Avenue Z Tool Box » Beth Favorite http://www.avenueztoolbox.com Free and Low-Cost Tools You Can't Live Without Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:51:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 STOP! Head over to CheapskateFreelancer.com instead… http://www.avenueztoolbox.com/2009/07/stop-head-over-to-cheapskatefreelancercom-instead/ http://www.avenueztoolbox.com/2009/07/stop-head-over-to-cheapskatefreelancercom-instead/#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:46:02 +0000 Beth http://www.avenueztoolbox.com/?p=290 We’ve moved!

The new home of your favorite free and low-cost tools is CheapskateFreelancer.com.

Visit now for new tools each week and a giveaway every month!

]]> http://www.avenueztoolbox.com/2009/07/stop-head-over-to-cheapskatefreelancercom-instead/feed/ 0 Down for everyone or just me?: Check website status http://www.avenueztoolbox.com/2009/05/down-for-everyone-or-just-me-check-website-status/ http://www.avenueztoolbox.com/2009/05/down-for-everyone-or-just-me-check-website-status/#comments Tue, 05 May 2009 16:58:25 +0000 Beth http://www.avenueztoolbox.com/?p=287

Ever have that horrible feeling when you go to your site and it’s down? HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN LIKE THIS? HOW BAD IS IT?

I just had a problem with one of my client’s sites, at the exact second I was showing it to him. Ugh! I ran to the hosting site and opened a trouble ticket.

Turns out, it was just a problem from my connection. We checked it on Downforeveryoneorjustme.com. The site lets you enter a URL to check and gives you instant feedback about whether it’s officially down. Awesome free tool.

Down for everyone or just me?.

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Ok, I’ll admit it… I’ve contemplated dating an IT guy just to have someone to call when my computer is ailing. But my boyfriend might take exception to that, so I’m very grateful for CrossLoop.

CrossLoop is a network of IT specialists who are standing by to help you. Seriously. All you do is create an account, search for technicians who have experience with your type of computer issue, and let them take over your screen to fix the problem. You pay their hourly rate (which varies by technician), and you can get first-rate advice without having to have dinner.

I used them once and really enjoyed the experience and the results (he couldn’t fix my problem, but that made me happy because I KNEW it was a horrible problem that was beyond repair, and it was!). Highly recommended.

CrossLoop – Simple, secure screen-sharing and trusted experts for computer help.

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Wow! Sketch My Photo is the best tool I’ve seen for converting a photo into a pencil sketch. It’s worlds better than applying filters in your regular photo editor (ever try a neon filter? What the heck is that?)

I uploaded my Twitter avatar, and Sketch My Photo came up with this perfect rendition. Saving your photo in a pretty good resolution is free. It’s $5.95 to upgrade to a nicer version.

Sketch My Photo – Free instant photo to pencil sketch conversion.

]]> http://www.avenueztoolbox.com/2009/03/sketch-my-photo-free-instant-photo-to-pencil-sketch-conversion/feed/ 5 Posterous: Can blogging get any easier? http://www.avenueztoolbox.com/2009/03/posterous-can-blogging-get-any-easier/ http://www.avenueztoolbox.com/2009/03/posterous-can-blogging-get-any-easier/#comments Tue, 17 Mar 2009 02:16:33 +0000 Beth http://www.avenueztoolbox.com/?p=214

This free tool falls smack dab into the “If Only I Had Known” category. It’s an instant “Beth Favorite.”

Posterous is the easiest blogging tool I’ve ever seen. You simply email post@posterous.com, and they post what you’ve emailed. You can then claim a site of your own and keep posting to it.

It even adds your pictures, videos, documents… anything you attach to the email.

I also hooked it up to post to my Twitter account, and I can make it work with Wordpress as well.

I’m feeling a little dizzy with joy right now.

Posterous – The place to post everything. Just email us. Dead simple blog by email..

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