Announcement: Why the dark background?

Why?
Based on my previous posts, you can probably tell that I'm a pretty outgoing and happy-go-lucky guy. So why the dark background? Well, in the past few years, we've had numerous world-wide issues, the war on terror, obesity, health problems and the economy. These, among others, are only specific to a certain or a few certain countries. Something that has been affecting the world as of now is: Global Warming.

Now, I'm not a big fan of the environment and personally, I don't think I have the commitment needed to be an environmentally-friendly citizen. However, I respect those who have the persistence and commitment to stick with 'green' alternatives and for this year, I resolve to help in the only ways I can: spreading the word about environmentally-friendly internet services, and keeping a 'green' website. Now when I say green, I don't mean literally, but in an environmental way.

How?
Well, as mentioned in my previous post on Blackle, a black screen uses less energy than a white one. I want to make sure all my readers are contributing to saving the environment, no matter how small of a contribution they make.

Windows Live Writer...another Microsoft product thanks to Gates.

Windows Live Writer...some kind of service that will help you write...your homework?
Windows Live Writer is a great tool for constant bloggers, or bloggers who blog on the go. It is part of the Windows Live pack and for once, it's free (it's not that often that you see a free Window's service, so take advantage of this). It is basically an interface/program that allows you to add multiple blogs and blog to each of them. It includes a rich-text editor, meaning you don't have to add in all this HTML and you can seamlessly integrate images and links into your blog without worrying about the hassle of adding them, and for all you bad spellers out there, it includes a spell-checker that automatically checks while you type, not those email ones that force you to click the button first, ensuring that everything you post will be automatically spell-checked.

Okay...on the go?
Windows Live Writer allows you to save posts to your USB stick, computer, or portable hard-drive. Meaning if your on the go, or if you just don't have internet connection, you can still use WL Writer. All you need to do is write the post, and save it. One way I like to use this feature is to put WL Writer on my USB stick and write in my free time. However, if you're a travel blogger and you blog on travel locations, this feature will be of much more use. It is possible to keep a journal of all the days you were on the road and upon arriving back home, posting them without having to sit there and try to remember what you did on a certain day.

That's...all?!
Another feature WL Writer includes is the option of choosing when to publish your post. You can preset a publication date so even if you finish before, you can save it and not worry about it anymore, when the preset date arrives, your post will be automatically posted to your blog! So for example, if you advertise that you have "a new post each week" and you finish your next post within a day, all you need to do is preset the publication date, sit back, and relax. This way, you can pre-write several posts and have them automatically post themselves every other day, week, or whenever.

Make Use Of...can I make use of it?

Whazzat?
Make Use Of is a tech blog that compares free web services and software for the benefit of the populous. In addition to writing about free services, they have a whole directory sorted into categories, sort of like a search engine for any free service you may need! It's free to read and comment on and doesn't require any registration. The blog itself can be located through the following URL: http://www.makeuseof.com.

Can I make use of...MakeUseOf?
Well, I sure did. Remember that MakeUseOf only writes about free services, so there really is no prerequisite to using these services, all you may need to do is download it if it's software, or register an account if it's a website. The posts are very detailed and compare the service in question to other services of its kind and shows, not only how, but why it's better. Posts always include links at the bottom for more information about the service introduced and a screenshot to give you a better idea about what the service looks like and how it works.

Another section of the blog is the "Directory", the directory is a list of about 20 keywords, word like web, mobile, games, chat, etc. These 'words' represent different categories. Say I wanted to find a free chat program that I could use easily. I would click on "Chat" and browse through all the different posts made on chat services. Once I found an interesting post title, I could click on the title and read the full post. Now that's what I call a search engine.

Okay...why?
MakeUseOf is free to read, so there's really nothing to lose. It also gives you links to the actual service/application in question so you won't have to Google it yourself. And hey, when was the last time you had someone download or register for a service just to tell you whether or not you should use it, and why you should?

Softpedia, the Wikipedia...of Software!

Soft...pedia?
Softpedia is essentially the Wikipedia of software. All software on the site has been organized into categories and sub-categories so that the user can easily find what he or she needs. In addition, all software has a user rating and has been automatically checked for viruses, ensuring safe download and installation. A lot of the software on Softpedia is freeware, although there re some trial versions here and there. The site also includes PC news and software for Windows, Mac and Linux, in addition to mobile applications and PDA, or palm software. Softpedia has categories dedicated to games, office software, scripts, drivers and etc. Downloads are absolutely free and registration is only required to upload software and post in the forums. Softpedia puts equal stress on Mac, Windows and Linux software, so no matter what operating system you're using, you'll find the software you need.

So you want me to download off...an unknown source.
There's no need to worry about any additional 'packages' coming with your download. Softpedia guarantees 100% clean downloads, meaning no malware, spyware, adware or viruses. In addition, you can also view any reviews that may have been typed up for clues as to what the package contains (screenshots included). It would also be a good idea to see how many downloads the software received to check its authenticity and reliability.

Certain software receive a bright red ribbon with a "5/5" on them. This denotes an 'editor's pick', any software with a ribbon has usually been rigorously tested and scanned and proved to by virus free and easy to use. Happy downloading!

Floorplanner, Planning...for your Floor! (not really)

Floorplanner?
Floorplanner is a free online service that allows you to design and visualize homes, offices, apartments, etc. It allows the use to build walls, floors, and add windows. This way, you can make a carbon copy of your own house, or start from scratch! It includes measurements and different types of furniture. with a growing bank of furniture types, colors, sizes and brands, it's easy to find furniture that best suites you!

Do I need to sacrifice any green?
The basic version of Floorplanner is free. However, dome set-backs include the ability to only create 1 floor plan and 5 designs. With the free account, you will still be allowed to share plans via email so if you're planning on using FP to designing a house for the family: save some green, get the free version. There are alternatives to the free version though, the next account up is the plus version. This costs $30.50 a year and includes 5 savable projects with multiple floors and no ads. Personally, my thoughts on this are: "Who the hell would waste $30 on this!?". The final account type is the professional version, with unlimited floor plans and 3D viewing capability, if you're planning on spending money, this is the best plan.

In short, save yourself some green! If you plan on using FP, get the free version.

Blackle, A Greener Google!

Blackle, what is it?
With all this Global Warming and pollution going on these days, the people of America have become intent with "green" technology. We think, "Oh well, let's leave it to the private corporations to figure this one out." and leave it at that. With Blackle, everyone with a computer can contribute to the wide-spread mitigation of the pollutification (kudos to our prez) of Earth.


How does it work?
Google gets 2 million queries per day, that's 2 million people times 74 watts it takes for a computer screen to load the Google homepage. That comes down to a total of 148,000,000 watts per day. By inverting Google's white pages into black (monitors use less energy to display a white screen as opposed to a black one), which would instead use approximately 59 watts to display, we would use 118,000,000 watts a day. That's saving a lot of watts!


To search, Blackle uses a Google Custom Search, meaning that any search you type in at Blackle, you will get the same hits as if you search in Google. Basically, Blackle is...well, a black version of Google, hence the name. It is recommended that, if you open your internet a lot, you set Blackle as your homepage, this means, without even starting a web session, you'll already be saving watts. Now isn't that a bright idea!