Only Free Software
There are some applications that you are so used too that you don’t really think about an alternative. Something like Screamer Radio for me, it ‘gets the job done’. Until you run into an alternative through one of your favorite software blogs, maybe something like ghacks.net.
You install the alternative and play a little with it and then it hits you, you have been missing the superb search function in your former piece of internet radio streaming thingie. Luckily for you there is also a testing version, so you can apply a non-hideous skin so it kinda looks like a native Windows application. The nice cross fades into the next station, the more than 12000 presets, or the simple equalizer presets are something I won’t even mention here.
So now I just type in ‘ska’ and it comes up with ‘BigUpRadio Skankin’ Ska’. Search FTW!
Visual IRC (ViRC) is an open source Internet Relay Chat client for the Windows operating system. Unlike many other IRC clients, nearly all of the functionality in ViRC is driven by the included script, with the result that the program’s behavior can be extended or changed without altering the source code.
ChatZilla is an application that is written in the Mozilla XML User Interface Language, in short XUL. It is incorporated in the Mozilla SeaMonkey internet suite and is available as an add-on that you need to run from inside other Mozilla applications like Firebird or Thunderbird.
In short this means that you can’t restart your browser without leaving IRC. If you want to run ChatZilla as a stand alone application you must use the program XULRunner. ChatZilla on XULRunner is one way, but if you already have a copy of Firefox 3.0 or higher installed you also have a copy XULRunner. To run your copy of ChatZilla with Firefox do this:
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -app "C:\Program Files\ChatZilla\application.ini
AIM Lite is a reference application for testing some new client technology developed here at AOL, with the goal of being a simple, fun, light IM client.
Orbit Downloader is a great speed, super light, easy-to-use free download manager. It is based on p2p and multi-source downloading technology and supports HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, MMS and RTSP protocols. Using Orbit Downloader, you can almost download everything online with 500% faster speed, like youtube video, rapidshare files, flash and streaming media etc.
It works like advertised and integrates nicely with IE, Firefox, Opera and Maxthon.
Browsershots makes screenshots of your web design in different browsers. It is a free open-source online service created by Johann C. Rocholl. When you submit your web address, it will be added to the job queue. A number of distributed computers will open your website in their browser. Then they will make screenshots and upload them to the central server here.
Your website through the eyes of a Mac ?
Browsrcamp allows you to test the compatibility of your design with Mac OS X browsers.
If you are looking for an alternative email client, other than Pegasus Mail or maybe Mozilla Thunderbird, Sylpheed might be the program for you. Sylpheed is a lightweight, feature full, cross platform email client with a nice intuitive interface. Some of the features are:
For a full feature list visit the website.
I like to listen to music with my headphones on. I play that music from my computer. In the meantime I’m surfing the web a bit, clicking on vague links. Then it happens: you surf to a site with background music at about 500% the volume of the music you are currently listening to. You know, the louder the better, because you have to be different than the rest. Or maybe you are just stuck in the 90s.
I’m sure I’m not the only one this happened to, because Einar wrote FlashMute.
FlashMute is a tool which allows you to mute/unmute Flash movies loaded in a browser exclusively, or alternatively all sounds produced by the browser. It lives in your systray and with a simple mouse click it shows a volume slider and mute option. What else do you want?