A robot capable of love. Because, after all, machines are becoming more efficient than humans at everything else doesn't it make sense that they would be more efficient at caring?
Here are some programs you might enjoy.
If you have questions please ask.
For internet and security:
If this site looks a little funny it is because you are not using Firefox as your Internet browser. Firefox is open source and much better than other browsers.
Click Here to Download Firefox FREE
After you download Firefox why not save yourself some bandwidth and load the FlashBlocker plugin? That way you only see and load Flash stuff you want to see (by clicking on it). This option is not for everyone. If you don't like it go to Tools->Add-Ons and remove it.
Click Here to install Flashblock for Mozilla FREE
You may also want to check out ZoneAlarm. It is a Firewall that stops attacks from internet fiends and prevents spyware on your computer from calling home.
Click Here to Download ZoneAlarm FREE
For spyware detection get Spybot S&D. It's free and updated regularly.
Click Here to Download Spybot S&D FREE
Graphics tools:
Blender is an open source 3D content creation suite. You can sculpt 3d still images, create animations, and even simple games.
Click Here to Download Blender FREE
For some beginning tutorials on using Blender click Here
Here is a free movie created with blender"s software:
Big Buck Bunny from Blender Foundation on Vimeo .
The ever famous Gimp for Windows is a great alternative to Adobe's Photoshop for those that don't want to shell out a couple hundred dollars. I have access to Photoshop and I still use the Gimp because I can modify it. Requires that you install the gtk multi platform toolkit.
Click Here to Download Gimp + GTK FREE
For a free vector graphics tool try Inkscape. It will help you to create modern Flash images and smooth gradient textures with a slick shiny look.
Here is a link for Inkscape
And here is a link to learn how to use it.
If you are looking to make an animated Gif image here is a nice little program. It allows you to take a series of pictures or movie images and create your .gif image. It's not opensource, but it is free.
Click Here to Download Benetons Movie Gif FREE
If you are looking for a way to record what is happening on your computer screen, with sound or not, CamStudio is an easy and free way to do this. It will record the whole screen or just the small section you designate. I will do a tutorial on this when I can.
Click Here to Download CamStudio FREE
If you are looking for a way to backup your DVDs, or place them on a single hard drive for your media center? With Dvdshrink you can backup your store bought DVDs to your hardrive.
Click Here to Download Dvdshrink FREE
Audio stuff:
Audacity is free, open source software for recording and editing sounds. It's features are limited, but if you have little or no experience in audio recording and editing it is a great place to start.
To get Audacity click Here
ZynAddSubFX is an open source software synthesizer capable of making some great sounds. Turn your keyboard into a Keyboard.
To get ZynAddSubFX click Here
Here is a link for the mac people: Link!
For more info on ZynAddSubFX check out the creator's site.
Convenience:
If you modify html, code, or have anything on the internet that you have to type out over and over then TEXTER is for you. It takes abbreviations you define and replaces them with whatever you want on a single keystroke. It also can auto complete words and spell check.
Click here to learn more.
If you like hotkeys, or want to automate repetitive tasks on your computer, even mouse movements, then learning to modify AutoHotKey can really help. It allows you to record actions and easily program your keyboard to do what ever you want using just a few keystrokes.
You can check out more on AutoHotKey here.
Coding:
If you are interested in programming, but have no previous experience, I think the best way to start learning is with a scripting language. A great language to start with (since it is similar to C/C++ only simpler) is Python. Getting started is simple.
First download and install Python's runtime environment Here
Then go through this Tutorial
You might be surprised how easy it is to start!
Alternatively, if you are on the Windows platform, Microsoft provides a suite of free compilers in a variety of languages to get started programming. They are not Opensource, but are free and come with plenty of documentation.
The site to download the tools is Here
The Tutorials for your chosen branch of developement are Here
Hardware:
If you are interested in circuitry and extending the capabilities of your computer and bringing it to life in new ways then learning about the Arduino family of microcontrollers may be for you. There is some programming involved and you will have to build a knowledge of how circuits work, but there is plenty of documentation and books to learn this in a fun and hands on way.
Click here to go to the Arduino website for more information.
Communication:
If you have ever been away from a computer but had some notes you needed to take There is a free voice to text service called Jott.
Click here to go to the Jott website.
If you have work you wish to share on the web, but you want to retain your rights and ownership check out the Creative Commons License. Here is a video explaining what it is.
For more information check out their website.
More information, tools, and tutorials coming soon.
Stay tuned.
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