Download you tube videos

Would you like to know how to download youtube videos?

If so then today is your lucky day because thankfully there are many methods that you can apply almost immediatley. Unfortunately though YouTube has strict rules and doesn’t allow anyone to download vidoeos, however, there are lot’s of ways in which you can download and save any video/music track that you desire with minimal effort.

YouTube (which now belongs to Google) is now one of the biggest and most viewed websites in the world. It’s believed that around 20 hours + of videos are uploaded every single minute on youtube, that’s a mind blowing 100 million videos uploaded every day. For those of you who want to know how to download youtube videos then below with have provided you fantastic information that gived you the authority to do so!

　

　

Fortunately there are lots of YouTube Converters that give you the option to download youtube videos which your then able to convert including the new HD format for playback on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod, PSP, and many other mobile devices too. So know matter where you are, your soon learn that your have all your favorite downloads on the move, whether your on the plain, bus, gym or even the train.

　

V Downloader permits you to download any video. You basically copy and paste the url from the video you want to download knowing how to download youtube videos has never been quicker please note you may need your own FLV to watch the videos.

SaveTube is a different alternative tool in which you simply copy and paste your selected url’s and then insert them prepared in a position to be downloaded.

SaveTube is similar to V Downloader. Both of them are free to work with and download.

Whilst learning how to download youtube videos it’s beneficial to understand the legal requirments involved with when downloading and uploading videos over to your computer.

Download YouTube VideosKeepVid again uses very much the same method. Just copy and paste the url within the video you wish to copy to download. Also you have the option to download to MP4 formats.

Full Video Converter we highly suggest simply because it Supports all video formats and various other popular devices. CD ripper, audio converter, picture extactor and far more…Full video converter is not difficult to use and has fantastic features where it’s possible to transform videos onto HD.

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Other Resourses:

YouTubeX hasn’t got many choices but it is straightforward and functional. You’ll find it allows you to share your videos with friends by email. Really the onlly negative aspect , is may have to rename and add the extension. Flv.

www.youtubex.com

Zamzar is a file conversion service converting YouTube videos to a different format which uploads all of them to your hard drive. But the tool is extremely| powerful and that is why we have provided it in our list. Tested and authorizedby in which you can view its operation on the blog Zamzar

www.zamzar.com

YouTubia is distinct from additional sites to browse} for videos and to download. Insufficient features, however it works!

www.youtubia.com

VidGrab is an additional yet a simple site that operates with YouTube, Google Video, MySpace and Break.com. In addition to the download function, this website also presents a list of the most viewed videos.

www.vidgrab.com

Vixy supplies the download and conversion to DivX avi, mov, mp4, or mp3 (for audio files only). The conversion works very nicely| but the quality is not always the best.

vixy.net

Watch service is a very ambitious video encoding and includes a feature nimbre quite interesting particularly to convert videos to formats for portable media players iRiver H340 as Trusty). The majority of the conversion services provide a rather low quality in terms of synchronizing the video and audio. Still, it happens but hardly ever.

Heywatch.com

KissYouTube is a site which, by adding the phrase Kiss within the Link to the video to download (www.kissyoutube.com / xyz) to go straight to the web site of KissyouTube and click to download the video in flv format .

www.kissyoutube.com

KcoolOnline conversion services are a web-based which assists 98 video sharing sites. They have 0 options but recommended exclusively for those in search of simplicity in support of functionality.

www.kcoolonline.com

YouTube Grabber download YouTube videos in FLV format. Copy / paste the URL of a video into the program, click "Grab" and the video will be downloaded in the same location as the.

www.download.com/Youtube-Grabber/3000-2071_4-10574801.html

Media Converter can appear a lttle bit slow but the conversion effects are quite impressive. We made an effort to convert some YouTube videos to avi (mpeg4 + mp3) and it works pretty well. The tool is not only restricted to video conversion, but in addition supports numerous formats for audio files and documents.

www.mediaconverter.org

VideoGet boasts support more than one hundred video sharing sites. We failed to test so therefore we will take their word for it. It’s even a desktop application along with a nice interface and a|plus a selection of interesting features.

nuclear-coffee.com/php/products.php

Orbit Downloader is really a desktop application that should download videos. The download process is not rocket science: to fly within the video with your mouse to view a link: "Get it". The program’s developers say it can be 500% faster than traditional tools |having its P2P technology.

www.orbitdownloader.com

KeepV is a software for downloading one at a time. (Converts flv to avi, mov, mp4 and 3gp)

keepv.com

TubeSucker works as a downloadable app with a few interesting options including- download multiple videos with a specific user. A demo video is accessible on the website.

www.newrad.com/software/tubesucker/

My Video Downloader. With all of these free tools, it really is interesting to view a paid program: My Video Downloader. Although providing sophisticated features it doesn’t seem to justify the retail price (note a Free Trial version enables you to download 10 videos.

myvideodownloader.com

Ook? Video Ook! The name of this Firefox extension allows you to download videos from many sites. It combines the one-click downloading and integration from the Firefox plugin.

addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2584

Get Tube is the only software for Mac OSX we was able to find. It enables you and permits you to download audio & video files from YouTube, Dailymotion and Kewego.

web.mac.com/simonvrel/iWeb/software/v.1.0.html

Vidtaker is just a Firefox plugin that allows you to download videos from sites like Google Video, YouTube, MySpace and adult sites like Pornotube, YouPorn … it automatically converts DivX or avi.

www.vidtaker.com

Youtube-dl. Here’s some great news for Linux users. YouTube-dl is a program that enables you to download videos from YouTube flv as MPlayer and VLC can easily read.

www.nuxified.org/blog/download_youtube_video_files_with_youtube_dl

If you wish to download video / audio files (QuickTime, MPEG, MP3, Flash …) installed Download Embedded. To avoid further deterioration of the quality of the video that you download. Flv (which is already minimal), I advise you to use a flv player and do not convert video to mpeg or avi.

Learning How To Download Youtube Videos is Easy And Free

Keep in mind, YouTube is a video sharing website that;s owned by Google and allows users to see, share and upload each others videos. It’s extremely important you stand by YouTubes rules when it comes to uploaded videos onto youtube. Now you know some easy statergies regarding "how to download youtube videos" it’s your responsibility to act inside the legal requirents.

Popular YouTube Inspires Others To Download Videos

Many reasons exist why YouTube s really popular and is currently one of the 3 most used websites in the entire world. One of these reasons is the tremendous variety of content which you can find in the website. Every single day millions of people spend their time in front of the screen taking a look at great content and being entertained along at the same time, while viewing quite possibly the most diverse and/or imaginable things online. From rock stars to amateur singers, from raw jokes to fascinating moments ever recorded, you name it, Youtube has it all!

Yet another effective motive that would explain the excellent success achievement that YouTube has is due to their supply. Generally any individual round the planet, except those countries where it is limited, can view YouTube videos. The service is free and it does not even need a membership to be able to play a video. Individuals are even learning how to make money on youtube as well as learning how to download youtube videos.

Even though it is not required to be authorized in order to participate in a video, it is handy to do so if you would like to upload a video and gain access to a number of other functions. Registration is |totally free and super easy to do. When you are registered you can produce your personal profile or channel and begin uploading videos straight from the website. The interface is extremely user friendly and after a couple of clicks you’ll be able to show and share your videos with the world.

YouTube makes everything specific and easy so that any particular person can make good use of the site. Nevertheless, many users still complain that there is no details on the site on how to download YouTube videos. The purpose behind this impediment is left to them, since generally Google (YouTube owner) |doesn’t like giving reasons for what they do or the lack of.

Thankfully downloading Youtube videos is possible, and in fact it is quite simple to conduct. With the assist of a YouTube downloader, users are capable to download any video and play them later on from any kind of computer or playing device with no need of being linked to the web. The best part is that learning how to download YouTube videos is pretty straightforward. Once you get the YouTube Downloader, the rest is just about clicking a single button in order to store the videos in your hard drive.

In conclusion, YouTube has reached an excellent recognition due to its excellent interface and free program. And if mixed with the right tools, users are able to get the most out of the large video website and can have entry to learn how to download youtube videos free of charge.

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How to Hack / Cheat In Flash Based Games For Fun !!!

Today I am going to share with you on how to cheat on flash based games. Most of the computer games that can be installed on computer has backdoor cheats where you simply type the code and you get unlimited money, health and so on. But flash game seldom has built-in cheats. I’ve introduced 2 flash based games which is Tower Defense and Sword and Sandals. Honestly I find both games impossible to win after a few rounds. Tried looking for cheat codes but it’s not available. The only way to cheat in flash based games is to hack the memory.

This method I am going to teach you can work for ALL flash based games. As long as it is developed by flash, you can use the same method with the same logic to cheat your way through.

To cheat in flash games, you’ll need:
1. Cheat Engine
2. Calculator (Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Calculator)
3. A little luck and brains

Here’s the simple explanation on how you’re going to hack flash games with CheatEngine. You are going to use CheatEngine to load the browser that is running the flash game, search for the value in the memory, modify or freeze the value. If you change the value to a higher number, you’ll get a higher value. If you freeze it, that means you won’t run out of that value.
For example, you want to increase your health from 200 to a higher number. Just multiple 200 with 8 which equals to 1600. At CheatEngine, enter 1600 at the value and click on First Scan button. You should have more than 1 result. So you must test one by one until you find the correct address to modify. Make sure you change back to the original value on the address that’s not right one to avoid the game being corrupted.

In short, any value in the game MUST be multiplied by 8 before searching using CheatEngine.

Here’s a demonstration of how I hack my way through in Tower Defense.
Run CheatEngine and load the process that you used to load the flash game. I use Internet Explorer, so the process would be iexplore.exe. When you start playing Tower Defense, you’ll get only 40 gold. I have to multiply 40 with 8 and I get 320. Enter 320 in the CheatEngine value and click on First Scan button. I got 105 result which is too much to guess which is the address I should modify to get more gold.

So I should spend a little gold and try searching again until I get less result.

Now I have 73 gold.

I multiply 73 with 8 and got 584. I searched again in CheatEngine with the value 584 and this time I got only 27 result. What I do next is right click on the results and click on "Select all items". When all results are highlighted, I click on the small arrow and all 27 results would be copied to the address list. Next, click once on the address list and press CTRL+A simultaneously. You’ll again see all 27 results highlighted. Right click and go to Change record -> Value. Enter the new value 4672. I got 4672 by multiplying 584 with 8. This new value which I am going to enter will be the new amount of Gold I want. Once done, simply spend a little money on the game and you’ll notice that the Gold is updated with the new amount!(which is 539 for me)

Until now, we still don’t know which actual address to hack to get more gold. We use the same step above but this time with the current gold. I now have 539 gold. Multiply 539 with 8 equals 4312. I search for 4312 in CheatEngine and this time I ONLY got 2 result! So the actual address to hack the gold is either one! I try the first one by adding it to the address list, and change the value from 4312 to 34496. Why 34496? It’s because I multiplied 4312 with 8. Remember, always multiply your values with 8. I spend a little money on building tower, but the gold did not increase. Now I automatically know that it’s the second address that’s determine the amount of gold I have. Simply update the second address’s value with a higher number and you’ll get lots of gold to build towers!

Here’s another demonstration on how I cheat my way through on Swords and Sandals 2.
Run CheatEngine, load Internet Explorer that runs the flash Swords and Sandals 2 game.
First, to hack the amount of gold. We have 2500 of gold for starting. Take 2500 times 8 equals 20000. Enter 20000 in CheatEngine and click on First Scan. I found only 4 results.

Add all 4 results to the address list and change all 4 values from 20000 to 160000. I got 160000 by multiplying 8 with 20000. Went back to the game and immediately my gold has been updated to 20000 gold pieces!

To identify which address out of the 4 is the one that’s affecting the gold, simply spend a little gold and you’ll notice a change in your CheatEngine. I spent 250 gold and immediately I saw one of the address in CheatEngine updated the value from 160000 to 158000.

Note: For any value you hacked, you can freeze it by checking the Frozen button. Meaning if you spent your gold, it won’t deduct your gold. But you have to be sure that the value is the exact one otherwise you might corrupt the game and you have to start all over again. You can also have GOD mode by freezing your health.

Have fun hacking and cheating flash based games!

Created by Carl Stewardson from http://www.windows.re Technology Blog

Created

How to speed Your Machine , With a Plextor SSD

Plextor's newly launched M5 Pro is angling to be the top dot on the SATA III SSD spec charts -- and looks like it will mostly succeed. The Marvell Monet controller lets the piece have an adverse effect on a constant 540 MB/s read and 450 MB/s compose speeds in place of the superior models, as well as a bulky 94,000 read and 86,000 compose IOPS. Those numbers would locate it forward of or alongside on the whole of its competitors excepting in steady compose speeds, but Plextor claims so as to look sharp is not the model's barely trick. It too makes manipulation of "True Speed" tech to reduce performance drops with age, uses 128-bit mistake correction to eliminate data inaccuracy and offers 256-bit full-drive encryption. The 128GB, 256GB or 512GB drives will be existing mid-August in place of prices so as to tolerate yet to be dogged, but it's likely to be well north of its plan namesake, the M5S. You'll uncover the packed PR once the break.
Show packed PR textPlextor Launches Super-Fast SSD with Random Read/ Write Performance of 94,000/86,000 IOPS
M5 Pro sets a pristine standard in high-performance and high-reliability expert SSDs with unique data protection tools
Dignified 7, 2012 – Plextor, a leading developer of high-performance digital luggage compartment equipment, at present announced the M5 Pro Series Solid State Drive, a high-performance professional-grade SSD engineered using the most up-to-date Marvell® 88SS9187 Monet controller. The M5 Pro provides a unique enterprise-grade double-data protection featuring random read/write speeds of up to 94,000/86,000 IOPS and sequential read/write speeds of up to 540/450 MB/s.
The M5 Pro has the aptitude to consistently send towering read and compose speeds in place of all forms of data and manipulation the multi-core controller to conduct extreme towering oodles. This makes the M5 Pro as it should be in place of manipulation in a leaden workstation, head waiter role, or Raid 0 configuration setting. The M5 Pro too makes manipulation of True Speed Technology to prevent the drastic performance cut seen in a little SSDs once intense or long-term tradition.
Fashionable line with the needs of far ahead users in place of highest data integrity and confidentiality, the M5 Pro offers a unique enterprise-grade double-data protection tools. Using the most up-to-date 128-bit mistake correction orderliness built into the most up-to-date Marvell controller, the M5 Pro is able to repeatedly check and correct the accuracy of data being read from the display remembrance. This is complemented by a succeeding layer of read protection existing by the robust data hold-out algorithm in Plextor's exclusive firmware, consequently allowing the drive to complete aggregate data accuracy even in the long-term. When data confidentiality is necessary, the drive uses hardware in the US Government AES-validated Marvell controller to provide secure 256-bit full-drive encryption.
With the M5 Pro, Plextor has alert on on the increase and supplying single of the on the whole string drives on the sell. To complete this, extensive pre-production tough took place using the world's on the whole far ahead SSD tough facilities. It was barely whilst the design was able to pass strict enterprise-grade Zero Error standard of 400 units surviving 500 hours of the toughest constant tough not including a single mistake or failure so as to the drive was manufactured. To ensure stability and reliability in place of party drives, all drives undergo rigorous high-temperature burn-in tests and accelerated tradition simulation tough.
"The M5 Pro is the after that step in the evolution of the SSD combining towering fly, drive reliability, and data-level protection," thought Minnie Lin, Marketing Manager, Plextor. "In modern years, Plextor has been able to develop SSDs so as to send towering real-world performance and sustained fly above the long-term. Our SSDs tolerate the lowest yearly failure rate in the consumer SSD industry. Now with the M5 Pro, we plan to manipulation Plextor's abilities to offer extreme data protection and allot users aggregate confidence in each single aspect of their drive."
Each M5 Pro SSD is backed by an industry leading five-year warranty and Plextor's extensive international support infrastructure. The Plextor M5 Pro will be existing in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB capacities mid-August 2012.
*****
About Plextor
Plextor is a leading developer of high-performance digital luggage compartment equipment in place of professionals, consumers and enterprises. Since the launch of its at the outset CD-ROM drive in 1989, Plextor has residential multi–award winning products so as to tolerate deposit the standard in place of quality and performance. Plextor continues to send generations of innovative industry-leading products, together with Blu-ray optical disc drives, solid state drives, digital cartridge converters and multimedia procedure. The Plextor luggage compartment and multimedia products are owned by Shinano Kenshi of Japan.

Written by Carl Stewardson from http://www.windows.re

WHAT ARE SSD SOLID STATE HARD DRIVES?

Dell began shipping ultra-portable laptops with SanDisk SSDs on April 26, 20[117] Asus released the Eee PC subnotebook on October 16, 2007, with 2, 4 or 8 gigabytes of flash memory.Defragmentation negatively affects the life of the SSD and has no benefit.14] 1987 saw the entry of EMC Corporation (EMC) into the SSD market, with drives introduced for the mini-computer market.112] Vista does not natively implement TRIM command, either.DragonFly BSD As a unique feature, DragonFly BSD allows SSD-configured swap to also be used as file system cache.In 1995, M-Systems introduced flash-based solid-state drives.If a software encryption program encrypts data already on the SSD, the overwritten data is still unsecured, unencrypted, and accessible (drive-based hardware encryption does not have this problem).The interface is generally one of the interfaces found in HDDs.The term was first used by EMC in January 2008, to help them identify SSD manufacturers who would provide products meeting these higher standards.70] Generally high since the mechanical components require additional time to get aligned Data transfer rate SSD technology can deliver rather consistent read/write speed, but when lots of individual smaller blocks are accessed, performance is reduced.SSDs do not employ any moving mechanical components, which distinguishes them from traditional magnetic disks such as hard disk drives (HDDs) or floppy disks, which are electromechanical devices containing spinning disks and movable read/write heads.102] Mac OS X Mac OS X 7 (Lion) supports TRIM, as does OS X 8 Snow Leopard.126] In November 2010, Fusion-io released its highest performing SSD drive named ioDrive Octal utilising PCI-Express x16 Gen 0 interface with storage space of 12 TB, read speed of 0 GB/s, write speed of 4 GB/s and a low latency of 30 microseconds.60] Comparison of SSD with hard disk drives SSD benchmark, showing about 230 MB/s reading speed, 210 MB/s writing speed and about 1 ms seek time, all independent from the accessed disk location.Higher performing SSDs have similar read and write speeds.Listed below are some notable computer file systems which are optimized for solid-states drives.Applications Until 2009, SSDs were mainly used in those aspects of mission critical applications where the speed of the storage system needed to be as fast as possible.Swap partitions On Linux, swap partitions automatically exploit TRIM operations when the underlying drive supports TRIM (no configuration is needed).They would all connect to a common bus inside the chassis and connect outside the box with a single connector.Usually no exposed circuitry.This problem does not exist with SLC flash memory.111] The proper alignment really does not help the SSD's endurance over the life of the drive, however some Vista operations, if not disabled, can shorten the life of the SSD.SSD technology uses electronic interfaces compatible with traditional block input/output (I/O) hard disk drives.This problem was resolved by controllers that came out in 2009 and later.High altitude operation Can endure high altitude during operation.Since flash memory has become a common component of SSDs, the falling prices and increased densities have made it more financially attractive for many other applications.For desktop computers with 5" hard disk slots, a simple adapter plate can be used to make such disk fit.The Apple Store cost was $999 more for this option, as compared with that of an 80 GB 4200 RPM hard disk drive.ZFS Solaris as of version 10 Update 6 (released in October 2008), and recent versions of OpenSolaris, Solaris Express Community Edition, Illumos, Linux with ZFS on Linux and FreeBSD all can use SSDs as a performance booster for ZFS.The strategy the drive operates by internally can largely vary between manufacturers and, the TRIM command zeroes the whole range of a deleted file.May need a few milliseconds to come out of an automatic power-saving mode.Data transfer rate depends also upon rotational speed, which can range from 4,200 to 15,000 rpm.But with the introduction of cheaper drum storage units, their use was discontinued.Partitions can be manually aligned before OS installation.When multiple NAND devices operate in parallel inside an SSD, the bandwidth scales, and the high latencies can be hidden, as long as enough outstanding operations are pending and the load is evenly distributed between devices.To remedy this issue, swap files inside an ordinary file system may be used.4][49] These traditional form factors are known by the size of the rotating media, e.2] The prices have continued to decline in 20[3] SSDs share the I/O interface technology developed for hard disk drives, thus permitting simple replacement for most applications.Most of recent models work well in all orientations.9] In 1976 Dataram started selling a product called Bulk Core, which provided up to 2 MB of solid state storage compatible with Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) and Data General (DG) computers.The package included a rechargeable battery to preserve the memory chip contents when the array was not powered.In most cases, an EFD is an SSD with a higher set of specifications, compared with SSDs that would typically be used in notebook computers.19] Since then, SSDs have been used successfully as HDD replacements by the military and aerospace industries, as well as for other mission-critical applications.Some of these include PCIe, mini PCIe, mini-DIMM, MO-297, and many more.DRAM-based SSDs usually incorporate either an internal battery or an external AC/DC adapter and backup storage systems to ensure data persistence while no power is being supplied to the drive from external sources.HDDs can fail in this way too, but often give warning that they are failing, allowing much or all of their data to be recovered.HDDs have moving parts, and are subject to potential mechanical failures from the resulting wear and tear.114][115] On some operating systems[which?Once the head is positioned, when reading or writing a continuous track, an enterprise HDD can transfer data at about 140 MB/s.

Likewise, there may be other SSD manufacturers that meet the EFD requirements without being called EFDs.It also includes support for the TRIM command to reduce garbage collection for data which the operating system has already determined is no longer valid.Along with the emerging enterprise market, SSDs have been appearing in ultra-mobile PCs and a few lightweight laptop systems, adding significantly to the price of the laptop, depending on the capacity, form factor and transfer speeds.SNIA N/A Develops and promotes standards, technologies, and educational services in the management of information SSSI SNIA Fosters the growth and success of solid state storage Commercialization Cost and capacity The technological trend of 50% decline in costs per year is no longer possible in NAND flash due to patents on some key manufacturing processes stifling further competition in the market.Solid-state drive From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Ssd) Jump to: navigation, search This article is about flash-based, DRAM-based, and other solid-state storage.As memory cards are not designed to tolerate the amount of reading and writing which occurs during typical computer use, their data may get damaged unless special procedures are taken to reduce the wear on the card to a minimum.Eliminating the external DRAM enables a smaller footprint for the other flash memory components in order to build even smaller SSDs.While not a file system feature, operating systems must also align partitions correctly to avoid excessive read-modify-write cycles.Controller Every SSD includes a controller that incorporates the electronics that bridge the NAND memory components to the host computer.21] In 2007, Fusion-io announced a PCIe-based SSD with 100,000 input/output operations per second (IOPS) of performance in a single card, with capacities up to 320 gigabytes.128] Also announced was the Z-Drive R5 which is available in capacities up to 12 TB capable of reaching transfer speeds of 16 GB/s and 52 million IOPS using the PCI Express x16 Gen 0[129] Quality and performance Main article: Disk drive performance characteristics SSD technology has been developing rapidly.If power is lost, the battery provides power while all information is copied from random access memory (RAM) to back-up storage.Secure writing limitations NAND flash memory cannot be overwritten, but has to be rewritten to previously erased blocks.Free block availability and TRIM SSD write performance is significantly impacted by the availability of free, programmable blocks.The 20 MB unit could be used instead of a hard drive.66] Traditional hard drives store their data in a linear, ordered manner.Combined with a cloud computing environment or other writable medium, to maintain persistence, an OS booted from a write-locked SD card is robust, rugged, reliable, and impervious to permanent corruption.The interface is usually incorporated into the controller discussed above.Cirrus Logic's flash controller operation, allowing the company to enter the flash memory business for consumer electronic devices.Memory Flash memory-based Most[citation needed] SSD manufacturers use non-volatile NAND flash memory in the construction of their SSDs because of the lower cost compared with DRAM and the ability to retain the data without a constant power supply, ensuring data persistence through sudden power outages.It achieved a maximum write speed of 654 megabytes per second (MB/s) and maximum read speed of 712 MB/s.HDDs are definitely either upgradeable, changeable, or downgradable.11] The following year, StorageTek developed the first modern type of solid-state drive.Flash memory SSDs are slower than DRAM solutions, and some early designs were even slower than HDDs after continued use.Traditional HDD benchmarks are focused on finding the performance aspects where they are weak, such as rotational latency time and seek time.

10 Free Blogging Tools You Can’t Live Without

10 Free Blogging Tools You Can’t Live Without

and today I’m going to share 10 of the free blogging toolsYou can’t live without.  I had a hard time narrowing this list down to just 10 tools, but I think the following offers a diverse group of tools that every blogger should try.

Of course, I also can’t live without Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and many, many more free tools, but the list below includes a more diverse selection than just the most well-known and expected tools that you’d normally find in this type of list.  Note that this list is in no particular order.

So without further ado, here they are — 10 free blogging tools I can’t live without (or at least, that I don’t want to live without):

1. Stock.xchng

I use a variety of sites to find free images that I can legally publish in my blog posts, and stock.xchng is one of my favorites.

2. Paint.net

Need to edit images for your blog?  I have used several free tools to do this in the past, but Paint.net has become my favorite.

3. WordPress.org

This list would not be complete if I didn’t mention my favorite blogging application.

4. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is by far the best and most comprehensive free Web analytics tool.

5. Skype

I was not an early adopter of Skype, but over the past couple of years, it has become an integral part of my life as a blogger for conducting chats, phone conversations, and interviews.

6. PollDaddy

There are a number of free poll sites and tools that bloggers can use, but PollDaddy is still my favorite because of its ease-of-use and streamlined functionality.

7. Google Alerts

I have multiple alerts set up and view them in my email inbox everyday.  Of course, Google Alerts isn’t perfect, but it has helped me to find many conversations and articles that I may have missed otherwise.

8. CoffeeCup

I’m not a Web developer and my HTML and CSS knowledge is limited, but when I do need to look through code to edit a WordPress theme or view the source code for a Web page, the free version of CoffeeCup makes it easier to find what I’m looking for.

9. Core FTP

There are a number of free FTP sites and tools, but Core FTP is easy to use and perfect for a novice.

10. Delicious

I have a private Delicious account that I use to bookmark all of the content I want to research further, write about, and so on.  I can access these bookmarks from any computer and at anytime.  I don’t know what I would do if anything ever happened to my Delicious account.

What are your favorite free blogging tools?  Leave a comment and share your “can’t live without” tools!

The 50 most interesting articles on Wikipedia

Deep in the bowels of the internet, I came across an exhaustive list of interesting Wikipedia articles . It’s brilliant reading when you’re bored, so I got to post the top 50 here.

Bookmark it, start reading, and become that person who’s always full of fascinating stuff you never knew about.

The top 50 Wikipedia articles by interestingness

1. Marree Man
2. War Plan Red
3. Vela Incident
4. Tybee Bomb
5. United States Numbered Highways
6. Wow! Signal
7. Tube Bar Prank Calls
8. Kola Superdeep Borehole
9. Back to the Future Timeline
10. Year Without a Summer
11. K Foundation Burn a Million Quid
12. Sokal Affair
13. Blue Peacock
14. Veerappan
15. Person From Porlock
16. Eternal Flame
17. U.S. Color-Coded War Plans
18. The Wedge (Border)
19. Mohave Phone Booth
20. Stanislav Petrov
21. Valery Sablin
22. The Man on the Clapham Omnibus
23. Special Atomic Demolition Munition
24. Piracy in the Strait of Malacca
25. Prometheus (tree)
26. Zone of Alienation
27. Fan Death
28. Outlawries Bill
29. Raymond Robinson (Green Man)
30. Scoville Scale
31. Kardashev Scale
32. Larry Walters
33. Joshua A. Norton
34. Fabergé egg
35. Issei Sagawa
36. Joseph Jagger
37. Traumatic Insemination
38. James Joseph Dresnok
39. Ivy League Nude Posture Photos
40. Jim Corbett (Hunter)
41. Just-World Phenomenon
42. Nicholas Bourbaki
43. Humanzee
44. Old Man of the Lake
45. Alexamenos Graffito
46. Fairy Chess Piece
47. Michael Fagan Incident
48. ETAOIN SHRDLU
49. Palomares Hydrogen Bomb Incident
50. As Slow as Possible

NOKIA WINDOWS ALLIANCE

Nokia could unveil first-ever Windows tablet on Monday

Is a Nokia & Microsoft collabo the perfect prescription?

The first-ever tablet to feature the rather lovely live tiles of Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system could make its debut next week, reports suggest.
Monday sees Microsoft hold court at a typically lavish, all-the-bells-and-whistles press call in Los Angeles. And to its credit, so far the Redmond-based tech giant has made a decent fist of keeping a lid on whatever it’s got to unveil to an expectant tech world.
Until now, that is. According to shadowy sources (aren’t they always?) with knowledge of such things cited by All Things D, the mystery event will be all about tablets with a line-up that will include a device manufactured either by Microsoft itself or its closest Windows Phone partner Nokia.
The showcase will also reportedly feature specially created apps. Assuming Nokia gets the nod to bring a tablet to market, you can almost certainly expect some of these to be exclusive to its slate – in much the same way that Nokia Drive and Nokia Music are reserved for its Windows smartphones.
Chatter about the Big M’s plans comes amid analysts’ projections that the iPad will continue to dominate the tablet space for years to come, despite a recent surge from Android.
After a moribund start, Google’s platform has picked up support among slate-buyers over the last six months thanks to the success of the five million-selling, smartphone-slate lovechild that is the Samsung Galaxy Note.

The 50 Best iPad Games

Whether you're a casual or hardcore gamer we've picked the best iPad games for you.

Contents

• The 50 Best iPad Games
• Arcade Games
• Action Games
• First- and Third-Person Shooter Games
• Puzzle and Board Games
• Strategy, RPG, Tower Defense, World Building
• Sports and Racing Games
• Fighting Games
• Music Games
• Adventure Games

It's amazing how quickly the gaming industry changes. Just a few years ago, no Apple device was viewed as a viable gaming platform, but the rise of iOS, the rapid App Store growth, and the sheer number of iDevices that are in consumers' hands has given Cupertino the muscle to snag a portion of gamers' dollars in the mobile space. In fact, Apple stated that it sold an incredible three million new iPad units within the tablet's first three days of availability. That's a lot of iPads out there, which means lots of people are looking to play games.
The iPad's large, gorgeous display gives gamers a more open, visual experience that isn't as restricted as the DS/3DS/PlayStation Vita's relatively small displays. This makes it an excellent device for any number of games, but it especially benefits those with large footprints, such as Words With Friends. There is one significant drawback, however: Unlike traditional video game portables, the iPad lacks physical controls, which can prove less than intuitive when playing certain titles that weren't built from the ground up with iOS in mind or demand intricate controller inputs. In those circumstances, ThinkGeek's Joystick-It Tablet Arcade Stick can come in quite handy.
Many iPad games fall into the casual and diversionary realm (Angry Birds Space, Quarrel Deluxe HD), but an increasing number of the best games are aimed at the dedicated, or "core," gaming demographic. 9MM, for instance, brings gun play and mature content; Infinity Blade 2 is a high-octane action-RPG with console quality graphics; DoDonPachi Resurrection HD is a 2D shooter (or "shmup"—short for shoot 'em up) that will obliterate the Fruit Ninja crowd. Apple's iOS has titles for gamers of all types.
Most iPad games fall within the $5 to $10 (Sonic CD) range, but you can find titles that are free (Temple Run), or carry price tags just shy of $20 (such as the $13.99 Espgaluda II HD). Still, that's about the half the price of your typical DS/3DS/PlayStation Vita title.

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If you're ready to iPad game, check out our story to discover what we consider to be 50 can't-miss games that will keep you entertained at home or on the road. The majority is dedicated iPad games, but we also include a few iPhone games that look great when played in 2X mode. If you want to check out our other video game recommendations, click the links below. Think we missed a game? Be sure to let us know in the comments so we can consider it for our next update!
Note that you can read the story in a multipage format (see the Table of Contents, above) or as a slideshow.—Next: Arcade Games >

The 100 Best iPhone Apps

What's an iPhone without apps? Here are 100 of the best apps of all time, apps that every iPhone owner should consider installing.

Contents

• The 100 Best iPhone Apps
• Browsers and Reference (1-10)
• Organization and Productivity (11-22)
• Utility (23-30)
• Communication and Social (31-40)
• Games (41-52)
• Music and Video (53-61)
• Photography, Hobbies, Finance (62-70)
• Health and Cooking (71-77)
• Reading (78-87)
• Shopping (88-95)
• Travel (96-100)

Need new iPhone apps? Maybe you're new to the iPhone, or perhaps you're a long-time iPhone owner who has too many apps and needs to find replacements that are more multi-purpose than the single-purpose apps currently cluttering your phone. In this article, we round up the best 100 iPhone apps we know of.
Before you start downloading more apps willy-nilly, make sure you've updated your operating system to the latest version (iOS 5.1 at the time of this writing). There are features in Apple's own mobile operating system that are as good and useful as any app on this list—especially true since iOS 5's release. For example, iMessage now bypasses SMS texting charges by using Wi-Fi when it's available for iOS-to-iOS messages. That helps you save money. Other Apple apps, like Find My iPhone, require iOS 5 to work.
Plenty of amazing apps can be found in the App Store. Word-of-mouth advice from friends is useful in helping you decide which ones you might like, but we at PCMag spend thousands of hours each year scouring iTunes, speaking with developers, reviewing the best apps we find, and hunting for hidden gems. If there's an app that makes owning the iPhone more worthwhile, we find out about it.

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The 100 apps that made the cut for this list are the ones that have shown outstanding performance, have been almost universally liked by users young and old, or have had a solid history of being among the first apps we'd recommend new users download. Many of the apps listed here are free, a few cost a couple of dollars, and the priciest one on this list will only set you back about $10.
Missing from this list are apps that come pre-installed on the iPhone, although they are certainly not to be overlooked. The YouTube, Maps, and Clocks apps in particular should not be ignored, while the iTunes, iPod, and App Store apps typically see a fair share of well-deserved usage, too. iPhone 4S users may love (or loath) Siri, which is not on this list—but alternatives to Siri sure are.
The Apple App Store is expansive, and certainly, we don't know about every hidden gem of an app that's out there. If there's a great app you love, please tell us and other readers about it in the comments at the end of the article.—Next: Browsers and Reference (1-10) >

The 35 Best Mac Apps

Whether you're a Mac newcomer or seasoned veteran, these 35 apps will make your OS X experience more fun and productive.

Contents

• The 35 Best Mac Apps
• Creativity Apps
• Productivity Apps
• Utilities Apps
• Syncing Apps
• Browsers
• Audio and Video
• Communication

According to data analyst firm Gartner, the Mac's market share reached 11.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011. In fact, Apple was the only personal computer vendor in the United States of America to see growth. The upshot of both these factoids is that there are more new people exploring the OS X platform than before. If you count yourself among the new Mac users group, you're probably wondering which apps are the ones you should check out. And, even if you're a longtime Mac user, you can always use a few helpful suggestions for improving your Mac experience. Regardless of your affiliation, we have a must-read list for you.
The 35 Best Mac Apps highlights the software that you should download to your OS X desktop or laptop right now. The apps will help you express your creativity, be more productive, browse the Web, communicate with others, and much more. Some of the apps are exclusive to the OS X platform; others are cross-platformers that you'll find on Windows and Linux. One of the apps even lets you run Windows and Linux within OS X, opening the door to even more apps than what the Mac natively supports. Note that there's one big category that we've left out here on purpose: games. We'll handle Mac games in their own story at a later date.

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Click on the slideshow to get started or check out the category menu on the right to see the 35 best Mac apps indexed by category. Do you feel that there are some high quality Mac apps that we've missed? This is our first cut at a story that we plan to keep expanding, so we're very eager to hear your suggestions in the comment section below. Who knows? Maybe your suggestion may end up in the next version of this story.—Next: Creativity Apps >

10 iPad Apps Everyone Should Have

Own an iPad? Download these 10 essential iPad apps immediately

The first thing most people do after buying an Apple iPad is head to iTunes and start downloading apps. But with thousands to choose from, where do you start? Sure, Apple makes some recommendations, but who knows how they create their list. Apple also makes it pretty easy to see what is most popular, but does anyone really need three different versions of Angry Birds? If you want essential apps that improve almost everything you do with your iPad, start with this list of 10.
Before I continue, I should say that this is my personal list. Although I solicited suggestions from the PCMag staff, there was no way we could all agree on the same 10. To make it concise, I had to make it personal. So any omissions are my fault entirely. That said, I think the list is pretty killer. (If you're looking for the overall best iPad apps, check out our feature story.)
I had just a couple of requirements for this list. The apps had to have wide appeal among average users. Sketch for the iPad is certainly a killer app, but if your artistic abilities are like mine—the word "limited" comes to mind—it is useless to you. Likewise, the Bloomberg iPad App is the best way to track your investments, but, after a year with unemployment at over eight percent, precious few of us have those anymore. When I say these apps are essential for every man, woman and child, I mean it.
Before we get to the new winners, I should briefly mention the Apps that are getting bumped from the list. They are all still great apps, but they just can't keep their spots the top ten. Instapaper was simply replaced with a faster, more stable app that offers the same functionality. Others, like Angry Birds, just got old. But don't worry, change is good.
Of course, you are probably going to download and install a lot more than this, but consider these apps a great start. Click on the image below to start the slideshow and get all ten of my picks.

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15 of the best apps and utilities which are the best

15 Windows Utilities You Can't Live Without

Despite the move (real or hyped) towards Web-based applications, there are still a few hundred million of us using Windows PCs running actual software. These 15 utilities are little gems of code that will help you get the most out of your Windows system.

 

Contents

• 15 Windows Utilities You Can't Live Without
• ArsClip 3.1.3
• Audacity 1.2
• Autoruns 9
• DualBootPRO 1.0.0
• ImgBurn 2.5
• Iometer
• KeyText 3.13
• NetSurveyor Professional
• Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2010 Suite
• Process Explorer 11
• Process Monitor 2.8
• VLC media player 1.0.5
• Registry Workshop
• Wireshark 1.2.6

Though these days all the talk is about how the future is cloud-based computing—Google Chrome OS will only run Web apps—there is still a real need to run installed applications on Windows systems. In particular, I'm talking about utilities, those helper apps that do just one thing and do it well, whether it be playing or editing a media file or tweaking or peeking at a system function. We've rounded up our 15 newest reviews of our favorite utilities. Check them out—many will cost you no more than the time you'll spend downloading it.

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The first group of our small software gems include functions that you might pay bigger bucks for—I'm talking about watching video with the supremely versatile VLC media player, and editing sound with the open source Audacity, which offers multitrack sound recording and editing with a host of plug-in effects available.
The next group help you see what's going on in your PC system and let you take the temperature of your system and set it right. These include Process Explorer, Process Monitor, Autoruns, and Registry Workshop. All of these give you insights into what's going on with your Windows installation and insights into how to tweak and optimize performance.
If you want to make the most of your PC's hardware, check out the third group: ImgBurn lets you burn disc images with tons of options like making them bootable. DualBootPro lets you run multiple operating systems on one PC. And our Editors' Choice disk utility, Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2010 Suite lets IT pros and serious enthusiasts partition and backup hard drives or any connected external disks, as well as offering numerous other disk-manipulating functions.
A couple of the apps—KeyText 2000 and ArsClip—offer time-saving productivity enhancements. The first lets you record macros, saving you typing the same text or command over and over. ArsClip, can (among other abilities) remember the last 15 entries you copied to the clipboard—a real lifesaver if you've copied a large text block or password and absent-mindedly copied something else before pasting it.
The last group of third party utilities sniffs out networking and WiFi issues. WireShark is a free network packet sniffer that lets you troubleshoot networking issues. NetStumbler performs a similar task for WiFi networks. It's an indispensible tool for anyone with a WiFi router or WiFi capable laptop—i.e., anyone who uses a computer these days. For the IT crowd, there's the professional-level NetSurveyor Professional, measures performance details of Wi-Fi networks. Finally in networking, but not for the faint-of-heart, is Iometer, which checks network performance by testing I/O operations.
But don't stop at these: Check out PCMag's own extensive library of software utilities ranging from AltTabIt, which shows a screenshot of your open apps, to ZipHunter, which lets you search files within ZIP archives without extracting them. Here you'll also find such diverse programs as a world clock, a remote webcam surveillance app, a disk optimization, and a connection speed testers. You're bound to find some utilities you can't live without in our library. For piles more (more than 200) great utilities, check out our 2009 Windows Utility Guide. And, of course, stay tuned for PCMag.com's 2010 Utility Guide, coming later this year. Got a favorite utility you want us to consider? Let us know in the comments to this story.
ArsClip 3.1.3

Free
This utility is a free, powerful, customizable clipboard extender. It stores text strings, pictures, filenames for easy reuse, and basically does everything for cut-and-paste that Windows' own clipboard should do but doesn't.
Audacity 1.2

Free
Audacity is a surprisingly full-featured audio recording and editing software package considering it's free and open source.
Autoruns 9

Free
Autoruns 9 reveals every single program and process that launches automatically on your computer. It's especially useful for detecting malware, since almost every malicious program needs some way to launch automatically. Do be careful disabling startup items; you could destabilize Windows.
DualBootPro 1.0.0

$8.95 - $24.95 Direct
If you dual-boot Windows systems, you need this program now, or you'll need it if anything goes wrong with the Windows boot system. So get a copy now.
ImgBurn 2.5

Free
ImgBurn is one of the most powerful disc-burning and disk-image creating programs around, and if you don't want to delve into all its gory details, you can use it's EZ-mode for care-free operation.
Iometer

Free
If you can wade through the 80+ paged User Guide you can end up an expert at using this sophisticated I/O performance meter.
KeyText 2000

$29.95 direct
KeyText represents the best combination of compactness and power in a keyboard automation utility.

Meraki WiFi Stumbler

Free
A free, lightweight tool to troubleshoot wireless networking performance issues. It's Browser-based, with no software to install, works on both PCs and Macs. It also quickly discovers nearby access points.
NetSurveyor Professional

$34.95 direct
NetSurveyor is a great tool for getting performance metrics for Wi-Fi networks. It's Affordable, easy to use, and informative for troubleshooting, all wrapped up in a nice interface.
Paragon Hard Disk Manager

$49.95 direct
A powerful, mature product for managing hard disks flexibly and safely. An essential tool for any advanced user or IT manager.
Process Explorer 11

Free
Have you ever called up Task Manager to kill a balky program, scope out what's sucking CPU cycles, or scan for a suspicious process? Try Process Explorer instead. It does everything Task Manager can do and more. Best of all, it's free.
Process Monitor 2.8

Free
Wading through the mountains of log information recorded by Process Monitor requires higher-than-average technical skills. If you're up to the challenge, you can use it to find out details about process behavior that no other tool can come close to supplying.
RegistryWorkshop

$29.95 Direct
This is an essential utility for anyone who works with the Windows Registry. It offers powerful, flexible, and safe registry editing, with all the features that Windows's own Regedit.exe should have but doesn't.
VLC media player 1.0.5

Free
A versatile, free media player that supports more video file formats than you can shake a stick at, can record and stream audio and video.
Wireshark 1.2.6

Free
Wireshark is a free tool that provides many of the same troubleshooting and analysis of more expensive packet sniffers.
Editor's Note (3/11/10): By popular demand, here are the links to the direct download pages of each of these utilities.
ArsClip 3.1.3
Audacity 1.2
Autoruns 9
DualBootPRO 1.0.0
ImgBurn 2.5
Iometer
KeyText 3.13
Meraki WiFi Stumbler
NetSurveyor Professional
Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2010 Suite
Process Explorer 11
Process Monitor 2.8
Registry Workshop
VLC media player 1.0.5
Wireshark 1.2.6