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Freeware Reviews - Oct. 1999 |
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HTML Converter v1.00b5 [31k] W9x/NT FREE http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/Company/4890/files/hcbeta5.zip Oh, that's a beautiful lookin' Web site... I wish I could save a copy of it to my hard drive. But wait -- I'm offline, and I don't use IE5 (which has a built-in complete page saver). This little tool will look in your browser's cache (IE4, IE5, Navigator 4.x, or Opera 3.x), and save the Web pages (replete with objects) for future offline browsing. You have the option to convert "HTTP" links to local references, making for simpler offline site navigation. Microsoft DirectX v7.0 [6.3M] W9x/NT FREE http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?ReleaseID=12098 "Without radically altering the infrastructure of DirectX 6.1, the new version of the API offers a number of key additions. Notably, there is increased support for hardware-accelerated transformation and lighting through a dedicated 3-D accelerator, freeing up the CPU for tasks such as physics calculations or artificial intelligence algorithms. The end result is a much higher polygon count, allowing 3-D objects and characters to appear more seamless and complex." Download it now! Free Spades v0.5 [4.0M] W9x/NT FREE http://www.freespades.com/freesp.exe Hearts can be broken, but spades are a trick. A few summers ago, I learned how to play both card games with the students I mentored. We relied on a real deck, though... none of this newfangled Internet nonsense. Once you've picked up the basics, it'll take you years to master. Of course, it's helpful if you can find a good partner who understands the game as much as you do. Turn to the Internet (using Free Spades) if there's nobody in your neck of the woods. E-zine AD Swap Tracker PRO v1.0 [624k] W9x/NT FREE http://homebasedprofit.com/software/easts/eastpro.exe You should know by now that e-mail newsletters are a far better delivery vehicle for information delivery than the Web ever was. Don't believe me? Okay, hotshot -- what's the first thing YOU do when you get online? Check your bookmarks, or read your e-mail? I thought so. There are thousands of e-publications out there, and the best way to spread the word about yours is to do an ad swap. This binary beauty will help you manage and track those relationships. Grids v1.0.5 [1.3M] W9x/NT FREE http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lab/3719/engrids.zip As a freshman, I chose 'computers' as one of my extracurricular activities. I was handed a manual for an archaic programming language and instructed to design macros to move a 'thing' across a virtual grid. Grids (this program) would have been more fun to play with. It was designed to help create anything based on object organization (flow charts, electricity schemata, and even guitar tabs). It's another one of those "Where were you when I needed you" apps. Character Map Pro v1.5 [202k] W9x/NT FREE http://www.alexdg.com/pr/chmap/download/chmap.zip When you're editing a rich text document, sometimes it's nice to see what a font looks like before you use it. Some fonts don't look superb at smaller point sizes (like detailed dingbats), so in order to see characters in all their glory, you need to increase the font size a little bit. The default character map is obsolete, thanks to (a non-Microsoft) Character Map Pro. You can resize the character preview window to any size, large or small, in real-time. No Doze v1.0 [60k] W9x FREE http://www.warpnet.org/bsi/nodoze.zip "No Doze was designed to keep your hard drives alive. If you noticed, if you don't use your drive in a while, it may turn off. When you need to access data on that drive, it takes 5-8 seconds to spin back up. Well, this will keep your drives alive, to cut down on 'sleeping' access time! It takes no resources, does not use memory and does not hurt performance, in fact, this may help performance." ShakeIt! v1.2 [9k] W9x/NT FREE http://www.thomas-w.de/shakeit/files/shakeit.zip If there's one thing you can always count on, it's the Start button being in the lower left hand corner of a user's screen. What if you'd rather have the taskbar components lined up in a different order? If you want the System Tray to sit to the left of your Start button, no problem. Need those Quick Start shortcuts to sit on the rightmost side of the taskbar, we got ya covered. Simply ShakeIt up. How you like it is how you'll get it -- every single time. InjectURL v2.0b [345k] W9x/NT FREE http://www.lodz.pdi.net/~eristic/free/injecturl.zip You're crusin' for downloads, dude. Ah, that looks like a nifty proggie. So, you right-click on the download link and choose "Save Target As." You open the file after it has finished downloading only to discover that you inadvertently saved an HTML document and not the intended ZIP (or EXE). Now, what if you can't remember where the Web site was in the first place? Oops. InjectURL will insert the current Web address into a saved HTML document automatically. AutoBright v0.2 [189k] W9x/NT FREE http://www.ozemail.com.au/~mvw/autobright.zip "AutoBright is a tray utility for graphics cards which support hardware gamma control. It let you set up custom brightness & contrast levels for individual programs, as well as a default for your Desktop. If your Display control panel includes gamma controls or your driver claims to be IID-compatible this should work for you. It hasn't been widely tested yet, but it's reliable on my machine (W98)." GIMP v1999.08.28 [8.6M] W9x/NT FREE http://user.sgic.fi/~tml/gimp/win32/gimp-setup-19990828.zip Image editors are a dime a dozen, although most of the good ones will cost you a pretty penny. Of the worthwhile ones out there, how many are downloadable and available on more than one platform? This is nothing new -- it's GNU. GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) was created to operate on systems running Linux and UNIX, but someone came along and created a win32 port. Users with larger screen resolutions will really appreciate the "unique" MDI environment. Winip v1.0b [290k] W9x/NT FREE http://www.dragonmount.net/software/winip/download/winip.zip Quit asking for my phone number, I'll just give you my IP and we can connect via Netmeeting. The problem: I don't have a static IP address; it changes every time I log on to the Internet. It may be 256.10.11.12 one time and 256.10.11.39 another time (NOTE: these are IPs). There are free services which will give you a static host name (fubar.lockergnome.com) even though you have a dynamic IP address. Winip does the trick through a familiar Windows interface. AlienDSP v2.0b2 [208k] W9x/NT FREE http://www.spaceports.com/~allenc/download/dsp_alien.zip "We come in peace. Take us to your player." Aliens have landed, and they're looking for a new sound. Do you have what they're listening for? You got any llamas lying around? Okay, WinAmp oughta do just fine. Install this plugin, load in a song, and apply effects to it in real-time. Remove voice tracks, change the amplitude modulation and pitch, add echoes and reverb, etc.. Each setting is customizable, and you can load multiple effects at the same time. SiteEZ v1.1 [2.0M] W9x/NT FREE http://www.comeplay.com/ftp/SiteEZ.ZIP When more than one person is working on a Web page, the situation is bound to get sticky. Mabel takes care of section M, and Greg takes care of Section G. You don't want them fussing with other elements on the page (or site). And this problem is further exacerbated when the editor knows virtually nothing about HTML. SiteEZ is a godsend for people who need to update a page's information on a regular basis, and may not know proper HTML code from their elbow. CGWebMonitor v1.0 [5.2M] W9x/NT FREE http://www.xtremegroup.com/webmonsetup.exe "Released 20 September 1999, this program is what we have used for months to monitor our Web servers. It sits in the System Tray, and will constantly ping up to 8 Web servers. It'll alert you if any of those servers are down. We are working to add a module where it can call your pager or cell phone as well." Now you will be immediately notified when your Web server takes a nosedive. Stay in the know! MyGenie Sports v2.0 [3.3M] W9x/NT FREE http://www.mygenie.com/mgse.exe When I was watching something interesting on television, my dad always changed the channel to "check the score." When Fox got ahold of sports, I got on my knees and thanked the broadcasting gods. Instead of having to wait ten minutes just to see the latest numbers, the data was displayed all the time. But why turn on the tube, when this Genie will continuously keep you posted on schedules, scores, standings, and news for professional & college sporting events? 1st Page 2000 v2.0 [5.2M] W9x/NT FREE ftp://ftp.evrsoft.com/pub/1stpage2000.exe Notepad is the HTML editor of choice for hardened coders from yesteryear. Why spend money on a program which helps you do what you already know how to do? Sure, it may come with fancy tools and buttons, but HTML (once you've mastered the basics) is not that difficult to craft. I'm a big HomeSite and HotDog fan, but 1st Page 2000 is giving both of them a run for their money. I am totally blown away with how extensive this freeware editor is. Give it a shot -- post haste. Resize IE v1.0 [2k] W9x/NT FREE http://www.dougworld.com/resizeIE.zip "This will allow you to resize the current [Internet Explorer] window to 640x480, 800x600, etc.." Who knew that something so small could save me so much time and frustration? My suggestion (for advanced users): based on the code, create custom dimensions according to your needs. Finally, when a new window pops up, I can resize it with a single click. This is a MAJOR powertoy. Kill Win v2.1.4 [340k] W9x/NT FREE http://www.borgking.de/bk-soft/kw-en.exe We boot up Windows just about every day (sometimes several times an hour). You should have already studied Pirillo's first law of PC motion: what boots up, must come down. Funny... I've never actually heard the term 'boot down' before? Regardless, there are limited ways in which you can shut down your system. One way is to unplug the cord from the wall (while crude and quick, it's not always the wisest method). To expand your 'shut down' options exponentially, Kill Win. Webcam32 v5.1.0 [2.0M] W9x/NT US$25 http://surveyorcorp.com/webcam32/webcam32.exe You're finally able to see when I'm hard at work... sometimes. I've got tons of wacky shots just waiting to be snapped. Every once in a while, you'll see me hold up a random object (just to keep you guessing). Yesterday, it was dental floss. What am I talking about? My Webcam, man. Get with the program! And while you're at it, get THE definitive Webcam program. I could find none more configurable with a clean UI. It's time to show your ugly mug to the world! otter 2000 [2.0M] W9x/NT FREE http://update2.jotter.com/Jotter2000Final/jotter2000.exe It's just me in this little basement office right now; efficiency is key. At times, I've thought about getting some type of personal assistant to help with Internet stuff. It's been difficult to find someone who meets my (high) expectations. While IE5 has AutoComplete for forms, it isn't much of an information manager. Jotter will help you keep track of stuff that you usually need to have at a moment's notice (like passwords and IDs). Filling out forms will be fun! AccuResume Writer v1.6.7 [1.2M] W9x/NT FREE http://www.accuresume.com/accuwriter.exe Do you have a Web page yet? Why not? Everywhere you turn, companies want to host your stuff. Don't think you have anything interesting to post? Think again. What about a resume? Even people who are happy with their current job may should keep their credentials up-to-date. A resume sitting in a drawer gathers no offers; a resume uploaded to the Web is almost guaranteed to get seen. This program was made for the HTML-challenged. Start pounding the virtual pavement. Free Standard Game Server v0.7b42 [910k] W9x/NT FREE http://www.fsgs.com/files/fsgs07b42.zip My old college buddies used to play Doom from dusk 'til dawn. They were on a local area network, so it was simple to connect to one another. A few years later, multi-user game servers were all over the Internet. Wanna keep your online gaming experiences a bit more private? Pick up the Free Standard Game Server and give it a whirl (Linux and Windows binaries available). While not perfect, it should give you the power to do something you couldn't do before. InterPrint v0.90 [1.0M] W9x FREE http://206.16.192.1/interprint/interprint.exe Should we forget to grab the morning paper before Sprocket does, we've lost out. No, he doesn't read anything (though he seems to think that the classifieds are tasty). Some people would much rather read information when it's on a real piece of paper (as opposed to reading the same information on a screen). No problem. Make sure you have enough toner and paper on hand, because this'll intercept your incoming e-mail messages and automatically send them to your printer. Instant Version Info v1.1 [70k] W9x/NT4 FREE http://www.lorriman.demon.co.uk/verext/verext11.zip "Purpose: to display a file's version information in an Explorer context menu. Usage: right-click on a file in Explorer. Not all files have versions, in which case, the program does not add an entry to the context menu. Clicking the 'Instant Version Info' menu entry copies the version info to the clipboard." You should also snag Greg's Html Peeker and CatHtml. Hierophant v1.5.0 [379k] W9x FREE ftp://ftp.islandnet.com/AHA/hi_inst32.exe Time to stretch your hypothalamus; get that basil ganglia back in shape. "Wake up brain, or I'll stab you with a Q-Tip." What do you get when you cross nonsensical hieroglyphics with a sycophant? A puzzling 'slider' game that'll keep your mind from doing more important things in the coming months. Your goal: to make the mixed-up pieces on the left match the symbol to the right. Can you do it? Don't make me have to kick your pituitary gland between the eyes. Sensiva v1.07 [1.7M] W9x/NT FREE http://www.sensiva.com/servlet/s.downfree?f=sensiva_en107s.exe I can get away with using my body while I talk -- I'm Italian. It runs in the family (and unfortunately, it's the dominant gene trait). Busy hands are happy hands -- which is probably why I type so fast. I'm always gesturing, so Sensiva is more like an extension of my arm (rather than an intuitive program). By 'mousing out' shapes or symbols with your cursor, you'll be able to perform tasks (open files, launch programs, etc.). The whole thing's a moving experience. LSTools v1.0 [36k] WNT FREE http://www.uni-koblenz.de/~daniel/download/LS-Tools.zip Includes LN.EXE (creates a hardlink on an NTFS drive), DOWN.EXE (shutdown your own or a remote machine), CLIPDUMP.EXE (prints the [text] content of the clipboard to stdout), SCACL.EXE (view and modify the security settings of services), ERRORTEXT.EXE (translate cryptic error codes into human language), and COPYTOSYSTEM.EXE (copies files passed as arguments to the location). AutoNumLock v1.00 [228k] W9x FREE http://www.freewaredepot.com/Programs/AutoNumLock.zip Ten to one says that you have more programs on your hard drive than there are stars in the sky. Each one of those 32-bit wonders has different needs. Some of them need to be run full screen, others need to sit in the System Tray, and certain ones need to access the numeric keypad. AutoNumLock is an ingenious little device which will toggle the NumLock key on or off -- depending on which designated program is launched. You remain in control without future intervention. MailTo-Encrypter v1.1 [201k] W9x/NT FREE http://pluto.spaceports.com/~mobysw/en/mtenc_de.exe "MailTo-Encrypter has been especially designed to stop harvesting programs from collecting your e-mail address(es) from your Web site. It will simply 'encrypt' your e-Mail address; address collecting programs won't be able to see it, but your e-mail address will still be displayed correctly in the browser. The mailto tag will also continue to work correctly." IrfanView Home Page v3.05 [445k] W9x/NT FREE http://stud1.tuwien.ac.at/~e9227474/iview305.zip I've sung the praises of Jasc's Paint Shop Pro for years, but you may be looking for a simpler (and somewhat cheaper) alternative for viewing graphics and converting formats. IrfanView has it all under control. It supports thumbnails, scanning (TWAIN), as well as drag & drop operations. On top of handling all the popular image file formats, the programmer's philosophy fits in with the downloader's desires: a single EXE file, no nag screens, and usable options. Trace3D v1.0 [1.3M] W9x/NT FREE http://www.iWorker.com/TRACE3D.EXE Maps are probably the most important pieces of paper you can carry with you in your automobile. That is, unless you're getting pulled over for speeding (in which case, you better have your license and registration). Before you get behind the steering wheel, sometimes it's nice to know where you're going -- as well as all the stops in between your starting point and ultimate destination. This proggie is an excellent, visual traceroute utility that keeps you in the know. Dial-A-ZIP for Microsoft Word [430k]
W9x/NT FREE http://www.envmgr.com/site/products/download/setup.exe "With one click of your mouse, Dial-A-ZIP instantly updates an address to add its complete ZIP Code. Dial-A-ZIP also corrects any addressing errors (e.g., Blvd instead of Ave). Once you have the full ZIP Code, you can take advantage of Word's built-in POSTNET(r) barcoding when printing your letter or envelope. Barcoding can improve the reliability and speed of your mail delivery!" jK's Downloader v1.0 [79k] W9x FREE http://jksoft.virtualave.net/cgi-bin/jkdownload.pl Some pages have a couple of files worth downloading; you can get what you want after a couple of clicks. Now, have you ever been to a page with dozens (or hundreds) of files -- then feel the need to save several (or all) of them? You could go crazy with all that clicking, unless you use jK's Downloader to help select and ultimately transfer the files you wish to obtain. It's okay to be a downloading fool, but don't be foolish when it comes to downloading. Save time! Text Information v1.2 [30k] DOS FREE http://www.ozemail.com.au/~mynx/quentisl/programs/ti12.zip "I'm one of those people who likes silly meaningless facts and statistics. I'd also found a couple of programs floating around the web which provided such statistics (about text files), but I thought I could do better; I could make a program which provided even more statistics about text files. I've written TI in the hopes of providing you with as much ACCURATE information about your text files." Attrax v1.0 [440k] W9x FREE http://vreal.hypermart.net/attrax.zip Having a magnetic personality can be a blessing or a curse. If you're repelling everyone you come across, how are you ever going to make (or keep) any friends? Conversely, if you attract everybody, then you're gonna become overwhelmed after twenty-three seconds. Attrax asks you to attack the latter lament; place two same-color spheres together without getting too close to the 'magnetized' sphere. Count on your quick cursor key reflexes to carry you through. MyFreeLD v1.0.6 [2.1M] W9x/NT FREE ftp://216.112.109.197/myfreeldsetup.exe Want to save money on long distance phone calls? It's easy to do. Just pick up your phone and dial 10-10-0983321243 then the number, press the pound key twelve times, then stand on your head and cluck like a chicken. Or, you could get your long distance calls for free by installing this program. Which would you rather bother with? I thought so. And here's the best part: you're the only one who needs the software! Real long distance phone calls with zero cost to you. HTMLDOC v1.7 [1.1M] W9x/NT FREE ftp://ftp.easysw.com/pub/htmldoc/1.7/htmldoc-1.7-windows.exe "HTMLDOC is a program that generates indexed HTML, Adobe PostScript, and PDF files from HTML files that you create using your favorite HTML editor. HTMLDOC includes a simple GUI interface to manage your HTML files and automatically (re)generate files for viewing and printing. It supports most HTML 3.2 and some HTML 4.0 markups; forms and some table attributes are currently not supported." LaserAge v1.6 [4.0M] W9x/NT FREE ftp://ftp.islandnet.com/AHA/hi_inst32.exe Space Invaders -- another coin-op arcade classic that is still as much fun now as it was back then. I wish I had saved all of those blasted quarters; I may have been able to avoid taking out student loans. You may also remember Galaga; it was (most likely) based on SI gameplay, but was much more colorful. Step into the twenty-first century, my invader raider. The graphics in LaserAge are guaranteed to blow you out of the galaxy. Eat my hyperdust in 100 waves. AgentWebRanking v1.6 [1.9M] W9x/NT FREE http://www.calvacom.fr/adsinsoft/dwnld/agentwebranking1.6.zip Knowing that I'm online more than off, people ask me how they can get better rankings in the search engines (as if anybody knew). Each one is a different beast, and instead of breathing fire, they breathe links. "So you're trying to tell me that this is a major undertaking?" That's exactly what I'm saying. At least with the AgentWebRanking package, you'll have some excellent 'search engine' tools in your arsenal. Quit paying others to do it for ya. Webshots Desktop [1.5M] W9x/NT FREE http://ftp.files.webshots.com/dc/wbshotsf.exe Where'd you get that killer Desktop wallpaper? The photography is spectacular! I bet it took you months to find it. "Nah, I just downloaded and installed Webshots." It's time to get rid of those fluffy white clouds. Every day, these guys & gals will give you a free, fantastic looking photo that you may use as your background image or in a screen saver. Want a handful right now? They've got over 2,000 images stored in their database. Give it a shot. Homewatcher Lite v1.1 [1.1M] W9x/NT FREE http://www.homewatcher.com/download/hw11.exe Now that I have a couple of webcams on hand, I thought about setting up some sort of home surveillance system. I won't answer the door unless I know you're not selling something (though Girl Scout cookies are always welcome). At night, you never know who's gonna try to break in (to possibly steal the Girl Scout cookies I already have). Hiring a guard isn't terribly cost effective for homeowners, so what about a software solution? Burglars: beware! Axialis Screen Saver Producer v3.0 [5.0M] W9x/NT US$25 http://www.axialis.com/redist/AXScrProd30s.exe Flying stars were all the rage back in 1991. A decade later, our tastes have changed. We've moved from stars... to faster stars. Oy vey! Screen savers don't hold the same function as they once did, but they can still be fun to watch. Still haven't found the perfect one for you? Quit complaining; make your own. Use your favorite graphics, movies, and sound files in this WYSIWYG environment; compile a "SCR" file and distribute it to your friends today! Enonymous Advisor v1.0b3 [381k] W9x/NT FREE http://www.enonymous.com/advisor1b3.exe Filing out forms, standing in line (gosh, it's just like being back in Allentown). Too bad I can't wear a virtual mask when I have to enter information about myself on the Web. Who knows what's going to happen with all that personal data? With an enonymous advisor in the Tray, you can remain safely anonymous. If that doesn't win you over, then I'd recommend using this puppy just to uncover privacy policies of Web sites. Advice is free for the taking. Uno v1.4 [117k] W9x/NT FREE http://members.xoom.com/TFNeale/Programs/Uno.zip One card left -- don't forget to say the word! There are no worries with the PC version -- it calls 'Uno' for you automatically. Never played this classic card game? It's just as much fun as SkipBo (which, by the way, is available for download, too). Slap down a card from your hand when the color or number in the pile matches. And ya gotta love them wild cards (unless someone else has 'em). No shuffling, no dealing, no clean up. There goes my night! Feedback Journal 360 v3.1 [1.9M] W9x/NT FREE http://www.odysseyconsulting.co.uk/fjsetup.exe Work, work, work. You might think you know what you're doing, but without an understood set of guidelines, you could easily get off track. Don't work with blinders on; when an unpolished concept is presented, listen to what is said. Thrive on feedback -- without it, your projects are doomed for failure. Feedback Journal 360 is a 'digital roundtable' resource which can be used to promote effective communications within a group that has a common goal. Calendar-Almanac v1.16 [226k] DOS FREE http://members.xoom.com/sdexter/csoft/dl/cday116d.zip Look at the calendar on your computer: what do you see? Assumedly, the Gregorian month, day, and year. But What if you want the Discordian, Illuminati, Jewish, Julian, or Mayan calendar? The Chesiresoft Calendar-Almanac will show you. Keep tabs on the moon phase, famous birthdays, and historical events as well. It's only a command line utility, but since when did everything have to show up in a window of its own? Besides, the Mayans didn't have a GUI. YTrayMagic Lite v1.0 Beta [229k] W9x/NT FREE http://yoconsoft.hypermart.net/files/ytraylsetup.exe Magicians are never supposed to share their secrets (unless they're offered a prime-time Fox special). When Explorer comes crashing down, you lose your sanity. You also lose your System Tray icons. There's nothing magical about this disappearing trick. Doh! Wave the magic wand and watch them reappear! Oops -- I wasn't using the YTrayMagic wand; let me try that again. Ala peanut butter sandwiches! My icons have come back. Put down that rabbit please. SCSI Reset v1.2.2 [345k] W9x/NT FREE http://aureq.free.fr/getme/scsireset.exe "ScsiReset allows you to reset your SCSI Card(s) to "Hot plug." You can plug or unplug devices and update the device list using the reset command. You'll see the device list in 'tree' mode. Your card(s) will be the first element; attached devices will come after. Select a device to see its available (SCSI) features and relative information. Identify the constructor, model reference, revision number (usually firmware version number). and internal serial number of the device." |
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Copyright 1998-2000 Mark Oberg, All rights reserved |
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Techweenies.com and Top-Techsites.com are Copyright 1998-2007 Mark Oberg All Rights Reserved |
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