pctoolbox.co.uk

People will have noticed that we haven’t posted on PcToolbox for over a year and that’s because we are posting on Brandstar now.  We will keep PCT open for a while as there is a useful history but there won’t be any new posts here, everything will be on Brandstar.  Thanks!

We recently downloaded the Beta Version of the New Internet Explorer 9 (IE9). Whilst it’s not the final version for release it gives us all a good idea of what to expect from the final release of the software. Here’s a our views on the program and a little bit about what’s new!

First Impressions (click image to enlarge)

Much more aesthetically pleasing than previous versions of the program. Rather than looking its usual dated and cluttered self, IE9 has taken a huge leap into the 21st century having previously drastically needing an injection of botox and a tummy tuck. This has lead to a cool, calm, simplistic finish which appears to be much more user friendly. The overall speed of the web browser also seems considerably improved.

Want to read the rest of this post? Head over to Brandstar.co.uk

WeTransfer.com is a free, quick, easy, registration-free way to transfer big files to up to 20 other people.  Here is how to use the service:

1. Visit wetransfer.com
2. Upload your files by clicking the (+) and selecting them.
3. Enter the recipient(s) email address(es)
4. Enter your email address.
5. Type a quick message
6. Then click ‘Transfer’

Some more reasons why we recommended wetransfer.com:

• You can send up to 2GB’s worth of files.
• The data transferred can be downloaded for up to 2 weeks after the email is sent.
• A confirmation email is sent to the sender.
• Both the files and email data are kept private

We like it, let us know what you think!

Some key tips to help keep you safe on social networking sites…

Our recently expired poll, Free or Subscription based Anti-Virus?, unsurprisingly resulted in subscription based anti-virus coming top.

However, we were worried to see that 41% of voters have either free anti-virus or no anti-virus whatsoever!  Whilst free virus protection is better than none it doesn’t provide your computer with the full protection that it requires to run successfully and safely.

Here at PCToolbox we recommend AVG Internet security.  Around June-July last year we ran an investigation, testing all the big name anti-virus protection programs against each other and concluded that in our opinion AVG Internet Security is by far the best.  Click to read the summary – ‘Antivirus Comparison – The Final Ratings and Rankings‘.

To find out more about AVG Internet Security watch the video in our recent post ‘Learn about AVG Internet Security 9.0 – Video‘.

Don’t forget to vote on our current poll…Do you get emails on your phone?

A fantastic video to explain how AVG Internet Security works and why you should purchase it!

Picnik is a brilliant free online photo editing tool and ideal for all users (from novices to pros).  The website has a wide variety of features which can help you make ‘average’ photos look ‘amazing’.

Free features include rotate, crop, flip, re-size, exposure options (including exposure, contrast, highlight, shadow and brightness adjustments), colour options (including saturation and temperature adjustments), sharpening options (including sharpness, radius and strength options) and red-eye adjustments for humans and animals.  All you need to do is register with the site and then you’re ready to start editing!

If you want to use more features you can sign up to their premium package from just $2.08 (£1.30 at time of writing).

A feature explained…

Rotate

1. Select rotate from the features panel (click image to enlarge)
   
2. You can then press left or right to rotate the image anti-clockwise or clockwise respectively (click image to enlarge)
   
3. The image can also be angled by moving the ‘Straighten’ slider adjustment (click image to enlarge)
   
4. Finally, the image can be ‘flipped’ by clicking either of the two buttons to the right of ‘flip’ (click image to enlarge)
   

Want to find out more? Check out picnik.com

Windows Live Writer is a free desktop application for publishing to blogs and will work with almost any blog provider in the world including Windows Live Spaces, Blogger, WordPress, TypePad and more!

It’s a very simple piece of software which enables you to link your blogs to one central point for posting, rather than logging on to each website.

Live Writer has a variety of different tools available for use…from hyperlink, to pictures (single photos/albums), tables, videos, tags and more! Some of which may not normally be available from your software.

Interested in the software? Well download it from the Windows Live Writer site

Our poll this month was ‘where do you access Facebook?’ Bosses pleased to see that most people are checking their facebook pages at home rather than at work with a staggering 47% just viewing it from home.  Second up was people viewing their pages from both home and work. (Click on the image to enlarge)

21% of voters said they don’t check facebook at home or at work so I’m guessing they don’t have an account?  If you don’t know what facebook is and would like to find out more check out our post on it from back in 2007…Facebook – What’s it all about?

Don’t forget to become a Fan of Brandstar on Facebook!

Microsoft SharedView is one of those quality pieces of free software which is fantastic but not very well-known.  So here’s a bit about it and what it has to offer…

As described on their website…Microsoft SharedView is a fast, easy way to share documents and screen views with small groups of friends or coworkers; anytime, anywhere. Use SharedView to put your heads together and collaborate – create, convey and communicate…across physical boundaries, through firewalls, and down to the smallest details.

The program can be used by any individual who has a Windows Live ID which are free to obtain. Click to get yourself an ID.

The software however is only compatible with some of Microsoft’s latest operating

• Windows Vista – 32-bit Versions
• Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (32bit)
• Windows 2003 Server SP1 (32bit)
• Windows 7

You can use the software to have discussions (see above/click to enlarge) and share documents/handouts between friends and colleagues.

Want to find out more and download about this program? Check out the Microsoft SharedView website.