A great PDF creator program for free

I recently got hired for a position that requires me to create PDF's on a daily basis.  A couple of years ago I installed PDF Creator, a free PDF creation program.  It filled my immediate requirement, it was free.  I didn't use it much, but started to use it this week.  Well, it stinks.  For whatever reason, it is overly complicated and keeps crashing (crashes on two different computers, so it's not me).  I could go to Adobe Acrobat, but a couple of hundred dollars doesn't sit well with me.  After a couple of minutes of googling, I came up with CutePDF.  It's free and it works...you're hired!

iPhone 4S, for some reason I'm blah about it

Today Apple announced the iPhone 4S to much fanfare.  The 4S reminds me of the 3GS when it came out, nothing special.  I appreciate the upgraded processor and better camera, beyond that, there isn't much compelling about it.  I'm actually more excited about seeing (or buying) the Amazon Kindle Fire than I am about upgrading my iphone (and this from someone who has had every generation of the iphone).  Perhaps that is why they did not call it an iPhone 5, not enough to go to the next number.  The built in Siri application is great, but already is available on the iPhone 4.  Siri is a great voice recognition app that you can use to complete tasks.  Give it an instruction and it actually completes it for you.  For example, tell Siri to schedule lunch with Mr. Smith for Thursday at 1:00PM, it makes the appointment on your calendar for you with that information.   Cool, but available already, just download the app.  I guess I will pass, at least I can use that money for the iPad/Kindle Fire.

New Google Maps feature: Helicopter view

Google Maps has added a new Helicopter View to the navigation service, allowing users to preview their journey in 3D. Recognizing that many users want a more indicative – or at least entertaining – way of seeing their prospective route than either plain maps or birds-eye satellite imagery, the Helicopter View could even let you do your sightseeing from home instead.  You’ll need the Google Earth plugin in order for the Helicopter View to work, which isn’t entirely clear from Google’s instructions. To see the 3D button – which shows up next to “driving directions” in the left hand bar – you first have to click the “Earth” mapping option (which shows up when you hover over “Map” in the upper right hand corner.  Happy Helicoptering!

Microsoft kills Google Chrome....literally

Ooops, If you have Microsoft Security Essentials Anti-virus installed, yesterday it probably alerted you to a security threat that needed to be cleaned.  Simple enough, click OK, and everything is fine again.  Well, not so fast, re-boot and no more Google Chrome.  Microsoft acknowledged that somehow Google Chrome was labeled as malware and was removed.  Of course this is not the case and Microsoft has already corrected the problem.  How ironic though.  Microsoft accidentally erasses the competition.  For more information, click here.

You can rate everything else online, why not your ex?

A new website has popped up, www.exrated.co (NO m, I am not responsible for the site you will go to if you put the m on the end of that web address!)  Exrated is a site that lets you rate your ex-boyfriend or husband.  It's your civic duty to warn the next person.  However, this site is meant to rate the good and bad about the ex.  There are plenty of other sites that will allow you to trash or break up with your ex completely (email me for those sites).  It is new, so don't expect to find your ex there yet!

A legitimate, free computer security scan

Normally I advise against downloading or running "free security" scanners you may find on the Internet.  So many are bogus or are trying to sell you software.  Very few, if any, actually give a true, honest scan of your system.  Well, I found one for you.  From Sophos.com, they have available a free security scan.  Download and run it and it will check your system for items your Antivirus may have missed and check for other important security issues that may be on your system.  Yes, it is free, no obligation to buy anything.  Yes, it's free (forgive the repitition, lol)