Mbrfix

Utility to save, restore, fix, view partitions table and MBR

http://www.elvisciotti.co.uk/upload/mbrfix.zip [42kn]

Commands:

    MbrFix /drive [num] driveinfo              Display drive information     MbrFix /drive [num] drivesize              Returns drive size in MB as return value     MbrFix /drive [num] listpartitions         Display partition information     MbrFix /drive [num] savembr [file]         Save MBR and partitions to file     MbrFix /drive [num] restorembr [file]      Restore MBR and partitions from file     MbrFix /drive [num] fixmbr                 Update MBR code to W2K/XP/2003     MbrFix /drive [num] clean                  Delete partitions in MBR     MbrFix /drive [num] readsignature {/byte}  Read disk signature from MBR     MbrFix /drive [num] writesignature hex     Write disk signature from MBR     MbrFix /drive [num] generatesignature      Generate disk signature in MBR     MbrFix /drive [num] readstate              Read state from byte 0x1b0 in MBR     MbrFix /drive [num] writestate [state]     Write state to byte 0x1b0 in MBR     MbrFix volumeinformation driveletter       Get volume information for partition

info:

http://www.geocities.com/thestarman3/asm/mbr/MBR_in_detail.htm

EASEUS Partition Master 4.0.1

Excellent tool to manage partition, similar to Partition Magic

Free version here

http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm

Super v.2009 build 35

Super is a versatile functional software to convert multimedia files that use silently open-source converting tools (ffmpeg and mencoder).
It’s completely free and offers a simply GUI.
The accepted input video file formats are 3gp, avi, asf, mp4, mov, mkv, vob, flv, rmvb. The audio format supported are aac, mp2, mp3, nsv, wma. Super can also convert from the ShockWave Flash format.

You can add multimedia files in the converting batch list by drag-and-drop or by menu heading.

You can choose many parameters about video and audio conversion, such as video scale, video aspect, fps, video bitrate, audio sampling frequency, number of channels, bitrate.

Current version: Super v.2009 build 36 - July 09
Download zip

Enjoy it !

Windows: Reveal your wireless network keys/passwords (WEP/WPA) stored with WirelessKeyView

WirelessKeyView is a free lightweight utility to reveal stored password or keys

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wireless_key.html

Tested on Windows Vista, WPA-PSK TKIP key

How to transfer large files between distant computers through internet network with firewalls

If you need to transfer a big file(s) from one computer to another one, there are 2 different approaches:

1. In 2 stages. The most and intuitive method is: firstly upload from 1st computer to somewhere in internet and secondly download from that place to 2nd computer. These methods include sending by e-mail (workable only for lightweight files, few Mb) and uploading & downloading with megaupload/rapidshare like online services.
   Disadvantages: slow method (in traditional ADSL home-connections, upload’s bandwith is usually not large).
2. Directly way. This method is the fastest (2nd computer download immediately your file) but it’s normally a hard-way to do. Often you can’t open the ports in your router(s) and you can’t make your FTP/HTTP server visibile from 2nd computer with your public IP address. Besides that, you can transfers via Skype/Msn messenger, but these usually aren’t performative methods.

Actually, there is a simple method to join advantages of both these two pproaches: Bittorrent !

Using bittorrent network you are able to send any files to any other computers. You only have to send separately a torrent file (that contains the file description and your the torrent link info) to the 2nd computer, and thelatter can immediately download the file from the 1st computer using the maximium speed allowed. You can also send your files to more computers and exploit P2P advantages (each peer downloads from each other peer). Pay attention to your client configuration (in the 1st computer) about connection settings (NAT-PMP mapping, upload bandwith).

Torrent file is easily made from bittorrent client software, for example the excellent lightweight free and no-install uTorrent. Procedure: From the menu list, select “file” and “make a torrent from your file(s)”, then “send” the “.torrent file” (only few Kb) just made to the 2nd computer (that obviously has also a bittorrent client).

Enjoy !

Subversion overview

Subversion (SVN) [wiki] is an excellent version control sytem software. It’s open source and the official website [open] presents, in addition to the source code, the free clients for Windows, MAC OS X, KDE and some IDEs (Eclipse, Netbeans, Visual studio).

Version control (and Backup)

Commonly used in software development, it allows to backup and retrieve our datas maintaing all the versions of all the files (no more overwriting problems). It’s possibile to backup data to a local folder, or to an online space using different network protocols. There are lots of free svn hosting online, google “free svn hosting”.
Read the wikipedia page for more information.

Tutorial for Windows

Following, a brief tutorial to use TortoiseSVN (Windows client) and versioning our files, using an online hosting

• Download, setup TortoiseSVN and restart Windows;
• Register a SVN free account (You can use x-dev, it offers 500Mb space for free), make a new repository and obtain the url;
• Create a temporary folder X:\temp and place the initial data to backup
  Right click on the folder and choose TortoiseSVN->Import
  insert the URL (ex: http://svn2.xp-dev.com/svn/user-projname/
  and user/password when asked (it copies the folders and its contents online) ;
• Create the folder (final path) X:\folder-to-maintain-synchronized
  Right click on the folder, then SVNCheckout (Checkout: FROM online resource TO local folder);
  Choose the above-mentioned url (Tortoise remembers all the urls) and wait for the end. The folder icon should be different (white tick in a green circle over the folder icon) now;
• From now the folder X:\folder-to-maintain-synchronized will magically be kept synchronized, by using two simple Tortoise commands:
  - Right click, SVN Commit.. (copy new files FROM local TO online)
  - Right click, SVN Update (copy FROM online TO local).
  Be careful to use the second command, it’s commonly used when we’ve commited from another folder or another person has done it.
  To maintain the synchronization, delete or move files ONLY USING TortoiseSVN. And add new files added using the command “Add”.

For further information, google “svn tutorial” !
Enjoy

Free YouTube to MP3 Converter

Free YouTube to MP3 Converter (current version 3.1.5.55) is a free utility to directly convert online youtube video in mp3 files.

URL input by pasting, batch input support, sortable mp3 quality.

GUI and Browser toolbar.

http://www.dvdvideosoft.com/free-dvd-video-software-download.htm

Total Recall

Total Recall is a helpful call recorder application for Symbian Series 60 2nd & 3rd Edition Devices.

It works in silent / asking / manual mode, recording all the incoming and outgoing calls. Recording in AMR/WAV format, password protection, HTTP manual/automatic recording sending.

See its website for list of supported mobiles, and a more detailed description.

Demo: 14 gg. Full version: $13.50

Current version: v2.00 (s60 v2) / v3.12 (s60 v3 and v5)

http://www.killermobile.com/newsite/mobile-software/s60-applications/total-recall-%11-call-recording-software-for-s60-devices.htm

Easy Skype recording with PowerGramo

PowerGramo is a great bugless tool for recording skype conversations.
It records skype conversation automatically and saves them in his own format that is exportable in OGG or WAV format (*). It works as Skype plugins, with a complete integration (menu items and a button for enable/disable recordings).

The audio quality is perfect.

It’s customizable about skype notifications after and before conversation. It’s possibile to choose the automatic saving using customized filename format, changesounds warnings and change the options about the automatic skype status changing during recording.

The free version works without limitations. View the official website for informations about other pay versions with more functionalities.

(*) You can convert from OGG/WAV to MP3 format using audacity and Lame MP3 encoder (both are free).

Website: http://www.powergramo.com/

Emulate CD/DVD with Daemon Tools Lite

Daemon Tools Lite is one of the best free CD/DVD/HD DVD/BluRay image emulators. It installs a virtual CD/DVD device in your system, where you can mount a CD/DVD image and obtain the same result as burn and read it with physical optical device.

The image formats supported are: ISO ,IMG, NRG (Nero), MDS (Alcohol), CCD (CloneCD), CUE, ISZ (ISO compressed), etc.

Daemon tools Lite supports 8 virtual devices, auto-mount, auto start with Windows, file association (mounting by click) and SafeDisc / SecurROM / LaserLockemulations. Fast control and image mounting with system tray icon (see the screenshot below).

You can also create CD/DVD images from your CD and DVD (by using ripper or burning software), then load them in your system easily and quickly.

Download Lite (Free) version 4.30.3 from cnet.com

Free and small mp3 directory player

Here I present 1by1, a small (less than 120Kb !) not invasive and useful mp3 directory player. This player has a customizable keyword shortcuts which allows to control easily the playback and the volume. In the left part you may choose the folder from the directory tree and see the songs list in the right part. The default playback order is alphabetical, but you can change it - for example - with last modified time (ascending or descending).

1by1 has others interesting features like as winamp input plugin support (for reading midi, ogg, wma formats…) and a simple sound enhancer.

Download version 1.66 (March 09).

Windows shortcuts for launch software and files

What do you know about Windows operating system’s path ?

If you submit a command to operating system, this one search the executable (found by name submitted) in the o.s. path.

In Windows the default path is the windows install folder (usually “c:windows” and system folders).

You can add your folders to the Windows path, that is the way for xp/2k and later ones : control panel -> System -> Advanced -> Environment Variables -> find the “path” variable, and add your folder to current path line (the paths must be separated by semicolons).

Now you can put your links to your favorite software (or launch-able files) and rename these with a short name, then you can quickly launch these by Run-Window (keyboard: Windows-key + R) by typing the shortname.

Some example: “m” for music folder, “s” for shutdown-now link, “msn”for msn messenger, “g” for web link to google, “gm” for gmail etc..

Shutdown PC at specified time with ElciTimer

The freeware software ElciTimer allows to:

• shutdown/stand by/log off/start Windows
• run any selected executable
• close a window by name
• show a message box

when a specified event occurs:

• specified time comes (hh:ss)
• time interval ends (as example 1 h and 35 m)
• a specified window (with specified name) appears
• a specified web page contains specified text (you can upload a file in your website or write post in your blog, then the timer starts in the remote pc)

Some usage examples: Sound notification after cad-render finish (a windows occurs), films/DivX/defrag/computer-checks/music listening ends.

ElciTimer shows the time left and has a shortcuts by menu in system tray icon (see 3rd screenshot). Very low CPU and RAM usage.

Download: Elcitimer_en.exe (no setup, whole executable, 300kb), for Windows (all versions) only. Also available in italian version.

PCFixer: recover your registry and improve system performances

PC Fixer is a free utility java-based for XP/Vista.
It scans your pc registry for bad items (for example: fix registry entries after a virus in coming), for settings changed and diffent to their defaults, and suggest advices for improving performances (for example disabling useless win services).

It includes also a Registry CleanUP utility for fix others errors about file extensions, shared DDLs, Windows Services, invalid file path…

Current version: 2.6.8 free 1,2 Mb

Enjoy !

Fring: an useful and portable app for mobile phones

Fring is a free application for mobile devices (symbian, iphone, etc) that can access to the networks: fring, skype, msn messenger, gtalk, icq, aim (and others). All the contacts of all network are showed in the contact list.

Obviously you need a internet connection (for example: a free wi-fi hot spots or your home wi-fi router).
Through skype network you can make and receive calls directly on the phone same as normal call. Fring also inserts existents phone contact in fring contact list for a fast skype call.
Fring allows do a chat with contacts and allows to send and receive files.

You can download fring using computer, sms or wap in the official site.

UTorrent

UTorrent is a free, fast and functional bittorrent client.

Features: association with torrent files, many GUI options, select incoming port, proxy, bandwith setting, pause/stop/restart download, select files to download from torrent source, download priority, trackers details, peers details, pieces details, speed graph, statistics, automatic updating. Click in the screenshot for more details.

Only one light-weight exe file.

Last version: 1.8.1 Stable (263 kB)

Gigaget - an excellent download manager

Gigaget is a free software which increase a lot the download speed.

You can use gigaget with premium rapidshare accounts, and you can set a various options: numbers of threads for each files, max simultaneous tasks, speed limit, pc shutdown where downloads list ends, download categories . Gigaget includes a drop basket, clipboard monitor (single or files list), monitoring browser, flash and stream recognition, virus-scan in the downloaded files.

Last version: Gigaget V1.0.0.23.exe (about 2 Mb )

CBR files and CDisplayEx: how to make and read/navigate image sequence

In this post I explain something about CBR file format and software CDisplayEx.

CBR (Comic Book Rar) format was created for comics exchange, but it is also generally helpful for create a simply and readable sequence of image files (scanned documents, books, manuals…).

CDisplayEx is a free software that allows to read the CBR file format (a simply zip or rar file with a sequence of jpg files) with many tools for reading and navigation (autofit, zoom, page preview, rotation, auto image correction) as like as a common pdf readers, one image for each page.

How I can make a CBR file ?

It’s easy ! Compress a jpg file sequence (example: 01.jpg, 02.jpg, … , 20.jpg) into one single zip / rar file, and change its extensions to ‘cbr’ (it will be associated with CDisplayEx). The software will read the file as same as a document with 20 pages contains one image for each page. Whenever and easily you can add, remove, reorder or change any image in cbr file with winzip/winrar.

Video for N95 mobile with the best size/quality balancing

Nokia N95 has a screen resolution of 320×240 pixel.
The best quality/size trade-off is:

• Video format 3GP
• Video MPEG4 320×240 px, 25 fps, bitrate: 192 kbps
  (Other “Super ® 2009 b36″ options: 3gp v5, hi quality, stretch, no top quality)
• Audio AAC 44kHz, mono, 32kbps

size:
1 minute = (192+32) /8 kBps * 60 sec = ca 1,75 MB
1 hour = 105 MB
“Super ® 2009 b36 “ Screenshot, click to enlarge

This compression profile has been tested in a Nokia N95 (no 8Gb model). Audio and video quality excellent, perfect audio/video synch, fast loading and seeking.