Ninite: A super-cool way to download common free programs
Oh, I love free stuff, and I love people who make it easier to download free stuff.
Visit the Ninite site, and check off the free applications you want on your computer, such as Firefox, Chrome, iTunes, Audacity, Skype, AVG, Adobe Reader, Gimp… The list is fantastic! (And it reminds me of all the great tools I still need to cover here on Cheapskate Freelancer.)
Once you choose your programs, click to install, and Ninite will manage your installation. This is great when you are doing a full upgrade to Windows 7.
Ninite Easy PC Setup and Multiple App Installer – Great For Win7 Upgrades.
GreenPrint Software: Take control of your printer
Most of us green-types cringe when we print out a 10-page document that has giant pictures and a last page with 3 words on it. GreenPrint helps take control of your printer, allowing you to save money, ink and trees.
Download the application and it installs like a printer. Then you can print to GreenPrint and choose which pages you want to print and whether you want graphics. You can also use it to print straight to a PDF.
I love that it also includes a little meter to keep track of how many printed pages you’ve avoided and how much money you’ve saved on ink. GreenPrint World is fully functional and free, though you have to see ads for green companies. The Home Premium edition costs just $29 per computer.
GreenPrint Software – Millions of Trees Can’t be Wrong..
K9 Web Protection: Control your internet usage
After a recent upgrade of Firefox, one of my favorite plugins, LeechBlock, stopped working. So I went in search of a new control system that would help me think twice before I surfed my day away.
I’m now in love with K9 Web Protection, a free internet filtering service. Sure, it’s made for parents to protect their kids, but as a professional with a bad web habit, I appreciate its ability to keep me from wasting my precious time.
You set sites that you’d like to limit, and you can eliminate entire categories of sites. I am particularly bad when it comes to reading news articles. I can read article after article and waste an hour or two… Time just slips away. With K9, you can allow access for 15 minutes or a certain period of time. That way you can pop in to check on your friends in Facebook, but soon you’re back at work.
And it’s free. I love free.
K9 Web Protection – Free Internet Filtering and Parental Controls Software.
