Limited offer: Techsmith SnagIt 7.2.5 available for free (again!)

Remember way back in '07 when Techsmith was giving away its 7.2.5 version of SnagIt for free?

Well, it seems that TechSmith is once again offering the 7.2.5 version at no charge, thanks to 'Covermount' (not sure what that is, exactly). Even though 9.1 is the most current release, this version is perfectly capable. Download it and try it out - you won't be disappointed. Get your free serial number here.

Also, if you upgrade to 9.1 immediately, you can get the it for 50% off the usual purchase price (standard price is $49.95).

Interestingly enough - the page says that 8 is the latest release, but the confirmation email states that indeed, 9.1 is the most current version.

Download SnagIt 7.2.5 here

Create easy polls to determine best time & locations for get-togethers [Web]: Doodle

Doodle

http://www.doodle.com

One of the frustrating things about setting up meetings with others is the fact that not everyone is on the same calendaring system you are. This being the case, you can’t quickly determine if a person is free during a time you want to schedule your meeting. Sure, you could create a shared Google calendar, but if your meeting attendees aren’t Google users (gasp!) then you need to find something that caters to the lowest common denominator.

I came across Doodle about a month back, and it is elegant in its simplicity. Basically, if you want to schedule a meeting, but don’t know when is the best time for your attendees, you can pick a number of dates/times and have your buddies pick which date would work best for them. No membership is required to use Doodle (either for the administrator/creator or the recipient).

You create the parameters for the poll/meeting schedule, then pick some options (limit one choice per user, for example), allow comments, etc. – and bam! You’re done. Send out the link to the poll provided to you by Doodle, and the site will do the rest.

When a recipient comments on or answers a poll, you will get a notification – very easy! Doodle also provides a quick summary of all poll results.

I can’t tell you how much schedule-wrangling I saved myself by using Doodle. Again, the idea is ridiculously simple, but Doodle executes perfectly. This is one service you need to check out.

Free phone conferencing with up to 150 callers: FreeConference.com

Small/medium businesses rejoice – there is a service that can provide you with the means to create large conference calls with very little cost to you (the cost of a long distance phone call).

About a month back, I had to schedule a teleconference for our Microsoft Licensing meeting. Just getting these folks scheduled was the hard part, but then I had to figure out how I was going to get three of our resources in on the same conference call (our phone system only allowed two other join-in callers to our existing conference).

So, after a bit of searching, I found FreeConference.com.

FreeConference.com offers a variety of services (some paid, which include 800 numbers - - good for those who do not want to charge their clients with a long distance phone call), but the one that grabbed my attention was the free ‘Web-Scheduled Standard’ offering:

Maximum size:
150 Callers

Maximum time:
4 hours

Dial-in Number:
Long distance number assigned during the online scheduling process

Access Codes:
Participant Access Code assigned by us or created by you

Organizer Access Code assigned by us, changeable on the 'SETTINGS' page

Begins:
When first caller enters the conference ‡

Ends:
When last caller exits the conference ‡

Service Features

• Schedule & manage conferences via Web
• Advanced security features
• Real-time conference management controls
• Automated conference e-mail invitations
• Receive RSVPs with reply comments
• Outlook and Lotus calendaring
• Crystal clear all-digital connections
• Secure and private
• 24-hour automated access to Web-Scheduled conference system

We had our phone conference, audio quality was clear as a bell and we actually went over our scheduled time by about 10 minutes…but was not disconnected.

FreeConference.com offers the following services:

Toll-free calls using the Web-Scheduled Premium 800 + web conferencing for 10¢/minute, with free recording - Pay only 10¢ a minute for toll free conference calls.

Reservationless Premium 800 – Same as above, but with privileges to create impromptu 800 conference calls.

Web-Scheduled Standard + FC Select (Free) – Schedule and manage conference calls at any time for free.

Reservationless Standard (Free) – Make conference calls anytime for free without scheduling.

Also, there is an Outlook Add-in which can allow you to use Outlook’s scheduling capabilities to interface with FreeConference’s service. However, I could not get this to work (Outlook 2007 problem?) - - update...I had to re-enable the plugin under 'Help' > 'Disabled items'. Once re-enabled, it now works.

Outlook Conference Manager Benefits:

Embeds conference information into your Outlook meeting invitation for automatic forwarding once meeting is scheduled

Meeting subject and dial-in number populated into email header for easy access

Integrated with your existing Outlook contact database

Allows you to check availability of participants while scheduling (if enabled within Outlook)

Allows full recurring meeting scheduling and unlimited future scheduling

Automatically adds scheduled meeting and information into all participant’s Outlook calendar for easy access from desktop or synced smart phone

While I’m not sure what the revenue model is for FreeConference, I hope they stick around.

For more details, check out the quick reference guide.

Freeware Archiving Programs

There is quite an assortment of archiving utilities to help you archive a number of pictures, documents, etc. into a single file, suitable for emailing or storing long term on a backup drive.

This relates somewhat to an article about replacing paid applications with freeware alternatives I wrote a long time back:

On a related and timely note, I have been tasked with uninstalling un-licensed WinZIP from our corporate workstations and replacing it with IZArc.

Like my company, many organizations have installed WinZIP on their corporate images because up until version 10, WinZIP never stopped working after the initial 45-day trial period was up. Granted, an annoying nag-screen would appear, but otherwise, you could easily use WinZIP FAR beyond the eval period with full functionality, even though you were blatantly opposing the license agreement. Many still to this day are using it, believing it is freeware (it never was).

Here’s a quick summary of some of the most popular archiving tools out there (note that this does not include utilities that are programs that include archiving as a secondary function like Total Commander).

I myself prefer IZArc…what’s your favorite?

IZArc

Version: 3.81 (4.0 now in beta)

Opens: (47 file types) 7-ZIP, A, ACE, ARC, ARJ, B64, BH, BIN, BZ2, BZA, C2D, CAB, CDI, CPIO, DEB, ENC, GCA, GZ, GZA, HA, IMG, ISO, JAR, LHA, LIB, LZH, MDF, MBF, MIM, NRG, PAK, PDI, PK3, RAR, RPM, TAR, TAZ, TBZ, TGZ, TZ, UUE, WAR, XXE, YZ1, Z, ZIP, ZOO

Archives to: (11 file types) .7z, .bh, .bza, .tar.bz2, .cab, .jar, .lha, .tar, .tar.gz, .zip, .yz1

Supports encryption? Yes (AES 128, 192, 256, ZIP 2.0)

Command-Line version: Yes

Portable? Yes

Other notes: Skinnable interface, free for corporate use.

JZip

Opens: (15 file types) .zip, .tgz, .rar, .tar, .7z, .bz2, .iso, .cab, .arj, .tpz, .gz, .z, .gzip, .taz, .tbz

Archives to: (5 file types) .zip, .7z, .gZip, .bZip2, .tar

Portable? No

Other Notes: free for corporate use (without add-ons), MSI version coming soon.

PeaZIP

Opens: (32 file types – 85+ if using plugins) ACE, ARJ, CAB, CHM, COMPOUND (MSI, DOC, XLS, PPT), CPIO, ISO, Java (JAR, EAR, WAR), Linux (DEB, PET/PUP, RPM, SLP), LHA/LZH, LZMA, Mac (DMG/HFS), NSIS, Open Office files, PAK/PK3/PK4, RAR, SMZIP, U3P, UDF, WIM, XAR, XPI, Z/TZ

Archives to: (10 file types) 7Z, ARC, BZ2, GZ, PAQ/LPAQ, PEA, QUAD/BALZ, TAR, UPX, ZIP

Portable? No

Other Notes: Free for corporate use, interface uses drop downs a bit more than the other offerings. Not as ‘WinZIP’-like in this regard.

7Zip

Opens: (18 file formats) ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, DEB, DMG, HFS, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MSI, NSIS, RAR, RPM, UDF, WIM, XAR and Z

Archives to: (5 file types) 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2 and TAR

Supports encryption? Yes (AES 256)

Command-Line version: Yes

Portable? Yes

The Home Computer Freeware List: Updated 05/08/09

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Rob's great freeware list (aka "toolbox" for building a Windows-based (I know, I know :) ) computer for as little money as possible.

Note that this is a list that I recommend for every baseline installation...I will recommend various specialty applications over the course of my musings, but this is something that I believe everyone should install.

Enjoy - every product here is one that I use or have used. :)

System cleanup utility (good for routine system maintenance) - CCleaner, nCleaner Second - both are quality, but I would say CCleaner is a more intuitive to use. You can do a lot of damage with nCleaner Second if you are not careful!

Defragmenting your hard disk - JKDefrag (for more of you techie folks), Defraggler - Windows defragment is OK, but JKDefrag is quicker, and does a lot more optimization (move large files to the end of the volume, for example). Defraggler is a bit more user-friendly when it comes to appearance. Both are quality products.

Create PDFs - PDFCreator - Creates a new printer in your control panel, and allows you to convert anything that you print to a PDF.

Read PDFs - Foxit PDF reader - Nice non-resource intensive PDF reading software.

Antivirus - Avast 4.8 Home, AVG 8.0, - You should NEVER surf without some form of AV installed. Avast! is nice because it can scan your system for viruses while the screen saver is active, and protects your PC against multiple vectors. Honorable mentions: Avira AntiVir. Want free AV for a Windows server? Use ClamWin (no real-time scanner, so you will have to run scheduled scans, but it works VERY well).

Spyware Protection - Ad-Aware 2008 (not a real-time scanner), ThreatFire, SuperAntiSpyware - Spyware sucks, and these tools do a great job of cleaning them up. I would recommend installing a combination of these utilities, using one to clean-up after the other.

removed from the list: SpywareTerminator

IE Spy/Malware Protection - IE-SpyAds - This will keep 99% of activex components from being installed on your system through IE. If you are going to use IE, you should use it with *ahem* protection.

Firewall - Comodo - Very configurable - looks sharp, excellent reviews (replacing Kerio).

Remote Control (Technical Support) - CrossLoop - This one is great for consultants and other at-home tech folks - totally secure and SO easy to use. Crossloop makes remote controlling mom's computer a dream. CrossLoop now supports Mac!

Remote Control (Extending your office) - Logmein - Access your computer from a secure (256-bit encrypted) connection. You don't need someone on the other end to approve your connection (like Crossloop).

Screenshot Utility - FastStone Capture 5.3. If you can find it, use it. Newer versions are not free. Can't find it? Use Easy Capture. Are you an advanced user? Screen Captor is superior to both utilities.

VPN - Hamachi - Connect two disparate networks together with little trouble. Great for hooking up with your buddies for online gaming, or home "family" support over the Internet.

File Recovery - PC Inspector File Restore, Recuva - Did you accidentally delete your files from your digital camera? Use this to restore it. Good for system drives as well.

Internet Browsing - FireFox - Tabbed browsing, all sorts of great add-ons available, spyware/popup blocker, best of all NO activex support.

Email Client - Thunderbird - Built in spam protection, RSS reader and more.

FTP Client - FileZilla, WinSCP - Secure FTP, save your sessions, easy drag & drop interface.

Office Productivity - Microsoft Live Office (online), Google Docs (online), Open Office (local install). The non-MS apps are MS Office compatible. Text, Spreadsheet, Presentation software -These will do for 90% of your low to middle of the road users.

Zip Archiving - IZArc - New to the list is 'IZArc', recommended by fellow freeware addict, Carputers. I have to agree. If you use WinZip, then you can use IZArc. Excellent interface, supports the widest amount of archive formats, great features, just great all around!

Keep track of startup programs - Sysinternals AutoRuns - Excellent tool to discover what the heck is running at startup - definitely for advanced users. Can produce a CSV file for viewing later (or to post to online support forums), etc. VERY thorough. You can use this to help you clean up malware that is slowing down your system. Also recommended is Hijack This, which features a huge user-community.

Graphics Editing - The Gimp - EXCELLENT freebie editor with a lot of built-in effects and layering capability. If you like the Photoshop interface, you can try GimpShop. Want something simpler? Use Paint.net.

Image Touch Ups, Photo Processing - Picasa - Easy to use program that can help you catalog, view, burn, and touch-up photographs. Also, you can use Picasa to upload photos to your blog, and submit them to online digital image printing services. A digital camera's best friend.

Image Thumbnail Viewer - The classic, Irfanview, my personal favorite - FastStone Viewer and another popular one, XNView.

CD Burning - CD Burner XP Pro - Supports burning from/to ISO image files, audio CD's, DVDs, etc. - Especially nice if you have a burner, but no longer have the OEM burning software that came with it. Other quality apps are Infra Recorder and Express Burner Free.

Backup software - Syncback - Backup to/from an FTP location, compress and encrypt data, supports directory synchronization, and much, much more.

DVD viewing (video) - VLC Media Player - Play your DVD/VCD/MPEG videos from a single player. Works GREAT! You can use VLC to watch DVDs without re-installing the OEM DVD software. You can also use it to convert videos (transcode).

Video conversion - Any Video Converter Free. Convert a video file to a myriad of different formats, great for copying videos to your IPod, Zune, or other personal media player.

removed from the list: Media Converter SA, Super

Video codecs - K-Lite codec pack - this will enable your computer to play just about any video type out there.

RSS News Reader - Google Reader (online), FeedDemon NewsGator (which now will synchronize with Google Reader!) -Keep up with your online news and blogs (*ahem*, like this one?).

Multi-IM/chat client - Pidgin, and if you don't use IRC, then Digsby is for you!

More as I find 'em.

LDAP capable IM solution: OpenFire 3.4.6

OpenFire 3.4.6

http://www.igniterealtime.org/projects/openfire/index.jsp

My need for IM:

Recently, I have discovered the need to notify my users of system outages (um…email?). The Windows Messenger service is out of the question as it is hard to selectively broadcast messages, and you cannot keep a central log of your messages easily – or at least, not without some third-party solution keeping track for you. Not only that, but you can’t configure file transfer, perform voice chat or other more advanced functions.

Enter OpenFire, a Jabber/XMPP compatible IM server, and Spark, the chat client provided by Jive software (makers of OpenFire). I was completely flabbergasted by the capabilities that this free software could provide!

So, a quick list of features out of the box (and mind you, this is supposed to be a quick overview, so I may skip over some other features you might find handy):

• SQL, MySQL, PostGreSQL, Oracle, IBM DB2, HSQLDB and embedded database compatible
• LDAP compatible authentication
• Assortments of plugins available
• Supports other Jabber clients (besides ‘Spark’, the one that you can download from OpenFire’s website)
• Extensive administration options
• Broadcast capability
• User groups
• Import/Export user data
• Configurable chat rooms

A quick look at the server information page

What caught my attention was the ability to authenticate my users via LDAP. This means that my users can log in with their Windows domain credentials and not be concerned with creating and/or remembering a new or different password. Nice!

Setup complexity: Low

If you are a sysadmin who is worth his or her salt, you should have absolutely no trouble setting this up within 5 minutes. If you aren’t terribly familiar with LDAP (and want to get this to work) or have some port magic you have to work, it could take you a little while longer to set up…but, out of the box, it only takes a few minutes to get going.

To set up OpenFire in my environment, I opted for the SQL server backend, for scalability and performance. I only needed to know the SQL administrative password for setup, then OpenFire did the rest.

Also, when I configured LDAP, I needed to know the DN for my administrative account (which would be authenticating my logons) and CN for where to pull my user accounts from. I used SysInternals’ AD Explorer to get this information quickly.

These users were imported into OpenFire from AD automatically.

The Spark client

• For me, the awesomeness does not stop at the OpenFire server (and how ridiculously easy it is to set up), but I really like the Spark client as well.
• The download is a bit hefty at 27Mb, but I assure you, it is a full-featured and robust client that has some great capabilities:
• Easy file-transfer
• Send screenshots quickly with the built-in screenshot snip tool
• Voice chat
• Avatar support
• Invite-to conference

Now, some of these features can be disabled at the server level (like the file-transfer and avatar support), but for a support staff, you can see the benefits of having a screenshot snip tool!

What would be really nice is the ability to lock down the main Spark interface so that you could remove the ‘Accounts’ and ‘Advanced’ buttons…don’t want my users messing around, right?

Plugins

Some of the plugins available for the OpenFire server:

Asterisk-IM Openfire Plugin

Integration for Asterisk and Openfire.

Broadcast

Broadcasts messages to users.

Client Control

Controls clients allowed to connect and available features

Content Filter

Scans message packets for defined patterns

Email Listener

Listens for emails and sends alerts to specific users.

Fastpath Service

Support for managed queued chat requests, such as a support team might use.

Fastpath Webchat

Web based chat client for Fastpath.

IM Gateway

Provides gateway connectivity to the other public instant messaging networks

Monitoring Service

Monitors conversations and statistics of the server.

MotD (Message of the Day)

Allows admins to have a message sent to users each time they log in.

Packet Filter

Rules to enforce ethical communication

Presence Service

Exposes presence information through HTTP.

Registration

Performs various actions whenever a new user account is created.

Search

Provides support for Jabber Search (XEP-0055)

SIP Phone Plugin

Provides support for SIP account management

Subscription

Automatically accepts or rejects subsription requests

User Import Export

Enables import and export of user data

User Service

Allows administration of users via HTTP requests.

Oh, OpenFire, how do I love thee?

What next for me?

Next, I need to:

• Develop an acceptable use policy
• Figure out how to lock Spark/OpenFire down a bit more to prevent abuse
• Discover proper deployment technique and pre-configure the client upon installation
• Test out the ‘Support chat room’ plugin (IT support, anyone?)

Have you used OpenFire? Do you use a different IM solution at your job? What were your issues that you had to overcome in order to successfully deploy it in your organization?

If you aren’t an IT admin like myself – what do you think of the IM in your company? Is it useful? What don’t you like?

Get the skinny on various freeware reviews [web]: Appnews.net

Coming at you from blogger Rarst (from Rarst.net) is a consolidated freeware review listing bringing you links from a few of the biggest freeware blogs out there like Freeware Genius, Rarst.net and Ghacks.net...

Great link summaries if you wanted to look at a single feed for all the good stuff!

Please check it out and support Rarst's efforts.

http://appnews.net/