Misc. Utilities

CCCalc is a desktop calculator that supports four basic arithmetic operations and allows you to input calculations from your keyboard while displaying all the lines of your expression on a virtual printout. You can edit the calculation by simply editing the typed characters in the same way you would edit text in Notepad - the changes will be recalculated instantly. Other features include support for copy and paste, automatic rounding (customizable), memory operations and more.

Iconize is a simple tool, that allows you to minimize any window or application to an icon in the System Tray. Simply right click on the Iconize tray icon and select the program to minimize from the list. It also allows you to Minimize, Maximize, Restore, or Close all applications at once.

Polyglot 3000 can automatically identify the language used in a text, phrase, or (sometimes) even a single word. Just paste or type the text into the provided field, or load a text file, and the program will identify it from a database of over 400 languages that it can recognize. The longer the text sample, the better are the odds of proper identification. Worked well with the languages we tested.

Volumouse is a unique and handy utility, that allows you to adjust your speaker volume by using your mouse wheel. In order to preserve other functionalities of your mouse wheel, the program offers several combinations, so that volume adjusting will only be used when for example an additional keyboard key is pressed. We liked the option best, which would automatically use the mouse wheel for volume adjustment when you move your pointer over the taskbar - anywhere else on the screen, the mousewheel has the standard functionality. There are various combinations available, including an option that will only use the mouse wheel for volume if Media Player is in the foreground.

MouseZoom is a small and simple tool that acts as a mouse magnifier, color dropper and distance analyzer. It zooms the current mouse position (up to 50x) and shows the color value and the absolute and relative position of the point where the mouse is located on the screen.

FlyingBit Hash Calculator integrates with the Windows Explorer and enables you to calculate and verify hash sums for any file from the right-click menu. It supports 9 different algorithms including MD5, CRC32, SHA1 and TIGER. All sums are generated at the same time and you can choose which one to copy to the clipboard, or save them all as a .hash file. The program can also create a GNU .md5 check file containing the .md5 signature of a file and later compare it to the original.

WinGuggle enables you to recover your Windows Vista and Microsoft Office product keys. This can be useful if you still have the CD but lost the CD key. The program also allows you to edit your OEM manufacturer information and logo.

Icon Remover is a simple application that enables you to completely remove the `Safely Remove Hardware` icon from the system tray. The icon is shown whenever certain devices are connected to your PC and allows for safe disconnection of the device. In some cases however, you may never want to unplug the device (e.g. cable modems, SATA drives etc.) and therefore the icon is not really needed. Icon Remover lets you choose to either show or remove this icon as needed. The program keeps the icon removed even across reboots and also includes command line options to automate or integrate the functionality.

Versaverter is a unit conversion software that enables you to convert between a wide array of units, including area, density, energy, force, length, mass, power, pressure, speed, temperature, volume, time and more.

ZoomIt is a desktop zoom and annotation tool, that enables you to zoom your desktop with your wheel mouse or the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard. It is activated with a customizable keyboard shortcut, and can also be used to draw on your desktop (with or without zoom), using a customizable color and pen width. ZoomIt is very convenient to use, it does not require any additional windows to open or close, and even includes a customizable break timer that will blank your screen with a countdown when it is activated.

Simple File Joiner is a simple tools to join multiple text files or MPEG movies into one. It can optionally insert a divider between the merged parts.

EMCO UnLock IT allows you to terminate the process that is locking a file. This can be useful if you are trying to delete or manipulate a file that is in use by some other application. EMCO UnLock IT will show details for the process that is locking the file, and offer you to terminate it.

DarkAdapted allows you to quickly adjusts screen gamma settings to preserve dark adaptation. It is useful for astronomers and others who need to preserve dark adaptation while using the computer. NightVision controls the three gamma channels (red, green, and blue) independently and also provides full control over preset gamma settings, fade rate, and bailout keys.

FizzBoost is a companion application for FaceBook users, that runs in the system tray and alerts you of new events like friend invites, unread mail, wall posts, unread shares and more. It can check for changes every X minutes, and you can choose which notifications to include. Furthermore, the program provides a tray icon menu that allows quick access to important pages in your FaceBook account.

XP Syspad provides quick access to many Windows management features, as well as programs, system folders and more, without having to use the Control Panel or click through multiple menus to get there. It runs in the system tray, from where you can right-click to access common folders (and files inside them), the Start Menu and IE Favorites or left-click to invoke the small interface that lets you select from more than 100 categorized functions, including a small calculator and a clock display. The program does not introduce any new features, all of the functions are mostly shortcuts to standard Windows XP features, however it is much easier (and faster) to access them via XP Syspad.

Unlocker enables you to delete, move or rename files or folders that are locked by other processed (Access is denied, Sharing Violation etc.). It integrates into the Windows right-click menu, and opens a dialog that shows you the processes that are currently locking the file, thereby preventing it from being deleted. You can choose to terminate and unlock the processes, or otherwise delete the file on the next reboot.

Unit Converter Expert is a standalone utility (no install needed) that can convert values between more than 2100 units of measure in more than 70 categories, including fluids, light, magnetism, engineering, radiology, weights, distance and many others.

ProduKey enables you to retrieve the ProductID and the CD-Key for your Windows installation, as well as MS-Office and SQL Server if they are installed. The program is easy to use, just run it, and it will display the keys for you.

LocalCooling s an advanced power management tool that helps you conserve resources by powering down your PC when it is not in use. It offers several advantages over the standard Windows power manager, as well as an overview of your estimated PC power usage, and a statistical report that shows you how much power you have conserved over time. The program can automatically turn off your monitor, shut down or hibernate your PC after X minutes of inactivity, and also offers an option to suspend the shutdown if a certain program is running or if the shutdown would occur before a specific time of day. LocalCooling even includes a community feature that allows you to upload your power saving statistics and compete with other users.

Magnifier is a simple tool to magnify the area under your mouse cursor. It supports up to 50x magnification and offers a resizable magnification area, as well as an optional grid overlay.

Fake Progress Bar is a fun program that enables you to create a fake progress bar that displays any text of your choice and can go through multiple stages, with customizable time delays for each step. You can use your own window title, select from several icons and customize the button text. You can configure the program by clicking on the gear icon (see screenshot) and then launch it whenever you want to fool somebody (or add a shortcut to the startup folder for continuous fun).

UDPixel is a simple program that helps you locate and possibly fix stuck pixels in your LCD display. Stuck pixels are usually white or colored dots on your screen, that are active but stuck with one color (dead pixels which are black, cannot be fixed). The program tries to correct the stuck pixels by applying rapid display changes to the area for a period of several hours. You can drag a small, flashing rectangle over the problem pixels and continue using your computer while UDPixel is running.

TiVo Desktop enables TiVo Series 2 users to publish photos and music to their networked TiVO, without having to use the Home Media Option. You can also sync and watch shows on your Microsoft Windows Mobile or Portable Media Center device, browse and listen to your PC`s MP3 library from your TiVo box and watch full-screen slide shows of your digital photos on your TV. For an optional fee of $25, you can also use TiVo Desktop to automatically convert your TiVoToGo transfers for iPod, PSP, Treo, Nokia, and other portable devices that support MPEG-4 or H.264 video.

KatMouse is a mouse wheel enhancement utility that adds useful functionality to your wheel mouse. First of all it overcomes the requirement that the window must have keyboard focus in order for the scroll wheel to work. In addition, it allows for quick switching between active and inactive windows by simply pressing the wheel button. You can scroll most windows page wise by holding the wheel button over the window and clicking the left (up) or right (down) mouse button. Additional features include custom settings for selected applications or classes and more.

BitRule is a simple screen measurement tool that enables you to click on two points on your screen to get their horizontal, vertical and diagonal separation, as well as the angle of the diagonal to the horizontal. You can choose between pixels, inches, centimeters, and picas, and calibrate the program to match your monitor.

FileASSASSIN can help you terminate and/or remove files that are locked because they are currently in use. It uses uses advanced techniques to unload modules, unlock file handles handles and terminate processes to allow the removal of the file. If this does not work, you can have Windows delete the file on reboot. Standalone program, no install needed.

LocatePC can (slightly) increase your chances to recover a stolen laptop computer. It runs automatically whenever the computer is started and send a secret email message, containing the IP address of the current Internet connection, along with details for the network location, which may help to identify the thief. The email is sent once a day or whenever the IP address changes (or both). Unfortunately, these type of products have been around for a number of years, so the chances that a professional thief will connect a stolen PC to the Internet without cleaning the drive content first are rather slim. Then again, you never know ... and since the software is free it doesn`t hurt to have it. What may annoy you though is that there is no way to bypass the message sending, so you will receive an email every day and whenever your IP address changes. LocatePC requires access to a POP3 account in order to send the message.

CursorUS is a simple utility that allows you to navigate your desktop with continuous movement of the mouse, by extending it beyond the screen borders. If you move your mouse off the right edge of the screen, it will appear on the left edge, eliminating the need to drag it all the way across your desktop. The same works with the upper and lower edge of the desktop. You can disable/enable the effect as needed. It takes a little getting used to, but can help you work more efficiently.

Time Travel is a date calculator that allows you to calculate the differences between two dates in days, weeks months or years. It offers advanced options that let you skip certain days of the week, and include or exclude weekdays or weekends. You can calculate dates retroactive (e.g how many days since you were born, how many days you have worked etc.) or input the number of days, weeks or months to figure out the corresponding date in the future. Simple interface, easy to use.

NumCapsScroll Indicator is a simple utility that displays the current status of the NumLk, ScrlLk and Caps Lock keys in the system tray, and/or from a floating menu. If, for some reason, you need to have this information visible on your screen than give this tool a try.

TrayDevil can minimize any window to the system tray and also acts as a quick reboot and shutdown tool. It enables you to simply Shift+left-click on any window (program, folder, website etc.) and it will be minimized to the system tray, using its standard windows icon. In addition, you can use the middle mouse key to quickly close windows, hide the system clock and reboot your PC by double-clicking the TrayDevil icon. Small and easy to use.

Send To Toys is an enhancement of the Send To system menu. It adds a Send To "Folder..." option to the right click menu, which allows you to select a folder and copy the file there. In addition, the "Send To Clipboard (as name)" copies the name of the file or files to the clipboard.