Download L.A. Noire Free

Download L.A. Noire Free

L.A. Noire is an ambitous cop thriller game following the exploits of policeman Cole Phelps as he rises through the ranks of 40s LAPD.

First Impressions

First impressions of L.A. Noire were perhaps over enthusiastic, and the later release of the PC version allows us a more measured view of this interesting game. While it features the huge open world landscape of Los Angeles, L.A. Noire is no GTA sandbox. Rather, this is a game of detective episodes that take place within the city.

Dirty Work

As well as exploration, driving and shooting, Cole Phelps spends a great deal of time looking for clues at crime scenes, and interrogating suspects. Interrogations take advantage of the impressively realistic facial animations in the game. To succeed you need to read the faces of your potential criminals, which is a new experience for gamers. Looking for clues is a little more mundane, but there are subtle in-game pointers to make sure you don't get stuck. The stories are well written and acted, really giving L.A. Noire the feeling of an excellent interactive TV cop drama.

Flaws

There are problems with the game. L.A. Noire is very linear, and although you can do better or worse in interrogations and crime scene investigations, you cannot fail. The game will help you, with a phone call for example, to make sure Cole Phelps has what he needs to get the case moving. The city of Los Angeles is impressive, but doesn't have the 'living city' feel that GTA IV's Liberty City achieved. Playing L.A. Noire sometimes feels like exploring a huge replica of a city, not like actually being a cop in a city.

Conclusion

These criticisms shouldn't dissuade players. L.A. Noire is a deeply satisfying game with some interesting an innovative ideas. Humans faces have never looked so realistic, and the production values are excellent.

Pros

• Impressive facial animation
• Excellent story telling
• Great 40s atmosphere
• Ambitious

Cons

• Very linear
• Too easy
• Poor vehicle physics

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Download The Sims 3: Pets Expansion pack Free

Download The Sims 3: Pets Expansion pack Free

The Sims 3: Pets is an expansion pack for The Sims 3 that allows your Sims have and interact with pets.

The main pets available in The Sims 3: Pets are dogs, cats and horses. You can also collect more animals, like turtles, mice, birds, snakes and iguanas, as you go along, but these are the basic three that you can create from scratch - just like any other sim you create. The Sims 3: Pets also includes a new neighborhood, Appaloosa Plains, and a pet accessories shop, although the shop's only available in the limited edition of the expansion.

There are two ways of getting a pet in The Sims 3: Pets - using the Sims Body Shop (if you choose this way, you'll be able to customize the pet exactly to your liking), or by adopting one from your neighborhood shelter.

Both dogs and cats and horses have their own needs. Dogs, for example, need walks to get rid of all that excess energy, while cats need to sharpen their claws. Luckily you can buy cat toys, to distract them from the destruction they could wreck on your sofa!

Interacting with your pets in The Sims 3: Pets is strikingly similar to real life. You will see your Sim playing with your cat with a laser pointer, walking the dog, going horseback riding, and much more. Animals can also acquire skills, gain character traits through a system of rewards and punishments, and even learn special tricks.

Add even more realism to The Sims 3 with the addition of The Sims 3: Pets!

Pros

• Lots of pets avaialble
• Totally personizable and controllable
• Bunches of new interactions
• Pets can learn

Cons

• The accessories shop is only available in some versions

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Download Speed Racers 1.17 Free

Download Speed Racers 1.17 Free

Speed Racers is a racing game that throws users into a futuristic setting among the clouds.

If you're a big racing fan, you've probably gone through all of the popular street racing games for PCs already. Now's your chance to race in the future on several fun, technologically advantage race tracks in Speed Racers.

In Speed Racers one of your main concerns is being faster than your opponents. That's just the start of it though. Speed Racers also requires you to avoid a myriad of obstacles that show up on and around your track, such as holes that'll throw you right out of the sky itself.

Speed Racers' graphics are pretty good. The cars are crisp and interesting to look at, although there could definitely be more defined details. In addition, some of Speed Racers' tracks will keep you at the edge of your seat until you make it to the finish line, assuming you actually do! The obstacles thrown at you make the tracks challenging and fun to try to make it through.

Unfortunately Speed Racers can get repetitive after playing it for awhile. Some of the modes you can choose to play in Career player are also a bit disappointing and dull, providing no real unique experiences you couldn't find in other racing games. There's also no real underlying story in Speed Racers like some of the more intense games provide for you to get behind.

Speed Racers is good, solid and futuristic racing fun, but doesn't bring anything extra to the table beyond that.

Pros

• Attractive visual appearance
• Fun race courses

Cons

• Might run sluggishly on slower computers
• Adds nothing new to the race car gaming scene

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Download The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 1.1 Free

Download The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 1.1 Free

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a huge, sprawling role playing game and a fantastic experience - certainly one of the best games of the year.

In fact, the only major problem with Skyrim is the amount of time you have to invest! This is an absolutely massive game, even by developer Bethesda's standards: the world of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is genuinely one you can get lost in.

Getting started

As is tradition, you begin by creating your character, choosing sex race and more, and then it's off to adventure! The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim begins in dramatic style, with the first appearance of a dragon. You play a 'Dragonborn', meaning you can speak the language of Dragons, and you'll certainly be meeting them again during your journey.

Skyrim

The impressive and beautiful world of Skyrim is set in the north of the Elder Scrolls world, and is mountainous and icy cold. The land is suffering civil war as well as the prophesised return of the race of dragons, and it's this complex situation that you find yourself in.

Role Playing

The gameplay revolves around exploration, talking to NPCs (non player characters), completing quests and developing the skills of your character. There is a main quest, but it is the many equally involving side quests that make The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim such a huge experience.

Graphics and Sound

A common criticism of Bethesda games has been the unconvincing faces of NPCs and shaky voice acting. Luckily, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim mostly fixes this, making it much easier to get stuck into the atmosphere. In general, the graphics are really impressive, especially the land of Skyrim itself, with its mountains and views. The soundtrack works really well to add tension or emotion where necessary.

Pros

• Huge world full of things to do
• Beautiful graphics
• Brilliantly integrated soundtrack
• Excellent combat system

Cons

• Some bugs
• Your allies can get stuck sometimes

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Download Treasure Adventure Game 1.0 Free

Download Treasure Adventure Game 1.0 Free

Treasure Adventure Game is an excellent retro platform adventure influenced by classics such as Super Mario Brothers, with a hint of Zelda thrown in for good measure.

One of the great things about 80s platform games was the feeling of exploration, mystery and adventure. Treasure Adventure Game does a great job of recreating this with its unusual world, storyline and freedom. The game begins with your character traveling to find ancient artifacts with your father. Something happens, and what follows is a journey to find out what and why!

Treasure Adventure Game is really easy to play, with simple and obvious controls, and the retro graphics are accompanied by a great little soundtrack. The world of islands you explore have a day/night cycle and even occasionally weather, which really gives Treasure Adventure Game a lot of atmosphere.

While the characters in the game help you, and give you direction in the game, it can sometimes be difficult to work out what you should do or where you should go. It's very important to read and remember what characters say, otherwise you might get completely lost. Treasure Adventure Game moves forward by completion of quests you are given, and there's a surprising amount of freedom, and lots of secrets to find.

Conclusion

Like Cave Story, Treasure Adventure Game recaptures the magic of 8-bit gaming perfectly. It's hard to put your finger on what it is exactly that makes it compelling, but it draws you in to it's world, and you'll want to get to the end!

Pros

• Great atmosphere
• A big game
• Excellent retro graphics and sound

Cons

• No help if you are stuck!

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Download Bomber Mario Free

Download Bomber Mario Free

If you were a big fan of the classic Bomberman game and Super Mario, then you'll probably love Bomber Mario.

Bomber Mario combines the best of both games to create a fun and free strategy game. As in the original Bomberman games, your task is to blow-up your enemies in a maze of explosives. Once you've strategically planted your bombs, and avoid being blown up yourself, you can move onto the next level.

Sounds simple but you must step carefully. One wrong turn or bomb trap and you can end up dead because of the Koopa Troopers who hunt you relentlessly. Bomber Mario is a lot of fun but unlike the original Bomberman, there's no multiplayer mode which is a shame as it would be a great game to play against a friend.

Bomber Mario doesn't really improve on the original Bomberman format but it's great for anyone that loved both the latter and Super Mario.

Pros

• Mixes two classic games
• Easy to play
• Lots of levels

Cons

• Graphics and sound poor
• No multiplayer mode
• Few options

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Download Open Freely 1.0 Free

Download Open Freely 1.0 Free

Open Freely is a free, multi-format file viewer that will allow you to open and view all kinds of documents, including media files and Office documents.

Download Open Freely now and you won't have a single problem installing or using it. The installation process is simple, and using the app itself is very pleasant - the interface is sleek and simple, the icons clear and interaction smooth. Open Freely is a pleasure to use.

In so far as supported files, Open Freely will open a huge variety of standard formats. It doesn't stretch to anything particularly unusual, but really covers all the basics, from Office Documents to Audio files and Windows system files to coding docs.

What makes Open Freely stand out is that it has some extra tools that will come in really handy. You'll be able to view details of all the files you open, as well as opening any of them in a hex editor, which hardcore users will appreciated. What's more, you can even open and edit Word documents, something you definitely don't see every day.

As far as free file viewers go, Open Freely is one of the best we've seen.

Open Freely supports the following formats

Images: ARW, CF2, CR2, CRW, DNG, ERF, MEF, MRW, NEF, ORF, PEF, RAF, RAW, SR2, X3F, ICO, PSD, SVG, JPEG, JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, TIF
Vídeos: WMV, AVI, FLV, MPG, MPEG, MOV, MP4, MP3, MID, WAV, MKV, 3GP, FLAC, WMA, OGG, SWF
Documents: DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, CSV, PPT, PPTX, PPS, MSG, EML, VCF, DOT, DOTX, WPS, TXT, BAT, CFG, LOG, INI, REG, QIF, ICA, SRT, PAGES, XPS, PDF, RTF, ODT, WPD, XML, RESX,
Files: EXE, DLL, BPL, SCR, CPL, OCX, 7z, ZIP, RAR, GZ, TAR, TGZ, JAR, DEB, XPI, TORRENT, JSP, JSP, VB, C, CS, JAVA, JS, PHP, SQL, CSS, ASP, ASPX, KML

Pros

• Supports a wide range of common formats
• Supports Windows, media and code files
• Contains hex editor
• Displays info on every file

Cons

• Few advanced tools

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Download World of Tanks Beta 0.6.7 US Servers Free

Download World of Tanks Beta 0.6.7 US Servers Free

World of Tanks is a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). Buy and collect and develop tanks, then take them into online battles. Free to play, and lots of fun if you can invest enough time into it!

The basic game is a capture the flag battle, between two teams of tanks. World of Tanks has six classes of tank, from Light to Heavy and Destroyer tanks from the USSR, Germany and the USA. Taking part in battles earns you experience, which you can spend on research to improve your tanks and get new ones.

When you enter a battle, there will be a range of tanks on the field. A World of Tanks game lasts 15 minutes, unless one side wins before that. Your game will last as long as you survive - there is no re-spawning in World of Tanks. If your tank is destroyed, you can leave the game and enter another with a different tank. You will still gain experience points. This helps to alleviate the frustration that new players will experience when being blown up by bigger, more experienced tanks!

World of Tanks is a great idea, and for the most part it's done very well. However, the game is very dry and serious, and the interface is quite intimidating to begin with. Battles are fun, but playing against much stronger players can be annoying. If you live in Europe, you should download the EU version, available here.

With some time investment, World of Tanks can be a lot of fun. We hope that before the final release the game is made more accessible to newcomers!

Pros

• Looks good
• Large range of realistic tanks
• Deep gameplay
• Easy to pick up and play

Cons

• Competition frustrating for new players
• Complex interface
• Lacking humor

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Download Métamorphose 2.0.8.2 Beta Free

Download Métamorphose 2.0.8.2 Beta Free

Renaming a file is no big deal; but when you have to rename a bunch of them simultaneously, it's a different story. In those cases, you need a tool like Métamorphose.

With Métamorphose you can easily rename hundreds of files with a minimum effort. The program features a clear interface divided into four tabs, each of them devoted to a different purpose: picking the files or folders you want to rename, tweaking the actual renaming options, sorting the files in a variety of ways and finally checking for any error messages or warnings that the program may display.

It sounds confusing, but Métamorphose is in fact very easy to use. The most important tab is 'Renamer', where you actually create the new name for your files. Métamorphose supports several renaming methods (inserting a custom string, moving text, replacing certain characters and swapping elements around, among others) and you can use as many of them as you want simultaneously.

To make things even easier for you, Métamorphose lets you preview your renamed files at all times ? before actually renaming them ? and lets you also undo the renaming operation in case something goes wrong.

Métamorphose is a complete free renaming tool with plenty of options.

Recent changes

• Fix bug with duplicate rename (ticket 3095633)
  
• Fix bug with config file load/save (ticket 3148071)
  
• Fix bug with removing items from error panel
  
• Preferences dialog now uses toolbar
  
• Start using better centralized variable storage
  
• Minor bugfixes
  
• Translation updates
  

Pros

• Loads of renaming options
• Real time preview of new names
• Highly customizable

Cons

• May seem confusing at first

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Download EchoVNC 2.40 Free

Download EchoVNC 2.40 Free

EchoVNC takes control of the screen, the desktop and keyboard of a computer using the VNC protocol.

Both the appearance of the programme and the way it works resemble the popular UltraVNC and there's a good reason for that - it's basically the next evolution of the latter. The key difference is that EchoVNC allows you to bypass awkward router configuration allowing you to avoid messing around with proxies to make connections. This saves you hours of wasted time messing around with setting up NAT services and virtual servers on your router. Of course, if you're comfortable with router configuration, then this program will not really benefit you but the fact remains that many UltraVNC users aren't and EchoVNC will come as a godsend to them. It's also worth noting that accompanying this major improvement, there is the integration of a chat client server, a system for transferring files, several new viewing modes and the ability to record the screen activity in a SWF file.

A new chat client, new viewing options and automatic router configuration make this an essential for UltraVNC fans.

Pros

• Takes the pain out of router configuration for UltraVNC
• New viewing options and chat client

Cons

• Only saves screen activity in FLV format

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Download RealWorld Paint 2011.1 Free

Download RealWorld Paint 2011.1 Free

Between the simplicity of Microsoft Paint and the power of Photoshopthere are many possible varieties of image editors. RealWorld Paint is one of them.

This tool lets you create an image from scratch or edit one of your images in an intuitive interface. The program is easy enough to use like any other Paint-like application, but also has some powerful features that you normally don't find in other free graphic editors.

Among the features included in RealWorld Paint you'll find support for layers and masks ? just like Photoshop - and a bunch of special effects and filters, image blending, support for gradients and shadows and more, besides the basic drawing and retouching tools. RealWorld Paint may not offer the same array of options you find in professional graphic suites, but it's still a surprising selection of tools for a free editor.

RealWorld Paint has also support for scanners and lets you import images from the clipboard or take a snapshot of your desktop to start working on it.

RealWorld Paint is a free image editor with support for layers, masks and various effects that lets you can create your own drawings and also edit photos.

Recent changes

• Animation editor with layers and zero-config GIF optimizer
  
• Photo-related tools (red eye remover, clone tool, crop tool) from RW Photos
  
• Command line interface for drawing tools
  
• Image brush
  
• Redesigned Online page with news and downloadable media
  
• Automated updates
  
• Many new photo-related image filters from RW Photos
  
• Redesigned codec subsystem. Can import and export layered images in .psd, .xcf, and .pdn formats
  
• Some layer styles from Photoshop files are imported and converted to RealWorld styles
  
• Improved layer styles editor
  
• ...and many minor improvements
  

Pros

• Easy to use, intuitive interface
• Lets you scan images, import them from the Clipboard or take screenshots
• Advanced features: support for layers, masks, shadows and more

Cons

• Not as many options as a professional image editor

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Download Nitronic Rush Free

Download Nitronic Rush Free

Nitronic Rush is a 3D futuristic racing game that's somewhat reminiscent of the movie Tron.

The universe in which Nitronic Rush is set is futuristic, right down to your race car's ability to fly, if necessary. As such, it has a unique feel all its own compared to more traditional racing games.

The track layout in Nitronic Rush is very much like that of a rollercoaster, defying gravity and sending you on a wild racing ride. Ramps, loops and sections of the track that don't even have a solid road are some of the elements of Nitronic Rush that really make it stand out.

Nitronic Rush's circuits are also full of dangerous obstacles to avoid. Saws ready to cut you into a thousand pieces, walls that suddenly appear in your way, giant fans set to blow you off-course and more are all pitfalls in this game that you'll have to overcome in order to prevail and finish the race.

The cars in Nitronic Rush are also unconventional. Fortunately, there's a comprehensive tutorial that'll teach you how to jump, fly and propel the vehicle forward. Controlling your car can be a little challenging at first until you've memorized the commands.

It's also a shame there are only two car models to choose from. Nitronic Rush has such fantastic and engaging graphics that it would've been nice to get to peruse through a larger collection of cars to choose from.

If you're looking for a unique racing game, give the futuristic Nitronic Rush a try.

Pros

• Awesome circuit courses
• Several game modes and circuits
• Visually stunning

Cons

• Only two car models available to drive

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Download CopyTrans TuneTastic 0.717 Beta Free

Download CopyTrans TuneTastic 0.717 Beta Free

CopyTrans TuneTastic is a tool that helps you clean up your iTunes library.

You might be familiar with other, similarly named products like CopyTrans, which lets you copy music from your iPod to your computer, and CopyTrans Manager, an alternative to iTunes that lets you manage the music on your iPod.

CopyTrans TuneTastic can stand alone as a useful music organizational tool. It's also relatively easy to use. Simply click the scan button and CopyTrans TuneTastic will search out any inconsistencies in your library. This includes duplicate songs and songs with no names, for example. In the future, the developers say CopyTrans TuneTastic will also be able to add missing artwork for iTunes.

Unfortunately, since the program is in beta right now, it's lacking any of the more advanced features some users will want. For a simple way to locate any irregularities in your iTunes library though, it's a great little option.

CopyTrans TuneTastic will help keep your iTunes library clean by listing anything that's out of place with it.

Pros

• Quick scanning
• Locates duplicate songs
• Easy to use interface

Cons

• Not a ton of features yet in this beta version

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Download Soda 3D PDF Reader 1.0.154 Free

Download Soda 3D PDF Reader 1.0.154 Free

Soda 3D PDF Reader is a basic PDF reader with a slick, eye-catching display for your documents.

The 3D reference in Soda 3D PDF Reader is related to the way it displays all documents in a nice, magazine-style layout, which makes it perfect for browsing image-rich PDFs. There are other layout options, of course, including single, double and four-page layouts, as well as a nice fullscreen version that supports both keyboard and scroll button instructions.

Unfortunately, Soda 3D PDF Reader offers very little in the way of other features. Although the options across the top indicate the app offers PDF creation and Form options, these are separate modules that require registration.

Using Soda 3D PDF Reader is a little disconcerting. It seems to offer options that are leftovers from the other, more complete versions of the developer's software, like Soda PDF Pro. For instance, the search function didn't work for us, and the Select function was erratic, to say the least. All in all, we weren't impressed - if you're looking for a free PDF reader, check out PDF-XChange Viewer or Foxit Reader- you'll be much happier.

Soda 3D PDF Reader is a disappointing offering from PDF stalwart, SodaPDF.

Pros

• Looks good
• Nice fullscreen option

Cons

• Create PDF option requires registration
• Very limited options
• Some features don't work

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Download Team Fortress 2 2.1.0 Free

Download Team Fortress 2 2.1.0 Free

Team Fortress 2 is a free online competitive multiplayer first person shooter (FPS), defined by it's great range of character classes, and excellently balanced gameplay.

With its cartoon style graphics, Team Fortress 2 looks good for a three year old game. These visuals have another great advantage over more realistic styles - you can see very clearly what's going on, and other players don't blend into scenery at a distance. Graphics are so clear that you can even easily distinguish character classes from a distance, helping you to decide how to act.

There are nine classes in Team Fortress 2. In Offense you have Scout, Soldier and Pyro. Defense has the Demoman, Heavy and Engineer classes, while the Support group features Medic, Sniper and the Spy. There is great variety between them all, and they are all great fun to learn. There are four types of Team Fortress 2 game - capture the flag, control point, payload and arenas. Each type gives you different objectives and feels, which adds to the huge amount of content this free to play title has on offer.

Gameplay is fast, the controls are tight and accurate, and there are a ton of customizations to play around with. The cartoon violence in Team Fortress 2 makes it a much lighter experience than more macho titles like Call of Duty, while it's still really competitive and skill based.

Team Fortress 2 is extremely popular, and deservedly so. Now it's free and cross platform, there's no excuse not to get involved!

Recent changes

• Version December 2, 2011:
  
• 
  
• Fixed the "Checkout Unavailable" error preventing certain accounts from purchasing items
  
• Improved the framerate stuttering issues some clients were experiencing

Pros

• Great tutorials
• Varied character classes
• Looks good
• Fast gameplay
• Varied game modes

Cons

• Bot play not so fun
• You will die a lot as a new player!

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Download Take On Helicopters Free

Download Take On Helicopters Free

Take On Helicopters is a fun simulator that features realistic helicopter flight, detailed helicopters, alongside a detailed story.

The developers of Take On Helicopters, Bohemia Interactive, are famous for the ARMA series of realistic war games. Take On Helicopters is an attempt to make the simulator a bit more accessible by adding story missions.

The game features two main environments - Seattle and South Asia. Both are really big and full of places to explore. There are three modes - free flight, career and multiplayer. There is no easy flight mode - in Take On Helicopters you'll have to learn to fly properly! The helicopters in the game do handle very differently, but all require a light touch and control.

The tasks you're given in career mode are a great way to get used to flying, while multiplayer challenges will really test you. Multiplayer mode suffers from a lack of players at the moment, but is otherwise easy to use, and even setting up your own server is a breeze.

The graphics overall are acceptable for a simulator, and the in-game sound is fine. Weather effects look good too, but Take On Helicopters does lose points for the voice acting in the game, which is distractingly poor.

If you're looking for a fun and in depth simulator, Take On Helicopters is a great choice. However, this isn't accessible enough to convert more casual players.

Notes

Clicking the download link will take you to a 3rd party site where you can download the game.

Pros

• Huge environments
• Lots of helicopters
• Career mode

Cons

• Difficult to get into

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Download Baku 4.3.4369 Free

Download Baku 4.3.4369 Free

Registry errors are one of the main reasons for the slow operation of your PC or frequent crashes. Baku can ensure that if your registry does have malicious entries, they can be removed safely.

Baku also deletes empty folders, 'History' folder contents, 'Recent documents' folder contents, 'Temp' folder contents and temporary internet files.Baku can also search Windows log files, shortcuts to missing files and folders and user specified file types. The registry scan itself on Baku aims to remove unused and obsolete keys, including ActiveX, Application Paths, Fonts, Help files, Icon files and pesky uninstallers.

Like all such programs, Baku backs up your registry in case of any wrongful changes although I found that this wasn't exactly easy to restore. Probably the most useful function is the registry compacting facility which does seem to make a notable difference to the running speed of your PC.

Baku's developers claim the program uniquely works by recreating each registry hive "from scratch", thus removing any slack space that may be left from previously modified or deleted keys. Note that this function does NOT change the contents of the registry in any way, nor does it physically defrag the registry files on the drive.

Be warned though that it takes a little longer than programs such as CCleaner and you'll have to wait more than few minutes for the registry backup to be made.

Recent changes

• Registry search finds more errors
  
• Added several new programs to MRU List detection
  
• Improved MRU list detection
  
• Speed improvements
  
• Bug fixes
  

Pros

• Registry compacter can speed up PC
• Does more than just registry cleaning

Cons

• Scanning can be slow

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Download Dragonframe 3.0.2 Free

Download Dragonframe 3.0.2 Free

Dragonframe is a professional tool that lets users create stop motion movies and animation.

There are quite a few programs let users create and edit animations on their PC. There are even tools specifically for making stop motion movies, like MonkeyJam. Dragonframe is one of these stop motion animation creation and editing tools.

The concept of stop motion movies

Stop motion movies are a type of animation that is based on frames captured one by one to be joined into a video file. If done correctly, the frames merge to create seamless movement within the movie. It takes patience to create even just a short stop motion animation clip. Dragonframe helps make sure everything lines up, from motion to sound and more.

Features and required equipment

To use Dragonframe properly, you're going to need a camera to take the frames you'll be merging to create your clip or movie. Then it's just about editing and tweaking to ensure everything lines up to your liking.

Dragonframe comes with a lot of cool features that include tabbed workspaces to make it easy to jump from project to project, a timeline editor and even a comprehensive lip-sync system for adding dialog to your movie. In addition, vector-based drawing tools allow you to resize, rotate and adjust any objects you've drawn onscreen. The scaling is also quite smooth.

Installation

Beginners will find that a substantial amount of time will be taken up with learning how to navigate Dragonframe's expansive interface. Installation can also be a little bit of a pain. Dragonframe requires version 7.2.0 or higher of Apple's QuickTime or else the program won't even open. Testing revealed that a PC restart was required for Dragonframe to recognize the QuickTime update. Once recognized though, the program is quick to open and you can begin your stop motion movie making experience.

For a comprehensive and feature-rich way to create stop motion movies, look no further than Dragonframe.

Notes

This program requires QuickTime 7.2.0 or higher to run.

Pros

• Nice looking interface
• Includes timeline editor
• Comprehensive lip-sync system
• Vector-based drawing tools

Cons

• Doesn't always recognize that QuickTime is installed
• Very complicated for beginners

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Download SmartSVN 6.6.11 Free

Download SmartSVN 6.6.11 Free

SmartSVN is a graphical client for Subversion (SVN) which is an Open Source version control system.

SmartSVN is aimed mainly at professionals that need a reliable, efficient and well-supported SVN client for their daily business. SmartSVN is cross platforms running on all major platforms and makes common SVN operations much easier such as switching to another branch and other complex tasks.

SmartSVN works from it's own user interface or from directly within Windows Explorer and includes an SVN client, file comparer, conflict solver and SSH client meaning there's no need for external tools. The main payoff of SmartSVN for companies is increased productivity and a streamlined workflows that save time so that licensing costs pay off quickly.

SmartSVN is a highly technical application that only those that use Subversion will really appreciate.

Recent changes

• Bug fixes

Pros

• Makes using Subversion easier
• Streamlines workflow
• No need for external tools

Cons

• Only for Subversion users

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Download Jane Lucky Free

Download Jane Lucky Free

Jane Lucky is an adventure game that takes players to exciting locales while they solve puzzles.

Another title from Big Fish Games, Jane Lucky is hunting for a hidden artifact shrouded in mystery.

With a non-linear storyline that gently guides players forward at their own pace, Jane Lucky takes you from pyramids to remote islands to jungles, in one single game. The object is to collect objects that can help you solve puzzles to advance you further in the game. These puzzles often require players to rearrange images, memorize sequences or put objects in the right order to obtain a specific goal.

While the graphics in Jane Lucky aren't going to win any prizes, particularly when compared to today's much more detailed RPGs, fans of puzzle solving PC games will find them detailed enough for their click and point endeavors. The majority of Jane Lucky is still-frame, with the occasional action frames complimenting movie cuts that push the game forward or supplement the storyline.

Text boxes are used to interact with other characters or clickable objects in Jane Lucky, and most if not all text contains clues or hints to help solve future puzzles. If you click too often on the same character or object though, expect to get repetitive responses.

Jane Lucky is a fun game for users who enjoy a side of puzzle solving with their adventure storyline.

Pros

• Non-linear gameplay
• Reminiscent of older, traditional PC games
• Challenging puzzles
• Lots of locations to explore

Cons

• Graphics are still-frame and basic
• Some text pop-ups are repetitive

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Download Haunted Manor: Lord of Mirrors Free

Download Haunted Manor: Lord of Mirrors Free

Haunted Manor: Lord of Mirrors is a point and click game that requires you to solve puzzles in order to advance through the game.

Similar to The Mystery of the Dragon Prince, Haunted Manor: Lord of Mirrors has you playing Stan Riddle, an unlucky guy who took a dare from friends to enter a haunted mansion. He was subsequently tracked in the mansion by a mysterious figure called the Lord of Mirrors and needs to be guided back to safety.

You can help Stan escape by following screen text directions and solving puzzles. Some puzzles in Haunted Manor: Lord of Mirrors are quite simple, while others are trickier. Often you have to search for specific objects in a cluttered room in order to obtain one that will help you solve your next puzzle.

As you advance through Haunted Manor: Lord of Mirrors, you will encounter a myriad of different spirits throughout the house and get to learn more about the mansion's history, and ultimately how to set yourself free.

The graphics, though detailed, are primarily still frame, so hardcore gamers might find themselves bored by the lack of action throughout. You also can't leave one room to visit others until you've completed the puzzles in each room in Haunted Manor: Lord of Mirrors, which might get frustrating for some. Haunted Manor: Lord of Mirrors does provide hints for when you need them, but once used, you'll have to wait until an hourglass runs out before you can use the hint feature again.

Also, although the game isn't violent, there are spirits that sometimes pop out when you least expect them and the game has a dark feel, which might be scary for some children.

Haunted Manor: Lord of Mirrors is a point and click puzzle game that old school gamers will likely enjoy.

Pros

• Non-linear gameplay
• Reminiscent of older, traditional PC games
• Challenging puzzles
• Lots of locations to explore

Cons

• Graphics are still-frame and basic
• Some text pop-ups are repetitive

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Download Mo-Search 4.0.13 Free

Download Mo-Search 4.0.13 Free

If you're getting increasingly lost under the weight of all the data on your hard drive, then Mo-Search might be able to help you. Mo-Search works by ranking and sorting results according to relevance rather than Windows own search function which just searches for keywords.

Mo-Search is very easy to use in that it simply requires you to enter your search terms and hit the search button. You can refine searches to specific folders, dates, file sizes etc. One particularly useful function of this program is that it can also search network drives which is something that Windows search can't. It's also very useful if your drive has been clogged with duplicate files - it has a duplicate file searcher which cleans-up your system. Programmers may find Mo-Search of interest too because it searches source code including ASP, C, C++, C#, Java, Javascript, Lex, Oracle, NSIS, XML and many more.

This is a powerful search tool which can't really compare with Google Desktop but at least it doesn't have the potential security holes of the former.

Recent changes

• Optimization: Slightly less RAM usage and faster App startup (Removed unused code/resources, Delay-load certain dlls, Delay-init certain objects)
  
• Feature: Blackbox enhancements: Improved UI, Report includes App logs plus Crashdump, App version detection, Win7 and Win08R2 detection
  
• Bug: Uninstaller failed to remove file (msvcp100.dll)
  
• Bug: Runtime security updates
  
• 
  

Pros

• Ranks search results by relevance
• Searches source code
• Allows you to remove duplicate files

Cons

• Not as quick as Google Desktop
• Sometimes returns irrelevant results

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Download JustSubsPlayer 1.0 Free

Download JustSubsPlayer 1.0 Free

A standalone app that floats on top of any video you're watching, JustSubsPlayer is a simple way to add subtitles to everything from DVDs to browser videos.

It's now really easy to find subtitles (usually in .srt format) online for almost any program or movie you want to watch thanks to a huge community of people worldwide creating subtitles. Many media apps like VLC player support subtitle file playback, but it can be awkward to correct synchronization if you have mismatched files.

JustSubsPlayer allows you to run subtitle files over any video, as it is a separate app that can be placed over whatever you are watching. Using JustSubsPlayer's interface make it really easy to sync your subtitles in seconds.

You can resize the subtitles to suit you, and pause and search them too. JustSubsPlayer is a basic little app, and there are no customization options. This means you can't change the font or color of your subs - they always appear as a black band with white text. So, you can always read them, but some people might prefer a transparent background option that interferes less with your picture.

JustSubsPlayer is really easy to use, lightweight and stable. It is a bit basic, but does it's job well and has probably the simplest controls for syncing subtitles with movie files.

JustSubsPlayer supports the following formats

SRT

Pros

• Easy to use
• Smple syncing control
• Alter text size

Cons

• Lacking customization

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Download FileBot 2.4 Free

Download FileBot 2.4 Free

FileBot is a handy file renaming tool that specializes in TV shows, anime and other media files, which usually have long, complicated names.

With FileBot you can not only rename all those files at the same time with a single mouse click, but also look for subtitles in different languages, obtain more information about your favorite shows and movies, and also check the file's integrity with SFC, MD5 or SHA1. Renaming files will help you have your media library better organized, and also look much better on Windows Explorer.

Unfortunately FileBot is not very intuitive. The program features a sidebar with links to its main functions (renaming, verifying, searching for subtitles?) but there's no documentation to explain how to use each of them. Also, the sources used by FileBot are all grayed out, which gives you the wrong impression that they won?t work.

Once you get over these initial difficulties, FileBot is actually quite an effective app. As long as there's a small hint in the file name, it?ll find the right titles for any movies or TV shows you have on your hard drive in just a few seconds.

Bear in mind though that once you press the Rename button in FileBot, there?s no preview window or confirmation dialog. Also, if you need subtitles, we advise you to search for them before renaming the video file; otherwise it?ll be difficult to pick the right subtitle version.

FileBot is a handy renaming tool specializing in media files, such as movies, TV shows and so on.

Recent changes

• Extreme-Makeover for Movie auto-detection (It actually works now!)
  
• More accurate and robust episode/file matching
  
• Support movie/series detection via imdbid/tvdbid from nfo files
  
• Update notifications when future versions are released
  
• Greatly reduced initial startup time of the Java WebStart app (by using lazy-loading)
  
• New portable distribution in download section
  
• Java 6 (Mac!) support for move/renaming files accross different volumes/filesystems

Pros

• Renames files very quickly
• Works with several movie/TV show databases
• Includes file verification tools
• Includes subtitle search tool

Cons

• No documentation
• Interface is not very intuitive

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Download Advanced Uninstaller Pro 10.5.6 Free

Download Advanced Uninstaller Pro 10.5.6 Free

There's nothing more annoying than programs that you can't uninstall or don't come with an uninstaller.

Normally, I use CCleaner's add-remove function to get me out this pickle but sometimes, not even that works. Advanced Uninstaller Pro helps you get rid of stubborn programs that simply won't appear in your add-remove programs dialogue. It can also scan your PC for files that have been left behind after you've uninstalled software that you no longer use.

When you run a scan, you'll be surprised by the number of files that have been left behind (mostly registry entries) but also unnecessary folders, obsolete files, and graphics. In the worst cases, they can leave behind spyware that can make your life hell. Advanced Uninstaller Pro can uninstall many of these files and using it is as simple as selecting its name from a list, or dragging and dropping a file or a shortcut onto the Advanced Uninstaller Pro desktop icon.

It can't remove everything but Advanced Uninstaller Pro can help clean up the nasties that programs leave behind.

Recent changes

• Fully Vista compatible

Pros

• Removes stubborn programs
• Cleans up remnants of programs left behind
• Very easy to use

Cons

• Can't remove all programs, especially anti-virus packages

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Download Anvi Smart Defender Anvi Smart Defender v1.7 RC2 Free

Download Anvi Smart Defender Anvi Smart Defender v1.7 RC2 Free

Anvi Smart Defender aims to protect your PC against malicious software, such as virus, Trojans, adware, spyware, bots and other threats.

It's a relative newcomer to the anti-malware software scene and users have already noted that it bears more than a passing resemblance to IObit Malware Fighter. It has a very similar interface and also features a "Smart-Engine" although does not appear to be connected with IOBit in any way. Although the developers don't have a physical office, they do seem genuinely concerned with helping users stay virus/malware free as evidenced on their blog and Facebook page, albeit in poorly written English.

There are five function modules: Scan, Cloud Scan, Guard, System Optimization and Update. Scan features a continually updated database which protects in realtime from malware threats. Cloud Scan scans the most commonly infected areas of your compute and uploads them to Anvi Online Cloud Server for verification if you choose. Guard is probably the most important function as it provides real-time protection as users surf the net such as chatting online, making online transactions, downloading, etc. System Optimization is less concerned with protection and more with speeding-up yourPC. Finally, the Update Center allows you to automatically check for the latest malware threats and latest program versions in one-click.

Overall, Anvi Smart Defender works very well for a new anti-malware tool. It scans fast and seems very good at picking up malware. However, users have also reported that it's a bit over zealous too - identifying certain files or folders as malware which are perfectly safe.

At the time of writing, Anvi Smart Defender is still a work in progress although already gaining in popularity. However, it should be used with caution until a full release is made.

Recent changes

• • Italian language version added.
  
• • Automatically download latest database when program runs.
  
• • Scanner and removal engine enhancement.
  
• • Increase malware detection rate based on enlarging database.
  
• • Merger cloud database into ondemand scanning database.
  
• • More intelligent real-time guard pop up tips.

Pros

• Fast scanning
• Good at detecting malware
• Lightweight

Cons

• Still in development
• Many features similar to IOBit Malware Fighter
• May highlight non-malware as threats

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Download RipBot264 1.17.0 Free

Download RipBot264 1.17.0 Free

RipBot264 is a simple but effective encoding app that will help you render your videos in different formats.

This makes RipBot264 the perfect app for putting videos on portable devices, for example, but with one proviso: you need to know a bit about encoding to get the most out of it, and we don't recommend it for beginners.

RipBot264 is very mush a homemade program. There's nothing wrong with that - it handles lots of encoding profiles and options, batch operations, and works fast and smoothly - but it can be a little rough around the edges, and needs several codecs pre-installed. If you don't already have them, you'll need to download them separately, as instructed by RipBot264.

Once you have RipBot264 up and running, it's easy to use and at least as user-friendly as the majority of similar programs out there. Add the video file (or files), tweak the encoding options, and leave RipBot264 to do its job. It's not spectacularly fast, but it does get the job done. It's fully set up for batch operations, and there are plenty of helpful options in this area.

Overall, we'd recommend RipBot264 if you are comfortable with encoding apps and you know you don't need too many fancy extras. If you're not, we'd recommend a more user-friendly video conversion option, like Format Factory or Sothink Free Video Converter. This will make the job much easier for beginners.

Need simple batch conversion and encoding? Know what you're doing? Then RipBot264 is for you!

Pros

• No frills
• Low resource
• Several encoding profiles
• Batch conversions
• Auto shutdown

Cons

• Buggy interface
• No extras

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Download mp3Tag 2.49b Free

Download mp3Tag 2.49b Free

Most of us who own an MP3 player or play digital music on a computer will admit that it?s possible to get a little precious over your audio collection. There?s something very satisfying about having a hoard of music with the correct track and album names for each song. Not only does it look a lot cleaner in your player, but it makes it a darn sight easier to organize your collection and manage playlists. Ensuring that all the tags in your audio files are correct can be a thankless task, but there?s plenty of software around that will make a much quicker job of it.

mp3Tag is one of the better tag editors around, allowing you to edit the metadata (the information about a track?s name, size, album name, artwork, etc.) with a good degree of autonomy. The app lets you rename files based on this tag information, replace characters or words from tags and filenames, import/export tag information, and create playlists. It carries out its dutiesdoes the job very well too. For instance, the program has a much cleaner interface than many of its rivals and is smaller to boot, making it very quick and responsive.

If you find that you have a lot of different audio formats on your machine that you want to keep in check then mp3Tag is perfect. It supports virtually every major audio file type, so you can edit tags for Ogg, Musepack, and AAC/MP4, besides just MP3s. tThe program isn't just a tagger, as it also includes cutting and joining functions that perform pretty well.

Perhaps the biggest boon though is the inclusion of a link-up with the online FreeDB database to import tags from the appropriate album, spelling a swift end to those MP3 albums you get with track names like ?track01?, ?track02?, ?track03?, etc.) While the data returned from the FreeDB is sometimes erroneous, it?s generally pretty good (though probably not quite as quick as the import tool in Tag&Rename).

It?s fair to say that mp3Tag is one of the clear leaders in its field, and considering it?s a freeware app, it?s well worth downloading if you want to clean- up your music collection. Tag editing is very quick and once you?ve given your audio the mp3Tag treatment, you should find it so much easier to organize your tracks.

Recent changes

• Improved Amazon query handling
  
• Updated Amazon Web Sources
  
• Fix: wildcard matcher for filter expressions occasionally produced runtime errors
  
• Fix: click on helper menu for removing individual tag fields resulted in runtime error at action 'Merge duplicate fields'
  
• Fix: history at converter 'Text file - Tag' had problems with special characters
  

Pros

• Very quick and lightweight application
• Powerful FreeDB track look-up
• Built-in cutting and joining tools

Cons

• Album look-up is sometimes inaccurate
• A few small bugs reported by users

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Download Sudden Attack Free

Download Sudden Attack Free

Sudden Attack is a free-to-play first person shooter (FPS) game for desktop PCs.

Similar to one of Nexon's other FPS offerings Combat Arms, Sudden Attack is fast-paced and intense. It's also a great game for players who are new to first person shooters, as it comes with a helpful tutorial to get you started. To learn the different controls within Sudden Attack, there's a Boot Camp, which serves as training as well.

In Sudden Attack, the goal is to complete daily missions where you can earn experience points. Via the game's achievement system, you can earn different titles and perks for completing specific tasks within the game. There's also a demolition mode called Prison where the goal is to either plant a bomb or defend a target area where a bomb is waiting to be set off. Additional weaponry can be purchased in-app as well.

Up to 16 players can get in on the action with one another over the span of 38 maps. There might be some lag time while in multiplayer mode due to the server connection, but it was minimal. There are six game modes in Sudden Attack, which offer decent variety.

Sudden Attack's graphics are of good quality but a bit blocky, and the setting is gritty. The sound effects stand up to other games in its class as well.

With lots of weapons and a good variety of game modes, Sudden attack is a FPS that will appeal to a wide audience.

Pros

• Free-to-play game
• Easy to learn for beginners
• Lots of different game modes

Cons

• Occasional lag time in multiplayer

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Download Inspiration 9.0.3 Free

Download Inspiration 9.0.3 Free

Inspiration is a visual mapping and diagramming program that will help you escalate your ideas to solid action plans.

What is Inspiration?

Graphic diagram editors are often quite complicated to use, mainly because they include so many tools and customizing options that you can't help feeling lost. Luckily enough, Inspiration goes beyond these first difficult steps and offers users an easy-to-use, yet very complete diagram tool.

Inspiration is an app that can be used by a wide variety of people. We can see it being of use to students, who might make diagrams as a study aid, professionals, who might use it to plan out new structures or business plans, and even everyday people who simply want to transfer an idea to a solid plan in a more ordered, practical way.

How does it work?

Using Inspiration is very easy. Start with your main concept and drill down from there. The great thing about this app is that you can add images, music, text and more to really make the diagrams complete, and, of course, they are completely modifiable, in case you find that your plans change, or work better in a different order.

The Inspiration interface is very easy to use, and a few moments playing around with it should let you get the gist very quickly. Even so, Inspiration offers a huge variety of templates, help documents and even videos designed to let you get the most out of it, while the floating Symbols bar makes the job even faster.

The only downsides to Inspiration is that, despite support for simultaneous documents, there's no handy way to move between them. Maybe a tab bar would fix this. Secondly, it's not the slickest application on the block - even on Windows 7, Inspiration looks like something from the last decade. While that has little impact on functionality, it will put some users off.

Inspiration is a highly usable and handy idea-mapping application that everyone can use. It's just a pity it's not a little more modern.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Many templates included
• Built-in presesntation feature
• Export to .isf, .ppt or .pdf

Cons

• Working with several documents at the same time is difficult
• Not very stylish, feels old-fashioned

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Download Free Alarm Clock 2.5 Free

Download Free Alarm Clock 2.5 Free

Free Alarm Clock is a handy tool with which you can set up multiple alarms for all sorts of tasks ? just like you do on your mobile phone.

Using Free Alarm Clock is piece of cake. The program's simple, almost minimalist interface helps too. Simply click the Add button and configure the settings for each alarm you create. You can set them to go off only on certain week days, and perform various tasks, such as waking up the computer or turning on the monitor.

Free Alarm Clock includes a dozen built-in alarm sounds and also lets you add your own audio files to create more personal alerts. When an alarm goes off, the program will display a notification on your desktop from where you can stop it or snooze it.

It may not be as feature-rich as other alarm tools, but Free Alarm Clock is the perfect choice for those of you who are looking for a simple, straightforward alarm app to remind you of anything .

Free Alarm Clock is a simple tool that lets you configure multiple customizable alarms on your computer in a very easy way.

Recent changes

• New: Ability to play a random song from a directory
  
• New: Ability to execute a command or open URL instead of playing a song
  
• New: Ability to play WAV and WMA files
  
• New: A tooltip on the taskbar as an alarm notification
  
• New: Added translations of the UI into Simplified Chinese, Romanian, Czech and Arabic languages
  
• Improved: Whenever the system time changes, the program refreshes all alarms
  
• Fixed: Sometimes the floating clock window does not re-open after restart
  
• Fixed: Issue with playing sound
  
• Fixed: Issue with daylight saving time

Pros

• Attractive minimalist interface
• Built-in alarm sounds
• Lets you use custom audio files

Cons

• May be too simple for some users

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Download PDF Studio 7.02 Free

Download PDF Studio 7.02 Free

PDFs are the best way to distribute documents on the Net, particularly if you've scanned one. It's way better than sending a generic JPEG scan.

PDF Studio is easy to use, yet powerful enough to allow you a whole host of editing options that enable you to annotate and edit documents. You can use it with existing PDF documents, or directly using the tailor-made scan-to-PDF feature. Note that PDF Studio doesn't require Adobe Reader to work - it uses its own propriety reader, which isn't nearly as good but does the job.

Editing documents is done via the formatting toolbar across the top. From here you can add text, draw diagrams, add watermarks, apply stamps, and generally deface documents to your content. If you want to join or split some PDFs, you can do that too and even add a password to open the PDFs you create. Probably the snazziest little feature is the ability to add sound and interactive elements to PDF documents - ideal for creating questionnaires and quizzes.

PDF Studio is perfect for anyone who doesn't like working with Adobe Reader and needs to add different types of annotations to their PDFs

Recent changes

• Improvements:
  
• 
  
• Remember Last Tool Used: Grouped buttons on the toolbar remember the last tool used after restarting PDF Studio.
  
• 
  
• Fixes:
  
• 
  
• Fixed issues with smtp connection in the newly added email function.
  
• Fixed an issue with image removal.
  
• Fixed issue when trying to save annotated documents in side by side comparison mode.

Pros

• Allows you to add interactive elements and sounds
• Doesn't require Adobe Reader

Cons

• Reader isn't as good as Adobe's

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Download DVDFab Blu-ray Copy 9.0.1.1 Free

Download DVDFab Blu-ray Copy 9.0.1.1 Free

DVDFab Blu-ray Copy is a multi-functional Blu-ray copy and backup tool that will help you get the most from your DVDs - Blu-ray or not.

The main purpose of DVDFab Blu-ray Copy is copying and backing up your disks, so that you'll have copies to fall back on should the unthinkable happen and you lose your physical collection. There 4 copy modes: Full Disc, Main Movie, Clone and Write Data, and DVDFab Blu-ray Copy shouldn't have any problems with copy protection restrictions or region codes, and it can even handle 3D.

DVDFab Blu-ray Copy can also help you to back up your non-Blu-ray DVDs, or to convert your video file formats so that you can use them on other devices, like PSP or iPad, for example. It also has a number of options that will allow you to save space when you copy your movies, making it easier to fit your whole collection in the smallest space possible.

Whatever you use DVDFab Blu-ray Copy for, however, it's simple to use and has loads of configuration options. If you're a beginner, drag and drop your files into the interface and use the default settings. If you know what you want, however, have a look under the options and tweak the compression, encoding, extras and more.

Fast, multi-featured and very efficient, DVDFab Blu-ray Copy is a great back-up tool for your movies.

DVDFab Blu-ray Copy supports the following formats

Input: Blu-ray-Video disc, Blu-ray folder, ISO image file
Output: Blu-ray-Video disc, DVD-Video disc, AVCHD disc, Blu-ray folder, ISO image file

Pros

• Very fast
• Can overcome copy protection
• Good variety of copying/backing up modes
• Video format converter
• Good cofiguration options

Cons

• Slightly complicated install process

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Download Screenshot Captor 2.105.01 Free

Download Screenshot Captor 2.105.01 Free

Screenshot Captor is a low-resource, highly flexible screenshot app for PC.

Screenshot Captor enables you to capture images in a variety of ways, ranging from the active window to a fixed size zone and including objects, scrolling windows (great for capturing sites from top to bottom) and even your entire working space, which means that if you have multiple monitors, Screenshot Captor will capture all of them.

But the best is yet to come: Screenshot Captor includes an excellent set of filters and special effects for your screenshots: frames, borders, shadow effects, blurring and a lot more. We tried all of them and were really happy with the results, although the program could do with more extensive undo features.

We also found some really good tools in Screenshot Captor, like the ability to automatically generate thumbnails from images or a zoom that can go up to an impressive 999%. You can actually see every single pixel in the image! The app also boasts extensive task bar options, and a really nice mini-interface after taking a screenshot, both of which make your job much easier.

Screenshot Captor may feel overwhelming, but give it a chance, it's really worth it!

Recent changes

• - View dozens of screencast video movies demonstrating this program

Pros

• Great variety of capturing options
• Many filters and effects to apply
• Doesn't take up much resources
• Simple to use

Cons

• Takes a while to get to grips with the tool
• Interface looks a little old fashioned

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Download FotoSketcher Portable 2.25 Free

Download FotoSketcher Portable 2.25 Free

FotoSketcher Portable is probably the fastest and easiest way to add a sketch effect to your pictures. Plus you can carry it on a USB memory device and you don't even need to install it!

FotoSketcher Portable is perfect for those of you who don't dare use Photoshop yet and simply want to add some spice to your photos without much fuss. Simply run the program and select the picture you want to sketch. FotoSketcher Portable will show a settings menu with a bunch of options: you'll be able to select the drawing style, edge threshold and also tweak the values of color, brightness and contrast.

FotoSketcher Portable applies the sketch effect in just a few seconds, and the result will be displayed side to side to the original picture, which is great for comparison FotoSketcher Portable also lets you add a text caption and embellish your sketch with a frame.

There are only a couple of minor drawbacks to FotoSketcher Portable: it only works with JPG and BMP files, and if you add a text caption to the image, you won't be able to see it on the preview window.

Apply a sketch effect to your photos in no time. No artistic skills required!

Recent changes

• new painting 8 (expressive brushstrokes) algorithm, with custom brush support
  
• automatic saving of current image directory and custom brushes directory
  
• 4 new languages (14 languages included now: Afrikaans, Arabic, Czech, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish)
  
• batch processing now supports also bmp and png formats (as well as jpg)
  
• various user interface improvements and bug fixes
  
• optional FotoSketcher browser toolbar (for Internet Explorer or Firefox), with direct access to the FotoSketcher application, homepage or Flickr group
  
• support for drag and drop of images from the web directly to FotoSketcher (drop an image to the left panel to open it as a new source image)

FotoSketcher Portable supports the following formats

BMP, JPG

Pros

• No installation required
• Immediate results
• Several options to tweak your image

Cons

• Only works with BMP and JPG
• Doesn't show text captions in the preview window

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Download Shank 2 Free

Download Shank 2 Free

Shank 2 is a 2D action game that drops you right into the action as you play offensive with a variety of different tactics and weapons.

Play as Shank, an ex-mob hitman who's trying to protect those closest to him. With a veritable arsenal of handguns, shotguns and automatic weapons, as well as more basic but just as effective fighting tools like machetes and grenades, there isn't a dull moment in Shank 2.

The graphics in Shank 2 are pretty impressive, considering the 2D nature of this game. You navigate with a side-scrollbar, advancing left to right across the screen. Characters are portrayed as they might be in comic books or more mature cartoons, with reasonably realistic body proportions and lots of earthy, gritty colors.

In this new version, Shank 2 lets you destroy more things in a shorter span of time than the original version. There's also considerably more gore, which might be inappropriate for younger children. Shank 2 employs a multi-weapon combat system, which not only gives you more weapon choices throughout the game but also introduces you to a greater variety of bosses. You can even show off counter moves that allow you to use an enemy's weapon against them.

Shank 2 also allows you to play online with friends. Teaming up adds a new element to the game and makes completing levels even faster.

Shank 2 has a lot to offer, especially if you like your violence strong and your weapons plentiful!

Notes

Clicking the 'Download' button will take you to the game's Steam page where you can install the demo.

Pros

• Great graphics
• Unlockable achievement points
• More added challenges
• Two levels of difficulty
• Lots of different weapons and explosives

Cons

• Not much new from the last version

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Download Siberian Strike 1.1.7 Free

Download Siberian Strike 1.1.7 Free

Siberian Strike is a 2D aerial action game that pits you against challenging bosses in massive aircrafts.

In the style of 1980s coin operated arcade games, Siberian Strike lets you face off against five bosses in massive air ships and an impressive arsenal of weapons.

There's lots of action to be had in Siberian Strike. Aircraft of all sorts will appear from every feasible side of the screen to shoot at you. Your goal is to shoot them down and dodge bullets of your rivals. You can also upgrade your weapons with bonuses.

You'll come across a wide range of enemies in Siberian Strike such as soviet cannons, tanks, battleships, fighter planes and more. Each pose a different challenge to defeat, which keeps gameplay interesting.

You can choose one of three playable characters in Siberian Strike although the demo is unfortunately limited, both with respect to the characters you can choose as well as how many levels are available to play. The graphics in Siberian Strike, although nostalgia-inducing for some, might be a little off-putting to others since they are very pixelated.

Siberian Strike takes you back to the USSR in the 1930s in terms of setting, as well as the 1980s in terms of fun graphics and shooter gameplay.

Pros

• Five different bosses to defeat
• Lots of different weapons and explosives
• Fun action storyline

Cons

• Graphics are basic and pixelated
• Game is a little short in duration

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Download ChickenPing 1.95 Free

Download ChickenPing 1.95 Free

ChickenPing is a handy tool for creating recipe databases that will allow you to manage and organize your favorites.

With ChickenPing you can create a personal database with all your favorite recipes and conveniently organize them according to categories. The program also includes a special area where you can list the food you currently have in your fridge, and search the recipe database according to the ingredients you can use.

Each recipe in ChickenPing features a complete page with name, description, number of servings, ingredients, directions and even a tab for photos. And if you find you're missing an ingredient for a specific recipe, jot it down in the built-in shopping list utility and you won't forget it next time you go shopping.

ChickenPing is easy to use and has a nicely designed interface. Too bad it doesn't include any recipes ? you have to type everything in - and it seemed to be a bit unstable during our tests, crashing every time we tried to use the Synchronize tool.

ChickenPing is an attractive recipe manager with customizable categories and built-in tools for shopping lists and fridge inventory.

Recent changes

• Added: More icons
  
• Added: Printing of meals for a range of dates
  
• Added: Creation of shopping lists for a date range
  
• Added: Print preview for shopping lists on meal planner
  
• Fixed: Fraction bug when languages which use a comma as a decimal separator were used

Pros

• Highly detailed entry for each recipe
• Built-in shopping list tool
• Search recipes according to the ingredients you have
• Lets you upload photos to Flickr

Cons

• Doesn't include any recipes
• Synchronizing tool is broken

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Download Elsword 1.27 Free

Download Elsword 1.27 Free

Elsword is a story based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) set in a colorful universe.

Take on the roles of Elsword and his friends as you explore this fun world while going on quests and collecting useful items that'll help you advance in the game.

Elsword really gives off the feel of watching anime that you get to play on your own or with friends. The graphics are colorful and interesting. You can choose either to play as Elseword or other friends of his like Aisha, Rena and Raven. It's nice to see female characters represented, since it gives users a more variety in their gameplay.

Before you start playing Elsword, you'll register on the game's official webpage. Then you can choose the character that you like best to play throughout the game. Five characters are available and they all have different skills and strengths.

Like many other games of its type, Elsword lets you purchase power-ups and items to personalize your character in game. This is entirely optional however. You'll also likely want to team up with other players online to get the most out of your gaming experience.

If you're new to this type of game, Elsword offers a very well put together tutorial on everything from how to setup the game to an actual game walkthrough.

It would've been nice if the game soundtrack stood out more as delightfully as the anime-like graphics, but unfortunately some players might find the background music a little dull.

Characterized by graphics similar to anime, Elsword is a colorful and fun MMORPG to play on your own or with other users online.

Pros

• Great anime feel
• Lots of items available for purchase
• 5 characters to choose from

Cons

• Unimpressive soundtrack

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Download Wizard101 Free

Download Wizard101 Free

Wizard101 is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that's set in a school of witchcraft.

In Wizard101 you can play a young sorcerer's apprentice and learn spells that allow him or her to face the evil creatures that live in the city of Sorcelleville. A mixture between the world of Harry Potter and the fighting in the Pokémon, younger gamers will likely enjoy this MMORPG.

Getting started with Wizard101

To play Wizard101, you must first register online on the game's main page. Once you've created login credentials and installed the game, Wizard101 starts you out by helping you create your sorcerer. Depending on your personality and your tastes, you'll be sorted into a school of magic: School of Fire, Ice, Storm, Myth, Life, Death or Harmony.

The adventure continues with a tutorial about how to play Wizard101. You'll meet Merle Ambrose, director of the magical school, who will present the game environment. You will take part in your first duel too. You also meet the villain of the game, Malistaire, a wizard who turned bad and who you will have to confront at the end of the game.

Become the best Sorcelleville Sorcerer's Apprentice

Once you've completed the Wizard101 tutorial, you will be able to meet and converse with the non-player characters (NPCs) professors of magic, who will assign you missions. In Wizard101, your path will cross the other sorcerer's apprentices who are wandering Sorcelleville. You can also contact other players easily and add them as friends.

Battles against magical creatures and other players take a prominent place in Wizard101. Depending on your school of magic, magic cards, each corresponding to a specific area, will be awarded. This combat system leaves room for creative attacks. When you launch an attack, you will be treated to beautiful gorgeous graphic effects that show the forces and the conflict you started.

As you progress through the game, you will gradually find new magic cards, expand your powers of witchcraft and deal an unbeatable deck of cards. Later, you can even adopt a pet, which will follow your every move.

Wizard101 is a game with a colorful comic-style environment that is aimed at younger gamers.

Pros

• Customizable sorcerer
• Seven schools of magic
• Many magic cards
• Ability to battle other wizards

Cons

• More experienced gamers might get bored
• A little repetitive in some areas

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Download Family Tree Builder 5.1.3.1 Free

Download Family Tree Builder 5.1.3.1 Free

Family Tree Builder is a comprehensive genealogy application that enables you to build a complete family tree from scratch, featuring every single member of your family since the beginning of humankind ? that is, if you can find records that date back that far!

Each family member has a highly detailed profile in Family Tree Builder that includes all the basic data (name, date of birth, their relationship with the rest of the family) as well as other extra elements such as photos, maps, physical description and important facts and dates in their personal life.

Family Tree Builder also has excellent configuration settings, which means that with a little bit of work (and you will need to put in an effort to get the most out of the app, which is really very complete), you can get an awful lot out of this program.

Despite this huge amount of data, Family Tree Builder is really easy to use. It lets you browse the tree in several ways and also view or export it in a variety of formats. What's more, you can publish your family tree to your webpage right from the program. Family Tree Builder's only flaw, if any, is the compulsory registration in order to use it. But hey, it's free: what else can you ask for?

Family Tree Builder is an incredibly complete tool to help you navigate through the complex task of building a family tree.

Pros

• Very complete genealogy tool
• Several ways to view and export tree
• Highly detailed profile for each family member

Cons

• Requires registration - after you install!
• Can be slow
• Looks dated

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Download jv16 PowerTools 2010 2.0.0.986 Free

Download jv16 PowerTools 2010 2.0.0.986 Free

If you're noticing a significant slowdown in your PC's performance, jv16 PowerTools is a comprehensive optimization and tuneup utility suite which could help.

Even regular defragging of your hard drive can only achieve so much, so an optimizer like jv16 PowerTools can get a a little extra out of your system. The program is in the format of most standard optimizers and divides it's main features on the left hand side of the interface with the sub-functions on the right.

The main functions are a Registry Cleaner, File Tools, System Tools and Privacy Tools. Below these, you've got options for changing the general settings and backing-up of your current settings. Below these you can see two 'health-o-meters' which display both the PC Health and Registry Health. However, these two readings never seem to change that much and even when they're showing positive results, it doesn't necessarily mean your PC is running better which makes us wonder if they are really based on anything at all.

Apart from that, you should notice a few general speed improvements after using jv16 PowerTools although nothing which makes it better than CCleaner for example.

jv16 PowerTools is a mediocre optimizer for Windows and may improve the performance of your PC if only a little bit.

Recent changes

• Bug fix: If you start the Clean and Fix My Computer using a command line paramter or a desktop icon, its Search Words box could contain "memSearchWord
  
• Bug fix: The Explore function under the More Functions menu of the Directory tool works on the first selected item of the list, while it should work on the highlighted item.
  
• Bug fix: The Filename field of Startup Manager's top panel always says "N/A".
  
• Bug fix: Closing a tool window with the filter panel visible, causes the program to crash to "Cannot change visibility in OnChange" if the same tool window is opened again.
  
• Bug fix: Double clicking the line between two columns can cause sorting to occur, even as it should only resize the column.
  
• Bug fix: Clicking the Start button in the Anti-Malware sometimes checks the "Scan the following download directories" option, even if the user had it unchecked before clicking Start.
  
• Bug fix: The drag and drop of directories only works with the Anti-Malware the first time you open the tool, opening the tool again causes the drag and drop support to be disabled.
  
• Bug fix: Using the Right-Click > List Control > Remove from list feature can cause the program to crash to an Access Violation if the same tool is used again.
  
• Bug fix: Opening the Debug Tool can cause the program to crash to an Access Violation.
  
• Bug fix: Attempting to open the Debug Tool shows the "Debug Tool not available because you are not running a beta build" error message twice.
  
• Bug fix: Opening the Registry Info many times in a row after clicking Abort can cause the program to crash.
  
• Bug fix: File Tool's "Always show these columns" feature does not always work, e.g. with File Cleaner.
  
• Improvement: The Registry Cleaner no longer reports keys relating to Norton/Symantec products as errors, these keys are protected against modifications by the Norton/Symantec product.
  
• Improvement: It's now possible to resize the very last column of the result lists.
  
• Improvement: Date format selection box of the Settings now uses "HH:NN" notation instead of "HH:MM" in which "MM" was difficult to distinguish from months.
  
• Improvement: Reduced the size of the Registry Compactor (RegCompact.exe) by about 50%.
  
• Improvement: Reduced the flickering of the File Tool during list update operations.
  
• Updated translations: Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Czech, Japanese, Russian
  

Pros

• Performs some simple optimisations
• Clear interface

Cons

• Health rating doesn't change much
• Doesn't offer any major advantages over other optimizers

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Download HandBrake 0.9.6 Free

Download HandBrake 0.9.6 Free

HandBrake is a useful open source tool that converts disks to MPEG for free.

Forget paying for a program to rip your DVDs to your computer ever again. Considering HandBrake doesn't cost a dime, the application delivers exceptional results. Converting any type of DVD through a simple-to-understand user interface (UI), HandBrake whizzes through the process of producing an MPEG-4 file to save on your machine.

You'll need to have the right codec installed for the type of file you wish to convert (DivX, Xvid, OGM, 3ivx, etc.) but HandBrake lets you perform two-pass conversions and codify a double soundtrack.

Another great feature is the bitrate calculator, which alters the quality of the video according to the final file size you wish to achieve. You can even trim the black bands around a movie to maximize the size of the file.

Some users might experience occasional stability issues with the program.

HandBrake is a great open source solution for ripping your DVDs.

Recent changes

• HandBrake is no longer limited to DVDs: it will now accept practically any type of video as a source.
  
• Integrates the latest improvements to the H.264 encoding library.
  
• HandBrake now offers total control over multiple audio tracks.
  
• Better organized presets.
  
• HandBrake should now keep lip-synch as well as a DVD player can.
  
• HandBrake now offers a decomb filter, in the style of AviSynth's.
  
• HandBrake now can encode video using the Theora codec.
  
• Updated libraries include libsamplerate, libogg, xvidcore, libmpeg2, lame, faac, and ffmpeg's libavcodec, libavformat, and libswscale.
  
• Massive improvements to all interfaces

HandBrake supports the following formats

File format: MP4(M4V) and MKV
Video: H.264(x264), MPEG-4(ffmpeg), MPEG-2(ffmpeg), or Theora(libtheora)
Audio: AAC, CoreAudio AAC/HE-AAC (OS X Only), MP3, Flac, or Vorbis. AC-3, DTS, DTS-HD, AAC and MP3 pass-thru

Notes

Pros

• Quick conversion
• Alters video quality to suit required file size
• Chops black bands around a video

Cons

• Sometimes crashes

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Download The Temple of Notch (Minecraft World) Free

Download The Temple of Notch (Minecraft World) Free

The Temple of Notch is a Minecraft world you can play that's dedicated to Minecraft's creator Markus Persson.

To enter the Temple of Notch, you have to throw a gift into the well, and then the entrance will open. Once you're inside, you'll see the face of Notch carved into a giant cliff. The Notch-god will then judge you!

This is a fun Minecraft world, that shows you what you can do with some creativity! It's not the biggest ready made world you'll find, but it is amusing. To play, simply unzip the folder and move it into your Minecraft Saves folder. It will then be available to play next time you open Minecraft.

Pros

• Funny idea
• Clever construction

Cons

• Not much to explore

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Download SearchMyFiles 2.06 Free

Download SearchMyFiles 2.06 Free

Have you sometimes found the Windows search imprecise or lacking in options? SearchMyFiles is a lightweight freeware app that offers you detailed parameters for performing searches in amongst your various drives and discs.

SearchMyFiles isn't the fastest search tool available, as it doesn't perform any indexing of your files to make life easier. However, this means SearchMyFiles is ready to use from the start without a lengthy setup.

You can set searches to look in specific folders or drives, and exclude others if you want. You can search for files containing specific text or binary information, specify the size range of the file your after, and much more. You can even specify looking for read only, hidden, compressed and encrypted files. This makes SearchMyFiles a great way to scan folders or drives for types of file.

It's not really user friendly, but if you know a little about files and formats, SearchMyFiles should be pretty easy to use. What it is missing is a progress bar - sometimes you may start a search, and give up when no results appear. This is often because SearchMyFiles hasn't finished - it's not a very fast engine, and big drives can take a few minutes to scan. Despite this, it seems thorough and effective. You can use it to search for duplicate files - try it on your music folder to clean out those irritating repeated tracks in your collection!

It's not fast, but it's free, full of features and effective - SearchMyFiles is a valuable little search application for your toolbox!

Recent changes

• Fixed the Explorer context menu to work properly with folder names containing comma character. (You have to remove the context menu and then add it again in order to update the context menu with this fix)

Pros

• Lots of search options
• Free
• No installation necessary

Cons

• Searching big drives can take time

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Download Intel Anti-Theft Service 1.5.14.0 Free

Download Intel Anti-Theft Service 1.5.14.0 Free

Intel Anti-Theft Service is an all-in-one solution to protect your laptop or desktop from being stolen with encryption and locking capabilities.

Losing a computer to theft is a nerve wracking affair, especially if your computer contains a bunch of personal and important information. Intel Anti-Theft Service provides multiple ways to protect your computer from theft.

The most impressive function of Intel Anti-Theft Service is that it can remotely lock your computer if you report it stolen. You can either call Intel or log on to the Intel Anti-Theft Service website to mark your computer as stolen. You can add multiple computers to one account to control them all. While it's nice to be able to lock the machine, Intel Anti-Theft Service goes further by preventing the computer from booting, even if the thief replaces the hard drive, rendering the computer useless.

Intel Anti-Theft Service also includes a desktop application that creates encrypted virtual volumes. You can adjust the size you want and the app will create that virtual volume, which will act like any other drive. When you're done moving files, you can close the drive and your files will automatically be encrypted.

While it's great that Intel Anti-Theft Service can encrypt and lock a stolen computer, there's no way to recover your machine. Other programs like Prey offer a way to triangulate your computer's position once it connects to the network. Prey also features the ability to take and send photos periodically so you can get a visual on how your thief looks.

Overall, Intel Anti-Theft Service is a good service to protect your data but it won't do you any good if you want to get your computer back.

Notes

Clicking download will take you to Intel's Anti-Theft Service website where the program will install through your web browser. There is no file to download!

Review last updated: 03/07/12

Pros

• Ability to remotely lock your computer
• Ability to create encrypted volumes
• Locks automatically if laptop doesn't check in
• No need to download an installer

Cons

• Doesn't hide itself from the computer
• No recovery tools

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