Three Free Software Programs You Should Use
June 14, 2008 – 6:21 am
This post is a bit off topic, but I’m a computer geek. And I love and use the following three pieces of software daily. Please check them out!
TrueCrypt is a free open-source encryption program that works on Windows, Linux, and Macintosh platforms. The program has numerous features for the truly paranoid, but in general terms it creates an encrypted file that is then mounted as a separate disk drive on your computer. The file can be encrypted with a wide variety of algorithms (snooze), but let’s just say it’s robust. I use it to protect personal files on my computer (both at home and at work), and I also use it to encrypt data I keep on a USB drive. The program itself can be executed from a USB drive as well, so you can take your encrypted data and TrueCrypt along with you wherever you go.
The setup process is easy and painless, and using the encrypted volume is also straight forward. I highly recommend securing your private files by encrypting them, and TrueCrypt offers as easy way to accomplish that.
KeyBreeze is a short-cut command program on steroids. It allows you to assign names to files, folders, recorded macros, and predefined text. Once a command is assigned you can simply hit the keybreeze command key, which is user defined, and then type in the command you want to execute.
Keybreeze itself is displayed as a small window on your screen. I have mine appear in the lower right-hand corner of my monitor, but the location and skin (appearance) are both configurable. The screen only appears when the command key is hit. Keybreeze recommends using the semicolon key for the command key, since most people don’t use that key very often. I chose to use the tilda key (~), since it’s easy to hit and rarely used as well.
Here’s a screenshot:
I’m big on automating tasks at work and at home, and I’ve found that I open the same folders constantly at work. Using keybreeze I can name my key folders, and then use keybreeze to type the name I preset (I use abbreviations for all of my names).
Keybreeze also has a bunch of built-in commands, including typing d:<word> to search Dictionary.com for a word. It also support “Text Functions”, which is just a fancy way of saying to can assign names to text. For example, do you ever get tired of typing in your website address when you post a comment on a blog? If you set up a text function to hold the full address you’d just have to type “~addr” for example and keybreeze with paste in “http://harvestingdollars.com” for you.
Keybreeze is easy to setup, maintain, and use, and it’s a huge timesaver if you can identify repetitive tasks! And did I mention FREE as well!
O.k. With this one I’m really geeking out, so beware. Autohotkey is a another open-source program (read: FREE), and it functions as a Windows-only scripting language. You’ve got to have a little programming desire to take the time to learn this program, but with it you can accomplish some impressive things.
As I mentioned before, I love automating repetitive tasks, and Autohotkey (AHK for short) has helped save me hours of work a day. Thus far I’ve automated the following things at work:
- logging on to our mainframe database programs at work (which requires entering a bunch of cryptic commands, waiting, entering more information, waiting, etc.)
- logging out of our cryptic mainframe database program (sometimes F3 means exit, and sometimes F12 means exit, depending on the screen. My script figures out where I am and enters the correct command).
- Closing all open folders
- setting keyboard short-cut commands for folder
- mounting my TrueCrypt volumes (and prompting me for the password)
- starting a new outlook email to my employees, addressing the email to them, and placing the cursor in the Subject line of the email
Because it’s a scripting language, the opportunities to use this program are limited only by your imagination. I realize this recommendation isn’t for everyone, but if you can figure out how Wordpress and PHP work, Autohotkey will be a breeze.
If you use any of these programs and find them beneficial, please post a comment and let me know!
Image Credit: Timothy Morgan
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3 Responses to “Three Free Software Programs You Should Use”
No no, please geek out.
I love learning about new programs….because I’m a bit of a geek too. And it’s so much fun to make my computer safer and generally more awesome.
I particularly like the idea of being able to access my local install c://ProgramFiles/xampp/htdocs/wordpress (or something like that) without having to go through all the levels. As it is, I have a shortcut for that one on my desktop. But it’s not practical to have shortcuts for everything, that just clutters it.
By Mrs. Micah on Jun 15, 2008
I’m glad you like the tip. After using Keybreeze for some time I would estimate I save an hour or two a week (at my day job). It’s great, and it’s free!
By todd on Jun 15, 2008
BTW, my tip for using folders would be to start the name of each shortcut with “f” to separate your directory keywords from everything else. For example, my command for my itunes folder is “f itunes”. This allows me to differentiate it from the command to actually launch itunes (which for me is just “itunes”).
By todd on Jun 15, 2008