If you are previously using a customized theme on your Firefox II and had just upgraded over to Firefox 3, you might not want to settle with the default Firefox theme your peer have on their desktop. Firefox 3 may be new, but theme designer already have their muscles all flexed up. Here is 30 Firefox 3 compatible themes to make your browser a little bit different from the rest.
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At the point this article was created, Adobe Photoshop CS3 still cost about USD $649 per copy. I think it’s safe to say that not everyone will afford to get a copy or willing to get a copy if all one need to do is just basic image editing stuff. That’s probably one of the main reason why there’s still a fairly large crowd out there actively looking for free alternatives to Photoshop to help them in their daily basic design jobs. If you are not going into advance image editing, you should know that there’s always free software out there capable to perform what Photoshop can.
There is also free web services that allows you to perform basic image editing online.
If you are not convinced by the stability of online services and looking for something that installs on your machine and are able to work even if you are without Internet connection, here’s some free alternatives to Adobe Photoshop, software versions. Full content after jump.
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Gimp
Gimp works across several different platform (Linux, Mac, Windows, FreeBSD, Sun OpenSolaris) and is perhaps one of the best free alternatives out there so far. Gimp has a large user community, with great list of tutorials on the official sites.
Download Gimp
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Paint.net
[Windows only] This photo editor runs on Windows. It has a large and growing community of users, with lots of tutorials and plugins.
Download Paint.net
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Pixia
[Windows only] This free photo editor originates from Japan, with English versions to download. Supports layers, masks, and some basic tools of Photoshop.
Download PIxia
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Seashore
[Mac only] Seashore is an open source image editor for Mac OS X’s Cocoa framework. It features gradients, textures and anti-aliasing for both text and brush strokes. It supports multiple layers and alpha channel editing. It is based around the GIMP’s technology and uses the same native file format.
Download Seashore.
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Inkscape
Inkscape is an open-source vector graphics editor similar to Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Freehand, or Xara X. What sets Inkscape apart is its use of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), an open XML-based W3C standard, as the native format.
Download Inkscape.
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Xara Xtreme
Xara Xtreme for Linux is a powerful, general purpose graphics program for Unix platforms including Linux, FreeBSD and (in development) OS-X. Formely known as Xara LX, it is based on Xara Xtreme for Windows, which is the fastest graphics program available, period.
Download Xara Xtreme.
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ChocoFlop
[Mac only] ChocoFlop is an image editor for Mac OS X, based on the CoreImage technology. It is currently in beta stage and available freely.
Download ChocoFlop.
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Photoplus
[Windows only] PhotoPlus is the amazing photo editing software that enables you to fix and enhance digital photos, create stunning bitmap graphics and even web animations.
Download Photoplus.
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CinePaint
CinePaint is a deep paint image retouching tool that supports higher color fidelity than ordinary painting tools.
Download CinePaint.
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Krita
[Linux only] Krita is an image processor for KOffice, which should be suitable for all your image creation and editing needs.
Download Krita.
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Mac Preview
[Mac only] You may think this is just any normal image preview tool, but the fact is Mac’s Preview can perform more. Folks at Usingmac describe how you can use Mac’s Preview tool to perform basic image editing.
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PhotoFiltre
It allows you to do simple or advanced adjustments to an image and apply a vast range of filters on it. It is simple and intuitive to use, and has an easy learning curve.
Download PhotoFiltre
Photography is surely fun, but you’ll really need to rely on softwares and applications to take care of those thousands of digital photos output from your DSLR or digital camera. All those work from editing, renaming, archiving will need to be done properly so it ease future retrieving. Let’s keep the fun part with photo taking, and leave the photo managing part to these pretty cool photo managing software.
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Picasa is a free software download from Google that helps you to locate and organize all the photos on your computer, edit and add effects to your photos with a few simple clicks and share your photos with others through email and print. It’s fast, easy and free.
Download Google Picasa (5.8 Mb)
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The cam2pc image browser
Enhance and fix your images in a few clicks!
Cam2pc is the digital imaging solution that will make using your digital camera a snap! From picture download and media organization to image retouching and media sharing, cam2pc offers all the features you might think of when working with your digital media.
Download Cam2pc (4618KB)
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DigiBookShelf enables you to display and manage photos in a virtual album, using a virtual bookshelf interface. The photos are displayed as thumbnails and you can add text and sound comments to each image.
Download DigibookShelf (13.9Mb)
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IrfanView is trying to create new and/or interesting features in its own way, unlike some other graphic viewers, whose whole “creativity” is based on feature cloning, stealing of ideas and whole dialogs from ACDSee and/or IrfanView!
Download IrfanView (1.1Mb)
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FastStone Image Viewer is a fast, stable, user-friendly image browser, converter and editor. It has a nice array of features that include image viewing, management, comparison, red-eye removal, emailing, resizing, cropping and color adjustments.
Download Faststone Image Viewer (4.1Mb)
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XnView is a fast multi-format graphics browser, viewer, and converter. It can read more than 400 file formats.
Download XnView (4.9Mb)
- Album Burger Photograph
With Album Burger Photograph, you can create as many photograph albums as you wish and you can add as many pages and photographs to complete your category. In addition to this, you can classify, identify, comment and classify each album, each page and each photograph.
Download Album Burger Photograph
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Studio Line Photo Basic 3 allows you to add descriptions to your images, send photos per email in just the right size, print high- quality copies, display slide-shows, publish web-galleries, safe-keep your images on CD or DVD.
Download Studio Line Photo Basic 3 (57 Mb)
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Preclick allows you to mak it easy to organize, edit, print, preserve, and share your digital photos.SmartPhoto technology enables you to use captions and keywords for speedy searching and sorting.
Download Preclick Gold Photo Organizer 2.9 (2.8 Mb)
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Pictomio is Freeware and sets new standards for 3D accelerated browsing of your photo and video collection.
Download Pictomio (6.2 Mb)
Pocket PC was once just for basic functions like email checking, browsing, appointments and reminder, etc but over the years it has gone way more useful. This palm size gadget is now capable of performing mostly everything you can do on a PC or laptop.
If you’ve just got yourself a new Pocket PC and getting all excited about it or in case you’re looking for more softwares to make your Pocket PC more useful, here’s 50 must have softwares worth installing (or at least a try) for a Pocket PC. Full list after jump.
This guest post was written by Kay, who blogs about Technology news and tips, make money online and blogging tips over at K-Director.com.
Windows Mobile
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NetFront Browser supports almost any OS and CPU and offers low power consumption, easy customization, and a broad range of plug-ins.
[Download NetFront Browser]
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FlashVideoBundle and TCPMP are used for watching Youtube clips in Windows mobile phone.
[Download FlashVideoBundle and TCPMP]
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QuickMenu is a start-menu stronger than Smallmenu, it is from China, now you can try the English version.
[Download QuickMenu]
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Google Maps Mobile is a free download with a look and feel just like that of the Google Maps you’ve come to know and love, offering directions, local search, movable maps, and satellite imagery of your location.
[Download Google Maps Mobile]
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Foxit Reader allows users to easily view a variety of PDF documents and find texts inside PDF documents.
[Download Foxit Reader]
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My Mobiler allows you to view your mobile screen on your desktop monitor and control with your keyboard and mouse.
[Download My Mobiler]
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CeleDial is a must-have smart-dialing assistant for Windows Mobile Pocket PC (Phone) – you will be amazed to find there’s such a simple, fast and convenient way to locate contacts.
[Download CeleDial]
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XnView Pocket lets you visualize your images and photos on your PocketPC.
[Download XnView Pocket]
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pBar is a lightweight and speedy task manager, smart close, and battery indicator that works just the way it should be.
[Download pBar]
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deltaLock locks your Pocket PC’s screen and buttons while it’s in your pocket playing music or doing whatever would require it to stay switched on.
[Download deltaLock]
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Pocket Finance Diary is a simple financial manager for tracking expenses.
[Download PocketFinanceDiary]
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Live Media for Mobile is a new and free Peer to Peer self-broadcasting service that allows you to view slideshows, webcams and download shared files to your phone.
[Download Live Media]
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Control remotely from your mobile phone your desktop mouse, Winamp, iTunes, the Windows Media Player, PowerPoint, PowerDVD and the Vista’s Media Center.
[Download Bluetooh Remote Control]
Symbian S60 3rd Edition
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fring™ is a mobile internet service & community that enables you to access & interact with your social networks on-the-go, make free calls and live chat with all your fring, Skype®, MSN® Messenger, Google Talk™, ICQ, SIP, Twitter, Yahoo!™ and AIM®* friends using your handset’s internet connection rather than costly cellular airtime minutes.
[Download Fring]
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Nokia Sports Tracker is a GPS-based activity tracker that runs on Nokia smartphones.
[Download Nokia Sports Tracker]
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ShoZu enables one-click uploading of camera phone videos and pictures to over 30 online social networks, blogs, photo sites and other popular web destinations.
[Download Shozu]
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Record voice memo or phone calls anytime by simply pressing hotkeys. Phone calls can be recorded automatically.
[Purchase Ultimate Voice Recorder($14.95)]
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Yahoo! Go 3.0 connects your device to Yahoo! services in real time.
[Download Yahoo! Go 3.0]
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Y-Browser is a filebrowser application designed for S60 3rd edition devices.
[Download Y-Browser]
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Your Alarms is a multialarm applications.
[Download Your Alarms]
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SMS Spam Manager blocks unwanted SMS messages without producing any sound or light indication.
[Download SMS Spam Manager]
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PuTTY is a free SSH client developed by Simon Tatham
[Download PuTTy]
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Screenshot is a FREE program to take screenshot on your Symbian OS mobile phones.
[Download Screenshot]
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With WWIGO, a camera phone can be used as a webcam with PC or Laptop using bluetooth as the transmission medium.
[Download WWIGO]
For Symbian UIQ
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GDesk is a customizable and extendable desktop system. Icons can be placed on the desktop representing applications, page links and plug-ins.
[Download Gdesk]
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Garmin XT is a rich turn-by-turn, voice-guided navigation application for smartphones.
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Swiss Manager Pro offers a way to have a lot more control, essentially making using the PDA a lot more practical.
[Download Swiss Manager Pro (Trial)]
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StickIt is a simple app which allows users of UIQ3 phones to attach a note to their standby screen.
[Download StickIt]
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SmartMovie is a video player for your mobile device, with counterpart PC converter utility. With the converter, you may prepare any video clip for playback on your mobile device.
[Download SmartMovie]
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Notice your expenses and you will save easily with Lubisoft Outlays UIQ3.
[Download
Lubisoft Outlays UIQ3]
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LinkBoy provides up to 45 shortcuts to frequently used tasks, that can be optionally displayed on the standby screen.
[Download LinkBoy (Trial Version)]
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Best Calc allows you to perform all basic calculations as well as all common scientific functions in fast and easy way.
[Download Best Calc]
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WorldMate travel software for Windows Mobile provides you with critical travel information when you need it the most.
[Download WorldMate]
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LCG Jukebox is music player for mobile devices, that is designed to suit all your music listening desires.
[Download LCG Jukebox]
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VirtualRadio connects to the Internet through your mobile phone operator’s network and links to more than 1?200 radio stations from all over the world.
[Download VirtualRadio]
Java Mobile
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Opera Mini 4 enables you to take your full Web experience and digital lifestyle with you.
[Download Opera Mini 4]
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The eBuddy Mobile Messenger is a Multi-Network application, especially designed for the best Instant Messaging experience.
[Download eBuddy Mobile Messenger]
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TinyBook is an office application for users to read and write .txt format file.
[Download TinyBook]
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Mobile GMaps is a FREE application that displays maps from Google Maps, Yahoo! Maps, Windows Live Local (MSN Virtual Earth), Ask.com, Open Street Map and other sources on Java J2ME-enabled mobile phones, PDAs and other devices.
[Download Mobile GMaps]
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Bluetooth Messenger will allow users to transfer text messages via bluetooth connections in short distances.
[Download Bluetooth Messenger]
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MoneyManager is a handy and user friendly solution to track your transactions.
[Download MoneyManager]
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Bidirectional English-Russian-English dictionary with about 10000 words, large version with 30000 words and full version with 50000 words and all variants of translation.
[Download Dictionary]
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Stopwatch up to max 999 hours 59 minutes 59.99 seconds with 1/100 of a second accuracy.
[Download Stopwatch]
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SmartShopper is a popular and easy to use shopping list program.
[Download SmartShopper]
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Calc works much like a good old HP calculator with RPN logic, but the stack has 16 elements and you can see many of the elements on the stack simultaneously.
[Download Calculator]
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[Java] will give U digital streaming radio via GPRS connection with good quality sound.
[Download Lavella]
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Mobile Windows Live Messenger lets you chat with your friends and family on your mobile.
[Download Mobile Windows Live Messenger]
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YouTube for Mobile is a simple application to watch YouTube videos on your phone.
[Download Youtube for Mobile 1.0.6 Beta]
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GoTalkMobile is GTalk instant messenger (IM) client for your J2ME-enabled cell phone.
[Download GoTalkMobile]
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This program turns your mobile into a cool spy cam
[Download Q-Spy Cam]
FTP (File Transfer Protocols) is probably the most generally used approach when it comes down to multiple (or massive) file transfers over the the internet. Whether it’s a paid FTP software or a free one, the ultimate goal is to have a stable software to perform file transfer over the Internet efficiently and secure. FTP applications on the internet varies from functions, some (most) comes with resume capability, some does reporting after transmission, some supports SFTP, etc.
If you are using paid FTP softwares (I’m using Transmit) you should also be alert or at least keep few of the free ones in bookmark; just in case your primary FTP prog fails on critical situation. Here are some of the most commonly use free FTP applications and some alternative methods you can transfer files via FTP without any application.
Multiple Platforms FTP Clients
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One of the most commonly used FTP tool, supports SSH.
Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac
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Little graphical FTP/SFTP client
Platform: Windows, Mac
FTP Clients For Windows
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Free SFTP, FTP and SCP client for Windows
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With its many basic and advanced features SmartFTP also offers secure, reliable and efficient transfers that make it a powerful tool.
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Staff-FTP, among standard, options like upload, download, query, sitemanager, browse-able windows and almost every other options you will find in other FTP clients.
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Free FTP Manager [Download]
Fast and reliable FTP and SFTP client that allows to easily view, download and upload files to FTP folders.
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CoffeeCup Free FTP [Download]
It uploads, it downloads, it keeps all your FTP Servers settings in one place. Make CoffeeCup FREE FTP your choice for a no-cost, highly effective tool to compliment your webmaster suite.
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GoFTP is the fastest FTP program on the planet. Easy to use and has all of the basic features you need plus many advanced features that make this the best FTP client on the net.
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Features like SFTP (SSH), SSL, TLS, IDN, browser integration, site to site transfers, FTP transfer resume, drag and drop support, file viewing & editing, firewall support, custom commands, FTP URL parsing, command line transfers, filters, and much more.
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Yet another free FTP clients for Windows.
FTP Clients For Mac
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Open source FTP and SFTP (SSH Secure File Transfer) browser licensed under the GPL with an easy to use interface, integration with external editors and support for many Mac OS X system technologies such as Spotlight, Bonjour, the Keychain and AppleScript.
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OneButton FTP is a graphical FTP client for Mac OS X with a strong emphasis on simplicity, drag and drop usability, and file queuing. It allows you to easily transfer files to and from remote servers, such as the ones hosting your website, simply by dragging files to and from your computer.
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Fugu is a graphical front end to the command line Secure File Transfer application (SFTP) built into Mac OS X.
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RBrowser is a full featured graphical FTP/SCP/SSH/SFTP client, originally written for Mac OS X Server (and OpenStep), and now available for Mac OS X.
Other Alternative Methods
If you are only using FTP for light usage and not planning to install any external softwares for internet file transfering, here’s how you can turn your operating system or existing programs into an FTP tool.
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Firefox FireFTP [Download]
A Firefox plugin that does the FTP files transfer within your browser tab.
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Windows Explorer
You can use windows explorer as FTP tool. Just insert the details according to the following format:
ftp://username:password@ftp.server.com/
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Internet Explorer
The above way may seems a little unsecured as your username and password are exposed; here’s another way you can insert with your username and password remain hidden. Works on Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer. Insert the following in the address bar:
ftp://ftp.server.com
A dialogue box will prompt up, enter the username and password and you’ll be connected.
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DOS Command Lines
Window’s Command Prompt does support FTP. It doesn’t comes with a nice GUI but still does the job if you prefer doing the typing. Here’s how you get connected to FTP via Window’s DOS Command Prompt:
- Click Start on Desktop, select Run
- Type in “cmd” and hit enter.
- In Command Prompt, type FTP.
- Connect to your site with: open ftp.server.com
- Enter username and password.
Getting connected via Command Prompt is a no-brainer but if you are unfamiliar with the commands, you will find yourself having hard time transferring files. To know more DOS FTP commands, type HELP in the command prompt.
If you are unfamiliar with the term Desktop blogging client, think of it as a tool to blog with application instead of logging into your Blogger or WordPress. In fact, a lot of bloggers and probloggers has been using them for quite a while and there’s tonnes of reason why they love it. Desktop blogging clients allows one to manage multiple blogs of multiple platforms, write articles on the fly, as well as perform functions like those you can do on admin page. And because it is a desktop client, you don’t wait for pages to load.
In terms of writing articles for blogs, bloggers can generally fall into 3 categories:
- Blogging with desktop blogging client
I’ve been using ecto, then later marsedit. I also once thought ScribeFire was cool. The point is, if you are using your favourite blogging client it is also good to know what are other alternatives out there. You could have found a new favourite, you’ll never know.
- In search for suitable desktop blogging client
Desktop blogging clients have a different list of supporting blogging platform. If you manage blogs of different platforms, you’ll need to know what are your available options of these clients. Most of them have the similar core functions, but what differs them could be little capabilities that matters a lot to you. Spell checking for instance, some find it a mandatory need, some can’t be bothered. Consider what you need most, choose wisely. Pay for it if you need to.
- No idea what’s a desktop blogging client
Start getting one and give it a try (get the free ones). You’ll be amaze at it’s efficiency and the amount of time saved in blog writing.
Here’s 20 desktop blogging clients retrieved from my del.icio.us bookmarks. I figured you might want to have a look, and if you think there’s any blogging clients I’ve missed out, appreciate a heads up. Full list after jump.
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BlogJet
- Platform: Windows only
- Price: Free trial / €29.95
- Supports: WordPress, TypePad, Movable Type, Blogger, MSN Live Spaces, Blogware, BlogHarbor, Squarespace, Drupal, Community Server, etc.
- Website | Download
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Deepest Sender
- Platform: Firefox, SeaMoney, XULRunner
- Price: Free
- Supports: LiveJournal, Blogger, WordPress, MSN Live Spaces, meta Weblog
- Website | Download
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Flock Browser
- Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
- Price: Free
- Supports: Blogger, Blogsome, LiveJournal, WordPress, Xanga, Moveable Type
- Website | Download
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Windows Live Writer
- Platform: Windows (XP or Vista)
- Price: Free
- Supports: Windows Live Spaces, Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, WordPress Type
- Website | Download
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Ecto
- Platform: Windows, Mac
- Price: Free Trial / $17.95
- Supports: Blogger, Blojsom, Drupal, MovableType, Nucleus, SquareSpace, TypePad, WordPress, and more
- Website | Download
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Bleezer
- Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
- Price: Free
- Supports: Blogger, Blojsom, Drupal, MovableType, Nucleus, SquareSpace, TypePad, WordPress, and more
- Website | Download
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BlogTK
- Platform: Linux
- Price: Free
- Supports: Blogger, Movable Type, WordPress
- Website | Download
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Drivel Journal Editor
- Platform: Linux
- Price: Free
- Supports: LiveJournal, Blogger, MovableType, Advogato, WordPress, Drupal
- Website | Download
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Gnome Blog
- Platform: Linux
- Price: Free
- Supports: Blogger, Advogato, Movable Type, WordPress, LiveJournal, Pyblosxom
- Website | Download
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Newz Crawler
- Platform: Windows
- Price: Free Trial / $24.95
- Supports: Blogger, Metaweblog, MovableType or LiveJournal API supporting website
- Website | Download
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Performancing ScribeFire
- Platform: Firefox
- Price: Free
- Supports: WordPress, Blogger, Drupal, TypePad, LiveJournal, Windows Live Spaces and more.
- Website | Download
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MarsEdit
- Platform: Mac
- Price: Free Trial / $29.95
- Supports: WordPress, Blogger, TypePad, Movable Type, LiveJournal, Drupal, and Vox and more.
- Website | Download
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ThingamaBlog
- Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
- Price: Free
- Supports: LiveJournal, Blogger, MovableType, Advogato, WordPress, Drupal
- Website | Download
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w.Bloggar
- Platform: Firefox, Internet Explorer
- Price: Free
- Supports:WordPress, MovableType, TypePad, Drupal, b2evolution, Nucleus CMS, Squarespace, Community Server, BlogEngine.NET
- Website | Download
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RocketPost2
- Platform: Windows
- Price: Free Trial / $49
- Supports:Blogger, Movable Type, WordPress, TypePad, MSN Spaces, BlogHarbor, Drupal, dasBlog, .Text and SquareSpace
- Website | Download
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BlogDesk
- Platform: Windows
- Price: Free
- Supports:WordPress, MovableType, Drupal, Serendipity and ExpressionEngine
- Website | Download
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Post2Blog
- Platform: Windows
- Price: Free Trial / $14.95
- Supports:WordPress, MovableType, Blogger, Tyepad
- Website | Download
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Qumana
- Platform: Windows, Mac
- Price: Free Trial / $14.95
- Supports:Angelfire, Blogger/Blogspot, BlogHarbor, Blogware, Bryght, DiaryLand, Drupal, LiveJournal, MovableType, MSN Spaces, Tripod, TypePad, Roller, SquareSpace, WordPress.com, WordPress.org
- Website | Download
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Zoundry Raven
- Platform: Windows
- Price: Free
- Supports:Blogger, Movable Type & TypePad, Windows Live Spaces, WordPress, and more
- Website | Download
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WB Editor
- Platform: Windows
- Price: Free Trial / $29.99
- Supports:WordPress, Movable Type, Blogger, MSN Spaces, Drupal
- Website | Download
Determining the core color for a web projects could be easy but finding the right alternative to match the core can sometimes be difficult. That is where the color tools play its roles. Color tools help you determine matching color or even suggest set of matching color palette when you are totally clueless. Amongst are some of the best color tools web service on the internet any web designers should bookmark, or at least know.
18 Color tools now.
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