Media Catalog tool

FS-Db is a volume manager that indexes any media for searching (offline).

It is especially useful for indexing large collections of CDs, DVDs, etc, containing a very large number of files and folders.

FS-Db is free for personal use. It can be downloaded from here.

Canon SDK

Canon does not release their Digital Camera Software Development Kits (SDK) publicly.

Current SDK Versions as of May 11, 2009:
PS-ReC SDK 1.1.0e/CD-SDK 7.3 for PowerShot digital cameras
EDSDK 2.6/RC-SDK 8.4 for EOS digital cameras.

Password: canon

EDSDK26
CDSDK73
RCSDK84

Canon EOS Rebel XS

Canon EOS Rebel XS or XSi are probably the best portable DSLRs available.
I opted for the XS because I did not really need the extra features (and cost) of the XSi.
Why portable? It's lightweight and relatively small compared to other similar models. This can also be a downside, as the grip might feel too small, or the body too cheap, made of plastic.
The greatest advantage over older models is the Live View, which is nothing like the display on point-and-shoots. It allows you to evaluate the exposure before shooting!
Now for the bad news: you can't focus and expose in one shot. You have to press a separate button for Live View focus, and then press the shutter to take the picture. The shutter won't focus in Live View mode.
It's still great in low-light conditions, when you want to check the exposure before taking the photo, and a live histogram is available!

Panorama software

The best (free as in freedom) panorama tool is Hugin.
It works with almost any pictures, it has a simple and an advanced mode, lots of options, and the results are the best.
Of course, starting with decent photos doesn't hurt:

• use a tripod or stand very still and only rotate the camera
• use the same exposure settings (manual), or the strips will look uneven
• use a 1/4 to 1/3 overlap between adjacent strips
• taking vertical shots ensures better coverage; or, use the zoom and take as many pictures as possible

Google voice

Because it's Google, and it's voice:
http://google.com/voice

Free, of course.

Scene releases

Solid website tracking the latest Scene releases: www.rlslog.net

Photos

Shameless promotion of public photo site: foozbar.shutterfly.com.
Btw, Shutterfly seems great for hosting and publishing photography. Much better than Flickr, Facebook, etc. They have no limits and the management system is very good.