DarkCopy is a simple, full-screen text editor for distraction free writing.

DarkCopy is for anyone who enjoys the simplicity of a typewriter, and wants to increase productivity by focusing only on writing.
It was created as a free, web-based clone of WriteRoom.

Go ahead and try it! Simply start typing and toggle to full-screen editing mode to clear your mind.

Windows only: Software download web site File Hippo has released a handy piece of software called Update Checker, which scans your computer's installed apps and then reports which ones could use an update.

Update Checker downloads as a light .exe that you don't need to install (which means it's portable), and scans default application locations (they don't say, but I'm assuming that means only the My Programs directory). If you keep your apps in another location, you can customize locations through the settings. If you've let some of your apps get sadly out-of-date, File Hippo's Update Checker is a quick and easy way to get back up to speed. Update Checker is freeware, Windows only, requires .NET 2.0. Mac users should check out previously mentioned App Update Widget

By default Windows XP keeps some built-in programs - like WordPad - out of the Add/Remove Programs box, but it's not hard to make them show their faces. The IntelliAdmin site reports that removing the word 'HIDE' from the application name in the %SystemRoot%\Inf\Sysoc.inf file does the trick. In order to access Sysoc.inf you must have Windows XP setup to display system files and display hidden files and folders.

Windows XP comes with a bunch of pre-loaded software. Lots of it you can't even find in Add/Remove programs...By simply opening up the file Sysoc.inf, and removing the word 'hide' you can force these programs to show up.

Although you will be able to get all the unhidden applications to show up in Add/Remove Programs, you will not be able to remove everything that shows up. You will however, be able to remove most applications. As IntelliAdmin warns: make backups of the Sysoc.inf file before you edit. Just in case.