Dr. Bill | The Computer Curmudgeon
Join Dr. Bill as he examines the wild and wacky world of the web, computers, and all things geeky! Hot Tech Tips, Tech News, and Geek Culture are examined… with plenty of good humor as well!
Yep, it is now available! This is the link:
It is available for anyone, not just developers! Download, install, and check it out… but on a VM or “junker” box… NOT on your main system! It is an EARLY Alpha version.
So, maybe this is something that hasn’t irritated you, but it does me. When I need to download the FREE Cisco VPN Client, to get the latest version, I have to have a Cisco customer account to do so! Come on guys! It IS FREE! Well, I got so frustrated recently, I decided to do something that I normally do anyway. Find out if there is a FREE (truly free) alternative. And, guess what? There is!
“Windows Platforms
The Shrew Soft VPN Client for Windows is a free IPsec Remote Access VPN Client for Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7 operating systems ( x86 and amd64 versions ). It was originally developed to provide secure communications between mobile Windows hosts and open source VPN gateways that utilize standards compliant software such as ipsec-tools, OpenSWAN, FreeSWAN, StrongSWAN, isakmpd. It now offers many of the advanced features only found in expensive commercial software solutions and provides compatibility for VPN appliances produced by vendors such as Cisco, Juniper, Checkpoint, Fortinet, Netgear, Linksys, Zywall and many others.
Linux and BSD Platforms
The Shrew Soft VPN Client for Unix is a free IPsec Client for FreeBSD, NetBSD and Linux based operating systems. This version is distributed under an OSI approved open source license and is hosted in a public subversion repository. It supports most of the features available in the Windows VPN Client version with the exception of those which are not cross platform compatible.”
If you ARE using Cisco VPN, and have a .pcf file from the site that you are trying to VPN into, you can simply import it into the Shrew Soft VPN Client! Awesome!
Ah, yes. A new Windows, and more expressive BSODs! This is actually pretty cool, in an odd way! Since the new “Metro” interface with be all happy and tile-y, now Windows 8 will have a prettier, more expressive BSOD screen!
Now, if they could just eliminate BSODs entirely! Now THAT would be news!
Check it out! This gives a good synopsis of Windows 8 changes with regard to how easy it will be to develop apps that will be cross platform. Actually, pretty cool stuff!
A place where you could get info on actors, scheduling, schedule changes, cancellations, new shows to see, all that stuff that true TV-a-holics might need… well, now there’s fav.tv
fav.tv also has social networking interaction as well. Interesting, but not something I would personally use. Still, it is a neat idea! It is a startup that just got going this year. They currently have six employees… we’ll see if they “make it!”
Here’s what they say about themselves: “fav.tv is the product of nearly two years of work. What was once just a simple iPhone application, is now a ubiquitous platform spanning across the web, the desktop and various mobile platforms.”
You read that right! If you want TOTALLY INFINITE STORAGE in the cloud, you can get it with BitCasa! Click this link to do so: BitCasa Infinite Storage Beta
How cool is that? It is a Beta offering, so sign up early to be considered.
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Dr. Bill Netcast – 205 – (09/10/11)
A real hobbit house, Seagate announces a 4 TB hard drive, taking a calm break,the 45th anniversary of Star Trek, GetJar: GSotW: Connectify, a free app store, Netflix is not capping streams after all, GoToAssist: https://bit.ly/jw3Y7y
Links that pertain to this Netcast:
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Available on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5086YX9DDc
Available on Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/28932499
Well, it seems earlier this week, a rumor started that Netflix was going to stop people from streaming two programs at the same time per account. There was groaning and gnashing of teeth! But, it turns out, according to Netflix, it was all just a bug that they are fixing. So, no, there is no “capping” of streaming programs per account. Everyone can relax now!
Breathe, breathe, people!
Ever wanted to turn an old laptop into a WiFi hotspot to share WiFi goodness with a group? Is THAT what you want to do? Well… now it is SIMPLE!
“Connectify is an easy to use software router for Windows computers. Users can wirelessly and securely share any Internet connection: a cable modem, cellular card, even another Wi-Fi network with other Wi-Fi enabled devices such as smart phones, laptops, and gaming systems.
At Home
Connectify can easily act as a repeater for your home router, extending its range and providing Internet access wherever you need it. Connect to your home network, enter the same Wi-Fi name and password, and hit “Start Hotspot.” Devices will automatically connect to the Internet through either your Connectify hotspot or home router depending on proximity. Before you know it you can finally have Internet access in that impossible back room or basement. In addition, if you run Connectify away from home with these settings, any devices that need to be bound to a specific network (such as Eye-Fi cards or wireless printers) will work flawlessly with no additional configuration no matter where you are!
On the Road
Connectify placed second in Lifehacker.com’s Top 10 Downloads for a Road Warrior Laptop and it’s not hard to see why. For the Road Warrior, Internet connectivity is a lifeline. Airports, Hotels, and Coffee Shops know this and charge accordingly, often as much as $10-$15 per day, per connection! These fees can quickly add up when traveling with friends or co-workers. The handful of hotels that do provide free Internet access occasionally only supply you with an ethernet jack, which leaves Wi-Fi only devices and smart phones in the dark. Even the lucky few that have mobile 3G cards or adapters are limited to a single connection. Because Connectify is free to download and use, users can save money on multiple Wi-Fi connections while on the road and still get all their devices online simultaneously.
At College
Many Schools and private institutions have restrictive limits on the amount of devices an individual can have registered to their wireless networks. In this day and age, these quotas are quickly exceeded by the wide variety of Wi-Fi enabled devices (such as smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and gaming systems) we use on a regular basis. With Connectify running on a laptop or desktop PC, you can circumvent these limits and securely connect any number of devices to your personal Wi-Fi network.
Offline Networking
Even without an active Internet connection, you can still run a Connectify hotspot. This provides wireless access to shared folders or drives on your network as well as the ability to play LAN games with others.”
So, go forth and be geeky!
Well, maybe not an alternative, but, at least another source! And, a lot of the paid apps you might have been looking for are FREE there! Operating systems including Android, Blackberry, Java, Symbian and Mobile Web!
“GetJar is the world’s largest free app store with over 2 billion downloads to date. The company distributes more than 150,000 mobile applications across a variety of operating systems including Android, Blackberry, Java, Symbian and Mobile Web. In 2010, GetJar was named a Technology Pioneer Award Winner by the World Economic Forum and listed by TIME magazine as One of the 10 companies that will change your life. GetJar is headquarted in Silicon Valley with offices in the UK and Lithuania. For more information, please visit www.getjar.com and follow us @GetJar.”