Free software for your next trip

Last week I promised to do one better than just recommend inexpensive programs for your next trip. I said I’d find software that’s free.

But free isn’t always free. A lot of software developers give their product away with a proviso. The so-called “shareware” version comes with limited functionality. Or, worse still, the program expires unless you cough up a credit card number. I’ll try to keep you out of that trap in this installment of The Travel Technologist.

Here are some free (or almost free) programs that you have to take on your next trip:

* Pop-up and banner ads are annoying, but when you’re on a trip logging in from a hotel room and paying for connection time by the minute, they can also be costly. I’ve found two free ways around them. The first is an application called Pop-Up Stopper by a company called Panicware. The free version arrests pop-ups before they even have a chance to load, including the annoying X10 pop-up. But the company pressures you to upgrade to the more functional “pro” version that costs $19.95. I think that’s as annoying as the ads it stops. A better solution, recommended by reader Bill Armstrong, is the Proxomotron, a free application that wipes out everything – including banner ads, pop-ups and skyscrapers. Plus it blocks cookies and Javascripts that interrupt your online experience. In exchange, its creators ask you to buy a CD by the Japanese girl trio Shonen Knife.

* Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to read a document while you’re on the road. Your only option shouldn’t be to visit a software store and spend lots of money on an application that deciphers the data. I really like the new version of Adobe Acrobat reader because even though it’s a “freeware” version, you still get some industrial-strength features, such as the ability to do an advanced search, that used to only be available on the expensive version. Another “must-have” download for travelers is the StuffIt Expander from Alladin Systems. The free application handles everything from zip files to tar, gzip and bzip files. But what I like best about it is that it never nags you about upgrading to the pricier version of the product.

* Some of the most useful free programs do just one thing, but they do it very well. For example, SetClock from Redei Enterprises helps keep your computer’s clock accurate by getting the exact time from one of the available atomic clock servers. It also allows you to set the time zone easily, so when you’re traveling with your laptop you can adjust to the local time with a click. Here’s another one that travelers will like: GoDown, a free application from a Web site called Xertia, lets you turn off various components of your PC instead of shutting down the whole thing. This may be especially useful if you’re running a program while on a layover and don’t want to drain the battery by keeping the monitor running.

The more observant readers among you will probably note that several of these programs also come in “pro” versions that aren’t free, and they try to get you hooked on the free ones and then entice you to buy the costlier ones. That’s a backhanded sales tactic you ought to be aware of, but in at least the applications that I’ve cited here, the programmers didn’t shortchange us to the extent that all of us feel compelled to run out and buy the industrial-strength versions.

Still, it’s worth remembering that in the end, there’s really no such thing as a free application. Sooner or later you’ll pay – either with real money or in time, because your program only offers limited capabilities.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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