CCleaner (or Crap Cleaner) is a very effective tool in removing unnecessary files from your hard drive to free up disk space.  You check what categories you want cleaned, such as certain browser files, the temp directory, log files for various applications, etc, so you have control over what is actually removed.  CCleaner supports the cleaning of files from several programs.  Ccl...

The FileHippo Update Checker is very helpful in finding updates to most of the freeware software you may have on your computer.  It has helped me to quickly find and download updates in one browser window as opposed to having to individually open and check each program and then go to each of the individual progam websites to find and download the updates.  FileHippo has everything rig...

This accessory comes with me wherever my camera goes.  The LensPen is a great utility to help keep your camera lenses clean.  The LensPen is a double-sided cleaning tool in the shape of a pen.  One side contains an extractable brush for dusting away particulate matter collecting on the lens.  The other end of the LensPen contains a cleaning tip that contains a chemical clean...

I got this tripod a few years ago as a gift and it's great!  It is a very sturdy tripod.  It comes with two quick releases to attach to the camera, both of which have a bubble level to help make the camera perfectly level.  There is also a bubble level on the tripod itself to help ensure that the tripod is level with the ground.  This is pretty helpful if trying to level...

TweakNow RegistryCleaner cleans your computer's registry of unneeded registry values to reduce clutter and potentially enhance your computer's overall performance. I've been using this program for several years and it the safest, easiest registry cleaner I've found.  I manually check every scan's results and I've never had it identify registry values that could pote...

 These are my favorite set of filters I have for my SLR cameras.  Macro photography is the photography of objects up close.  This can be done either with the limitation of the macro setting of your camera (if available), a macro lens, or macro filters as I have.  This kit comes with three macro filters: 1x, 2x, & 4x.  Promaster is a great company for filters and the...

I consider Revo Uninstaller to be a must for uninstalling programs from my computer.  Using Windows' built in uninstaller utility will often times lead to left over pieces from the program being left behind to clutter up the system.  Revo Uninstaller finds these pieces and removes them as well, preventing this cluttering.When you select to remove a program through Revo, it will fi...

nCleaner is much like CCleaner only with many more features.  Like CCleaner, nCleaner removes unneeded files from your computer to free up disk space.  Unlike CCleaner, however, nCleaner allows you to uncheck specific files that you do not want removed.  This was a problem about CCleaner I did not like, so this is a plus for nCleaner.  nCleaner supports the removal of unneed...

KeePass is a very useful tool for anyone with several website accounts with different passwords.  KeePass stores your usernames and passwords for websites, documents, or whatever you may have a password for.  It also has a random password generator built in which I use to generate all of my passwords.  KeePass encrypts your data to prevent hacking by using a random set of typed k...

Wubi is a way to install Ubuntu Linux on your computer without having to take the risk of creating a dedicated partition. This is great for someone who wants to try out Linux. What Wubi does is it installs Ubuntu as a Windows program, so it can be installed and uninstalled just as easily as any other Windows Program. I've wanted a dual boot setup on my laptop for a while now as I us...

I bought the Canon Rebel XSi to catch up in the digital age after having used my film based Rebel 2000 for eight years.  After doing a lot of looking around, I found a great deal at Circuit City online that included the Rebel XSi, camera case, UV filter, 4GB SDHC card,  and an extra battery for free with the purchase of the camera.  I went to Circuit City the next day and got the...

SpywareBlaster is an important part of my anti-spyware arsenal.  SpywareBlaster isn't a spyware scanner.  It adds blocks to Internet Explorer and Mozilla based browsers to prevent the installation of spyware on the system.  It does this by using the browser's existing blocking capabilities.  For Firefox and Seamonkey, it only blocks unwanted tracking or adware cookie...

I recently got this weather radio/station for Christmas.  The actual radio is detachable and comes with a holster and wrist string.  The batteries are rechargable and charge by sitting on the base.  The base contains an atomic clock (which also acts as an alarm clock) and a weather station with temperature and humidity readings for both inside and outside using the outdoor sensor...

This printer was part of a free gift for the purchase of my laptop.  Retail price was $99 I believe.  This printer is both a printer and a scanner.  While the thing did work, it didn't work well. When trying to print a document, the printer would just sit there for a while.  Sometimes I wasn't sure that is was receiving the print info.  Then it would start ...

The Mio DigiWalker C310 is a very accurate GPS.  Driving down the freeway, it will announce the distance to an exit just as I pass beneath the freeway sign with the same distance labeled.  The maps are up to date with only a few issues I've noticed due to changes made in the last few years.  The GPS has two viewing modes.  One is more like looking down at a map, while th...

Recently, my parents' router died on them.  I went with my mom to Staples since she had a coupon for there to help find a new router.  Since my dad now has a laptop, he wanted a wireless one.  It would be helpful for me as well for when I was home as I also had a laptop.Staples only had two brands of router: Linksys and Netgear.  As I consider the Linksys brand to be jun...

I bought this for my mom last Christmas and she loves it.  The name is slightly deceiving, though.  There is a wire, but it is attached to the mouse pad, not the mouse.  As long as the mousepad is left stationary, you won't have to deal with a wire.  The mouse gets its power from the mousepad, so it has to be on the pad to work.  The pad is large enough that this sh...

I've been using this firewall for about four years now.  I have some issues with it, but for the most part it is an effective firewall.  Filseclab Firewall is one of those firewalls that pops up an alert whenever a program tries to access the internet for the first time asking what permissions to give it.  If you want a firewall that can decide this for you automatically, the...

 FlightGear is a free, opensource flight simulator for Windows, Mac, or Linux.  It has great 3D graphics both for the planes (inside and out) and the scenary.  When you install FlightGear, you already have several planes to choose from.  Also included is only a small portion of California.  This is done to avoid a huge download.  You can download more scenery (for ...

I have been trying out several different brand of vitamin waters the past several weeks as a way to get some extra nutrients.  I came across the Fruit2O Essentials last week, and they are the best I have tried yet. Unlike the other vitamin waters I've tried, Fruit2o Essentials contains no sugar, juices, or caffeine and has zero calories.   It also has two servings of fruit pe...