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New Link!
Communicatrix - Funny and insightful, Colleen Wainwright's blog features stories and thoughts on life through her own offbeat perspective. Definitely worth a read!
Tools
Microsoft Office Online is the fastest way for you to test out Microsoft Office 2007, the latest version of Microsoft's productivity suite. This browser-based trial version uses the Citrix plug-in to provide a virtual session which enables you to test all of the programs available in Office 2007 including Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint.
(Click sample images for a full-size view)
The trial requires you to install the Citrix plug-in for your browser and to setup a Windows Live registration or use your existing login.
Notepad++ is a free, open source Notepad replacement and source code editor programmed by a small team of independent developers.
http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm
I've been using Notepad++ for a couple of weeks and have barely touched most of the features available. The program formats text specific to the language that you're using. It also offers macro design and access to external tools through the menus. For donation-supported software, this is a great tool.
OnlineConversion.com is a handy site where you can quickly convert units of measurement. The site boasts over 5,000 units in over 20 categories ranging from temperature to astronomical distances. It even has some fun conversion tools like the one that will tell you your weight on another planet.
Reference
Snopes.com - A good site that debunks urban legends and e-mail rumors.
Programming
Microsoft Visual Studio Express Editions Learning Center - If you're looking to get started with Visual Studio, this is where you can download free beginner's editions of the Visual Studio components including Visual Basic.NET, C#.Net and SQL Server 2005. The site also provides guidance to help you find the learning track that you're most interested in.
DotNet2theMax - Featuring blogs by Francesco Balena (author of the Micrsosoft Press Programming Microsoft Visual Basic series) and Marco Bellinaso (ASP.NET 2.0 Website Programming) Also includes .NET articles, code and downloads from other experts and contributors.
Allen Browne's Access Tips - Articles for beginners and advanced users of the Microsoft Office Access database. Examples and solutions to implement. Bugs and traps to avoid. Sample code and utilities to download. All free.
Internet, Computers and Software
ICDSoft - The web hosting provider for Drewslair.com. This site has been with ICDSoft since early 2005 and I've found their service to be exemplary. They offer low hosting prices and an outstanding array of features including unlimited e-mail addresses, domain parking, comprehensive statistics, MySQL databases and support for a wide variety of web development technologies. I recommend them highly!
Paint.Net was originally designed by Washington State University as an update to Windows Paint in a project mentored by Microsoft. It's now available as a free, open-source product that offers a professional interface including features which compete with packages like Paint Shop Pro.
Click here to see more screenshots of Paint.Net in action!
Joel Spolsky maintains a blog on software management that's definitely worth a read. He's published a couple of books based on collected articles from his site, including User Interface Design for Programmers, the first several chapters of which is online.
Paint Shop Pro - Paint Shop Pro, is a great, inexpensive photo and graphics editing package offering a full-range of features for graphics editing and enhancement. A 30-day trial version is available.
WinZip - This is the official site
for WinZip, the Windows compression and archiving software by Nico Mak Computing. WinZip offers a user-friendly interface, subdirectory management and password
protection for your sensitive files. An essential tool for the serious
computer user.
Webopedia Online Computing Dictionary - In addition to providing definitions for computer-related terms, this site also contains links to articles and other sources of computing information.