Monday, December 17, 2007

SEO Basics for Blogs

Anyone who runs a website or a blog quickly learns the importance of
traffic from search engines. While SEO basics are becoming common
knowledge for designers and marketers, blogs face different issues with
search engines than traditional websites.


With blogs you have less control over the coding that is used.
Depending on what blogging platform you are using, you are probably
typing directly in an internet browser to add a new post. The program
then generates the coding. Most modern blogging programs have been
designed to create blogs that are built with search engine-friendly code. However, some control is lost for the blogger.


There are a few areas that can often be troublesome for bloggers who are attempting to optimize for search engines.


1 - URL Structure


Most blogs create URLs that contain a lot of random characters, like
question marks, and no keywords or anything of value. A page will rank
higher in search engines when its URL contains words or phrases that
are part of the search. Therefore, getting keywords in your URL is
important. In addition, many search engines won’t index pages that have
auto-generated URLs, like the standard blog post page.


What can you do to have URLs that are more search engine-friendly?


Some blogging programs allow you to choose what type of URL (or permalink) you want to be created. For WordPress
users, from your dashboard click on “options” and then “permalinks.”
From here you will have 3 standard choices, plus the option to create
your own custom permalink structure. For this blog we have entered the
following in the custom textfield, “/%category%/%postname%/”. This
tells WordPress to create permalinks that include the category of the
post followed by the name of the post. Feel free to use this for your
blog, or see some other ideas at The Undersigned and at Geek Notes.


2- Page Titles


One of the most important on-page factors for search engine rankings
is the page title. Unfortunately, many bloggers do not change their
page titles. In WordPress you can standardize how you want your page
titles to appear by editing some code in the header.php file. Open up
header.php and look for the title tag. The code between the title tags
is what you want to edit. For this blog we use the following code:


Title

This will create page titles that start with the name of the post and
end with the name of the blog. Alternatively, you can get the SEO Title
Tag plugin http://www.netconcepts.com/seo-title-tag-plugin/ that will
easily allow you to create titles for your posts and pages.


For Movable Type users, the page titles can be changed on the settings tab. Blogger users can get more information from Control Your Title Tags in Blogger.


3 - Duplicate Content


No search engine likes to see duplicate content. Whether it is two
pages on the same site with the same information or multiple pages on
different sites with essentially the same information or content, the
results can include pages being cast into Google’s supplemental index
rather than the main index. Duplicate content is a major issue for
blogs, as category pages and calendar/date pages often cause search
engines to find the same content on multiple pages.


There are a few ways for bloggers to overcome duplicate content
issues. One method is to use the robots.txt file to instruct search
engines on which pages should be ignored, leaving just the primary
pages to be indexed. For more information about creating a robots.txt
file for blogs, and to see an example, visit Not So Boring Life.

Another option for WordPress users is the Duplicate Content Cure plugin.

You can also control how much content appears on your categories pages
by choosing to have those pages display only the beginning of posts
rather than the entire post. In this case the reader would click
through to the main post page to read the entire article and search
engines may not recognize the category page as having duplicate
content. WordPress users can do this by editing the archive template.
If you are using the default Kubrick theme, open archive.php and look
for . Change “content” to “excerpt” and that’s it.


4 - Meta Tags


When designing a traditional, static website you have the
option/ability to enter meta tags (descriptions and keywords) for each
page. Although these tags a less influential on search engine rankings
as they used to be, it doesn’t hurt to have them in your pages.
However, most blogging programs do not give the user the option to add
meta tags when writing a post.


For WordPress users the Add-Meta-Tags plugin will allow you to enter meta tags for any page.


Movable Type users should see the article from Anders Jacobsen and the article from Miles Evans. Blogger users should see the article from ORblogs.


While this is just a quick summary, these are the most important SEO
topics that bloggers will face (as compared to those issues faced by
traditional websites). By understanding the unique qualities that a
blog has in comparison with a static website and knowing what options
and resources are available, you can create a blog that is ready for
search engines.



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10 Tips for Making Your Blog Posts More del.icio.us

Like the other leading social media websites, del.icio.us
can be a great source of traffic for your blog. In order to make the
most of del.icio.us, follow these steps and you’ll be on your way to
driving thousands of new visitors to your blog.


1 - Use Powerful Headlines/Titles


Headlines and Titles are always important for getting your blog
posts read, but they are especially important for drawing traffic from
del.icio.us. Some readers will bookmark a page without even reading the whole thing, influenced primarily by the title. Even more important, as your post starts to move its way up the popular pages
on del.icio.us, the title will either entice people to click or it will
not stand out enough to get them to take action. If you look at the
items that make it to the front page, you’ll see a predictable trend
that almost all of the items have very effective titles.


2 - Be Original


Think about what makes you decide to bookmark a page. If it’s
information that you can find at a number of different websites or
blogs you’re probably not going to bookmark it. Be original, provide readers with something they haven’t seen before, and make them want to bookmark it before the forget where to find it.


3 - Use Lists


While lists aren’t a prerequisite for getting to the front page of
del.icio.us, it’s another consistent trend that you’ll see. Why do
lists work? For one thing they’re easy to scan and readers can quickly gauge the content without reading word-for-word. Numbered lists, such as this one, also tend to work well.


4 - Encourage Bookmarking


If you actively encourage your readers your bookmark your posts they
are more likely to do it. This can be accomplished by placing a
sentence at the beginning or end of your posts, or it can be
accomplished with buttons and widgets that let readers bookmark with
one click. Whatever your method, for the best results you should place
the link to bookmark in a prominent spot where readers will see it. WordPress users can use the Antisocial Plugin (an SEO-friendly version of the Sociable Plugin) to display buttons for various sites, including del.icio.us.


5 - Encourage Others to Join Your Network


Building a network is one way of sharing links with other users. It
certainly doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get more of your pages
bookmarked, but it makes it easier for others to see your bookmarks.
del.icio.us provides a great tool to make this easy. When you’re logged
in, go to the settings page and you’ll see a link for “Network Badges.”
From that page you’ll get some code to paste into your blog that will
encourage visitors to join your network (Mine is on the sidebar if you
want to see an example and join my network).


6 - Write About Hot Topics


When you’re looking at the del.icio.us front page you’ll notice that many of the popular bookmarks are technology-related.
This is a common trend, so if you write about technology you have a
better chance of getting bookmarked. Visit the page regularly to see
what is hot and learn how you can benefit from knowing other users’
bookmarking habits.


7 - Get Your Posts Popular with Some Other Social Media Site


This may not be easy, but many of the pages that are popular on del.icio.us are also popular on other social media sites. This is actually how I made it to the del.icio.us front page for the first time. My article 83 Top Webmaster Resources became popular at D-Zone,
and the increased traffic that came from D-Zone lead to a lot of
bookmarks and a spot on the del.icio.us front page for a while. Using
other social sites as a gateway is a proven tactic.


8 - Show How Many People Have Bookmarked Your Post


The del.icio.us Tagometer will show readers how many people have bookmarked the particular page
they are viewing. It’s a great way to remind visitors that other people
are bookmarking the page. If no one has bookmarked the page yet, it
will say “be the first to bookmark this page!” Here’s an example from
our post Find the Perfect Colors for Your Website.


number of del.icio.us bookmarks


9 - Use FeedBurner’s “Save to del.icio.us” Feed Flare


FeedBurner users can insert a link into their RSS feeds that will allow readers to bookmark. It also shows the number of bookmarks
and the most popular tags from within the RSS reader. To active this
FeedFlare, login, click on the Optimize tab, click on FeedFlare and
check the box.



10 - Allow Other del.icio.us Users to See Your Bookmarks


By default your bookmarks are viewable to other del.icio.us users.
You can change them to be private in the settings tab, but if you’re
bookmarking your own pages you will be decreasing the chances that
others will see your pages. Leave this on the default setting.


By using these 10 tips you’ll be able to increase the number of
bookmarks your posts get, which will help you to bring floods of new
traffic from del.icio.us. If you have any additional tips for our readers please leave a comment. If you’re a del.icio.us user feel free to leave your id or a link to your profile in the comments and grow your network.



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Monday, October 29, 2007

100 Best Free Opensource Software for windows XP and Vista

Here are a few Great open source apps i am using and most which i
would definitely recommend to anybody, even if your not particularly
skillful with software, these applications have such an easy user
interface utilizing should be a breeze. I put them in a list so it is
easily browsable .



Web Browsing


firefox


Mozilla Firefox


The premier free, open-source browser. Tabs, pop-up blocking,
themes, and extensions. Considered by many to be the world’s best
browser.


Download Page


Video Player / Video Podcasting


miro


Miro


Beautiful interface. Plays any video type (much more than windows
media player). Subscribe to video RSS, download, and watch all in one.
Torrent support. Search and download from YouTube and others.

Download Page



IM - Instant Messaging


gaim


Pidgin


Connect to multiple IM accounts simultaneously in a single app, including: AOL IM, MSN, and Jabber.


Download Page


Email


thunderbird


Mozilla Thunderbird


Powerful spam filtering, solid interface, and all the features you need.


Download Page


RSS


feedreader


FeedReader


Simple, lightweight aggregator.


Download Page


rssowl


RSSOwl


Solid cross-platform RSS client.


Download Page


Peer-to-Peer Filesharing


cabos


Cabos


A simple, easy to use filesharing program. Gnutella network.


Download Page


gnucleus


Gnucleus


A very good Gnutella search and download filesharing program.

Download Page


azureus


Azureus


A powerful, but complicated BitTorrent client. So many features you’ll lose your mind.


Download Page


Video Playback


VLC


VLC


Plays more video files than most players: Quicktime, AVI, DIVX, OGG, and more. Pretty good interface.


Download Page


MPlayer


MPlayer


Similar to VLC– plays loads of video formats.


Download Page


media player classic


Media Player Classic


Compact, but powerful media player. Plays anything under the sun. No install necessary.


Download Page


DVD Ripping / Video Conversion


media coder


Media Coder


Great tool for ripping CDs, DVDs, etc and converting between tons of video formats.

Download Page


Word Processing / Office Suites


open office


OpenOffice.org


Big, full featured suite of tools for word processing and
spreadsheets. Compatible with and a free replacement for Microsoft Word
documents. Also supports OpenDocument Format.

Download Page


abiword


AbiWord


A word processor. Leaner and quicker than OpenOffice. Compatible with Microsoft Word documents and OpenDocument Format.


Download Page


Podcasting


juice


Juice


Solid podcasting client.


Download Page


DVD Ripping


handbrake


Handbrake


DVD to MPEG-4 ripper/converter.


Download Page


Sound Recording


audacity


Audacity


Simple sound recording tool.


Download Page


Graphics / Photo Editing


gimp


GIMPShop


Photo editing application that rivals Photoshop in features.


Download Page


paint.net


Paint.net


Graphics editor with a very nice interface.

Download Page


inkscape


Inkscape


Vector graphics application.


Download Page


FTP / SFTP


filezilla


Filezilla


Excellent FTP program.


Download Page


IRC


xchat2


X-Chat 2


IRC client.


Download Page


-


freemind


Freemind


An innovative application for note taking and outlining. Takes time to get used to, but some people swear by it.


Download Page


Jarnal


Open Source note taking application written in Java


Download Page


keynote


Keynote


Open Source note taking application, very good. I use this myself extensively


Download Page


Personal Finance


Turbo Cash


TurboCASH


Simple, easy to use application for managing personal finances.

Download Page


Quasar


Easy to use Accounting package


Download Page


Chat Clients


AMSN


AMSN


MSN Messenger client written in TCL/TK

AMSN Messenger


XChat


X-Chat


IRC Client

X-Chat


More Web Browsing


KMeleon


KMeleon


Fast, nice web browser.


Download Page


Amaya


Amaya Browser for Windows


W3C developed web browser and editor for multiple platforms


Download Page


Screensaver


electric sheep


Electric Sheep


Immersive, trippy screensaver.


Download Page


More Filesharing


Frostwire


GNUTella client based on the Limewire codebase.

Download Page


Also see: Poisoned - Azureus


3D Graphics and Modeling


blender


Blender


Powerful 3D Modeling software.


Download Page


Also see: Kerkythea (illumination engine) - Persistence of Vision Raytracer - Quesa


Stars and Outer Space


celestia icon


Celestia


Open-source 3D planetarium software. Akin to traveling through space (outer space).


Download Page


stellarium icon


Stellarium


“Renders realistic skys in realtime.” See what you would see if your city wasn’t so light-polluted. Used in real planetariums.


Download Page


Also see: macORSA - Orbit Reconstruction, Simulation, and Analysis


Games


Marathon: Aleph One icon


Marathon: Aleph One


Engine for Bungie’s free FPS series Marathon. Play online, solo play
with rich original story, many total conversions and thousands of maps.


Download Page


zombies icon


Zombies


3D zombie strategy game.

Download Page


armagetron


Armagetron Advanced


3D Tron game.


Download Page


BZflage logo


BZFlag


First-person tank game.


Download Page


Battle for Wesnoth logo


Battle for Wesnoth


Fantasy / Strategy Game

Download Page


Also see: Snes9X (SNES emulator), Frozen Bubble


Free File Hosting


CC Publisher


CC Publisher


Host Creative Commons video or audio files for free on archive.org with this easy uploader.


Download Page


Security Tools


NMap


Easy to use port scanner for Windows


Download Page


Wireshark


Wireshark


Network Protocol Analyzer, formerly called Ethereal


Download Page


TrueCrypt


Creates encrypted virtual hard drives for extra security


Download Page


ClamWin


ClamWin


Open Source Anti-Virus. Very good at detecting viruses. Can be plugged into hMailServer for e-mail protection

LIMITATION: Real Time scanning not implemented yet

Download Page


Eraser


Eraser


Delete files securely off your hard drive utilizing DoD standards


Download Page


MP3 and Audio Tools


MP3 Gain


MP3 Gain


Easy to use MP3 manipulation tool for Windows. adjusts sound levels on MP3’s so they are all the same


Download Page


MP3 Book Helper


This program provides rapid Mp3 (ID3v1, ID3v2) and Ogg/Speex/Flac
Vorbis tags editing and file renaming functions. Mass Tag editing is
done using special variables and Regular Expressions.

Download Page


musikCube


musikCube


Open Source MP3 Player, ripper and organizer written using the .NET Framework


Download Page


Utilities


–>


7zip


File archiver.


Download Page


Developer tools


SharpDevelop


SharpDevelop


Open Source IDE for the .NET Framework. Utilizes the multiple programming languages and Windows forms


Download Page


Download Page


Notepad ++


Open Source programmers notepad for Windows

Notepad ++


ScITE


Source code Editor for Windows and X


Download Page


Web Developer Server Suite


Very good WAMP Stack (Windows, Apache, MySQL, PHP) Very thouroughly
tested on Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 Server (preliminary
testing on Longhorn Server underway). Highly Recommended.


Download Page


Mapping Tools


World Wind


Nasa World Wind


Mapping tool similar to Google Earth for Windows. Must have the .NET Framework installed.


Download Page



Address Book


  • Corvalis
    - is a free, open source address management system .Export to/import
    from other popular e-mail programs such as Outlook and free e-mail
    service. Improved search features and group management .
  • Rubrica -
    is an address book manager for the GNOME Environment. It allows you to
    add personal data (name, surname, address, etc.), web links, irc and
    email addresses, telephone numbers, job information (company where
    contact works, company infos, contact’s assigment, etc.) and notes.


Audio Tools


  • MediaCoder
    - is a free universal batch media transcoder, which nicely integrates
    most popular audio/video codecs and tools into an all-in-one solution.
    It converts file formats, giving you a great deal of control over the
    output. It can also save you plenty of hard disk space by shrinking
    media files. There are also lots of extensions you can download that
    expand the programs’ capabilities, such as make it easy to transcode
    files for specific media players.
  • Audacity
    - is a free, easy-to-use audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS
    X, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. It allows users to record
    live audio, convert tapes and records to digital formats, or mix
    pre-existing digital audio tracks. Supported formats include Ogg
    Vorbis, MP3, and WAV sound files. Operating system: Windows,
    Linux/Unix, OS X, Classic Mac.
  • HandBrake
    - is an open-source, GPL-licensed, multiplatform, multithreaded DVD to
    MPEG-4 converter, available for MacOS X, Linux and Windows. It grabs
    video from a variety of sources, including a DVD and a DVD image, and
    grabs audio from sources as well, including MPEG audio tracks. You’ll
    then be able to output a digital file in a variety of formats,
    including MPEG-4, AVI, OGM for video, or AAC, MP3, and Ogg Vorbis for
    audio.
  • LAME
    -is one of the best MP3 encoders in the world, producing excellent
    quality MP3s. It is used by many CD rippers, combopacks and so on and
    its popularity is increasing almost daily. Also, in great quality DivX
    encoding, people tend to use LAME over other MP3 encoders.
  • AC3Filter
    - is an open source AC3 decoding filter that allows you to watch videos
    with AC3-encoded surround audio. After you install the filter, all
    video players, including Microsoft’s Windows Media Player, that use
    DirectShow, should be able to play AC3 audio correctly. Filter also
    supports ProLogicII audio as well.
  • MP3Gain
    -analyzes and adjusts mp3 files so that they have the same volume. It
    does not just do peak normalization, as many normalizers do. Instead,
    it does some statistical analysis to determine how loud the file
    actually sounds to the human ear. With MP3Gain you can adjust your
    songs per file, which makes them all play at the same loudness (radio
    gain), or per album, which keeps the volume differences within an album
    but makes the albums play at similar loudness.
  • Moosic
    - is a music player for Unix systems. It focuses on convenient and
    powerful playlist management. The key feature of this music player is
    its playlist management/queuing abilities. By default, Moosic supports
    MP3, Ogg, MIDI, MOD, and WAV files, but it can be configured to support
    other file formats as well. Operating system: Unix.
  • StreamRipper
    - allows you to record and save Shoutcast streams and other Internet
    audio. Its key feature is the ability to find silences and mark them as
    possible points of track separation. Operating system: Windows,
    Linux/Unix.
  • EasyTAG -
    is a utility for viewing and editing tags for MP3, MP2, MP4/AAC, FLAC,
    Ogg Vorbis, MusePack, Monkey’s Audio and WavPack files. Its simple and
    nice GTK+ interface makes tagging easier under GNU/Linux or Windows.


Bulletin Board


  • phpBB
    -is a high powered, fully scalable, and highly customizable open-source
    bulletin board package. phpBB has a user-friendly interface, simple and
    straightforward administration panel, and helpful FAQ. Based on the
    powerful PHP server language and your choice of MySQL, MS-SQL,
    PostgreSQL or Access/ODBC database servers, phpBB is the ideal free
    community solution for all web sites. Features include: Unlimited
    forums and posts; Multiple language interface; Private or public
    forums; Powerful search utility; Private messaging system; Templates.


Databases


  • Firebird
    -is a relational database offering many ANSI SQL standard features that
    runs on Linux, Windows, and a variety of Unix platforms.
  • PostgreSQL
    -is an advanced PostgreSQL-based search engine that provides online
    indexing of data and relevance ranking for database searching. Close
    integration with database allows use of metadata to restrict search
    results. Operating system: Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X, Solaris.


Content Managers


  • Joomla!
    - is one of the most powerful Open Source Content Management Systems on
    the planet. It is used all over the world for everything from simple
    websites to complex corporate applications. Joomla is easy to install,
    simple to manage, and reliable.
  • Drupal
    - an open source content management platform. Equipped with a powerful
    blend of features, Drupal supports a variety of websites ranging from
    personal weblogs to large community-driven websites.
  • Wordpress - is a state-of-the-art semantic personal publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standards, and usability.
  • Plone
    - Content Management System built on top of the open source application
    server Zope and the accompanying Content Management Framework
  • XOOPS
    -is an extensible, OO (Object Oriented), easy to use dynamic web
    content management system written in PHP. XOOPS is the ideal tool for
    developing small to large dynamic community websites, intra company
    portals, corporate portals, weblogs and much more. Read the All about
    XOOPS page for more details.
  • Opencms
    - is a professional, easy to use website content management system. It
    is based on Java and XML technology. It can be deployed in an open
    source environment (e.g. Linux, Apache, Tomcat, MySQL) as well as on
    commercial components (e.g. Windows NT, IIS, BEA Weblogic, Oracle).
  • WebGUI
    - is a web application framework and web content management system that
    puts the publishing power in the hands of the people who create the
    content, rather than the IT staff. Join the thousands of businesses,
    universities, and schools that have found out just how easy web can be.
  • PHP-Nuke
    -is a powerful Open Source portal application. It can be used as a
    weblog or as a CMS. PhpNuke allows webmasters and editors to easily
    post new content and comment existing articles. PHPNuke is much for
    game clan and guild sites. It is free software, released under the GNU
    License.


Developer Tools


  • phpMyAdmin
    - handles the administration of MySQL over the Web. phpMyAdmin performs
    many database administration tasks like running SQL statements, adding
    and dropping databases, and adding, editing or deleting tables or
    fields. Operating system: OS Independent.
  • Dev-C++
    gives you a full-featured Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for
    the C/C++ programming language. It uses Mingw port of GCC (GNU Compiler
    Collection) as it’s compiler. Dev-C++ can also be used in combination
    with Cygwin or any other GCC based compiler.
  • EasyPHP
    - is a complete software package allowing to use all the power and the
    flexibility that offers the dynamic language PHP and the efficient use
    of databases under Windows. Package includes an Apache server, a MySQL
    database, a fully PHP execution, as well as easy development tools for
    your web site or your applications.
  • XAMPP
    - is an easy to install Apache distribution containing MySQL, PHP and
    Perl. XAMPP is really very easy to install and to use - just download,
    extract and start. Operating system:Windows, Linux, OS/X, Solaris.
  • Notepad++
    is a free source code editor which supports several programming
    languages running under the M$ Windows environment. Notepad++ is
    designed to be a freeware replacement for Notepad. Supported languages
    : C, C++,Java, C#, XML, HTML, PHP, Javascript, RC resource file, make
    file, ASCII art file(extension .nfo, doxygen, ini file, batch file,
    ASP, VB/VBS source files, SQL, Objective-C, CSS, Pascal, Perl, Python
    and Lua.
  • jEdit -
    is a text editor written in Java. It supports auto indent and syntax
    highlighting for 130 different coding languages, as well as dozens of
    independently developed plug-ins and macros that make programming
    easier. Operating system: OS Independent.
  • TortoiseSVN
    - is a really easy to use Revision control / version control / source
    control software for Windows. It works directly from Windows Explorer
    and you can use it with virtually anydevelopment tools. Operating
    system: Windows.
  • DotNetNuke
    - is a powerful open source framework that creates and deploys robust
    modules on the ASP.NET platform. Written by its core team of
    developers, this book will provide youwith the tools and insight you’ll
    need to install, configure, and develop your own stunning
  • AppServ -
    is an Apache/PHP/MySQL distribution designed to be completely installed
    and configured in less than one minute. While it works on Windows, the
    developers recommend Linux for Web ordatabase servers that will be used
    heavily. Operating system: Windows, Linux/Unix.
  • SharpDevelop
    -is a free IDE for C#, VB.NET and Boo projects on Microsoft’s. It
    includes a forms designer, code completer, an integrated debugger, and
    many other features. Operating system: Windows.
  • wxWidgets
    - lets developers create applications for Win32, Mac OS X, GTK+, X11,
    Motif, WinCE, and more using one codebase. It can be used from
    languages such as C++, Python, Perl, and C#/.NET.
  • Hibernate
    - is a powerful, high-performance object/relational persistence and
    query service. Hibernate allows you to express queries in its own
    portable SQL extension (HQL), as well as in native SQL, or with an
    object-oriented Criteria and Example API.
  • Ultimate++
    is a C++ cross-platform rapid application development suite focused on
    programmers productivity. It includes a set of libraries (GUI, SQL,
    etc..), and an integrated development environment.
  • DeskWeb
    - applies the iconography and usability of a common Windows desktop
    system to Web applications. It is familiar and user-friendly and lets
    users easily learn how-to exploit all of the software’s features. It
    can be used in various ways, such as a content management system, a
    company groupware, a wiki, or more. Operating system: OS Independent.
  • Zile
    - is a small Emacs clone. Zile is a customizable, self-documenting
    real-time open-source display editor. Zile was written to be as similar
    as possible to Emacs; every Emacs user should feel at home. Operating
    system: Linux/Unix.
  • WAMP5
    - installs automatically Apache, PHP, MySQL, PHPmyadmin and SQLite
    manager on any Windows system. It was created in order to make it easy
    to use the latest version of PHP?PHP5Operating system: Windows.
  • MiKTeX
    - is an up-to-date TeX implementation for the Windows operating system.
    It is a typesetting program with a complete set of fonts, utilities,
    and macros.
  • TEA
    - is a GTK+-based text editor that supports a number of different
    coding languages, but it is especially helpful for writing HTML. It?s
    very small but includes a file manager, spellchecker, search function,
    and more. Operating system: Linux/Unix, OS X, Solaris.
  • SiSU -is
    an information structuring, transforming, publishing and search
    framework. Supported formats include plain-text, HTML, XHTML, XML, ODF,
    LaTeX, and PDF. Operating system: Linux/Unix.
  • PDFCreator
    -is a free tool to create PDF files from nearly any Windows
    application. It allows users to create PDF files from any printable
    Windows document. As an added bonus, it can also create PNG, JPG, TIFF,
    BMP, PCX, PS, or EPS files. Operating system: Windows.
  • Ghostscript -allows
    users to convert, view, and print PostScript and PDF files. Different
    versions of the software are available either as open-source or as
    commercial distributions. Operating system: Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X,
    Classic Mac.


Emulators


  • DOSBox
    - isa long gone from Windows–the command prompt inside Windows isn’t
    truly DOS anymore. Many old games simply won’t run from the Windows
    command prompt. They need true blue DOS. You can get the free DOSBox,
    which does a great job of emulating it. Install and run the program,
    then run any DOS game–or DOS application, for that matter–inside it.
    When you run DOSBox, it automatically sets any sound-system related
    variables, so that your sound system will work properly with your old
    games.
  • ZNES
    - is a Super Nintendo emulator programmed by zsKnight and _Demo_. It
    lets you play your Super Nintendo games on your PC. Some games work
    better than others, and it?s very much a workin progress. Operating
    system: Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and DOS.
  • eMule
    -is one of the biggest and most reliable peer-to-peer file sharing
    clients around the world. Many developers contribute to the project, so
    the network gets more and more efficient withevery new version.
    Operating system: Windows.
  • Ares
    - is a P2P file-sharing program. It’s easier to figure out how to
    search for files and download them, and it also will download files
    using BitTorrent, which is probably the most popular file-sharing
    protocol today. Also useful is that the program includes a built-in
    media player, as well as chat capabilities and a built-in Web browser.
  • Wine
    - is an Open Source implementation of the Windows API on top of X,
    OpenGL, and Unix. It lets you run Windows programs on x86-based Unix
    systems. Operating system: Linux/Unix, OS X, Solaris.


P2P


  • BitTorrent
    - is the global standard for delivering high-quality files over the
    Internet. BitTorrent enables you to publish your own content. If you
    are a filmmaker, musician, or even a comedian, it?s the perfect place
    to showcase your work to worldwide audience. Operating system: Windows,
    Linux/Unix.
  • DC++
    is an open source client for Windows for the Direct Connect network.
    Direct Connect allows you to share files over the Internet without
    restrictions or limits. The client is completely free of advertisements
    and has a nice, easy to use interface. Firewall and router support is
    integrated and it is easy and convenient to use functionality like
    multi-hub connections, auto-connections and resuming of downloads.
  • BBurst!
    - is the BitTorrent client that uses less memory and other resources
    than the original client. Key features include a torrents manager and
    super-seeding mode. Operating system: Windows.
  • BT++
    is an improved client for the BitTorrent peer-to-peer file distribution
    solution. It is written, like the official BitTorrent client, in Python
    and wxPython for maximum cross-platform compatibility. It should work
    on any platform that wxPython is available for.
  • Shareaza P2P
    - is known by its support for numerous P2P networks, including
    Gnutella2, Gnutella1, eDonkey2000/eMule, and BitTorrent. And its
    “Collections” feature allows users to preview albumcovers, song lists,
    and descriptions from a single screen. Operating system: Windows.
  • ABC -
    is an improved client for the Bittorrent peer-to-peer file distribution
    solution. ABC is based on BitTornado which extended from from Original
    Bittorrent Core System , coded by Bram Cohen. It offers some unique
    customization options. With this app, you can customize which
    information is displayed, prioritize the queuing system, and download
    multiple files simultaneously in the same window. Operating system:
    Windows.
  • RevConnect
    - is a file sharing program based on DC++. It is fully compatible with
    the Direct Connect network. RevConnect is an free open-source, ad and
    spyware-free client, written in C++ for the Direct Connect protocol
    that allows you to share files over the internet with other users.
    Operating system: Windows.


File Transfer


  • WinSCP
    - allows users to transfer files securely via FTP and SFTP. It
    incorporates Secure Shell (SSH) technology. Operating system: Windows.
  • cURL
    - is a command line tool for transferring files with URL syntax,
    supporting FTP, FTPS, HTTP, HTTPS, SCP, SFTP,TFTP, TELNET, DICT, FILE
    and LDAP. curl supports SSL certificates, HTTP POST,HTTP PUT, FTP
    uploading, HTTP form based upload, proxies, cookies, user+password
    authentication (Basic, Digest, NTLM, Negotiate, Kerberos…), file
    transfer resume, proxy tunneling and a busload of other useful tricks.
    Operating system: Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X, Solaris.


Games


  • ScummVM -
    allows you to port many classic point-and-click adventure games to
    nearly any platform you like. Supported games include Simon the
    Sorcerer 1 and 2, Flight of the Amazon Queen, Beneath A Steel Sky, Day
    of the Tentacle, Broken Sword 1 and Broken Sword 2, Monkey Island,
    Samand Max, and dozens of others. Operating system: OS Portable.
  • StepMania
    - can be played using the keyboard or a sensor-laden “dance pad”.
    StepMania has game modes similar to Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution and
    Andamiro’s Pump It Up, Amuseworld’sEZ2Dancer, and Konami’s Para Para
    Paradise. Operating system: Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X, Xbox.


Mobility Tools


  • BitPim -
    is a program that allows you to view and manipulate data on many CDMA
    phones from LG, Samsung, Sanyo and other manufacturers. This includes
    the Phone Book, Calendar, WallPapers, RingTones(functionality varies by
    phone) and the File system for most Qualcomm CDMA chipset based phones.
    Operating system: Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X.
  • PortableApps
    - aims to make all of your applications portable. It makes it easy to
    transfer software and data from your PC to a USB flash drive, iPod,
    portable hard drive, or other device. Operating system: Windows.


Photo Tools


  • Gallery -
    is an open source project with the goal to develop and support leading
    photo sharing web application solutions. It allow some basic photo
    manipulation, such as resizing, rotating, and altering image quality,
    but does not include advanced photo editing. Operating system: OS
    Independent.
  • Coppermine Photo Gallery
    - is a multi-purpose fully-featured and integrated web picture gallery
    script written in PHP using GD or ImageMagick as image library with a
    MySQL backend. It offersa huge lineup of features including multiple
    languages, e-card creation, thumbnails, and many more. In order to use
    it, you need a Web server running Apache, PHP, MySQL, and either GD or
    ImageMagick. Operating system: OS Independent.


Instant Messaging


  • aMSN
    - is an open source MSN Messenger clone. It allows you to communicate
    with users on multiple networks. a MSN also allows you to display
    pictures and emoticons and add skins to yourchat window. Operating
    system: Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X.
  • Miranda
    - is a small, fast and easy instant messenger with support for multiple
    protocols. Miranda IM is designed to be resource efficient and easy to
    use while still providing many features including support for AIM,
    Jabber, ICQ, IRC, MSN, Yahoo, and more. Operating system: Windows.
  • Pidgin
    - is a multi-platform instant messaging client that allows you to
    connect with all your buddies from a single messenger, even if they are
    using different networks. It supports MSN, AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, IRC,
    GroupWise, QQ, SILC, SIMPLE, Same time and XMPP. You can login to
    multiple messenger accounts at one, allowing you to chat with your
    buddies onYahoo, ICQ and MSN (for example) at the same time.


Security


  • PeerGuardian -
    protects your privacy while you?re using P2P file sharing networks. It
    supports multiple lists, list editing, automatic updates, and IPv4
    blocking. Operating system: Windows, Linux, OS X.
  • Eraser
    - is an advanced security tool (for Windows), which allows you to
    completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it
    several times with carefully selected patterns. Works with Windows 95,
    98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Windows 2003 Server and DOS.
  • ClamWin Free Antivirus
    - is a Free Antivirus for Microsoft Windows 98/Me/2000/XP and 2003.
    With Clam Win you can scan individual files manually or you can use the
    Microsoft Outlook add-in to find and remove infected attachments
    automatically.
  • IPCop Firewall
    - provides a good option for home users and small offices. It?s stable,
    secure, and easy to configure and maintain. Operating system: Linux.


Remote Desktop


  • UltraVNC-
    is a powerful, easy to use and free software that can display the
    screen of another computer (via internet or network) on your own
    screen. The program allows you to use your mouse and keyboard to
    control the other PC remotely. Key features app include File Transfer,
    Video Driver, optional Encryption Plugins, MS Logon, Text Chat, Viewer
    Toolbar, and others. Although it?s designed primarily for Windows, the
    Embedded Java Viewer allows you to transfer files to and from other
    operating systems as well. Operating system: Windows.
  • TightVNC
    - is a free remote control software package derived from the popular
    VNC software. With TightVNC, you can see the desktop of a remote
    machine and control it with your local mouse and keyboard, just like
    you would do it sitting in the front of that computer. TightVNC offers
    additional features like file transfers, video mirror drive support,
    scaling of the remote desktop, support for two passwords, and more.


System Administration Tools


  • Webmin
    - is a web-based interface for system administration for Unix. Using
    any modern web browser, you can setup user accounts, Apache, DNS, file
    sharing and much more. Webmin removes the need to manually edit Unix
    configuration files like /etc/passwd, and lets you manage system from
    the console or remotely.
  • Wireshark -
    is the world’s foremost network protocol analyzer. It supports hundreds
    of different protocols, multiple platforms, and can analyze VoIP
    traffic. Operating system: Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X, Solaris, All BSD
    Platforms.
  • Nmap
    -is a free open source utility for network exploration or security
    auditing. It was designed to rapidly scan large networks, although it
    works fine against single hosts. Nmap uses raw IPpackets in novel ways
    to determine what hosts are available on the network, what services
    (application name and version) those hosts are offering, what operating
    systems (and OS versions) they are running, what type of packet
    filters/firewalls are in use, and dozens of other characteristics.
  • TrueCrypt
    - is an open-source disk encryption software for Windows Vista/XP/2000
    and Linux. It is a software system for establishing and maintaining
    anon-the-fly-encrypted volume (data storage device). On-the-fly
    encryption means that data are automatically encrypted or decrypted
    right before they are loaded or saved, without any user intervention.
  • GLPI
    - is the Information Resource-Manager with an additional
    Administration- Interface. You can use it to build up a database with
    an inventory for your company (computer, software, printers…) Operating
    system: OS Independent.
  • ClameWin
    - is a Free Antivirus for Microsoft Windows 98/Me/2000/XP and 2003.
    ClamWin Free Antivirus comes with an easy installer and open source
    code. You may download and use it absolutely freeof charge


Video/Multi-Media Tools


  • VirtualDub
    -is a video capture/processing utility for 32-bit Windows platforms
    (95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP).It?s useful for basic trimming and cleaning up
    footage, and also has batchprocessing capabilities.
  • MediaCoder
    - is a free universal batch media trans coder, which integrates most
    popular audio/video codecs and tools into an all-in-one solution.
  • FFDShow - is a DirectShow decoding filter for decompressing DivX, XviD, H.264, FLV1, WMV,MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, MPEG-4 movies.
  • Xine
    - is a free multimedia player. It playsback CDs, DVDs, and VCDs. It
    also decodes multimedia files like AVI, MOV, WMV, and MP3 from local
    disk drives, and displays multimedia streamed over the Internet.
  • MPlayer OS X
    - is binary distribution of MPlayer (The Movie Player for Linux) and
    comes with native GUIin MacOSX. After installation you can simply (by
    Drag&Drop) play almost all3ivx, DivX 3,4,5 and other codecs files
    in the window or full screen mode. Rendering of very nice antialiased
    text-based subtitles is also supported.
  • WDM
    - is a Video Capture driver for Bt848, Bt849, Bt878 and Bt879 based
    video capture boards. It tries to take the most of the hardware, using
    all the features the chipset has to offer. It is also implemented as a
    WDM driver, so the same driver works under Win2000,Win98SE, WinXP and
    WinMe without modifications.
  • MediaPortal
    - is an Open Source application ideal for turning your PC / TV into a
    very advanced Media Center. Media Portal allows you to listen to your
    favorite music & radio, watch and storeyour videos and DVDs, view,
    schedule and record live TV as a digital video recorder and much much
    more.
  • LiVES
    - is a very flexible tool which can be used by both VJ’s and video
    editors - mix and switch clips from the keyboard, trim and edit your
    clips, and bring them together using the multi track timeline.
  • VLC Media Player
    - is a highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video
    formats (MPEG-1, MPEG-2,MPEG-4, DivX, mp3, ogg, …) as well as DVDs,
    VCDs, and various streaming protocols.
Source : ajaxflakes.com


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