A lot of the time, when people buy a new PC/laptop, they just don’t know what software to install on it. There are a few key bits of software that everyone should have, that tend to make life a lot easier – in fact, many seasoned PC users won’t have even come across these, but I’m going to share some of the best bits and pieces with you today. I’d say that a decent amount of the best desktop applications available today are ‘open source’, meaning that instead of being developed entirely by one self-contained company, the software is open and available for anyone to work on and contribute to. It’s both a cool philosophy, and conducive to the production of very user-friendly and user-orientated software. So here are a few of my favourites:
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Archive for March, 2010
5 Desktop Applications You Didn’t Know About, But Need
By Euan Cowieson [BE77Y] on March 6th, 2010Use FlashHacker To Keep Your Video's Full Screen On Your Second Monitor Whilst You Work
By Ben Norman [n0rman0] on March 5th, 2010Anyone who uses multiple monitors has tried to have a video running in one full screen whilst working in the other. Needless to say it doesn’t work, which made me sad. Fortunately help is at hand in the shape of FlashHacker. It’s all very simple, download, close all of your browser windows, run, then click on Hack My Flash. That’s it, you should now be able to watch video on a monitor in full screen whilst working in the other – simples!
(For whatever reason I had to hack, unhack then re-hack my Flash to get this working… No idea why but if it’s not working certainly something to try… copy blindly! (I apologise, that’s a bit of an ‘in’ joke). Anyway, just a little something for my fellow multiple monitor users out there, hope it’s useful.)
Via – Lifehacker (A fantastic site – if you haven’t it’s well worth a read!)
Remember The Milk – Web Based To Do List
By Ben Norman [n0rman0] on March 4th, 2010
My memory is horrendous, no worse than that… Put it like this, I’m one step away from writing whatever I wish to remember in permanent ink on my forehead. Now, what was I talking about again?
All jokes aside, if I find anything that can aid me in my quest to be able to actually remember something, I’m certainly going to check it out. The other day I found out about a website called Remember The Milk which promised to do just that with a web based to-do list.
First things first – it looks nice and friendly. Who wouldn’t want to use a website with a cool logo like that?! The whole interface, right from the sign up page, makes you want to use it. All you need to do to get started is go through a standard “enter your email here” etc. and you’re set.
Right, so you’ve signed up and logged in, now what? Well that obviously depends on what you want to use the site for. I think there’re two main ways to use it; as an out and out to-do list, or as a replacement for your main calender. I already use Microsoft Exchange to sync my Google Calender to my phone and so am only really interested in the to-do list part. It works fairly well as a full calender, but Google tend to take some beating.
4 Free Applications Every Nokia Smartphone User Should Use
By Ben Norman [n0rman0] on March 3rd, 2010
Mention the iPhone and people can’t help but talk about ‘apps’. What many people don’t seem to realise is that similar applications have been available on Nokia’s smartphone OS – Symbian (s60) – for years. The problem is they’ve never really had an App Store equivalent, even the recently created Ovi Store doesn’t do much mustard cutting.
This doesn’t mean there aren’t great applications out there for Nokia phone owners in 2010, they’re just harder to find. Once you’ve found them though, you’ll be pleased to know that s60 supports multitasking (so you can laugh at iPhone users who have to quit one application if they want to check something in another 
). I’ve included a list of applications I feel everyone should use (all of which are free), and if you’re the proud owner of a new phone which runs s60 you really should check them out. All the applications I suggest work for the E71, I’m sure they’ll be fine on the majority of others as well but I don’t own the phones to check!
Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta Trailer
By Euan Cowieson [BE77Y] on March 3rd, 2010Hello again, folks – just a quick post to let you know that an official trailer for Halo: Reach’s Multiplayer Beta has finally been released – go check it out! Oh, and full-screen and select ’720p’ option for full effect. Enjoy!
Facebook App Released For Zune HD – Doesn’t work
By Ben Norman [n0rman0] on March 2nd, 2010
So Microsoft has finally got around to releasing a Facebook app for the Zune HD, something I think all owners have been clamouring for since its release. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work, well at least not yet. At the moment all I can access through it are my notifications, the albums I’ve uploaded and my basic info. Microsoft are certainly aware of the problem as you can see from Zune’s twitter feed, so fingers crossed it shouldn’t be that long until it’s fully functional.
I’ll do a proper review once the app’s up and running in a way that’s actually works but initial impressions are good. The UI is nice and clean, as you come to expect when using the Zune, and as far as I can tell includes all the functionality you’d want from an app like this.
Now come on Microsoft, as far as I understand it the reason you’ve not opened up third party app support is so you can control the quality of the apps. I imagine someone’s getting a fair old face-slapping somewhere right about now!
P.S. To all you iPhone/iPod Touch owners, I know you’ve had a Facebook app since time began, forgive me for getting excited about something so mundane!
