7 Applications Worth Checking Out

September 4, 2008 at 1:22 am · Filed under software

The following is a list of 7 software applications or web services to keep your computer safe and make your computing experience better.

First up is adaware. Go to download.com and search for adaware. It is a free (for personal use) spy ware removal tool. Run it once a week to remove spy ware and small viruses that maybe slowing your connection or trying to steal your identity.

Second is spy bot. It is also a spy ware removal tool and can also be found by searching download.com. The reason you need this is that is will pick up what adaware misses. Between the two applications you will stop/find most spy ware.

Third is zone alarm. You can find it at www.zonelabs.com. Zone alarm is a free firewall program. It will prevent unwanted invaders from getting into your computer. It can sometimes be very aggressive so you may need to go into the settings and allow any programs you notice are being blocked after you install.

Fourth is the google pack. This is a suite of free programs put together by Google. It includes a photo organizer, tool bars, and most importantly it includes a version of Nortan Antivirus with a 6 month subscription. This will give you a good start with having an anti-virus program installed. There are also several other programs that are optional. You can get the google pack by clicking on the link on my homepage.

Fifth is the web browser Firefox. This is an alternative to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. It has many features that enhance your web browsing experience including tabbed browsing, not to mention it is more secure than IE. You can get Firefox by clicking on the link on the right hand side of my homepage.

Sixth is Windows XP. Windows XP comes with most new computers these days. If you are still using Windows 98 or Windows ME its time to upgrade. These older system are no longer supported and its hard to get software that is compatible.

Last but not least is a Google account. Email has the best web based email program out there. A Google account not gets you an online spreadsheet program and an online calendar. All of these features can be shared with your friends and there is a chat program that works right inside your inbox.

Using these applications will make your computing safe, fun, and easy.

Matt Christensen
http://www.mattchristensen.net

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Procurement

September 3, 2008 at 2:21 am · Filed under software

The range of activities associated with the buying of goods and services to support business operations is called procurement. When talking about procurement, planning is the first and most important step in the whole process. Planning involves selecting missions and objectives and the actions to achieve them; it requires managers to choose among alternative future courses of action. Plans thus provide a rational approach to preselected objectives.

Planning bridges the gap from where we are to where we want to go. It makes it possible for things to occur which would not otherwise happen. Although we can never be sure what will happen in the future, and factors beyond our control may interfere with even the best-laid plans, if we don’t plan we are leaving events to chance. And that is quite risky when talking about business operations. One wrong step and your business is history.

Today, most business enterprises engage in strategic planning, although the degree of sophistication and formality vary considerably. Conceptually, strategic planning is deceptively simple: analyze the current and expected future situation, determine the direction of the firm, and develop the means for achieving the mission. In reality, this is an extremely complex process which demands a systematic approach for identifying and analyzing factors outside of the organization and matching them with the firm’s capabilities.

Planning is done in an environment of uncertainty. No one can be sure what the business environment will be even next week, let alone several years from now. Therefore, people make assumptions or forecasts about the anticipated environment. Some of the forecasts become assumptions for other plans.

To be effective, strategies and policies must be put into practice by means of plans, increasing in detail until they get down to the nuts-and-bolts details of operations. Tactics, then, are the actions through which strategies are executed. Strategies must be supported by effective tactics.

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Free Picture Editing for the Novice and Intermediate Photo Taker

September 2, 2008 at 1:11 am · Filed under software

As a technology guy, I’m often asked about the software I use for various applications. The most recently asked for application is “How do I edit my pictures after I take them with this neat new digital camera?” The simplest, best program I have found is one called Picasa offered free by Google. Why Picasa? Ease of use is the first reason, as it’s just double click on an image and you can crop, reduce red eye, or brighten a picture in just a few easy clicks. My favorite reason for using Picasa is one that has nothing to do with editing pictures, and everything to do with finding my pictures on my hard drive. When you first launch Picasa, it asks you if you want to search your whole hard drive for images. Definitely say yes, and you’ll be surprised at where some of your pictures might be hiding, as not everyone is as disciplined as me and puts all their photos in their My Photos folder on their hard drive.

Just as important as image editing is image re-sizing. Just because you have a shiny new digital camera does not mean that you should e-mail full MB shots to everyone in your address book. Instead, take the time to re-size your pictures before you send them so they don’t take hours for your friends with dial up to download, and so it doesn’t clog up your and your friend’s families inboxes. The easiest way to do this is with a neat little program called PicSizer. PicSizer allows you to re-size complete folders of images with just a few clicks. This is also a free piece of software, and one that is quite simple to use. Simply select the folder with the big pictures, select a new folder to put the smaller pictures in, select the size of the pictures you wish to re-size too (I recommend 25% or smaller of the original size) and away you go. Simple as that.

The last piece of software is one that is a little more advanced, but one that you can easily learn to use and love, and it’s called GIMPShop, a take-off on the $599 Adobe Photoshop product used by image editing professionals. You can do some cool editing with GIMPShop, things you can’t do with many other free applications. Oh yeah, did I mention, GIMPShop is free, just like all the other software I mentioned?

To find these great resources, it’s easiest to just go to http://www.google.com and insert the name of the software you’re looking for (Picasa, PicSizer, or GIMPShop) and you should be transported to the site you need to get the software to make it great!

Phil Gerbyshak challenges you to stop having a nice day. Instead, Make it Great! While life might be tough, the only thing you can change is YOU! Whether you think the glass is half-full or half-empty, remember that both are only perceptions. What’s true is that you have a choice on how you want to deal with the 6 ounces of water you have in your hand. Read more of Phil’s ideas at http://makeitgreat.org

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