Free-Codecs.com

Free-Codecs.com offers the latest in audio and video codecs, plugins and tools.

VirtualDub

VirtualDub is not only a free, powerful video processing application, it is also one of the most cleanly written applications that I’ve ever come across. An outstanding example of quality software: zen-like user interface, stable, fast and adaptable.

Those were the Days…

How many times have you installed the latest-bestest-coolest version of your favourite application, only to wonder at the developers’ sanity and wish you could go back to the previous one, which worked just fine? (Or like me, did you have your PC dual-boot to Windows 98 only to be able to run Need for Speed 2 to watch the game videos?)

OldVersion.com and OldApps.com offer archives of old applications that are no longer supported/hosted by their developers. They’ve helped me rediscover a lot of stuff that I had before my hard disk crashed (the first time).

PluginDoc: Popular Windows Plugins for Mozilla

Everytime I install Mozilla Firefox, I scramble over to this page and install these essential plugins first.

Txt2Palm

This nifty little piece of software converts text files into Palm-readable documents.

Software

The essential selection… this is what I would install if my brain was augmented by a hard drive.

24276 Subaru Impreza WRC 2004 Rally Japan

Scale:	1:24
Make:	Tamiya
Model #:	24276
Year:	2004
Name:	Subaru Impreza WRC
Description:	P. Solberg/P. Mills #1 (Rally Japan)

This one was a bit of a scare. I wasn’t delivered until the day before I left Montreal, and I had to leave a lot of my clothes behind to make space for it. But it was worth it.

From Tamiya’s page about the model:

“Making her WRC debut in Mexico in round 3, the 2004 Subaru Impreza featured major improvements in areas like the bodyshell, engine and aerodynamics. The 2004 WRC season saw the first ever WRC event to be hosted in Japan, with Rally Japan held in Hokkaido in early September. It was no surprise that Japanese rally icon, the Subaru Impreza, had the majority of the crowd’s support as it rushed to the lead from the outset. Driver Petter Solberg didn’t disappoint the fans or the Subaru team, leading Rally Japan from start to finish to take his third victory of the season and move into second place in the drivers’ championship. In 2004, Solberg and the 4-cylinder 16 valve turbocharged Subaru Impreza dominated the gravel tracks, winning victories in New Zealand, Greece, Japan, Great Britain and Italy.”

4200 Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701

Scale:	1:???
Make:	Polar Lights
Model #:	4200
Year:	2006
Name:	U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701
Description:	Star Trek NCC-1701, from the original TV series; 1st and 2nd TV pilot

“Space, the final frontier… These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

This snap-together model kit is an exact replica of the original series starship, with 50 highly-detailed pieces.

05003 Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. Ronald Reagan

Scale:	1:720
Make:	Revell
Model #:	05003
Year:	2003
Name:	Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. Ronald Reagan
Description:	Unassembled plastic model kit Skill Level: 5 (difficult) No. of components: 180 Length: 46.6 cm

Features:

• Detailed hull and deck
• New underwater bow section
• Detailed new control tower (island) with large aerial mast
• 2 separate aircraft lifts
• Aircraft carried: F/A-18 Hornet (folded and open wings), E-2 Hawkeye, SH-60 Sea King
• RAM defence systems
• Sea sparrow launch systems
• Tractors
• 4 Propellers
• Display stands
• Detailed decals for all deck markings and lifts

From Revell - Ships:

“The USS Ronald Reagan CVN-76 is the ninth aircraft carrier of the Nimitz Class and is also the most modern vessel of this type. She was called after the 40th President of the United States of America who died on 5th June 2004. Compared with her sister ships this vessel has a number of electronic modifications such as an integrated communications system. The most striking external alternation however is the island; it is larger and higher than its predecessors, of more angular design and also 600 tonnes heavier. The vessel was launched on 5th March 2001 and went into service on 12th July 2003. She has an overall length of 332.85 metres. This carrier has a full load displacement of over 100,000 tonnes, reaches a speed of over 30 knots and can operate for about 20 years on one charge of uranium. She is powered by two nuclear reactors supplying four main engines that operate four five-bladed screws. The carrier is equipped with 4 catapults. The air group consists of over 85 aircraft. The USS Ronald Reagan has a crew of about 3200 seamen and needs 2480 additional people for flying operations.”

5800 British Airways Concorde

Scale:	1:350
Make:	Model Power (The Airliner Collection)
Model #:	5800
Year:	1978
Name:	BAC/Aerospatiale Concorde
Description:	UK/France, British Airways Tail number: G-BOAG

The most successful supersonic commercial airliner of all time, with supercruise capability. Only 14 were in service. One of it’s [many] unique features was the “droop nose”, which allowed for different positioning of the nose for different operations (take off, landing, cruising). It’s closest competitor was the strikingly similar Soviet Tupolv Tu-144, which never managed to gained the same amount of popularity. The Concorde was officially put out of service on 24 October, 2003.