Chris Pirillo » free-software http://chris.pirillo.com News and Reviews! Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:06:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 © chris@pirillo.com () chris@pirillo.com() Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. chris@pirillo.com No no http://chris.pirillo.com/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg Chris Pirillo http://chris.pirillo.com 144 144 President Bush Inspired Free Software Giveaway http://chris.pirillo.com/president-bush-inspired-free-software-giveaway/ http://chris.pirillo.com/president-bush-inspired-free-software-giveaway/#comments Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:31:40 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=8989 President Bush Inspired Free Software Giveaway is a post from Chris Pirillo

Have a Mac or use Linux, but would love to be able to run Windows programs? Jeremy White of CodeWeavers writes to us with this most excellent news:

The catastrophic cratering of the global economy, falling gas prices, and President George W. Bush’s recent executive activities have indirectly prompted Saint Paul gadfly software developers CodeWeavers, Inc., to provide free software for every American on October 28, company officials reluctantly announced today.

In July, CodeWeavers — whose software lets Mac OS X and Linux users run Windows programs without having to Microsoft for a Windows OS license — launched the Great American Lame Duck Presidential Challenge to encourage President Bush to make the most of his remaining days in office by accomplishing a major economic or political goal by January 20, 2009

The goals focused on President Bush making specific positive accomplishments in areas such as the economy, home values, the stock market, the war on terror and other key issues. Specifically, one goal called for President Bush to help down bring average gasoline prices in the Twin Cities to $2.79 a gallon.

On Monday, October 14, gas prices in Minneapolis and St. Paul did just that.

“That morning, I was filling my tank at Big Steve’s Gas Palace in St. Paul,” said Jeremy White, president and CEO of CodeWeavers. “I had just finished my morning corn dog and 64-ounce Dr. Pepper when I looked at the pump and noticed gas was at $2.79. I screamed ‘Woohoo,’ then I yelled ‘Oh, crap!’ as I realized every American can now have my software for free. Kind of upsets my fourth quarter revenue projections…”

White admits this is not how he foresaw the Challenge unfolding.

“I launched the campaign to inspire President Bush to make the most of his final days in office. Who knew that our Challenge would have this kind of impact on the country?” White said. “On the other hand, who knew that the economy would implode, causing oil demand to drop into the abyss and gas prices to plummet as well. Clearly, investigating Bear Stearns, AIG and those guys is misplaced — CodeWeavers is responsible for this mess. So it’s free software for all!”

How to Get the Free Software

On Tuesday, October 28, 2008, anyone visiting the CodeWeavers’ Web site will be given a deal code that will entitle them to one free copy of CodeWeavers’ award-winning CrossOver software. The giveaway period will commence at 12 a.m. on Tuesday, October 28, and ends at midnight the same day. Each copy comes complete with support.

“I realize that by giving away all my software, I’ve caused horrific damage to my company’s bottom line,” White said. “In fact, our vice president of sales wretched Starbucks all over his shirt when he learned the news. But, I figure, the way the economy is going, in a few months everyone might be out on the streets, wearing potato sacks and standing in line for squirrel soup, so why not?”

White also noted that if other Great American Lame Duck Presidential Challenge goals are met, CodeWeavers will once again provide free software. Goals include:

  • Return the stock market to its 2008 high
  • Reduce the average price of a gallon of milk to $3.50
  • Create at least one net job in the U.S. this calendar year
  • Return the median home price to its January 1st, 2008 level
  • Bring Osama Bin-Laden to justice

Who says politics and software don’t mix?

]]> President Bush Inspired Free Software Giveaway is a post from Chris Pirillo

Have a Mac or use Linux, but would love to be able to run Windows programs? Jeremy White of CodeWeavers writes to us with this most excellent news:

The catastrophic cratering of the global economy, falling gas prices, and President George W. Bush’s recent executive activities have indirectly prompted Saint Paul gadfly software developers CodeWeavers, Inc., to provide free software for every American on October 28, company officials reluctantly announced today.

In July, CodeWeavers — whose software lets Mac OS X and Linux users run Windows programs without having to Microsoft for a Windows OS license — launched the Great American Lame Duck Presidential Challenge to encourage President Bush to make the most of his remaining days in office by accomplishing a major economic or political goal by January 20, 2009

The goals focused on President Bush making specific positive accomplishments in areas such as the economy, home values, the stock market, the war on terror and other key issues. Specifically, one goal called for President Bush to help down bring average gasoline prices in the Twin Cities to $2.79 a gallon.

On Monday, October 14, gas prices in Minneapolis and St. Paul did just that.

“That morning, I was filling my tank at Big Steve’s Gas Palace in St. Paul,” said Jeremy White, president and CEO of CodeWeavers. “I had just finished my morning corn dog and 64-ounce Dr. Pepper when I looked at the pump and noticed gas was at $2.79. I screamed ‘Woohoo,’ then I yelled ‘Oh, crap!’ as I realized every American can now have my software for free. Kind of upsets my fourth quarter revenue projections…”

White admits this is not how he foresaw the Challenge unfolding.

“I launched the campaign to inspire President Bush to make the most of his final days in office. Who knew that our Challenge would have this kind of impact on the country?” White said. “On the other hand, who knew that the economy would implode, causing oil demand to drop into the abyss and gas prices to plummet as well. Clearly, investigating Bear Stearns, AIG and those guys is misplaced — CodeWeavers is responsible for this mess. So it’s free software for all!”

How to Get the Free Software

On Tuesday, October 28, 2008, anyone visiting the CodeWeavers’ Web site will be given a deal code that will entitle them to one free copy of CodeWeavers’ award-winning CrossOver software. The giveaway period will commence at 12 a.m. on Tuesday, October 28, and ends at midnight the same day. Each copy comes complete with support.

“I realize that by giving away all my software, I’ve caused horrific damage to my company’s bottom line,” White said. “In fact, our vice president of sales wretched Starbucks all over his shirt when he learned the news. But, I figure, the way the economy is going, in a few months everyone might be out on the streets, wearing potato sacks and standing in line for squirrel soup, so why not?”

White also noted that if other Great American Lame Duck Presidential Challenge goals are met, CodeWeavers will once again provide free software. Goals include:

  • Return the stock market to its 2008 high
  • Reduce the average price of a gallon of milk to $3.50
  • Create at least one net job in the U.S. this calendar year
  • Return the median home price to its January 1st, 2008 level
  • Bring Osama Bin-Laden to justice

Who says politics and software don’t mix?

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/president-bush-inspired-free-software-giveaway/feed/ 12 Unique Mac OS X and Windows Freeware http://chris.pirillo.com/unique-mac-os-x-and-windows-freeware/ http://chris.pirillo.com/unique-mac-os-x-and-windows-freeware/#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:37:57 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7347 Unique Mac OS X and Windows Freeware is a post from Chris Pirillo

You’ve likely seen hundreds, if not thousands, of “top 10″ lists of Mac OS X freeware floating around. Everybody seems recommend the same titles, which doesn’t make it easier for you to discover equally free, unique software. Popular titles are usually popular for a reason: they’re good. But obscure binaries can be just as nice to use.

  1. MacOSaiX: From a source image, create mosaics easily with image searches from Google, Flickr, etc.
  2. CosmicPainter: Spin art for your desktop (without the clean-up). Export still images and movie compositions, too!
  3. QT Sync: Correct audio / video sync, ratio issues on-the-fly.
  4. Sloth: There’s no easier way of discovering which files are open on your system at any given time (like, to the geekieth degree).
  5. Tunatic: Identify a song simply by playing a sample of it into your microphone. Also available for Windows!
  6. Bricksmith: Virtual Lego modeling. Try it, if only for the minifigure generator!
  7. Mario Paint Composer: Eat your heart out, GarageBand. Also available for Windows!
  8. RGB MusicLab: What does an image sound like? Find out by importing pixels and exporting sound bytes with the least amount of fuss and maximum amount of customization. Also available for Windows!

Not quite a list of 10 unique apps, but I’ve struggled to find items that aren’t listed “everywhere” else. Do you have any suggestions for me? Like, truly suggesting programs that “nobody” has heard about before?

]]> Unique Mac OS X and Windows Freeware is a post from Chris Pirillo

You’ve likely seen hundreds, if not thousands, of “top 10″ lists of Mac OS X freeware floating around. Everybody seems recommend the same titles, which doesn’t make it easier for you to discover equally free, unique software. Popular titles are usually popular for a reason: they’re good. But obscure binaries can be just as nice to use.

  1. MacOSaiX: From a source image, create mosaics easily with image searches from Google, Flickr, etc.
  2. CosmicPainter: Spin art for your desktop (without the clean-up). Export still images and movie compositions, too!
  3. QT Sync: Correct audio / video sync, ratio issues on-the-fly.
  4. Sloth: There’s no easier way of discovering which files are open on your system at any given time (like, to the geekieth degree).
  5. Tunatic: Identify a song simply by playing a sample of it into your microphone. Also available for Windows!
  6. Bricksmith: Virtual Lego modeling. Try it, if only for the minifigure generator!
  7. Mario Paint Composer: Eat your heart out, GarageBand. Also available for Windows!
  8. RGB MusicLab: What does an image sound like? Find out by importing pixels and exporting sound bytes with the least amount of fuss and maximum amount of customization. Also available for Windows!

Not quite a list of 10 unique apps, but I’ve struggled to find items that aren’t listed “everywhere” else. Do you have any suggestions for me? Like, truly suggesting programs that “nobody” has heard about before?

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/unique-mac-os-x-and-windows-freeware/feed/ 15 Free Software Offers http://chris.pirillo.com/free-software-offers/ http://chris.pirillo.com/free-software-offers/#comments Fri, 06 Jul 2007 16:31:58 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/07/06/free-software-offers/ Free Software Offers is a post from Chris Pirillo

http://live.pirillo.com/ – Community member Kevin found a website which promised free software, but ran into a little snafu:

I wanted a free copy of Roxio. After going through what seemed to be thousands of offer screens, never seeing an end to the night mare, I finally just closed the browser. Are these offers legitimate and if so, how the heck do you really get a free copy of Roxio?

We don’t know of any legal way that would allow you to get a free copy of Roxio.

Usually these websites are called "incentive-based" sites. If you read the terms of service on the website, you’ll notice that in order to receive the free software you need to complete several "free" offers (which usually require your credit card or banking information).

These are usually affiliate websites which are paid per new subscriber that they pass on to the advertisers. So, for each "free" offer you sign up for they make some money. Only after you have made the website owner a certain amount of money (usually double the cost of the free item) then you might receive the item advertised.

Don’t hold your breath: many of these incentive-based websites do not honor their end of the bargain.

Want to embed our Free Software Offers video in your blog? Use this code:

Formats available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4), MP3 Audio (.mp3), Microsoft Video (.avi)

]]> Free Software Offers is a post from Chris Pirillo

http://live.pirillo.com/ – Community member Kevin found a website which promised free software, but ran into a little snafu:

I wanted a free copy of Roxio. After going through what seemed to be thousands of offer screens, never seeing an end to the night mare, I finally just closed the browser. Are these offers legitimate and if so, how the heck do you really get a free copy of Roxio?

We don’t know of any legal way that would allow you to get a free copy of Roxio.

Usually these websites are called "incentive-based" sites. If you read the terms of service on the website, you’ll notice that in order to receive the free software you need to complete several "free" offers (which usually require your credit card or banking information).

These are usually affiliate websites which are paid per new subscriber that they pass on to the advertisers. So, for each "free" offer you sign up for they make some money. Only after you have made the website owner a certain amount of money (usually double the cost of the free item) then you might receive the item advertised.

Don’t hold your breath: many of these incentive-based websites do not honor their end of the bargain.

Want to embed our Free Software Offers video in your blog? Use this code:

Formats available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4), MP3 Audio (.mp3), Microsoft Video (.avi)

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/free-software-offers/feed/ 2 How to Handle Remote Tech Support <em>Using <a href="http://www.gotoassist.com/chris">GoToAssist</a> is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party. </em> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT http://gotoassist.com/chris/ http://gotoassist.com/chris/ Network Tools for Windows You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. <a href="http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome">SolarWinds ipMonitor</a>: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. <a href="http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome">Download your free trial today</a>. Or, try their <a href="http://www.solarwinds.com/products/freetools/">totally free tools</a>! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase <a href="http://store.solarwinds.com/s.nl/sc.16/.f">ipMonitor 9.0</a>. chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome Get Your Own Web Site Starting at just $3.99/month, web hosting from <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp2">GoDaddy</a> includes 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support and free access to GoDaddy Hosting Connection, THE place to install over 30 FREE applications sure to help you get the most from your hosting plan and Web site. Enter <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp2">code CP2</a> at checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order. <p>Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=chris7">CHRIS7</a>, that's C-H-R-I-S and the number 7, when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=chris7">GoDaddy.com</a>.</p> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp1 http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp1 VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/13766/rn_a32755/">Parallels</a> or <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/17081/rn_a32755/">VMware</a> (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/17081/rn_a32755/">VMware</a> and/or <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/13766/rn_a32755/">Parallels</a>. chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/19/parallels-or-vmware/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/19/parallels-or-vmware/ Coupons for Online Shopping <p style="color: red">This feed is fueled by Lockergnome <a href="http://www.lockergnome.com/buy/">Online Shopping and Coupon Codes</a></p> <p> Before you shop next time, see if we have <a href="http://coupons.lockergnome.com/">a coupon</a> first. </p> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT http://coupons.lockergnome.com/ http://coupons.lockergnome.com/