More cool tools I can’t live without November 2, 2008
Posted by Kristin Lynch in : technology , trackbackI’m always looking for nice little utilities to make my work and life easier. I’ve recently started using 4 more worth sharing.
1. Evernote: allows you to easily capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible and searchable at any time, from anywhere.
Clip, tag and organize your research notes. Windows, Mac, mobile and iPhone versions and browser plug-ins. Get the free version, or get a 500MB/month premium account that includes support, priority image recognition for $5/mo or $45/year.
2. eSET NOD32 Antivirus: award-winning antivirus coverage proactively detects and eliminates most viruses and trojans, adware, spyware and other Internet threats.
NOD32 (No Open Doors 32-bit) runs on Windows XP and Vista and legacy systems, mail servers, etc. I tried the trial after it was recommended by Leo Laporte on his TechGuy podcast. eSET is now an advertiser on the podcast because of Laporte’s endorsement.
I had no qualms about purchasing it once I saw how it worked and the very small footprint it required of my system resources.
Free 30-day trial, then $40/1 year or $60/2 years. I purchased the 2 year subscription.
3. OpenDNS: free web utility to manage your web experience. By using the OpenDNS DNS server settings, you can be assured of always using updated (fully propagated) servers. Faster Internet service, customizable shortcuts, parental controls, phishing protection, etc.
You can sign up for a free dashboard tools account where you can set up shortcuts, view statistics, and set up controls. The DNS servers can be set on your individual computer(s) or at the router level. I set my DNS servers on my wireless router, then used the online tool to set up custom shortcuts such as ‘mail’ to open my gMail account.
4. Jing: a new project from TechSmith, the makers of SnagIt – another utility I can’t do without. I’m just starting to use this so I’m not sure if I’ll continue or if it will be redundant since I’m already using Evernote. Jing works along with Screencast, TechSmith’s media sharing product.
Jing lets you save images, videos, text, e-mail threads, discussions, etc. and save them to your Screencast account. The orange orb launcher sits at the very top of your screen – mousing over it drops down the menu to capture/ view history / more (preferences). You can set up your preferences to Screencast, Flickr, FTP or save as a file.
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Wow, some great reviews here. I use Evernote to archive business ideas that may come to me while I am away from paper and pencil. I usually take voice notes to archive my ideas. We at Pelotonics (group collaboration software) just finished an integration with Evernote that allows me to create Tasks and Messages from my voice notes I take in Evernote…all with a couple of clicks. Pretty cool.
http://www.pelotonics.com/evernote.html
I also use Jing every day to manage our software application. If I see something that I want changed, I do a quick recording and create a task with the screencast link. Jing is beyond simple to use and is highly efficient!
Thanks for sharing.