SITE NEWS FROM MARTIN O'SULLVIAN:

This update is Facebook inspired. I received a comment or two on Facebook about certain pictures I uploaded that blends two pictures into one. Also, for Facebook and just for fun, a free online service that adds nice effects to photos of yourself, friends, family. I received an email from Joanne and Richard from Rhode Island about if there is a way to have portable programs to take anywhere on a USB flash drive (those little key chain thingys) and run them without installing anywhere. YES! Lupopensuite is one of the best. For those that want an extra layer of security on their computer I have included WINPATROL. While it does more things than what I am including it here for... I am including it because it will notify you every time a site, virus, or legitamate program wants to write to the registry. You would allow this in most cases, but it will also stop a virus from doing it. You don't have to be an expert with Winpatrol, but not a newbie either. Read more below.

Move down to the freebies to read more details about what this update has to offer, and don't forget you can click on my past updates link to view an archive of all previous updates.

1) Fotomix - combine images together
2) Funny.pho- Free online service to put people in nice settings for fun.
3) LupoPensuite - Turn a USB jump drive into a complete portable operating system
4) Winpatrol - Take control of your computer, and know what's going on. Prevent unwanted registry writing by viruses, trim down your start up, kill a process of a locked frozen program, etc.
5) The usual great Freeware sites for free programs without viruses or adware attached


See a picture below? too small? Just hover your mouse over it and it will expand to a larger view.

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FOTOMIX

The first entry to this update is FOTOMIX. While many photo editors will allow you to take one picture, and place it into another picture, this program simplifies it, and does near professional job of it.

It was a program you had to buy. It is now FREEWARE with a twist. The authors say they decided to make it free because the 30 day trial was being hacked so many times, making it free without buying it. So what they did is combine a software program with Google ads. Now don't panicky, this is not adware built into the program. I don't support that or use programs like that. With this program a section on the side is connecting to the Internet to display google ads, much like a billion other online web sites. So this free program is ad supported by Google. A thin line between adware programs, and this, but it is not intrusive and the ads are not really there on the program. So your Anti Adware won't flag anything.

The program itself is fun to use. Select a background, select a foreground subject and erase all around it until just what you want will be on the background. Resize the foreground for a perfect fit, and done! click here to visit FOTOMIX

Hover mouse on picture to expand


Hover mouse on picture to expand

My interview with Obama. I was bored so I read a menu to oder my dinner for after the show.

Funny Photo free service

This site shouldn't be called FUNNY, as much as FUN. This site will take a photo of yourself, friend, family member and place it in a nice setting. There are also other features that one can do. Animate a photo, add special effects, and more. Just a nice site I thought I'd throw in for this update. click hereto visit Funny Photo

Hover mouse to enlarge photo:




Lupo Pensuite

How would you like a free computer? OK, not really a free computer, but as close as you can get to one. Lupo Pensuite is a suite of programs (180 programs) that you don't install on your computer. Confused? No need to be. You download the program onto a USB jump drive. You know, those little things that look like key chains?

What you have is a complete portable operating system. Completely portable! Portable programs include:
Portable Firefox Browswer
Portable Opera Browser
Thunderbird email (by Firefox)
PopPeeper (for all your web email) video player
audio player
Internet radio
photo editor
photo viewer
file manager
anti spyware
word processor
and obviously too many to all list here, but you can see the entire list by clicking Lupo Pensuite entire program list Carry it with you along with your photos, movies, documents, and plug it into any computer and you have an entire computer with all your files anywhere you go. All in your pocket. A great backup system too. Portable programs are becoming very popular. All you need is the jump drive. Best Buys usually has good deals on them. Read about it more, and if you like it, download it to your USB drive at:
LUPOPENSUITE

* Some antiviruses report the presence of dangerous files (malware, trojans, viruses...) in Lupo PenSuite: they are false positives. The Suite is checked with several antivirus engines and is completely clean. If you want to read more about false positives there is more information of the Lupopensuite site. Lupo Pensuite: Hover mouse to expand




Winpatrol

On the security side, I have mentioned many anti virus, and anti spyware/malware/trojan/adware free programs. Recently my brother, my sister, a few friends, and me as well have been hit by a new kind of virus (been around about a year). It downloads and installs before you even realize it. It disables your security software, and in some cases prevents you from being online. It poses as a anti virus program and will pop up saying your computer is infected by such and such virus. Then it will try and get you to pay for it to remove the virus, but your money would only go to a person who sent out the virus, and there is no anti virus program, it is a fake. Malwarebytes is good to remove this type of virus, but you would need it on a jump drive to run it. This is a devastating virus. I was able to manually remove it from my sister's computer, and my brothers, and I am awaiting a computer from a friend to either manually remove it or restore the computer to factory state. As for me? I was so badly infected I had to do a factory restore for the first time in ten years. Combofix could remove it, but that program is temporarily offline from the author to fix a bug.

Why am I telling you this? Because I wanted to find if there was a program to prevent this type of drive by virus. I think I found it. Winpatrol is a program that does many things. It can help you alter your start up programs, Tell you about the Active X or BHOs you have installed (some may be bad ones to have), It is a process viewer where you can kill a process (comes in handy if a program locks up), and it does much more, but the reason I am talking about it is for one reason only.

Winpatrol prevents any changes to your registry in real time. So, if you are unfortunate enough to have a drive by virus like the one I mention above, or a google redirect virus, etc. Winpatrol pops up with a Scotty the dog bark, and tells you such and such is trying to write and add to the registry. Just click NO, and all is well. It will also tell you where it is coming from so you can manually delete the intruder if it already disabled your anti virus program. Think of it as a firewall for your registry. By taking a snapshot of your critical system files, it will prevent any unwanted changes.

The only downside to this is if you install a legitamate program, Winpatrol would pop up with the same warning, but since you know you are installing something new, and you are the one doing it, you just click YES, OK. If there are many registry additions you would have to OK each one by one, or deny if that is the case. That is a bit tideous, but in the long run a great protection for a virus that already past by your anti virus. Anti virus programs will tell you when you have been attacked (most cases), but it will not prevent the attack. This program helps.

There is a paid version, but the free version does so much, including what I wrote about. No need to buy it. A great third layer to a complete security system for your computer.

I am still testing this program on my computer, but I mention it here before my final opinion because if you are hit by such a virus it may help. I can't say for sure if it will prevent such a virus unless I purposley get the virus, but I do believe it is added protection.

Read more about Winpatrol at:
Winpatrol download page

Hover mouse to enlarge photo:
Winpatrol does many things you may like, but I offer it here for the purpose of preventing unwanted changes to your registry.


TIP: If you are ever hit with a virus that you feel has compromised your computer, no matter how much security you have installed, one of the best ways to get rid of a devastating virus is to simply use your system restore and pick a date to a day or a week before the virus gotchya. Your computer would then have no trace of it at all. I only advise this when all else fails, and the virus hasn't disabled system restore. I am not referring to a total factory restore. I am referring to just rolling your computer back a day, or a week before your computer was hit by a virus (Start button/All programs/Accessories/System Restore

and always remember to clean your temp files often.


Click here to go to their site and check it out!

I am often asked where do I get or find these freebies (free programs or free services online). Well, I do tend to search for new ones all the time. However, each Monday of each week, even if I don't do updates on this site, I do to Snapfiles. Snapfiles has the best freeware of any site. So that is one of my secrets I am sharing with you. Just go to the above link, and on the upper right corner select FREEWARE. a list will load of so many categories you will be stunned. Want a free anti viruses program instead of paying each year? A free firewall? How about a free office suite? Maybe a free program to fix your registry? There are so many topics to choose from you will be stunned. All FREE, and more important... free of viruses, Trojans, malware, adware, spyware. Just free good programs. So before you go to the store to buy a program for your children for school, or for you, go to Snapfiles first and see if they have a program that can do what you need. With the money you save you can send me a Christmas Card! (or not).

Here is a partial screen shot of their site, Go see the whole thing! Place mouse over image to expand



Another great site for free programs in every category is Sourceforge. This is made up of entirely Open Source programs. This means people all over the world (The smart ones unlike me) contribute to add, and add, and add code to programs until the program is perfected. This is done by making the program code available to anyone to improve the program, then it is tested by pros to be deemed a completed software program. Some of the best free software is open source (Openoffice, The Gimp, Audacity, Ubuntu, etc.) If you need a program don't go to the store first. Check to see if Snapfiles, or Sourceforge has an alternative that does what you need... FREE!

Click here to go to Sourceforge and have fun exploring all the Freebies!









So that concludes the update for The Winter 2010. Move down to see even more freebies, leave a comment, ask me a question, or tell me a joke! etc. As for the next update? Who knows! I don't even know what I am doing ten minutes from now! So check back.

Sincerely,






Have a comment? As long as it's not a reminder that I owe you money, the Guestbook is a good place to leave one. Perhaps you have a question where to find a free program? The form after the guestbook is where to ask. I usually answer within 24-48 hours. Enjoy your day!



Click Here for my Blog of my past updates and freebies



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