www.dvdshrink.org/
Download page (and some extra info)

DVD Shrink is a Windows programs that lets users back up DVD movies. It also (as the name suggests) can “shrink” regular dual layer (8.5 GB) DVDs so that they will fit on a single layer (4.7 GB) disk. It can do this by reducing the quality of the movie or getting rid of extra stuff from the DVD you probably wont need, like foreign language tracks or special features you don’t want to see again. As usual, it’s also free.

You will need a burning program to burn DVDs, such as Nero or DVD Decrypter.

www.mustangpeak.net

Most users of Windows are used to browsing through their files using My Computer & Windows Explorer and while Vista has at least added a few new features, such as drop-downs and links in the breadcrumb bar, the features available are still limited. UltraExplorer is a Windows Explorer replacement that gives you a whole lot more to help you browse your files and folders faster and easier.

Browsing files will still feel familiar but the experience is greatly improved with numerous additional features including;

• Fast access to all your drives and viewing options with a click of a toolbar icon
• ‘Favorites’ window for fast access to all your most used folders and files
• Option to display folder sizes (similar to WinDirStat but not as advanced)
• Fast command line access (and folder syncing)
• The ‘Drop Stack‘ window which lets you drag files and folders and then move around into different folders with ease
• An FTP style dual window view, great for moving files around

There is a lot of other useful features in UltraExplorer other than what is listed above, plus you can select different browser themes and extra plug-ins are available too. Everyone, from the casual PC crowd right up to the power user should find something they like in UltraExplorer.

Ah, Windows Vista, how could we have left this off the list of Stuff To Get for so long? The new operating system from Microsoft is really..
Allow / Don’t Allow

Well if blog posts were like Windows Vista, that’s would you would get. Overly cautious security is just one of the great features that has been included in this new operating system.

Clearly concerned by the prospect of the operating system being too fast for people with powerful computers, Microsoft have also ensured that Vista requires a huge amount of memory before it gets too quick and starts to handle like a Ferrari on an ice rink. Luckily you can find plenty of places that will sell you a laptop with 512 MB of memory bundled with Vista, so you never have to worry about the computer waiting for you to catch up again, which is nice.

So while you might be used to seeing free software on this site, the hundreds of dollars you’ll spend so that only half of your programs will work is totally worth it…

April Fools!

OK seriously, one thing that can be said about Vista is that it’s not bad to look at. So here is something you might like for Windows XP, a great Vista-like theme, check it out here @ deviantART

Also, while we’re on the subject of April Fool’s Day, check out Google’s annual offering as well as the Google Australia Blog’s effort. Make sure you watch out for this one too!