Merry Christmas Everyone!

 

At last!  Christmas time is here and I thought I'd wish you all a Merry Christmas!  I hope everyone has a great day no matter where you are, whether you're just starting Christmas Day, or Christmas Night like we Aussies are!

I've had a great Christmas Day with my family, watching a Harry Potter movie and The Santa Clause movies - one of my favourite Christmas movies!

Stay tuned!  Sorry I haven't posted my Elton concert review yet (which was great, by the way), but I will hopefully get it posted this week before the New Year!

I hope all the kids have been spoilt by Santa this year, getting what they've wanted!  May everyone find peace and happiness on this glorious day!

Cool Stuff From CoffeeCup Software!

Hey, CoffeeCup is giving away cool stuff for the holidays. Get your free gift here:: You could find a Macbook Air, Kindle Fire, digital camera, or other goodies in your stocking this holiday season.

The Freedom To Take Your Files And Software Anywhere!

The PortableApps Menu with Categories on my USB thumb drive.

Click image for a larger view.

Okay, so you're visiting friends and discussing computer programs but they don't have the programs you use on their computers...a real bummer! Here's the solution....PortableApps.com Suite and Platform created by John T. Haller at PortableApps.com!  I've been using it ever since version 1.0 and it just keeps getting better!

It allows you to take your favourite computer software, whether it is web browser, email program, office suite, games, etc, wherever you go without having to install it on any computers!  You just install the PortableApps.com Suite onto your portable device (it can be anything; USB stick, flash drive, external hard drive, even iPods) and it is quick and easy to set up!  It seems to be a lot more popular than SanDisk's U3 or Ceedo!  You have heaps of great software to choose from in the PortableApps.com Directory, which is always growing and being updated.

Got a problem?  Check out the forums and see if there's anything that'll answer your question, or start a topic yourself.  There are plenty of people in the PortableApps.com community willing to help!

The Portable App Directory on my USB thumb drive.

Also known as the App Store.  Click image for larger view.

What I love about the PortableApps.com Suite and Platform, apart from its ease of use, is the fact that it is 100% Free and Open Source software! It gets a 5 out of 5 star rating from me. If you're new to my blog, you may like to read this post regarding the many different kinds of software available and it explains why I'm so big into Free and Open Source software!  The PortableApps.com Directory was 100% at one point but, over the last year or so, they've started expanding into Freeware and Shareware and will eventually add commercial (payment required) software.  However, while PortableApps will always support Open Source software, they're just expanding their collection to gain more interest which is understandable!

I recommend you check out the PortableApps.com website and check out the wealth of information they offer.  If you're confused by what a portable app actually is....read What Is A Portable App?  At the moment, there are 2 versions of the PortableApps.com Suite; version 1.6.1, which is great and has been out for a while now, also known as the stable release.  However, the best version to get is the "Next" Pre-Release 4, which is jam-packed full of great features such as portable fonts, automatic updates, theme/colour chooser, sort by categories (like the Directory), the app store which has the option to show only Open Source software....this was my preference.

Even though "Next" Pre-Release 4 it is still a test release, it is recommended by the PortableApps.com team.  It's the version I currently use and I love it!

Thank you John Haller and the team at PortableApps.com for making such a great way for people to carry their apps with them!  Your work is very much appreciated!

 The Portable Apps I use on my USB thumb drive.

Including Firefox and Sudoku Portable.  Click image for a larger view.

John Farnham - The Acoustic Chapel Sessions Review

CD cover of The Acoustic Chapel Sessions
Courtesy of JB Hi-Fi

Yes! I bought it on Friday and have been listening to it repeatedly ever since!  The CD is by Australian artist, John Farnham, and I've loved his music ever since 1996 (the year after I discovered Elton John's music), and each successive album is just as good as the last.  The new CD is called "The Acoustic Chapel Sessions" and it is great!  This CD features 11 great hits from John's music career from 1984 to 1996, and is redone with acoustic, not electric, instruments!  This CD has been released in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of "Whispering Jack", John's comeback album of 1986.

I was worried that the acoustic songs would not be up to par but I was wrong. John Farnham and his great band really did pull it off!  Not only that, the CD was released as a combo CD/DVD set with the DVD featuring behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with John and the band, along with 8 video recordings of songs on the CD!  Great stuff!

The first highlight off the CD for me is "Pressure Down", which I think is even better than the original version!  "Playing To Win", which John originally recorded with Little River Band in 1984, sounds strange without its synth and electric guitar sound but it really does sound great as an acoustic song too!  I also love "Two Strong Hearts"...the backing vocals go so well with John's voice!  The acoustic version of "A Simple Life" also sounds terrific!  "Hearts On Fire" was my least favourite song on the CD but then it grew on me the more I listened to it.  "You're The Voice" was also great but I do feel the original version had more power!

Over all, I think the CD/DVD set is fantastic and well worth buying. It gets a 5 out of 5 star rating from me.  For anyone who wants to know more about this great Aussie singer, I've included some links to sites I'd recommend!  Back in his heyday, John Farnham decided against going to the US to seek his fame and fortune and opted to stay in Australia and tour here instead.  That said, he has had Number One hits and Top 10 hits in other countries.  When I listen to John Farnham sing, it makes me proud to be Australian!  His great sense of humour gives his fans many, many laughs during concerts and he is so well loved by us all!

If you've never heard of John Farnham and you have iTunes, I'd recommend you check him out.  If you don't have iTunes, try checking out the John Farnham links in the sidebar!  Hopefully, next time he tours I just might get the chance to see my 2nd favourite singer LIVE in concert!