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Newsletter for August 8th, 2007 - Codename "Summer Slowdown"

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mouser:
Newsletter for August 8th, 2007Codename "Summer Slowdown"

"If you read nothing else on our site, read our BLOG"


1. From the Editor
Greetings everyone and welcome to another edition of the DonationCoder.com newsletter, proudly labeled as non-spam and virus-free by one out of five internet service providers.

It's almost the end of the summer and a lot of people seem to be on vacation this month (not me!), so we don't have any discounts lined up for August.  But we'll be back with discounts next month.

I really wanted to have FARR v2 released in time for this newsletter but I ended up spending so much time on the updater features (which have turned into a full standalone flexible updater tool), that the FARR 2 release has been pushed back another month.  The updater features are important because they allow you to update and install plugins written by 3rd parties easily (like firefox does).  So I hope you will bear with me -- I'm trying to make the FARR 2 release as pleasant and smooth as possible.

Make sure you check out the pictures from the latest DC Gatherings:

* Western Europe Meetups
* The Littlest DC'er visits Mouser

2. Our Members Write Stuff
Some people are under the mistaken impression that our site is just for programmers -- it's not!  It's for programmers and non-programmers alike -- anyone who loves the world of software.  But one thing is for sure, the members on our site are busy beavers and they love to create and share stuff..


* A Practical Guide to DonationCoder.com Forum Search - a more detailed look at the amazing improvements that our member Wordzilla made to the DonationCoder.com forum search functions.
* Making the Switch-06: Software Management is not that different
* Mintcamp: a new blog of interviews with developers and web designers
* Information Overload: a review of the new MyAOL portal

3. Countdown to FARR v2 Release
After almost a year of solid development, Find and Run Robot version 2 will be released to the public later this month.  It's a huge release for us and supporting members of the site can now download an early release of v2 with lots of great plugins written by coders on the forum.  We're very excited about this release as you might imagine!  We've also released an early version of a new updater tool that will keep you up to date on all of our software.


* Preview Download Area - For Supporting (Donating) members of DonationCoder.com Only

4. Your Input Requested!
We want your participation on the DC forum! It's ok if you're normally shy and reserved and scared to post questions and comments -- we give you permission to make an exception for these posts.  Some people think our forum is only for expert power users, but it's really a giant mix of users, and we want you to participate, regardless of your background.  So take a deep breath and jump in!


* XP or Vista user — take the poll!
* Poll: Is the whole Web 2.0 thing in the browser a reality now?
* How to punish DonationCoder if you are angry at being nagged to donate
* User settings storage debate
* What's your music player of choice?

5. General Software Discussion
Above all else, discussion on the DonationCoder.com forum focuses around software, old and new, and finding the best tool for the job.  Have a question or want advice on what program to use? Ask it!


* A better wireless network finder?
* Is it possible to search for rogue font types in a Word document?
* Working with (display+format+restructure) big amount of data (text+graphics)?
* djvu: an alternative to scanned pdfs?
* Windows Guy Tries Ubuntu
* word count from multilpe doc files?
* convert swf flash video to avi
* K-Meleon listed as one of top browsers...
* Looking for a video splitter, pref. one that batches
* Free util to sound alarm when your laptop is grabbed by thief
* 2007 Shareware Industry Award Winners
* Real time video mixer software needed
* a honest review from someone who went full-time mac and came back to windows
* Maxthon 2 Released
* 45 best Freeware Design programs
* Print on PDF
* CardMonkey: Make your own solitaire card games (free)
* Four Cool Online Chore Tracking/Motivating Websites
* Is this the holy grail to solving windows-out-of-resources bugs?
* ComputerWorld's Review of Office Suites (other than MS Office)
* Some HomeSite (html editor) Replacement Help?
* SourceForge unveils winners of 'open-source Oscars'
* Anyone actually use windows system restore if so,does it work.
* Best search and replace software discussion
* ODF — the inevitable format?
* Linux or Mac: Which is the better alternative to Windows?
* Can I uninstall .NET Framework 1.1 and 2.0 ??
* RSS feed for updated software?
* Software to record in MP3 format
* What is a good partition manager for Windows Vista
* Anyone any idea how to fix file assocations?
* Consistent favourite folder access- wow- that was hard! Office->Directory Opus
* Achieve Planner + Goals to Action

6. Fun and Games
Our readers are obsessed with productivity and time management, but even the hardest workers need an occasional quick burst of recreation and diversion.  Nothing too complicated -- just enough to recharge your batteries.


* Internet Crashed!
* MacOrPc Rap Music Video
* (Video) Stalked by an a-capella group
* Recreate yourself: simpson style!
* Flash game/fun: The Cadaver Calculator
* Beautiful new Tower Defense Game: Revenge of the StickMan
* Flash Game of the day - Get The Glass
* Freeware Independent Game: Cave Story
* (Game) Crosswords Flash Game
* Very clever time-travel themed flash game: Timebot
* Flash Game of the Day: Turret Defense Game
* Flash Tower Defense Game

7. The Wonderful World of the Web
Are you suffering from IOS (Internet Overload Syndrome)?  We thought so.  Have you just figured out what web2.0 means? (get ready because web3.0 is coming soon).  To help reduce your overload, here's a list of some of the more interesting website discussions, debates, and discoveries that have come up on the forum over the last month..


* Nice Article: Pay-for-blogging site raises questions
* Geocaching: A treasure hunt, the high-tech way
* Human Computing - Video Lecture by Luis von Ahm
* Respectance - a site for remembering people you lost
* Comic blogs — I love 'em
* Start pages, revisited
* Top 10 Sites for Kids
* Top 10 Weird Science Sites
* Top Ten Sci-Fi Sites
* 10 Tips for Razor Sharp Concentration
* How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
* Article: A Woman's Primer for Building Her Own Computer
* Some laser printers are as danagerous as cigarette smoking...
* Article: Please don't steal this Web content
* Article: The Economics of Open Source Donations
* Thoughtful Article: Blogging Ethics: When And What Should Bloggers Disclose?

8. Developer's Corner
Don't be thrown off by the name of this section on our forum.  It's not just for programmers.  It's also for people interested in starting their own business and website developers, students and entrepreneurs.  Even if you're not sure whether you belong in that category, you might want to poke your head in and see if there's anything interesting out there that might want you to start up a new hobby.


* Amazon to expand their payment system to compete with PayPal?
* Static Versus Dynamic Typing (A great overview)
* Heads Up! Game::AI++ in the pipeline
* Big list of Open Source Help Desk software
* Developing a Firefox Extension That People Actually Use
* Does my web page suck?
* Blog Article: 25 Rounded Corners Techniques with CSS
* Short Article: When To Dump That Great Idea
* YouLicense.com - Site for finding and licensing indie music for your product
* Exhibit: Display adjustable data tables on web page without server software
* Threadpools and Delegates in .NET
* C++ Development: win32 or .NET?
* JayIsGames.com 4th Flash Game Design Competition - Oct 1 Deadline
* Programming languages for kids? Suggestions on learning as well.

9. Site of the Month
This month I want to give some special attention to our website of the month, Nirsoft.net, a site that has been mentioned many times on our forum, but is long overdue for some official accolades and recognition from us:


* NirSoft is doing amazing work.  Their power utilities for windows reach into the very guts of the operating system and do things no other utilities can do.  And they are all free.  Our only warning is that you please don't visit their site unless you have some serious time to kill.
* Some of the tools NirSoft makes are completely unique and wonderfully surprising.  Some of our favorites include: OfficeIns, ZipInstaller, ShellExView, ShellMenuView,  Volumouse, NirCmd,  SmartSniff, and their newest utility, GDIView.  They also have a ton of password recovery tools, browser investigation tools, and much more.


Thanks to Wordzilla for the help preparing this newsletter.  I'm still looking for someone who might be willing to help prepare newsletters, so let me know if you think you might want to give it a try.
-mouser

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