that
came with my digital camera, that's for sure.

You can use the program to easily email photos to friends and
family members. Picasa also allows you to export complete albums
as web pages. There are several web page templates you can choose
from that generate thumbnails of the images in the album. Clicking
on the thumbnails opens a full sized image. Using the "Export
album as web page" option is a great way to easily share multiple
photos. Once you have uploaded the web page and images to a
website you can simple email the link to your friends and family.

Picasa is now owned by Google and is free. From the download site:

"Everything you need to enjoy your digital photos in a single
software product:

Auto-transfer photos from your digital camera.
Organize and find pictures in seconds.
Edit, print, and share photos with ease.
Create slideshows, order prints and more!"

Check Out Picasa

WinKey

2004-06-24T12:47:00.000+10:00

WinKey a very handy little application, that can make your computing more
efficient. I've used it for a long time on my Windows 98 system. It also works well on my XP system.

From the download site:

"Open your favorite applications, folders, and Web pages instantly
with Windows key shortcuts that you create. This shell extension
allows you to create keyboard shortcuts using the Windows key. You
can use up to 200 different key combinations in addition to the ten
built-in links. This update includes new shortcut commands to manage the
state of an active window, a new "Browse for Folder" button in the
shortcut properties, and more."

You can get it here.

Spyware Blaster

2004-06-11T17:40:00.000+10:00

Anti-spyware programs like Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy do an
excellent job of ridding your computer of spyware components. In fact, if
your goal is to maintain a secure and stable computing environment, a good
quality anti-spyware scanner is practically a must have.

Having said that, the majority of anti-spyware scanners provide a
cure for spyware rather than offer prevention. Obviously, it would be more
desirable to prevent the installation of spyware in the first place rather
than get rid of it later. This is where an excellent freeware application
called SpywareBlaster comes into its own.

SpywareBlaster sets a so-called "kill bit" that prevents spyware
Active X controls on a webpage from being installed at all. It can
also stop some Active X controls from running if they have already
been installed. The software achieves this by checking its database
of known spyware Active X controls. The program has a built in
updater, so that information about new spyware threats can be easily added
to the spyware database.

This software has quite a lot of useful options. You can configure it to
block spyware / tracking cookies, create an encrypted back up of your
browser hosts file and a lot more. It also offers the ability to create a
"System Snapshot" of your computer when it is in a "clean", spyware free
state. A spyware infection can make a lot of changes to your computer
settings but the "System Snapshot" function allows you to reverse a lot of
these changes quickly and easily.

Although it protects your system from Active X threats in real time, you
do not have to have the program running all the time, which saves system
resources. However, it is important to open the program and check for
updates on a regular basis.

I am not suggesting that SpywareBlaster is a *replacement* for
spyware scanners like Ad-Aware, as this is not the case.
SpywareBlaster cannot do a full spyware scan of your system and rid
your computer of all existing spyware. I have Spybot Search and
Destroy, Ad-Aware and SpywareBlaster installed on my systems.
Together they provide very thorough protection against spyware.

It is only fair to mention that Spybot Search and Destroy has the
"Immunize" option, which provides protection against Active X
Controls in a similar way to SpywareBlaster. However, SpywareBlaster is
more comprehensive and configurable in this area.

SpywareBlaster is freeware, is compatible with Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4,
2000 and XP and is a relatively small download at a little over 700KB.

You can read more about SpywareBlaster and download the product via
the link below:
Spyware Blaster

Easy Thumbnails

2004-04-17T15:26:00.000+10:00

I've been testing out this software for creating thumbnails. So far
I'm quite impressed. It works very well, and there are quite a lot
of options.

From the developers site:

"Easy Thumbnails is a popular free utility for creating accurate
thumbnail images and scaled-down/up copies from a wide range of
popular picture formats. An elegant interface makes it a snap to find
your images and select them for processing individually, in groups,
or in whole folders, using a simple file selector and built-in image
viewer. You can use slider controls to rotate images and adjust their
contrast, brightness, sharpness and quality, and check out the
results with the built-in viewer.

Key Features:
Scale images up or down in batches
Nine resampling filters, including Lanczos3
Sharpen soft images from digital cameras
Real-time preview of target image
Supports the new JPEG 2000 image format
Preserves EXIF data in JPEG images
Supports lossless JPEG rotation
Free software producing quality results "

Runs on:
95/98/2000/NT4/Me/XP

Get it here:
http://www.fookes.com/ezthumbs/?Easy%20Thumbnails=2600

WordWeb

2004-04-14T21:05:00.000+10:00

WordWeb and it is a stand-alone dictionary
and thesaurus. The program sits in the System Tray and you can
call it up from just about any program you may be using including
your browser. To check a word, you simply highlight it and click
the tray icon or use a keyboard shortcut. The WordWeb dialog
appears and presents you with a definition of the word as well as
a list of synonyms. If the word is spelled incorrectly, it will
present an alternative where possible as well as a list of like
words for you to choose from. You can substitute the word with
one from the list by using the "replace" button.

You can also enter a word directly into the search field and have
the search function present you with a definition, synonyms,
antonyms and more.

This software is excellent if you are working in text editors,
email clients, html editors or other programs that might not have
access to the powerful grammar and spelling functionality of
software like MS Word. It also very handy for checking the
meanings of words you may encounter while browsing the Internet.

The program is compatible with Win 95, 98, NT, 2000 and XP.

You can find out more about the program from the following links:
Developer's Website
Download Mirror

NOTE: This version of the program is freeware and fully
functional. However, there is a Pro version of the software that
offers extra options for a fee.

CPU Speed

2004-04-12T17:35:00.000+10:00

This little app works a treat.

From the download site:

"CPU Speed is a small, standalone tool that measures the actual speed
of your Intel or AMD processor (CPU). It requires no installation,
just run the executable and start the speed test. The determined
speed may not reflect exact speed as indicated by your system
information (since other processes may take up CPU resources), but it
should be fairly close to it"

Runs on: 98/ME/2000/XP

Get it here.

2004-04-10T13:40:00.000+10:00

If you've always wanted to try out the Linux operating system, but
haven't had the time or inclination to delve into it too deeply, Damn
Small Linux might be just the right distribution for you.

I'm currently trying this out on my second (Windows 98) machine, and
it works fine. The OS boots from a CD, so you don't have to worry
about installing it on your hard-drive or fiddling around with Linux
partitions.

It comes with some essential applications such as a browser, email
client, word processing and graphics tools. I reckon this is a great
way for Linux virgins like yours truly to get a taste of the OS.

You will need a computer that allows you to boot from a CD . Often
you can hop into the BIOS and change it so that you can boot from
CD, rather than a floppy disk.

Under 50mb is pretty small for a complete operating system. However,
it is still a fairly hefty download if you are on a dial-up
connection. I got my copy of a computer magazine disk.

You can get more information and download a copy from here:
http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/index.html