8 Free Alternatives to existing products that you use

1. Operating System:

Instead of downloading pirated copies of windows and living with the guilt, download Linux and relax. If you are new to linux and want a user friendly interface, but also some eye candy, your best bet would be Linux Mint. Ubuntu is the next safest option, but mint has quite a few codecs and applications to run out of the box. You can also run it off a live CD if you want to test it out before you use it. Do remember to backup your data first!

2. Office Suite:

MS office is another software that makes you feel shifty isn’t it? Well there’s an alternative to be guilt free there too. Openoffice.org offers a free office suite that can replace MS office for you. Don’t worry it is compatible with MS office documents, so you don’t have to worry about files not opening.

3. Programming:

Always wanted to learn code? Don’t have time to join classes? Want to learn from the comfort of your office or home? Codeacademy teaches you how to build websites games and apps right in your browser. It’s fun, interactive and you can easily keep tabs on your progress as well as friends’s.

4.  CD Burner:

Nero license expired? Want a free alternative? Give Ashampoo Burning Studio a try. Its interace is quite similar to Nero, making it easy to navigate. It also features Blu-Ray support in case your require it.

 5. Photo Editor:

GIMP boasts of features to rival that of Photoshop, while at the same time requiring you to pay nothing. As it is a volunteer developed beta software, the interface is not all that flashy, but it is more than dependable once you look beyond that.

 6. Video Editor:

Windows Movie maker is the best solution here. It’s already built into most Windows editions. If you are still not satisfied and want an alternative,you can try out Wax, AviDemux,  or Blender if you are into 3D rendering as well.

7.  Antivirus:

While there are a lot of options here, I found Microsoft Security Essentials to be the most light weight and user friendly. Avast and AVG are excellent alternatives which offer a few more options.

8. Video Calling:

While you might be loathe to relinquish your hold on Skype, you could also try out Google Hangouts. You could use it to schedule webinars, take classes or work on some documents with your colleagues. This require you to have an account on Google+ though.

There you have it! 8 alternatives for stuff you use every day and now don’t have to spend a single penny on. Of course, our blog is also another rich source where you can get information on social media marketing, social bookmarking, tips to increase productivity, tech reviews and a lot more for free. Hope this article helped to enhance your productivity. Feel we left out an app that should have been on this list? Do let us know.

Ciao – Ravi

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Dear Friends,

We launched the Cover page of the much awaited and discussed Your SMQ – Social Media Quotient yesterday on  (31/03/2010) in Mumbai.

The Final copies will be released soon.

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Regards

Ananth V

Product Consultant

TECHDIVINE® Creative Services

Social Media, Design Services, Your SMQ™ & Creative Writing

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence,

therefore,

is not an act but a habit“

~Aristotle~

Techdivine Creative Services

Have a wonderful week ahead!

God Bless and Be Well

TECHDIVINE Creative Services

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KALA GHODA ARTS FESTIVAL

http://ananthvclicks.wordpress.com

http://ananthvclicks.wordpress.com/2008/03/19/kala-ghoda-arts-festival/

click above 

KALA GHODA ARTS FESTIVAL

Being an art student, as I would like to always proudly refer myself as, over the last two weeks many have asked me to put forth my art works and some styles that I have been using to get and create my digital art works…. And those using traditional media…..

Many of these artworks have also been sold as Digital Paintings and received excellent acclaim for eg. City Traffic, Actors Life, Tribute, 26 years and many others have brought about fabulous reviews from all over…..

The digital artworks are available for sale in varied sizes of 11″ X 11″, 22″ X 16″, 8″ X 8″ etc….. and are available for purchase…

For enquiries contact the author at: ananthv9@gmail.com

So here are few of them with their details….

Some of these works have earned me good accolades over the last three years…. With media, International Computer Graphic societies, India’s contemporary upcoming and famous artist directories, work and projects wise….

My works include “Photography, 3d still Works, Animation, Walk through, 2d graphic art works, Sketches, Charcoal (colour & B&W), Clay, Sculpture and relief works …

For digital media, the skill sets that I have used are as follows: Maya 7, 3DSMAX8, Photoshop, Corel Draw, Illustrator, Paint Shop pro, Combustion….

Few of my works:

1. Reflections of the Soul: Skills used : Photoshop, Illustrator, Paint Shop ProThis Cover art is for the Coffee table Poetry book:

“EXPRESSIONS” titled Reflections of the soul

This cover art speaks of LIFE being inside a bubble where you have different memories and emotions…. that hold you close and sometimes take you to the edge of your life…. the colours mean different expressions of a soul such that: Brown colour depicts the sad memories, green depicts hope and pink the good of health and happy memories…. and everything we do gets reflected all around us…..

REFLECTIONS OF THE SOUL

Related Links:

http://www.lulu.com/content/709570

2. My Workstation: Completely done in 3dsmax and textures created and painted in Photoshop and Illustrator…. displayed in International CG society…..

3. The Alley: Done in 3DSMax and textures painted and composited in Photoshop

4. Few other Sketches, relief works, crayon, ink and paint sketches, graphic pen works…..

26 Years AnanthV

Actors Life at Directors Cut

One of my earliest works on ” Famous Illustrations reproduced – quick digital sketch competition

City Traffic & Jammed Signals

Ashta Vinayaka Ganesha with numbers

The Journey to Freedom

Joyride

Ocean Colours – Splash for HOLI

Relationships

ALL split up

Target of Attention

Tribute

and loads more to be updated……… keep watching the space……

Thanks

ANANTHANARAYANAN V

 Judging the mood at IIT: MOODINDIGO 2007

 As the next event was getting set, one of the organizer, Prathamesh, apologized for hurrying up of this event but I guess they had to…. And as I hardly got 10 minutes to look into more than 30 teams and give my judgment on the same, I felt I could use a little bit more time with the teams and the models created so beautifully. But then I had to hurry up with the available time at my disposal and as the amazingly huge groups of brilliant geniuses stood there, I declared three of the teams at the top three spots.

AT the end I was very sure that at least 90% of those participating would make it as amazingly creative and genius, brilliant designers in the coming years. They had the passion, the guts and the talent for it.

The organizers took me around for a complete tour and I am especially thankful to Akarsh for showing me around the marvel and genius of IIT and of IIT Powai campus right from every other event and concerts arena to the student room, convocation hall, the new IIT building, the hostel area and IIT library. It was a good feel and a nice welcome to each and everyone out there that day by MoodIndigo2007.

Mood Indigo has gained a name and reputation over the last so many years as being highly professional, diverse and is being host at one of the most prestigious shrines of all time, IIT Powai, Mumbai.

I would have to say as I conclude, Mood Indigo 2007 has kicked off grand and the credit goes from the people who have made it happen that is the students from all over India who come and participate in it and definitely the people who have created and run the show there, the organizers, the coordinators, the core team, etc at Mood Indigo 2007.

The details of the program are available “ http://moodi.org ”

 

I wish the whole team, the core team and everyone ( Prathamesh, Akarsh, all other organizers, coordinators)  involved with the event and also the ones who have created the graffiti wall which looks mesmerizing at IIT Powai campus and made this event literally larger than life ALL THE VERY BEST, god bless and be well.

Mood Indigo 2007 ROCKS!!!

Ananthanarayanan V

http://techdivine.instablogs.com