Entropy

Syncplicity [LifeHacker] is a freeware, Windows only (currently) application which keeps folders and files on your computer synchronized across a network. Example uses include tasks such as

• Code: synchronize your code automatically between your home machine and work laptop without commiting it (to svn etc).
• Automatic backups: synchronize your important data to a backup machine automatically without the need for exporting etc.
• My Documents: sync your various my documents to your work computer and your laptop which you use for travelling

As you can see, the uses of a tool like this go beyond simply sharing documents. I, however, am waiting for DropBox.

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FastStone Capture is a screenshot taking and editing application. It allows you to take a screenshot of your desktop (or a portion of it) and edit that. For example, in the image below notes have been added and sections highlighted.

LifeHacker points out that the latest version of this is no longer free, but the link below is for the “handily portable freeware version“, which is.

FastStone Capture Freeware v5.3

Notepad2 is a notepad.exe replacement for Windows; with a whole lot more features. The key here is that its still very much a notepad - no huge memory usage, no long loading time, and its simple to use.

“Get code syntax highlighting, regular expression search, better text selection options, and support for Unix and Mac-created text files in Notepad2, which can run standalone from a thumb drive. You can even replace Windows Notepad entirely with Notepad2, though it takes a few steps—here’s a tutorial on how for XP users, and one for Vista users.” Read on at LifeHacker ..

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LifeHacker has the uberlist on tweaks and apps to pimp your desktop out. There are some great ones for Mac and Windows actually, my personal favourite being the tip to embed text documents onto your desktop.

For something that you look at every day of your working life, your computer desktop doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. That’s too bad, considering that the desktop can do a lot more than display wallpaper and hold shortcut icons. From widgets to workflows, from calendars to computer stats and beyond, you can do a whole lot on your desktop without manually starting up a single program. Hit the jump for our top 10 list of applications and tweaks that make your desktop a truly useful place to land. Read on…

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HardOCP has a full review/test of Crysis on identical machines running DX9 and DX10; with full numbers; FPS and all other changes graphed, documented and more - its a great article comparing the two.

“Crysis, 5 months later. No excuses about immature drivers or API issues. We look at how Crysis DX9 compares to Crysis DX10 and what GPU is best for it. We analyze real gameplay and IQ. Did DX10 deliver on its promises? Should we stick with it?”

Through the several pages they compare various numerics, screenshots, quality and more; finally to arrive at the conclusion –

“NVIDIA GPU based video cards have no real-world gameplay differences between DX9 and DX10, so there is no reason not to run in DX10. AMD ATI GPU based video cards do suffer a performance penalty for using DX10. If you are running an NVIDA GPU based video card, continue to run in DX10, but if you are running an AMD ATI GPU based video card you might want to consider running in DX9 for the best Crysis experience.

We feel that HardOCP should not let AMD’s poor DX10 performance retard our testing. DX10 is the future whether we like it or not, and we want to encourage game developers to continue to push the envelope and provide a good gaming experience. We also want to encourage NVIDIA and AMD to continue to develop and mature their DX10 drivers in both single and multi-GPU configurations for games.”

See their full review at HardOCP.

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Freeware RegShot (LH Featured) allows you to take snapshots of your Windows registry and compare the differences (much like diff would). This is a great tool if you want to roll back changes, or see what changes an application or changes inside an application make to the registry. From darker purposes, to debugging, to safety this neat app is a must have for any Windows geek.

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Windows Update does a pretty good job of keeping Windows up to date, but the apps you use on a daily basis easily slip behind. From getting rid of the latest Winamp bugs, to making sure you’re using the newest Flash player the task can be tedious at best.

Now, FileHippo.com, brings us the Update Checker.  The client is free, only 100kb in size and lists all the applications (that FileHippo knows of - a lot) that are out of date on your computer, with a download link for the newest version!

Update for free at FileHippo.com.