I was going through Windows today deleting some applications I didn’t really use or need, and making sure the applications I do use regularly are updated to the latest versions. Going through this somewhat long list I realized I have a lot of software installed, and quite a few of them are free. I wanted to share my top 5 software picks and hopefully some of these will find a place in your computer.

1. CCleaner - This is a great application to “clean” your PC of unwanted files, registry entries, startup items, and much more.
2. ObjectDock - I don’t care much for the Windows start menu, so I place all my frequently used application shortcuts in a dock on top of my desktop.
3. HydraIRC - This is a great IRC client for those who still use IRC. Simple interface, and works great with Vista.
4. IZArc - One of the best archive utilities I have ever used. It supports a wide variety of archive formats and is Vista compatible.
5. FastStone Photo Resizer - I often receive CD’s with hundreds of photos that I need to resize, this application will do batch resizes among other things.

What’s your list of the top free software you use on a regular basis?

Tags: software, free, windows, vista, xp

During my work week, I always need to take quite a few screenshots and sometimes a few videos of my desktop. I am an avid user of Camtasia Studio and SnagIt from Techsmith, so I was excited to take a look at a new “project” it has going: Jing.

Jing is a simple way to take a picture of your desktop, or record a quick video as well. It offers some basic editing such as adding text, and offers the ability to save or upload to screencast.com.

So far I have been pretty impressed as this offers a quick way to record your desktop if you don’t need the full power of Camtasia. It’s free for now, so go and check it out.

• Jing Project

Tags: jing, techsmith, camtasia, snagit

I have really been getting into Facebook over the last week or so.  I actually joined it many months ago and really didn’t do too much with it until recently.  Now it seems to be takin