Posts Tagged free
DirSync Pro Synchronizes Files and Folders
Posted by admin in Downloads, File and Data Sharing, Free Stuff, how to, Instruction, productivity, Security, Simplicity, Technology & Gadgets, Timesavers, tips, Tools, Tricks & Hacks, Web on February 12, 2010
Here’s another Lifehacker recommended download. It’s called DirSync Pro and it allows you to backup information on a local computer to a mapped network drive or other location on the same computer. Here’s a description from the author’s website:
Using DirSync Pro you can make incremental backups. In this way you’ll spare lots of time because you don’t have to copy all the files each time you want to update your backup; only new/modified/larger files would be copied.
Use DirSync Pro to easily synchronize files from your desktop PC to your USB-stick (PDA, Notebook, …). Use this USB-stick (PDA, Notebook, …) to synchronize files to another desktop PC.
DirSync Pro is free, open source software, available for download here. It’s a Java application, so it’s supported on any system with the Java Runtime Environment, including Windows, Mac and Linux.
How to Open Those Pesky .docx Files
Posted by admin in Email, File and Data Sharing, Free Stuff, how to, Instruction, Internet, productivity, Technology & Gadgets, Timesavers, tips, Tools, Tricks & Hacks, Web Applications on February 12, 2010
I’ve had more than a couple of people e-mail to ask how they can open these .docx files. The .docx format was introduced by Microsoft beginning with Office version 2007 (that’s the version with the ribbon, rather than the toolbar; more info here).
So, the .docx files don’t open easily in versions of Microsoft Office prior to 2007. Here’s one fix: Microsoft has released an update that converts the .docx (and .pptx and .xlsx) files for use on earlier software.
There is another fix, however. I am a proponent of free open source software (FOSS). The OpenOffice.org suite is a free office suite that includes word processing, spreadsheets, presentations and drawings. OpenOffice.org will open, edit and save the .docx (along with .pptx and .xlsx) files without even blinking. Read more about OpenOffice here.
OpenOffice.org is a Capable Alternative to Microsoft Office
Posted by admin in Free Stuff, productivity, Technology & Gadgets, tips, Tools, Tricks & Hacks, Web Applications on February 11, 2010
OpenOffice.org is a free and very capable office software suite. Included in the OpenOffice suite is a word processor, spreadsheet app, presentation software and drawing tools.
OpenOffice has been free software for the past several years. I used OpenOffice to work through my master’s degree and no one ever noticed a difference.
It’s quite capable in its own right and does nearly everything that Microsoft Office does. The only major component missing from OpenOffice is a comprehensive e-mail suite.
I think e-mail software is a dying breed, due to the growing capabilities of web applications like GMail. If you absolutely must use a local e-mail application, Mozilla’s Thunderbird is an excellent solution.
Exciting News from Allyte
There is some news that I’d like to share with you -
- I have opened an office just off Cedar Bluff in west Knoxville. The new office space allows me to be more accessible to customers. The new space is located at 9040 Executive Park Drive, Suite 263, Knoxville, TN 37923 [click for a map].
- Allyte Workshops for Non-Geeks are now available. Click here to see the full list of upcoming workshops. I’d love to hear your ideas for other workshops, too!
- For useful tips and resources, the Allyte Blog is a great resource. It’s updated regularly with tech information for non-geeks. You can also sign up for an e-mail so you can get these tips delivered to your inbox.
- Allyte is now listed on Yelp, the wildly popular web resource for local business reviews. The reviews for Allyte are sparse, so I’d love to have you write a review for Allyte on Yelp. To write a review, just go to http://yelp.com, sign up for an account and do a search for “Allyte“. Click on the red “Write a Review” button and follow the instructions.
- Can we send you some cash? I love referrals! Word-of-mouth advertising is the single best way I’ve found to grow my business. So, for the month of February, if you send me a referral that turns into a paying customer, I’ll send you a check $10!
Two More Photo Resize Tools
Posted by admin in Free Stuff, how to, Instruction, Internet, joomla, productivity on January 22, 2010
I wrote about some photo resize tools not too long ago, but I learned of another tool you should know (and use!) through one of my favorite blogs. A reader also wrote to suggest another popular resource that I’d like to toss out there.
- Shrink Pic [via Lifehacker] is perhaps one of the most handy picture resizing tools when working with online mediums, such as websites and social media sites. It’s the most handy because you don’t have to think about it. ShrinkPic automatically resizes pictures you’re uploading to the web. This does a few things: 1) it decreases the amount of time it takes for your file to transfer, 2) it ensures you have an optimal (or close to it) size for web use, and 3) it conserves server storage space.Go ahead, install ShrinkPic. Your website administrator will love you for it.
- IrfanView is a very popular program that allows you to resize pictures and perform a ton of other operations on images (it even plays videos). It’s free for download at http://www.irfanview.com/, where you can also find a full list of features.
Three Ways to Synchronize Your Digital Files
Posted by admin in Free Stuff, Internet, productivity on January 17, 2010
How many digital devices do you have your hands on during any given week? If your answer is more than 1, you’ll find the following free tools useful.
Each of the three free tools below synchronizes files across your devices so they can be accessible no matter where you are. Did I mention they’re free? Both Dropbox and SpiderOak have paid versions if you require more than the 2 GB they give you for free.
Each service also backs up documents online so if anything were to happen to your laptop, desktop and work computer all on the same day, your data is still safe (and encrypted) on the interwebs.
Each services does roughly the same thing, so an individual breakdown of features would be pretty boring. I’ll give you the links so you can decide which is best for you (you’re pretty smart, right?). My personal preference is Dropbox (#2 below) but I’ve also been considering SpiderOak (#3) because they offer more storage for less dollars.
- Live Mesh (Windows, Mac) – It’s currently in beta, so the pricing could change (or not). I use Linux, so this one’s not an option for me.
- Dropbox (Windows, Mac, Linux) – The first service of this type that I have used. It has worked like a champ. After a coworker installed it, we were able to share pictures from a trip with one click. It couldn’t have worked better.
- SpiderOak (Windows, Mac, Linux)- Great pricing on storage – and they encourage you to install across several computers to backup everything. I’ve had some minor reliability issues, but their support team has been great about responding to my requests.