Computer

Here is a great chance to download free software from Microsoft. They have released a public beta of Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 which you can download free at the link above. This is a beta release, which means there may still be some bugs and problems, but the software will be largely stable and will work for you just fine in almost every common circumstance.

Amazon has just released Kindle for PC software which you can download for free. This lets you purchase and view Kindle-based books, magazines, and other readable-material right on your PC. You do not need to own a hand-held Kindle to get and use the PC version, but if you do own one, you can sync it with this version.

Barnes & Noble is offering several E-books for free on the B&N website. These appear to be mostly a mix of romance and classics, so take a look to see if any of the titles interest you. You may need to download the free e-reader to take advantage of this offer (linked on the B&N site in the sidebar).

I've waited for quite a while before putting up this post about SwagBucks. This isn't the normal free stuff I post about here, but I think a lot of you might want to participate. This is a no-scam rewards system called SwagBucks. Basically, you sign up and then get occasional rewards of SwagBucks for using the SB search engine. You can then collect these points and use them in the SwagBucks store to get prizes. The best (to me) are the $5 Amazon vouchers, which you can get with only 45 SB (which for me, takes just a few searches a day for about 10 days or so). There are tons of other rewards available.

The best thing here is that you don't have to do anything different other than use the SwagBucks search engine. You will generally earn 2-4 SB a day through searches, and you don't have to do anything else. I've also installed the toolbar, which will once a day or so have a code which gives you extra SB. The process is simple, and after watching it for many months, I think it is really safe and scam-free. Sign up at the link above to get started, and then just search a few times a day to earn your swag bucks. Pretty soon you will earn enough for some of the rewards.

UPDATE: I thought I'd add some tips I've learned in taking part in SwagBucks:

First, get the toolbar, there are frequent bonus codes (about once a day) that are only available in the toolbar. These codes will appear in the "From TSG" button. If there is a message, it is probably telling you about a new code. These codes are only good for a short time, a few hours at most. To redeem, go to the home page and enter it where it says "Enter a Swag Code."

Second, read the SwagBucks blog for updates, there are tips and bonus codes as well (the blog is linked from the main page).

Third, you can only get SBs for search once per hour or so, so don't expect to win SBs one after another.

Fourth, you can win SBs on the main search page or any of the subpages available through the Shop & Earn section.

You can download a free PDF copy of the Reynolds Aluminum Foil Signature Family Recipes cookbook from the link above. You will need Adobe Acrobat to view and/or print this free cookbook.

For those of you who are Mac aficionados, here is an offer for a free subscription to Macworld magazine while supplies last.

Here is an offer for a free song download from the One Hawaii artist Anuhea, whose style is described as 'acoustic soul, R&B, jazz, and blues with pop appeal'. You'll need to enter your email address to get the free download link via email.

Taylor Swift fans (or anyone who wants to hear her music) can get a free download of her hit song 'You're Not Sorry' at the link above.