links

Quite simply, a page of interesting or useful links/downloads. I will not be held responsible for the content of these sites, as I do not control them. However, they are all sites that I trust and have never had problems with.

Computer Utilities (all programs mentioned in the Computer Tips section can be downloaded here).

CCleaner.com
CCleaner (formerly Crap Cleaner) does exactly as the name alludes - it cleans out all the crap that accumulates on your computer over months or years of use. It is completely safe to use, and will not affect any of your personal files. Running this on many computers will reclaim several gigabytes of hard drive space. Be warned that during setup, it will have a checkbox to install the Yahoo! toolbar. Uncheck it if you don't want it (you don't).

Avira Antivirus
Avira Antivus has a whole collection of active antivirus options. The one I use (and have linked to) is their free version. It has an excellent detection rate, requires very little system resources, and automatically updates itself. My personal favourite free antivirus solution.

MalwareBytes' AntiMalware
Unlike Avira, the free version of MBAM is an on-demand scanner, meaning you have to run it yourself periodically. It is extremely effective - MBAM has detected infected files on almost every computer I have ever run it on (it detected over 400 on one computer... *shudder*). Once you install it, update it, then run it every week or so. It does not update itself automatically, so remember to do that before running it.

a-squared Free
a-sqared Free is a free on-demand scanner, similar to MBAM. Like MBAM, it also has an excellent detection rate, and very few false positives. It's always a good idea to have more than one on-demand scanner, and to run them every week or so. This ensures that if malware fails to be detected by one program, another may be able to identify it. Remember to keep a-squared updated after you install it!

Spybot - Search & Destroy
Spybot - Search & Destroy can practically be called the granddaddy of modern anti-malware programs. Initially developed around 2000, it specifically targets adware and spyware, two of the most obnoxious types of malware. After installing it, keep it updated, and make sure to "Immunize" your system (this is a way that Spybot protects from being infected by blocking known malware sites). I have noticed that it does occasionally freeze while scanning. This is irritating, but harmless. Just close it and re-run it, it will usually work no problems the second time.

Opera Web Browser
The Opera web browser is an alternative to Internet Explorer or Firefox. Although these two have plenty of features, Opera tends to be on the cutting edge - features that appear in Opera generally don't show up in other browsers until months or years later (tabs, RSS reader, mail, etc). It is secure, customizable, and thanks to a new server-side compression technology, is faster than ever.

VLC Media Player
Potentially the most useful media player I have ever found, VLC Media Player comes with a huge number of codecs. This allows it to play basically any media file you shoot it at (including commercial DVDs), from mp3 and mp4 files to obscure ones such as QCELP and Speex (don't ask). It is available on a wide range of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, BeOS and more.

Web tools

1&1 Webhosting
1&1 webhosting is what I used to register my domain and is my current webhost. They have excellent starter packages starting at around $4/month.

Jalbum Web Photo Album Maker
Excellent program that I use to make the web photo albums on this site. Has tons of options, skins, all sorts of stuff. Also has the option to show EXIF data at the bottom of each picture, which is a nice touch and makes you feel super-special.

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