Getting Something for Nothing

Ok, so technically, things might not be all that free, if, for instance, you have to have a computer and internet connection to get them. But I’m going to make an assumption that if you’re here, then those two things are covered and we can move onto the free stuff and the almost free stuff.

There are probably only a few things in life that one enjoys more than getting something for nothing. In the spirit of Karmic-Pay-It-Forward, I’d like to share with you all a few of my favorites. As a self-professed techno/gadget/online application geek, I thrive on finding useful stuff that just might make my life just a little simpler, swifter and playful. And maybe you do too.

1. Primo PDF
This free download will allow you convert any printable document to a PDF. Once installed, when you want to convert a document to a PDF file, you simply choose Print and in the Printer Name drop down box, you scroll down and select Primo PDF. Another window will open and ask you to name the file as well as choose whether you want it optimized for viewing on screen, printing, ebook or prepress.
http://www.primopdf.com/

2. Snipping Tool, ScreenHunter
The Snipping Tool is a cool little feature that comes with Windows Vista. If you click on your Start button and type in “Snipping Tool” in the search window, then program comes up in your Start Menu. This little tool will let you basically take a screen shot or a shot of a piece of your screen and save it as a picture or let you send it via email to someone. It doesn’t have a bunch of bells and whistles but can come in pretty handy if you want take a quick picture of something on your screen.

ScreenHunter is a free download which will also allow you to do screenshots and can be found here: http://www.wisdom-soft.com/sh/sh_free.htm

3. Any Video Converter
This is great little download that will help you to convert video to pretty much any format you might want or need. You can convert video to a format that is easy to upload to YouTube or other video sites. It will also let you convert video to formats for use on iPod and Sony PSP. The limitation is that the video cannot be more than
three minutes long. If you want longer than that, you’ll have to get the paid version. They have also just released a version for Mac.
http://tinyurl.com/32rgad

4. Oovoo
Do you Ooovoo? Oovoo is a freaking cool way to video chat with anyone anywhere. It will allow for video conferencing of up to six people at a time. It can support high resolution video (with the right bandwidth and equipment.) If you want to relive the moments over and over, you can record the video call. The software also supports
recording and sending video messages to anyone, including those that do not have the Oovoo software. You can also video chat via your web browser with others who are not using Ooovo. They allow you to download and use their SUPER version for free for 30 days after that you can still use their standard version for free. (There is also currently a beta version for Mac users)
Go to Oovoo here.

5. Jott
Ok, Jott is the must have tool for person who thinks up the next greatest thing only to find that they lack pen and paper. You simply call Jott and tell it whom you want to email or text and then leave a message. Jott will convert your message into text and send it on. You can use this to contact others or to just send a message to yourself for later. The message will be converted to email, text and a copy of the original audio message will be attached. You can also use Jott to post to Twitter, your blog and to your Google calender. There is a free basic ad-supported plan and two paid plans which come with several other handy features including syncing it with an iPhone, Blackberry or Outlook.
Start Jott-ing here!

6. PassPack
Anything we sign up for on the internet these days requires a password and they all want one that’s different or longer or more complex than the one before. Go to PassPack and sign up for a free account and you can begin to reign in the password chaos. It has tons of security and since it’s online, it can be accessed from anywhere. You also have the option of downloading an application to allow you to use it offline as well. Another nice feature is the password generator which will generate a new super secure password for any of your accounts.
http://www.passpack.com/info/home/

7. Echo Sign
Echo Sign rocks. It will help you get a signature on a contract or other document in a matter of minutes and remain paperless all at the same time. You upload your document into your account and type in the email address of where it’s going. You will then have the option of asking for a written signature or an electronic signature. If you opt for an e-signature, then the other person will be prompted to type in their name and initials and an e-signature with date and time will be added to the document. If you want a written signature, the receiver will be prompted to print the document, sign it, and then fax it to Echo Sign. For both options, the “signed” documents are converted to PDF files and sent to both you and your client. You are allowed up to 5 free signed documents per month.
http://www.echosign.com

8. Xobni
Xobni (Inbox spelled backwards) is a free plug-in available for Outlook which has some cool features that might be especially helpful to those who pretty much live and die by their Outlook.

This plug-in, which has the blessing of Microsoft, will do a variety of different things. Some of these feature are quite similar to how to Gmail works such as making several emails into a conversation and an email search feature where the email or person you are looking for appears as you type. It will also extract the phone number from a signature and puts it in the Xobni sidebar for quick access. If you have Skype installed on your computer it automatically puts the number in as a button that you can push to call that contact.

Another rather cool feature helps you auto generate an email with times you are available to schedule a meeting or something. It will scan your calendar and automatically place the available dates and times in an email for you.
http://www.xobni.com/

So there you have it. Perhaps you’ve now found yourself in a free resource nirvana state of being. But hopefully, you’ve found at least one resources here that will be useful. Feel free to let me know which ones you liked best or better yet post one of your own!