New Home For Maun Tech

Maun Tech has moved to its new home at http://www.mauntech.com/  I moved it to a self hosted Word Press setup for more options and flexibility.

Free Online File Conversion

Have you ever wanted to convert files without the need to download software?  Now, you can with an online company called Zamzar!  They offer free online fie conversion in several formats and they add more formats as often as they can.  I ran across this web site a few weeks ago but they didn’t have the ability to convert from (.wmv) which is the Windows Media Video format to another format and back and so I emailed them and asked if they could add that format and they did.  I tried it with a recent project I created in PhotoStory 3.  I converted it into a QuickTime movie format (.mov) and it works.  It didn’t take them too long to convert the file either.  You can go to their web site and it is a four step process to have a file upload for conversion and then they’ll email you a link to download the file.  They store the file for 24 hours from the point that the email is sent to you.  Click the link to Zamzar for more information.  Click the following link for the Zamzar FAQ page.  Click the conversions type link to see all of the format options available and there are plenty including making PDFs.  I definitely recommend them!

Stumble Around The Web

I recently stumbled upon two great web sites.  The first is StumbleUpon where you can register for free and download a toolbar for Firefox and Internet Explorer.  The great thing is you can click the Stumble button and it will randomly take you to a web site.  This is a good way to find new places on the web.  When you signup and at any time thereafter, you can choose as many categories that you want the program to have you stumble upon.  When a web site comes up, you can rate it either with a thumbs up or a thumbs down.  You can add sites that you go to and they may or may not have been added.  If they have not been added, you can give a discription and choose tags for the web site.  Click the link for more details on StumbleUpon.   This is their moto: Channel surf the internet for great websites, videos, pictures, games and more!

The second great web site that I stubled upon is StumbleVideo by the same company where you can stumble upon different kinds of videos from YouTube, Google Video, and MySpace.  You can rate the videos with a thumbs up or a thumbs down as well.  Click the link for more details on StumbleVideo.  Unlike StumbleUpon, you do not need to download a toolbar and you don’t need to register to enjoy it!

New Search Engine With Human Power

There is yet another search engine on the Internet, this one is called ChaCha and not only uses automated searches but humans to search rapidly through a 20-80 search engines to assist in narrowing the search for what they believe the original searcher is looking for. If you have further questions regarding your search you can use an instant-messaging client which is built in the service which allows the ChaCha “guides” to ask further questions to assist you better. Will it be a hit? Who knows, but it is worth checking out and you can click the ChaCha link to see for yourself.

Which Version Of Windows Vista Is Right For You?

There are basically 5 versions of Windows Vista coming out for the general public.  There are two home versions, two business versions, and an ultimate version which pretty much has it all.  So, how do you decide which one you need?  Click the link for some info on the new features of Windows Vista.

Microsoft Windows Vista is designed to dramatically improve the computing experience of every kind of PC user—from people at home who use their PCs for simple web browsing, to business people who must organize and act on large volumes of data, to scientists who routinely perform complex mathematical analysis. To make sure that everyone has an offering tailored to meet their specific needs, Microsoft will deliver five different editions of Windows Vista. Each edition is focused on the needs of a specific type of person.

Click on the Windows Vista Link for more information on the versions.

Free Internet Faxing

Have you ever had to send a fax and you don’t have a fax machine?  There are plenty of Internet Fax services out there that are pretty good like eFax, but they charge to send faxes on the other hand, usually, you can receive a fax for free from them.  Now there is a free Internet fax service called FaxZero.  You can fax PDFs, Microsoft Word and Excel documents.  What’s the catch you ask?  How can they send a fax for you for free when everyone else charges?  The answer is that they send an add with your coversheet and that helps cover the costs.  Also according to their web site, they have a partnership with Metro Hi Speed which gives them a good deal on fax delivery.  Click the FaxZero F.A.Q. link for more information about their services.  You can also send an ad-free fax by paying $1.99 for up to 15 pages.  You can send up to 3 pages for free under their free service with the ad.  Cover page does not count in the 3-page or 15-page limits.

James Kim’s Body Found

James Kim, senior editor of C|Net went missing with his family on Nov. 25th in Oregon.  Authorities found Kati Kim and their two daughters on Monday, however, James had left to look for help and was still missing.  Authorities found his body just after noon today.  James, we will miss you!  Click here for more details on the finding of James Kim’s body and here is an article from C|Net.com.

Adobe Releases Acrobat Reader 8

Today, Adobe released its next version of its Acrobat Reader, which is version 8.  It most notably adds a new feature for collaboration through a “Start Meeting” button.  The new reader has also been redesigned.  Click the link, to download the Acrobat Reader 8.  Other features added to this reader are the Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server, the new Adobe Online Services Document Center, a basic RSS reader, and new review and markup tools. 

Novell Adds Support For OpenXML To OpenOffice

Novell is adding the ability to open and save documents in Microsoft’s new Open XML format in their version of OpenOffice.  Today, they released a release candidate version of their OpenOffice 2.0.2 and the final version is to come out in January.  Microsoft’s OpenXML is the default document feature of their Office 2007 System.  Novell’s version of OpenOffice has more features and might be worth considering.  You do need to be a registered Novell user.  OpenOffice is a FREE alternative to Microsoft Office and has many great programs such as Writer, Calc, Impress, Base, Draw, and Math.

In addition to all the usual OpenOffice.org features, this version includes support for the Open XML document format, plus the ability to e-mail any document as a Microsoft Office file from the system’s default e-mail application. It also enables users to migrate Excel VBA (Visual Basic Application) macros to OpenOffice’s Calc. This version also includes AGFA fonts that mimic Microsoft’s default TrueType fonts.  (Source: EWeek)

Simply Headlines Delivers

I discovered an article on Cybernetnews about a new way to get daily news from a variety of sources in your inbox on a daily basis.  It is called SimplyHeadlines.  I signed up with it and got a copy of the news for today from my customization and it makes it easier to get news and to have it look like a simple newspaper design.  There motto is “All the news that’s fit for you.” 

SimplyHeadlines is a free, customized newspaper that you create and we deliver to your email every day.
You can read it on your computer email, web mail, Blackberry, Treo or other mobile device. Or print it out and read it on the go.  It’s all up to you! No web page to visit, no software to install. We promise.