USEFUL  APPS

ICRAfilter W9x/2k/XP FREE
http://www.icra.org/_en/filter/
This program will allow you to set up filtering rules related to
nudity, language, violence, and chat. There is even a set of rules
titled "Other" to deal with alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and gambling.
In the Services section, you can block and allow specific services
like newsgroups, e-mail, and IRC. If you are afraid that you are
missing harmful Web sites in a specific area (e.g., tobacco) then
try the Templates tab where you can add content-specific filtering
templates. In the 'Lists' tab you can add specific Web sites to the
"Allow" and "Block" lists. This will ensure that your child can
check out Web sites while keeping them from viewing those nasties.

Graph W9x/2k/XP FREE
http://www.padowan.dk/graph/
{Graph those functions} Graph is a function-graphing program.
You can set up the scale of your axes, add a function, and then
you are left with a graph. You have most of the built-in
capabilities of a graphing calculator, so you can insert a tangent
or shade an area. What I like best about this program is that you
can copy the graph as an image, which is great when writing
reports, or for e-mailing to a friend who is struggling with a
particular equation.

CURRENCY CONVERTER. 
http://www.belgraver.demon.nl/currconv/
There are many software programs that will convert currency to other exchange rates.
It downloads the prevailing exchange rate from the Internet before it does its calculations.

Quintessence of Wisdom LE W9x/2k/XP FREE
http://www.menesk.com/quotations.shtml
http://www.menesk.com/qow_setup23.exe
{Make yourself quotable} Have you ever been stuck looking for a
perfect quote but lack the creativity to come up with one of your
own? Albert Einstein would say, "The secret to creativity is
knowing how to hide your sources." So what is my source?
"Quintessence of Wisdom" by Menesk. The free version, Quintessence
of Wisdom LE, contains 1,000 sample quotes from greats like Alfred
Hitchcock to Yogi Berra.

Orbitron                                 W9x/2k/XP                        FREE
http://www.stoff.pl/orbit.htm
Orbitron again, you ask? they have released a new version.
Orbitron is an advanced satellite tracking system. You can import
the latest NORAD prediction models and overlay that information
over a world map. This program even synchronizes the
time to an Internet-based NTP timeserver. You can even save your
settings, or a screen shot.

FreeSpell                          W9x/2k/XP                       FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105571
A spell check requires you to simply select (highlight) the
text to be checked and then use a keyboard shortcut to launch the
spell checker. The program works with any application, including
Microsoft Outlook, Eudora, etc. In addition, unlike most other
spell-checking tools, FreeSpell also works with selected text on a
Web page (not limited to form fields).

Slide Rule                                      W9x/2k/XP                     FREE
http://www.finseth.com/~fin/realbasic/#Win
Slide Rule is an application
for people who have a firmer grasp of how to manipulate a slide
rule by giving you an electronic version for your PC. You can
switch between four different makes of slide rules from Picket to
Faber-Castell. You can also turn on and off the body and slide
front. Turning off the slide front is like turning it over.

Fractal Snowflake Generator             W9x/2k/XP           FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105568
Fractal Snowflake Generator is a simple utility to easily create
beautiful fractal snowflakes, patterns, and backgrounds. The
resulting images can be saved at the desired resolution to 24-bit
Windows bitmap (.BMP) files.

DeskMarker                      W9x/2k/XP                        FREE
http://www.deskmarker.com/
DeskMarker as a virtual pen or highlighter that is activated by
pressing down a set of hotkeys (that you can configure). You can
change the color, size, and transparency of the pen tool. This
allows you to write comments one second and highlight information
the next second. DeskMarker was made for trainers and presenters
to be able to emphasis information on the screen.

KatMouse                               W2k/XP                    FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105504
KatMouse is a mouse wheel enhancement utility that adds useful
functionality to your wheel mouse. It allows for quick
switching between active and inactive windows by simply pressing
the wheel button. You can scroll most windows page-wise.
 Additional features include custom settings for selected apps
 or classes and more. does not work with Logitech Mouseware.

MemoKeys                                 W9x/2k/XP                     FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105496
MemoKeys allows you to create shortcut key combinations (hotkeys),
like F5 + A or ` + W, and associates them with any text
information of your choice. You can use it to store your address,
name, e-mail signature, or any other text you enter. Then, instead
of typing "ZZZZZZ is my favorite download site," every time you
e-mail your friends, you could just press F10 + W and the text is
instantly typed for you. MemoKeys works with any software application.

EditPad Lite                             W9x/2k/XP                          FREE
 http://www.editpadpro.com/editpadlite.html
 Tabs are  just one of the many cool things about this
text editor. Besides those tabs, you can also open as many
files as you want, with no restriction on size.Well, EditPad lets you undo/redo
all you like. It's as if they studied all those popular text
editors and developed a brand new one that's even better.

Use MOZILLA email and bookmarks and you'll never wanna go back to IE
http://www.mozilla.org/
More (Free!) "Bayesian" Spam Filters Coming
It's a wonderful thing: More and more context-sensitive, intelligent
spam filters are arriving every day. Most are based on the "Bayesian"
statistical approach we discussed in
http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20021115S0018.

Just letting you know that Mozilla 1.3 Alpha, includes a Bayesian Spam Filter
 in its mail client. Currently it only flags mail that it thinks is spam
(it can't move messages to the trash or delete them, for
example) but this feature will come in 1.3 Beta which is released early in the New Year.

SiFEU                                     W9x/2k/XP                  FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105654
SiFEU is a program that lets you encrypt files with strong
Blowfish encryption and SHA-1 for calculating the hash sum of the
password. The interface allows you to add one or multiple files to
encrypt and you can also use it from the right- click menu in
Windows Explorer. The encrypted files will have an additional
.SiFEU extension and require SiFEU to be installed in order to
open/decrypt them.

POP3 Easy                      W9x/2k/XP                  FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105656
POP3 Easy automatically checks an unlimited number of POP e-mail
and Hotmail accounts, and notifies you of new e-mails you have
received. It runs in your System Tray and reports to you as soon
as you receive new mail. It displays sender, subject, date and
time, and also the size of all the messages, and allows you to
preview selected messages. You can also delete them on the server
without having to download them with your e-mail program.

Quick Copy 2 Printer                  W9x/2k              FREE
http://www.boss-it.nl/producten/qc2p/qc2p.asp
turns your scanner and printer into a copier.
Just load up the program, select the number of copies and hit
Start Copy. You can enlarged or reduced in size.

Super Tray Info                   W9x/2k/XP                 FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105651
Super Tray Info is a small and simple system information utility
that runs in the System Tray and provides one-click access to
various details of system information, as well as your current IP
address. The details include memory and disk usage, Windows
uptime, OS information, CPU details, and more. The tray icon also
acts as a dynamic CPU usage display.

iCopy                   W9x/2k/XP                         FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105652
iCopy allows you to combine your scanner and printer into a one-
click copy machine. It works with any TWAIN-compatible scanner,
and automatically starts printing after your document has been
successfully acquired. Configuration options include the paper
size, color type, and quality settings.

Smart Translator                       W9x                   FREE
http://igspot.ig.com.br/lucianosiqueira/smart/
a program to help people translate international text
on the computer. Smart Translator is Internet-based, so you must
be online to use it. The application sits in your System Tray, and
translation is as easy as typing (or copying) the text, choosing
the language, and then clicking "Translate."

NodeSoft Search And Replace W9x/2k/XP FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105630
NodeSoft Search And Replace allows you to search several files or
directories and replace a specified text within the files. You can
filter the files to be processed based on their extension, and
optionally process subdirectories as well. The Extended Mode
allows you to replace any text that is found between a user-
defined start tag and end tag (or text). For example, you could
replace any text that is found between the ... tags of your HTML
files. Note: This application requires the .NET framework.

NotepadXP                         W9x/2k/XP                  FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105383
NotePadXP is a replacement for the standard Windows Notepad that
has a ton of extra features as well as an MS Office-style
interface and feel to it. It offers a Multi Document Interface
(MDI), customizable toolbars, full formatting options, support for
rich text, unlimited file size, and much more. Documents can be
saved as .TXT, .RTF, or HTML. Additional features include mail
merge, date/time insert, different interface styles (Office XP,
Office 2000, Office in MacOS, and Windows XP styles) to choose
from, word count, hyperlink support, and many other features.

AMP WinOFF                               W9x/2k/XP                FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105712
AMP WinOFF is a utility for automating Windows' shutdown. It
supports the Shutdown, Restart, Hibernate, and Lock Workstation
functions, and can also be scheduled to perform the action at a
regular time or when the CPU becomes idle. In addition, it can
hang up the modem, capture the Desktop and/or execute a program
before the shutdown. AMP WinOFF also supports command line options
for further automation by advanced users.

ListXP                               W9x/2k/XP                               FREE
http://www.listxp.com/
{Windows file viewer} ListXP is a file viewer for Windows. It
works with any file that you access and displays the data exactly
as it was stored on the disk. It can't edit or manage files.

QMailer                                     W9x/2k/XP                     FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105695
QMailer is a tool for sending personalized e-mail to subscribers.
It can automatically process subscription requests and unsubscribe
requests that are sent from a Wb site form or by e-mail. The
program comes with an Internet plugin (POP3) and an Outlook plugin
that interacts with MS Outlook. You can also set up several sub-
categories for your subscription, and QMailer will automatically
sort the incoming subscription requests into the proper category
(sample Web forms provided). Additional features include HTML
support, import/export, logging, and more. QMailer does not work
with a mailing list file, but uses the data directly from within
your Outlook folder or POP box.

Sylpheed-Claws                    W9x/2k/XP                        FREE
http://gnuwin.epfl.ch/apps/sylpheed/en/index.html
E-mail client that supports POP3, IMAP, and NNTP message formats. The
program is set up a lot like Outlook, but with less clutter. With
Sylpheed- Claws, you have a lot of the same features you have with
Outlook, such as multiple identities and SSL. The address book can
be exported to HTML and is XML-based. There is even a built-in
function for importing Outlook contacts. The features list goes on
and on.

Tray Pilot Lite Windows(All)                                        FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105587
Tray Pilot Lite allows you to hide all System Tray icons at the
click of a button. It can be useful if you have too many icons in
your System Tray and there is not much space left for the
minimized windows of your active applications (on the Taskbar).
Just click a small button to the right of the System Tray and your
System Tray will hide and make room for the Taskbar.

 iProtectYou                            W9x/2k/XP                      FREE
http://www.softforyou.com/
This application looks great! First of all it's free, which is always a
bonus, but on top of that, it is loaded with features. The first
time you open the iProtectYou program you are prompted to create
an Administrator password. After you have created the
Administrator password, you will be prompted for that password
whenever you try to open iProtectYou, which resides in the System
Tray. Once inside, you can do so much that I just don't even have
enough space in this newsletter to explain it all. You have the
option of blocking certain Web sites or a pattern of Web sites
(such as Web sites containing violence), but you have the option
to "trust" Web sites that you know are safe for a child. You can
also edit the dictionary of appropriate words for your child and
block the sometimes-naughty pop-up ads. If that wasn't enough, you
can also get more advanced by blocking or allowing specific ports
or IP addresses. Probably most important is the collection of log
files and graphs that let you know see where you child has been
because let's face it... a system like this is great, but it's
nothing if the parent doesn't spend the time to review it. So if
you are a parent who believes in protecting your child online,
then iProtectYou is the program for you.

Feedreader                                   W9x/2k/XP                FREE
http://www.feedreader.com/
http://www.lockergnome.com/lockergnome.xml
{News reader} Stay on top of Lockergnome's Bits & Bytes and many
of your favorites with this. Click on the orange button with "XML"
on it to get the link. Feed the resulting link into Feedreader and
get all the Bits and Bytes headlines along with your other
favorite Web site headlines. Any site that has the orange button
with "XML" or blue button with "RSS" can feed into Feedreader.

PicoZip Recovery Tool                          W9x/2k/XP                 FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105762
PicoZip Recovery Tool is an easy-to-use program that can help you
recover lost or forgotten passwords from password protected Zip
files created by compression utilities like PicoZip, WinZip,
PKZip, etc. Self-extracting ZIP files are supported as well. You
have a choice of Brute Force or Dictionary-based recovery methods,
and can set the maximum and minimum password length, alphabetical
or numeric, and an optional starting string (useful if you
remember part of the password). PicoZip Recovery Tool includes a
650,000(plus!)-word English dictionary, and you can download
additional dictionaries or edit the existing one.

Backup4all                               W9x/2k/XP                   FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105747
Backup4all is a full-featured backup tool that allows you to
define custom backup configurations to meet your personal needs.
Setting up a backup configuration is made easy by the backup
wizard that guides you through every step. Options include
optional file filters (by attribute, date, size, name, etc.) and a
built-in scheduler to run your backups unattended. Backup4all also
enables you to see what files have changed since the last backup
and to preview the statistics for the next backup. Additional
features include ZIP compression, Explorer integration,
incremental backups and more. Backup4all works with any drive
letter, including mapped network drives, CD-R/CD-RW media, and UNC
paths. The program comes with an attractive interface and many
features, but lacks documentation.

PC Inspector File Recovery                     W9x/2k/XP         FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105305
PC Inspector File Recovery is a data recovery program with support
for FAT 12/16/32 and NTFS file systems. It recovers files with the
original time and date stamp, and can optionally restore them to a
network drive and can recover many files, even when a header entry
is no longer available. On FAT systems, the program finds
partitions automatically, even if the boot sector or FAT has been
erased or damaged. PC Inspector File Recovery offers an easy-to-
use interface that will scan your drive and automatically make
files that can be recovered available from a "Deleted" folder in
an Explorer Style navigation tree.

AdKiller Daemon                           W9x/2k/XP                      FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105749
AdKiller Daemon is a pop-up killer that automatically closes pop-
up windows while you surf. The program uses the window title and
size to determine whether it is an advertising window or not. It
comes with about 400 pre-loaded titles and allows you to edit them
or add new ones. You can also configure AdKiller Daemon to close
any window that is smaller in height and/or width than specified,
or to simply prevent any additional windows from opening. It also
includes a feature that can automatically search for dependent
windows, and close them automatically. OR you can just switch to
Mozilla as your browser and set it to never see another pop up.

Sayz Me                             W9x/2k/XP                         FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105755
Sayz Me is a simple text-to-speech reader that can read text aloud
from Web pages, e-mails, or documents. It uses the Microsoft
speech engine and synthetic voices. You can use it to listen to
text and give your eyes a rest, or type in words or sentences to
hear them spoken aloud. Sayz Me allows you to adjust pitch, speed,
and volume, select a voice of your choice, and highlight words as
they are spoken.

Splitter & Merger                      W9x/2k/XP                   FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105137
Splitter & Merger is a tool to split large files into smaller and
easier-to-handle pieces. It offers additional file compression,
disk- spanning, path creation, automatic part deletion and more.
You can choose to have the program create a self-extracting .exe
file that can automatically reunite the split pieces or select the
split file from within the interface and merge it. Splitter &
Merger comes with an easy-to-use interface. The download is less
than 30k, and no install is required.

                COLLECTIONS
       (FREE stuff from generous programers)

    ABANDONWARE.     http://home.pmt.org/~drose/aw.html.
You've heard of spyware, adware, freeware and shareware. 
ABANDONWARE is software that is five years old or older and no longer supported.. 
Take a trip back in time and perhaps get some good old relics.

A_DAILYBACKUP     http://members.aon.at/dfg/products/downloads_e.htm 
a free backup utility. Different backup profiles are supported and the
program can be configured to start the backup automatically using command
line options. The files or complete directories will be stored in ZIP archives using
a fast and secure compression procedure.
The site also includes some other useful freeware and shareware applications.

FREEware sites: http://woundedmoon.com/win32_freeware.html

"Links to Freeware" - http://www.hmdejong.myweb.nl/
This site has approximately 1650 links to freeware sites. Not
*just* freeware sites, but the better of the freeware sites
out there right now. The sites are scrutinized before making
the list and the links are checked weekly and dead links are
removed failing twice (I think), so you'll want to bookmark
this site if you like freeware!
The third valuable resource is the newsgroup news:alt.comp.freeware
You find valuable discussions about freeware, critiques and opinions,
and links to something you might have trouble in finding.


                   USEFUL SITES

These beginners guides introduce important features & concepts
on the following areas of measurement.              
* Acoustics    * Atomic Time    * Color    * Computing and Measurement
* Electricity   * Ionising Radiation   * Length   * Light
* Mass   * Materials    * Temperature

I've just found an great resource. It's basically a collection of
instructional videos about all aspects of the workings of a PC
by Scott Mueller, who you will no doubt know as author of 14
editions of the Upgrading and Repairing PCs book. It's almost
a complete online video course in PC building, and each video
comes in 56k, broadband and text transcript versions. Make
sure you check out the videos relating to older editions of
the book as they are still useful and relevant.
http://www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com/videos/index.asp

New York Public Library: Digital Library Collection
http://digital.nypl.org/
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is building a digital library
of 600,000 images relating to "arts, humanities, performing arts,
and sciences, including artwork, maps, photographs, prints,
manuscripts, illustrated books, and printed ephemera." This is a
phased rollout that is due to finish by the year 2004. What this
means to you is that the Web site is constantly changing, adding
new images and information. If you are a fan of history and fine
art, then you will love this Web site.

List Organizer http://www.listorganizer.com/
Listorganizer.com was made for people (like me) who need
lists to keep organized. The makers of this Web site seem to have
a list for everything! There are lists for what to take when
traveling to lists to help you prepare for a special dinner. If
you don't have the time to browse for that special list, then use
the search feature to find just what you are looking for. Life
goes much more smoothly when you are organized.

Houghton Mifflin Education Place http://eduplace.com/
{Educational resource} Shh... don't let the kiddies (Kindergarten
through 8th grade) know this is an educational resource. Just tell
them it's a cool place to play games, create projects, and do
activities. Our kids are too smart to fall for that, eh?
Regardless, send the kids straight to Kids' Place to play games
and try some wacky Web tales, which brings back Mad Lib memories.
There's a place for you to help the kids excel in school.

Trails http://trails.com/
{Find trails} Longing to go hiking, biking, paddling, or skiing?
Enter Trails.com, and you can search for trails anywhere in the
United States. Search by state or ZIP code. I looked up Arbor
Hills Nature Preserve, which is nearby. The site provides the
nearby city name (Plano, TX), length of the trail (2 miles), the
type of trail (loop), skill level (mild aerobic difficulty and
easy technical difficulty). To get more details, you're required
to have a paid subscription.

Online Homebase http://www.onlinehomebase.com/
This is a cheap and easy way to keep track of appointments, notes,
and general information regardless of whether you are on your
computer or not. A perfect storage place to contain links to
articles or steps to fix a specific problem, so that I don't have
to try to remember every detail. You can also save the information
you create on your personal OnlineHomeBase offline, so that you
aren't at the mercy of the company that controls the Web site.
Think of OnlineHomeBase.com as your virtual notepad, accessible
from any computer that can reach the Internet. Use this Web site
as you want, and never pay a dime.

My Way (YOUR way!) http://www.myway.com
Some of you use Excite, Yahoo, AOL, etc as your opening website.
MyWay.com lets you set up a personal Web portal, but with NO pop-up
or banner ads. Now have your own launching pad for the Web. Save
surfing time by configuring a personal Web portal with stocks,
local weather, and technology headlines. Set MyWay.com as your
homepage so now you just have to launch your browser and I have
all your important information in one place. What's really great
about this Web site is that you can customize your personal portal
page to your personality. The best part of MyWay.com is
that your Web search feature is powered by one of the greatest
search engines on the Internet... Google. With MyWay.com you can
cut out a lot of the nasty parts of the Internet, and get back to
the Internet's original intent, which is to provide quality
information.
HOWEVER..I STILL THINK THE BEST WEB PORTAL
FOR HOMESCHOOLERS AND KNOWLEGE JUNKIES
IS   HTTP://WWW.REFDESK.COM

Postal Rates Dot Info
 http://www.postalrates.info/
{Going postal} How much will it cost to mail this box  to Bermuda?
Check out the links to information on different stamps from around the globe,
as well as the global currency converter. There's also a ton of links to other postal sites. 

 Parasites
 http://and.doxdesk.com/
{Get rid of sticky programs} step-by-step instructions on how to
remove all those leftovers, and even those programs you didn't ask
for in the first place. Heh... it's funny how quickly the novelty
of Comet Cursor wears off..

Obsessive Gardener
 http://www.obsessivegardener.com/
You can check out recipes, or purchase shrubbery from the classified
advertising section. This can all be done for free, but if you
wish to sell items in the classifieds or participate in the
message boards, you'll have to sign up for one of the paid
memberships.

Make Sense of SMS Lingo
http://www.transl8it.com/
Cellphone text messaging is becoming more and more common place.
Much like pagers, people just send a quick text message when they
want to drop you a quick note. Well for most seasoned text
messaging veterans this is not a problem but what about the average
user. With transl8it.com you can take that SMS lingo and convert it
to plain text or vice-a-versa. With this web site you can take the plain
text and convert it to SMS lingo first which is like shorthand
notetaking compared to writing a letter. In the near future
transl8it.com will also add a feature where you can send an SMS
message directly from the web site. So you may want to keep an eye
on this one.

Backflip
http://www.backflip.com/
Your a computer technician and need to get to certain sites to help
you fix a comp. It's frustrating when you know you have in your bookmarks
a linkto a site that contains a fix you need. Wouldn't it be great if
you could access your favorites from any computer on the web?
Backflip.com basically lets you do this and a little more. When you
setup a free account with Backflip you get a personal web page like
you do with most similar pages but instead of having to manually
type in all your favorites you can import them and then organize
them. This web site even has a search section where you can search
through your favorites, public folders or the web. You can also
click a tab to get your Internet favorites listed in alphabetical
order.

SCORE http://www.score.org/
Service Corps of Retired Executives and they are dedicated to
the success and growth of small business nationwide. SCORE is a
resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration. On
this Web site you will find many how-to articles along with free
counseling via e-mail. If you aren't comfortable with counseling
via e-mail then use the Web site to find a local SCORE chapter
where you can talk to a volunteer face to face. All counseling is
free and confidential so you will only gain valuable insight from
contacting them. SCORE is a must for anyone who owns or wants to
open a small business.

FreeNetworks.org
http://www.freenetworks.org/
FreeNetworks.org is a forum for people to get together
and learn more about how to set up a "free network."

DigitalNowhere.com
http://www.digitalnowhere.com/
DigitalNowhere.com is a "do-it-all" computer-related Web site. You
can read the latest news, or view the latest Windows XP add-ons
and program downloads. To access the downloads and anti-virus tools you
need to register. Registration is free and comes with benefits including
the ability to customize your content and set up your POP3 e-mail
so you can check your POP-based e-mail from any computer.

     UTILITIES/FIXES/ PATCHES


Office 2000 Update: Service Pack 3 W9x/2k/XP FREE
http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2000/o2ksp3.aspx
This Microsoft Office 2000 Service Pack is the latest service pack
released by Microsoft.
Service pack comes loaded with updates that are meant to increase
the stability and security of your Microsoft Office installation.

A heads up about some alarming new firewall tests:
http://www.pcflank.com/ particularly the article "Personal
firewalls vs. Stealth Test, part II NEW!" on
http://www.pcflank.com/art27.htm .
According to those tests, the Norton firewalls fail
some very basic "stealthing" tests.

New Entrant In Free Antivirus Arena
I inserted an old floppy disk into my new PC and Mc Afee
warned me of the NYB virus but was unable to repair it. So, to
shorten this story and get right to the point, I downloaded a
program entitled Antivir from Germany at http://free-av.com
It also spotted the NYB virus and promptly repaired it.
Grisoft AntiVirus ("AVG") is the current leader in free AV
tools ( http://www.grisoft.com ). Compare the two....

   REMOVING NETCENTER'S MESSAGE. 
Want to remove that Netcenter message when you launch Netscape,
close Netscape, open the file "prefs.js" in Notepad, copy and paste the following line
exactly to the bottom of the file:   user_pref("mailnews.start_page.enabled", false)  
 ---    then save and close and restart Netscape.
Mozilla has a simple box you check to turn it off.

PANDA QUICK REMOVER.  http://www.webattack.com/get/pandaquick.shtml.  FREE
This tool automatically repairs infections of "popular" worms and viruses and restores
original system and registry configuration. Panda Quick Remover can currently detect and
 remove the following infections: BADTRANS, VOTE, SIRCAM, ANNA KOURNIKOVA,
 HELP, KAK WORM, NAVIDAD, SHELL SCRAP, KLEZ, NIMDA, FUNLOVE,
COOL NOTEPAD, I LOVE YOU, MATRIX, PRETTY PARK, VERONA. 

OpenWin                       W9x/2k                FREE
 http://www.bsoft.ic24.net/openwin.htm
OpenWin is a replacement application for the Close Program that will 
tell you about all that running even hidden stuff. It will also tell you
the handle, title caption, and class of an open window. On top of
this, you can also use OpenWin to save all of this information to
a text file, which is great when troubleshooting an application
problem. OpenWin is really just made for the Windows 9x systems,
but Tested on a Windows 2000 machine, it seems to work fine.

SpiderMonki                W9x/2k               FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105439
SpiderMonki is a simple download manager and Web spider that
allows you to download all files from a given URL that match your
criteria. You can use it to download images, MP3 files, Web pages,
or any other Web content that is linked from the starting URL. In
addition, you can also configure it to perform keyword searches
using the search engine string of your choice, and then download
the files returned from the search query.

Free Backup Tool
"I have written a software in Java - for backing up
files and folders on harddrive. This program backs up the data
in a single zip archive and has facilities like adding newly
added or modified folders or files to the current archive,
mirror deletions etc. It also enables you to write a backup
script so that your backup is automated. I want to distribute
the software for free."

"The software ("RestoreBack") is available for free from
http://geocities.com/yogshastri/ And although the page states
that software is free only till November...I am offering it
for free forever."

"Before I proceed any further let me tell you that since this
program is written entirely in Java, you might need Java
virtual machine from Sun Microsystems (available for free from
http://java.sun.com/getjava/download.html ); and the path
environment variable must be set to the bin subdirectory which
is created when JRE is installed. For more details may I ask
you refer to readmefirst file. Yogesh Shastri (Bhilai, India)"

"By the way, some Windows setup already will have a Java run-time
environment set up: I suggest you simply download the "RestoreBack" tool
and try it (follow the directions in the Readmefirst file). If it runs
for you, you're all set. If you get an error message, then the Sun link,
above, can help you get a complete Java run-time environment you can
install on your PC for free."

Antivirus Alternative
 http://www.sophos.com/
Every other antivirus review caters to the novice. Using products
like Norton, McAfee, etc. is like doing a show on Chevy and Fords.
It's a tainted review based on size and volume and not accurately
measured against it's foes. The best antivirus (which isn't
discussed) is SOPHOS. I make that statement based on using most
products in the corporate field. It (Sophos) doesn't come with all
the bells and whistles, but it does one thing very well: stopping
and removing viruses and trojan apps. Being in IT, I watch it
(time and time again) find and remove trojans left behind by
Norton (when it removed the virus only, repeatedly). I also find
Norton and McAfee got complacent, forgetting old classic viruses.
Sophos works in two phases. It runs a very tiny app (hardly any
footprint) called intercheck.  It's so small, it doesn't impact
performance or create conflicts with any product.

ClipSecure                   W9x/2k/XP                        FREE
http://www26.brinkster.com/belzecue/clipsecure.htm
{Text encryption utility} Is PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) too
much work for you? For those concerned with e-mail being read
on the way to its destination, ClipSecure is a freeware text
encryption utility that works with the clipboard. Use it with any
text-based program and most e-mail clients to encrypt and decrypt
text with one keystroke.

AxCrypt                        W9x/2k/XP                  FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105707
AxCrypt is a powerful, yet extremely easy-to-use file encryption
program. It integrates directly with Windows Explorer, enabling
encryption, decryption, viewing, and editing of any file with just
a few clicks of the mouse.

ZipCentral                              W9x/2k/XP                 FREE
http://zipcentral.iscool.net/
ZipCentral claims it can zip everything. Actually, the
program can unzip files put together by other zipping tools and
archiving tools that use ZIP technology. It comes supplied with
many of the features offered in paid versions, including a right-
click menu for opening any file or viewing contents, the ability
to create self-extracting archives and archives spanned across
multiple disks, and a drag 'n drop functionality.

Back4Win                     W9x/2k/XP                         FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105678
Back4Win is an easy-to-use backup tool that uses ZIP compression
to store all selected files and directories in a single archive.
You can adjust the compression level, password protect the
archive, and more. Backup mode includes a refresh option,
overwrite or move (then delete) of files. You can
back up your data as a self-extracting EXE file, label backups
with easy-to-find timestamps, span backup sets across disks, and
more.

SpywareBlaster                              W9x/2k/XP            FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105693
SpywareBlaster doesn't scan and clean for so-called spyware - it
prevents it from being installed in the first place. It achieves
this by disabling the CLSIDs of popular spyware ActiveX controls,
and also prevents the installation of any of them via a Web page.
This allows you to run Internet Explorer with ActiveX enabled, but
it will never download or even prompt you for any of the known
ActiveX controls.

NetRun                                       W9x/2k/XP                  FREE
http://www.czarsoft.shorturl.com/
{Internet "Startup" utility} When the author of NetRun upgraded to
WinXP, the program he was using stopped working. Instead of
whining about it, he wrote NetRun. The program launches your list of
programs upon connecting to the Internet and closes the same list
when disconnected from the Internet. NetRun runs quietly in the
System Tray, and there are no splash pages or nags (thank you!)
typically found with freeware. Rather than have all your net-specific
programs start up every time you turn on the computer, speed
up your startup time by storing those programs into NetRun.

Registry Commander                        W9x/2k/XP               FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105623
Registry Commander is a registry editor that can be used as a
replacement for the standard Windows Regedit application. It
offers all the features that Regedit offers, as well as many
additional options. You can bookmark frequently-used keys, perform
advanced searches, edit registry values, and more. It also allows
you to browse the registry in a folder-like environment.

4t Tray Minimizer Free                 W9x/2k/XP                   FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105679
4t Tray Minimizer enables you to minimize any application to the
System Tray Taskbar, simply left click (instead of the
usual right-click) the minimize button or use a keyboard shortcut.
You can hide/restore your favorite applications, and hide the
application without showing the icon in the tray.

40tude Dialog                         W9x/2k/XP                                FREE
http://www.40tude.com/dialog/
Newsgroup newsreader
Though e- mail programs come with newsgroup-reading capabilities,
their attention is divided among e-mail, newsgroup reader, and any
other functionality they offer. 40tude created the news reader for
that sole purpose and added Unicode support so you can read exotic
languages in their original form instead of the ????? garbage.

Memtest86                              W9x/2k/XP                              FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105669
Memtest86 is a standalone memory diagnostic tool that runs from a
floppy disk on system boot. It executes a series of numbered test
sections to check for errors. These test sections consist of a
combination of test algorithm, data pattern, and cache setting.
The execution order for these tests was arranged so that errors
will be detected as rapidly as possible. Tests 8, 9, 10 and 11 are
very long- running, extended tests, and are only executed when
extended testing is selected. Memtest86 supports all types of
memory. After running the install.bat file, it will offer to
create a floppy disk that contains all the files needed to run
Memtest86 on your next boot.

ID-Blaster Plus                          W9x/2k/XP                    FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105626
ID-Blaster Plus allows you to edit Windows Product ID or UserID
numbers. Since these numbers are unique for each PC, they could
potentially be used to track computer activity or associate a
computer with a particular person (even though their actual
purpose is quite different). ID-Blaster Plus works by changing
these ID numbers frequently, destroying potential tracking tactics
using these numbers. ID-Blaster can run from the System Tray,
using up very little resources, and constantly protecting you in
the background. These numbers may be needed for system upgrades
or re-installations. Be carefull!


WinDriversBackup   http://www.jermar.com/wdrvbck.htm
Personal Edition is a free utility for personal, non-commercial use,
provided by JerMar Software Corp. specifically for backing up your Windows
system driver files.
WinDriversBackup can identify all of your Windows driver files and save them
to a secure location in two simple mouse clicks.
Backing up your Windows driver files means they will be available to you the
next time you need to reinstall the driver or the whole operating system.
WinDriversBackup places the driver files in one organized location of your
choosing.
WinDriversBackup is especially helpful in situations where you have a
computer in your possession and it's internal hardware is unknown.
WinDriversBackup can identify the hardware on the system and the associated
drivers ---then back them up to a specified location. WinDriversBackup is
even network compatible --you can just as easily connect to a remote

              SHORTCUTS - TWEAKS
 
netChimes                                       W9x/2k/XP                           FREE
http://features.birnamlabs.com/netchimes/
The creators at Birnam Labs call it "the love child of instant
messagers and Web counters." you'll receive messages from the PHP
server and will get alerted when a user accesses a netChimes-enabled
page or downloads files or images. The program offers unlimited
connections, unlimited alerts, unlimited clients, and password
protection. It doesn't work with ASP or Perl code.

PPWIZARD                                   W9x/2k/XP                        FREE
http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~dbareis/ppwizard.htm
server side includes(SSI);think of PPWIZARD as "super SSI."
allows you to easily include external files (HTML headers, footers,
or navigation). Preprocessors also accomplish complex tasks such
as defining e-mail and Web addresses in one location and reusing
these throughout a Web site, or creating more complex macros that
can make decisions for themselves as to how HTML should be
generated. PPWIZARD also allows data import in various formats
(e.g., SQL from a wide variety of databases including MS Access,
CSV, fixed, and other formats). It can be used on a server
(CGI, for example) or to generate static pages. Unlike SSI,
there are no server requirements or performance hits.

Active Server Watcher                  W9x/2k/XP               FREE
http://www.protect-me.com/freeware_2.html
If a resource on the server is down,
then Active Server Watcher pops up a message (that you can
configure) to lets you know that there is a problem. You can even
configure the program to try a couple times before you get an
error message. If you don't want to be informed every time there is a
problem but still want to keep a record of problems, then you can
just have it save an entry to a log file. You can also configure
how often Active Server Watcher is suppose to test a resource, and
the program can be configured for multiple resources.

FreeShade                           W9x/2k/XP                    FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105487
FreeShade allows you to roll up your open windows rather than
minimizing them to the taskbar. It allows you to leave more
windows open without cluttering your taskbar, and at the same time
leaves them in easy reach on your Desktop.

Save Mailing List                  W9x/2k/XP                    FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105430
Save Mailing List is an Outlook 2000/XP add-in to export contacts
and user groups from your Outlook address book into a mailing
list. It outputs into a common format that works with most list
mailers. After installation, Save Mailing List is available from
the Outlook File menu for selected contacts. You can select all or
as many contacts as you want and output them into a single list.

CHLExt                            W2k/XP                       FREE
http://vobsub.edensrising.com/shellext/shellext.html
There is the occasional app that won't work unless you access the
program file directly. With CHLExt you can get around this problem
by making a "hard link" to the file. A hard link is like a
shortcut, but it's NTFS-based, so as far as the troublesome
program is concerned, it thinks that this hard-linked file is the
same as the original. Hard links don't take up any room on your
hard drive; however, when you right-click the hard link and choose
Properties, it will give you a file size. This happens because it
is getting the information directly from the original file; the
hard link itself isn't taking up that space. CHLExt is easy to use
because it is a shell extension. That means that all you have to
do to har-link a file is to right- click it and choose "Create
Hard Link." Now you can rename that hard link and move it anywhere
you want on your NTFS hard drive.

          WebDEV- ART-MUSIC-FUN

Microsoft Knowledge Base article: Paul Bunyan
 http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-us;Q152698
Say Whaaaaa????? 

Protect yourself from bugs!
A FREE utility at http://www.thaiware.com/software/util/UL00724.htm
It emits sound waves from your computers speakers repels mosquitoes, rats, and roaches
from your computer.  We'll pass this one up but will keep it in mind if we become infested.
(Sorry I just couldn't resist listing this; clearly more proof some people have too much free time).

BACKWARD GOOGLE.  http://www.alltooflat.com/geeky/elgoog/ .
Oh my, look what they've done to our favorite search engine

Oddcast Media Technologies
http://www.oddcast.com/

Redfield Plugins                        W9x/2k/XP                    FREE
http://www.redfieldplugins.com/Downloads.htm
{Photoshop filters} This review was originally supposed to be
about only the Seamless Workshop Adobe Photoshop-compatible plug-
in, but you can't get Seamless Workshop without downloading
redfieldplugins.exe, which contains four other plug-in filters.
The Seamless Workshop plug-in filter will allow you to create a
seamlessly tiled image from any image file. The Jama 3D filter
will let you add some 3D feel to your 2D images by adding
deformations (such as a crumpled paper effect). The Jama 2000
filter is a demo, and it generally allows you do the same things
as Jama 3D, but with more options. Lattice Composer "produces a
variety of weave patterns, fabric textures, body art tattoos and
skeleton simulations" along with extraordinary 3D text effects.
The Lattice XP filter is also a demo filter and "is an extremely
powerful 3D structure maker."

Trellian WebPage                   W9x/2k/XP              FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105592
Trellian WebPage allows you to create Web pages without having to
learn complex scripting languages, or know much about HTML. It
offers a WYSIWYG interface that makes editing pages as easy as
using a word processor. Additional HTML wizards are available to
create tables and frames and more, making it easier to design your
pages. The built-in browser preview allows you to simulate
different screen resolutions, and the Document Tree Explorer shows
you the code structure of your page. If you are a more advanced
user, you can also edit the code directly, using the built-in
source editor with syntax coloring. Additional features include
Meta Tag editing, support for external applications, spell
checking, and much more. For beginners and advanced users alike.

Soundplant                             W9x/2k/XP                        FREE
http://www.soundplant.org/
Soundplant can sample all
the music/sound effects into a laptop, and then by using the
drag-and-drop method, drag the audio file over a key on
the virtual keyboard and drop it on the desired key. This
sets up Soundplant to start that audio file whenever you
hit that key on the keyboard. You can program other keys to
pause the music, or even start two files overlapping (which is
great for mixing!). Many more options.

Plumb Design Visual Thesaurus
http://www.visualthesaurus.com/
Try going to the visual thesaurus to jog your tongue's
memory by looking up similar words, and see where it leads. To
begin using the thesaurus, either click on any word in the display
or enter a word into the search box. When entering a word, it's
placed in the center along with similar words around it.
The navigation on the right side provides meanings of
the word for the various parts of speech. Select the one that
closely matches what you're looking for and go from there.

FlexWizard                                 W9x/2k/XP                            FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105481
FlexWizard introduces a new concept that makes updating your Web
site as easy as sending an e-mail. The software is bundled with a
service that hosts your FlexWindow content and manages all your
changes via e-mail. You can have your actual Web site hosted
wherever you want, so there is no need to change your hosting
company. The program/service works by inserting your FlexWindow
content into your existing pages via a Java script code from the
FlexWindow server. Simply define content areas (FlexWindows) on
your site, then send an e-mail with the content you want to appear
in each particular FlexWindow. The e-mail content is published on
your Web page immediately. It makes a perfect solution to update
fast changing content on your Web site, like the latest news
flashes, Web logs, vacancies, and price and product information
etc. The FlexWizard is an easy-to- use interface that assists you
in setting up the system. You can use the service and software for
free on personal pages with up to 2 FlexWindows. Commercial sites
and users who require more FlexWindows need to register for a
yearly package. FlexWizard is a great idea that allows non-
technical users to perform on-the-fly changes to an existing Web
site without the need to hire a Webmaster to do the updates or
changes. It's also an interesting option for Web designers.

FocusViewer                            W9x/2k                                     FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105404
FocusViewer can browse, view,print images, and make wallpaper for a
Windows desktop. The program supports all major graphic formats,
including BMP, DIB, JPEG, GIF, animated GIF, PCX, TIFF, and TGA.
The image-viewing functions are mostly basic. FocusViewer offers
about 20 different effects that can be applied to your images,
including Brightness/Contrast, Color, Negative, Threshold, Smooth,
Sharpen, Solarize, Add Noise, 3Dgrid, and more.

Ghost-It!                                       2k/XP                             FREE
 http://home.rochester.rr.com/artcfox/GhostIt/
You can set hot keys to activate what's below the cursor, and you can
change how quickly (or slowly) the window fades.  Ghost or unghost
one or all the windows from the control in the system tray, or by
simply right-clicking on the window. "Exiting the program will
automatically un-ghost all ghosted windows."

304 Photoshop 6 Tips                   W9x/2k/XP                           FREE
 http://user.fundy.net/morris/redirect.html?photoshop14.shtml
{Photoshop tips} Applications like Photoshop are so filled with
different options that, even if you think you know everything
about the program, you most likely don't. If you'd like to learn a
little bit more, check out the tips on this page. Wait, did I say
"a little bit more?" I meant to say "a ton more," like 304 tips'
worth. They're all located on this site and neatly categorized.
For even more convenience, download the PDF file and print it out.
The best thing about these tips? Loads and loads of - my favorite
and yours! - keyboard shortcuts.

Eventcorder                                     W2k/XP                        FREE
 http://www.volny.cz/eventcorder/ec_moreinfo.htm
"Eventcorder records Windows events and plays them back. The
recorded events can be edited and copy & pasted. New events can be
recorded among the existing ones (both keyboard and mouse events).
It uses 'Clickviews.' The Clickview is one or more tiny
screenshots (24x24 pixels) that are taken when the user clicks the
mouse. It shows the place where it was clicked. These Clickviews
are checked during playback and can either break the execution or
can be searched for (so that the mouse-down event is
repositioned), taking place above the same pattern as when
recorded and the playback can continue. Clickviews can be also
cloned and clipped. A Breakpoint can be inserted to the events.
When during playback the Breakpoint is reached, execution is
slowed down significantly. This helps to break playback exactly at
the desired point. It can make screenshots (whatever size) during
playback. These can be checked later, visually or compared with
screenshots taken during previous playback." Essentially, it's a
visual macro recorder.

WebTV Viewer                              W9x                                    FREE
 http://developer.msntv.com/tools/viewer/
"Preview your sites on WebTV without leaving your PC! The WebTV
Viewer simulates WebTV on your system. Read the online Viewer
Installation Guide to find out more on how to use this software.
Important: the PC version of the WebTV Viewer (2.6) reflects all
of the features of the most recent upgrade from Spring 2001. Note:
The Viewer is similar, but not identical, to a real WebTV system.
The WebTV Viewer program is currently beta-level software on both
Windows and Macintosh. This means that it has not been completely
tested and debugged. The WebTV Viewer is like a WebTV browser
because: it changes page layout by compressing page width and
enlarging text; and it supports HTML, JavaScript, as well as other
Internet standards in the same way. The WebTV Viewer is not like a
WebTV browser because: your computer monitor has a higher
resolution than a television screen, and displays color better;
and the Viewer does not support email or audio, while the WebTV
browser does."

 Doorway Page Wizard                    W9x/2k/XP                      FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105724
Doorway Page Wizard is a tool for creating highly optimized,
keyword-intensive Web pages. It features an easy-to-use wizard
that guides you through a step-by-step process to create the
pages. Doorway pages contain keywords and META tags that describe
your Web site, and are optimized to the leading engines.
Each doorway page is specially tuned to a particular keyword
search and the program can create hundreds of doorway pages in a
matter of minutes. (it should be used with caution, as some search
engines may penalize you for it.)

Matizha Sublime                            W9x/2k/XP                  FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105629
Matizha Sublime is a powerful HTML editor with full support for
hand coding as well as an optional design view for WYSIWYG editing.
It offers all the standard editing features and many advanced, such as
Code Inspector, Project Manager and more. It also comes with an
easy-to-use-DHTML menu wizard that allows you to easily create
cool looking DHTML menus. Matizha Sublime supports all the latest
technologies and offers helper dialogs for inserting Flash, Java,
Multimedia, etc. You can also create custom code snippets that can
be inserted from the Explorer bar. A feature rich editor.

Eds Photo Mailer XP                   W9x/2k/XP                     FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105634
Eds Photo Mailer XP is an SMTP e-mailer program, designed to
easily preview and attach pictures to an e-mail message. You can
view your photos before sending them, keep frequently-used e-mail
addresses for quick access, and attach multiple images. The
program also supports drag-and-drop, making it quick and easy to
attach multiple pictures.

FlashBuilder                               W9x/2k/XP                 FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105650
FlashBuilder is a combination of a free web hosting service and a
WYSIWYG interface for building Flash content. It enables you to
create, edit, and publish your own Flash Web site in minutes,
using up to 50 custom images and mp3 files. It includes a database
of themes to choose from, as well as custom interfaces and a Flash
intro page. You can build your site, preview it, and then save it
to the hosting server.

NightVision                                  W9x/2k/XP                    FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105655
NightVision allows you to quickly adjust screen gamma settings to
preserve dark adaptation. It is useful for astronomers and others
who need to preserve dark adaptation while using the computer.
NightVision controls the three gamma channels (red, green, and
blue) independently and also provides full control over preset
gamma settings, fade rate, and bailout keys.

Gazi Digi-Book                                 W9x/2k/XP                       FREE
http://www.kuraemon.com/gazo/us/
Another program to create and organize digital photo albums. However,
it has a few twists that make it stand out. The user interface
looks like a real bookshelf containing photo albums. Each page is
customizable with the capabilities of selecting thumbnail sizes,
choosing the number of images on a page, adding captions and
sounds to pictures, and changing the album display. Download free
Gazi Digi-Book skins to spice up the book covers, bookshelf,
bookend, and layouts.

Thumbnailer                      W9x/2k/XP                    FREE
http://www.hut.fi/~jsleino1/software/
place the pictures you want to make into a thumbnailed Web page in
one folder and then direct Thumbnailer to that folder. You can
choose the name of the file and set a title for visitors. if you need
to quickly put those family pictures on the Web, then Thumbnailer is the
program to help you do it.

IconArt                    W9x/2k/XP                         FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105624
IconArt is an icon editing and drawing tool that allows you to
create new icons from scratch, edit existing ones, or to import an
image (or part of it) and turn it into an icon. You can also move,
rotate and flip the icon, apply masks, change colors and more. The
program allows you to extract icons from .exe and .dll files and
import them into the work area for editing. Easy to use, compact,
and well worth the download.

Easy Color Themes                  W9x/2k/XP            FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=104715
Easy Color Themes is a complete tool for visual color design
intended for Designers, Webmasters, Painter Artists, software
developers and anybody else who works with a color palette. You
can grab colors from your screen, using a color picker with
optional zoom that automatically gets out of the way, so you don t
have to move it to grab a color below it. You can create your own
color list, specify custom color names, and also export your color
themes to BMP. Additional features include screen capture, project
support, zoom, and multiple color output formats.

V-CamShow                                   W9x/2k/XP                             FREE
http://virdi-software.com/vcamshow/
Use V-CamShow to watch any number of Web cams as a slide show or screen
saver. Add your Web cams to the list and import the newest
additions. The program auto- detects and auto-adjusts the refresh
rate for most Web cams to prevent repeatedly downloading the same
image, a problem with many Web cam software packages. V-CamShow
can automatically reduce or disable the refresh rate when a Web
cam is slow or inactive. Set operation times for individual Web
cams to enable different Web cams at different times of the day -
an especially useful feature when watching international e-
neighbors.

As Simple As Photoshop Tutorials              W9x/2k/XP            FREE
http://digicollage.com/asap/downloads/
{Photoshop tutorials} Get moving with Photoshop ASAP! ASAP stands
for As Simple as Photoshop, and this site offers two free
tutorials as well as others for purchase. The tutorials can be
viewed online or downloaded as .exe files. The Concepts [3.7M
download] e-book, intended for beginners, covers the Photoshop
interface and general work principles accompanied with tutorials
illustrated with animated screenshots. The Tools [6.6M download]
is a comprehensive Toolbox reference for all users. Visual
learners will benefit from "seeing" Photoshop in action as opposed
to listening to lectures or reading wordy texts.

SnackAmp                              W9x/2k/XP                      FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105370
SnackAmp is a multi-platform music player with common music player
abilities as well as multi-user support and a powerful auto-play
list feature. It allows you to catalogue your media(CDs,etc.)
edit ID3 tags, rename and move files, and more. SnackAmp can work
in network environments, and handle very large numbers of
files. It also offers a mini-view and a browser play control, a
built-in server for remote access and more. SnackAmp is intended
for serious media collectors, and will probably not appeal much to
beginners who are looking for an all around mp3 player.

CD Scratch 1200                          W9x/2k/XP                    FREE
http://cdscratch.com/
{Virtual CD player} Create your own mix and DJ the next party like a pro.
Put the CD into the drive and the music plays while a record spins
on your screen. Use the mouse for scratching, tempo and pitch.

JavaScript Headline W9x/2k/XP FREE (but limited)
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105334
JavaScript Headline is a powerful JavaScript-producing design tool
for creating headline script that will display and rotate the
messages automatically. Each message can be linked to an
individual page. You can customize many settings without the need
for any programming, using the supplied configuration interface.
You can define text, font, color, URL, delay time, and more (for
the script). All relative files that you need to upload to your
Web server will be saved along with the project file so that you
can easily upload them. This will work with IE 5+, Netscape 4/6/7,
Mozilla 1.1a+ and Opera 6.

EGG; Easy Gallery Generator             W9x/2k/XP             FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105327
EGG allows you to create photo galleries of your images that can
be used for publishing on the Web. It creates small thumbnail
images that are linked to the full-size image. The program
provides you with an instant preview of your page layout, allows
you to re-arrange images, add comments, and more.

DeadPixelTest               W9x/2k/XP                          FREE
http://www.starzen.com/imaging/deadpixeltest.htm
Digital camera utility enables you to test your digital camera
for dead and hot pixels.

MP3BookHelper                  W9x/2k/XP                    FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105680
MP3BookHelper provides ID3v1 and ID3v2 tag-editing and file-
renaming functions. It can also be used to easily create Winamp-
compatible playlists (M3U files), Information (NFO) files, Parity
archive (PAR) data recovery files, and Simple File Verify (SFV)
checksum files. You can export and import ID3 tags to and from
comma delimited text files, verify CRC/MD5 checksums and more. The
program makes a good MP3 tagging utility and playlist generator,
many additional features.

Color Scheme Designer                  W9x/2k/XP            FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105677
Color Scheme Designer is an easy-to-use and effective utility to
design color schemes for use in Web sites. You drag and drop colors
into the page and preview how they will look together. You can save
your scheme configuration and also export it to HTML.

Mpxplay                                       W9x/2k/XP                     FREE
http://mpxplay.tripod.com/
program will allow you to listen to MP3s in
DOS and it is called Mpxplay. This application can also play MP2,
OGG, CDW, WAV, MPC, and AC3 media files. If you need a DOS-based
media player, then Mpxplay is it.

Htp                           W9x/2k/XP                                 FREE
http://htp.sourceforge.net/
Have you ever been to a Web page with inconsistent navigation links,
 e-mail address tag misspellings, and each page seems to have a
completely different style. Htp is an HTML pre-processor. Actually,
it can pre-process HTML, XHTML, XML, and CSS files. create
some of your own special tags and then use those tags to code a
special HTML page. Have Htp process that file into a regular, Web-ready
HTML file. Just get your e-mail address and name spelled correctly
once to create that tag, and put that tag in when you write the code,
and every page will consistently have the same name and e-mail
address. You can use this program for all types of Web coding
projects and I have only begun to scratch the surface of this
program. Download the Windows executable, and also the documentation,
as the tutorial does a really good job of walking you through the paces.

      For PROPHEADS & UBERGEEKS

 
The Wizard's Apprentice              W9x/2k/XP                   FREE
http://wizapp.sf.net/
"Batch files still are a good way
to get things done. As long as the things are simple, a batch file
can be exactly the right way to do it: easily written, portable,
and no need to install anything to get it to work. There is one
big shortcoming of batch files though: interactivity. There's not
a nice way to ask the user questions. In the old days, in MSDOS,
there were no questions asked. The Wizard's Apprentice allows you
to ask questions from a batch file, using Windows dialog boxes in
Wizard style: large dialog boxes asking one question at a time,
with a Back button, a Next button and a Cancel button. It does
dialog boxes for message box, text screen, file contents, edit
field, radio buttons, checkboxes, listboxes, combo boxes, and a
file or directory browser."

Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)
 http://microsoft.com/windows.netserver/technologies/ipv6/
"Microsoft is developing support for Internet Protocol version 6
(IPv6) - a new suite of standard protocols for the network layer
of the Internet, it is the future of networking. IPv6 is designed
to solve many of the problems of the current version of IP (known
as IPv4) with regard to address depletion, security, auto
configuration, extensibility, and more. Its use will also expand
the capabilities of the Internet to enable a variety of valuable
and exciting scenarios, including peer-to-peer and mobile
applications. This site contains links to a variety of
introductory overviews on IPv6 technology, information on
Microsoft implementations, press releases on Microsoft's support
and development of IPv6, and additional resources."

Transloader
 http://www.transloader.com/
"This site makes it easy to transfer files to your Web server.
Mostly it is useful for sites like FlamingText.com and
ImageBot.com to send generated images to another server (such as
your Web or FTP server). This is particularly useful for WebTV
users who can't save images on their own machine. Although we have
no pre-set limits (okay, it's 2.4 GB), the transfers that you do
through Transloader.com must be completed in five minutes. This
server is capable of transferring over 1 Gig per minute; if you
are talking to a slow server, your job may not complete in time.
Other transloaders sometimes suffer from overloading (too many
people using them), which is why I wrote this one. Hopefully, this
will never happen to us, but in any case, check these others out,
they have some nice services..."

Squeak                          W9x/2k/XP                     FREE
http://www.squeak.org/
{Smalltalk implementation} I'm finding it a little hard to explain
this programming system to you, so here is a quote from the Web
site: "Squeak is an open, highly-portable Smalltalk-80
implementation whose virtual machine is written entirely in
Smalltalk, making it easy to debug, analyze, and change. To
achieve practical performance, a translator produces an equivalent
C program whose performance is comparable to commercial
Smalltalks." What this means is that what you create in Squeak is
usable in Windows, Mac, Unix, and other operating systems. There
is support for audio and even network access. Squeak comes loaded
with some games, audio programs, graphics programs, and more. You
don't need to know a ton about Smalltalk to customize and
reprogram Squeak, but it IS beneficial. Squeak is great for having
an OS-independent environment where you can process data and work
on projects.


OpenGL Geometry Benchmark              W9x/2k/XP               FREE
http://www.fl-tw.com/opengl/GeomBench/index.htm
{Test your video card} OpenGL Geometry Benchmark is an application
that was developed to test the geometry transform & lighting power
of your video card in OpenGL. It won't test the fill rate and
texturing, but it will still give you a good indication how well
your video card is operating in regards to OpenGL. There are
several geometric transfer tests that you can choose from, some of
which include vertex array objects, vertex array ranges, immediate
mode, display lists, and compiled vertex arrays. You can also
choose the triangle format (strips, lists, or both) and even the
tessellation. That's not all, though! You can also choose the
lights (none, three, or both) and your vertex format
(interleaving, streamed, or both). Depending on the choices you
make to test your video card, the application may have to run for
several minutes. Once it is done, you are left with a log file
detailing the results and a message that asks if you would like to
send your results back to the makers of the Web site. When you
have your results, you can go back to the Web site and compare
with other users and look up graphs to see how your video card
ranks against other video cards. (That's why I recommend you
choose "Yes" on sending the results back to the Web site
administrator.) Fits on a floppy.

WinVorbis                  W9x/2k/XP                       FREE
http://winvorbis.stationplaylist.com/
The Ogg Vorbis media compression scheme leaves you with a
small OGG file that has the quality of a WAV file. The great part
is that media players like Winamp come with built-in support for
OGG media files. WinVorbis will allow you to take and encode any
directory of WAV, RAW, and AIF files. WinVorbis also has a built-
in tag editor, but the really important part is being able to
encode OGG media files. If you are an audiophile who is in need of
recovering some precious hard drive space, then maybe you should
look at converting your audio collection with WinVorbis.

SRE|copy               W9x/2k/XP                         FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105595
SRE|copy is a file transfer tool that enables you to do local and
network transfer with resume support. If you have ever copied
large amounts of data from one machine to another, you know that
it can be time-consuming, and it often slows down computer
performance. With SRE|copy, you have the option to pause and
resume your file transfers at any time. The program does not
replace the standard Windows copy function, but rather appears as
an additional option after dragging/dropping a folder or drive,
and only jumps into action when you select it.

ProcRecon                            W9x/2k/XP                 FREE
http://webchitect.com/ProcRecon
{Non-responsive application utility} ProcRecon is a system utility
that eliminates unnecessary hassle when confronted with non-
responding application(s)/task(s), by encapsulating the
termination process between the end-user and the operating
system's Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del). The program helps users
regain control of the operating system after terminating a non-
responsive application(s) or task(s) through Ctrl+Alt+Del.
Often the operating system may become unstable. ProcRecon allows the
user to select programs and tasks for termination, while
keeping the system in a stable and responsive state. It comes with
command-line support that is executable from Windows and the DOS
prompt. Programs can be sorted alphabetically, PID numerically, or
handle numerically. The program uses few resources when not in use.

MELMS                        W9x/2k/XP                       FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105759
MELMS is a basic e-mail list management program to manage an
unlimited number of e-mail lists with up to 30,000 e-mail
addresses each. The program can automatically add e-mail addresses
to the list by checking your POP3 account. You can also import
from the Clipboard or add individual e-mails manually. Additional
features include duplicate checking, signature support, and
logging.

#Develop                     W9x/2k                               FREE
http://www.icsharpcode.net/OpenSource/SD/
Coding program comparable to  Visual Studio 5...or better.
This application feels just like you are coding in VSand it even
has syntax highlighting. You can even write ASP.NET, ADO.NET,
XML, Java, and HTML code. On top of all of this, the program
includes a forms designer and support for several different spoken
languages. #Develop is quite impressive.

Protect Storage PassView            W9x/2k/XP                 FREE
http://nirsoft.multiservers.com/utils/pspv.html
Protect Storage PassView reveals
the passwords collected in Internet Explorer and Microsoft
Outlook. The tool shows only the passwords of the currently
logged-on user. Word of warning: If someone has access to your
local machine, he or she can use tools like this to steal your
passwords. It's a catch-22, but users of personal computers should
be able to work around it. Stop pressuring yourself to memorize
passwords, and download this while you're thinking about it.

Angry IP Scanner                        W9x/2k/XP                       FREE
http://www.angryziber.com/ipscan/
Angry IP Scanner is software that will let you scan any range of
IP addresses looking for a live connection, or you can search a
specific hostname on your network to find the IP address. Once you
have scanned your desired set of IP addresses, you are left with a
listing that has the information on whether an IP address is dead
or active. You can export this list to an HTML, XML, TXT, or CSV
file. (The CSV file is great for importing information into
Excel.) You can right-click an active IP address and get the
NetBIOS information, or perform tasks such as opening the IP
address in a Web browser, opening the IP address in an explorer
window, open an FTP connection (if possible), telnet to the IP
address, or start a traceroute command. Angry IP Scanner is small
enough to fit on a floppy, so you can take it with you anywhere. I
use Angry IP Scanner to keep track of my internal network and as
an easy way to get a range of IPs into Excel for network
documentation.

SetACL.exe                                W2k/XP                          FREE
http://www.helge.mynetcologne.de/setacl/
"SetACL.exe is a free program for setting permissions on Windows
NT/2000/XP systems. I started developing it in early March 2001,
when I needed a program that could set permissions on printers,
but could not find one. I learned that setting permissions
programmatically on printers is basically the same as on files,
directories, registry keys, services, and so on. SetACL is
supposed to be fast." SetACL.exe is a Win32 console program. Its
actions are controlled by command-line parameters. It always
responds with a return code in computer-speak using 0, 1, and 2."

XP User Display Settings                        XP                 FREE
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_userdisplay.htm
Change screen resolution; Just double- click the program, choose the
resolution, refresh rate, and color depth; and then click "Apply."
Now everyone can have their own preferred screen resolution in seconds.

Path Creator                      W9x/2k/XP                    FREE
http://gms.cyberrock.net/products.html
{Create directories} There are times when you just want to make a
specific file structure with subfolders, but you don't want to
spend a lot of time doing it. Why create every folder
individually, when you can make the whole structure as fast as you
can type the name? That is the power given to you by Path Creator.
All you have to do is launch this little program, type the path
you want to create, and Path Creator will create every folder to
make that file structure possible. Path Creator can now fit on a floppy,
and it supports command line parameters. This means that you computer
technicians out there can load this program on a floppy and run it
with a batch file to create a desired directory structure.

           XP,  2000, and/or IE only

Install and Configure Speech Recognition in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q306537
everything you need to know to get the Speech Engine installed and
functioning on your Windows XP machine.

Zoe                               W2k                                   FREE
http://guests.evectors.it/zoe/
This wonderful little application can be an e-mail client
or an e-mail server. It supports the POP and SMTP protocol just
like other e-mail servers. Since the system supports SMTP, you can
transfer your files by e-mailing Zoe. This program will give you
more control over your e-mail in regards to who gets to see your
e-mail communications. Zoe is Java-based, so that means you can
access the e-mail server from different operating systems; all you
need is to have the latest Java runtimes installed. With Zoe, you
can set up autoreplies and spam filters on your e-mail, too. You
can set up all of your accounts and use one of your computers as a
server, making e-mail accessible from wherever you need to access
it. You can also read the XML feed of your Zoe e-mail server,
which includes a summary of today's messages.

SectorSpyXP                        2k/XP                         FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105440
SectorSpyXP allows advanced users to examine all data on a hard
drive or diskette, at the sector level. It can be used to retrieve
text-based file data that has been deleted and removed from the
Recycle Bin, including e-mails, Word documents, Notepad and
WordPad documents, Excel spreadsheets, database text data, and
more. You can append found text information in a text file,
navigate the sectors, and search for keywords. This tool is
designed to recover information, rather than the actual, intact
files. It does not support binary data such as images, etc.
SectorSpyXP supports FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS.

CD-R Drive or CD-RW Drive Is Not Recognized As a Recordable Device
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q316529
If you are using Windows XP, this article is for you. You may have
run into the problem that your CD-R/RW drive is not detected as a
recordable device. If you have already tried a system shutdown, you
may need to edit your registry using the settings in this Microsoft
Knowledge Base article. Please remember to backup your registry
before making any changes though.

Error Message During Installation: Error 1335 - Cannot Copy Cab File Office1.cab
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q314810
Some of you running Windows XP may have run into an issue where you
can't install Office 2000/XP because it can't copy the office1 cab
file or because of a Windows Installer Service error. At the time
of this review, Microsoft doesn't know the cause of this issue.
There are two possible workarounds though. One workaround outlined
in this Microsoft Knowledge Base article is basically just copying
the contents of the Office installation CD to a folder on the PC
and running the install from there. The other workaround requires
you to make some changes to your memory settings in the boot.ini
file. Please make a copy of your boot.ini file before making any
changes.

ThinkPad Keyboard Customizer Utility W2k/XP FREE
http://www.pc.ibm.com/qtechinfo/MIGR-44185.html
"enables predefined assignment for a Windows key on ThinkPad keyboard and
audio volume control buttons, a mute button, and a ThinkPad button
on the external keyboard." It requires ThinkPad Hotkey Features
for Win9x/2k/XP version 1.02.0280 or later, the current utility
must be uninstalled prior to installing the update.

O&O DriveLED                       W2k/XP                   FREE
http://www.oosoft.de/english/products/oodl/
"Have you often asked yourself why your hard disk starts up even
when you aren't writing anything to it? Until now, you could only
check hard disk activity by looking at the little lamp (LED) on
the front of your computer. But who wants to be constantly looking
under the table whilst trying to work or play games? From now on,
you don't have to crane your neck anymore to see if your hard disk
is currently active. Now you can use O&O DriveLED."

Error 1328 When You Apply Office XP Service Pack 1
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q315152
Did you receive an error message after trying to install Office XP
Service Pack 1 that states, "The expected version of the product
was not found on your system" or perhaps an error mentioning
msaccess.exe having been upgraded by other means? If that is the
case, it is quite possible that you are running an unreleased
version of Microsoft Office. This Microsoft Knowledge Base article
provides steps for verifying that you have a released/retail
version of Microsoft Office. Unfortunately, the only published fix
for this issue is to purchase a retail copy of Office. If you got a
beta/unreleased copy of Office from your computer manufacturer then
I would recommend contacting them before spending money on the
retail version as they may have made a mistake and will correct it
for you.

"Setup Cannot Upgrade Some Settings"
Error Message When You Reinstall Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q316417
If you have ever had to reinstall Windows XP, you may have run into
the "Setup cannot upgrade some settings" error message. If you got
this a while ago, you may have already formatted and rebuilt your
machine, but hopefully I am catching you before you go that far,
because this error can be fixed. This type of error happens because
your registry got corrupted, but this Microsoft Knowledge Base
article talks you through repairing your registry and removing the
references to that bad installation. I will caution you to back up
your data first when making such drastic changes to your system's
registry.

Description of the New XP Command Line Defrag.exe
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q283080
Deleting and creating files causes fragmentation of the hard drive,
and defrag.exe is the utility that you use to defragment your hard
drive. This Microsoft Knowledge Base article outlines and explains
all of the command line parameters for the defrag.exe utility
included with Microsoft Windows XP. You need to have at least fifteen
percent free space on your hard drive for Defrag to run properly.