I Love Free Software

5 Things I hope YouTube Did Better
Browser Data Backup and Restore Tool: FavBackup
Theme Pack for Windows 7: Xbox 360 Transformer Pack
Create Facebook Store Absolutely free With StoreYa
Convert Videos for Multiple Devices: Convert-All Free Media Converter
5 Free Android Math Apps
Protect Your System from Attacks with Toolwiz Time Freeze

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 06:28 PM PST

Today Google said that Youtube reached a new milestone: 60 hours of video upload per minute, and 4 billion video views per day. Those numbers are just amazing. Now that MegaVideo is gone, some of that traffic would also be coming to YouTube.

Youtube is one of the most popular websites on the web, and it does lot of things right. However, there are some things I hope YouTube did better.

Here is my wish list from YouTube:

1. Give an Option for "Next Video"

Most of the times I go to YouTube, it is to see some show that I might have missed. Recently I was flocking it to watch Golden Globes Awards. Most of such videos are broken down into several parts, and this is where my pain area starts. When I finish watching one part, there is no option for me to see which is the next part of the video. The guys who upload videos do a good job at naming videos, and I am most of the times able to make out the next part from the name. But sometimes lot of videos are uploaded for same show (like, was the case with Golden Globe), and everyone follows same convention. So, sometimes it becomes difficult just figuring out next part of the video.

So, my first wish is that YouTube provided an option somewhere called "Next Video". The guys who upload video could use this option to specify which is the next video after this. That would have made things a lot simpler.

(I realize that this information can be added in "description", but there needs to be standardized way for it that everyone can know about).

2. Wrap Those Titles, silly

I would even go ahead and call this a bug. If the headlines for videos are really long, YouTube doesn't wraps them. That means I am not even able to sometime see what the complete video title is. See this screenshot:

So, my second wish from YouTube is to wrap the video titles so that I can easily see what is the complete title (and do not have to mouse over each of them just to read the title).

3. Give me a Decent Video Creation Software

I am sometimes surprised by the fact that YouTube does not provides any desktop software to create videos. It does features some tools that you can use to create and edit videos, but most of them are online. I really wish it provides something that makes it easy for me to record my screencasts or webcam videos. After recording the software should have built-in editing features, built-in features to add description and annotations. And most importantly, it should have an integrated YouTube uploader that could easily upload my videos in the background. In case internet connection breaks in between, it should have an option to resume upload.

So, my third wish from YouTube is to provide some native desktop video creation software.

4. Video Suggestions at End of Video

This is something that Youtube earlier did right, and has now messed it up. When a video ends, Youtube shows suggests in the video pane. Earlier it used to show 4 suggestions at a time, with the complete title of the videos. That was a really simple and usable approach. In the stroke of genius, Youtube took that away. Instead, Youtube shows a tile of photos which do not have title on them. Somehow from a single picture of the video I am supposed to interpret what the video is about??

So, my fourth wish from Youtube is to get the old approach back, and take away this new overwhelming tile of photos.

5. Live Webcasting

This is my last wish from Youtube: provide some option of live webcasting. I could use it for online broadcasting, for having live interviews, for conducting online meetings, and lot more. I understand that it might be quite complicated to implement, so I mentioned this as last one. But if Youtube does implements it, boy, it would be so cool.

So, here are my 5 wishes from Youtube that I hope Santa (Google) listens to, and decides to implement.

5 Things I hope YouTube Did Better was originally published at I Love Free Software

Browser Data Backup and Restore Tool: FavBackup

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 03:00 PM PST

FavBackup is a free browser data backup and restore software to take a back up of your web browsing data from any browser. This means you can take a backup and restore your profiles and other data from different browsers that you use to browse the web. This browser data backup tool is available for download free of cost. It has quite a few numbers of features which can be useful to the users.

Lets look at some features of this browser data backup tool:

It helps in backing up browser profiles, data and settings.
It is useful for portable versions as well.
It can back up on quite a few number of popular web browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari, Flock etc.

It is useful not only for backing up but also restoring the previously backed up profile data and settings.
You may need to provide the portable browsers back up location in order to prevent the overwriting of your browser's profiles.
The backup is also not partial; it can be done in full.
There is another important feature that is it can convert the Opera profile from XP to Vista or Windows 7 and vice versa.
It can also convert the Opera profile from 32 bit to 64 bit and vice versa.
It is lightweight and no installation is required.
It does not cause your system memory to slow down.

How to use this browser data backup tool:

To use this software you need to go to website.
You have two choices exe file or zip file to download. I choose the exe file.
After download is complete you have to run it.
Launching the software will give you full information about the software.
Now at the top you can see the tab showing all the web browsers.
Click on any one of them, choose a backup location and click on Next in order to save the data for that browser.

You can also change the theme of this software in the Preferences Tab.
To Convert Opera profiles you need to click on the Convert Tab.

Overall, FavBackup is a nice productivity tool for your PC. You can always try it out and hopefully you will find it useful.

Browser Data Backup and Restore Tool: FavBackup was originally published at I Love Free Software

Theme Pack for Windows 7: Xbox 360 Transformer Pack

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 01:00 PM PST

The Xbox 360 Transformer Pack for Windows 7 is a Windows 7 theme pack. A theme pack is a piece of software that changes the basic look of an operating system.

Menus Revert to Classic Windows 95 and XP Look

This was my favorite part of the whole software package. I prefer the classic look of Windows 95 and XP. Everything reverted to the Classic look I prefer, menus, Quickstart area, Start Menu, and application windows. What I didn't like about this part is that it changed my default colors of windows. So, instead of my nice soft blue and grey windows titles bars, they were harsh fluorescent green, which I had to change. It also changed my boot screen from the Toshiba logo to the Xbox 360 Welcome Screen look. I was afraid, looking at the DOS screen during the installation, that it was going to change the picture on my login screen, also, but it didn't.

No Support for Theme Pack

The Xbox 360 Transformer Pack isn't a software package that was created by a company. It was created by a private party that was a member of an online community for artists. This means that if you have questions about how to use it, like I did, or how to properly uninstall it, there's nobody to ask. Luckily, I know how to safely edit my registry. Even worse, the account of the person that created the package has been deactivated.

Better and Safer Theme Pack Options Available

There are a large number of companies that make theme packs for Windows 7, including Microsoft. Since these are companies, with reputations to protect, the theme packs they out are fully tested and fully supported. If you have problems at any time with their theme pack, you only have to email them and they'll help you out. And you can be more confident that they won't cause your system to slow down, or hang, like this one did to my system. I'm just glad I know a bit more about uninstalling problematic programs than most people.

Theme Pack for Windows 7: Xbox 360 Transformer Pack was originally published at I Love Free Software

Create Facebook Store Absolutely free With StoreYa

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 11:00 AM PST

StoreYa is an online service which allows you to import your store and create a free Facebook store. StoreYa is an easy to use online tool, but, please note that this service is free until it’s in the Beta period. After the beta period you will be getting a free trial of this tool for a period of 30 days, and it will be chargeable after the free trial period. Moreover, this service also allows you to customize your Facebook store in the best possible way, that it attracts visitors.

Above screenshot is a dummy store created by us.

It’s not necessary that you should have any technical knowledge for creating your own Facebook Store. This service is currently working with third-party stores of Magento, which means that if you already have a store on Magento you can easily set up the same store on Facebook. If you don't have any already existing store on Magento, then too you can create a new store manually with the help of StoreYa.

You would also like to check out other websites to create Facebook Store for free.

As we all know, that Facebook is one of the most popular social networking site with increasing users day by day. So presently setting up a store on Facebook is one of the best way to promote your business and sell products on a large-scale. Setting up a store is not an easy task, but with the help of this online tool you can easily create your own Facebook store like never before.

Moreover, the Facebook store created includes few options like Marketing, Account, Manage store and customize. Marketing options performs the marketing function for your store. With the help of account option, you can set the currency for your store, feed in your business information and much more. Perform store management with manage store option.

Some Key Features Of StoreYa To Create Facebook Store :

Easy to use.
Presently creates your Facebook store absolutely free.
Customize your Facebook store.
Manage your Facebook store.
Easily create your own Facebook store.
Import all your inventory, without manually uploading them one by one.

How to Use StoreYa for creating Your own Facebook Store :

Visit the homepage of this StoreYa and click on "Get started now-connect with Facebook" button.
Login to this online service with your Facebook account.
Click "Allow" button in the installation confirmation window.
You will come across a window which shows you 3 step process for creating a Facebook store.

In the first step, you need to add domain of your exisitng online store in the domain box, and click "confirm" button.
Now in the second step upload your CSV file of inventories in the format which is mentioned in the fourth question of FAQ page. This option is for manual setup of Facebook Store, when you do not have a exisiting Magento store to import.
If you already have a Store in Magento, then specify API user and API key in the second step.
Now in the third step you need to click on "Activate" button for activating your store.
Click on "Connect your store to your Facebook page" link.

You will come across an authorization window in which you need to tap the Allow button.
That's it, you have created your own Facebook store.

StoreYa lays down one of the easiest way to create a Facebook Store like never before. Try out this online tool for creating your Facebook store, and be prepared for tons of traffic on your store.

Create Facebook Store Absolutely free With StoreYa was originally published at I Love Free Software

Convert Videos for Multiple Devices: Convert-All Free Media Converter

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 09:00 AM PST

Convert-All Free Media Converter is a free software to convert videos for multiple devices. Do you have a video file on your computer that you want to use on your phone? Or maybe you have an MPEG file you want to convert to AVI format to save some space. Convert-All Free Media Converter can do this, and more for you.

Fast Download and Installation of this Media Converter

The download for Convert-All is fast and small, at just under six megabytes. The server is faster than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. My wireless connection to the cable modem took just a few seconds to download and scan the program.

The installation was quick and easy. All of the installation options, except for accepting the license agreement, are set for you. You just need to be careful during the install because the setup utility will try to change some of your browser options on you. Select a custom install and deselect the browser options and toolbar and all is well.

Conversion Takes Just a Few Clicks

Media file conversion can be as simple as selecting the file to convert and the output folder and format. If you have some knowledge about video files, you can select the resolution, frame rate, and codecs. You can also make changes to the audio portion of the video file. These options mean that you have more control over the output file. Media conversion is relatively fast, also. I converted a 240 megabyte High Definition MPEG file to a just under 200 megabyte AVI file in just a few minutes. This is actually faster than some of the paid media converter programs that I use.

More Than Two Dozen Output Formats

Some media converter programs only give you a few output options. But Convert-All gives you more than two dozen output options. Some of the supported options include multiple AVI and Mpeg formats, iPod and iPhone, Quicktime MOV, RealMedia RM, Flash Video (FLV), two versions of Windows Media Volume, four quality levels for the Sony PSP, two Zune formats, and multiple options for mobile phones.

Even with all of these available formats, I feel it's missing two important formats, especially for people that are converting media files to save hard drive space. These are the Matroska media file format (MKV) and the Real Media Variable Bitrate format (RMVB). Both of these formats can save a media file in approximately half the space of a comparable AVI or MPEG file.

I like this program. My only real complaint with Convert-All Free Media Converter stems from the attempt to change some of my browser settings (homepage and search engine) and the installation of a toolbar. The lack of MKV and RMVB support is a minor inconvenience, especially since not many people know of them.

Convert Videos for Multiple Devices: Convert-All Free Media Converter was originally published at I Love Free Software

5 Free Android Math Apps

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 07:00 AM PST

Here are 5 free Android math apps which will help you to exercise and improve your mathematical skills. Lets get into details of each math Android app.

Math Ref Free

m ref

As the name implies Math Ref Free is one of the most popular Android math apps which works as a mathematical reference app. This Android math app covers a lot of mathematical topics and equations including Trigonometry, Geometry, Integration, Derivatives, Algebra, Statistics and Probability.

Math Ref Free also includes many formula related to Physics. This Android math app is free version of Math Ref app costing $0.99 and sized 19 MB, while Math Ref Free is just 8.3 MB download. The double sized package includes added Chemistry, Physics and Mathematical formulae and equations like Vector Calculus, Algorithms, Discrete Mathematics, etc. Math Ref Free is a must have math app for high-school and college students.

iPhone users can check out iPhone Math Apps reviewed by us.

Math Maniac

maniac

Math Maniac is a puzzle math app. This math game app has a board containing numbers from 1 to 9. Our task in the game is to tap on the numbers to add them and so that the final sum is the number displayed at the lower left corner of the screen. To do this just 10 seconds are given and 10 seconds are enough to do so. The count-down timer is also displayed at the lower end of the screen. The difficulty level in this math app for Android increases slowly, along with increasing the player's mathematical skills.

Check out other Android Apps reviewed by us.

Math Workout

workout

Math Workout has got as popular as Gym Workout apps on Android Market with more than 3 million downloads. This free math app for Android is designed to exercise the brain for a few minutes daily.

Math Workout includes many sub-exercises and games. The gameplay is challenging. The user has to react fast in order to delay the Game Over message. Some exercises in Math Workout are Time Table Master, Math Blaster Challenge, The Brain Cruncher and Mental Math Master. Math Workout is an ad-supported app. The ad-free version is priced around $2.

Kids Numbers and Math Free

kids

Kids Numbers and Math Free is an Android math app for kids. With a child-friendly interactive interface this Android math app makes them to learn the initial math skills like counting, addition and subtraction. We can set the minimum and maximum number. However, with the premium Kids and Math app costing $2.99, the number range is lifted up to 20.

Fun Math Tricks Lite

fun trick

Want to learn some cool Math tricks? Get the Fun Math Tricks Lite app for Android. This Android math app is designed for the users to learn some advanced tricks so that they can save time while in professional entrance examination like MCAT and GMAT. The tricks taught in this app are like getting the square root of a number(say 58) with a short and quick method, instead of wasting time in multiplication. Sounds cool!

5 Free Android Math Apps was originally published at I Love Free Software

Protect Your System from Attacks with Toolwiz Time Freeze

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 05:00 AM PST

Toolwiz Time Freeze is a free software to protect your system from malicious attacks. If you're like me, you spend a good portion of your day online. The online world is full of predatory people and entities, as well as entities that want to put software on your computer that will help them sell products to you. What you need is a program that will protect you from all of these attacks. ToolWiz Time Freeze can be that piece of guardian software for you.

Quick and Easy Download and Installation

The installer for Toolwiz Time Freeze is small, at just over a megabyte, so the download goes by really quickly. The installation process is quick and painless with no nasty surprises. The installer doesn't try to change any browser settings, install any toolbars, or anything like that. Because of what the software is, you will be required to restart your system after the install completes, but that's to be expected.

What Toolwiz Time Freeze Is

The software is classified as either a piece of antivirus software or a piece of security software. Defining it as an antivirus package isn't quite right, because it does more than that. It's like a firewall, but it does more than a firewall. The software is a system protection software package.

Virtual Environment Protects Your System

One of the things that Toolwiz Time Freeze does, and where it gets its name from, is it creates a virtual environment for you to do what can be performed risky activities online. The software takes a snapshot of your system configuration and freezes it. This protects your whole system from changes being made while the Time Freeze is in effect. A virtual environment is basically an operating system within an operating system.

File Protection Protects Against Unauthorized Viewing and Changing

Toolwiz Time Freeze also has a feature that allows you to select files and folders for protection. This feature allows you to select whole folders or individual files for protection. This feature protects those files and folders that you select from being secretly transferred or copied from your computer malicious software such as Trojans and worms. It also keeps those files and folders safe from prying eyes and local copying by unauthorized users.

For added security, especially if more than one person uses your computer, the program can be made to run from startup and protected by a password. If you decide to enable password protection, the password you choose will have to be input in order to stop either of the protection features. This adds another level of protection to your system, files, and folders.

Protect Your System from Attacks with Toolwiz Time Freeze was originally published at I Love Free Software

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012