Newtek’s Lightwave 3D is a complete modeling, animating, and rendering package. A free version of this software is available online and called the discovery edition.

Unfortunately, this edition is severely limited in an effort to combat piracy. To get any real kind of functionality you are going to have to knuckle down and buy the software license. The good news is you can acquire a student license for relatively cheap. I purchased mine for under $300. This is a steal considering what you get. Lightwave brings you the most bang for your buck in my opinion. There may be other 3D programs out there that have more capability, but you aren’t going to get them for close to the price of Lightwave. As with all 3D software, the learning curve can be a little bit steep at first. Newtek has done an excellent job at making the world of 3D animation as user friendly as possible here. Stick with it and soon you’ll be flying through the user interface commands like they were hardwired to your brain. I highly recommend this program for anyone interested in 3D modeling or animation.

I have known about NetNewsWire (NNW) even before I started using a Mac in 2005.

I know that many people swear by it. I kept holding off installing and trying NNW out, and make do with first Safari’s and then Apple Mail’s RSS component. I hated Mail’s RSS even more than Safari’s, in part because it adds even more complexity to my elaborate mess of mailboxes, so finally got to try NNW. From the first time I launched the app I was hooked. I love the integration with NewsGator server (and later the syncing with NNW for iPhone). I love the three pane + sidebar interface. I love NNW’s implementation of tabbed browsing, probably more than Safari’s. I love the layout of the menu, the toolbar and the shortcut keys. It’s also rock solid, it has never(!!) crashed on me during my 6 months or so of using it. The appearance of NNW for iPhone just sweetens the deal for me. I understand there are other iPhone RSS which are more attractive, but the integration of both NNW versions becomes the sole consideration for me. Now I, too, swear by NetNewsWire and it’s iPhone companion. They are free, but I would have paid for them.

Serif Software’s desktop publishing software, called PagePlus, is a wonderful replacement for expensive programs like Adobe PageMaker or InDesign.

It’s extremely easy to use and can be used for printed documents, online documents or PDFs, websites and even emails. The newest version is certified for Windows Vista, and includes all kinds of Vista-related features, like Live Searching and Document Previews. (If you don’t have Vista, don’t worry. It still works great with Windows 2000 and XP.) Their premium edition costs only $130, a steal compared to most desktop publishing software, which can run up to $700 or higher. They also provide a free version that is not as powerful, but isn’t “just a trial version” either. Both versions are great all kinds of graphic design projects for home, schools, and clubs.

Since 2005, many BMW vehicles have featured iDrive, a video screen based control for entertainment (radio, CD, satellite); communications (blue tooth enabled cell phone link); navigation (GPS); and car data (maintenance schedule, mileage tracking, personal comfort controls).

The video screen is integrated into the center of the dashboard and is controlled by a turn knob immediately adjacent to the driver’s right hand side seat. The technology was widely criticized by BMW enthusiasts (typically middle aged and older men who like the BMW brand for its legendary handling and steering). The Microsoft Windows themed control does take time to learn — which you should not try to learn while you are driving. However, it is worth the effort. The video screen system allows for a substantial increase in driver choices than would be possible with only mechanical controls. BMW iDrive is a solid compliment to the Ultimate Driving Machine.

MyLifeOrganized is cool software that can help you to keep organized your projects and daily tasks in such a way, that it naturally drives you to the completion of your goals.

This software supports GTD (Getting Thing Done) methodology developed by David Allen. MyLifeOrganized organizes your goals and tasks into a tree, and helps to build to-do lists. This software has PC and DPA editions (windows based) so you can always be sure that all your projects are with you wherever you are. One of the most valuable features of this software is that it’s very intuitive even for computer novices. You can synchronize your projects between PC and PDA every time you make changes in your projects. One impressive feature is the ability to synchronize in both directions PC-to-PDA and DPA-to-PC, so your notes you may have made during your business trip will stay with your projects. You can download it form mylifeorganized.net for free and enjoy a 45 day trial period. Also available is a totally free “light” edition with some limitations in functionality.

When I kept noticing strange sites popping up in my history on my desktop at home, I double checked to make sure I didn’t have some strange virus or Trojan.

That came up empty so then I remembered the baby-sitter had mentioned she had just checked her email for a minute. So I installed a key logger – specifically Stealth KeyLogger 4.9 from Amplusnet. It’s a great program that not only logs keystrokes silently but also tracks sites visited, chat and IM, App use and file monitor. It can also take screenshots at an adjustable quality and frequency. But the great thing is ease of access to the logs. It can send by email, FTP, LAN or copied to a portable drive. Oh and we fired the babysitter after we tracked her spending half the time she was supposed to watching our daughter sending IMs to her boyfriend.