Foreverpurple

If you have always wanted to give Linux a try but found it to be too complicated to set up dual boots there is a new version that lets you boot from a cd and run the OS. That’s right no installation to your hard drive! OR you can install it just like a normal program and it becomes a boot option at start up and uninstall just as easily. Ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04 www.ubuntu.com FREE!

Podcast via your phone with Gcast! Sign up, get your url, phone in your podcast and then log in to the site to edit the podcast so people can find it. You don’t have to do it by phone, you can upload your audio files too. FREE!!

I know a couple people who are very intimidated by any sort of photo editing software but from time to time have the need to crop or resize a photo. You can do this (and more) online at picnik.com and then save the edited image back to your hard drive. FREE!

For online photo editing AND storage you can try Adobe’s Photoshop Express also FREE! http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopexpress/

VenturiMini let’s you stream calls and music from your cell phone to your FM stereo (works like satellite radio receivers) over bluetooth. $129 and yet another potential competitor of satellite radio.

The newest Blackberry Pearl 8120 is PC World’s top pic of the smartphones.

Ditch Microsoft Office on your home computer and use Google Doc instead. They are working out some bugs as they make this feature available offline but the potential is there. If you are a light user of office suites you should find Google docs quite sufficient. FREE!

Check for WiFi without starting your pc with Canary’s Wireless pocket-size Digital Hotspotter. $60 I prefer the Tshirt

Microsoft AND Google are working toward handling your (collectively all of us) health records online. This is a bit disturbing especially as Microsoft continues to invade our lives beyond our computers, first our cars and now our medical records? No laws guaranteeing privacy? Erm…seems scary and not cool to me.

XP gets a mini reprieve from Microsoft. On some low cost laptops you will still be able to purchase XP HOME. It will completely be retired June 30, 2010 or one year after the release of Windows 7, whichever comes first. Yes Vista is such a hunk of shit that Microsoft has moved up the deadline of Windows 7 from 2010 to 2009.

Want to web conference with audio, video and data but can’t afford something like Webex? Try DimDim www.dimdim.com We are going to to give it a test at work.

Search by voice on your GPS enabled Blackberries with TellMe and OneSearch. No more trying to type it in! Weee!

If you bought a HD DVD player you can get a rebate from Amazon, WalMart, Netflix and Best Buy. Check around their websites or contact them for info.