In the business world, we frequently have a need to create PDF documents which can then be emailed around (for example, contracts and proposals).  The alternative would be to use an old-fashioned fax machine; something most average users do not want to keep up with.  However, many scanning programs do not make it easy to save a multi-page PDF document, instead forcing you to deal with several JPG files or something similar.

I would like to introduce to you my favorite method of scanning to PDF:  "NAPS", which stands for "Not Another PDF Scanner."  It's free, simple, and works with every scanner I've found.  Once you scan your pages, you can easily reorder them if you like, and then save the collection of pages to PDF (or directly email if your workstation is set up with an email client).

For those that don't know, Dropbox is a free service which lets you share a folder across multiple computers, even with different OSes like Mac, Windows, and Linux.  It's great for keeping all your personal files with you on both your work and home PC (without the need for a USB drive).  But where it really shines for me is when it comes to programming.

Programming from multiple computers is always a bit of a pain.  What I used to do is keep all my source files on a USB drive, and just have to remember to carry it with me every where I go.  I'm always worried about breaking or losing it, so I have to back it up frequently.

One of the most frustrating and time-consuming tasks in Java is creating basic, ordinary UI.  As in, windows, buttons, scroll bars, text fields, etc.

This is in stark contrast to, say, Microsoft Visual Basic / Visual Studio, where you can just drag and drop elements onto a form, and what you see is what you get.  And when you double-click a button on your form, you get to the code which is executed when the button is clicked.  In Java, if you want anything other than just the basics, you're going to have to do a lot of typing.

That is, unless, you are using the WindowBuilder Engine and Eclipse.