Are you a web programmer that would like to use the WSYWIG design tools such as Dreamweaver in conjunction with a more code-based tool? Many web programmers and designers like the graphic functionality that the what-you-see-is-what-you-get programs to ensure that the design is attractive and well designed. However, those same programmers may want to get into the actually code in a little more detail.

While these visual design programs do often provide HTML and other source code visualization tools, they may not be what the user really needs due to a lack of functionality.

There are also web programmers who prefer to create websites based entirely on coding alone — they do not want to use any type of WSYWIG interface.

Notepad++, an Open Source text editor available to users free of charge. As part of the Open Source initiative this software packages is licensed under the GNU General Public License and is supported and developed by community of software professionals devoted to the advancement of Notepad++.

Not only is Notepad free, but it does not require a ton of computing resources so it is a great option for the average user who needs strong source code and text editing capabilities. While generally used on Windows-based machines, it can be ported to run on Mac OSX and Linux-based machines using tools such as Wine.

The features of Notepad++ are rich and numerous including:

• -File comparison
• -Capabilities to drag and drop text
• -Document interfaces that included tabs
• -Support for many encoding formats including Unicode

In addition to standard features, there are a number of available plugins that can extend the functionality of Notebook++. Notebook ++ is also compatible with Filezilla and openoffice.org, which makes updating your blog with current content, as well as new graphics, really easy.

As you can see, Notepad with all of its features and benefits will fit right it for the needs of the amateur programmer as well as those professional, power programmers.

We’ve all seen technological advancements in computing that seemed to have occurred at lightening speed during the past decade or two. In just a few short years, we have gone from being tied to monstrous mainframe computers to personal desktop computers to mobile laptops. Our computing hardware is getting smaller and smaller. Even our phones have entered the computing venue by becoming smartphones capable of not only connecting to the Internet, but capable of performing computing functions as well.

Most of us think of Microsoft Windows as being the prevalent operating system, which in all honesty it probably is. The current Windows operating system provides many tools and functions to its users. Microsoft was at the forefront of the early development of web browsers as well.

However, many users are using other operating software such as Mac OSX, Unix and Linux. Some of today’s best browsers are based on a Linux-based code set. As technology advances, so do the users’ desires to have a more open computing environment.

Because of this need, many users are turning to Open Source-based programs. The Open Source community of developers and programmers provide many software options. These packages are offered to the public free of charge with full support and development options.

For instance, with the advent of e-readers many of us are faced with managing our electronic books. A great Open Source program, Calibre, can provide management tools that will let users manage their electronic libraries.

Another Open Source program that provides a much needed service is Audacity. Audacity is an audio recording and editing program. So many of us find ourselves with stacks of old vinyl records and with turntables becoming increasingly hard to find, we can record our records and transfer then to CDs using Audacity.

In today’s high-tech world we are becoming more and more used to having several mobile devices — whether they are our laptops, our smartphones or even our e-readers. Sometimes we find ourselves frustrated by the incompatibility of these devices to communicate with each other to help us keep all of our information and files up to date and current.

There is at least one solution to some of these problems. Calibre is an open source management tool to help users manage their library of digital texts. A team of developers who are part of the Open Source community developed the software. These people are devoted to making sure that Calibre is always on top of the game through constant updates and support.

Not only is Calibre free to use and download as part of this community, but it is used in more than 160 countries worldwide and has been translated into many different languages. In fact, the developers are known book lovers so users can rest assured that the team developing this program, knows what features and options users need and want.

For instance within the library management features, this program will make an e-book look like a single entry in your library; however it may actually be found in several different formats.

Your e-books can be categorized and sorted by several different items including author, publish date, size, title and more. The system is so flexible that you can determine how you want your library sorted and categorized according to your own personal wishes.

Searching for a particular title or book is easy. Calibre’s search functions will search any of the categories you have set up in the management system. There are also advanced search and query functions.

Many years ago, LimeWire, a very popular music Peer-to-Peer file sharing network and program, were invented and downloaded by millions of users. It was the preferred music sharing platform for many Apple Macintosh users. At that time the dominating Windows Peer-to-Peer file sharing network was called Napster. Apple Macintosh users couldn’t run Napster as it wasn’t supported on the Mac Operating System or platform. Soon after Napster was shut down, because of the large number of unauthorized, protected media files shared among its users, LimeWire was also targeted for shut down. The LimeWire platform succeeded for a short time after Napster faded, but eventually it succumbed to the pressures of the authorities and was also turned off.

File sharing on Peer-to-Peer networks has developed a very bad reputation. This is mainly due to the fact that when it was invented, most of the content shared was licensed and protected music and video files. But, the technology that connected users and programs together was very innovative. In exciting news, the LimeWire project has reemerged and has been reactivated as Cabos. The Cabos program is free and the platform is everything that LimeWire users remember. There are lots of music and multimedia files available for sharing and download. But, in this new environment with protected media content rights, most of the users on the Cabos network respect the copyright content laws. Cabos is a great place to discover new and interesting music, download programs and Open Source code or connect with friends and share files. The platform and front-end program are very easy to use and require no advanced technical knowledge to setup. You’ll find that Cabos is the easiest Peer-to-Peer file sharing network available on the Internet today. If you loved Napster and LimeWire, you will really love Cabos. Check it out today. Cabos is a free download and it is free to use.

Are you a Macintosh user that needs to duplicate some DVDs? We all, of course, know that it is not allowable to make copies of copyrighted DVDs — it is illegal and can get you into some serious hot water. However, you may want to burn and share a few copies of that last family reunion that was created by another family member. Or maybe you need duplicate copies of a business presentation.

It used to be that burning and reproducing DVDs was best left to professionals and computer nerds and geeks. And in addition, there were so few options for the Macintosh platform. This is no longer the case. Try Handbrake for Mac.

Handbrake is free, Open Source program that is not only available for the Mac OS X platform, but Windows and Linux as well. Check out how easy it is to duplicate DVDs with Handbrake.

-Download and install the latest version of Handbrake. This is usually done by downloading the program, extracting the program and copying it to your Applications folder. You can also place a program alias in your dock if you desire.

-Insert the DVD that you wish to copy into your computer’s DVD drive.

-Launch the Handbrake application. Once the window is open, simply to to the DVD you wish to copy. Select open.

-Handbrake will then scan all the chapters.

-After the scan is complete you can choose destination location, frame rates, codecs and output format.

-Press the start icon to begin the encoding process. This process can take a bit of time.

-At the completion of the encoding processing you can do one of the following:
- Import the file int iDVD to burn it to a DVD
- Import the file into iMovie or other video editing program if you wish to edit the file.

Now you have the tools to duplicate all those DVDs.

So what is PuTTY? It is an open source terminal emulator. This application can act as a client for Telnets, rlogin, raw TCP, and SSH. For old school users, the understanding is that PuTTY allows any Windows user to remotely connect to systems on the world wide web via SSH and Telnet.

Unlike other remote systems, PuTTY automatically encrypts all of your information before it is even transferred. This protects users from identity theft by getting into your computer where your personal information may be stored.

Although the idea of PuTTY in relation to your computer may be silly if you are new to the internet, just like the substance it shares a name with (though not on purpose) PuTTY will stick close to your computer when using telnets or SSH to be sure that no information is passed that could be dangerous.

PuTTY has many features that are vital to achieving smooth flow on remote connections.

You can store the host and their respective preferences for later use
You have control over SSH encryption keys and protocol versions
You are given control over port forwarding via SSH
There is built-in support for handling X11 forwarding.
Available support for issues with local serial port connectivity
IPv6 support
There are many more features that PuTTY offers to its users. One of the biggest sticking points for PuTTY users is that of course, it is free. But along with that free open source status comes the fact that users know they are free to alter, enhance, and customize PuTTY for their own specific business or personal needs.

Although PuTTY’s language may seem barely understandable to a novice user, don’t be afraid to download this free program and check it out for yourself. The help available can turn any novice into a pro PuTTY user in less time than you may think.

If your job requires you to spend long hours on the internet, at libraries, and in the field researching vital information, you have likely found yourself hitting a brick wall or two at some point in the past. Maybe that is why you are here right now.

When you have worn out all of your go-to options, search engines, educational sites, and other areas you are accustomed to locating your information, it may be time to consider the Ares Downloader option.

Grab Ares Downloader and fire it up. Once inside you will be able to take advantage of many sources of information that could help you research. You thought Peer-to-peer networks were only for music and rock video fanatics? There is a whole world of other things you can find on Ares P2P.

Ebooks

Looking for information on a marketing strategy? How about the hibernation habits of the American Black Bear? Don’t laugh. The Black Bear eBook is available for download right now. So if your research topic isn’t even as far out in left field as that, the chances are pretty good you can find the eBook you have been looking for.

Videos

Ares isn’t for music videos alone. Have you been searching for days to find out how to configure Cabos to work for your needs? Try running a search in Ares for Cabos, or how-to, or tutorial videos. They are there in abundance and for the exact reason you are looking for them.

Templates

Are you about to tear your hair out because you can’t quite figure out how to get your Calc template just right? Click on Ares and check for the templates and macros for download there. And remember, if you find an Excel template but use OpenOffice’s Calc, download it anyway, Calc will convert it for you.

When it comes to going green at home, there are plenty of upgrades you can make. Simply switching to green appliances can do an immense amount toward decreasing your environmental impact, not to mention saving you a suitable amount of money on your power bill. From recycling to just turning off the lights in rooms not being used, there are plenty of tactics that most home-dwellers are glad to employ. Believe it or not, cyber space is filled with temporary internet files, which are considered pollution. Cloud spaces have started to take some of that away, these spaces provide space for OpenOffice docs, Xvid videos, and FTPS files; however, one major area is often left untouched, the computer gaming system.

Despite having two of the biggest energy hogs in your home (namely, the computer’s power supply unit, or PSU, and the system monitor), these computers are generally left off the “green list.” The big reason is that users feel they must absolutely have the most power-intensive system to enjoy their gaming experience. However, this is far from the truth.

For one, while many online games push your system resources to the extreme limit, others are designed to focus on gameplay rather than just graphics. Games like Tower Defense, Assault Cube, or even just an online game of chess consume almost no resources, and thus require no explosive system resources. But lets say you want to play online games that are more “green intensive” — maybe even enjoying the more graphically infused Tower Defense games like those embedded into Starcraft 2.

You do not have to sacrifice this part of your green initiative to do it. Here are some important notes:

-PSUs for your system are moderately easy to replace, and there are several “green” alternatives available. These eco-friendly PSUs will power most low- and mid-range graphics cards without issue.

-There are EnergyStar monitors that are far more efficient in their use of energy.

-You can decrease your monitor’s power consumption by just dimming it slightly. You’ll quickly notice that the screen is both less straining on your eyes and your power budget.

While almost all professors now allow students to bring laptops into the classroom, laptops themselves are still limiting. Yes, the average typing speed for college students doubles or even triples their handwritten speed, and access to online resources can make the learning process smoother when new concepts are introduced, but typical word processing programs, like Staroffice, simply aren’t designed for note taking. This is where FreeMind, a tool presented by the open source community, plays its role.

FreeMind is designed for “mind mapping,” or associating various ideas in a “free-form” format. The result is a non-linear chart that allows different associated ideas to be linked or branched out in numerous directions. This patterning follows the exact same patterns most professors use on the white board notes, meaning you can more easily duplicate the content being presented in class, and “connect the dots” in the same way they were originally shown.

We haven’t reached the limits of the program yet, however. As part of your non-linear structure, you can insert additional items such as:

-Links to valuable URLs.
-Images from a file on your computer.
-Sketched doodles to mimic those “artistically challenged” sketches from your professors.
-Different colors or looks to the “category clouds,” allowing for easier visual organization.
-Expandable lists or items.
-Stars/flair to clarify which notes are most important.

One additional benefit is the fact that FreeMind is cross-platform, so you can use it on Linux, Mac, and Windows systems. This means that any campus, library, or personal computer can gain access to the same resources, just by using the built-in import/export features of this powerful program. Further, if you want to share the information with a user who refuses to download the no-cost FreeMind software, you can export the completed file as a PDF or print it directly from the program. However you use it, FreeMind makes for the ideal note-taking software.

If you haven’t upgraded your media player, chances are you’re still using the bundled program that came with your PC or Mac. While they’re OK most of the time, it can be a real pain in the you-know-what when they won’t play a specific music or movie download. You know the one – it’s always an old favorite you can’t believe you found. After searching forever, you’ve finally got it in your hot little cyber hand, and now the video won’t play in your bleeping media player!

Don’t Buy Another One

If you start looking online for a new media player, you’ll find plenty that look like they’re free at first glance. Generally, they’re offering a free trial as an enticement to buy their expensive product. However, you’ll probably download it only to find it has the same problem as your original player. Many computer users don’t know they can get a great media player from the open-source community at absolutely no cost, and it will work even better than their old app or one of the agressively-marketed, free-trial programs.

So, What’s This Open-Source Stuff, Anyway?

This is a revolutionary movement to share code and programs with other users. All open-source code is completely free to use in anyway you want, and you can even get a copy of the code behind the program. Change it if you want, but you have to return the favor and share your improvements. When you try a great media player like VLC, KM Player, or the BS Player that’s been developed by the open-source community, your movies and music will play perfectly regardless of the file format. After all, you don’t think you’re the first person to run up against a tricky file, do you?

Whether you’re running Windows, OS X, Linux, or virtually any other OS, you can find an open-source code program for your machine!