The Download Blog

Inspired by CNET's Quick Tips and First Looks on Windows 7 beta, but not sure how to install it correctly? Never fear!

This video guide will help you create a dual-boot configuration, so you can run the preview of Microsoft's latest OS without destroying your older operating system.

If you're already starting to eye those pre-Black Friday deals on hard drives and you're running Windows Vista, you might want to step away from that credit card for just a moment. CNET TV Editor Brian Tong has some excellent hints on how to clear out clutter from your hard drive.

In the video, he recommends TreeSize for quickly analyzing the contents of your drive and subfolders. It's a good program, but if you're looking for something with a bit more heft, I'd suggest WinDirStat.

Not long ago, CNET Editor Brian Tong gave an instructive Insiders Secret video on creating your own iPhone ringtones using only iTunes 8. Although he only used one program as promised, there was quite a bit of cobbling involved to turn that song into a phone tune. Truth is, I'm a little lazier than that. I'm looking for one application to make me a decent-sounding ringtone I can get on my phone with the least amount of hassle possible.

ToneThis is a good fit for this endeavor. I've reviewed this freeware application in the past--it was the update it received this month that recaptured my attention. More on that later.

The core application makes use of buttons and tabs to guide you through creating audio or video ringtones and wallpaper. (Games may be available for some handsets.) You'll choose the format and browse for your media from either your hard drive or from an internal Flickr browser. Then you'll crop the image if you're making wallpaper, or you'll use the mouse to pick off a selection for your audio or video ringtone. When you're done, you can click to send the link to your phone via SMS, or e-mail it to yourself or a pal.

ToneThis 3.6 includes a new toolbar for Firefox that gives you avid ringtone-collectors an easy way to scout and save new media. It promises you'll be able to conduct quick searches for wallpaper and mobile videos, and even click a button to highlight the media available on a given Web page. Clicking the media opens it in ToneThis, where you'll be able to make your simple edits and then send it to your phone.

In reality, the toolbar is a fair idea with a big bug problem. For one reason or another, sending videos and images from the toolbar may fail. For example, sending YouTube videos to the phone from the toolbar may not work if YouTube updates their protocol before ToneThis can adjust. The toolbar takes up a fair amount of precious browser space. For it to only sometimes work doesn't make it a useful addition, though it's no reason to shun the entire product. It is, however, reason enough for the ToneThis team to get cracking on that bug list. Other known bugs include the first frame of a video not displaying while in edit mode (make your selection first, and then press 'play' to preview), and the mouse temporarily disappears if you roll over the video while in editing mode.

These would be formidable stumbling blocks were this a premium program, but users are generally much more forgiving about freeware, me included. As a simple ringtone-maker that's geared toward novices or ringtone opportunists, ToneThis' basic settings and controls will calm new users and will almost assuredly disappoint the ringtone elite.

However, there are a few settings, like the Flickr browser for making wallpaper out of images let loose in the public domain. There are also volume adjustments for audio ringtones, selections for adding fade-ins and fade-outs, and an option to make high-quality true tones. It's frustrating, however, that there's no option for manually setting the range or adjusting the selection on either side--it's easy to lose your place and be forced to start over to capture the sample you want.

The same elementary features go for wallpaper. You can crop and rotate an image, but you'll see no other editing features bundled in.

As a smooth operator bent on impressing the populace, ToneThis trips and falls. Yet as an incredibly easy and free way to self-produce decent ringtones and phone wallpaper from your own collection, ToneThis achieves a high measure of success.

In this how-to video from CNET TV Editor Tom Merritt, you'll learn about the importance of PGP, why you don't have to pay for it, and how to go about setting it up. He also uses the must-have Mozilla Thunderbird extension Enigmail to get you there. You can download Thunderbird for Windows and Mac, although Tom demonstrates on a Mac.

You know I'm using it. Well, you probably don't know I'm using it, since by using it my e-mail's encrypted and you shouldn't be able to tell what I e-mail about. But you do know what I mean, right? Right?

How do you know for sure that your e-mail is safe from interception? You don't. Unless you digitally sign and encrypt it with a strong, safe key, that is.

In this Insider Secrets video, CNET Editor Tom Merritt shows you how to install and use an open-source privacy tool that does both, for fee.

>>See all encryption software
>>See all privacy software

Here's a thought: instead of wading through dozens of ringtone-making apps to find one suited to your iPhone, why not try--what else?--iTunes for Windows and Mac?

In this Insider Secrets video, CNET Editor Brian Tong gives you the lowdown on producing ringtones for your Apple phone using nothing but Apple's own free music library and player.

If you've got a Mac and PC holding court on your desk while you roll your chair between them trying to get your work done, stop. You're working too hard. Synergy (for Windows and Mac) is a free, open-source application that has come to many a rescue by consolidating the controls of multiple computers on different operating systems to a single keyboard and mouse.

Each computer gets to keep its own monitor, which gives you more visual real estate while slashing hardware clutter. Here's another bonus: you don't have to physically switch between systems anymore, you can can stay put and let your mouse do the walking.

If desk space is no issue, Synergy is going to be a much more freeing solution than a KVM switch, which, in an important reversal, uses only one monitor to control multiple computers, won't let you see data side-by-side, and requires extra hardware. As another perk, Synergy merges your clipboards into one so you can copy and paste among platforms.

Synergy isn't limited to Macs and PCs; it can also work with two or more computers on the same platform, and there's a Linux build, too. Synergy involves a little more setup than your average application, but the results can be well worth it. CNET Editor Jeff Bakalar's video (above) has plenty of useful tips to get you started.

Quiz time: What do CustomizeGoogle, GooglePreview, and McAfee SiteAdvisor have in common?

Answer: The ability to improve on Google search in the Firefox browser. For example, does this scenario sound familiar: You accidentally click on a sponsored link and have to return to the main results page to try again?

How about this one: You wasted 10 minutes clicking through search results because you can't remember the link by name, but think you can identify it by sight (so you check them all)? Or worst yet: You stumble on a dangerous link and get bogged down with malware that takes hours or days to fix. Terrible!

Yep, that trio of plug-ins we mentioned helps you avoid the common pitfalls that add up to a lot of wasted time. The best part about the extensions--other than their being free--is that they're compatible with each other, so you won't see any crashes if you choose to install all three. Watch this Insider Secrets video to see how they work.

You don't have to pay a cent to keep your computer secure against the bad guys. Watch this discussion on best practices and best apps between CNET TV's Tom Merritt and Download.com's Seth Rosenblatt. When you're done, head on over to our Security Starter Kit to check out must-haves for both newbies and power users.