The 12 pieces of free software I can’t blog without

Joel — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:05:23 +0000

There’s a ton of free software on the market, a lot of it total crap or loaded with malware. If you’ve just picked up a new netbook and are ready to head out on the road, here are the free (and spyware-free) gems I use almost daily. A couple are iPhone specific, so my apologies to anyone who can’t find a version that works with their mobile device.

www.icanhascheezburger.com (cut me some slack, I was desperate)

For writing:

OpenOffice: Most of the functionality of Microsoft Office with none of the costs.
GoogleDocs: This is where I write most of my documents when I’m connected, because it gives me instant access to them from any computer. It has an offline mode, but it’s a bit buggy on some computers & some browsers.
Evernote: if there is one piece of software you HAVE to have as a writer and a traveler, it’s Evernote. It would take a whole post just to go into all the features, but here’s the topline.
- It’s indispensible for those random thoughts or photos you take to remind yourself to write about something later. Typed, handwritten, photos, voice notes – they all sync up from any computer or mobile device.
- The coolest part? Use your phone to take a photo of a street sign, a menu or anything else with text on it. Once it syncs to Evernote, even the text in the photo is searchable. Awesome stuff.
Creawriter: haven’t used this one, yet, but if you want to write without distractions, it’s a cool concept. A free word processor that fills your desktop with your prose, along with a customizable background and soothing sounds to keep you focused .
Dragon Dictation for the iPhone: gives you the ability to dictate a quick thought that is instantly translated to text. I’m still getting into the habit of using this one.

For blogging:

WordPress.org: duh. The standard for bloggers wanting to grow and have flexibility (and your own ads). You need to get away from a hosted blog and self-host eventually - start early.
Audacity: an audio editor that works wonderfully for creating podcasts and audio files. Even if you don’t want to do a regular podcast, there may be times when you want people to hear your words directly from the source. How about a man-on-the-street interview?
Picasa: it’s not going to be your go-to for heavy duty photo editing, but it has the easiest to use albums and is great for basic edits & resizing in bulk.

To manage your mobility:

Photo credit: moorpheuss

Dropbox/Mozy/Skydrive: you need some sort of online backup in case your computer crashes or is stolen. For more detail on your options: http://matadorgoods.com/remote-data-storage-options-for-travelers/
Skype: make international calls for pennies
Remember the Milk: a free task manager that updates and sends alerts via e-mail, phone, and anything else you’re near. Rumor is that they’ll soon be able to send alerts through your margarita blender.
Mint: keep track of all your personal finances in one place without breaking your bank.

Do you have favorites I missed? Let me know what software you can’t travel without.

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The 12 pieces of free software I can’t blog without