Portable Apps

Today I'll be showing you something neat I recently discovered-- portable apps!

The apps that I found had an average size of only 2 megabytes, which makes them perfect for flash drives. They also don't need to be installed -- so, they're portable! You can take some of your favorite apps anywhere, or even discover some new ones. I just loaded some on my flash drive, and here they are:

These programs take up approximately three quarters of my 256 meg drive, but, hey, I'm not using it to store documents, so it doesn't matter.

My programs:

• 7-Zip
• Description: This program is the perfect compressing tool. It's tiny, but really powerful! 
• Site: http://www.7-zip.org/
• Portable: http://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/7-zip_portable
• Size: 2.34 Megabytes
• FastStone Capture
• Description: Easy capture of your screen with nearly no editing required. Quicker than prnt sc, opening Paint, ctrl+v, resize, save... You need to use version 5.3.. 6.3 can video record, but it costs money and does everything else the same way.
• Site: http://www.faststone.org/
• Portable: http://www.oldapps.com/fast_stone_capture.php?old_fscapture=17#Download
• Size: 1.06 Megabytes
• Keepass
• Description: Keeps all of your passwords and usernames in a secure database.
• Site: http://keepass.info/
• Portable: http://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/keepass_portable
• Size: 1.88 Megabytes
• Miranda IM
• Description: Do you know that site, Meebo? The one with all of your IM programs in one online place? Miranda IM is the same thing, but a program.
• Site: http://www.miranda-im.org/
• Portable: http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/miranda_portable
• Size: 4.97 Megabytes
• VLC Media Player
• Description: Reads all media types. Video, audio, whatever format and codecs! Doesn't have a library function, e.g. WMP, winAMP, and iTunes, but it's portable anyways, so you won't need that.
• Site: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
• Portable: http://portableapps.com/apps/music_video/vlc_portable
• Size: 62.9 Megabytes. If you think that's big, wait for the last one...
• uTorrent
• Description:  uTorrent is great for sharing files with your peers. Only share files that won't get you in legal trouble, kids! When it asks to install, check the no box or something. Simply copy settings.dat (located in %AppData%\uTorrent ) to the same folder as uTorrent.exe, and you're done.
• Site: http://www.utorrent.com/
• Size: 281 Kilobytes! Smallest!
• PhotoShop CS4 Portable
• Description: Photoshop CS4 Portable is Photoshop Cs4...made portable. Big shocker. It's illegal to download unless you own a license or something. I assume you do. So don't sue me if you get sued. I didn't download this, either.When done using the program, delete the folder called Photoshop (just temporary files). When you open the .exe, it recreates the folder.
• Site: http://www.adobe.com
• Portable:  http://www.google.com/search?q=adobe+photoshop+cs4+portable 
• Size: 77.2 Megabytes, making it the largest program on the list!

I hope you enjoy your free, tiny programs! I'll look for an internet browser that's awesome later today and add it to my list.

If you could please, please comment on this, it would help improve the blog, and make me feel better inside.

Thursday Minor Update

Today's just a minor update. I added an "AddThis!" button to the blog, I encourage you to use it, as it lets you Digg, Google Bookmark, or whatever you do.

While I'm at it, I'll say what I like about Google Chrome. The load times are way faster than Firefox, and the menubars are so thin, I forget that they're there.

I have recently earned 69 stars in Super Mario 64 DS--just 11 more!

Made some excellent progress on Zora Armor Link-- Just arms and weapons, and I'll be done!

Here's a pic, maybe you could use it as inspiration to make your own.

Model source: http://members.home.nl/saarloos/index.htm

Bobby

Super Mario 64

Something I've really grown close to this summer is Super Mario 64 DS. The camera angles can be a bit annoying at times, but the thrill you get from collecting stars makes it all worth it.

You start the game as Yoshi, who discovers that his three friends, Mario, Luigi, and Wario, have been kidnapped by Bowser, along with Princess Peach Toadstool. You enter the castle and explore fifteen courses. The game begins with only 1 course unlocked, but it is quite easy to get more.

As soon as you finish a substage, which each course has eight of, you earn a star. These stars work like keys-- earn enough, and more courses open up for you. Once you reach certain milestones, you can fight Bowser. Defeating Bowser will unlock a new, large portion of the castle to explore.

Overall, the game tends to be on the easy side, but the last four or so courses were pretty difficult. It feels like a pointless scavenger hunt, or a game of hide-and-go seek, but the intense feelings of joy from collecting stars, and even just exploring makes it all worth it!

Rating: 9/10

Pros:Fun!

Cons: A bit too easy, annoying camera angles.

Ninjatoes's Zora Armor Link

Today I began work on Zora Armored Link, a model by Ninjatoes, one of my personal favorite authors in the papercrafting world. I began with Link's right flipper, but that's where the first problem lied-- the flipper's edge was too thin! Besides that, work is going great, and I'm about 10% done with the model.

Here it is, with a pen for scale. I have some yucky white tabs showing, but besides that, progress is going well.

Model source: http://members.home.nl/saarloos/index.htm

First Post

First Post.