Assuming that you have plenty of accounts for emails, social networks, ftp accounts, banking services, Instant Messaging and etc. Technically you might be able to register a same ID for all of these accounts but we bet you are not using only 1 password to access all of them.

You determine the most appropriate passwords for particular accounts but the problem is – “how do you remember all of them?” For this, you can try KeePass.

Before we’re diving in, you might be interested in our previous privacy security related articles:

• How to Hide Folders More Efficiently in Windows
• How to Delete / Erase Sensitive Files Permanently
• How to Encrypt Data or Files
• How to Clear All Traces of Your Internet Activity
• How to Hide Confidential Hard Disk Drive In Windows
• How to Encrypt USB Flash Drive
• Generate Unique and Pronounceable Password – Xyzzy

What is KeePass

KeePass is a free/open-source password manager or safe which helps you to manage your passwords in a secure way. It allows you to put all your password is a lockable encrypted database. To unlock the encrypted database, you only need one master key or a key file.

Besides being FREE, it is very simple to use without bells and whistles. Alternatively you can use key files. Key files provide better security than master passwords in most cases. You only have to carry the key file with you, for example on a USB stick, or you can burn it onto a CD.

Other bonus features like strong security, portable, easy database transfer, multi-language support and support of password groups are provided too.

Download KeePass Password Safe (1.3Mb)

Ever wanted design your own internet game or website even though you cant write code if your life depended on it? Try Microsoft Popfly. In a clear step-by-step guide for each of its three individual, but excellent programs– Game Creator, Website Maker, and Mashup–Popfly allows the digital adventurer to customize and shape to an extent, their own personal creation. Read on!

Game Creator:

The name might not be creative, but its straight to the point: Make your own internet games… and share them with the world. Dont have any genius new idea? Not to worry, you can build on and customize an existing game, though starting from scratch is also an option, for those with the daring–and time– to do so. Armed with a vast amount of basic templates, its likely your idea is among them, and not only does that save you time, but it makes you feel better that you’re not the only one who thinks this game sounds fun. The simplistic layout is yet another good reason for the non-computer programmer to see what creative engine he/she has. Check one example here, based off the classic asteroids style game (hit the green “Play” sign near the top left of the page- though in order to play you need a Microsoft Windows Live account if you don’t already have one, see bottom “Notes on Popfly” for all the info).

Example of a Popfly game- this one similar to “Brick” on your iPod

Web Site Maker:

Again self-explanatory, but this one can help even the greatest amateurs make a professional masterpiece of a website. Want to make a site with info for a job you want? To quote the Staples Red Button, “That was easy.” Two other suggested methods of free, easy website creating are WordPress.com– the mastermind program behind our own blog (I wish I could say the fact we use it proves its easy, but frankly it doesnt; we’re the “geeks” remember?)– and Google’s Blogger.com

Mashup:

THE BEST FEATURE OF ALL. That got your attention. The most intriguing and innovative idea on Popfly, Mashup painlessly allows you to select any place on the web you wish to see and dump it all on one personal site, by means of capturing each location in a “block”. Drag and drop one of the many choices–and there’s a lot, like everything-you’ll-need a lot– of blocks in the left side bar anywhere on the blank white screen to the right, and you can then connect to other “blocks” using the dots on the side.

For example, say your internet schedule constitutes of quickly–or not so quickly– checking your Facebook, reading a few sites and viewing your Flickr photos. Now, instead of visiting each site individually, you can almost literally cut out the pieces you want to see and paste them on your Mashup page, which functions exactly as an actual visit to the site, just far cooler and more compact. Its really incredible. Check out an example of a Mashup here (click Run at the top of make it go, the site this takes you to is what the set up looks like with all the “blocks”. Also to view this you will need a Windows Live account, see the next line).

Example of “Blocks” in Popfly

Notes on Popfly: One catch: you need a free Windows Live account. But dont let that scare you; they’re a quick signup, and you can do so from within Popfly. Also, be careful what you do with some of this stuff; you are on the Internet and what you publish could be viewed by the world.

We advise you give them all a shot–or at least the one that interests you most–and let us know how it goes by dropping a comment or emailing us.

Summer is almost here as schools are starting to close, and that means people going to camp, beaches, vacations you name it; We are all on the go. Many of us take our iPods because we can’t live 1 minute without it, but what about all the videos on YouTube that we watch for enjoyment; how can I get that on to my iPod for me to take on the go? Click the “More” button for the answer.

YouTube videos onto your iPod or other video playing device= one simple FREE download: the YouTube Downloader. Just follow the steps below.

• Download the YouTube Downloader here. (Don’t worry bout viruses btw, for one, I use it and my PC is fine, and, if that isn’t enough for you, 1 million+ people downloaded it too.)
• Go to YouTube and go to the video you want to download
• Copy the site address (URL) from the top of the web browser (where it says http://youtube.com….)
• Paste the site address and make sure the circle “download video from YouTube” is checked.

Pic of what YouTube Downloader looks like, and what should be checked at this point

• Select the spot you want to save to a place you’ll remember like the Desktop, for example).
• Click the circle “Convert Video {previously downloaded} from file” and from the list, click which file type you wish (video designed for cell phone, iPod, iPhone/iPod Touch, just sound)
• Delete the original file so you don’t have confusion with the two now different files (old is saved .FLV)
• Add file to iTunes by going to the Add File to Library under File
• Go to your converted file (saved where other file was saved)
• Add file to iPod/ iPhone

See, that wasn’t too bad. Let us know how it goes or if you have any questions in the comments.

But don’t be disappointed iPhoners. In iTunes, you’ll see the option to convert to ringtone for an iPhone—though only for an iPhone—for an additional $1.

Audacity on Windows XP (also works with Vista, Mac OS X, and Linux)

The program runs pretty easily, and all you need to do is drag where you want the song to begin and finish, by means of adjusting the two bars at the start and end of the song. Also, even if this program wont work for you with phone ringtones, it still is a cool, free music editor that lets all you aspiring DJs and music lovers have some fun.

Things to note: Assuming you have a program like iTunes, all you need for this is the Audacity program, not the other program mentioned in the guide. Instead, you export the new song to your desktop as a .WAV file, and then go to “Add File to Library” in iTunes and open the file in iTunes. Then once you’re in iTunes, go to “Edit Preferences” and there click on “Advanced” and then “Importing.” Change the import to Mp3 Encoder and then go to Custom. When in Custom, set the quality to what it says in the guide. Afterward, convert the song you edited by right-clicking on it in iTunes and going to “Convert to Mp3”. Next, delete the original .WAV file from both your iTunes and desktop, and then go to your iTunes folder in your music folder and find the ringtone under the artist you saved the ringtone to. I would recommend saving it under Ringtone because it is easier to find. Finally, either send the file to your phone using Bluetooth— as said on the guide— or copy it to a memory card and transfer it to your phone.

So there it is. Have any other ideas to make your own ringtones for free—especially for all those with Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile if this doesn’t work for you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

1. McAfee SiteAdvisor for Internet Explorer and Firefox.

This is one of my favorite add ons to my versions of Firefox and Internet Explorer because whenever I do a Google search, it tells me what websites are safe to go to (no viruses, spyware, lot of spam email, etc.) and what are not. It displays little green checks for good sites, yellow exclamation points for questionable ones that you should be careful with, and red x’s for sites that are indisputably bad for your computer. The feature also allows you to drag your mouse over the symbol for more detailed info (is it linked to good sites, how many good or bad downloads it has, etc.). It is an overall very good free program that can be downloaded for Internet Explorer by clicking here and Firefox by clicking here.

An example I found of McAfee SiteAdvisor

Just a note on SiteAdvisor: Some of your searches may display gray Question marks. Don’t worry. It only means that the particular site wasn’t check by McAfee yet. Also, the feature doesn’t yet work in Safari (even on Windows), but it might work on the Mac version of Firefox.

2. AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8:

For Windows users, we usually have an issue with viruses and hear how they are constantly a threat to the information on our computers. In order to protect from that threat, we usually need to spend money on a Anti-Virus program that could cost anywhere from $30-$60 (usually $60 allows you to put on 3 different computers instead of just one) for some of the big brand ones like Norton, McAfee, AVG (they have an additional paying one with a little more features), and these only last for a year!

Well here is a good, FREE program that does the job without an additional cost. This program is available FREE (can’t stress that enough) from download.com, and does all the simple things a program like this should do like scan and remove viruses, email scan to make sure your emails dont give your computer a virus, and even adds in what the McAfee SiteAdvisor does in checking searches from Google, Windows Live, and Yahoo!. Btw this program must run well, or else why would over 80 MILLION people download it.

Picture of start menu in AVG 8

Eusing Free Registry Cleaner:

So here is the last of this list of programs, and it is a program that will basically clean up and speed up your computer’s hard drive. I use this program, and actually find it very easy and effective. All you need to do is open up, hit scan registry (registry is place where your Computers info and files are) and when its done hit repair registry. It is quick simple, easy and productive, and can be downloaded from here.

What Eusing looks like

Ok, so that is a small list of free programs to help improve your computer. Let us know in the comments how they work for you, and also if you have another program that you know could be useful.