Microsoft Flight PC Game for Windows (For Free!!)

Microsoft is offering a glimpse into its longstanding flight simulator series for free to Windows users in the form of Microsoft Flight (released 2/28/2012). It is a great experience for any aspiring pilot or aeronautical enthusiast.

This simulator puts you over the skies of beautiful Hawaii, in one of two aeroplanes, the Icon A5 or the Boeing Stearman. There are a variety of missions, challenges and hidden "Aerocaches" that gives the game a lot of replay value, so head on over to the marketplace for the download.

It's in the Xbox Marketplace for some reason, but it IS a PC download...go figure. I have played a previous version of the simulator before and I have to say, it was very cool learning to take off and navigate the plane manually (as manual as you can get from a simulator).


Microsoft recommends you have Windows XP or later, a dual core processor, 2GB RAM, 10GB disk space, and DirectX 9.0c or later to run the game. See the link below.

Source:http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/Microsoft-Flight/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8044d5308d2


Enjoy, and live free!

FREE short stack of Buttermilk Pancakes at iHop!

Tomorrow, Tuesday February 28th, is iHop's National Pancake Day Celebration, and they will be giving away a free short stack of Buttermilk Pancakes to guests.
iHop uses the proceeds to support charities in the communities in which it operates, and while the pancakes ARE free, they ask that you leave a donation to contribute to local Charities.
You can visit your nearest iHop (use the restaurant locator) between 7am and 10pm to get your grub on.


Also, FYI, you must dine in, i.e., you cannot go into iHop get your free pancakes and just leave, you have to eat them while in the restaurant; and it's limited to one serving (plate) per guest, so no seconds.

Source: http://www.ihoppancakeday.com/

Enjoy, and live free!

Box offers 50GB FREE Cloud Storage for Android and iOS users

The makers of the cloud storage application Box are offering 50GB (which would usually cost you $19.99) to new registrants and users of the app. The Box app is available in both the Android Market and Apple App Store. If you are familiar with Dropbox, another cloud storage application, Box is alike in both form and functionality.

To get your 50GB all you have to do is download the App to your respective device, register with your email, and you'll receive a confirmation message.

Check your settings while in the app to ensure you have the 50GB of storage.

I registered with both my gmail AND hotmail, so I have a total of 100GB cloud storage available, albeit split between two different accounts, it's still useful. I use Dropbox to sync important files across my devices, but I never have enough space to do backups, so I will be using Box to fulfill that need.

This promotion is a limited time offer and ends March 23rd, 2012, so get it while you can.

Hope some of you find this useful, and as always,


Enjoy, and live free!

FREE 3D Animation, Modeling and Landscape Software from DAZ 3D (LIMITED OFFER!)

Digital Art Zone is giving away their PREMIUM Software bundles for FREE! That's $800 worth of software completely free. I have read that the offer is only until the end of February (02/29/2012), so for all those interested, head on over to http://www.daz3d.com and get your download on. The software is compatible with both Windows and MacOS.

There are 3 packages to choose from, depending on what you want to do specifically in 3D, but since they are all free, and provided you have the space, why not get all of them?

Daz Studio Pro

• Previous value of $430
• Installer download size of approximately 1 gig

Bryce 7 Pro

• Previous value of $250
• Installer download size of approximately 1gig

Hexagon 2.5

• Previous value of $150
• Installer download size of approximately 80mb

Head over to the store now!
http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d-models/free-3d-software?cat=1486

Remember the offer lasts only UNTIL FEBRUARY 29th, 2012


Enjoy, and live free!

Computer Power User - Free Magazine Subscription

This one is for all my computer enthusiasts and custom builders. Follow the link below and enter your information for a free subscription to Computer Power User magazine:

http://www.computerpoweruser.com/registration/register.aspx

CPU magazine focuses on gaming, hardware and software reviews, and caters to the computer nerd in all of us that has an urge to tweak out that new desktop.

You can chose between the digital or physical subscription. I chose the physical for myself. You should receive your copy in the first week of February. Let me know how you guys find it!

Enjoy, and live free!

Paint.NET (Free Image and Photo Editor)

Paint.NET is a free, open-source, image and photo editor for the Windows operating system. It is fully featured, and, in my opinion just as capable as Adobe's Photoshop in the right hands.

Some of the software's strong points are its speed(start-up and performance), its suite of effects, the plugins available, its unlimited history (redo/undo) and its community.

It is worth noting that I've used this software, both for personal and educational purposes. As a student, I used it to create/edit custom templates for presentations. That being said, Paint.NET never took up too many resources to run on my Lenovo T43 Thinkpad, and between double clicking to open the program and starting my edits, it took no more that 10 seconds. Keep in mind that I may have had MS PowerPoint, MS Word and Firefox open simultaneously.

The features and tools are also worth noting, and if you are at least familiar with Photoshop, you will see some similarities in the functionality of Paint.NET. Layers, cloning, looping, gradients, special effects, special brushes, it's all there. You can also download various plugins to add to the base functionality.

The Paint.NET community is very supportive, and always willing to lend a hand to both newcomers and veteran graphic artists. They will assist with every thing from basic tutorials to advanced techniques and manipulations.

Here is a screenshot of the user interface:

and here is something I did a while back:

I clearly am no expert, but you can do all the cool stuff you can do with Photoshop on Paint.NET, including logos, banners, and website themes, with all the crazy and dazzling effects expected from the former...and all of it is of course, free!!

Remember, it is only available to windows users. Paint.NET can be downloaded here:
http://www.getpaint.net/download.html


Source: http://www.getpaint.net/index.html


Enjoy, and live free!

Free Xbox Live Games

Here's one for all the Xbox heads out there. Five (5!) free games you can download from the Xbox Live Marketplace. Hopefully you are familiar with the new interface by now, I think Microsoft has done right by the players with the update. Here are the games; click the names to head over to the Xbox Live Online Marketplace, or you can just search for them from your Xbox Dashboard:

Aegis Wing

Aegis Wing is a fast-paced space shooter with single player and co-op modes. Great for online play with up to 4 buddies when you want to take a break from Skyrim and shoot some space baddies.

Harms Way

Chaotic, action-packed racing game where players work in driver/sniper teams to win 3 lap races on destructible courses. Reminds me of the early Twisted Metal games. Offline single player and co-op modes of up to 4 players, and online you can play with up to 8 people.


Hexic HD

Hexic HD is the remake of an online puzzle game. Great for when you're overdosed on all the mind boggling graphics of the latest titles. The aim of the game is to create clusters of same-colored tiles to clear them from the board. My little cousins love to play it when they come over (after a round or two of Street Fighter IV of that is...)


Doritos Crash Course

Hilarious runner game, with all the humor from the Wipe Out and Ninja Warrior t.v. shows. You run with your Xbox Live Avatar through 15 insane courses to achieve the best time. The obstacle filled courses present a challenge in the later levels, and its always hilarious to watch your Avatar get bopped onto the screen by a giant hammer, or carried away by a reverse treadmill. Great party game, and fun for all ages.


For all those who own a Kinect, here's one just for you:

Kinect Fun Labs

I don't have a Kinect, but this seems like a cool piece of software. You get to experiment and create cool stuff using the Kinect to input objects, pictures and record motion.

Check these games out and let me know what you think about them in the comments section!

Source:http://www.friendsoffree.com/2012/01/03/four-free-xbox-live-games/

Enjoy, and live free!

NYC Special - Brooklyn Magazine (Free Magazine Subscription)

Another NYC special, and more so if you are a Brooklynite.

The Brooklyn Magazine is giving away free subscriptions, just follow the link below and enter your information:

https://www.themagstore.com/?KeyCode=IMISCBRO

Source:http://www.freestufftimes.com/free-subscription-to-brooklyn-magazine


Enjoy, and live free!

Blender (Free 3-Modeling Software)

Blender is a free, opensource 3D modeling software, available for all operating systems, including Linux based systems.

The software itself is very powerful, and very flexible. I had the opportunity to use Blender in a game development class I took as an elective in college, and within a semester, my class was able to put together a very simple 3D game, with some coding and basic models/animations.

As with most 3D creation software, it has a steep learning curve, but I found the interface intuitive after several sessions of use.

If you are a blooming 3D animation artist and would like to start working on projects without shelling out big bucks for software, head on over to the website and check it out.

Blender Website: http://www.blender.org

Here is an animated short film "Sintel" made entirely with Blender by volunteers of the Blender Foundation:

Enjoy, and live free!

Get the Monopoly App for free today!

Get Monopoly for free (usual price is $4.99) for your Android device through the Amazon App Store:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0066T8M1I/ref=tsm_1_tw_app_fad

Free for today (12/28/2011) only! You will have to download and install the Amazon App Store on your phone or tablet if you haven't done so already. Go to: 

Settings>Applications>Check off "Unkown Sources".

Then check your email/text to download the Amazon App Store and get the Monopoly App. It has some iffy reviews but it is a classic board game. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Enjoy, and live free!

NYC Special - Optimum Rewards Card (Free movie tickets)

I am a New Yorker, and would like to share some of the awesome things that are free in the Big Apple. Most of them will be useful whether you reside in the city, or visit at some point in time. Some will only apply to residents. Check back often to see what intrigues you!

The first NYC Special is the Optimum Rewards Card. You can get this card if you get your cable, telephone and internet services from Cablevision (which costs about $150/ month). You, or your parents, can then request this card.

Now you may be saying, $150 a month?? That's ridiculous! 

It is, but you can continually renew their introductory offer of $99 a month  by cancelling your services and signing up for them under another adults name (that resides in your household). So if you have parents, that's 2 years of the 3 services for $99. An aunt, uncle or older sibling? 1 extra year each. 

Their internet isn't to shabby, more than enough for casual users, just enough for gaming. Phone and television are satisfactory.

Now about the card itself, it gets you discounts at various businesses throughout the Tristate (NY, NJ, CT) area and the city, but there is one discount in particular that I think is awesome. Every Tuesday, you are entitled to 2 FREE movie tickets to any Clearview cinema in the city. 

Movie tickets cost $13 in the city, so you are essentially getting $104 (13tix x 2ppl x 4weeks) every month! That's more than you pay their cable, phone and internet bill!

The only downside is that there are only 3 theaters total in the city, and it gets more traffic than usual on Tuesdays. Arrive early, or go see a movie before 5pm and you will be fine. The theaters aren't bad at all, and hey it's free, so that makes it even better. Below are the locations of the theaters in NYC:

The one on 54th Street is built into a red carpet theater building, Ziegfield Theater. It only plays one movie at a time (usually the highest grossing at the time, like Harry Potter, Iron Man, Inception etc.), but has the largest screen of all the other theaters.

The last movie I went to see was Hugo at the Clearview Chelsea (23rd and 8th) Theater, I went with a friend. There were very few people, and the theater was quiet and clean, a very pleasant experience. Made even better by the fact that it was free! Hope you found this information useful, and as always...

Enjoy, and live free!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to All!

It is that special time of year, where spirits are high, and there is a surplus of goodwill. Lend a helping hand where you can, and keep the positive vibes going, give the gift that keeps on giving!

Enjoy, and live free!

Bitizens - Free App

I will be covering a free app from the Apple App Store everyday (or as close to daily as possible). This is for all those who own an iOS device and couldn't be bothered to dish out 99 cents for Angry Birds.

Today's free app is Tiny Tower. Tiny Tower is a mini-sim, in which you build residential/commercial floors and control (not directly) tower inhabitants called Bitizens. It's a good time waster with no particular goal, other than to keep building. The fun is in the details. You assign jobs to your Bitizens based on their stats/skill level (clever little system) and keep the business floors in your tower stocked and manned. Below is a snapshot of the game:

To the left you will see an elevator shaft. You actually control that elevator using onscreen buttons, carrying Bitizens or their visitors to whichever floor pops up above their head. In between ferrying regular Bitizens you occasionally get "VIP" Bitizens that have special abilities (moving in Bitizens en masse to a residential floor, speeding up restocking/construction times). Again, no particular goal, but a good time waster of a mobile game. Download it at the Apple App Store on your iOS device, in the Free Apps section (Yes!).

Still itching to play Angry Birds but want to go the free route? Never fear! If you have an Android device or use the Google Chrome Browser, you can download Angry Birds ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!
The most popular mobile game is fair payment for collection of your personal data no? Of course it is.
Download it now at the Android Marketplace place or Google Chrome's  Web Store, and as always...

Enjoy, and live free!

Ubuntu (Free Operating System)

Ubuntu is a free open source Linux operating system. It can be downloaded and used by anyone with an internet connection. Best of all, you can download it to a USB flash drive, or burn it to a disc, and run it alongside your current operating system to try it out. This means no long installation times, or risking your personal files and folders, its basically plug and play.

If you like what you see, you can go ahead and install it, and the instructions will guide you through migrating your files over to Ubuntu during installation. The installation process takes less than 15 minutes on any decent computer system.

The Ubuntu OS has all the features of a major commercial OS such as Windows or iOS:

• Web browsing
• Office Suite (Openoffice.org is native, but you can find more)
• Antivirus/firewall
• Media players (music, video, photos)
• Hardware support for most peripherals
• Ubuntu actually comes with all the drivers needed for your attached hardware, such as your mouse or webcam, and even has dual screen support
• Widgets and applications
• Documentation of the OS

Ubuntu also comes with a great community and support for the software. Any issues you come across can easily be rectified or at least recognized by visiting either the official Ubuntu forums, or any number of developer/fan forums on the internet.

The Ubuntu OS is optimized for desktops, laptops and servers. There is also talk of a tablet version being developed.

I have been using Ubuntu for the last 2 years, I've been a windows user for the past 10 years, and I have to say there are definitely some advantages. It boots ridiculously fast, and applications are usually snappy. Ubuntu also gives you an Ubuntu One account which is basically cloud storage. 

One of the disadvantages, in the beginning at least, was not being able to play Windows games, but I quickly found a workaround (through an application that mimics windows' environment and allows you to install and run games as you would in the regular windows OS).

All in all, I am happy with the switch, Ubuntu is a solid, full-featured OS, and it is of course...FREE!

Check it out @ http://www.ubuntu.com/

Take the tour @ http://www.ubuntu.com/tour/

Enjoy, and live free!

Do you like free?

Of course you do. Everyone likes a deal, and getting something of value for free just makes you a little warm inside. This blog will focus on any freebies I come across and think are worth mentioning.

Enjoy, and live free!