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OuterNotes: Desktop Clutter-Busters
http://www.annoyances.org Does Windows drive you nuts? Want to move out of the "Network Neighborhood?" Would you like to get the MSN logo off your desktop? Annoyances.org may be your new best friend. Produced by the Creative Element consulting firm, it promotes a series of books: Windows 95 Annoyances, Windows 98 Annoyances and (coming soon) Windows Me Annoyances. You don't have to buy anything to use the site, which includes step-by-step instructions on how to deal with common irritants. It explains issues from the Recycling Bin to Dial-up networking to the much-feared, labyrinthine Windows registry in simple, clear language. For those using Netscape 6, it also offers the Windows 98 Annoyances Sidebar as a helpful companion. --Christopher L. Stamper ...As Winshade Takes More Pane Out of Windows http://www.bluecarpet.com/ Apple users who have had to switch to Windows -- and PC users who want to get one of the MacOS's best features -- can download Blue Carpet Software's free Winshade.exe utility. It's an easily downloadable (538k .zip file) and installed app that lets you roll up any open Windows on your desktop by clicking (or double-clicking, if you prefer) anywhere on the blue title bar. You can also custom-configure right and middle buttons and hot keys to minimize and maximize, toggle between or overlay program windows. It may not sound like much, but the it saves the time spent squinting after and mousing over to Windows' miniscule minimize button, and the whooshing sound effects (you can match any action to any .wav file) have a charm of their own. And their ZDNet Shareware of the Year Award carries some weight also... --Philip Stewart Topdesk.exe Lets You Open Buried Icons... http://www.snadboy.com/TopDesk.shtml" You're a Windows 95 or Windows NT user who (like most editors) works with multiple files and programs. You've filled up all your Start Menu shortcuts and wish you had the "toggle desktop" tray icon that Microsoft finally included in Windows 98/2000 -- but can't afford the cost or disk space needed for an upgrade. But you can download Topdesk.exe, another free and small (270k installed) utility from Snadboy Software. It'll put a blue triagular icon in your system tray that when clicked upon, opens a pop-up menu that gives instant access to all of your desktop programs without having to minimize, resize, move or close other programs or files. --Mariateresa Thiery 9. ...WisdomSpray Dispenses Inspiration and Decisions http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/stories/solutions/0,8224,2633700,00.html Stalled writers can jump-start their creative engines with WisdomSpray, which installs a spray-can icon that squirts sage words of advice into the blank areas of your desktop. If you're not impressed with the dispensed wisdom, simply scramble the tiles to receive a new message or create your own. There's also a Yes/No feature that offers instant answers to all of your tough decisions, and the included text-to-speech function could go even further toward making this program the talk of the town. Only drawback? It may free up your mind, but not your disk space; at 765k compressed, you might want to load this one to a Zip drive first. And the text-to-speech function requires you to have (or install) TTS support from Microsoft's site. --Max Kovins OuterNotes is produced using the OuterForce Platform, which allows publishers to easily recruit and manage remote and freelance content creation and export it into their publishing platform of choice. For more information, see http://www.outerforce.com. Copyright 2000 by OuterNotes and Trotta Media, Inc. All rights reserved. OuterNotes is a trademark of OuterForce Systems, Inc.Return to OuterNotes Home |