Recommended Freebies, Freeware and Shareware
This is great stuff that I have used and find worthwhile. I try to keep up with these, but let me know if a link is outdated, the item is no longer as described or if you have other kewl stuff to share! And if you decide to download any software, get it from C|net (Download.com) or directly from the software creator.
A Word About Downloading Software, in general: As always, be careful not to allow all the junkware that comes packaged with free stuff nowadays. It’s easy to click “continue” when you think you have to accept all the ads and junk that pays their bills. This is why I donate to good freeware developers and you might consider it, too.
AdBlock – an adBlocker that works! I’ve been using this for years and can’t say enough great things about it. This freeware deserves the accolades and so I donate every year. (Yes, this is the guy that did the CatBlock a while back to wake us all up! HILARIOUS!) EVERYONE should have this useful, easy, wonderful tool! Set it and forget it. I didn’t even know that Google had started placing ads until someone mentioned them; AdBlock had been keeping them all hidden. SWEET!!
Click on the pic to go the the Get AdBlock site and see a demo.
SupportDetails.com This one page site instantly collects all the fun deets about the computer/device that is viewing the site. Send your client to this site on the computer they are using and have them fill in the email addresses. Support Details send the info to you and to them. This info via Dradcast. Read more about that and the freebie in this post.
Click on the pic for a larger sample of what you get or go to SupportDetails.com.
Test the speed of your web hosting: Ping it! Easy to do from your computer. Here’s how: On a PC go to Start and then Search. Type: Command and a Command Prompt (or Command Line) program should appear. Open it and a black and white screen appears. Type:ping yourwebhostname.com and then wait. Your computer sends three pings (hits) to that site and measures the response time. The last term of the result it displays is the average of the three pings in milliseconds. The smaller the number, the better. 50-80 is good. 100+ is bad (unless it’s on the other side of the world). Basically, it tells you just how fast your host is able to transmit data. This is not the last word in speed, but it’s an indicator. Click the pic for a larger, readable image. Enjoy!
