A More Useful Internet

I can't live without the internet, nor can I live without all the great things the internet has to offer.  However, at times it can be a bit daunting and the information overload can cause to a loss of what I'm trying to focus on.  Thankfully there are tools available that streamline my browsing experience and generally make work go by so much faster.  Below are  my list of online must have's.

FireFox Browser - If you aren't using Fire Fox, this is the first thing you need to do.  Click on the link and go download and install, then come back to this page, I'll wait.  The rest of the Add-Ons below require FireFox to utilize, do yourself a favor and start browsing the internet like a genius.  IE are for those who just don't know any better and now you know.

ReadItLaterList.com - I use multiple computers every single day, from my personal laptop to my work PC, and even my wife's laptop when there are no other options.  Throughout my browsing time I come across a lot of interesting articles that I may not have time to completely digest, ReadItLaterList.com serves as a simple and efficient solution.  With a simple check mark I can create a list of pages I can go back and read later and synchronize with my other computers.  That way no matter where I'm seated I can follow up with where I left off from the other computer.

Fire.FM - I'm the type of person that must have constant back ground noise in the form of music.  Furthermore my taste in music varies widely and can change from day to day, so buying and bringing CD's to work is not an option.  Thanks to the internet there is a free and legal alternative, streaming music live to my browser based on my current listening preferences.  It's as simple as typing in the name of favorite band and the rest of my day is filled with music similar to the artist I choose, all FREE.

Foxit Reader - PDF's are both a great convenience and a thorn in my side, mainly because of the hoops Adobe requires you to jump through every few weeks.  I sear I spend more time updating that silly program than I actually do using it.  Thanks to Foxit Reader I can now read and make PDF's without having to use the bloated Adobe Reader software.  Foxit Reader also makes it a breeze to view PDF's directly in your browser and comes with complete functionality to never have to use Adobe reader ever again.

AVG Or Avast - Both of these programs are completely free and in my experience provide a better anti-virus service than paid software like Norton.  AVG and Avast are capable of scanning, identifying, and then removing any type of virus on your computer.  In the future I will be releasing a list of computer clean up software that I use to keep my PC running fast.  For now, if you aren't using one of these anti-virus programs, go download now and see which one you like best.  If you like using Torrents, LimeWire or other type of p2p application then Avast is the better choice.

gMail - This is simply the best free email service available online.  It was created by Google and provides plenty of options, customization, and storage for even the most talkative email enthusiast.  Furthermore, gMail allows synchronization of email accounts, which means you can have gMail read your hotmail or personal server side email accounts.  It's the only email application I use and I manage about a dozen different aliases.

That's it for now, but I will make online tools a regular feature on Evansville Blog.  If you have any suggestions or recommendations, please let me know what tools you can't live without.  Also, I'm available for questions as well, so start using the internet in a better way.