The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Yewell's Jewels Ryan Yewell © |
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Ryan Yewell brings us his latest update on free software for PCs. |
Last issue I listed my basic "must have"Yewell's Jewels for every PC out there.
I'll finish off the list with some intermediate level free software that will
make your computer a multimedia powerhouse.
First up is a real gem for manipulating video - MPEG Streamclip. I use this
cool little program regularly for trimming video clips and then re-encoding
them. MPEG Streamclip has more functionality than just that, such as joining
together video clips, and
is able to convert video files into all kinds of formats. I'm amazed
that it's free, as I've tried countless other free video trimmers/encoders and
they've all been extremely disappointing, to the point where I'd say they were
broken.
However, MPEG Streamclip just plain works, which is a huge compliment
when you're discussing free video manipulation tools. Go to
www.squared5.com
to download it. Make sure to read the instructions/info
on the website carefully, as you'll also need to install QuickTime OR install a
specific version of
QuickTime Alternative (which is my preference for MPEG compatibility), to get
full functionality.
Imagine that
For those of you wanting to take your photo editing and graphic design to a
whole new level,
check out the GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program). Despite its
strange name, GIMP is a powerful image editing program, approaching the likes
of Photoshop. To be fair, since the GIMP is free, and Adobe Photoshop costs
hundreds of dollars, they aren't quite at the
same level. However, GIMP can read/write most Photoshop .psd files, and can do
many of the same things, which is astounding for a free program.
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The GIMP
has an array of brushes, layers, masking tools - all kinds of neat stuff.
Download the GIMP (and its documentation) at www.gimp.org.
For you audiophiles out there, look no further than Audacity for all your audio
recording and editing needs. Audacity is a mighty sound editing solution, and
allows you to record audio (or import an existing file), cut/edit/splice it,
add effects, and convert between formats. What I love about this top notch
program is that you won't find any locked- out features, or maximum time limits
in it, like there are in most other free audio editing programs. Go to
www.audacity.sourceforge.net to download it. Also, read the FAQ section on the
website to learn how to download and install the LAME MP3 encoder. This will
allow you to play around with MP3's in Audacity. |
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Often it's the case that eventually, regardless of the level of computer user
that you are, you'll be presented with a situation where you'll need to
transfer a file via
FTP (File Transfer Protocol). When this situation arises, I recommend
Filelilla. Filelilla allows you to easily send and receive files via FTP, and
utilises "drag and drop" controls which makes it user-friendly. It's a well
designed program with lots of features, but it's also simple thanks to the
interface. If you ever need
to deal with FTP, use the Filezilla CLIENT from
www.filezilla-project.org.
All thumbs
And now for a really cool one!
For those of you that haven't heard of StumbleUpon, you're in for a real treat.
StumbleUpon is a browser toolbar (works for Internet Explorer and Firefox) that
when you first install it, you're asked to select from a list of areas that
match your interests (such as movies, nature, technology, and so on). Once that
initial setup is done (it only takes a couple minutes), whenever you hit the "StumbleUpon"
button in your web browser, you are taken to a highly rated webpage that
matches your previously selected interests (rated by other StumbleUpon users
that are similar to you).You can then give a "Thumbs Up" or a "Thumbs Down" to
the page. StumbleUpon is a very cool way to find some of the neatest stuff on
the web, catered exactly to your tastes, amongst
the millions and millions of web pages out there. You can download it at
www.stumbleupon.com.
Well, I hope you liked the lists. Until next time...
Note: Ryan Yewell© Permission to copy or quote extracts from this article may
only be done with the written permission of the author.
Reprinted from the September 2008 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
