Archive for November, 2010
Top 10 Most Popular Free Security Software (Computer Security Day Special)
Computer Security Day is an annual event that is observed worldwide. It was started in 1988 to help raise awareness of computer related security issues. The goal of Computer Security Day is to remind people to protect their computers and information. Officially, Computer Security Day is November 30th. However, some some organizations choose to have functions on the next business day or week if CSD falls on a weekend. According to CSD
For sure, it’s an excellent move to raise the awareness to understand why it’s important to secure PC and the data inside it and how anyone can make it easier to implement the effective security level to his computer oriented environment. There are many security software are available, but getting by free and good ones is not that easy. That is why to observe this great event today we are trying to do our part and listing down few excellent free security software. Read each entry in the list and see which website suits your needs best.
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011
AVG Free provides you with basic antivirus and antispyware protection for Windows and is available to download for free. It can work like a fast and effective protection against viruses and spyware. You will stay protected on social networks with AVG Social Networking Protection.
avast free antivirus is the minimum protection you should have. It provides great protection against viruses and spyware. It is effective and the most complete free antivirus on the market.
Avira AntiVir Personal – Free Antivirus
Avira AntiVir Personal protects your computer against dangerous viruses, worms, Trojans and costly dialers.
Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware is a high performance anti-malware application that thoroughly removes even the most advanced malware and spyware. With one of the fastest, most effective quick scans and malware removal capabilities on the market, this program is the perfect addition to your PC’s defenses.
Ad-Aware Free Internet Security
Ad-Aware Free Internet Security features real-time protection, advanced Genocode detection technology, rootkit protection, automatic updates, and much more.
CCleaner is a great tool for cleaning your Windows PC. It protects your privacy online and makes your computer faster and more secure.
Spybot – Search & Destroy detects and removes spyware, a relatively new kind of threat not yet covered by common anti-virus applications. If you see new toolbars in your Internet Explorer that you haven’t intentionally installed,
if your browser crashes inexplicably, or if your home page has been ‘hijacked’ (or changed without your knowledge), your computer is most probably infected with spyware. Even if you don’t see the symptoms, your computer may be infected, because more and more spyware is emerging. Spybot-Search & Destroy is free, so there’s no harm giving it a try to see if something has invaded your computer.
Hotspot Shield protects your entire web surfing session; securing your connection at both your home Internet network & Public Internet networks (both wired and wireless). Hotspot Shield protects your identity by ensuring that all web transactions (shopping, filling out forms, downloads) are secured through HTTPS. Hotspot Shield also makes you private online making your identity invisible to third party websites and ISP’s. Unless you choose to sign into a certain site, you will be anonymous for your entire web session with Hotspot Shield.
With PC Tools AntiVirus Free, you are protected against basic cyber threats attempting to gain access to your PC. Don’t risk going online without protection. Dangers include contracting malware or getting your identity stolen.
SpywareBlaster can help keep your system secure, without interfering with the ‘good side’ of the web. And unlike other programs, SpywareBlaster does not have to remain running in the background. It works alongside the programs you have to help secure your system.
The 5 Must-Have Resources For A Web Designer’s Toolbox
A web designer’s job is not an easy one. Whether you are running a website of your own or working on somebody else commercial project, there are deadlines that you need to meet and people that you need to please. To complete your tasks you make use of online resources that speed up your work a lot. The more such resources you know of, the easier and quicker your work becomes.
Below you will find our list of 5 such free resources that we have gathered. We believe all web developers and designers should know of these tools since their usage is quite common. Check out each tool and see for yourself how they can make your job easier.
Slide Deck
Slideshows on websites serve an important purpose: they easily let you showcase the latest or the most popular content of your website. Instead of spending a lot of time coding up the slideshow, you can use Slide Deck. Slide Deck will provide you with the slideshow you desire for your website. It comes as a jQuery plug-in and a WordPress plug-in. Check out Slide Deck @ http://www.slidedeck.com/
Piknik
Piknik is a very simple to use website. The site’s purpose is to provide you with the color codes of any color. Your colors are displayed by the background. To change the color you simply change the position of your mouse pointer; to change the luminosity you scroll the mouse wheel up / down. You can then note down the provided RGB, HEX, and HSL color codes and use them in whichever project you are working on. The site will greatly help you in discovering new colors in an interactive way. Check out Piknik @ http://color.aurlien.net/
CSS3 Button Generator
This free online is exactly what its name suggests: an online tool for generating the CSS code for CSS3 buttons. You get various controls to modify the button’s appearance which can be previewed in real-time. With your desired button obtained you click on the “Save + Share” button and obtain its HTML and CSS code. Visit “CSS3 Button Generator” @ http://css3button.net/
The Hello Bar
Many websites nowadays have their own toolbars that the site’s developer has personalized to fit the site. Normally however is not welcome by the site’s visitors because the bar has a clutter of unwanted buttons. The Hello Bar helps you create a site toolbar that serves only the purpose of catching the visitor’s attention without bothering them – there is no clutter of buttons. The appearance and placement of the bar is completely customizable; you can even have multiple Hello Bars and add an RSS feed to the bars. With the modifications complete you obtain the bar’s JavaScript code and use it on your website. Check out The Hello Bar @ http://www.hellobar.com/
Twibies
The appearance on any tool being developed plays an important role in its success. For this reason if you are working on any Twitter-related application then you will greatly appreciate Twibies. The site is a large collection of Twitter-related icons and themes. You can browse through the thumbnail image of each icon/theme; when you find one you like, click on its “Download” link and you will be taken to its original page where you can download it from. These icons and themes are not hosted by the site – Twibies only indexes their locations and lets you preview the icons and themes. Check out Twibies @ http://www.twibies.com/
30+ High Quality Multi-Monitor Wallpapers To Rock Your Desktop
Here we have gathered some splendid multi-monitor wallpapers to spice up your desktop. These wallpapers are available in different resolutions so that you can choose the one which suits your desktop resolution the best.We have compiled this post by keeping the popularity of multiple screen wallpapers in mind which has been greatly increased over the past few years. So without any further ado, here is the complete list of 30+ attention-getting and most attractive wallpapers.
Sydney Harbour Bridge Wallpaper
Triple Monitor autumncliffs.jpg
Triple Monitor archipelago.jpg
The 5 Really Useful Twitter Apps You Should Know About
Twitter is a massive online social network that lets you stay in touch with the updates of your friends, your favorite celebrities, and even the websites and companies you like. There are a number of online tools known as “Twitter clients” that help you improve the way you use Twitter. From improving Twitter search to providing newer ways of interaction with Twitter users, these online applications serve you in a number of ways.
Below you will find our list of 5 great Twitter applications. We gathered this list while trying to collect Twitter clients that all Twitter users should know about and could benefit from. Check out each app and see which one improved Twitter the most for you.
Zinto
Zinto is one Twitter client that surely all Twitter users will appreciate. It lets you place phone calls to other Zinto users via Twitter. Using your browser you can call up other Zinto friends’ Skype ID or, in case they are in the US, their phone. Zinto places no call time restrictions on browser-to-Skype calls but in case of phones, Zinto users get 30 minutes of call forwarding to US phone numbers per day. Check out Zinto @ http://zin.to/
2lingual
2lingual is another very useful Twitter application. It lets you search the public Twitter stream for anything. What makes 2lingual different from other search tools is that it can search 2 different-language Twitter streams simultaneously and then display the results. In other words, you can conduct searches between two different languages at the same time – something bilingual Twitter users will surely be thankful for. Check out 2lingual @ http://www.2lingual.com/2lingual-twitter/
Lazyscope
Lazyscope is a free desktop application made for Twitter users to help them get a better Twitter stream. Since the app is based on Adobe Air, it is cross-platform i.e. whether you have a Mac or Windows computer, the only prerequisite is Adobe Air. After downloading and installing the ~1.5MB setup file you sign into your Twitter account using the app. The app will then display the Twitter stream without your having to open your web browser. You can browse through the links and even start following non-Twitter sites. Get Lazyscope from http://www.lazyscope.com/
SnapBird
SnapBird is a free online tool that helps you search Twitter for things in a much better way than Twitter’s native search allows. Using SnapBird you can search for a particular keyword in a particular Twitter user’s stream. You can also search for items in Tweets with your mentions or in the sent and received DMs (direct messages). In addition to those features, SnapBird lets you search for items in very old Tweets along with the latest ones. Visit SnapBird @ http://snapbird.org/
Smart Twitter
Twitter users who also use Facebook will find Smart Twitter to be very helpful. The tool works as a Facebook applications. Once you grant it access to your Facebook account you can auto-publish your Twitter updates on your Facebook wall. You can choose to allow or disallow the auto-posting of Tweets containing @replies, @mentions, retweets, and #hashtags. This way you get more control over what exactly is being automatically posted on your Facebook wall. Check out SmartTwitter @ http://apps.facebook.com/smarttwitter/adduser
Six Great Sources To Find, Create And Download Vector Graphics
Vector graphics play an important role in graphic designing today. To help vector graphic designers with their tasks, there exist a number of free to use online resources. These online tools greatly help the designer either by helping him/her find vector graphics or create them.
If you are a graphic designer who works with vector art, then check out the list we have gathered below. The list includes 6 of the best online tools that can be used to find and create vector graphics online. Check out each tool and see which one suits your needs best.
Vector Portal
Vector Portal is a wonderful website that lets you search and obtain free vector designs. You can search for vectors via keywords or use the categories on the site to browse vectors. These categories include backgrounds, beams and bursts, tribal vectors, and many others. The site lets you know how many times each vector graphic has been downloaded – this indicates how popular the vector is. Check out Vector Portal @ http://www.vectorportal.com/
Vector Finder
Vector Finder is another brilliant website that helps you search vector art images. Making use of a simple search feature, it lets you search designs via keywords and phrase. When you scroll down to the bottom of the results pages, the next page results are automatically loaded up – you do not need to click on any “Next” links. Visit VectorFinder @ http://www.vectorfinder.com/
The Blueprints
The Blueprints is a website that helps you find blueprint images of any object, ranging from humans to tanks and cars to mobile phones. You can find blueprints by conducting a keywords search or browsing the available categories. Check out The Blueprints @ http://www.the-blueprints.com/frontpage/
SeekLogo
If you want to conduct a keyword search for vector logos, then you need to pay a visit to SeekLogo. The site’s functioning is very simple: you type in your keywords and related vector logos are displayed. You can download the logos in EPS format. Visit SeekLogo @ http://www.seeklogo.com/
So far, the resources mentioned help you find vector art. Now let us take a look at resources that help you create vector art.
Magnigraph
Magnigraph is a free to use website that lets you easily create a vector art image through any image. The image can be stored on your computer or on the internet. All you do is provide the site with the image’s path. Then the site processes the image and converts into a ‘magnigraph’ vector art image. Visit Magnigraph @ http://www.magnigraph.com/
Autotracer
Autotracer is another vector art creating web tool. The images you provide Autotracer can be of PNG, BMP, JPEG, or GIF formats with a maximum size of 1MB. You can obtain your rendered vector art image in SVG, EPS, PDF, XFIG 3.2, or DXF formats. Check out Autotracer @ http://www.autotracer.org/
Excellent Apps To Find Black Friday Exciting Deals On iPhone And Android
Everyone is planning to buy something on this Black Friday either for himself or gift for friends but the question how to make this whole process less complicated? Oh you do not need to worry at all. As there are many apps out there that can help you to find amazing deals for Black Friday on your smartphones. No matter if you have iPhone or Android because we have selected few excellent gems for your smartphones to find Black Friday exciting deals with less efforts. Read each entry in the list and see which tool suits your needs best.
You are welcome if you want to share more Black Friday Apps for iPhone and Android that our readers/viewers may like. Do you want to be the first one to know the latest happenings at SmashingApps.com just subscribe to our rss feed and you can follow us on twitter as well.
shopkick App
Available for iPhone and Android
shopkick is the first mobile app that gives you rewards and offers simply for walking into stores, for scanning products, and for signing up friends. You can collect kickbucks and bonuses at millions of stores and restaurants in America.
PriceGrabber
Available for iPhone, iPad and Android
PriceGrabber.com’s application helps you quickly find the lowest price on millions of products from thousands of online merchants and sellers. You can find products, compare prices, read product reviews, product specs and ratings.
Groupons
Available for iPhone, Android and Motorola SUN1660BB
With Groupons smartphone apps you can buy deals, access your purchased Groupons, find the ones that are nearby, and redeem them electronically.
TGI Black Friday
Available for iPhone
The free app allows you to search thousands of Black Friday deals for every major retail store. You can create a personal shopping list and use your iPhone to shop smarter and faster on Black Friday.
Dealnews Black Friday App
Available for iPhone
Everyone knows that Black Friday is a great day to get amazing deals. With the dealnews Black Friday App, you can view retailer “leaked” and confirmed ads, and browse all deals in one place.
DealDroid
Available for Android
DealDroid is small application that continuously watches for new deals on one-deal-at-a-time sites like BonkTown, Brociety, ChainLove, Steep and Cheap, Tramdock, Whiskey Militia, Woot, ThingFling, and SlickDeals. DealDroid runs in the background and produces Android notifications when new items become available.
Black Friday by BradsDeals
Available for iPhone
This is powered by the incredible team behind BradsDeals.com & BlackFriday2010.com, the Black Friday App will let you take Black Friday Ads with you on the go, helping you decide which stores to go to and what deals to buy.
Shop Savvy Barcode Scanner
Available for iPhone and Android
With Shop Savvy Barcode Scanner, you can scan a barcode with your phone’s camera and receive all the best prices on the Internet and at nearby, local stores.
Amazon App
Available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch
The Amazon Mobile app allows iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users to quickly search, shop, compare prices, read reviews, and make purchases on Amazon.com using a simple, yet elegant, interface.
RedLaser
Available for iPhone and iPod Touch
RedLaser is a barcode-scanning application for comparison shopping and finding product information using a mobile device. The state-of-the-art barcode scanning technology was created specifically to deal with non-autofocus cameras, and continues to evolve with innovative mobile visual capabilities.
Google Shopper
Available for Android
Google Shopper helps you recognize products by voice, barcode scanning, cover art and text search. You can easily find local and online prices, specs, reviews and much more. If you find something useful and want to share with your friend you can also do that.
Five Great Web Apps For People Who Run Professional Websites
There are many web apps out there, but getting by free and good ones is not that easy. That is why I am sharing The Five Great Web Apps For People Who Run Professional Websites. Read each entry in the list and see which tool suits your needs best.
You are welcome if you want to share more useful web apps that our readers/viewers may like. Do you want to be the first one to know the latest happenings at SmashingApps.com just subscribe to our rss feed and you can follow us on twitter as well.
Kroud
Kroud is the simplest way to build an engaging, community driven, Frequently Asked Questions page for your website.
Qhub
Qhub is a platform you can use on your blog or website that allows your audience to ask questions and get real answers, it doesn’t just help answer questions it allows a genuine community to develop around your site.
zferral
zferral allows you to scale your business by crowdsourcing sales and marketing. You can create and manage your custom affiliate and referral programs from a single dashboard.
Respelt
Respelt is a free online spell checker with a powerful feature set. It help you spell check your documents, web pages and even RSS feeds.
Jazzdesk
Jazzdesk is a simple, intuitive and user friendly support web app that works the way you want. You can create, manage and share tickets with your staff or support company, work individually or as a team and get an overview on who’s doing what.
Folx PRO (A Download Manager And Torrent Client For Mac) Giveaway
Eltima Software is running a contest, where 10 winners will get the PRO licenses of Folx. Well, you guys know what Folx is? Lets say it once again for n00bs.
Folx is a free download manager for Mac OS X. Its friendly interface will help you take the most of your downloads. It’s not overloaded with tons of unnecessary features and is extremely easy to use. All you have to do to download files is click the link in your web browser and Folx will catch it.
Folx can split the download in threads and thus is much faster. Moreover, you can adjust the download and upload speed. You can prioritize the downloads that are most important to you by just dragging them to the top of the queue. Folx also offers auto-resuming of your downloads in case you were offline, the tracker was down, etc.
With lots of downloads it’s sometimes next to impossible to find the needed file on the hard drive. By tagging your downloads you instruct Folx to save them in folders that correspond to assigned tags using symlinks. So when you need to find your downloaded content, you even don’t have to launch Folx, just look in your main downloads folder and follow your familiar tags structure. You can assign as many tags to the download as you think is needed.
This contest will run from November 23, 2010 to December 3, 2010 and we will select the winners randomly by running MySQL query. Result can be announced any day before December 6, 2010 so keep visiting here or subscribe to our rss feed to get the latest updates. To participate in the contest and win 20 high quality Business icons, All you have to do is :
1. Just leave a comment.
2. Use valid email ID in the email box.
3. Not necessary, but you can subscribe to our rss feed and follow us on twitter as well. (To track this contest and for future updates)
4. And thats it!
So what are you waiting for now? Let’s participate in the contest and good luck!
Premium-Like Free Themes To Create More Than “Just Another WordPress Blog”
In this article, we are going to show you an amazing collection of extremely unique premium-like free wordpress themes that you can use to create sites that are not just a weblog. You may have so many options to choose from to convert your simple blog to a highly customized purpose-built website. Using wordpress as a base platform, it’s really easy to update, fast loading and professional looking sites that you ever think of.
You are welcome if you want to share more creative wordpress themes which our readers/viewers may like. Do you want to be the first one to know the latest happenings at SmashingApps.com just subscribe to our rss feed and you can follow us on twitter as well.
MiniCard Theme
MiniCard is a social network/business card WordPress theme. This theme lets you add links to all the social networking sites you may be a member of, and post useful information such as bio’s and contact details. It also has built in hCard support and (optionally) lets you offer a vCard for visitors to download your contact information.
RoloPress
You can keep track of phone numbers, email addresses, websites, social networks and many other types of information using RoloPress.
WP-Jobboard
With this theme you will be able to turn your wordpress install in a simple jobboard.
LiveTwit
LiveTwit is a light weight theme. On the leftsidebar, it lets you change the logo, highlight your site message and in the FriendMeUp box, you may set your social media profile links.
GTD
If you are looking to collaborate with a small team or, you need a private blog where only your team members can view, share files and write the content without going to backend, this is the theme you’ve been looking for.
Visiting Card theme for WordPress
Visiting Card theme for WordPress is very simple yet useful theme that you would love set up on your personal website.
GuruQ
Using GuruQ as a theme can allow your visitors to post questions to a Guru (you or dedicated expert). The Guru can answer the questions via a WordPress admin screen.
Aggregator
Here’s another free theme that will aggregate all your feeds of all kind at once place in attractive format.
AppCloud E-Commerce WordPress Theme
AppCloud is clean and professional looking e-commerce wordpress theme. It is integrated with WP E-commerce and can work really great if you are going to start product based e-commerce website.
Stunningly Creative Photographs That Look Alike Fake (But Are Not)
Today, we are showing you another great collection of Stunningly Creative Photographs That Look Alike Fake (But Are Not). I appreciate to all those talented photographers who taken these excellent photos with their efforts, imaginations and creativity to give us a chance to see these photographic wonders from their creative eyes. This list is not long in numbers but I promise you that when you start browsing them in details it will surely refresh you. These are the wonder creations of photographers who use their creativity with a different angle and approach to get the result that makes a difference.
You are welcome if you want to share more creative photographs which our readers/viewers may like. Do you want to be the first one to know the latest happenings at SmashingApps.com just subscribe to our rss feed and you can follow us on twitter as well.
Energy – Man and Nature Connected by David Orias
Double drop collision by Tobias Bräuning
The Kafkaesque Metamorphosis of my Wife by Ralf Stockmann
Blue on blue by Torbjørn Kjørlaug
