Antipresto: Deviant Magic

I forgot to mention to loyal Mac users out there (or for those of you without an Apple computer, here’s another software that gives reason to get one): If you don’t yet have it, I suggest you get Adium. This multi-app chat platform has tons of icon sets and add-ons available here. Adium is simply the best; you can chat with your LJ, GTalk, Jabber, AIM/ICQ, MSN, .mac, Yahoo!, etc. friends and buddies, and you can setup the software to work with Growl.

Growl is one of those little known, awesome Mac apps. I feel that way about Apple in general—people really just don’t get how good the Mac OS is to work with until actually owning an Apple machine (MacBook, Mac Pro, Mac mini, iMac… whatever, even an old one). There’s no more loyal a group (except for the damned Linux/UNIX folk!); some of the best software is written for Mac OS and a ton of it is free. The lack of Apple computers equals a lack of viruses, and that equates to a better user experience.

People just don’t know how bad Windows is until you no longer have to use it. Comparing the two OSes, the only reason for someone to subject themselves to Windows is to play games. For the bulk of you who don’t know this: I gave up playing computer games over a year ago, and I only game on the XBOX 360 (and I love it, enough to write about it—but that’s a whole entry).

Also, many people have heard of Skype. Skype is pretty good, but it’s not free, and you can only “call” other Skype user’s (using Skype) for free now. However, it is cheap and tons of people have it. But I found something pretty cool that everyone should download and setup! Gizmo.

THE GIZMO PROJECT is awesome… seriously, click the link, download it, install it, make an account. Why am I almost manic about Gizmo? There’s a long backstory about it that deals with me needing/wanting to talk to Sweden for hours on end and how that’s wracked up a huge phone bill… Gizmo rocks because you can call Active Users for free on their landline or mobile phone when they are offline!

When users setup their Gizmo account, they have the option to add a home phone number and a mobile phone number. Users who establish ACF (All Calls Free) Active can be called at home or on their mobiles using the Gizmo application if they’re offline. International rates are very low, comparable to Skype for sure, and when you create an account, users are credited $0.25 USD to make calls to whomever, wherever. The people you call using Gizmo don’t have to be users (active or otherwise), just like Skype and just like a phone!

Skype and Gizmo are both available for the Nokia N800, Linux, Mac OS, and Windows. My Skype and Gizmo name? Bradtastic, of course.