In fact, every time I must fill out an online form that limits the number of characters, I use this app. 

I can't remember if I ever shared it with you so I'm doing that today.

Online Character Count Tool is free and it's priceless!

You can use it to count actual characters or characters and spaces. It's invaluable for anyone who has to restrict the size of text to a certain number of: Characters, Words, Sentences, Paragraphs, or Spaces.

In fact, I plug in what I want to say and then edit in the app until I hit the magic number allowed. You can use it on the website, no registering or download required.

Yes, it's ad supported, but the ads aren't popping up all over the place. They're not that intrusive.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I think you'll find this is one of the most useful website apps ever.

Every spring I make plans to finish landscaping the front and back yards, but I never quite get it done the way I like it.

Darling Hubby gets frustrated because I'm always changing the plan so this year, I thought I'd do something different.

I searched online and found a few free landscape design apps. I thought I'd post about them so you can try them along with me.

First up is Neighborbrite, an AI powered landscape design app that is always free to use unless you decide to upgrade to the pro version for more control and custumization for plant types, placements, and some other features. 

HOW IT WORKS

Neighborbrite uses advanced AI technology to help you design. Upload a photo of the outdoor space  you want to design, choose a garden style, and get design ideas for your space.

That's it. There's nothing to download and install since it's an online site to use. You don't need any special tech skills or knowledge because it's designed to be user-friendly and intuitive.

To learn more before you try, check out their FAQ page.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I'm photographing my yard front and back. I'm excited to try this, and I hope it's as easy as it sounds. I'll let you know next Monday when I post another free app blog. Let me know if you also try Neighborbrite.

Todoist has 3 levels of subscription: Beginner, Pro, and Business.

The Beginner level is always free and may be perfect for you. The othr levels are low-priced too.

WHAT CAN TODOIST DO FOR YOU

Used worldwide by millions, Todoist is simple to use and powerful. It's also considered by users to be the best to-do app on the market. You simply open the app, speak into your phone, and list your primary tasks. With the app, you can:

• sort your tasks into Today, Upcoming, or use custom filters
• see only what you need to see and when you need it
• schedule due dates
• visualize your week in calendar view
• set recurring tasks with ease.

MissingMoney is the official Unclaimed Property website of the National Association of State Treasurers.

The website is provided by the US State Governments and several Canadian Provinces in partnership with the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA).

The NAUPA is the leading, trusted authority in unclaimed property.

Enter the appropriate names or business names in all the data bases listed on the website. The instructions on how to conduct a search and what to do if you find unclaimed funds or property are on the home page.

New properties are added daily so you can search immediately and check back whenever you wish. 

It's Monday. Let's make something happen.

Frankly, I should have shared these apps before December, but, better late than never, I guess.

If you're not taking advantage of these opportunities, maybe you should start.

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It's been a while since I found some free apps worth sharing.

Today, I'd like to tell you about VirusTotal, an app  free for end-users for non-commercial use. It offers a public website to analyze files and check URLs to see if they are legitimate.

I don't know about you, but I'm besieged with emails, DMs, texts, etc. that all seem genuine and containing URLs. I never click anything unless I can check it out and be assured that it's not dangerous.

VirusTotal also offers a premium paid version with advanced features, such as a Premium API that is restricted to paid customers.

"With the free public website, you can use the VirusTotal website to scan files, URLs, and other observables for malicious content without a cost." 

The website is easy to use. Here are 2 links to access the website checker. The first is for a PC with up to date browsers. Simply click here: AccessVirusTotal.

 The second link is for a PC running an old browser. Just click here:  Old Browser AccessVirusTotal.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Adopt the policy never to click anything no matter how genuine or innovent it may appear to be. Always check.

Why this app? Because as I write this post, the interior of my house is being painted.

Having the interior of a home painted is like having all new flooring installed in a house—both are as stressful as moving because you have to deconstruct your house to make it happen.

We've spent an entire week removing everything from bookshelves, cabinets, etc. so the furniture could be moved to allow the painters access to the walls and packing up a zillion books, the contents of a china cabinet, and all of the stuff stored in the furniture that was to be moved away from the walls.

PAINT COLOR DECISIONS

We finally decided on Alabaster by Sherwin Williams, a warm white that lends itself to contemporary and traditional stylings.

These can help you color match, and you can browse color palettes, and even use their  AI-powered suggestions.

Sherwin-Williams has ColorSnap Visualizer is the one I started with and found the color I wanted. Their app allows you to upload photos of your rooms or use pre-loaded images to test their colors. 

You can color match from inspiration photos or even physical items like fabrics. The app has tools to help adjust color selection and create color palettes. 

If you prefer BEHR, try their ColorSmart which is supposed to help you match existing colors, explore their color library, and visualize colors in your space using photos. It also offers project planning tools and inspiration. 

If you're a Home Depot fan, they too have an app called Project Color. The app features advanced color matching technology according to the website and allows you to capture a color and find the closest match from Home Depot's paint selection. 

MANIC MONDAY INDEED

I'm trying to fnish a book! I want this to be over so it's quiet enough that I can think!

I have just enough space to walk from my office door to my chair in front of the computer. I dare not enter in the dark lest I kick over some Japanese porcelains and crystal vases on the floor—not to mention the 1950s ceramic duck TV lamp that belonged to Darling Hubby's grandmother. 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I'm praying this will all be finished by Friday.

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Most people who start making videos use the app that comes with Windows, but it's very limited. Now, Microsoft slides you over to ClipChamp which they purchased a couple of years ago.

ClipChamp offers more features, but it's still not that great. Also, if you download your video to post it online, Microsoft brands it unless you sign up for their paid service at $12.00 a month.

Why do that when there are many video editing free apps like Shortcut? This video editing app is a  completely free and open-source video editing software. You don't need to pay a license fee and there are no hidden costs. 

Download from the official website to use on Windows, macOS, and Linux at zero costs. It's rated as beginner friendly. This truly is something a beginner can master unlike some so-called beginner video editing apps I've tried.

WHAT SHORTCUT CAN DO

Shortcut offers a plethora of features. Here are only a few:

1. Format Support for a variety of audio, video, and image formats, including MP4, AVI, and MOV. 

2. Multiple Track Editing allows users to layer audio, video, and effects. 

3. Timeline Editing lets users cut, trim, and arrange clips. 

4. Filters and Effects are available for video and audio to use for creative editing like blurring, color correction, and transitions. 

5. Intuitive Interface that's user-friendly with dockable panels to make learning and use easier. 

6. Capture content from screens, webcams, and network streams. 

7. 4K resolution support.

8. Professional looking transtions. 

Seriously, the list of features goes on and on.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Free, easy to use, and customizable. My advice is to download it and try. Use the basic features and get comfortable. Then move to more sophisticated features. Shortcut can do it all.

Flameshot, for Windows, macOS, and Linux, will save you time.

However, it is crucial to ensure you download Flameshot from a reputable source, like the official Flameshot website.

CAUTION IN DOWNLOADING APPS

Always download an app from the app's official website and keep the app updated from the official website. Like many apps, if you download from a website other than the official website, i.e. Flameshot.org, you run the risk of getting something that may contain a file infected with malicious code. 

Having said that, let me tell you about some of the main benefits of Flameshot.

1. Highly customizable

Set it up the way you want: interface color, button selection, keyboard shortcuts, how images are saved, and more with Flameshot's accessible configuration dialog.

2. In-app screenshot editing

Add an arrow mark, highlight text, blur or pixelate a section, add text, draw something, add a  rectangular/circular shaped border, add a counter number, add a solid color box —all using Flameshot's built-in editing tools.

3. Simple and intuitive to use

Using Flameshot is simple. Launch it, drag the selection box to cover the area you want to capture, make annotations as needed on-screen, save the shot to your computer. All simple and easy with the interface.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

This is easy to use, easy to customize, and free—three of my favorite things. Visit Flameshot today.

Here are the preceding ones:

Go To Specific Part of Video

and

Change Where YouTube Starts 

Today, I offer you a trick you'll love if you like to replay a video over and over. I do this with music videos I love. Today, I offer you...

YouTube Trick - Loop A Video

This one is so easy that I should have figured it out a long time ago. 

1. When playing a video, simply right click inside the video as it plays.

2. A menu will open with several selections. The first one is LOOP. Click the LOOP selection.

3. When the video finishes, it will restart at the beginning.

The complete list of selections in that popup menu are:

Loop

Copy video URL

Copy video URL at current time

Copy enbed Code

Copy debug info

Troubleshoot playback issue

Stats for nerds.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I love to save time so I collect tips and tricks that help me do that. If these tricks help you, let me know with a comment. Have a great week!

If you're like me and have Subscriptions to dozens of YouTube channels, do you still start YouTube with the Home Page opening?

That takes time, doesn't it?

There's an easier way to get going with YouTube by going straight to your Subscriptions page, and it's easy to do.

CHANGE HOME PAGE TO YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS PAGE

1. When you click on YouTube, it opens automatically at the Home Page. Go to the link displayed in the browser, which will be https://www.youtube.com and add this bit of code to that link:

/feed/subscriptions

which results in this URL:

https://www.youtube.com/feed/subscriptions

Now, with that URL displaying, bookmark it. Next time you go to YouTube, go to your bookmarks, click the one you made for YouTube, and the website will open on your Subscriptions page.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

A minute saved is a minute earned—or something to that effect. Have a great Monday!

Doodle is a free app—a scheduling tool—that can make it much less frustrating, and it's easy to use.

It simplifies organizing meetings and events by allowing users to create polls to find the best time for everyone involved. 

You create a poll with date and time options and share the poll link with those who want to participate.

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For those people, a dislike of a certain issue or subject matter is actually a trigger.

Today's free app, Does the Dog Die, offers "Trigger warnings for movies, TV, books, video games and more!"

Some people may have severe reactions to certain subject matters so this warns them in advance so they can choose to avoid movies, television shows, video games, books, etc. that may have emotional and/or physical repercussions for them.

CRUISING THE WEBSITE

The Search bar is front and center at the top, and the Menu Bar is at the bottom of the home page. The Home page shows thumbnails of the many items that have already been reviewed and rated. Simply click on one and you'll see the various warnings.

If you don't see an item, you can search for it. If it hasn't been reviewed, you can suggest it. At that point, you are prompted to set up an account. I didn't see a fee schedule, but in their Terms of Service, it mentions "types of payment accepted."

I suspect this may be in reference to making donations to support various charitable groups. I did not click to set up an account so I can't say for sure.

The site covers several categories which include: 

Violence and death involving humans and animals

Emotional triggers

Sensitive topics like substance abuse

BOTTOM LINE

No account is necessary to check the items that have already been reviewed. Users can search for specific movies, TV shows, books, etc., and the site will indicate whether it contains certain triggers or not.

The site is crowdsourced, meaning users can suggest and vote on new categories and content warnings, and the site tracks 70+ categories like slurs, car crashes, dogs dying, spiders, and cancer.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you are your kids have a problem with certain subjects, the site is worth checking out. If you sign up for an account, I would apprecciate information regarding any fee attached to using the site.

Plot Generator targets those who want to write books. Using it is as easy as visiting the websites.

Select a genre, click the Generate button, and the app serves you up with a plot, complete with a protagonist, secondary character, and a plot.

You can save the plot or hit the reset button to get another.

Here's an example of what I got when I selected Mystery and clicked the Generate Button.

Protagonist — A constable, who can be found at the pub.

Secondary character — A baker, who is suspiciously agreeable.

Plot — It's a spy story about good versus evil. It kicks off at a bank with a mysterious suicide.

(Note that: someone in the story has a reputation to salvage.)

And there's a twist! Someone also faked a death.

If you're trying to write your first book but don't know how to get going, this might help. In fact, Reedsy, the company that created Plot Generator has a free companion app, Studio, to help you plan, write, edit, and format your book manuscript.

Sign up for Studio with your email or use a Google login. The interface looks pretty awesome. I could see an author using one or both of these apps to get the imagination going. In fact, I know a few authors who are wonderful writers, but they struggle to come up with unique plot ideas.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Try these 2 Reedsy apps and let me know if it helps you and how it helps you. Have a great week. 

Today's App is what you need if you are thinking about buying an EV or you already own one.

PlugShare is a free app with a lot of features you'll love. Premiere among those is the ability to locate EV charging stations in advance.

Sure, you'll be doing most of the charging in your garage at home, but there will be occasions when you need to recharge when away from home.

The trip planner function will help you find the charging stations located along the route to and from your workplace. It's critical if you're planning a trip by car.

PlugShare Features

• Charging station map—Shown by location, plug type, charging speed, and amenities
• Trip planner—Mentioned above, this also has links to navigation apps
• Sense of Community—Connect with other EV owners and leave reviews to rate locations
• Notifications—Receive an alert when new chargers are installed in nearby locations 

The app is available for iOS, Android, and online, and it's free of course. Just signup for an account and list your vehicle. At some charging station, you can pay using the PlugShare app.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Free apps are good, but they're great when they offer a service that's needed. Happy trails, EV drivers.