Information Addicts

Millions of files are downloaded worldwide everyday over the internet, and many people use either Firefox or Internet Explorer to get the job done . But using these programs can be rather limiting, slow and tedious at times.
In my opinion there are 2 download managers that are miles ahead of the competition, and they are Free Download Manager and Orbit.
My personal favorite is Free Download Manager but alot of users like Orbit because it is simple to use and has many powerful features to boot.

Take a look below at some of the features of these great applications, download them, try them, and let me know which one you like best.

Free Download Manager
As I wrote before this is my all time favorite download manager, in terms of features there is very little that this software can’t do.
1. Free Download Manager is compatible with Firefox, Internet Explorer and various other browsers. It has many features and I recommend that you first read the helpful guide, to get started. Once you have learned the basics, which wont take long to learn the world is your oyster, well the internet is anyway :).

2. With FDM (Freedownloard Manager) you can easily download files, whole web sites from any remote server via HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and even using BitTorrent protocol.

3. One of the reasons I really like this application is the Flash Video Download option. Simply go to your favorite video website, whether it is YouTube, Google video etc, find the video you want to download, then go to FDM, click on the Flash Video Download tab, click on the Add download button (the round blue icon on the top right with the cross on it,) and FDM will automatically download the video file. But it doesn’t stop there. You can choose to save it in AVI, FLV, WMV, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4 format, and even choose the bitrate (which will affect the quality of the video.) You can also preview the audio/video files before download is completed and convert the file format after download.

4. FDM can connect to the Internet at a scheduled time, download the files you want, and when its finished disconnect or shut down your computer.

5. FDM works in 3 different modes – depending on your usage you can set it to light, medium or heavy. By default, it is set to light mode which is ideal if you want to download some files, browse the internet and also use different applications all at the same time.

6. HTML Spider. This is a really handy tool if you want to download whole web pages, whole web sites, images from any website, or CSS files. It can also be adjusted to download files with specified extensions only.

7. Portable Mode, if you want to use Free Download Manager on different computers, you can easily create a portable version and avoid the need to install and configure the program on each computer.

8. The Opinions tab, before you download a file you can click to see if anyone else has downloaded that particular file, this enables you to know whether the file or download is malicious. If you have downloaded a file and know it is safe you can post your opinion to let everyone else know that it is safe to download.

I could go on and on about this application but to truly appreciate it you need to download it yourself and try it, after all it is free. Click here to download Free Download Manager.

Orbit.

1. Orbit download manager is not as sophisticated or feature rich as FDM, but never the less an excellent free download manager. It is compatible with Firefox, Internet Explorer and various other browsers.

2. Orbit supports HTTP/FTP/HTTPS/RTSP/MMS/RTMP protocols, which means you can download any files, music (including MP3,) images, videos (including .wmv,) from the likes of YouTube, Yahoo, Pandora, Myspace, etc.

3. Small and resourceful, when Orbit is downloading, it typically uses less than 3MB of memory and 3% of the cpu (central processing unit,) so it wont use up all your system resources and slow your pc down to a halt. Orbit is also only around 2MB in size, great news if you don’t have a large hard drive.

4. Orbit uses Extreme download acceleration therefore making downloading files extremely fast. This mainly depends on your Internet connection speed, and the program settings. However I found it to be pretty fast.

5. The Grap++ module will automatically detect any download links on the page, including audio, video, or flash files (FLV or SWF), you then have the option to download any, or all of the files with a click of a button. To use Grap++ you need to open it first before you open your web browser.

6. There is nothing more frustrating than downloading a large file for it to suddenly stop, which means you have to download it all over again. Orbit (and also FDM) can resume broken downloads. So you needn’t start the downloading process from the very beginning after casual interruption.

7. Automatically Detects and downloads flash video. If you hover your mouse over a flash video or flash file (FLV or SWF,) a small download button (which reads ‘GetIt’) will be displayed allowing you to instantly download the video. This is a really great idea, and if you don’t want to download the video just click on the cross to close the button.

8. This neat software application also comes with download scheduling which is useful if you have a lot of files to download and don’t have the time to download them all at once.

To download Orbit click here.

Overall, both of these free download managers have a lot to offer, if you like many features and options then Free Download Manager is the one to go for.

So which Free download manager do you like the best?

Popularity: 22% [?]

The cartoons below were sent to me by a friend and so I thought I would share them with you.

Hope they make you smile.

Popularity: 34% [?]

I am sure I would lose my head if it wasn’t screwed on, and as I get older I am getting worse. Have you ever put your keys, mobile phone, wallet, etc, down, only to forget where you put them? I do constantly, especially with my glasses, and it drives me crazy trying to find them.

Around 4 weeks ago I read an article in a magazine about a little gadget called the Loc8tor Lite which can actually locate your lost possessions. I want one of those I thought to myself, this could be the answer to my forgetfulness and frustration. So I decided to order one and find out.

A few days later my package arrived, and I excitedly unpacked the contents, which contained the Loc8tor device, 2 tags which are around the size of a paper clip. There was also keyring bands in the box, which allow you to attach a tag to your keys..

After reading the simple instructions, all I had to do was attach the tags on to any of my possessions. For the test I attached one tag to my car keys and stuck the other tag onto my PDA/Phone. I then asked my partner to hide them anywhere in the house. To make life easier you are supplied with handy stickers to remind you which items, like keys, are assigned to which buttons on the Loc8tor.

So how does it work?
All you need to do is switch the Loc8tor on , press the corresponding button for the item, the Loc8tor indicates how close you are to the object with a combination of lights and a series of beeps. As you move closer to the item, the light meter goes from red to green and the remote beeps more rapidly.

The Loc8tor uses RFID technology which is quite basic but works very well and will guide you to within an inch of the object. I started in the kitchen and eventually found my keys and phone which were on the third floor, very impressive for such a small unit. The Loc8tor is supposed to be able to locate lost possessions that are within 400ft (122 meters) which is quite some distance.

One thing did cross my mind, and that is what if you lose the Loc8tor itself, well the manufacturer has thought of that, and supplied a holder which you can stick anywhere. Once you are finished with the unit, just make sure you put in the holder, simple.

Verdict:
I really enjoyed using this little gadget, it was fun, reliable and simple to use. So if you’re like me and have trouble finding your possessions then this could be the answer.

At under $85 from Amazon.com and around £45 from Amazon.co.uk it is not badly priced, especially if it saves your sanity.

Popularity: 24% [?]