Here's how to shop smartly.
Consult a shopping search engine, like MSNShopping or Google Product Search
Mattresses
Reliability and durability of all brand-name mattresses -- Sealy, Serta, Simmons and Spring Air -are typically very good. What matters most is comfort.
Spend at least 15 minutes lying on any mattress you're considering buying to make sure it's comfortable for you in all positions.
Specialty mattresses from Duxiana, Select Comfort and Tempur-Pedic are rarely discounted, but you should be able to get 50% off the list price of a conventional innerspring mattress if you wait for a sale or bargain hard.
Jewelry
Understand that the big markups mean there's usually room to haggle down a price. Shoot for at least a 10% discount.
Buy from certified gemologists who belong to the Gemological Institute of America, American Gem Society or Jewelers of America.
Make sure you're allowed at least 30 days to return jewelry for a refund.
Pay to have expensive jewelry evaluated by an appraiser not affiliated with the jeweler. Make sure the appraiser is certified by the American Society of Appraisers.
College educations
About two-thirds of those who attend college get some kind of financial aid, and many colleges tweak their aid packages to benefit the students they most want to attract.
The College Board says the typical private school discounts its costs by about a third, and public universities offer an average break of 14.7%.
FinAid.org.
To avoid overpaying for a college education, you'll want to:
Learn about the financial aid process and how to arrange your finances to get the best possible package. Some resources to check: MSN Money's Saving for College and Managing College Costs Decision Centers, FinAid.org's financial-aid calculator and the book "FastWeb College Gold: The Step-by-Step Guide to Paying for College." Never assume that you won't qualify for aid, Kantrowitz said; the formulas for aid are complicated, and how they're applied can vary by school. Also, changing family circumstances and congressional changes to available aid can have a big impact on how much you get. Even if you don't have financial need, you'll need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to qualify for federal student loan programs.
Cast a wide net when researching and applying to colleges so you can uncover the schools that really want you (or your student). You can start with MSN Money's College Search engine, but also check out the Managing College Costs Decision Center, which includes articles on good values in public and private colleges.
Make sure that if you do have to borrow money for school, you exhaust all federal student loan options first before resorting to private loans (read "How did student loans get so sleazy?" for details).
And two more to think about
Almost nobody negotiates half off a house or a car, but almost nobody pays sticker price, either. And because these are two of the biggest purchases most people make, it's worth going over the ground rules.
You know you shouldn't pay sticker price for a vehicle, but figuring out the "right" price - and keeping to it in the face of an industry that specializes in getting people to overpay - is a tall order. The second you drive a car off the dealer's lot, for example, it's worth only what someone will pay you for it, regardless of how big a rebate you got or how big a discount off sticker you negotiated. The closer you come to that price, the better the deal.
And even that swift bit of negotiation can be quickly erased in a few short minutes in the dealer's finance department. Similarly, you're not likely to make a bigger purchase than a home - or have more of an opportunity to overpay.
Cars.
Dealerships "know you're focused on the price of the car," said Philip Reed, consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com and editor of the book "Strategies for Smart Car Buyers." "You need to know about the charges that are bogus or inflated at the many other steps of the deal."
If you really want to make sure you get the best deal, don't walk onto a car lot until you've:
Considered all your alternatives. The fewer times you buy a car in your lifetime, the more money you'll save. You may be able to get a few more years out of your current car or even do without a vehicle for a while. If you've decided you "need" a specific car, or even a car at all, you may be setting yourself up to overpay. Read "The real reason you're broke" for details.
Set up your financing. A credit union is typically a good place to find low-cost auto loans. Limit your loan term to four years with a 20% down payment, if at all possible, and make sure you can swing all the costs of the car (such as higher insurance payments).
Done your research. MSN Autos, among other sites, offers information about performance, reliability and safety. Edmunds.com also has a "True Cost to Own" feature that can show you how much a vehicle is likely to cost you over five years. You can get detailed reports on vehicles, including how much the dealer paid, with Consumer Reports' auto price reports.
Prepared to walk out. The typical dealership will do everything in its power to keep you on the lot until you've signed the deal. They're hoping you'll fall in love with a car or be convinced the dealership is offering a one-time-only deal that will soon expire. Sometimes your most powerful negotiating tactic is the willingness to call their bluff, Reed said, and walk out the door. The deal may suddenly improve - and if it doesn't, there's always the next dealership.
"Car sales (are) based on control. They want to know they control you," Reed said. "Any time you show the ability to walk out, you're taking back control."
Houses.
Your two biggest enemies are your own emotions and a lack of information. You can help cure the latter with (as always) good research.
"Spend your weekends visiting open houses. Then, find a great agent, who really knows the neighborhood and its housing stock, and see even more properties that are for sale," advises Ilyce Glink, author of several books on real estate, including "100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask." "Track the sales prices of these homes and use that information as a tool to help unlock the value of other properties."
You also need to consider which way the market winds are blowing in your area: whether prices are going up, down or flattening.
"Once you figure out the direction the neighborhood is going," Glink said, "you can start to compare the value of one house to another, taking into account the differences in size, amenities, and specific location."
With this information, you can craft a bid. When multiple buyers are after the same property, you may have to make your best offer first; when home sales are slow or prices are dropping, it's often best to start with a bid that's lower than what you're actually willing to pay.
As for your emotions, I won't advise you not to fall in love with a property. Love is too tricky a thing to predict or prevent, and once it hits you you'll know how tough it is to keep your head. Just try to keep in mind that there's more than one "right" house for you, and you won't have to bankrupt yourself to get it.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Meditations from Coversations With God - Walsch
You are creating your reality every minute.
There comes a time in the evolution of every soul when the chief concern is no longer the survival of the physical body, but the growth of the spirit.
There are no 'rotten apples'. There are only people who disagree with the point of view on things, people who construct a different model of the world.
Power comes from inner strength.
Everything that occurs - everything that has occured, is occuring, and ever will occur-is the outward physical manifestation of your innermost thoughts, choices, ideas, and detrmination regarding Who You Are and Who You Choose to Be.
Yes, there is One Great Truth; there is a Final Reality. You are divine creature, divinely creating your reality.
I do not forgive you, and will not forgive you ever, for anything. There is nothing to forgive.
Religion cannot stand Spirituality. For Spirituality may bring you to a different conclusion than a particular religion.
Religion encourages you to explore the thoughts of others and accept them as your own.
Spirituality invites you to toss away the thoughts of others and come up with your own.
God and his Universal Presence
I'm in every flower, every rainbow, every star in the heavens. I'm the whisper of the wind, the warmth of the sun, the incredible individuality and the extraordinary perfection of every snowflake.
I'm the wind which rustles your hair.
I'm the sun which warms your body.
I'm the rain which dances on your face.
I'm the smell of the flowers in the air.
I'm the flower, and I'm the air.
Every minute is holy.
This, now, is the Holy Instant.
Use your Now Moment for the Highest Purpose - the creation and the expression of Who You Really Are.
Decide Who You Are-What you want to be - and then do everything in your power to be that.
Embrace every circumstance, own every fault, share every joy, contemplate every mistery, walk in every man's shoes, forgive every offense (including you own), heal every heart, honor every person's truth, adore every person'r God, protect every person's rights, preserve every person's dignity, promote every person's interests, provide every person's needs, presume every person's holiness, present every person's greatest gifts, produce every person's blessing, and pronounce every person's future secure in the assured love of God.
If all you desired is what your soul desired, everything would be very simple.
If you listened to the part of you which is pure spirit, all of your decisions would be easy, and all the outcomes joyous.
Feelings are simply truths.
How you express your truth is what matters.
You cannot take responsibility for how well another accepts your truth; you can only ensure how well it is communicated: how clearly, how lovingly, how compassionately, how sensitively, how courageously, and how completely.
Feelings are the language of the soul.
Make sure you are listening to your true feelings and not some counterfeit model constructed in your mind.
Fear anf guilt are your only enemies.
Love and awareness are your true friends.
You will not grow through guilt, but only shrivel and die. Guilt is the poison that kills the plant.
Ultimately, all thoughts are sponsored by love or fear.
Everything, ultimately, breaks down to one of these.
All thoughts, ideas, concepts, understandings, decisions, choices, and actions are based in one of these.
This is the great polarity.
This is the primal duality.
And, in the end, there is really only one.
Love.
In truth, love is all there is.
Even fear is an outgrowth of love and expresses love when used effectively.
Grief - the sadness within you at the experience of any kind of loss.
Anger - tool which allows you to say:'No, thank you.'
Envy - makes you want to do it again, to try harder, to continue striving until you succeed.
The soul is very clear that its purpose is evolution.
There is no great tragedy involved in leaving the body, in many ways the tragedy is being captured in the body.
Dying - at the moment of your death you will realize the greatest freedom, the greatest peace, the greatest joy, and the greatest love you have ever known.
Transforming yourself
Even the rock will not be the rock forever. Before it was a rock, it was something else. It fossilized into that rock. It was once something else, and will be something else again.
Death is not an end, but a beginning; it's not a closing down, but an opening up.
Your life doesn't end, but only goes on in ways so magnificent as to make it difficult to describe and impossible for you to comprehend.
Illusion of death
See the flower as dying and you will see the flower sadly. You see the flower as part of a whole tree that is changing, and will soon bear fruit, and you see the flower's true beauty.
When you understand that the blossoming and the falling away of the flower is a sign that the tree is ready to bear fruit, then you understand life.
Go to your Highest Thought about yourself.
Imagine the you that you would be if you lived that thought every day.
Imagine what you would think, do, and say, and how you would respond to what others do and say.
Remember, you are constantly in the act of creating of yourself.
You are in every moment deciding who and what you are.
You decide this largely through the choices you make regarding who and what you feel passionate about.
Never deny passion, for that is to deny Who You Are, and Who You Truly Want to Be.
Be a Bringer of the Light.
For your light can do more than illuminate your own path.
Your light can be the light which truly lights the world.
So long as you are still worried about what others think of you, you are owned by them.
Only when you require no approval from outside yourself can you own yourself.
Spend your time wisely
When you spend your time trying to figure out what's 'best' for you, you are doing just that: spending your time - your choices will be cautious, your decisions will take forever, and your journey will be launched on a sea of expectations.
Be carefull not to drown in your expectations.
Recognizing the importance of the moment
"Now" is all there is...
"Yesterday" and "Tomorrow" are fragments of your imagination, constructions of your mind, nonexistent in Ultimate Reality.
Everything that ever happened, is happening, and ever will happen, is happening right now.
Past, present and future are concepts you have constructed, realities you have invented in order
to create a context within which to frame your present experience.
Remember, life is an ongoing process of creation.
Ignore your previous experience and go into the moment.
Be Here Now.
Group consciousness is powerful and produces outcomes of unspeakable beauty or ugliness.
The choice is always yours.
The best way to change the consciousness of others is by your example.
Deception is part of government, for few people would choose to be governed the way they are governed, few would choose to be governed at all unless government convinced them that its decisions were for their own good.
Your soul doesn't care what you do for a living, and when your life is over, neither will you.
Your soul cares only about what you're being while you're doing whatever you're doing.
It is a state of beingness the soul is after, not a state of doingness.
There is nothing I have to have, there's nothing I have to do, and there's nothing I have to be, except exactly what I'm being right now.
Cycle of Life
Understanding the life of the universe will help you understand the life of the universe inside you.
Life moves in cycles.
Everything is cyclical.
Everything.
All things move cyclicaly.
There is a natural rhythm to life, and everything moves to that rhythm; evrything goes with that flow.
For everything there's a season; and a time for every Purpose under Heaven.
When you understand this, you became more able to enjoy the Process, not merely endure it.
Women
A woman hears the melody of flowers in the wind.
She sees the beauty of the Unseen.
She feels the pulls and urges of life.
She knows when it is time to run, and time to rest; time to laugh, and time to cry; time to hold on, and time to let go.
The greatest secret of all time
Act as if you were separate from nothing, and no one, and you will heal your world tomorrow.
Relationship
The purpose of the relationship is to decide what part of yourself you'd like to see 'show up', not what part of another you can capture and hold.
There comes a time in the evolution of every soul when the chief concern is no longer the survival of the physical body, but the growth of the spirit.
There are no 'rotten apples'. There are only people who disagree with the point of view on things, people who construct a different model of the world.
Power comes from inner strength.
Everything that occurs - everything that has occured, is occuring, and ever will occur-is the outward physical manifestation of your innermost thoughts, choices, ideas, and detrmination regarding Who You Are and Who You Choose to Be.
Yes, there is One Great Truth; there is a Final Reality. You are divine creature, divinely creating your reality.
I do not forgive you, and will not forgive you ever, for anything. There is nothing to forgive.
Religion cannot stand Spirituality. For Spirituality may bring you to a different conclusion than a particular religion.
Religion encourages you to explore the thoughts of others and accept them as your own.
Spirituality invites you to toss away the thoughts of others and come up with your own.
God and his Universal Presence
I'm in every flower, every rainbow, every star in the heavens. I'm the whisper of the wind, the warmth of the sun, the incredible individuality and the extraordinary perfection of every snowflake.
I'm the wind which rustles your hair.
I'm the sun which warms your body.
I'm the rain which dances on your face.
I'm the smell of the flowers in the air.
I'm the flower, and I'm the air.
Every minute is holy.
This, now, is the Holy Instant.
Use your Now Moment for the Highest Purpose - the creation and the expression of Who You Really Are.
Decide Who You Are-What you want to be - and then do everything in your power to be that.
Embrace every circumstance, own every fault, share every joy, contemplate every mistery, walk in every man's shoes, forgive every offense (including you own), heal every heart, honor every person's truth, adore every person'r God, protect every person's rights, preserve every person's dignity, promote every person's interests, provide every person's needs, presume every person's holiness, present every person's greatest gifts, produce every person's blessing, and pronounce every person's future secure in the assured love of God.
If all you desired is what your soul desired, everything would be very simple.
If you listened to the part of you which is pure spirit, all of your decisions would be easy, and all the outcomes joyous.
Feelings are simply truths.
How you express your truth is what matters.
You cannot take responsibility for how well another accepts your truth; you can only ensure how well it is communicated: how clearly, how lovingly, how compassionately, how sensitively, how courageously, and how completely.
Feelings are the language of the soul.
Make sure you are listening to your true feelings and not some counterfeit model constructed in your mind.
Fear anf guilt are your only enemies.
Love and awareness are your true friends.
You will not grow through guilt, but only shrivel and die. Guilt is the poison that kills the plant.
Ultimately, all thoughts are sponsored by love or fear.
Everything, ultimately, breaks down to one of these.
All thoughts, ideas, concepts, understandings, decisions, choices, and actions are based in one of these.
This is the great polarity.
This is the primal duality.
And, in the end, there is really only one.
Love.
In truth, love is all there is.
Even fear is an outgrowth of love and expresses love when used effectively.
Grief - the sadness within you at the experience of any kind of loss.
Anger - tool which allows you to say:'No, thank you.'
Envy - makes you want to do it again, to try harder, to continue striving until you succeed.
The soul is very clear that its purpose is evolution.
There is no great tragedy involved in leaving the body, in many ways the tragedy is being captured in the body.
Dying - at the moment of your death you will realize the greatest freedom, the greatest peace, the greatest joy, and the greatest love you have ever known.
Transforming yourself
Even the rock will not be the rock forever. Before it was a rock, it was something else. It fossilized into that rock. It was once something else, and will be something else again.
Death is not an end, but a beginning; it's not a closing down, but an opening up.
Your life doesn't end, but only goes on in ways so magnificent as to make it difficult to describe and impossible for you to comprehend.
Illusion of death
See the flower as dying and you will see the flower sadly. You see the flower as part of a whole tree that is changing, and will soon bear fruit, and you see the flower's true beauty.
When you understand that the blossoming and the falling away of the flower is a sign that the tree is ready to bear fruit, then you understand life.
Go to your Highest Thought about yourself.
Imagine the you that you would be if you lived that thought every day.
Imagine what you would think, do, and say, and how you would respond to what others do and say.
Remember, you are constantly in the act of creating of yourself.
You are in every moment deciding who and what you are.
You decide this largely through the choices you make regarding who and what you feel passionate about.
Never deny passion, for that is to deny Who You Are, and Who You Truly Want to Be.
Be a Bringer of the Light.
For your light can do more than illuminate your own path.
Your light can be the light which truly lights the world.
So long as you are still worried about what others think of you, you are owned by them.
Only when you require no approval from outside yourself can you own yourself.
Spend your time wisely
When you spend your time trying to figure out what's 'best' for you, you are doing just that: spending your time - your choices will be cautious, your decisions will take forever, and your journey will be launched on a sea of expectations.
Be carefull not to drown in your expectations.
Recognizing the importance of the moment
"Now" is all there is...
"Yesterday" and "Tomorrow" are fragments of your imagination, constructions of your mind, nonexistent in Ultimate Reality.
Everything that ever happened, is happening, and ever will happen, is happening right now.
Past, present and future are concepts you have constructed, realities you have invented in order
to create a context within which to frame your present experience.
Remember, life is an ongoing process of creation.
Ignore your previous experience and go into the moment.
Be Here Now.
Group consciousness is powerful and produces outcomes of unspeakable beauty or ugliness.
The choice is always yours.
The best way to change the consciousness of others is by your example.
Deception is part of government, for few people would choose to be governed the way they are governed, few would choose to be governed at all unless government convinced them that its decisions were for their own good.
Your soul doesn't care what you do for a living, and when your life is over, neither will you.
Your soul cares only about what you're being while you're doing whatever you're doing.
It is a state of beingness the soul is after, not a state of doingness.
There is nothing I have to have, there's nothing I have to do, and there's nothing I have to be, except exactly what I'm being right now.
Cycle of Life
Understanding the life of the universe will help you understand the life of the universe inside you.
Life moves in cycles.
Everything is cyclical.
Everything.
All things move cyclicaly.
There is a natural rhythm to life, and everything moves to that rhythm; evrything goes with that flow.
For everything there's a season; and a time for every Purpose under Heaven.
When you understand this, you became more able to enjoy the Process, not merely endure it.
Women
A woman hears the melody of flowers in the wind.
She sees the beauty of the Unseen.
She feels the pulls and urges of life.
She knows when it is time to run, and time to rest; time to laugh, and time to cry; time to hold on, and time to let go.
The greatest secret of all time
Act as if you were separate from nothing, and no one, and you will heal your world tomorrow.
Relationship
The purpose of the relationship is to decide what part of yourself you'd like to see 'show up', not what part of another you can capture and hold.
The Preservationist - David Maine
Thank you Lord for another day, the health to enjoy it, a labor to fill it and a home to return to at the end of it.
'And the rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights' - Genesis 7:12
For the last few days the rain has died back from fierce lashing to a steady light drizzle.
'The water was fifteen cubits higher than the mountins which it covered'-Genesis 7:19
People would not have been noble or selfless in any way...
You can't hope for anything...You hope for things, you'll get hurt.
I feel something pushing up from inside of me, like a geyser. It takes a moment to recognize it: HOPE.
'And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days'-Genesis 7:24
'And the arc rested in the seventh month, the seventh and twentieth day of the month, upon the mountains...'-Genesis 8:4
Lord, we have striven to uphold your calling.
'And Noe lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years'-Genesis 9:29
'And the rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights' - Genesis 7:12
For the last few days the rain has died back from fierce lashing to a steady light drizzle.
'The water was fifteen cubits higher than the mountins which it covered'-Genesis 7:19
People would not have been noble or selfless in any way...
You can't hope for anything...You hope for things, you'll get hurt.
I feel something pushing up from inside of me, like a geyser. It takes a moment to recognize it: HOPE.
'And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days'-Genesis 7:24
'And the arc rested in the seventh month, the seventh and twentieth day of the month, upon the mountains...'-Genesis 8:4
Lord, we have striven to uphold your calling.
'And Noe lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years'-Genesis 9:29
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Kafa
Servis za kafu iznesite na poslužavniku i sipajte kafu u šoljice pošto ste pitali goste kakvu žele. Keramičke šoljice su dobre, ali ako je moguće koristite porculanske.
Bonton nalaže unapred zagrejane šoljice, napunjene do dve trećine.
Najbolje je koristiti kašičice manje od onih za čaj, a šoljicu prinosite ustima desnom rukom, držeći tanjirić levom.
Kada služite samo porodicu, kafa može da se sipa direktno iz džezve. U drugim prilikama koristite ibrik za kafu koji može biti keramički ili porculanski, u kompletu sa šoljama. Ibrik treba prethodno zagrejati ispirajući ga vrućom vodom, da se kafa ne ohladi pre serviranja.
Gostima uz kafu treba ponuditi različite vrste šećera: beli ili smeđi, poslužen u zasebnoj posudi. One mogu takođe biti deo servisa ili napravljene od srebra i drugih metala.
Mnogi piju kafu s melkom pa je neophodan i vrč za mleko.
Uz kafu možete poslužiti i različite vrste poslastica koje zavise od doba dana.
Ujutru je prirodno da poslužite brioš ili kroasan.
Posle ručka ili večere, možete da izaberete između čokolade i raznih vrsta keksa ili kolača. Podrazumeva se da ćete uz to gostima poslužiti i salvete.
Najčešeće greške prilikom ispijanja kafe:
1. stavljanje šećera u šoljicu pre sipanja kafe
2. mešanje kašičicom tako glasno da zvecka
3. ostavljanje kašičice u šoljici
4. podizanje malog prsta prilikom ispijanja
5. stavljanje kašičice u usta
Bonton nalaže unapred zagrejane šoljice, napunjene do dve trećine.
Najbolje je koristiti kašičice manje od onih za čaj, a šoljicu prinosite ustima desnom rukom, držeći tanjirić levom.
Kada služite samo porodicu, kafa može da se sipa direktno iz džezve. U drugim prilikama koristite ibrik za kafu koji može biti keramički ili porculanski, u kompletu sa šoljama. Ibrik treba prethodno zagrejati ispirajući ga vrućom vodom, da se kafa ne ohladi pre serviranja.
Gostima uz kafu treba ponuditi različite vrste šećera: beli ili smeđi, poslužen u zasebnoj posudi. One mogu takođe biti deo servisa ili napravljene od srebra i drugih metala.
Mnogi piju kafu s melkom pa je neophodan i vrč za mleko.
Uz kafu možete poslužiti i različite vrste poslastica koje zavise od doba dana.
Ujutru je prirodno da poslužite brioš ili kroasan.
Posle ručka ili večere, možete da izaberete između čokolade i raznih vrsta keksa ili kolača. Podrazumeva se da ćete uz to gostima poslužiti i salvete.
Najčešeće greške prilikom ispijanja kafe:
1. stavljanje šećera u šoljicu pre sipanja kafe
2. mešanje kašičicom tako glasno da zvecka
3. ostavljanje kašičice u šoljici
4. podizanje malog prsta prilikom ispijanja
5. stavljanje kašičice u usta
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The 20 Downloads you can't do without
Cure a sluggish PC, improve your defenses, and have more computing fun with these great programs. Most are freebies.
Any well-equipped system needs a basic software suite, a collection of tools that can keep your machine in working order and help it take care of everyday tasks-as well as some not-so-ordinary tasks. Since such software doesn't ship with your PC, for the most part, you'll have to accumulate it over time.
Which programs should you get?
We've included a wide variety of software, from security utilities to system cleaners to graphics tools. They all have one thing in common: You need them. Now. So read on and start downloading.
System boosters
Software that can help your PC run in tip-top shape, including a Registry cleaner, a system optimizer, and more.
Glary Utilities
If you need to clean and optimize your machine, improve your privacy and security, or do other similar tasks, you'll want this program. It's free, it's simple to use, and it'll make your computer run much better.
Its cleanup and repair tools include a Registry cleaner, a disk cleaner, and a shortcut fixer that corrects shortcut errors on your Desktop or Start menu. Among its optimization tools are a startup manager and a very good context-menu manager for editing the menu that appears when you right-click a file.
You also get a file shredder, encryption tools, a utility for cleaning up your Internet traces...the list goes on. For anyone who wants to take control of their PC and doesn't want to pay even a penny, this is a great program to get.
Download Glary Utilities
CCleaner
Like it or not, your PC is full of junk. And no matter how hard you try to keep the junk off, it accumulates over time.
This must-have does a great job of cleaning everything out. It clears your browser cache, temporary files folder, browser history, Windows log files, hot-fix uninstallers, and temporary files from third-party applications. The app offers a lot more, too, including a Registry cleaner and an uninstaller. Considering that it's free, it's hard to beat.
Download CCleaner
PC De-Crapifier
As good as CCleaner is, there's something it doesn't do: Track down "craplets" and kill them. Craplets are useless programs and trial versions that come installed on many new PCs, or that piggyback onto other downloads and install themselves on your computer. The result: a clogged hard disk, and a slower system.
That's where this free must-have comes in. It looks for dozens of craplets, finds them, and eliminates them.
The program's list of targets is long, and it includes the craplets most commonly preinstalled on PCs, such as QuickBooks Trial, Dell Search Assistant, Wild Tangent Games, a variety of Norton and Symantec trialware, and Yahoo Toolbar. Be sure to see the full list.
Download PC De-Crapifier
Belarc Advisor
This great free utility does a thorough analysis of your hardware and system setup and then creates a profile that shows you everything you have. The profile is a Web page living on your machine that you can save or print out-or better yet, both.
In the profile, you'll find all you could ever need to know about your PC: the processor type and speed, including the primary and secondary cache sizes; the size and type of hard drive, including the total space and free space; the names of all the Windows user accounts; your RAM setup, including the serial numbers of the RAM modules; and your motherboard manufacturer and serial number. And that's just a start. You can use all of this material for troubleshooting, for technical support, for planning upgrades, or for anything else that requires a system rundown.
Download Belarc Advisor
Glary Registry Repair
Use your PC long enough, and you'll have problems with your Registry.
Invalid entries, software that doesn't clean up the Registry after it uninstalls, invalid paths and file associations, obsolete entries-the list of Registry problems can be endless, and they'll slow down your PC, cause system crashes, and generally muck up things.
You'll never be able to track down the problems yourself, so grab this freebie, which scans the Registry and fixes issues fast. You can choose which changes to accept and which to ignore. The program creates an Undo file, too, so you can revert to your previous version of the Registry if complications occur.
Download Glary Registry Repair
jZip
Every PC toolbox needs a good compression program that can compress and extract files and create archives. No doubt you've heard of for-pay compression programs such as WinZip and WinRAR, but you may not know about the free jZip, which offers everything you want from an archiving and compression program but doesn't cost a dime.
It handles popular archive formats such as Zip, RAR, 7z, TAR, and GZip, and gives you high compression ratios to save the most disk space possible. It's exceptionally easy to use, yet it offers great flexibility, such as including subfolders when you archive, splitting archives, and encrypting archives. You also have a half-dozen compression levels to choose from, depending on how small you want archives to be and how quickly you want to compress them.
Download jZip
NoteTab Light and NoteTab Pro
Is there a piece of software more useless than Notepad? It can't even do something as basic as open more than one document at a time. Replace it with either the free NoteTab Light or the shareware NoteTab Pro, which are everything that Notepad isn't. The free version opens multiple documents, handles large files, includes autocorrect features, lets you save text clips for later reuse, offers different fonts, permits macros, and plenty more.
If that isn't enough for you, move up to the Pro version ($30), which includes multiple levels of undo, offers a spelling checker and thesaurus, and allows you to bookmark documents, among other capabilities. It has a slew of features for programmers, as well. For anyone who edits HTML, it's ideal, as it includes a variety of useful HTML tools.
Download NoteTab Light
Clipmate Clipboard Extender
One of Windows' most basic features is the lowly Clipboard, which is nothing more than a temporary waystation for clips. That's where ClipMate comes in: It lets you save clips of all kinds so that you can reuse them-for example, boilerplate text you use time and time again, or software registration codes that you'll need handy for reinstallation.
Not only will the program save clips for you, but you can organize them into groups as well. You can combine individual clips into larger ones, edit clips, and preview clips, too. Also useful is the tool's ability to handle any kind of clip, including graphics.
We have the 30-day trial version in our Downloads library. The software costs $35.
Download Clipmate Clipboard Extender (trial version)
SnagIt
Here's the best utility for capturing a screen shot in Windows or any application.
Though plenty of screen-capture programs exist, none come close to what this one does. It will capture live windows, your entire desktop, portions of your screen, menus, scrolling Web pages, and short videos. You can even capture menus only. And it outputs in many formats, as well as directly to a printer.
It also offers great tools for enhancing and annotating screen captures, including adding special effects such as sharpening and embossing, and inserting borders and watermarks. It's the program I use for all the screen captures I take for PC World and for my books.
We have the 30-day trial version in our Downloads library. The software costs $40.
Download SnagIt (trial version)
IrfanView
If you ever use graphics for almost any reason, you need this program. It's small, it's fast, it's free, and it does its work better than any competitor can.
IrfanView's main task is to display graphics files, and it does a superb job. You can view just about any file format you can imagine, and show it lightning fast. It can also display thumbnails, present your files as slide shows, and play multimedia files. Given that it's a file viewer, the program also has a surprising number of graphics editing tools, including effects and cropping. And if you need to convert files from one format to another, it can't be beat; it's particularly effective at batch-converting large groups of files.
Download IrfanView
Online tools
To use a PC is to live online.
AceFTP
FTP (file transfer protocol), one of the earliest protocols on the Internet, still lives. If you want to send large files, e-mail won't cut it, because so many ISPs limit the size of file attachments. And if you have a Web site, you typically must upload your files to it via FTP.
AceFTP is a very good, free, simple-to-use FTP client, and it'll handle pretty much any basic file-transfer job. Creating new connections and sites is easy, and browsing local and remote directories is a breeze. The program has a log for tracking your file-transfer activity. Also useful is the tabbed interface, which lets you maintain multiple FTP sessions on multiple servers.
Download AceFTP
Download Accelerator Plus
If you're reading this article, you're a downloader. And if you're a downloader, this program-which manages every aspect of the download process-will make your life much easier. It can do multiple downloads simultaneously, and it can turn individual download sessions on and off. The program accelerates your downloads in two ways, by downloading from the fastest servers and by establishing multiple connections to servers.
The utility can resume downloads if you lose your connection. It offers plenty more, as well, such as a feature that lets you limit the amount of bandwidth for downloads. Most convenient: It integrates with your browser, so when you initiate a download as you do normally, by clicking a link, this program springs into action.
Download Accelerator Plus
BitZip
Despite what you might have heard, file sharing is alive and well. These days, it's done via the very efficient BitTorrent protocol. But while the BitTorrent protocol is effective and popular, the BitTorrent client leaves much to be desired.
Instead, grab BitZip, an excellent freebie that uses the protocol to download files. It does everything you need, including managing your downloads, halting and resuming them, and getting recommendations from other users about what files to download. You can also find lots of information about each file before downloading it, such as where you're downloading it from.
Download BitZip
CoffeeCup HTML Editor
If you create Web pages, you need a good HTML editor, and this program fits the bill. It's suitable for hard-core coders who want to create and edit code directly, but also for people who want a WYSIWIG, graphical interface. An all-in-one program, it lets you design, code, preview, and publish your pages.
CoffeeCup has plenty of features for both novices and advanced users, including templates and sample code, and a slew of widgets such as prebuilt calendars. You also get multiple tabs for working on several projects at once, and a visual editing tool that lets you easily place graphics onto a page, directly from your PC.
Note: Advertisements are parked along the top of the free version, and the program asks you to sign up for various added services. If you register for $50, they'll disappear.
Download CoffeeCup HTML Editor (trial version)
Qnext
Instant messaging programs aren't only for kids and teens-they've made their way into the mainstream as well. They have one problem, however: They don't communicate with one another. If you want to exchange messages with people on AIM, MSN, Yahoo, and other IM services, you have to use multiple programs.
Or you could instead use this freebie, a universal instant messenger that communicates with all of those networks. It does a lot more, too, including letting you share files, pictures, and music with others, as well as place audio and video calls.
Download Qnext
Security software
Security software may be the ultimate must-have: You always need to keep your PC safe from hackers, crackers, and malware makers.
Avast Anti-Virus
One of the most critical applications for your PC is a good antivirus program. Most PCs ship with some kind of antivirus trialware, such as McAfee or Symantec, but after your trial period you must pay...and pay...and pay, as antivirus software typically requires an annual fee.
Not so with Avast. It's free for personal and home use, and unlike big commercial programs, it won't bog down your PC by taking too much RAM or system resources. Despite its lean build, it protects your computer as the bigger programs do. It offers live virus protection to stop your machine from being infected in the first place, virus scanning and virus killing, and various protections against e-mail viruses, Web-borne viruses, and other threats.
Download Avast Anti-Virus
Ad-Aware 2007 Free
This longtime favorite spyware killer recently underwent a face-lift, so if you're using an older version, be sure to upgrade. And if you haven't used it before, consider it a must-have. After all, not only does it kill spyware, but it's free as well.
It's exceptionally easy to use, and lets you customize spyware scans as well as schedule them. When the program reports what it finds, you can tell it to kill the potential infections, put them into quarantine, or ignore them. The new interface is much slicker-looking and easier to use than earlier versions.
This program lacks just one thing: real-time spyware protection. For that, you'll need another antispyware utility--the next must-have below.
Download Ad-Aware 2007 Free
Windows Defender
Spyware is so noxious and so hard to detect that you should use more than one antispyware app. Windows Defender is a very good choice for a second layer of security. It's free, it does a nice job of finding and killing spyware, and, unlike Ad-Aware, it offers real-time protection.
It also has some extras, such as tools for monitoring all the software and processes currently running on your PC, and for stopping programs from running on startup if you decide you don't need them.
Download Windows Defender
Outpost Firewall Pro
This is the best firewall you've never heard about. It's rated by the Moutsec.com firewall-testing site as one of the most effective you can get. Unlike the Windows XP firewall, it blocks dangerous outbound traffic as well as inbound traffic. It also guards against the leaking of personal information from your PC.
Outpost Firewall Pro offers features not found in many competitors. For example, it can block banner ads on the Internet, as well as block ActiveX controls, scripts, applets, and other potentially dangerous content. It also provides real-time spyware protection. The program contains prebuilt profiles for many applications, too, so it knows how to handle their Internet access.
We have a 30-day trial version in our Downloads library. A one-year license, which includes updates and support, is $40.
Download Outpost Firewall Pro (trial version)
NOD32
You've probably never heard of this oddly named antivirus software, but that's no reason not to give it a try. It provides real-time protection against viruses, scans and disinfects your system, and takes up little RAM and processor time in comparison with the big packages from Symantec and McAfee.
The program can integrate into Outlook and Outlook Express to protect your e-mail against malware, and it scans for spyware and adware in addition to viruses. One nice touch: It performs all of those scans at once, whereas some other tools require multiple scans. The utility also gives you plenty of control over how to handle potential infections, including moving them to quarantine and deleting them.
Our download link below will take you to the developer's site, where you can obtain the software to try it out for 30 days. A full one-year subscription is $40.
Download NOD32
Any well-equipped system needs a basic software suite, a collection of tools that can keep your machine in working order and help it take care of everyday tasks-as well as some not-so-ordinary tasks. Since such software doesn't ship with your PC, for the most part, you'll have to accumulate it over time.
Which programs should you get?
We've included a wide variety of software, from security utilities to system cleaners to graphics tools. They all have one thing in common: You need them. Now. So read on and start downloading.
System boosters
Software that can help your PC run in tip-top shape, including a Registry cleaner, a system optimizer, and more.
Glary Utilities
If you need to clean and optimize your machine, improve your privacy and security, or do other similar tasks, you'll want this program. It's free, it's simple to use, and it'll make your computer run much better.
Its cleanup and repair tools include a Registry cleaner, a disk cleaner, and a shortcut fixer that corrects shortcut errors on your Desktop or Start menu. Among its optimization tools are a startup manager and a very good context-menu manager for editing the menu that appears when you right-click a file.
You also get a file shredder, encryption tools, a utility for cleaning up your Internet traces...the list goes on. For anyone who wants to take control of their PC and doesn't want to pay even a penny, this is a great program to get.
Download Glary Utilities
CCleaner
Like it or not, your PC is full of junk. And no matter how hard you try to keep the junk off, it accumulates over time.
This must-have does a great job of cleaning everything out. It clears your browser cache, temporary files folder, browser history, Windows log files, hot-fix uninstallers, and temporary files from third-party applications. The app offers a lot more, too, including a Registry cleaner and an uninstaller. Considering that it's free, it's hard to beat.
Download CCleaner
PC De-Crapifier
As good as CCleaner is, there's something it doesn't do: Track down "craplets" and kill them. Craplets are useless programs and trial versions that come installed on many new PCs, or that piggyback onto other downloads and install themselves on your computer. The result: a clogged hard disk, and a slower system.
That's where this free must-have comes in. It looks for dozens of craplets, finds them, and eliminates them.
The program's list of targets is long, and it includes the craplets most commonly preinstalled on PCs, such as QuickBooks Trial, Dell Search Assistant, Wild Tangent Games, a variety of Norton and Symantec trialware, and Yahoo Toolbar. Be sure to see the full list.
Download PC De-Crapifier
Belarc Advisor
This great free utility does a thorough analysis of your hardware and system setup and then creates a profile that shows you everything you have. The profile is a Web page living on your machine that you can save or print out-or better yet, both.
In the profile, you'll find all you could ever need to know about your PC: the processor type and speed, including the primary and secondary cache sizes; the size and type of hard drive, including the total space and free space; the names of all the Windows user accounts; your RAM setup, including the serial numbers of the RAM modules; and your motherboard manufacturer and serial number. And that's just a start. You can use all of this material for troubleshooting, for technical support, for planning upgrades, or for anything else that requires a system rundown.
Download Belarc Advisor
Glary Registry Repair
Use your PC long enough, and you'll have problems with your Registry.
Invalid entries, software that doesn't clean up the Registry after it uninstalls, invalid paths and file associations, obsolete entries-the list of Registry problems can be endless, and they'll slow down your PC, cause system crashes, and generally muck up things.
You'll never be able to track down the problems yourself, so grab this freebie, which scans the Registry and fixes issues fast. You can choose which changes to accept and which to ignore. The program creates an Undo file, too, so you can revert to your previous version of the Registry if complications occur.
Download Glary Registry Repair
jZip
Every PC toolbox needs a good compression program that can compress and extract files and create archives. No doubt you've heard of for-pay compression programs such as WinZip and WinRAR, but you may not know about the free jZip, which offers everything you want from an archiving and compression program but doesn't cost a dime.
It handles popular archive formats such as Zip, RAR, 7z, TAR, and GZip, and gives you high compression ratios to save the most disk space possible. It's exceptionally easy to use, yet it offers great flexibility, such as including subfolders when you archive, splitting archives, and encrypting archives. You also have a half-dozen compression levels to choose from, depending on how small you want archives to be and how quickly you want to compress them.
Download jZip
NoteTab Light and NoteTab Pro
Is there a piece of software more useless than Notepad? It can't even do something as basic as open more than one document at a time. Replace it with either the free NoteTab Light or the shareware NoteTab Pro, which are everything that Notepad isn't. The free version opens multiple documents, handles large files, includes autocorrect features, lets you save text clips for later reuse, offers different fonts, permits macros, and plenty more.
If that isn't enough for you, move up to the Pro version ($30), which includes multiple levels of undo, offers a spelling checker and thesaurus, and allows you to bookmark documents, among other capabilities. It has a slew of features for programmers, as well. For anyone who edits HTML, it's ideal, as it includes a variety of useful HTML tools.
Download NoteTab Light
Clipmate Clipboard Extender
One of Windows' most basic features is the lowly Clipboard, which is nothing more than a temporary waystation for clips. That's where ClipMate comes in: It lets you save clips of all kinds so that you can reuse them-for example, boilerplate text you use time and time again, or software registration codes that you'll need handy for reinstallation.
Not only will the program save clips for you, but you can organize them into groups as well. You can combine individual clips into larger ones, edit clips, and preview clips, too. Also useful is the tool's ability to handle any kind of clip, including graphics.
We have the 30-day trial version in our Downloads library. The software costs $35.
Download Clipmate Clipboard Extender (trial version)
SnagIt
Here's the best utility for capturing a screen shot in Windows or any application.
Though plenty of screen-capture programs exist, none come close to what this one does. It will capture live windows, your entire desktop, portions of your screen, menus, scrolling Web pages, and short videos. You can even capture menus only. And it outputs in many formats, as well as directly to a printer.
It also offers great tools for enhancing and annotating screen captures, including adding special effects such as sharpening and embossing, and inserting borders and watermarks. It's the program I use for all the screen captures I take for PC World and for my books.
We have the 30-day trial version in our Downloads library. The software costs $40.
Download SnagIt (trial version)
IrfanView
If you ever use graphics for almost any reason, you need this program. It's small, it's fast, it's free, and it does its work better than any competitor can.
IrfanView's main task is to display graphics files, and it does a superb job. You can view just about any file format you can imagine, and show it lightning fast. It can also display thumbnails, present your files as slide shows, and play multimedia files. Given that it's a file viewer, the program also has a surprising number of graphics editing tools, including effects and cropping. And if you need to convert files from one format to another, it can't be beat; it's particularly effective at batch-converting large groups of files.
Download IrfanView
Online tools
To use a PC is to live online.
AceFTP
FTP (file transfer protocol), one of the earliest protocols on the Internet, still lives. If you want to send large files, e-mail won't cut it, because so many ISPs limit the size of file attachments. And if you have a Web site, you typically must upload your files to it via FTP.
AceFTP is a very good, free, simple-to-use FTP client, and it'll handle pretty much any basic file-transfer job. Creating new connections and sites is easy, and browsing local and remote directories is a breeze. The program has a log for tracking your file-transfer activity. Also useful is the tabbed interface, which lets you maintain multiple FTP sessions on multiple servers.
Download AceFTP
Download Accelerator Plus
If you're reading this article, you're a downloader. And if you're a downloader, this program-which manages every aspect of the download process-will make your life much easier. It can do multiple downloads simultaneously, and it can turn individual download sessions on and off. The program accelerates your downloads in two ways, by downloading from the fastest servers and by establishing multiple connections to servers.
The utility can resume downloads if you lose your connection. It offers plenty more, as well, such as a feature that lets you limit the amount of bandwidth for downloads. Most convenient: It integrates with your browser, so when you initiate a download as you do normally, by clicking a link, this program springs into action.
Download Accelerator Plus
BitZip
Despite what you might have heard, file sharing is alive and well. These days, it's done via the very efficient BitTorrent protocol. But while the BitTorrent protocol is effective and popular, the BitTorrent client leaves much to be desired.
Instead, grab BitZip, an excellent freebie that uses the protocol to download files. It does everything you need, including managing your downloads, halting and resuming them, and getting recommendations from other users about what files to download. You can also find lots of information about each file before downloading it, such as where you're downloading it from.
Download BitZip
CoffeeCup HTML Editor
If you create Web pages, you need a good HTML editor, and this program fits the bill. It's suitable for hard-core coders who want to create and edit code directly, but also for people who want a WYSIWIG, graphical interface. An all-in-one program, it lets you design, code, preview, and publish your pages.
CoffeeCup has plenty of features for both novices and advanced users, including templates and sample code, and a slew of widgets such as prebuilt calendars. You also get multiple tabs for working on several projects at once, and a visual editing tool that lets you easily place graphics onto a page, directly from your PC.
Note: Advertisements are parked along the top of the free version, and the program asks you to sign up for various added services. If you register for $50, they'll disappear.
Download CoffeeCup HTML Editor (trial version)
Qnext
Instant messaging programs aren't only for kids and teens-they've made their way into the mainstream as well. They have one problem, however: They don't communicate with one another. If you want to exchange messages with people on AIM, MSN, Yahoo, and other IM services, you have to use multiple programs.
Or you could instead use this freebie, a universal instant messenger that communicates with all of those networks. It does a lot more, too, including letting you share files, pictures, and music with others, as well as place audio and video calls.
Download Qnext
Security software
Security software may be the ultimate must-have: You always need to keep your PC safe from hackers, crackers, and malware makers.
Avast Anti-Virus
One of the most critical applications for your PC is a good antivirus program. Most PCs ship with some kind of antivirus trialware, such as McAfee or Symantec, but after your trial period you must pay...and pay...and pay, as antivirus software typically requires an annual fee.
Not so with Avast. It's free for personal and home use, and unlike big commercial programs, it won't bog down your PC by taking too much RAM or system resources. Despite its lean build, it protects your computer as the bigger programs do. It offers live virus protection to stop your machine from being infected in the first place, virus scanning and virus killing, and various protections against e-mail viruses, Web-borne viruses, and other threats.
Download Avast Anti-Virus
Ad-Aware 2007 Free
This longtime favorite spyware killer recently underwent a face-lift, so if you're using an older version, be sure to upgrade. And if you haven't used it before, consider it a must-have. After all, not only does it kill spyware, but it's free as well.
It's exceptionally easy to use, and lets you customize spyware scans as well as schedule them. When the program reports what it finds, you can tell it to kill the potential infections, put them into quarantine, or ignore them. The new interface is much slicker-looking and easier to use than earlier versions.
This program lacks just one thing: real-time spyware protection. For that, you'll need another antispyware utility--the next must-have below.
Download Ad-Aware 2007 Free
Windows Defender
Spyware is so noxious and so hard to detect that you should use more than one antispyware app. Windows Defender is a very good choice for a second layer of security. It's free, it does a nice job of finding and killing spyware, and, unlike Ad-Aware, it offers real-time protection.
It also has some extras, such as tools for monitoring all the software and processes currently running on your PC, and for stopping programs from running on startup if you decide you don't need them.
Download Windows Defender
Outpost Firewall Pro
This is the best firewall you've never heard about. It's rated by the Moutsec.com firewall-testing site as one of the most effective you can get. Unlike the Windows XP firewall, it blocks dangerous outbound traffic as well as inbound traffic. It also guards against the leaking of personal information from your PC.
Outpost Firewall Pro offers features not found in many competitors. For example, it can block banner ads on the Internet, as well as block ActiveX controls, scripts, applets, and other potentially dangerous content. It also provides real-time spyware protection. The program contains prebuilt profiles for many applications, too, so it knows how to handle their Internet access.
We have a 30-day trial version in our Downloads library. A one-year license, which includes updates and support, is $40.
Download Outpost Firewall Pro (trial version)
NOD32
You've probably never heard of this oddly named antivirus software, but that's no reason not to give it a try. It provides real-time protection against viruses, scans and disinfects your system, and takes up little RAM and processor time in comparison with the big packages from Symantec and McAfee.
The program can integrate into Outlook and Outlook Express to protect your e-mail against malware, and it scans for spyware and adware in addition to viruses. One nice touch: It performs all of those scans at once, whereas some other tools require multiple scans. The utility also gives you plenty of control over how to handle potential infections, including moving them to quarantine and deleting them.
Our download link below will take you to the developer's site, where you can obtain the software to try it out for 30 days. A full one-year subscription is $40.
Download NOD32
Cellular Network Technologies
The United States hosts two main families of cellular network technology.
Sprint and Verizon use CDMA and its faster progeny-1xRTT, EvDO, and EvDO Rev A-nationally;
meanwhile, AT&T and T-Mobile work with GSM/GPRS and a speedier upgrade, EDGE, nationally.
Of the two, GSM/GPRS is a little more flexible because all service and subscriber information is stored on a small, removable SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card.
In theory, you can switch carriers simply by replacing one service's SIM card with another's; conversely, you should be able to switch handsets by slipping your current SIM card into a new phone.
In practice, however, a number of GSM carriers-including AT&T and T-Mobile--use software that locks a handset to a specific SIM card. To use a different SIM card, you must unlock your handset-a process that usually involves entering a code that you obtain from your carrier.
In some cases, a GSM carrier will help you unlock your phone if you have been a subscriber for a certain period of time. For instance, T-Mobile users can unlock their phone after 90 days, though the company says that an unlock code isn't available for all cell phones.
Some mom-and-pop cell phone shops and Web services will unlock certain GSM phones for a fee.
Another option is to buy an unlock code from sites such as Mobile Unlock, TravelInsider.com, and UnlockToTalk-or if you're lucky, you might find an unlock code on a forum by running a search for your particular model: "Nokia 5300 unlock code," say.
BlackBerry Curve 8300
$45 at Amazon.com with 2-year, $40/month voice and $30/month data plan.
• $100 at Newegg.com with 2-year, $60/month voice plan.
• $300 at AT&T with 2-year, $50/month data plan ($100 mail-in rebate available).
• $350 at eBay, unlocked version. Prices are as of 6/28/07
Where will you get the best deals?
I did some comparison shopping on the Web, at a few local retailers, and over the phone. The best place to start is with an online pricing engine, such as DealTime, Google Product Search, MSN Shopping, Pricegrabber.com (PC World's pricing engine), and Yahoo Shopping; use the engine to check out sellers and estimated prices for the phone models that you're interested in.
For the best deals and the widest selection, online stores generally beat brick-and-mortars and phone-order systems hands down.
Also, the carrier must have network coverage in your area
If something goes awry, you'll have to convince either your credit card company or the PayPal service to reverse the charge--an inconvenient hassle.
Carriers normally sell GSM handsets locked to keep you from switching services by swapping out the SIM card. But you can buy an unlocked phone from a third party.
The benefits: No contract is required, and you're free to use any SIM card at any time, including cards from overseas carriers. If you're a frequent overseas traveler, your cell phone needs will differ from those of homebodies. Here are key options, viewed from a globetrotter's perspective.
GSM vs. CDMA: In most cases, a GSM phone is the better choice because GSM networks are widely available throughout Asia, Europe, Oceania, and South America. But you should get a quad-band or so-called world phone--a handset that supports GSM on the 800-, 850-, 1800-, and 1900-MHz bands--because foreign nations don't use the same GSM frequencies as North America does.CDMA networks, used in the United States by Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless, are less common overseas, although they are widely employed in Japan and Korea. Sprint or Verizon customers who travel a lot should consider a CDMA-GSM hybrid (see "Dual-Mode Cell Phones," below, for more details).
International roaming: If you have a GSM world phone (or are using your CDMA phone in a region that supports it), you should be able to get it set up for international roaming with your carrier, but be prepared for voice and data charges that will be much higher than what you're accustomed to paying back home (check with your carrier about rates). When traveling, turn your phone off when you're not ready to answer it, or you'll pay even more for calls that aren't sent directly to voice mail.
Using an overseas carrier: Instead of roaming on a GSM world phone, consider opening an account with a local carrier at your overseas destination and swapping in that carrier's SIM card for your usual one. (You typically cannot activate a CDMA phone on a different carrier's network.) But you'll need to either buy an unlocked GSM phone or ask your carrier (or someone else) to help you unlock your handset. Our chart lists the pros and cons of this approach versus international roaming.
Sprint and Verizon use CDMA and its faster progeny-1xRTT, EvDO, and EvDO Rev A-nationally;
meanwhile, AT&T and T-Mobile work with GSM/GPRS and a speedier upgrade, EDGE, nationally.
Of the two, GSM/GPRS is a little more flexible because all service and subscriber information is stored on a small, removable SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card.
In theory, you can switch carriers simply by replacing one service's SIM card with another's; conversely, you should be able to switch handsets by slipping your current SIM card into a new phone.
In practice, however, a number of GSM carriers-including AT&T and T-Mobile--use software that locks a handset to a specific SIM card. To use a different SIM card, you must unlock your handset-a process that usually involves entering a code that you obtain from your carrier.
In some cases, a GSM carrier will help you unlock your phone if you have been a subscriber for a certain period of time. For instance, T-Mobile users can unlock their phone after 90 days, though the company says that an unlock code isn't available for all cell phones.
Some mom-and-pop cell phone shops and Web services will unlock certain GSM phones for a fee.
Another option is to buy an unlock code from sites such as Mobile Unlock, TravelInsider.com, and UnlockToTalk-or if you're lucky, you might find an unlock code on a forum by running a search for your particular model: "Nokia 5300 unlock code," say.
BlackBerry Curve 8300
$45 at Amazon.com with 2-year, $40/month voice and $30/month data plan.
• $100 at Newegg.com with 2-year, $60/month voice plan.
• $300 at AT&T with 2-year, $50/month data plan ($100 mail-in rebate available).
• $350 at eBay, unlocked version. Prices are as of 6/28/07
Where will you get the best deals?
I did some comparison shopping on the Web, at a few local retailers, and over the phone. The best place to start is with an online pricing engine, such as DealTime, Google Product Search, MSN Shopping, Pricegrabber.com (PC World's pricing engine), and Yahoo Shopping; use the engine to check out sellers and estimated prices for the phone models that you're interested in.
For the best deals and the widest selection, online stores generally beat brick-and-mortars and phone-order systems hands down.
Also, the carrier must have network coverage in your area
If something goes awry, you'll have to convince either your credit card company or the PayPal service to reverse the charge--an inconvenient hassle.
Carriers normally sell GSM handsets locked to keep you from switching services by swapping out the SIM card. But you can buy an unlocked phone from a third party.
The benefits: No contract is required, and you're free to use any SIM card at any time, including cards from overseas carriers. If you're a frequent overseas traveler, your cell phone needs will differ from those of homebodies. Here are key options, viewed from a globetrotter's perspective.
GSM vs. CDMA: In most cases, a GSM phone is the better choice because GSM networks are widely available throughout Asia, Europe, Oceania, and South America. But you should get a quad-band or so-called world phone--a handset that supports GSM on the 800-, 850-, 1800-, and 1900-MHz bands--because foreign nations don't use the same GSM frequencies as North America does.CDMA networks, used in the United States by Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless, are less common overseas, although they are widely employed in Japan and Korea. Sprint or Verizon customers who travel a lot should consider a CDMA-GSM hybrid (see "Dual-Mode Cell Phones," below, for more details).
International roaming: If you have a GSM world phone (or are using your CDMA phone in a region that supports it), you should be able to get it set up for international roaming with your carrier, but be prepared for voice and data charges that will be much higher than what you're accustomed to paying back home (check with your carrier about rates). When traveling, turn your phone off when you're not ready to answer it, or you'll pay even more for calls that aren't sent directly to voice mail.
Using an overseas carrier: Instead of roaming on a GSM world phone, consider opening an account with a local carrier at your overseas destination and swapping in that carrier's SIM card for your usual one. (You typically cannot activate a CDMA phone on a different carrier's network.) But you'll need to either buy an unlocked GSM phone or ask your carrier (or someone else) to help you unlock your handset. Our chart lists the pros and cons of this approach versus international roaming.
Ima vremena za kafu
Kada vam se ucini da gubite kontrolu nad svojim zivotom, kada 24h nadan nije dovoljno, setite se tegle kiselih krastavaca... i kafe.
Profesor je stajao pred grupom studenata na casu filozofije i drzao nekepredmete iza sebe.
Kada je cas poceo, bez reci je podigao veliku, praznu teglu od kiselih krastavaca, stavio je na katedru i napunio lopticama za tenis.
Upitao je studente da li je tegla puna.
Slozili su se da jeste.Zatim je podigao kutiju punu kamencica i sipao ih u teglu.
Blago je protresao. Kamencici su se otkotrljali u prazan prostor izmedu loptica.
Tada je ponovo upitao studente je li tegla puna.Opet su odgovorili da jeste.Sledeca kutija koju je uzeo, bila je puna peska. Kada ga je sipao, pesak je, naravno, ispunio sve preostale supljine u tegli.
Pitao je jos jednom je li tegla puna.
Studenti su skruseno odgovorili da jeste.Onda je profesor ispod stola izvadio dve soljice pune kafe i sipao ih u teglu. Kafa je natopila pesak.Sada!', rekao je profesor, hocu da shvatite da ova tegla predstavlja vas zivot.
Teniske loptice su vazne stvari u vasem zivotu. To su one stvari uz koje bi vas zivot i dalje bio ispunjen, i kada bi sve drugo nestalo.
Kamencici su ostale stvari koje su malo manje vazne.Pesak predstavlja preostale stvari - male stvari koje cine potpunu ispunu.
Ako napunite teglu peskom, nema mesta za kamencice i teniske loptice.Vodite racuna o stvarima koje su kljucne za vasu srecu.Prvo se pobrinite za teniske loptice - stvari koje su vam zaista vazne.
A sta predstavlja kafa?Nju sipam, da bi vam pokazao, da bez obzira koliko mislite da vam je zivot pun, uvek ima prostora za soljicu kafe sa prijateljem.
Profesor je stajao pred grupom studenata na casu filozofije i drzao nekepredmete iza sebe.
Kada je cas poceo, bez reci je podigao veliku, praznu teglu od kiselih krastavaca, stavio je na katedru i napunio lopticama za tenis.
Upitao je studente da li je tegla puna.
Slozili su se da jeste.Zatim je podigao kutiju punu kamencica i sipao ih u teglu.
Blago je protresao. Kamencici su se otkotrljali u prazan prostor izmedu loptica.
Tada je ponovo upitao studente je li tegla puna.Opet su odgovorili da jeste.Sledeca kutija koju je uzeo, bila je puna peska. Kada ga je sipao, pesak je, naravno, ispunio sve preostale supljine u tegli.
Pitao je jos jednom je li tegla puna.
Studenti su skruseno odgovorili da jeste.Onda je profesor ispod stola izvadio dve soljice pune kafe i sipao ih u teglu. Kafa je natopila pesak.Sada!', rekao je profesor, hocu da shvatite da ova tegla predstavlja vas zivot.
Teniske loptice su vazne stvari u vasem zivotu. To su one stvari uz koje bi vas zivot i dalje bio ispunjen, i kada bi sve drugo nestalo.
Kamencici su ostale stvari koje su malo manje vazne.Pesak predstavlja preostale stvari - male stvari koje cine potpunu ispunu.
Ako napunite teglu peskom, nema mesta za kamencice i teniske loptice.Vodite racuna o stvarima koje su kljucne za vasu srecu.Prvo se pobrinite za teniske loptice - stvari koje su vam zaista vazne.
A sta predstavlja kafa?Nju sipam, da bi vam pokazao, da bez obzira koliko mislite da vam je zivot pun, uvek ima prostora za soljicu kafe sa prijateljem.
YouTube upload
YouTube accepts a wide range of video file formats such as .WMV, .AVI, .MOV, and .MPG.
Using Microsoft Movie Maker you can easily edit your videos, add soundtracks, change the file type, compress the file size, etc.
How do I make a video out of JPEG images?
Here are a few steps to convert JPEG images into videos by using Windows Movie Maker.
1. From your desktop, click the "Start" button.
2. Select "Run".
3. Type: moviemk and click the "OK" button.
4. Drag or import the image files to the "Collection Window".
5. Drag the file down to the "Time Line" pane at the bottom.
6. Edit the images until they appear the way you prefer.
7. At the top, select "File" and "Save Movie File".
8. Under the movie selection select "The Web".
9. Click the "Next" button.
10. Name the movie and click the "Next" button.
11. Click the "Show more choices" link
12. If you'd like to use our Single File Uploader, make sure your video is under 100MB.
If your file's between 100MB and 1GB, you'll have to use the YouTube Uploader.
Once you've completed these steps, your movie will be ready to be uploaded to YouTube!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPWFi75pES4
Using Microsoft Movie Maker you can easily edit your videos, add soundtracks, change the file type, compress the file size, etc.
How do I make a video out of JPEG images?
Here are a few steps to convert JPEG images into videos by using Windows Movie Maker.
1. From your desktop, click the "Start" button.
2. Select "Run".
3. Type: moviemk and click the "OK" button.
4. Drag or import the image files to the "Collection Window".
5. Drag the file down to the "Time Line" pane at the bottom.
6. Edit the images until they appear the way you prefer.
7. At the top, select "File" and "Save Movie File".
8. Under the movie selection select "The Web".
9. Click the "Next" button.
10. Name the movie and click the "Next" button.
11. Click the "Show more choices" link
12. If you'd like to use our Single File Uploader, make sure your video is under 100MB.
If your file's between 100MB and 1GB, you'll have to use the YouTube Uploader.
Once you've completed these steps, your movie will be ready to be uploaded to YouTube!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPWFi75pES4
Kodak Zi6 kamera
Америчка компанија Кодак представила је до сада најбољу камеру намењену YouTube генерацији.
Камера носи назив Zi6 - омогућава директно постављање видео фајлова са камере на сајт YouTube!
Камера има способност снимања видео материјала у 720п квалитету, који ниједан од конкурената не може да достигне, и то све у 60 фрејмова у секунди (fps).
Постоји и VGA мод за снимање видео фајлова, које можете прегледати на екрану величине 2.4 инча. Опције које су при оваквој манипулацији видеом могуће укључују и успоравање, премотавање видеа и друго.
Меморија за складиштење видео материјала долази преко SDHC слота и износи 32 гигабајта, што би требало да задовољи и најзахтевније кориснике.
Кодак Zi6 и поред свих додатака и побољшања која поседује, од конкуренције се не издваја много већом ценом - може се купити у САД за свега 180 долара.
Камера носи назив Zi6 - омогућава директно постављање видео фајлова са камере на сајт YouTube!
Камера има способност снимања видео материјала у 720п квалитету, који ниједан од конкурената не може да достигне, и то све у 60 фрејмова у секунди (fps).
Постоји и VGA мод за снимање видео фајлова, које можете прегледати на екрану величине 2.4 инча. Опције које су при оваквој манипулацији видеом могуће укључују и успоравање, премотавање видеа и друго.
Меморија за складиштење видео материјала долази преко SDHC слота и износи 32 гигабајта, што би требало да задовољи и најзахтевније кориснике.
Кодак Zi6 и поред свих додатака и побољшања која поседује, од конкуренције се не издваја много већом ценом - може се купити у САД за свега 180 долара.
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