Neat Free Software?

JayC · Feb 19, 2004

I got Spybot Search & Destroy. It works well when I use it. I hardly ever use it cause I'm lazy. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

But probably my favorite freebie is Zone Alarm. It is a free personal firewall.

Zone Alarm

Also, if you like to play a game, I also have this REALLY cool Arkanoid/Breakout style clone. It is called Beat Ball. It is good to while away the time. The full version has music, better graphics and backgrounds. It is a hefty 32MB. The "lite" version has no music, graphics not as good and some backgrounds aren't as good. It is only 4MB.

Beat Ball

California · Feb 20, 2004

SAproxy for POP3 email.

This is a local email filter that analyses incoming mail using SpamAssassin criteria. It adds headers to the incoming mail, for example:
"FORGED_YAHOO_RCVD 'From' yahoo.com does not match 'Received' headers"
HTML_WEB_BUGS
OBFUSCATING_COMMENT
BIZ_TLD

The added headers are then easy to filter on as Eudora (the email client software) sorts mail into various folders.

I have Eudora set to revise 'Subject' to a single asterisk if the SA header contains any of several warnings, and to file these straight in 'Trash'. I still glance through 'Trash' to see if I recognise a sender. I used to get riled by the rubbish spammers used in message subjects, now all I see from them is an asterisk.

This added filter capability is far better than writing my own filters since Spam Assassin's critera are broader and more accurate in dealing with unfamiliar spammer tricks. Now I only update Eudora filters once a month or so.

I highly recommend it.

fishman · Feb 20, 2004

OK I've downloaded and used Adaware, Privacy Keeper and Convert and man are they neat. I give all three a thumbs up.

slowrev · Feb 20, 2004

I also use Sygate Personal Firewall software. Mush better than Black Ice that I shelled out 60 bucks to buy.

Trev · Feb 20, 2004

( I also use Sygate Personal Firewall software. Mush better than Black Ice that I shelled out 60 bucks to buy.
)

I always refer to Black Ice as "Yellow Snow." Can't seem to keep the two distinct in my mind. ;-)

Along with AVG, ZoneAlarm, Ad-Aware, and SpyBot Search & Destroy, I would add all the free Internet security tools that have been released by Gibson Research Corporation.

The free ShieldsUp! (tm) service has improved enormously since its' early days, and there are a number of free downloadable utilities available over there which are quite neat.

I also recently found RegSeeker by HOVERDESK, which seems like a neat little tool. It's still beta, but looks promising. I've never tried their other tools, but may look at them sometime.

Bob

Trev · Feb 20, 2004

(
AtomTime Pro is a Windows application which will connect to the Atomic Clock time server in Boulder, Colorado (USA) via the Internet and fetch the current atomic clock time value.)

I went and got this, and it's really nice. However, it looks like shareware rather that "free software." Am I not spotting a free version somewhere on the site you mentioned? This is good enough to pay for, so I'm not complaining.. just wondering...

Tks,
Bob

BIGUN · Feb 20, 2004

It looks like you are correct. I didn't check out the link well before posting it. I still use Version 1.4a which is Freeware. It has worked with all versions of Windows from 95 to XP.

Here is a link to the FREE version. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Atom Time 1.4a

BIGUN · Feb 20, 2004

I got NoteHolder Lite 1.30. It works well and is just what I needed. Seems here lately I have been getting more and more things to keep up with while the old memory gets shorter and shorter. This is just the ticket. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

looch · Feb 20, 2004

Convert is an excellent, simple little program - I've been using it for about 2 years now.

IrfanView is a great little imaging package. No, you can't do any fancy image editting with it - but it has some really neat image management features. Like "batch conversion" - you want to modify the size of 150 jpeg's? No problem. You want to make an html page that displays 50 thumbnails with links to the full-size image? It does that too. It has many other features also.

I use another at work - VNC. Used for taking remote control of a computer (like PC-Anywhere). Not too useful on the home front, though.

Junkman · Feb 23, 2004

I just downloaded the free one and found that my clock was 10 seconds behind...... I adjusted it, but now I am not certain if I am 10 seconds older or I just lost 10 seconds of my life and didn't notice it being gone... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

slowrev · Feb 23, 2004

Junkman,
You might have been right on for "real" vs official time. What longitude are you ? Everyone's "real" time is differtent unless they are on exactly the same longtitude /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Junkman · Feb 23, 2004

Latitude 41.875 Longitude 287.875

slowrev · Feb 23, 2004

Now I will just have to check that on a map to see if they moved the time zone in your area for the convenience of a large city or some such to get the official time.

Bird · Feb 23, 2004

Instead of one of those "automatic" time adjusters (which I used on a previous computer), I just use this site for the "official" time.

BXMMCC · Feb 24, 2004

Well, Bird, it's to be expected - which part of the guvmint to believe? I put your pointer up on the screen, and compared it to my usual source - tock.usno.navy.mil, and they were 2 seconds behind. But then, your referenced site does weasel out of it with their disclamer about being a few seconds off!

Bird · Feb 24, 2004

( disclamer about being a few seconds off! )

I've never seen it indicate a "few seconds"; right now it says "accurate to within 0.1 seconds" and sometimes it's .2 of a second instead of .1. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Trev · Feb 24, 2004

( I've never seen it indicate a "few seconds"; right now it says "accurate to within 0.1 seconds" and sometimes it's .2 of a second instead of .1. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif )

Bird, you're retired aren't you? You aren't supposed to have to worry about any unit of time smaller than a week! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Who cares if you are 3/100ths of a second late for a dinner or whatever? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Bob

Bird · Feb 24, 2004

( Who cares if you are 3/100ths of a second late for a dinner )

Never happens; I'll be early. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Henro · Feb 24, 2004

( Who cares if you are 3/100ths of a second late for a dinner )

Never happens; I'll be early. 

Bird, now I understand why your photo cuts off just above the stomach... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif