Catalyst Design Services Blog » FREE

GIMP – A FREE Photoshop Alternative

Catalyst Design — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 03:33:54 +0000

Here is a program that looks like it may evenutally kill Photoshop. GIMP is the perfect Photoshop type software that is completely Free and supports a wide variety of file types including Photoshop native .psd files. I highly recommend it, check it out http://www.gimp.org/.

Google Mobile Sync – Sync your Google Contacts + Calendar to Mobile Devices

Catalyst Design — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:14:45 +0000

Google has done it again. Another excellent FREE product it offers for syncing your Google contacts and Calendar done Wirelessly.It works with the following devices currently

* iPhone
* BlackBerry
* Nokia S60
* Nokia standard
* Sony Ericsson
* Windows Mobile

Here are some of the features it boasts

Synchronize your Contacts with Google

Depending on your phone, get Google Calendar events to your phone

Make changes either on your phone or on the Web

Previously With the iPhone USB connection to Itunes was your lone pathway to syncing. No longer! Now, you can do it over the air and its always updated whether you update in Gmail or Google Calendar and vice versa if you do it on your phone. Check it out for yourself at http://www.google.com/mobile/default/sync.html or watch the video below.

FREE Firewall Service – Comodo Firewall Pro

Catalyst Design — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:27:56 +0000

Well here is another FREE service if you are looking to obtain an Internet Firewall to protect you from hackers from invading the confines of your PC. Now, you can settle for Windows Service Pack 2 Firewall however, I have found this not to be so advanced nor that effective.

However, I have found a Free solution, that not only protects you from hackers, but also scans for viruses and spyware. Its Called Comodo Firewall service and you can obtain this at http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

Here are some of the features you get, and yes all for FREE:

Complete protection from Hackers, Spyware, Trojans and Identity theft
Host Intrusion Prevention System stops malware from being installed [NEW]
Clean PC Mode registers your current applications then will allow only applications that you approve to be installed on your computer [NEW]
Malware Scan Feature checks your computer for viruses, spyware and trojans before you install Comodo Firewall Pro [NEW]
Free Download. No charges or license fees ever.

FREE Antivirus Program for Your Computer – AVG

Catalyst Design — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:08:59 +0000

I was so sick and tired of dealing with Norton Antivirus hogging up my memory and constantly asking me to renew for Antivirus definitions everyday I decided to search for an alternative.

Well I found a great FREE solution. AVG Basic Antivirus protection is not only Free, but provides free virus definition updates for life, protects you from spyware before it hits your computer and fights off nasty trojan viruses with actual results. It found spyware and antivirus items on my computer that Norton could never find. On top of this it does not hog your computer memory nearly as bad as Norton.

The website is at http://free.avg.com/ – Choose Basic Protection.

Free 411 Business Directory Service From Google

Catalyst Design — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:09:26 +0000

Ok, Ok, as you can see, I am an avid Google fanatic. Its the simple fact they offer quality services at little to no cost to consumers helping making all our lives easier.

Here is something you will find very handy when on the road and you need an address or phone number for a business listing. 1-800-GOOG-411 is an automated business directory service that is completely FREE. I find it very useful and accurate. I love the fact you can opt to receive a text message as opposed to hearing and memorizing on the fly the information you are looking for. Check out this brief video on how it works:

For More Information on 1-800-GOOG-411, Check out http://www.google.com/goog411/

Google Apps – The Perfect FREE Solution for Your Small Business!

Catalyst Design — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:10:11 +0000

Google Apps has been a savior in so many ways for my business.

Your Domain Email Hosted by Google + Google Talk for FREE
One of the first things you will enjoy when joining is the fact you can host your domain email (youremail@yourdomainname.com) with Google Email Servers. So you get all the benefits of Gmail’s mastery of destroying spam, setup your email via POP or IMAP with Outlook & /or your portable device & the best Webmail client ever with Gmail. Finally, there is Google talk the IM program you can utilize for anyone inside the company or outside if you so do choose. Google talk can be downloaded to your computer or if you do not want to use your hard drive you can use Google talk and login online. And all is FREE, because its Google.

Google Calendar for Your Company
In addition you can get a free online calendar for all those in your business to communicate. Not only can you communicate via the web, but you can sync it to Outlook going in both directions or one or the other. And you can create multiple calendars that are designated for whomever you choose. You can also invite people outside your domain or business to join your calendar. Finally, you can even embed your calendar onto your website with easy copy and paste code.

Google Docs and Google Sites
Finally there is Google Docs and the most recent addition to Google Apps, Google Sites. With Google Docs you can upload your Microsoft Office application(s) such as your Excel Spreadsheet, Powerpoint Presentation or Word Document and collaborate/edit these docs online with others. You can then export them later if you so do choose to your computer.

Finally Google Sites is rather similar except this will deal more along the lines of projects collaboration which include handing assignments, ability to upload files, creating quick WYSIWYG websites etc. Great online collaborative tool for those projects where people aren’t in the same office.

So to conclude, Google Apps is a must and its all FREE. These are just some of the highlights of the services. It will prove, like it does for me, an extremely valuable tool for your small business.

To get started, visit www.google.com/a

Test Your Internet Connection Speed

Catalyst Design — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:36:34 +0000

Ever wanted to know how to clock the speed of your internet connection, whether it be DSL or Cable Broadband? There is a great site called Speedtest.net that allows you to do this. Its useful when you feel your connection is slug and not performing up to par and want to check it. Simply click on the yellow pyramid (which is your approximate destination) and it will will do the rest! You can also compare your speed with others in your area.

Calendar Syncing Your Outlook Calendar with Google Calendar

Catalyst Design — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 17:55:49 +0000

A fantastic online calendar i highly recommend is Google Calendar. There are many reasons why, one of which is the fact you can sync your Outlook Calendar with your Google Calendar and vice versa. You need to only download the Google sync program and set it how you want it sync, whether automatic or manual and which direction you want the sync. And of course its FREE cause its Google. This is a perfect solution when you are out of the office or on vacation.

For More info on Calendar Sync Check out http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?answer=89955
To start using Google calendar visit: http://www.google.com/calendar

Send Large Email Attachments – FOR FREE!

Catalyst Design — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:39:55 +0000

I used to always be in a pickle when it came to sending large email attachments. Zipping your file can compress it, but sometimes not be enough to be under the maximum file size attachment allowed by your email host server.

I found a great online solution! I have been using a FREE service called YouSendIt.com and you can actually email anyone up to a 100 MB file for FREE and you do not have to sign up with their site which is an added bonus. If you want to sign up to send and receive larger files (up to 2GB), you will need to sign up for their premium services.

Adding Gmail to Outlook

Catalyst Design — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:27:34 +0000

I have noticed a lot of people do not know that you can add Gmail to Outlook and use it as either a POP3 or IMAP (Ability to sync all your email clients). And its FREE! No other other Free email service, not Hotmail nor Yahoo, offer this awesome feature for Free. Here are very user-friendly visual tutorials straight from Google for both POP & IMAP setup :

Gmail POP Setup in Outlook : http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=75291
Gmail IMAP Setup in Outlook : http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=77661