Windows only: Free webapp Goldmail gives those not willing to shell out for a package like Soundslides a dead-simple interface for creating and hosting slideshows with audio narration. The free version of Goldmail takes in images (by upload or even screen grabs for your Uncle Bif and Aunt Marge types), and then simply asks the user to sort them and talk while clicking through slides, inserting the transition points automatically. The two drawbacks are the advertising thrown up at the end (the $9.95/month license gets rid of that) and the platform dependence—there’s no Mac client, and even Firefox-on-Windows users have to install the ClickOnce extension to let the .NET elements run. Goldmail is a free download that requires a sign-up at Goldmail’s website and runs on Windows only.
Category: General
Windows Live Calendar Launched in Public Beta
Microsoft has gradually granted access over the past few days to its Windows Live Calendar beta, yet another webapp in its newly-out-of-beta Live suite. There isn’t a single killer feature here that isn’t in Google Calendar, but the good stuff is mostly present—imports in iCal and Outlook format, multiple color-coded calendars, sharing and collaboration tools (including a read-only view for non-Live users), and customized email and SMS agendas and reminders. Live Calendar lacks synchronization for now, but it’s not hard to imagine Outlook or Windows Mobile integration in the future. Windows Live Calendar requires a free Windows Live sign-up; check back occasionally if you don’t see it offered at the link below.
Fedora 8 Werewolf Improves Multimedia, Laptop Support
Fedora 8, the newest version of Red Hat’s publicly-released Linux distribution, is available for download as a live or install CD or DVD in both the GNOME and KDE desktop flavors. New in this release, code-named “Werewolf,” are a Codec Buddy feature that helps users find and install support for MP3s and other media formats, improvements to laptop compatibility—key function, power management and suspend modes in particular—better sound control through the PulseAudio server and other improvements. Fedora 8 is a free download and runs on Intel, AMD or PowerPC-based systems.
Keep Your Start Menu Sorted Alphabetically
Experienced Windows XP users likely know how to manually alphabetize their Start menu’s programs list, but doing so after every new program installation gets old pretty quickly. The Elder Geek offers a solution that keeps your programs alphabetized at all times—even if you try to re-sort them. The trick involves making a registry hack, and the Elder Geek points out that this one in particular could do some damage if done incorrectly, so make sure to back up your registry before venturing in.
dreamGEAR Wii GameBlaster Looks Better Than Nintendo’s
Unlike the official Nintendo Wii lightgun accessory that has the trigger up in the front hand—which is more awkward than Frankenstein dancing—the dreamGEAR Wii GameBlaster has only one trigger, and it’s in the back. Also unlike the official gun, it takes in both the Wiimote and the Nunchuk controller and connects the two without visible wires. This actually looks better than the real thing, and if you can somehow reprogram the trigger button in-game to be on the Nunchuk instead of on the Wiimote, you’ve got yourself the optimal zombie shooting experience. [Dreamgear via Uber Gizmo]
Nice little Gun, Probably will be used with COD4 and others like it!!
