I have published the May 11 2007 COOLSITES newsletter by Mark Donaldson.
The following is an excerpt from this weeks newsletter. To see the full newsletter with all of the COOLSITES links please go to my website at:
http://luem42.com Thank you. Mark.
May 11 COOLSITES by Mark Donaldson Issue 112
Semper Gratis (forever free)
Wherever you go if you see the user name LUEM42 that's me
COOLSITES is a list of safe, fun, useful, informative and just plain cool websites and programs that are FREE, FREE and FREE. All of the programs and websites I list are free. If I list anything that is so good but isn't free I will list the price with it.
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Pirillo's Picks for February 13 2007
"And if you think that's a lot of links, you should see how many
http://luem42.com/ collects every day. It's enough to make you wanna never leave the house again as long as you live" Yours Digitally, Chris Pirillo
http://chris.pirillo.com/
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Clif Notes Newsletter, Feb 2007
http://freewarewiki.com/ClifNotes
"The COOLSITES Newsletter - find the coolest links here. This fella named Mark Donaldson has been sending out his lists of cool sites since 2003. I'd never heard of him before last week. One day I was Googling myself to see who was posting links to my newsletter, and I found his website. I guess he's mentioned my newsletter at least 3 times. I like the COOLSITES website too, but I think it could use some reformatting to make it a bit easier to read. What I really like is the content there. Mark must really read a lot of stuff on the web and he takes the best links then tells you about them ."
http://freewarewiki.com/CoolSitesNewsletter
Welcome to Clif Notes Newsletter
May 6, 2007
Thanks for reading my newsletter. Each week, I will have freeware
reviews, tips, tricks, news, and lots of cool websites for you to
check out.
I hope you enjoy this week's letter. Be sure to write me for advice or
yell at me for messing up.
# REVIEWS
1. ShellExView - master the right click menu
2. Tales Animator - make your own cartoons
3. LimeWire - great file sharing application
4. The IM Client Formerly Known As GAIM
5. PasswordSafe - open source password manager
6. Clipperz - keep it to yourself
7. FastStone Image Viewer - better than IrfanView?
8. Old Newsletter
# TIPS AND FEEDBACK
1. Internet Fixes Weekend Windup
2. Comments on Are Cookies Safe
3. Comments last week
# COOL WEBSITES
1. CoolSites Newsletter this week
2. Websites I've visited recently
3. G.ho.st - online virtual PC
4. Aggrega - online music videos
5. Neave.TV - a very cool way to watch videos
Go to
http://freewarewiki.com/ClifNotesNewsletter070506 to see the current newsletter at the Freeware Wiki.
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Security News
"National Cyber Alert System Cyber Security Alert SA07-128A Microsoft Updates for Multiple Vulnerabilities . Original release date: May 08, 2007 Last revised: Source: US-CERT Systems Affected Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office. Overview: Microsoft has released updates to correct critical vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer, and Office. Solution Install updates Microsoft has released updates to remedy critical vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer, and Office. To obtain these updates, visit the Microsoft Update web site. We also recommend enabling Automatic Updates. Description Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer, and Office may allow an attacker to access your computer, install and run malicious software on your computer, or cause it to crash. Microsoft Office for Apple OS X is also affected by some of these vulnerabilities. More technical information is available in US-CERT Technical Cyber Security Alert TA07-128A. "
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Security Links
Current issue of Internet ScamBusters:
http://www.scambusters.org/travelscams2.html
GRC SecurAble. Determine Processor Security Features:
http://www.grc.com/securable.htm
New. Clipperz. Store and manage your passwords and online credentials:
http://www.clipperz.com./
New. Informer - what is going on in your computer:
http://informer.russia.webmatrixhosting.net/informer.aspx
Online fraud aimed at hotel guests:
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070504/BUSINESS...7050403
Press Release- The President's Identity Theft Task Force Releases Comprehensive Strategic Plan to Combat Identity Theft (Press Release No. 2007-69; April 23, 2007):
http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2007/2007-69.htm
Scams. Free Vacation- Hardly. [Fool.com] May 01, 2007:
http://www.fool.com/personal-finance/travel/2007/05/01/free-vacation-hardly.aspx
Security Watch- Is your car spying on you- most domestic cars sold within the last few years all contain black boxes that record speed and other data:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3513_7-6731442-1.html?tag=nl.e757
State Dept. Warns About Internet Dating Web Sites:
http://cbs4denver.com/local/local_story_120090859.html
Trojan impersonates Windows activation to snatch data - Network World:
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/050407-trojan-impersonates-windo...activat
Update. Crypt4Free 4.6.4 128 bit to 2048 bit strong aes encryption software.:
http://www.secureaction.com/encryption_free/
Update. CurrPorts v1.20 View Opened TCP-IP ports - connections on Windows:
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/cports.html
Update. Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool 1.29:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ad724ae0-e72d...54-9ab3
Update. RemoveIT Pro v4 - SE 5.10.2007 Antivirus Software - Remove Spyware and Adware with RemoveIT Pro:
http://incodesolutions.com/
Update. TrueCrypt 4.3a Free Open-Source On-The-Fly Disk Encryption Software for Windows Vista-XP-2000 and Linux:
http://www.truecrypt.org/
Update. Winamp 5 Security Patch 5.34a:
http://www.freewarefiles.com/program_6_73_32020.html
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You are getting gypped
Consumers are paying way to much for the products they buy. I've said before how alkaline AA batteries cost less than a penny to manufacture which means with packaging and shipping it costs about 20 cents to get a 4 pack onto a store shelf yet it costs you 3 dollars (if you can find name brand batteries for that low price). The majority of their costs are advertising and profit.
I went to Arby's when they had their 5 roast beef sandwiches for $5.95 (I love those sandwiches) and asked for extra packets of Arby sauce and Horsey sauce and was told they could only give me 2 per sandwich. Condiment packets cost dozens per penny to manufacture yet they wanted to be stingy.
I had to buy a plastic drop sheet for painting and a 9 foot by 9 foot sheet cost me $10. I know that it probably cost less than a dollar to get that onto the store shelf and it wasn't a name brand item so all of that $9 went to profit.
Products like these are manufactured completely by machine. They dump the raw materials into bins, push a button and out pops thousands of items packaged and boxed ready for shipping. I know this because I have been watching the "How It's Made" show on the Discovery channel. Candy, bottled drinks, packaged food should be cheap if advertising was a minor cost of business and they would be satisfied with a 40% profit margin. But now advertising is the major cost of business and they want as big a profit margin as possible.
From:
http://www.smartmoney.com/10things/index.cfm?story=april2007 "It's no secret that restaurants enjoy huge markups on certain items: Coffee, tea and sodas, for example, typically cost restaurants 15 to 20 cents per serving, and pasta, which costs pennies, can be dressed up with more expensive fare and sold for $25 a dish or more"
And then there are companies like "Bayer". They sell their "Advantage" flea killer through veterinaries only in the US. But in Europe they sell it in pet stores for one twentieth of what they charge American veterinaries. The American veterinary then adds about $2 to the price, which is a reasonable profit margin, and sells it to you.
Because of Bayer's high profit marketing strategy the other flea killer companies, like "Frontline", are selling their products the same way. As for those online sellers, like "PetMeds", their commercials make you think they save you a "lot of money" but when you compare prices, they only save you 10 to 20%.
The more human handling in manufacturing the higher the cost. Musical instruments are very expensive because they are almost completely hand made but the above products are almost completely machine made and really cheap but they price them at what they think the market will bear.
There are companies who say their software are free you just have to pay shipping and handling to get the CD. I know the CD costs pennies and their shipping and handling is probably under $2. So when it costs you $6 to get that "Free" CD they're still making a couple of dollars profit. The following is one of those companies.
Planet CDROM You pay only shipping and delivery. 1 to 5 items $5.99 each. Free PC & Mac Software, Cheap Software, Discount Software:
http://www.planetcdrom.com/
Don't get me wrong. This is a good deal when you can find good software like the time I brought "ChessMaster 5000" from one of these companies.
I only buy generic brands like Walmarts "Great Value" and "Equate" brands unless I have to buy the name brand. For batteries the auto parts stores sell generic alkaline batteries for half the price of Duracell and Eveready.
I have to put up with all of those annoying name brand commercials on TV and it just doesn't seem smart to help them pay to annoy me by buying their product. Mark.
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COOLSITES toolbar links menu
This is the current menu structure on the "Links" button on my COOLSITES toolbar which you can get for free here:
http://luem42.ourtoolbar.com/. Mark
Daily Links --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Game Software Giveaway of the Day
game.giveawayoftheday.com/
Weekly Links ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly Deals on Hardware Software Giveaway of the Day
weeklycloseouts.com/page/en/home.aspx giveawayoftheday.com/
Monthly Links ---------------------------------------- Hosts File Update New Freebies New Freeware every Day
mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm absurdlycool.com/ xtort.net/
COOLSITES Newsletter Restricted Sites Update Nature News Hardware Deal of the Day
luem42.com/coolsites.html spywarewarrior.com/uiuc/resource.htm nature.com/news/index.html woot.com/
Newsletter Archive Monthly Sky Map NASA's APOD
luem42.googlepages.com/newsletter.html skymaps.com/downloads.html gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Contact Us NOAA maps Space and Science News
luem42.com/contactus.html cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/index.html space.newscientist.com/home.ns
Favorite Freeware Celeb News
luem42.com/freeware.html tabloidcolumn.com/
Just The Links
luem42.googlepages.com/links.html
Specialized Search Engines
luem42.googlepages.com/search.html
Dee's Recipes
luem42.com/recipes.html
Mark's Tips
luem42.com/markstips.html
Flight 93
luem42.com/flight93.html
Pirillo's Picks
chris.pirillo.com/
Lockergnome Cool Web Links
help.lockergnome.com/general/Cool-Web-Links-forum-18.html
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Paris Hilton
Legal appeals. Fans petitioning the Governator. Contrition. All that money. Does anyone really think she's going to spend time in jail? I'm hoping she does the stupidest thing and skips the country. Mark.
Paris Hilton is so pampered she doesn't read her mail. Jail Time Likely to Fuel Hilton's Fame:
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20070507/D8OVBRBO0.html
Paris Hilton- 'Ready to Face the Consequences':
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20070509/D8P1582G0.html
Paris Hilton rolls her own smokes again! - TMZ.com:
http://www.tmz.com/2007/05/07/paris-rolls-again/
Paris Hilton shifts moods, rehires publicist:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070508/ap_en_ce/people_paris_hilton
Paris Hilton. Facing Jail Time, Paris Hilton Late For Court Date:
http://kutv.com/entertainment/local_story_124175620.html
Paris Hilton. Hilton Sentenced to 45 Days in Jail:
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20070504/D8OTS26G3.html
Paris Hilton. Kathy Hilton Stands Behind Her Daughter:
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20070508/D8P0C0980.html
Paris Hilton. What Paris Can Expect Behind Bars-:
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20070505/D8OU3IOG0.html
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COOLSITES 100 cool links
I harvest what I believe to be the best links from the best sources that are safe, fun, informative, useful and just plain cool. I categorize them and edit their descriptions for clarity.
To see the full newsletter with all of the COOLSITES links please go to my website at:
http://luem42.com Thank you. Mark.
General