Last time on Off the Beaten Path we looked at some free stuff that included a few pieces of software. On this edition, more free software. As a reminder, be certain of what you are downloading (and keep your virus protection up to date).
Thanks to Andrew Salman for sending me this awesome link. Sometimes it’s necessary to wipe the slate clean when it comes to a computer. Unfortunately, there are bunch of little software widgets like Java to VLC, Skype, Chrome, TeamViewer, OpenOffice, to Google Earth that we download over time and become “staples” to our desktop. This is one of the coolest sites I’ve found as it lists dozens of pieces of regularly used software and “widgets” that are common to many desktops. When you go to this link, you click on everything you want, it gathers it all, then, “Presto!”. it’s downloading to your reimaged machine. This is a real time-saver for people handling desktop support!
Recently I had to reimage a laptop that had a license for Windows, but it was hard-coded and not visible (a little trick Toshiba did to laptops for a while). I’ve also had those Windows tags rubbed off so they were no longer readable. This link provides info on some “keyfinder” software that can really save the day.
If you’re looking for a freeware audio player, here’s one possibility. It’s Foobar2000.
If you are recycling some old PCs from work and looking for a way to wipe the hard drives, here’s a link to some information on how to do this including free software.
Though there are numerous ways to “skin this cat,” sometimes you have a need to sync databases. Here’s one I’ve used before from Resilio that may be helpful.
Open-Source Software for Broadcasters
From Brett Moss comes this contribution. If you work in the broadcast field (or webcasting world), sometimes the answer to a software solution come with open-source software. Here’s a great collection of links!
And finally …
Those who listened to L.A. radio or served in the military and heard Armed Forces Radio were very familiar with the golden tones of Charlie Tuna. He was a wonderful on-air personality with a fun and entertaining show and delivery. We lost Charlie just over two years ago. Here’s a link to one of his airchecks where you get to hear and SEE him at work.
If you stumble across a good or unusual website that might be of interest, please don’t hesitate to send me the link and any info you might have about it. My email address is [email protected].
