6 Best Free Sites To Download Youtube Videos

Youtube – one of the most largest and popular video sharing site in the internet world. There are millions of people use Youtube to watch and upload their favorite videos. Youtube is recently upgraded the quality of videos to High Quality also called as HD video. There is community of mostly every genre ranging from movies, TV shows, how-to tutorials, music vidoes, interview tips and much more. According to a study, the estimated daily of per user is more than 20 mins.

Most of the time, you probably watch the video and forget about that. But, there are some videos that really are so useful that you want to download for the future purpose. For the same purpose, there are few sites that allow you to download Youtube videos.

These websites are very simple and convenient to use. All you have to do is copy the youtube video url, paste into the website and download the button to simply keep the video for the future purpose. Some of these websites allows you to save a bookmarklet on your browser tab to download a video with a single click.

Keepvid

Zamzar

Savevid

Keep-Tube

Videodownloadx

Clipnabber

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Most Popular Open Source Softwares Of All Time

Source: SmashingApps

Firefox
Firefox 3.5 sets the pace with dozens of new features, including the smart location bar, one-click bookmarking and blindingly fast performance. Avoid online scams, unsafe transactions and forgeries with simple site identity. View Web pages faster, using less of your computer’s memory.

Filezilla
FileZilla is a cross-platform graphical FTP, FTPS and SFTP client a lot of features, supporting Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and more. FileZilla Server is a reliable FTP server for Windows. It has a powerful Site Manager and transfer queue and drag & drop support.


7-Zip
7-Zip is a file archiver with the high compression ratio. The program supports 7z, ZIP, CAB, RAR, ARJ, LZH, CHM, GZIP, BZIP2, Z, TAR, CPIO, ISO, MSI, WIM, NSIS, RPM and DEB formats.

FullSync
FullSync is a universal file synchronization and backup tool which is highly customizable and expandable. It is especially for developers, but the basic functionality is easy enough for everyone.

Gimpshop
Gimpshop is a hack made on top of the original Gimp project which changes all menues, dialogs, etc., in order to make them look as much as their counterparts in Photoshop. This makes users who are already familiar with the layout of Photoshop feel right at home in this open source application. Please note that all features in Photoshop in not available in Gimpshop, since it is based on the Gimp project and it’s feature set.

ClamWin
ClamWin is a free antivirus for Windows. It includes virus scanner, scheduler, virus database updates, context menu integration to MS Windows Explorer and Addin to MS Outlook. Also features easy setup program. Uses a well respected ClamAV scanning engine.

OpenOffice
OpenOffice is the leading open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It is available in many languages and works on all common computers. It stores all your data in an international open standard format and can also read and write files from other common office software packages. It can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for any purpose.

Notepad++
Notepad++ is a free source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages. Running in the MS Windows environment. This is based on a powerful editing component Scintilla, Notepad++ is written in C++ and uses pure Win32 API and STL which ensures a higher execution speed and smaller program size. By optimizing as many routines as possible without losing user friendliness, Notepad++ is trying to reduce the world carbon dioxide emissions. When using less CPU power, the PC can throttle down and reduce power consumption, resulting in a greener environment.

TightVNC
TightVNC is a free remote control software package. With TightVNC, you can see the desktop of a remote machine and control it with your local mouse and keyboard, just like you would do it sitting in the front of that computer.This is a cross-platform, available for Windows and Unix, compatible with other VNC software.

Blender
Blender is the free open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems. It includes tools for modeling – fast subdivision surface and polygon tools, multi-resolution mesh sculpting, metaballs, NURBS, vector fonts, and curves; uv mapping; shaders and texturing – both paint based and node based; ik and fk animation tools with rigging, constraints, skinning, morph targets, drivers, deformers, and modifiers; simulation tools including hard bodies, soft body, cloth, and fluids; and particle systems including hair. Blender has integrated rendering with both its native renderer and the raytracer Yafray as well supporting many external renderers; and python based scripting.

Audacity
Audacity is a free, easy-to-use and multilingual audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. You can use Audacity to record live audio, convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs, edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WAV or AIFF sound files, cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together etc.

More:
SSuite Office
VLC
Apache


source: SmashingApps

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How To Photograph Fireworks

Taking photos of fireworks can be tricky so plan in advance. Arrive before the show begins to find an unobstructed view of where the fireworks display will appear.

Make sure you’re in a place where people will not constantly walk in front of you. However for some shots, it’s perfectly acceptable to have people as part of the scene.

Extraneous lighting can interfere with getting a properly exposed photo of fireworks. Stay as far away as possible from illuminated signs, street lamps and parking lots with artificial lighting.

Position your digital camera where the fireworks will explode.

Take a few practice shots early in the show. Check focus and exposure on the LCD. Adjust settings as necessary.

Once the show begins, take lots of shots! Shoot holding the camera vertically as well as horizontally.

What to bring:

• A tripod or monopod to steady your camera and prevent camera shake.


• A small to mid-sized flashlight to use when you must adjust camera settings in the dark.


• Extra batteries and memory cards.

Getting your camera ready:

• Set your camera’s focal length to the equivalent of 50mm or wider. Using a wide focal length is generally more effective than zooming in when photographing fireworks.


• Set the camera to it’s highest quality settings.


• Use a tripod or other steady support


• To avoid blur, use the self-timer or a camera remote to trigger the shutter.


• Turn off the flash (if you can’t turn it off, tape a piece of cardboard over it).

Other camera settings:

If your digital camera’s settings can not be changed, the automatic settings may keep the shutter open long enough for a proper exposure. You can also set your camera to landscape or fireworks mode.

If your camera has manual settings:

• Set focus to infinity.


• Use an aperture of F5.6 or smaller (higher number).


• Set the shutter to bulb.


• Exposure: try between 1/2 and 4 seconds; although one to two seconds can also work well.


• If possible, use an ISO of 100.

source: digicamhelp.com

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9 Essential Steps to Disaster-Proof Your PC

A little preparation goes a long way. We show you how to avoid the most common tragedies to befall a PC user—guaranteed!

Stop whatever it is you’re doing. We know your time is valuable, and what you’re about to read could save you hours, if not days, of damage control. What could be so important? Your work documents, for one thing. And then there’s your entire digital collection of family photos cataloguing every birthday, vacation, and other special occasion over the past several years. Common PC pitfalls don’t just affect your digital files, either. Should disaster strike—say a power surge or a hacker attack— you could be looking at hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars of damaged hardware—or even worse, damage to your good name and credit if someone manages to steal your identity.

Are you thoroughly spooked yet? You needn’t be, not if you follow our nine-step guide to disaster-proofing your PC. On the following pages, we show you how to prepare for everything from acts of God to hacker attacks, and every other mishap you’re likely to encounter as a power user. And if you’re an old pro who already knows how to disaster-proof your PC, then treat this as a checklist of things you know you should be doing, but probably aren’t.

1. Back up Your Data
With a modicum of effort you can save yourself a whole lot of heartache

2. Take Your Data Off-Site
A backup plan for your backup plan

3. Keep Malware at Bay
Trojans and dialers and worms, oh my!

4. Your Power Supply Matters
Trying to save a few pennies on a PSU could cost you dearly

5. Practice Safe Computing
Without constant vigilance, the Internet can be a dangerous place

6. Set up a Virtual Machine
Experiment all you want without putting your rig at risk

7. Configure Your Router, the Right Way!
A vulnerable router is an invitation to all sorts of abuse

8. Get in Tune with Your System
More often than not, there are signs of impending disaster, if you know where to look

9. Keep a PC First-Aid Kit
In case of emergency, you should keep handy a repository of spare parts that can address a PC's most common points of failure

Read the full article (how-to) here: maximumpc.com

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Time.com's 25 Best Blogs 2009

Time.com's 25 Best Blogs 2009

Talking Points Memo
Huffington Post
Lifehacker
Metafilter
The Daily Dish by Andrew Sullivan
Freakonomics
Boingboing
Got2BeGreen
Zen Habits
The Conscience of a Liberal: Paul Krugman
Crooks and Liars
Generation Y
Mashable
Slashfood
Official Google Blog
synthesis
bleat
/Film
Seth Godin's Blog
Deadspin: Sports News without Access, Favor, or Discretion
Dooce
Confessions of a Pioneer Woman
Said the Gramophone
Detention Slip
Bad Astronomy


source: time.com

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Black Friday 2008 Links

Black Friday is alleged to be the busiest shopping day of the year. What and when is Black Friday? Black Friday occurs immediately after Thanksgiving day. On this day, stores will offer discounts, deals and doorbuster sales that cannot be found at any other time of the year. To get the most out of Black Friday, here are links to this year's deals:

• BlackFriday.info


• Bargainist.com


• DealTaker.com


• BFads.net


• TheBlackFriday.com

Shop smart.

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T-Zones $5.99 data plan working on iPhone

This guide is for T-Mobile users who have a jailbroken iPhone and want to get nearly full data services at 1/4 the cost of the normal Total Internet data plan (normally est $19.99). This does not require the T-zones hack from Cydia (the tzones hack actually made my iphone’s data not work w/tzones).

Requirements:
-Jailbroken or Simfree iPhone (obviously to use tmobile)
-Tmobile’s T-Zones internet data package ($5.99/mo)

This guide is for T-Mobile users who have a jailbroken iPhone and want to get nearly full data services at 1/4 the cost of the normal Total Internet data plan (normally est $19.99). This does not require the T-zones hack from Cydia (the tzones hack actually made my iphone’s data not work w/tzones).

The forums over at http://modmyi.com are the basis for this recipe. So this is what you could call a shared recipe. :)

After having a Jailbroken phone, go into Settings > General.

Then go to Network and then Cellular Data Network.

–Change the APN to: epc.tmobile.com
(if this does not work, you may need: wap.voicestream.com this is the older APN for tzones and works for certain areas only)

–Also be sure that “Data Roaming” is enabled from the Network screen.

NOTES:
-if you do have the total internet package, you can either use internet3.voicestream.com or internet2.voicestream.com in the APN setting; use wap.voicestream.com as a last resort since its been reported the connection speeds are slower even for the total internet package payers.
-my configuration: iPhone 2.2 jailbroken, tmobile tzones $5.99 plan, location: MN USA, date: 11/10/08

source: tech-recipes.com

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AVG Virus Scanner Accidentally Removes Critical Windows Component

One popular free antivirus scanner recently created a world of woe for its users

The world of computer security can be a scary place for friends and foes alike. This weekend users' found their AVG software updated with a new virus definition file. Then they quickly found their computers crashing.

What was discovered was that the new virus definition file mistook user32.dll, a critical Windows component, for a container for the Trojan Horses PSW.Banker4.APSA or Generic9TBN. When the scanner went active, it deleted this critical file, thinking it contained a virus, causing the system to crash. AVG recommended users whose definitions auto-updated delete their virus definition file and cancel any scans they have running.

If your computer is affected, it will either stop booting or go into an endless reboot loop. Vista users can breathe a sigh of relief -- so far that OS has remained relatively unaffected. Windows XP users, however must now exercise extreme caution, or risk having to carry out a bothersome repair process.

Both AVG 7.5 and AVG 8.0 were affected by the erroneous definition file. The file has since been update to remove the error.

For affected users, you can either reinstall Windows or repair it with a Windows disk. A third option is to use a boot disc, such as the Ultimate Boot CD (ISO) and then grab the files you need from the "C:\Windows\System32\dllcache" directory.

With 80 million total users worldwide, thanks in part to AVG's free version, this error is obviously significant to many. So far AVG has not issued a formal statement about the problem, although there are posts on their discussion board about it, to which they have responded informally.

For those disheartened by AVG's offense and still hoping for a free antivirus fix, ClamWin is one alternative. Its another free software, a Windows port from the Linux scanner ClamAV. Some users also wrote in to suggest Free-AV as an alternative.

And of course there's the many professional security suites on the market as well.

Update: Some of our readers are reporting that Vista may be having similar problems to Windows XP (see source link). The scope of this problem is unclear, as some Vista users reported being unaffected.

source: dailytech.com

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Get Latitude and Longitude values from Google Maps

Google Maps do not display latitude and longitude values, but there is an easy trick to get these numbers. This technique will provide the latitude and longitude coordinates of the center of the map displayed by Google Maps.

Looking up an address in Google Maps will center the map on that address if it was found. Because this trick provides the latitude and longitude of the center of the map, moving the map around manually after that will change the center position and this technique will not work accurately. When the location you want is in the center of the map, copy and paste this code into the location bar of your browser and press enter:

javascript:void(prompt('',gApplication.getMap().getCenter()));

A little dialog box will pop up displaying the coordinates which can be copied and pasted for use elsewhere. This code can be bookmarked and then used in the future by selecting the bookmark.

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Bypass IVRS - Talk to a real person

IVR (Interactive Voice Response) is a phone technology that allows a computer to detect voice and touch tones using a normal phone call. It will direct callers on how to proceed. But in reality they are purposely used by companies to save money. Often, you will experience that these IVRs only delay your conversation with the person you want to talk to. To avoid the hassles, below is a link on how to bypass IVRs.

Link: phoneahuman.com

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Outlook Tips, Tricks and Secrets

Outlook is big, powerful and flexible, but it can also be big, powerful and confusing. Find out how to get the most out of Outlook and how to exploit all of its features with these Outlook tips, tricks and tutorials.

Link: Outlook Tips, Tricks and Secrets

• How to Access Gmail with Outlook 2007
  
• How to Access Windows Live Hotmail with Outlook
  
• How to Access Your Email Remotely From Another Computer and Location
  
• How to Add a Background Image to a Message in Outlook
  
• How to Add a Fixed Background Image to Emails in Outlook
  
• How to Add Addresses to the Address Book Automatically in Outlook 2000
  
• How to Add an Address or Domain to Safe Senders in Outlook
  
• How to Add Background Sound to an Email in Outlook
  
• How to Add Bcc Recipients in Outlook
  
• How to Add Members to a Distribution List in Outlook
  
• How to Add or Edit Color Categories in Outlook
  
• How to Always Send in Plain Text to Certain Email Addresses in Outlook
  
• How to Archive Old Mail Automatically using Outlook AutoArchive
  
• How to Archive Old Mail in Outlook and Keep the PST File Small
  
• How to Archive Outlook Mail to a Removable Medium
  
• How to Attach a File in Outlook
  
• How to Automatically Cc: All Mail You Send in Outlook
  
• How to Back up or Copy Your Outlook Auto-Complete List
  
• How to Back Up or Copy Your Outlook Mail, Contacts and Other Data
  
• How to Can Spam Effectively with the Outlook Junk Mail Filter
  
• How to Change the Account Order in Outlook
  
• How to Change the Default Font Face and Size in Outlook
  
• How to Change the Font Size of the Outlook Message List
  
• How to Change the New Mail Notification Sound for Outlook
  
• How to Change the New Mail Sound in Outlook
  
• How to Change the Sort Order of the "Select Names" Dialog in Outlook
  
• How to Change the Way Unread Messages are Highlighted in Outlook
  
• How to Check Your Outlook Folders' Sizes
  
• How to Choose the Account Used to Send a Message in Outlook
  
• How to Compact a PST File to Reduce Its Size in Outlook
  
• How to Create a New Message Using Stationery in Outlook
  
• How to Create an Email Signature in Outlook
  
• How to Create and Use an Email Template in Outlook
  
• How to Create Attachments via Drag-and-Drop in Outlook
  
• How to Create Custom Rules with VBA in Outlook
  
• How to Delete a Message Without Downloading It in Outlook
  
• How to Delete an Address from the Outlook Auto-Complete List
  
• How to Delete Attachments from Messages in Outlook
  
• How to Download Only the Headers for Large Messages in Outlook
  
• How to Download Remote Images in an Email in Outlook
  
• How to Edit a Received Message in Outlook
  
• How to Enable Phishing Email Protection in Outlook
  
• How to Export Your Outlook Contacts to a CSV File
  
• How to Filter One Sender's Mail to a Certain Folder Automatically
  
• How to Filter Yahoo! Mail Spam to a Special Folder in Outlook
  
• How to Find All Mail from a Sender Quickly in Outlook
  
• How to Find Related Messages with Outlook
  
• How to Forward a Message as an Attachment with Outlook
  
• How to Forward a Message with Outlook
  
• How to Forward Multiple Messages Individually in Outlook
  
• How to Get Access to Blocked Attachments in Outlook
  
• How to Get Reminded to Reply to a Message in Outlook
  
• How to Give Your Outlook Accounts Friendly Names
  
• How to Have Outlook Highlight Mail Sent to You Only
  
• How to Hide Fax Numbers in the Outlook "Select Names" Dialog
  
• How to Hide Strikethrough Messages Marked for Deletion in Outlook
  
• How to Identify and Fend Off Phishing URLs in Emails with Outlook
  
• How to Identify Your Outlook Stationery Folder
  
• How to Import Contacts from Excel or a CSV File into Outlook
  
• How to Import Your Outlook Contacts into the Mac OS X Mail Address Book
  
• How to Increase the Font Size While Reading Mail in Outlook
  
• How to Insert a Graphic or Animation in Your Outlook Email Signature
  
• How to Insert an Image Inline in an Email with Outlook
  
• How to Install WinZip Self-Extracting Outlook Stationery
  
• How to Install Zipped Outlook Stationery
  
• How to Maintain a Custom Folder View for a Number of Outlook Folders
  
• How to Make Links Work in Outlook Express, Outlook and Any Other Email
  
• How to Make Outlook Accept Only Mail from Your Contacts and Safe Senders
  
• How to Make Outlook Dial Your ISP Automatically
  
• How to Make Outlook Ignore the Font Specified in Stationery
  
• How to Make Outlook Remember Your Email Password
  
• How to Make Outlook Send and Receive Periodically and at Startup
  
• How to Make Outlook Send Mail Right Away
  

source: About.com:email

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How to Put a YouTube Video on Your iPod (for free!)

With the help of a bookmarklet on your web browser (Firefox, Opera, or Safari) and iTunes, you can easily and quickly put YouTube videos on your iPod without the need for any other software. With the large amount of videos on YouTube, you will always have something to take with you watch on your iPod.

First, you will need to create the bookmarklet to download the high quality MP4 version of the desired video. Note: the credit for the great javascript behind the bookmarklet goes to Lawrence Albert at Unlock for This. Create a new bookmark, name it (something like YouTube Download) and then copy and paste the following as the location:

javascript:window.location.href='http://youtube.com/get_video?video_id='+swfArgs['video_id']+"&fmt=18"+"&l="+swfArgs['l']+"&sk="+swfArgs['sk']+'&fmt_map'+swfArgs['fmt_map']+'&t='+swfArgs['t'];

or, you can simply drag this link to your bookmark bar:

YouTube Download

Now, go to YouTube and find a video. Once you have browsed to the video’s page, click on the newly created bookmarklet. A download prompt will appear. Accept the prompt to begin downloading. The video will download with the name video.MP4. Rename the file to the appropriate name.

Open iTunes and add the downloaded file to your library. Connect your iPod and sync. Your video will appear in the Movies section on your iPod.

If you own a Microsoft Zune, follow the above steps to create the bookmarklet, download the video and then use your Zune software to convert and sync the video with your device.

No other software is required. Please note that the bookmarklet will not work properly with Internet Explorer.

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AutoCAD Tips

Electricity gone! What will happen to drawing?

When using AutoCAD, sometimes we are very concentrated on the drawing and forget to save. This is a very common mistake done by inexperienced users as well as advanced users. We forgot to save the file for a long time and the electricity went off… what will happen then!? You may say that you have a UPS unit and you are not affected from electric cut-offs. However, sometimes UPS units may not be activated immediately and the computer may shut down. Or maybe the electricity did not go but you computer suddenly frozen. Does anyone have a computer which does not freeze all of a sudden? In such a case, what will happen to the project that we are currently working on? We generally understand the value of our data when we lose them. All of the work that you have done so far suddenly becomes very valuable.

Most of the programs like AutoCAD, word has automatic saving features in order to compensate such cases. All of the work you have been doing is saved automatically at every 10 minutes as default. In order to activate this feature, you can use Tools/Options from the menu.

As you can see from the figure above, “Automatic Save” is selected and is set to 5 (1). This setting means that your work will be saved automatically at every 5 minutes. In addition to this, if you select “Create backup copy with each save“(2) option, then another backup file that has “.bak” extension is created at every time file is saved. You can use the “Drawing1.bak“ file as shown below, in case there is a problem during the saving operation or the original file is damaged so that it cannot be recovered. However, this file is not opened directly as you double click on the file or try to open it by using File/Open in AutoCAD.

How to open “.bak” file in AutoCad?

First, we have to change its extension. Select the file, then press F2 or make a single click on its name and wait for 1-2 seconds. You will see that you can change the name of the file. After that, change its extension to “.dwg”. Now, we can open the file in AutoCAD.

If you didn’t change the Windows folder options, “.dwg” is not visible. In order to open it, you must select folder options from the tools menu. Then, you should cancel the option shown below.

Another bad scenario is that, we did not save the file at all not even once but AutoCAD saved it automatically with constant intervals and the bad thing happened, AutoCAD became frozen. How can we recover our work in such a case? Due to the fact that the file has not been saved, AutoCAD saves it to the temporary folder (Temp). In order to access to this folder, enter start/run, then write %TEMP% and press enter. Temporary folder that is used by Windows is opened automatically. You will see such a file that is shown below. Change extension of this file to “.dwg” and then you can recover your work by opening this file in AutoCAD.

More Tips at DailyAutoCAD.com

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