Windows 7 Logon Reworked is a sexy welcome screen replacement

Just about everyone customizes his or her Windows desktop somehow, but most probably don't bother tinkering with the Welcome screen. After all, you really don't see it that often unless you're a stickler for security and always log off when you're AFK (which is a good habit to get into, really).

If that's how you roll, take a look at Windows 7 Logon Reworked. It's available in three variations -- the one you see above, another with the Windows logo embedded in the login box's glass border, and one more which is completely logo-free. As with a lot of other shell modifications, installing Reworked requires a little bit of tinkering in your system folder. You'll have to replace the stock Windows authui.dll in Safe Mode to do it -- check the author's instructions on DeviantArt if you need help and make sure you create a backup before making any changes!

Both 32 and 64-bit versions are available for all three styles, and there's also a snazzy Aurora-inspired replacement background should you want to change that as well!

VistaSwitcher is a beautiful Alt-Tab replacement

VistaSwitcher is a beautiful Alt-Tab replacement. It's aimed mainly at Windows Vista and 7, but it also works under Windows XP.
You get a huge thumbnail of the destination window; it's far larger than the one that comes with the "stock" Alt-Tab. Another neat feature lets you Alt-Tab between the windows of just one application. It's kind of like pressing Win+[number] in Windows 7, but you don't have to look at the taskbar and count the icons in order to see what the number is for the application that you want to switch to. That's done using Alt+` (backtick) by default, but it's configurable.
VistaSwitcher also introduces one feature that I've never seen before: Alt-Tabbing between the windows on the current monitor only. I use two monitors, but I'm not convinced that this is a handy feature. Still, it's certainly innovative and can help split your desktop into two distinct workspaces.
One thing that bugs me about VistaSwitcher is that it looks very similar (visually) to another Alt-Tab replacement that I saw a long time ago (but, for some reason, I can't find it now). I'm not saying it's a clone; it certainly innovates on its own, and it seems to be a very interesting application. It definitely looks like another application, though. Help me out in the comments.

SecondShell is a portable utility that makes Windows Explorer a lot more user friendly

SecondShell is a tool that makes window management both less fiddly and more keyboard shortcut oriented. It doesn't actually do a whole lot (it's only 200 kilobytes!), but it adds such handy features that you'll wonder why Windows doesn't include them by default.

First, you can resize windows by holding down Alt+Right click and dragging the mouse anywhere in the window. Alt+Left click moves the window. By Odin's beard, how frickin' awesome is that?! Ctrl+Alt+Arrow key maximizes your window either horizontally or vertically, and Ctrl+Alt+Numpad 1-9 moves the window into the respective corner of your screen. There's a bunch of other keyboard shortcuts, too (but Windows 7 already has most of them built-in, I think).

Netbook and laptop users: if the resize-anywhere bit wasn't enough to get you excited, you can also remap Caps Lock to act as a Middle Mouse button! No longer will it be a struggle to open links in new tabs! It should be noted that Caps Lock remapping (and some other advanced features) will require some .INI file hacking -- the FAQ should have you covered, if you've never done that before, though.

SecondShell is one of those tiny little utilities that you simply must try; it's fast, flawless, and completely portable. It's also Windows-only, I'm afraid.

Logon Screen customizes your Windows 7 welcome screen

The default Windows 7 welcome screen looks fairly nice, but it's not customizable out-of-the-box like the rest of your desktop is. There are, however, plenty of free apps that allow you personalize the background and add text messages -- and Logon Screen is a good option.

Just install Logon Screen, browse for the picture you'd like to swap in, and configure any advanced options you'd like. In addition to changing the background, Logon Screen allows you add a customized notice and tweak button appearance. If you like, you can also require users to press Ctrl+Alt+Del prior to logging on, hide users' accounts, display information about who was last logged in, and enable or disable shutdown options.

FluffyApp is like CloudApp for Windows

Mac users everywhere have been singing the praises of a little program called CloudApp (as has our own Matt Heerema). It's a simple app which sits on the menu bar and allow drag-and-drop file uploading complete with an auto-shortened URL for easy sharing. CloudApp can even be set to auto-upload screenshots.

Now, if only there was a version of CloudApp for Windows users...

Enter FluffyApp -- the little cloud in my system tray which brings CloudApp to Windows desktops. Once installed, just drag a file onto the icon, wait for the upload to complete, and then share away! The link to your file is automatically copied to your clipboard. FluffyApp also displays your last five uploads, which allows for quick and painless retrieval of their short URLs.

Like its Mac cousin, FluffyApp can also be configured to auto-upload screenshots and set to launch at startup. About the only thing Fluffy is missing is support for CloudApp's plugins -- but that's not a big deal.

What might be a really big deal is the fact that CloudApp and its short URL service run on a .LY domain. Here's hoping the Libyan government doesn't execute another content-based shutdown and cut off CloudApp at the knees.


Note: You'll still need to register for an account on getcloudapp.com, since FluffyApp utilizes CloudApp's plumbing.

Aerofoil extends your Windows laptop battery life by automatically switching power profiles

I've got an old Toshiba laptop. It's a workhorse, and I take good care of it. But as a laptop ages, one thing invariably happens: Battery life grows shorter and shorter. It's a matter of chemistry, and no amount of prudency seems to keep it from happening.
So as your laptop ages, intelligent power management becomes increasingly important. The question is "how do I keep this thing from hogging so much battery when it's not connected?"
Sure, Windows has built-in power profiles; but for some reason, right-clicking the battery icon only shows two profiles (out of the three default ones), and somehow that list never includes the particular profile I'm trying to switch to (I have four profiles).
Aerofoil is a free application that strives to make the power-saving process painless. It's one of those things that should have been built into Windows in the first place: As soon as your laptop switches to battery power, Aerofoil switches the power profile to Power Saver. Plug the laptop back in, and Aerofoil switches you back to High Performance (or whatever you've got configured).
But wait, there's more! (Cue cheesy infomercial music) Aerofoil also switches off Windows' Aero Glass interface whenever it switches to Power Saver mode. It can also automatically mute the sound when you switch to battery mode!
One note: When you first run Aerofoil, your computer may pop up an error message about msvcp100.dll. In that case, you need the MS Visual C++ redistributable, which you can grab from Microsoft for free – both for x64 and for x86 systems. Enjoy!

FREE Download WinX iPhone Ringtone Maker Worth $29.95

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With this handy iPhone ringtone creator, users can customize ringtone duration depending on individual needs, and beautify the ringtone by adding fade-in and fade-out effect as you like. DSP function supported, it allows users to increase or decrease the original audio volume, removing the original high and low distorted voice that could not be played by iPhone. What' more, this iPhone ringtone maker allows users to define tag information for converted audio.
Generally this software costs $29.95 but now you can get it absolutely free using following link:
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