mIRC 6.35

Internet Relay Chat is not as well-known as ICQ, even though it successfully combines chat and messaging without annoying ads. The IRC network is a virtual meeting place where people from all over the world can meet and talk. With mIRC, you can choose from an unlimited number of existing chat rooms based on personal interests, or you can create your own channels with family and friends. IRC is more advanced than simple messenging, so it may take a while to get started. With a bit of browsing, though, you'll find that the mIRC interface allows easy access to IRC features. It guides you through the initial stages, including selecting from a wide list of servers. You can connect to more than one IRC server at once and chat through proxy. By creating your own channel, you can even set up a virtual meeting with colleagues.

VLC Media Player 1.0.3

VLC Media Player is a long-time open-source favorite, and the latest version is also the first to be out of beta development. It's not the only option for free video playback, but it's one of the best, and the feature updates in version 1 make it well worth the upgrade.

Users can now get frame-by-frame advancement, granular speed controls allowing for on-the-fly slower or faster playback, and live recording of streaming video. The toolbars are fully customizable, so you can have only the buttons you need in the interface, there's AirTunes streaming, and there's better integration in Gtk environments. Along with the improvements, VLC continues to offer robust support for a wide range of video and audio formats, including OGG, MP2, MP3, MP4, DivX, HD codecs like AES3, Raw Dirac, and even support for playing back zipped files.

Vuze 4.3.0.4

Formerly the feature-rich Azureus, Vuze takes Azureus' BitTorrent foundation and builds on top of it a network for video discovery and user-created video publishing tied together by social networking.

From XML torrent options to IP filters, firewall tests to UPnP plug-ins to baked-in social networking, Vuze isn't breaking new ground--the original BitTorrent client has gone this path, too--but it is doing it in an innovative and attractive way. When you install the program, you're faced with an interface that will be instantly familiar to iTunes users. In providing a general overview of their torrents and media playback controls, the new layout emphasizes user-initiated searches

PhotoScape 3.4

Add another name to the roster of feature-rich freeware image editors: PhotoScape. Although it eats and leaks about as much memory as Firefox, this editor is perfect for those making the jump between JPEG and am-pro dSLR work.

It supports RAW, as well as all other major image formats from JPEG and PNG to animated GIFs. It comes with prebuilt templates for users to create photo collages, fumetti, and Web comics, and has a standard set of red-eye removal, light/shadow, and contrast-editing features. One warning about the RAW processing: although it looks like you can drag and drop, the converter doesn't change RAW to JPEG unless you load the RAW file from within the native file navigator.

WinZip 14.0

With version 14 of this venerable archiving tool, WinZip aims specifically at Windows 7 compliance and enhancements, and adds a few other new features, too. WinZip in Windows 7 gets extensive support for libraries, tools, and recent archives in the jumplist, previews in Windows Explorer for certain file types, and basic touch-screen support. Multitouch support is limited to rotating pictures previewed from WinZip archives.

BitComet 1.16

There's a familiar tree of features on the left, including links to torrent-aggregating Web sites and several promotional offers. The top of the app has big buttons with familiar icons, the center window shows the files being downloaded, and the bottom pane has tracker and peer info. The pane on the right rounds out the layout, with a torrent search feature and advertising. Among the usual features, BitComet offers chat capabilities, the ability to bookmark your favorite sites, a toolbar for Internet Explorer 7, and a context menu for Firefox 2.

While the app held its own against better-known competitors in terms of speed and handling multiple torrents, we found the ubiquitous advertisements to be annoying compared to the competition's ad-free environs. Overall, we think BitComet is worth trying and could become a major torrent app in the future. 

PrimoPDF 5.0.0.19

Users can now always save PDFs to the same folder, or opt to choose a new folder for each PDF creation. You can also Append or Overwrite an already existing PDF, and more easily create and edit document properties and PDF security from the main PrimoPDF interface. Publisher NitroPDF also claims that the program starts faster, and we did notice that it launched quicker than before--note that this was an empirical judgment, though. Primo's size has been reduced slightly to 7.38MB, and the new drag-and-drop icon also serves as a program launch icon, making it easier to manage the app.

Smart Defrag 1.20

Other features we like include a scheduler you can set up to defrag whenever you want and some customization features if you want the program to start when Windows loads or right before logging off. You also can set it to shutdown your computer when it's done defragging your hard drives and partitions.

Overall, if you would like a handy defragger with options for scheduling and more, this is a great defragger for both novices and more experienced users.

Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.2

Spybot - Search & Destroy has been in the antispyware game for a long time offering features we've come to expect in the best apps in the category, but bugs and false positives make it difficult to recommend.

The program checks your system against a comprehensive database of adware and other system invaders. It also features several interface improvements, including multiple skins for dressing up its appearance. Scan results now appear arranged by groups in a tree, and a sliding panel lets you instantly view information about a selected item to help you decide whether to kill it or not. The Immunize feature blocks a plethora of uninvited Web-borne flotsam before it reaches your computer.

Advanced Registry Optimizer 5.1

Advanced Registry Optimizer(ARO) by Sammsoft is an easy-to-use registry cleaner that can boost your PC's performance by removing errors from your Windows registry. The advanced scanning engine and one-click simplicity make ARO an ideal way to help your computer reach and maintain optimum performance. Both beginners and experienced users will appreciate ARO's customizable scanning environment--which clearly displays and categorizes registry errors from common "file association" problems to more exotic issues involving ActiveX-COM-OLE and DLL errors before whisking them away with the click of a button. Easy-to-use backup and undo functionalities enable you to roll back changes made to your Windows registry, generating more confidence that you will continue to enjoy optimal, stable and worry-free PC performance.

Windows Movie Maker (Windows XP) 2.1

Windows Movie Maker 2 is an XP-only download that gives you the tools to create, edit, and share home movies. Compile and edit a movie from video clips with drag-and-drop functionality. Add special effects, music, and narration with ease. Share your movie over the Web or master it to DVD media. You can also save your movie back to the DV tape in your camera.

Internet Download Manager 5.18 build 5

Internet Download Manager is a tool for increasing download speeds by up to 5 times, and for resuming, scheduling, and organizing downloads. The program will resume unfinished downloads due to network problems, or unexpected power outages. The program features a full-fledged site grabber that downloads files that are specified with filters, for example, all pictures from a Web site, different parts of Web sites, or complete Web sites for offline browsing. The program supports HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and MMS protocols, and has an adaptive download accelerator for MP3 audio, FLV and MPEG video files.The program also features Download Panel for IE, Firefox and other Mozilla based browsers that appears on top of a web-player and can be used to download flash videos from sites like YouTube, MySpaceTV, Google Videos, and others. It integrates into Opera, Mozilla, Internet Explorer, Firefox, MSN, AOL, Google Chrome, and into any application that uses FTP, or HTTP protocols. Internet Download Manager fully supports Windows Vista and Internet Explorer 7

ZoneAlarm 8.0.298

ZoneAlarm is designed to protect your DSL- or cable-connected PC from hackers. This program includes four interlocking security services: a firewall, an application control, an Internet lock, and Zones. The firewall controls the door to your computer and allows only traffic you understand and initiate. The Internet lock blocks Internet traffic while your computer is unattended or while you're not using the Internet, and it can be activated automatically with your computer's screensaver or after a set period of inactivity. Zones monitor all activity on your computer and alert you when a new application attempts to access the Internet.

Flash Player 10.0.32.18

Flash Player 10 is a lightweight, highly expressive client runtime that delivers powerful and consistent user experiences across major operating systems, browsers, mobile phones, and devices. Adobe Flash Player software is a cross-platform browser plug-in that delivers breakthrough web experiences and is installed on more than 98% of Internet-connected desktops. Flash Player 10 introduces 3D effects, custom filters and effects, advanced text support, and more

CCleaner 2.26.1050

CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner.

UltraISO Premium 9.3.5.2716

UltraISO can extract, create, edit, and convert CD/DVD image files. It can directly edit an ISO file, make ISO images from CD/DVD-ROMs, create a new ISO from files and folders on your computer, and make bootable CDs and DVDs. In addition, UltraISO can convert nearly all known CD and DVD image formats to ISO, BIN/CUE, Nero (NRG), Alcohol 120% (MDS/MDF), and CloneCD (CCD/IMG/SUB) formats,

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 9.0.704

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is an anti-virus protection tool available free of charge to home users. Rapid virus database updates are available for the lifetime of the product, thereby providing the high level of detection capability.

The new 9.0 edition is faster, safer and easier to use. AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition gives you free rock solid protection for your basic security needs. The combined anti-virus/anti-spyware scanner in AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition runs up to 50% faster than earlier versions and doesn't get in your way. AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition also delivers new anti-phishing detection techniques, which can quickly and accurately determine whether or not a web page is hosting a phishing attack. Additionally, version 9.0 comes with basic anti-rootkit protection to ensure protection against sophisticated hidden threats.

DoubleCAD XT 1.1

DoubleCAD XT is the CAD of choice for Google SketchUp users and a great companion to AutoCAD if you're looking for an extra CAD seat. Based on IMSI/Design's award-winning CAD code with over two million copies sold worldwide, DoubleCAD XT works like AutoCAD LT but goes beyond in a number of important areas, including innovative features like: Self-healing, ADT-compatible walls; Self-aligning blocks; Transparent fills; Draw order by layer; Bezier curves; Flatten 3D to 2D views; Hatch pattern editor; Advanced polyline editing * Automatic scaling of units between drawings; Parametric variable palette * Embed/bind image files in drawing * Input multiple unit types on-the-fly; Snap prioritization * Brush editor; Smart dimensions; Import xrefs.

VDownloader 1.12

Search for videos in sites like YouTube, DailyMotion, Yahoo, Megaupload, or Google at the same time. You can watch, download, or save videos with just one click. Its embedded meta search engine makes VDownloader different from other download managers. It searches at the same time in the most popular video sites so you will easily find the video you were looking for. Another strong point is the amount of different output formats:

FileZilla Portable 3.3.0.1

FileZilla Portable (formerly Portable FileZilla) is the popular FileZilla FTP client packaged as a portable app, so you can take your server list and settings with you. You can place it on your USB flash drive, iPod, portable hard drive or on a CD and use it on any computer, without leaving any personal information behind.and a side of www.fun-toozer.blogspot.com