CPU Repair Dude

We previously  wrote an article about some of our favorite free software. It wasn’t a long list because we intended to come back and write again on the subject. And this probably won’t be the end-all list either. Many of us have spent thousands of dollars for software to efficiently run our businesses. But there is an ever-growing offering of absolutely free software that is well-written and can boost your productivity and give you peace of mind. Here are two more of our favorites:

1. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware – Current version is 1.36. You can find this at malwarebytes.org. In researching this product for this article, it was discovered that some other security companies, most notably Norton, use Malwarebyes because it’s simply a speed demon when it comes to scan time. Of course, there are two sides to this issue; the first is finding the problems and the second is cleaning them up. It wouldn’t be much good to find problems faster than a speeding bullet and then do a lousy job of cleanup. We can tell you from personal experience, and from research, Malwarebytes does a good job at both. If you want protection in real-time, there is a Pro version which can be purchased. The Pro version also offers automatic updates and pre-scheduled scans. Compared to some other similar products, Malwarebytes is super simple to install, setup and use. The Pro version is around $25 and there are lots of places you can purchase. Just do an online search.
2. Cool Timer – The shortcut to this little freeware device sits in the corner of my desktop and my laptop. It’s not fancy, but it’s just a no-nonsense timer that has an interface which can be customized to play a.wav or mp3 file of your choosing or you can use the built in sounds (ranging from a gong to an old-fashioned car horn) when the specified amount of time has elapsed. I just use it when I want to make sure I work within a specified timeframe. For instance, suppose I am about to make a phone call and I want to make sure I don’t stay on the conversation more than 5 minutes. When the caller says “Hello” I enter 5 minutes and press Start. It’s really so simple it almost seems archaic, but you wouldn’t believe how handy this tool is when you begin to use it. If you have a small netbook or other computer in the kitchen, you could even set it for cooking or baking. If you leave your laptop up, it can be set to use as an alarm clock. The company who makes it is HarmonyHollow.net.

For anyone who didn’t read the first article, Jing was a huge hit with everyone who read it. I’m still receiving emails from folks thanking me for pointing them to Jing. You can find it at jingproject.com. It’s a screen and video capture program. We use it every day.

I have a huge budget for software, to run my business and some just for fun.

BUT, it’s always a very nice surprise to find something of great value, that fills a need, and doesn’t cost anything.  Over the past year or so, I’ve kept a list of my Top Freebies.

I’d like to share these with you.  I have no affiliate relationship with any of them, so this is totally unsolicited information, and I stand to gain nothing by telling you, except the satisfaction of knowing I’ve passed on some great information and possibly made your life easier.

1. Mozilla Firefox – This is my browser of choice.  It is a free and open source web browser, and its popularity is gaining rapidly on the incumbent Internet Explorer. For more information, you can visit Mozilla’s website.  Just put a dot com after the name.  There are also some fantastic plug-ins and add-ons to this browser.  It’s worth getting familiar with.
2. Jing – This is my favorite screen capture software.  I can hardly believe it’s free because it’s so powerful – quick and easy to use.  It will also give you 5 minutes of video capture.  You can download it from jingproject.com.  It is part of a great family of programs, e.g., it’s the “little brother” of Techsmith’s Camtasia Studio. There’s also SnagIt.  Check them all out, but download Jing for sure.  The little half-sun sits at the top of your screen, ready for instant use without clicking or searching for it.
3. Skype – This freeware package allows users to make telephone calls to other users of Skype for free.  Calls to a regular phone line or a mobile phone can be made for a very small fee, but the basic service is free.  This is a great VoIP service used a lot by people living in different countries who are computer savvy enough to also take advantage of the web-cam feature.  It also has instant messaging and file transfer features.  Definitely worth looking into!
4. Open Office – You can find this software at the open office dot org address. This is the leading open-source office software suite that includes word processing, spreadsheet software, presentation software and also a data base management product.  It comes in many different languages and works on all common computers.  You can read and write files that are compatible with the more well-known MS Office software.  It’s completely free.  If I hadn’t already spent my money with Microsoft, I wouldn’t.