The Tombuntu blog points out a seriously helpful package available in Ubuntu's extended repositories that make creating super-efficient 7-Zip archives simple and fast, whether you're right-clicking or working with a command line. Run this command to install it:

sudo apt-get install p7zip

Users of other Linux distros should find a similar package in their own sources. Once installed, creating compressed archives for storing or emailing is as simple as selecting the files, right-clicking, and choosing "Create Archive," and de-compressing just as simple.

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Most any savvy computer user is probably pretty handy with a free compression and archiving tool (like, say, 7-Zip), but not everyone they send files to will be. The Confessions of a Freeware Junkie blog points out that IExpress.exe, a built-in utility you simply type into the "Run" menu in Windows XP or "Start Search" in Vista, can create self-extracting archives to be emailed to anyone using Windows. Just choose "Extract files only" while clicking through the wizard interface, choose the files to be zipped up, and the end user only has to double-click to get them. IExpress also works as an easy way to convert batch files into executables. Need more info on IExpress? Check out Microsoft's help page on the tool.

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Linux only: Open and extract files from ZIP, RAR and 7Zip archives you've forgotten the password to, or never found at the download location, with RarCrack, a free Linux command line utility. Using a brute-force algorithm, RarCrack simply gets to work determining the password for compressed archives, which, in the case of most downloaded RAR files, isn't all that tough. You can point RarCrack in the direction of any special characters you know were used in creating the password, but the standard use—rarcrack yourfile.zip—works just fine in most cases. RarCrack is a free download for Linux systems only; Source files are available at the home page, and Ubuntu Unleashed explains how to quickly compile them.

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Windows only: Freeware application SmartJournal archives your Windows Mobile cell phone's call history—including incoming, outgoing, and missed calls—with Outlook's Journal, a lesser-known feature of the popular email client. After you've installed SmartJournal (which is in German—though that shouldn't affect any operation, since its actions are all behind the scenes), the program runs alongside ActiveSync and writes the phone number, the type of call (incoming, outgoing, missed), date, duration, and name of contact (when available) to the Outlook Journal. SmartJournal is freeware, Windows only, requires a Windows Mobile phone. My Windows Mobile device is on the fritz so I was unable to test this, but if you give it a try, let us know how it worked for you in the comments.