The famous Open Source office suite OpenOffice’s version 2.2 has been released.It boasts that this upgarde to its word processor, spreadsheet, presentations, and database software, the free software package provides a real alternative to Microsoft’s recently-released Office 2007 product - and an easier upgrade path for existing Microsoft Office users.
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I came across this amazing phone-based application today. If you have a smartphone or pocket PC, this application is one of those must-haves.
It’s called Metro and as the name suggests, it lists details pertaining to transport (rail), places of interest and route maps of about 360-odd cities around the globe. Running the client application from your phone, you can install city packs as and when you need them. These city packs can even be updated if your phone has Internet connectivity.
If found it to be overwhelmingly complete and entirely useful. Check it out here: http://metro.nanika.net/
If you travel often or just need to know transport information about your city, this is a tool you won’t be able to live without.
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I have complied a list of some of the best freeware utilities you will need. Hope you like them. Please add more if you have in comments.
1. Best Free Web Browser ~ Mozilla Firefox
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
2. Best Free Anti-Virus Software ~ AVG Antivirus
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/
3. Best Free Adware/Spyware Remover ~ Spyware Terminator
http://www.spywareterminator.com/
4. Best Free Desktop Search Utility ~ Google Desktop Search
http://desktop.google.com/
5. Best Free File Cleaner ~ CCleaner
http://www.ccleaner.com/
6. Best Free Screen Capture Utility ~ PrintScreen
http://www.gadwin.com/printscreen/?prnscr
7. Best Free Download Manager ~ Star Downloader
http://www.stardownloader.com/downloads.php
8. Best Free Download/Upload Meter ~ NetMeter
http://readerror.gmxhome.de/
9. Best Free Resource Meter ~ TinyResMeter
http://perso.accelance.net/~pesoft/trm/us_trm.html
Here’s a very cool little plugin called Lyrics Plugin for Winamp or Windows Media Player that displays song lyrics when you start playing a song ! You no longer have to go searching the internet for the song lyrics ! Simply play your MP3 file and a few magical seconds later all of the lyrics for that song show up automatically !!! Once installed, for example in Windows Media Player on my computer, choose a song from the libray and begin playing it. Then click on the Now Playing button across the top and the lyrics screen will show up. Of course, this program will not find all of the lyrics for every song, but if you feel up to you can add the lyrics yourself! But from my testing, any popular song or half-decent band’s songs were all found and they were correct.
Download It : http://www.lyricsplugin.com/
React OS is slowly creeping into the open source world, which dawns a Windows look & infact it is based on Windows XP design with a little compatibility issues. Its in alpha stage & can be downloadedfrom their site (its around 16MB - so small) but MS gotta watch its back, who knows it may take over (although it takes a very long time). Also they are working with various applications with compatibility issues and their briefing goes like this.
ReactOS is an advanced free open source operating system providing a ground-up implementation of a Microsoft Windows XP compatible operating system. ReactOS aims to achieve complete binary compatibility with both applications and device drivers meant for NT and XP operating systems, by using a similar architecture and providing a complete and equivalent public interface.
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Microsoft is simplifying the processes via which its PC-maker partners will be able to provide “downgrade” rights from Windows Vista to Windows XP for their customers.
Microsoft will implement the first of the policy changes for its Gold Certified (top-tier) OEM partners within the next couple of weeks. The company will streamline downgrade-rights policies and procedures for the broader channel somewhat later, said John Ball, general manager of Microsoft’s U.S. Systems Group.
Under current licensing terms, Microsoft allows customers buying PCs preloaded with Windows Vista Ultimate and Vista Business to roll back to Windows XP until they are ready to make the move to Vista. For OEMs, the process via which these rights can be activated has been quite cumbersome, Ball acknowledged.
Under the current rules, OEMs must call about and file for each and every machine the license keys required to downgrade from Vista to XP. But Microsoft is planning to move to a new policy which will allow its top 170 OEM partners to submit these keys online for groups of machines, which will save them time and reduce complexity, Ball said.
[via ZDNet]
