I was going through Windows today deleting some applications I didn’t really use or need, and making sure the applications I do use regularly are updated to the latest versions. Going through this somewhat long list I realized I have a lot of software installed, and quite a few of them are free. I wanted to share my top 5 software picks and hopefully some of these will find a place in your computer.

1. CCleaner - This is a great application to “clean” your PC of unwanted files, registry entries, startup items, and much more.
2. ObjectDock - I don’t care much for the Windows start menu, so I place all my frequently used application shortcuts in a dock on top of my desktop.
3. HydraIRC - This is a great IRC client for those who still use IRC. Simple interface, and works great with Vista.
4. IZArc - One of the best archive utilities I have ever used. It supports a wide variety of archive formats and is Vista compatible.
5. FastStone Photo Resizer - I often receive CD’s with hundreds of photos that I need to resize, this application will do batch resizes among other things.

What’s your list of the top free software you use on a regular basis?

Tags: software, free, windows, vista, xp

During my work week, I always need to take quite a few screenshots and sometimes a few videos of my desktop. I am an avid user of Camtasia Studio and SnagIt from Techsmith, so I was excited to take a look at a new “project” it has going: Jing.

Jing is a simple way to take a picture of your desktop, or record a quick video as well. It offers some basic editing such as adding text, and offers the ability to save or upload to screencast.com.

So far I have been pretty impressed as this offers a quick way to record your desktop if you don’t need the full power of Camtasia. It’s free for now, so go and check it out.

• Jing Project

Tags: jing, techsmith, camtasia, snagit

I have really been getting into Facebook over the last week or so.  I actually joined it many months ago and really didn’t do too much with it until recently.  Now it seems to be taking off, I’m getting in contact with friends, and making several new professional and personal contacts.

I also took the time to start a Desktop Customization group on Facebook last Thursday.  I just checked and we have 112 members already, and it continues to grow.  It’s a great place for the various customization communities, and anyone in general who is interested in desktop skinning to come and get to know each other.

The group is open to all, and please feel free to join.

• Desktop Customization Facebook group

Tags: facebook, desktop customization

A good friend today turned me on to OnMyList.com. It’s basically a site where users can create, organize and share their favorite “lists.” Browsing through the site I found a list that shows the six top sites for Windows skinning.

“Skinning” Windows is another term for customizing your desktop, whether it’s something as simple as changing your wallpaper, or a complete GUI transformation using something like WindowBlinds.

It’s a great selection of sites for anyone looking to change the appearance of their desktop.

• Top Six Best Sites for Windows Skinning

Tags: skinning, desktop customization, themes

Every month I compile a video preview of the most popular animated wallpapers (.dreams) that are submitted to WinCustomize for use with Windows Vista. Sometimes looking at a still screenshot does not always show the true design of a .dream, so I like to compile this video to give a real preview of these animated wallpapers.

You can see the YouTube video here.

Links to all the animated wallpapers and information on how to use them can be found at the article below.

• Animated Wallpapers - June ‘07

Tags: deskscapes, dreamscene, vista, stardock, microsoft

If you are a Mac user and you like to quickly put together Web sites with more flexibility than something like iWeb, then RapidWeaver is something you definitely need to check out. RapidWeaver 3.6 was recently released and adds a bunch of new features like theme customization options, snippets, Flash slideshows, and more.

RapidWeaver uses templates that allow you to quickly and easily design a website and have it running in minutes. Although it uses templates, it’s highly configurable and there are several plugins available that extend RapidWeaver functionality. I have been using it on my iBook for a quite a while, and it’s one piece of software that I highly recommend for any Mac user.

Head over to the developer’s site and download a demo.

• RapidWeaver 3.6

[tags]rapidweaver, mac, apple, web design]