Stream your files anywhere anytime for FREE
www.orb.com is a FREE piece of software that allows you to stream your desktop computers content to various web enabled devices such as cell phones, laptops, pdas and even other desktop computers remotely. I especially like the feature which allows you to stream video to your smartphone. While buffering can become excessive at times, the stream makes up for it in quality and the ability to encode virtually any media file you through at it avi, mpeg, mpeg4, mov, wmv etc. Orb is a must have for an on-the-go lifestyle. Get it FREE here
3D Desktop on Windows similar to XGL+Compiz
Linux offers some great stuff to the desktop user. Especially with new desktop environments like Dapper, Edgy and Breezy. However many people are still shackled to their Windows operating systems for various reasons. One of my favorite eye candy apps for Linux is XGL+Compiz which allows you to have multiple desktops mapped to a 3D cube which you can rotate in 3D space to find the desktop you want. XGL doesn’t stop there it also supports window wobble and other great visual effects but all that is another post. I wanted to find some software that could at least come close to XGL and was please to find Yod’m 3D. Yod’m 3D offers the virtual desktop system with all the desktops mapped to a 3D cube similar to XGL but with less features. You can easily rotate the cube horizontally not vertically as with XGL. Yod’m 3D is free and is a great application, so check it out.
Software summary:
The default shortcut keys (which are customizable) are Ctr+Alt [ARROW LEFT] or [ARROW RIGHT] to rotate the cube. You can also Ctrl+Alt and drag with the mouse to rotate the desktops around. There is a zoom feature and customizable background images also.
Make Windows XP do the Aero Flip 3d effect (Windows)
I love the Windows Vista Aero Flip3D feature, but unfortunately I have to stick with Windows XP for software reasons. TopDesk is a great little tool that will give you the features of Aero Flip3D on Windows XP and more. TopDesk features several different rotate modes, flip styles, color customization, window labels, and more. There is also a feature to quickly show the desktop by placing all your windows at the bottom edge of the screen (F11). You can ALT+Tab to view a vertical view of all open windows.
Keyboard Shorcut tips
- ALT+TAB = Flip, Grid, Spatial (Depending on settings)
- F11 = Minimize your Windows (toggle) works great.
- Tip : Use the mouse wheel to scroll through windows when in tile mode.
Got a favorite piece of software you think would go great with TopDesk? Send me a Tip to tips@timmatheson.com
Download of the day: GTDGmail (Firefox)
If you are using David Allen’s GTD system for organizing your life and have a Gmail account you will definately want to checkout GTDGmail for Firefox. GTDGmail lets you label projects, next actions, references, and more; it also enables you to do GTD searches, easily add new emails to projects, and compose actions and references. This is a must for all you GTD fans.
Download of the day : Remove ads from MSN messenger with A-Patch
MSN has been tainted with ads in the contact list and message windows. There is a solution to removing these distractions for good over at apatch.org. A-Patch allows you to quickly select all the items you want to remove from your MSN messenger. You can easily remove items including ads, Whats Hot, Windows Live Branding and more. Via [apatch.org]
Play virtually any media file wth VLC player
VLC player is a great little video player that supports almost any format of video you can find. This application goes way beyond the call of duty by providing stereo options, zoom options, playlists, always on top, audio scope view and more. If you haven’t already tried VLC you should definitely download it and give it a shot.
Link: VLC Player