Cyberduck is an open-source FTP client for Mac OS X.

Beneath its cute “ducky” icon and easy-on-the-eyes interface, Cyberduck is an easy and functional FTP application. Besides doing all the usual FTP and SFTP duties, Cyberduck features easy editing of files from the server without manually downloading them, the user can simply select “edit,” and the file will open in the correct application to be edited; when it is saved, the file on the server will be updated. Cyberduck will display notifications such as error messages and transfer updates in a Growl notification, if Growl is installed. For the less network-savvy or simply for convenience sake, uploads and downloads can be done via “drag-and-drop” – e.g. a file icon can be dragged directly from the OS X desktop into the remote window to upload. With convenient features, a slick look, and the ultimate price “absolutely free” OS X users can’t go wrong with Cyberduck. Cyberduck is available in several languages and in a portable version, which can be run from a memory stick.

The Print Shop Deluxe is an exceptional tool for desktop publishing, personalized gift making, web design, scrapbooking and other crafts.

Although I am not a technology-centric person, I do use a computer on a daily basis. The skills needed to install, run and use this program are extremely user friendly for those of us who aren’t tech savvy, but have comfortable, everyday computer knowledge. With software to help the user upload personal photos, one can easily create greeting cards, place cards, stationary, scrapbook pages, brochures, flyers, business cards and other printed material. In the past, software programs have been extremely limited in their scope and capabilities, or the graphics have been far too basic and minimal.

Print Shop Deluxe allows you to change from a wide range of graphics, and enables you to download more, if needed. You can also use your own personal photos and graphics integrated into this program. This gives the user a vast range of images from which to choose. I have used this program to create brochures and business cards for my Yoga business, as well to make personalized gift tags, holiday cards and personalized scrapbook pages for albums. The high quality of this program makes it very usable for even those lacking in creativity or artistic expression.
Print Shop Deluxe helps guide you through your choices to create a high quality product. I’m very pleased with this program, and would recommend it to anyone interested in publishing their own print materials.

I work for a company based in Idaho but I live in Texas. This type of work situation is not totally new to our day and age, but it is quickly becoming more common.

This is because of the influx of new tools that make telecommuting more effective and easier. GoToMeeting, an online meeting tool is one such tool. It allows the parties to interact over the phone and for the project instructor to access the other parties computer, or for the other party to view the presenters screen. This can be a very effective tool in a business or teaching environment. With my current job I teach a lot of people how to use various websites, like eBay etc. The customers often have a very limited understanding of how to use technology, so this allows me to first show them exactly how the technology works, and then watch them while they repeat my instructions. The only quibble I have with this software is that the teleconferencing tools are not very well designed. The price is pretty reasonable for small operations, and you can have presentations of up to fifteen people for the plan I employ, but the teleconferencing is often a problem for my customers. Overall a good product though.

Programming Languages and their Compilers.

The first challenge for anyone who is new to programming is to make a choice between the various compilers available for a particular language. This post aims to guide you to the world of compilers, so that you can make your choice easily.

1. C++: Microsoft Visual C++ Express Edition. Free & Fast + Great debugging support.

2. Python: The Python Official Compiler. Available and supported for multiple platforms.

3. Java: The official Sun Java JDK (Java Development Kit), + Multi platform.

4. Visual Basic/C# and the .NET platform: All express editions are free and best suited for anyone who is new to programming.

5. Pascal: The official Pascal compiler, supported.

I watch a lot of anime. And at first, when it came to watching downloaded files that were in FLV or AVI format (settle down, I only download them when they haven’t come out in English yet), my computer didn’t know what to do with them, until I found the CCCP.

CCCP stands for Combined Community Codec Pack. putting this on your computer guarantees you’ll be ready for just about every file type and compression ratio that people can throw your way. it’s a small, bare-bones player, which is good for me. I don’t need a playlist or to know how many times I’ve watched something or even the artist–I put most of that in the filename.I do, however, need something that won’t freeze up my computer or take up the entire screen when I play a file. The best part is that the CCCP is FREE and available in a single download from their website. Also, if you’ve ever had problems playing media files on other programs on your computer, I’ve learned by accident that sometimes applications like Windows Media Player can borrow/steal codecs from CCCP, meaning that it’ll be able to play all sorts of video types too.

One of the best examples of Open Source software I have found is Audacity.

Audacity offers the ability to create multitrack recordings, which is great for musicians. It also can convert its own files into mp3 format to be shared. The software will also generate tones, which I used as I was developing a tutorial on music theory. I have also used it to create spoken-word podcasts for classes I teach. Sometimes Open Source software can be unstable, but Audacity has been around long enough that the bugs are pretty well worked out. Also, while there is a secondary file that must be downloaded and then “found” by Audacity (a common procedure in the use of Open Source software) in order for some of the plug-ins to work, the instructions for doing this are clear. If you are considering learning how to use recording software, Audacity is a great way to get started. It’s good enough that I use it exclusively for my recording needs. And it is a great way to get started using Open Source software for lots of different purposes.