Make your website friendly for cellphones

MakeUseOf recommends Google Mobilizer for adapting any website for use on a cellphone.

Google Mobilizer will take “any website and make it viewable on your mobile phone or PDA. Simply go to Google Mobilizer and enter the website URL, indicate whether you want images on/off, and click ‘GO’. Mobilizer will present you with a neat, add-free and stripped down version of the website. You also get a navigation menu to easily browse through website’s pages.”

Note: this is a very brief page with a place to enter the URL, and a checkbox if there are no images.  This does not actually change the website; it just reformats a copy of it and makes it available.  Handy if you need to see something on a page intended for a full screen view only, and checking the HTML may give you some ideas on how to create a mobile-friendly version of your own website.

DocSyncer for Google docs

Somebody had to come up with a way to synchronize the documents you edit in Microsoft Office so they are available in Google Docs.

Try the free service at DocSyncer to migrate files to Google.

HandBrake for converting DVDs

Need to convert a DVD to a computer format?

HandBrake can convert video from a number of sources, including a DVD and a DVD image, and audio too, including MPEG audio tracks. It can convert to a digital file in a variety of formats, including MPEG-4, AVI, OGM for video, or AAC, MP3, and Ogg Vorbis for audio.

You can select individual DVD chapters, get subtitles, and have plenty of control over your recording, including selecting the bit rate, maximum file size for video, and bit rate and sample rate for audio.

MediaCoder to convert audio and video files

“MediaCoder is a free universal batch media transcoder, which nicely integrates most popular audio/video codecs and tools into an all-in-one solution. With a flexible and extendable architecture, new codecs and tools are added in constantly as well as supports for new devices. MediaCoder intends to be the swiss army knife for media transcoding in all time…”

Features In Brief

• Convert to and from many audio and video compression formats and re-multiplex into various container formats in batches
• Full control over transcoding parameters, you can learn about audio/video encoding and play with various codecs
• Strong decoding capability for partial or corrupted contents
• Simplified UI for popular mobile devices (e.g. PSP, iPhone/iPod)
• Fully standalone, no dependance on system codecs/splitters
• Extension (scripting language) infrastructure to expand user interfaces and improve user experience

Typical Applications

• Improving compression / reducing size for audio/video files
• Converting for audio/video playback devices (digital audio player, MP4 player, mobile phone, PDA, PSP, VCD/DVD player etc.)
• Extracting audio tracks from video files
• Ripping audio/video discs
• Reparing corrupted or partial downloaded video files

beFunky animates your photos, videos

Anybody see the movie “A Scanner Darkly”? Where everybody was turned into a realistic animated version of themselves (well, except during the hallucinations…)?

Try it yourself with beFunky and ‘cartoonize’ your photo or video.

• Turn your photos into digital paintings and comic style animated cartoons.
• Convert videos into cartoons.
• Create and enhance cartoonized avatars: Choose between different background scenes, clothes and accessories, hairstyles, etc.
• Warp tool: push and pull any area of an image (enlarge lips, reduce nose size, etc.).
• Get a black and white pencil drawing of any photo.
• Embed your beFunky stuff on your blog or profile pages.

Recommended by MakeUseOf.

WARNING: read the user agreement.  Using this site gives them the right to use your image and information for their own purposes (promotion of their service, for example).  If you are not comfortable with that, don’t use it.

vixy.net to convert FLV videos to MPEG4

Convert the online FLV file videos to MPEG4 format using vixy.net and the free online converter.

“This service allows you convert a Flash Video / FLV file (YouTube’s videos,etc) to MPEG4 (AVI/MOV/MP4/MP3/3GP) file online. It is using a compressed domain transcoder technology (outline in Japanese). It converts FLV to MPEG4 faster and less lossy than a typical transcoder.

When you submit a URL, it will download and convert to the video format, and then you can download the converted file.”

Note that doing this to YouTube and some other sites may be treated as a violation of copyright.  Please respect the rights of the owners of the files.

Virtual CD/DVD drives

Does anybody really like fumbling with CD cases and DVD cases? Especially when traveling? But if you want to while away the evening with a game or a movie (or even a long, boring meeting — turn the sound off first!)…

Basically, you need to be able to load the contents of your CD/DVD onto the hard drive — which will also be likely to speed up response time — so you can run the files as if they were on the CD/DVD drive. You need a virtual CD/DVD drive. Of course, since you already paid for the CD/DVD, it would be nice if the virtual (or clone) drive software were free. Here are some examples.

MagicDisc is freeware. “MagicDisc Virtual CD/DVD-ROM is a utility designed for creating and managing virtual CD drives and CD/DVD discs. MagicDisc Virtual CD/DVD-ROM emulates audio, data, and game CDs and DVDs with ISO image, CD and DVD images. MagicDisc Virtual CD/DVD-ROM offers 200x speed and noiseless CD/DVD access without a physical drive. It supports creating up to 15 virtual drivers. You can run games, software, see movies (VCD, SVCD, DVD), and hear music directly from your hard disk without inserting and swapping CDs and DVDs. MagicDisc allows you to use almost all CD/DVD image without burning them onto CD or DVD in order to easily access your favorite games, music, or software programs. It works like a real CD/DVD-ROM: You can run programs, play games, or listen to music from your virtual CD-ROM. It can compress ISO CUE MDS NRG CCD image; can encrypt ISO CUE MDS NRG CCD image; can make ISO image from CD/DVD; It can mount UDF only CD/DVD image and multi-session MDS/MDF and CCD/IMG image. Version 2.6.93 can set DVD Region Code.” Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista.

DAEMON Tools Lite is freeware.

” DAEMON Tools is an advanced application for Microsoft Windows which provides THE best optical media emulation in the industry. !! THIS VERSION SUPPORTS 32 AND 64 BIT OS (Microsoft Windows XP, Windows2003, Windows 2000, VISTA) !!”

Microsoft Virtual CD Control Panel (warning: direct download link) Microsoft Virtual CD-ROM Control Panel is a free CD-ROM emulator that allows you to mount ISO images of CDROMs in a virtual drive. It is a rudimentary program that does not support copy-protected discs such as the game disks supported by commercial CD/DVD emulators. Note that the Virtual CD Control Panel link is a direct download link. It came from a Microsoft KnowledgeBase entry on an unrelated subject, which contains some instructions on how you can install the driver, add a virtual CD drive and mount your images. (If you are visiting that link for instructions about the Virtual CDROM Control Panel, simply ignore references to “Windows PE”.) You will also need to use a third party program to make your ISO images (if you don’t already have it). This is a Windows program. [this entry from www.thefreecountry.com]

Alcohol 52% Free Edition is freeware. “There are no limitations on this version, other than the ability to create only 6 virtual drives. Our retail version still supports 31 virtual drives. Remember you can not run Alcohol 52% if you have Alcohol 120% installed on the same drive. [Alcohol 120% is the pay version with more capabilities.] This version of Alcohol 52% is for private, non-commercial, single home computer use only.The license is provided personally to you and for that reason it does not allow you to make any duplicate (copy) to be sold, borrowed, assigned, leased or transferred. Emulation software allowing users to play CDs DVDs without the need for the physical disc. Notebook users and PC Game players would benifit the most from Alcohol 52% Supports 25 plus languages Can handle up to 6 virtual CD DVD-ROM drives, all at once. The reading speed of a virtual CD-ROM is 200X. This means you can play a CD from the virtual CD-ROM with 200X reading speed. Supports normal CD DVD and CD RAW sub-channel reading methods: RAW reading method enables to emulate all CDs. CD formats supported: CD-DA, CD+G, CD-ROM, CD-XA, Video CD, Photo CD, Mixed Mode, Multi-session CD DVD formats supported: DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-Audio Support for all current (ATAPI SCSI) drives: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW Full support for IEEE-1394 (Firewire) and USB protocols. Winner of the 2006 Epsilon Award at the sixth annual European SharewareConference. Windows NT 3.x, Windows NT 4.x, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista.

SlySoft Virtual CloneDrive is freeware.

Features

• Supports all common image formats such as ISO, BIN, CCD
• Supports up to 8 virtual drives at the same time
• Easy to use - just double-click an image file to mount as a drive
• Virtual CloneDrive is freeware, you may use it at no cost.
• Windows 98/98SE/ME/2000/XP

thePickApp for handy utilities

thePickApp is loaded with handy utilities like a free iPod video converter, a free audio CD creator, and many other useful items, many covering media but also some like a Registry cleaner.

FixPicture allows you to convert, resize

FixPicture is a free site aimed at digital camera owners who want to resize or convert the file format of their pictures.

Features:

• Resize, edit and convert your images online. No registration required.
• Upload images from a hard drive or import them directly from a url.
• Supports over 400 file format: pictures (jpeg, tiff, png, gif, bmp, tga, …), RAW files (crw, nef, raf, cr2, dng, …)
• Basic functions: Resize, Crop, Rotate, Mirror, Adjust.
• Effects: Auto Level, Auto Contrast, Detail, Focus, Blur+, Sharpen+, Grayscale, Sepia, Maximum, Negative, Emboss, Normalise.
• Download and save ready images as jpeg, tiff, png, gif, bmp, or tga files.
• Multilingual: English, Deutsch, Italiano, Español, Français, Português, and Svenska.

Recommended by MakeUseOf.

Transfer your settings from XP to Vista

This freeware allows you to transfer your accounts and system settings from your XP system to that new Vista system you just got.

Recommended by Clif Notes Newsletter.

Create a PDF file with PrimoPDF

Creating a PDF file without Adobe Acrobat is possible, and for free.

PrimoPDF freeware PDF creation software (according to the website) features:

• Completely free, not just a trial version, and no user registration is required.
• Ability to optimize PDF output for screen (online viewing), print (standard laser printers), ebook, and prepress.
• Resultant PDF output conforms to the PDF 1.4 specification.
• Secure PDF files with 40- or 128-bit encryption.
• Add document information (e.g. title, author, subject, keywords) to converted PDF files.
• NEW: Full support for 64-bit machines.
• NEW: Double byte character support.
• NEW: Support of non-TrueType fonts.
• NEW: Enhanced support for Microsoft Windows 98, ME, XP and Vista as well as improved PDF viewing support on non-Windows platforms.
• NEW: Ability to merge/append PDF files upon conversion.

There is a user forum and a manual available, too.  Not tested, so use at your own risk, but check the user forum for feedback from actual users.

Irfanview — odd name, but useful for viewing

Irfanview is a freeware graphics viewer that can also convert graphics from one format to another.

Zamzar goes for the conversion

Zamzar will convert a number of formats to other formats, for free, and email you a link to the new format’s file.

Zamzar does documents, images (graphics), music (audio/sound), video, and compressed formats — far too many to list. Check the list for all the current files.

While you do have to wait for the email to get the link to your converted file, it’s free and will convert things like Real Player files to mp3, and Windows .wma to mp3, and so on.

It will also convert YouTube videos to formats that work in PowerPoint.

Recommended by Tech Support Alert newsletter.

100 Web Applications list for online services

100 Web Applications for Everything You Will Possibly Need has a title that says it all. Recommended by Gizmo’s Tech Support Alert.

Super converts media files

Super is a freeware program whose name is an acronym for “Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer.” It’s recommended by a number of sources, and looks like a handy tool for converting files for use in one application to another.

The site warns: “Do NOT purchase a copy of SUPER © from anyone, whether they are providing it on a CD/DVD, by email, by indicating a download link or by any other means. SUPER © is 100% FREE to download and to use. Any attempt to sell SUPER © such as on eBay, is THEFT. Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. SUPER © is a FREEWARE that cannot be sold under any circumstances.”

What it can do:
* SUPER © IS UNIVERSAL as it supports a wide variety of input/source file format to play
or encode (to & from) without any additional third party software. Supported input source file formats are:

Video formats

• 3gp/3g2 (Nokia,Siemens,Sony,Ericsson)
• asf
• avi (DivX,H263,H263+,H264,XviD,MPEG4,MSmpeg4 etc..)
• dat
• fli, flc, flv (used in Flash)
• mkv, mpg (Mpeg I,Mpeg II), mov (H263,H263+,H264,MPEG4 etc..), mp4 (H263,H263+,H264,MPEG4)
• ogg, qt
• rm, ram, rmvb
• str (Play Station), swf (Flash)
• ts (HDTV)
• viv, vob
• wmv

Audio formats

• aac, ac3, amr
• mmf, mp2, mp3, mp4, mpc
• ogg
• ra
• wav, wma

* AviSynth Script Files: avs. Let you specify advanced encoding commands using AviSynth scripts!

* SUPER © supports the conversion (encoding both ways, to & from ) of ALL the listed formats.

It allows you to extract the audio portion of a video file and convert it to a ring tone for your cell phone, convert your video for use on YouTube or convert YouTube for viewing elsewhere, convert computer game files, convert any video to an animated .gif file, convert RealMedia files (.RM .RAM .RMVB .RA) to other formats, and plays any of these files.

image browser/converter/editor - freeware FastStone

FastStone is “a fast, stable, user-friendly image browser, converter and editor. It has a nice array of features that include image viewing, management, comparison, red-eye removal, emailing, resizing, cropping and color adjustments. Its innovative but intuitive full-screen mode provides quick access to EXIF information, thumbnail browser and major functionalities via hidden toolbars that pop up when your mouse touches the four edges of the screen. Other features include a high quality magnifier and a musical slideshow with 150+ transitional effects, as well as lossless JPEG transitions, drop shadow effects, image annotation, scanner support, histogram and much more. It supports all major graphic formats (BMP, JPEG, JPEG 2000, animated GIF, PNG, PCX, TIFF, WMF, ICO and TGA) and popular digital camera RAW formats (CRW, CR2, NEF, PEF, RAF, MRW, ORF, SRF and DNG). No Adware, No Spyware, Free for home users.

Recommended by Coolsites newsletter.

Office 2007 converters

A converter for 2007 to 2003 is here. Use at your own risk — this has not been tested by Library staff. This site seems to be very slow to load.

NW DocX Converter will convert Word 2007 and OpenOffice swx and odt files to RTF format. Be warned — this will lose a lot of your Office formatting, so expect to only keep the actual text, and not the way it looks on the page. Use at your own risk — this has not been tested.

Microsoft Office 2007 for older versions of Office

Office 2007 Formats

Office 2007 uses a new format for Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx) and PowerPoint (.pptx) files. In order to use these with older versions of MS Office, you will need a “compatibility pack” from Microsoft which works with Office 2000, 2002 (XP), and 2003.

If you don’t want to do that, you must remember to save as an older version format, such as “97-2003″, so your older version can still read it. Office 2007, of course, can still read older formats, but older versions of Office can’t read the newer formats without help.

The following instructions only work if you already have a licensed older version of Microsoft Office.

The Microsoft Knowledge Base article for this is 924074. Remember that Microsoft may change the location of these files, or the wording, but they should have them somewhere on their site.

1. FIRST download the 2003 viewers for Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and install them. Several versions may be offered, but you want the 2003 viewers.
2. Then install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats for older Office software (2000, 2002, 2003).

REMEMBER: Office versions older than 2007 currently used on campus cannot read the new formats, so save in an older format if you want to be able to read it without Office 2007.
Be sure to get the free 2003 viewers and install them FIRST before the compatibility pack! They are essential for the compatibility pack to function.
This is NOT for use with other programs such as OpenOffice, WordPerfect, or other software.

PDF conversion to and from

PDF Online (http://www.pdfonline.com/ ) converts files to and from PDF for a number of formats. Recommended by Clif Notes Newsletter.