Cheapskates Unite
Inexpensive DVD player; free drivers, DLLs, and malware remover; plus a smart meeting strategy.Steve Bass
Steve Bass writes PC World's monthly "Hassle-Free PC" column and is the author of PC Annoyances, 2nd Edition: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Personal Computer, available from O'Reilly. He also writes PC World's daily Tips & Tweaks blog. Sign up to have Steve's newsletter e-mailed to you each week. Comments or questions? Send Steve e-mail.
I don't know about you, but this holiday season wasn't exactly easy on my wallet. If you by any chance find yourself in the same situation, you'll probably appreciate the cheap hardware and free software that I've run into lately.
Cheap Multiformat DVD Player
Three months ago the DVD player in my living room took a nose dive. I looked around for a new one--something cheap, but with the ability to play the CDs I burn on my PC.
A lot of friends recommended the Philips DVP642. It sells for under $60 and it's a bargain because it'll play just about any video format I can throw at it. For instance, I created a video CD and the Philips played it with no problem. It also plays a slew of other formats: DVD-Video, audio CD, JPEG image CD, and CDs with MPEG-4 or DivX files, as well as DVDs that are encoded with PAL (the video format used in Europe).
My experience with the DVP642 has been positive so far; it's working fine for me. But not everyone's been happy with the player. When I checked on Amazon.com, several of the customer reviews were negative; you'll want to read through the comments and decide for yourself whether the player's worth a try.
Dig This: Got some free time? Go for a Cab Ride. To get started, click on the guy, then hit your arrow keys to make his life miserable.
"15 in 4" Memory Card Reader
You have a memory card for your expensive digital camera; your son has a different type of card for his inexpensive point-and-shoot; and you have yet another type of memory card for your MP3 player.
Give the 15 in 4 Push Button Card Reader/Writer from MediaGear a try. It reads popular formats--CompactFlash, Secure Digital, and Memory Stick--as well as obscure ones, such as the RS-MMC. The best part is that with XP and 2000 (other Windows versions need drivers, which are provided), all you need to do is insert the memory card, press a button on the reader, and the photos are automatically saved onto your PC. It runs about $25 at MediaGear's site.
PowerSquid Surge Protector
Have you ever tried to plug those big, bulky AC adapters into a surge protector? That's right: one adapter overlaps two or even three plugs on the power strip.
You might want to look at the PowerSquid ($40). It has six tentacle-like cords to accommodate adapters of all sizes.
Dig This: Some meetings go on forever, and some people have a tendency to doze. This guy's got a smart strategy.
Step Right Up for Free Drivers and DLLs
Have you ever needed a specific device driver? Or maybe a system crash corrupted a DLL you needed to load a mission-critical program.
You could scramble around your collection of original program CDs, or holler for your tech support buddies.
Instead, visit the DllDump for a hefty collection of free DLLs as well as INI and OCX files.
If it's a driver you're trying to hunt down, head for Microsoft's free driver site. I'm guessing it's got hundreds of drivers, including printer, video, BIOS, multimedia, CD, and others.
Grab Some Insurance: Microsoft's Malware Removal Tool
Microsoft has released an updated version of the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. The program checks Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 computers for infections by specific, prevalent malicious software, including Blaster, Mydoom, and Sasser. It'll also remove the pests. Run it when you get the chance.
Dig This: Take a quick look at the Blue Ball Machine--and just imagine someone compulsive enough to design it.