Posts filed under 'Reviews'
RSI-Shield is available free for a 60 day trial and costs $37.74 to buy. It requires Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003 Server. If you work on the computer for a long time, this program might be for you. It gives you respite from repetitive strain injury and does this by affording you micro, medium and rest breaks. Featured in this software are break reinforcement, intelligent break system, animated exercises, statistic and macro technology. The other features are auto mouse click, multi user and non disciplined user modes and a non intrusive counter.
With a host of features, not only does this app remind you to take regular breaks but it also offers the necessary tools to avoid RSI. It questions you about your computer habits and then based on this makes a break schedule. The interface is intuitive and user friendly. The mouse and keyboard get disabled when you take a break. Break intervals and duration can be adjusted.
With the helpful exercises upper body strain and eye strain is reduced. Instructions are given in a step by step manner. Instead of the mouse you can use the keyboard using this software. It requires a lot of memory, 16 MB in fact. However if you believe in the adage “Health is Wealth” perhaps you should check out this offering.
January 27th, 2008
Adobe Illustrator CS is the design software to have if you are into artistic design. This software is available free for a 30 day trial. If you want to buy it, it will set you back by $599. It requires Windows XP or Vista to run on.
Whatever medium you have in mind, you can create sophisticated vector artwork with this software. With great new color controls and drawing tools that are industry standard there is no limit to the artistic freedom that this software offers. If you have other Adobe apps, this one can be well integrated with them.
Adobe Illustrator sets the standard for vector based design and illustration. With this new offering, Adobe has moved its illustrator software from being a print only application to one that gives web output.
The new interface is panel based. You can easily minimize and maximize the panels. So the palettes do not come in the way of your workspace. Color grouping has been introduced in the CS3. With the Live Color function existing colors can easily be altered. Flash shares a hot key for defining symbols and the graphic engine is shared making crossover and importing easy.
Also included in CS3 are a vector erasing tool, better cropping and much more. There is a high price, learning curve and system requirements. This is offset by the power of this software. If you are a professional digital illustrator, you must possess this one.
January 25th, 2008
LogMeIn Free is a great download available from http://www.download.com. It is available free with no limitations. It requires Windows 2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista.
Now you can access files remotely, free! LogMeIn is secure and user friendly. This solution works with a remote control and your home and work PC are yours wherever you may be as long as you have an internet connection handy. Even though LogMeIn is web based, it offers layers of security – 256 bit SSL encryption, RSA SecureID and dual authentication.
This latest version has an improved interface. It works free for multiple remote PC’s. If you need more the cost is 5 computers for $20/month or $200 per year. This application runs in your web browser. With Firefox, you need to install a plugin that opens a new window with an emulator of the remote PC.
You should have only a few tabs open so that your browsing is quicker. You have some standard options with the control window. Ctrl-Alt-Del kills the connection. There is tabbed access for adjustment in the connection settings.
If you want to be able to transfer files and synchronization, you need to upgrade, although for small files you can probably find ways around the restriction. With this functionality and price, LogMeIn is a fantastic program. Well Recommended.
January 20th, 2008
BigOven 1.8.977 is available from vendor LakeFront Software (http://www.lakefrontsoftware.com). It is free to try for 30 days and if you want to buy it, it will set you back by $29.95. It requires Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista.
If you want a new world of recipes to be unvieled and also you want to organize and share these recipes, BigOven is the right software for you. With just a single click you can access more than 160,000 recipes online. You can choose and import recipes easily, put them on a shopping list through “drag” and “drop” functions and print a grocery list in just a matter of seconds.
Also you can point and click to get recipes from text files as well as websites. Dieters rejoice! easy nutritional information is available with this software. Spice up your recipe look with photos.
Easy scheduling of dishes for weekdays is possible. There is a nifty edit screen. Linking each ingredient to a separate database entry is possible. You need to register the program to use the Web function. Basically, every function necessary in a recipe database is included in BigOven with a good, functional interface.
January 16th, 2008
Here is another great free software with no limitations. The latest version of Trillian requires Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista to run on. It supports AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo Messenger and IRC. It is skinnable and fully featured. Many standard features like file transfers, chat rooms, group chats and audio chat are supported. In addition it supports numerous other features.
This latest release is a maintainence release. It is meant to resolve a bug that on Yahoo Messenger. Trillian has been called the king of chat clients and the latest version is out to prove just that. The interface is completely redone. There is tabbed chatting, a new feature for instant lookup as well as enhanced messaging.
This software functions as a hub for all chat traffic. It does this by importing passwords, client preferences, buddy lists into itself. It is simple to install and setup. All email accounts that are supported can be checked in one click. Detailed event logs are available for viewing. In addition there is SMS as well as voice messaging support. Sometimes you might get disconnected with your AIM, but that is due to an error on AOL’s side.
With so many features it is surprising that Trillian is free. If you want to chat with multiple clients in one interface then this software is for you.
January 13th, 2008
If you like free software and are into image editing, you might like to try GIMPshop 2.2.8. It requires Windows 98/2000/XP and is available as a free download without any limitations.
This software is a redone GNU Image Manipulation program which is open source and free. It has been created in a manner that Adobe Photoshop users will find familiar and comfortable.
GIMPshop has a long list of features and is highly customizable. The menu structure in GIMPshop is very similar to Photoshop’s and the program terminology is similar as well. Photoshop plugins are not supported by GIMPshop, however all it’s own plugins are available.
Many Photoshop tutorials are applicable to GIMPshop. One issue with this software is that the BackgroundWindow plugin is unstable. GIMPshop loads faster than the older version and also processes images quicker. In addition it has refined tools, a cleaner layout and better preloaded plugins.
This software does almost all of what Photoshop does for free. It is definitely worth the download and comes recommended.
January 12th, 2008
Nobody likes that time of the year, when you have to pay taxes. Hard work round the year is followed by heavy taxation and complicated paperwork around it. Now there is a way to lessen a part of the pain of taxation. The way is a new taxation software called H&R Block TaxCut Basic.
This software is free with a paid upgrade on offer. It requires Windows 2000/XP/Vista. With this software preparing federal tax returns free is a snap. This software takes you through tax returns in a simplified manner. You can import last years tax data from TaxCut, Microsoft Money, TurboTax and Quicken. You can file your returns online and get refunds as quick as in one or two weeks with this software.
This software takes away the boredom and drudgery from tax returns. The design of this software is clean and tab based. There is a great advice column on the right that you can use when in doubt. Not only is this application calming, it is also very powerful.
There are comprehensive sections on different areas of taxation. Purchasing is organized and you can also fill in the correct state filing forms. You can use the upper right corner for a running tally of federal and state refunds as well as use a planning tab for the coming years taxation.
With such powerful features and even the ability to file a tax deadline extension and the fact that this app is free, this software is highly recommended.
January 8th, 2008
If you are looking to design web pages, without spending too much, perhaps you should take a look at SiteSpinner 2.7c.You can try out this software for free for 15 days and if you like it, the price is $49. The system requirements for this software are Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP.
SiteSpinner incorporates many functionalities into one nifty package. If you are a beginner it will work for you, yet as you grow more adept at web creation, you will find this software has powerful features.
With industry standards and precision drag and drop, you can alter graphic and text placements as you please. In addition there are great layout enhancements like the ability to “center” a website.
Included in SiteSpinner are a Form Editor with which navigation menus can easily be created. There are also great templates which you can use to get started. Publishing web pages is a snap with the built in FTP.
It is always useful to know the basics of web design without getting into the HTML. This software aims at getting you started on the wonderful world of web design. It does not have advanced design features but gets your web design idea off the ground fast specially if you are a beginner.
January 6th, 2008
One Click Plug-in for WordPress 1 is a nifty utility for your favorite blogging software that is free as well. It promises to completely revamp how you see WordPress. You no longer need to put in much effort to install a plugin or a theme. A simple click is enough.
If you are an admin, non techie, or have a firewall that limits you or are just the regular WordPress user who has use for plugins and theme installation, this application is a wonder worker.
After installing this plugin, you can add other plugins through the Dashboard tab that is now available. With the Firefox extension, context menu functionality is available.
Setup is simple if that is what worries you. Installation is just like installing any other WordPress plugin. After activation, you need to install the Firefox extension. Then you need to type the oneclick.php location on the server into the Firefox extension and you are set to go.
Although OneClick is a small piece of code it promises to change your workflow, optimizing work time and letting you handle your WordPress site quickly and easily. Definite recommendation for download to WordPress webmasters.
January 5th, 2008
For those who like freebies, here is an amazing software, that is also free! System requirements are Windows 2000/XP/Vista. For those social butterflies – and there is an online variety now as well, Flock is made for you.
This version builds upon the strengths of the older version of Flock. The older version made it’s mark with browsers who liked blogs, media and RSS feeds. This new Flock version allows you to monitor friends from a range of social sites like Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube.
There are great new additions to the new Flock. The sidebar now lets you see the change in status of your friends, addition of media and status changes in your friends profiles.
If you want access to videos and photos posted by your friends or want to share web content you can do so easily with Flock. All you need to do is drag and drop. Effortless communication with contacts regardless of service is now possible.
Although if you are looking for a regular browser, Flock does the job, where it excels is the social field. This version has many changes, including people services for Facebook and Twitter. In addition there are several memory leaks that have been fixed and enhancements implemented.
January 4th, 2008
Wordweb is a software that gives you definitions, meanings and opposites of words without the need to connect to the internet, although you can do so and experience greater power in this program. This program is available as a free download from www.download.com. The requirements are Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista.
If you have used the dictionary that comes along with Microsoft Word, you have already got a sample of what this application offers, except that it is much more functional. The functionality starts when you type in a word in the lookup dialog of WordWeb. Once you do this links to various Wiki functions appear in the top pane along with the definition of the word you just typed.
If you want synonyms, antonyms and related words you need to use the tabs in the bottom pane. Also offered is a great hot key functionality. Pointing the cursor at a word and using a hot key combination results in WordWeb giving you all the relevant information in a snap.
If you want parental control you can stop WordWeb from recognizing offensive language. In addition the database can be changed according to various English Variations. With so much on offer, it is surprising that WordWeb is free. Worth downloading.
December 25th, 2007
This software is available for the price of $49. There is a 30 day trial so you can try this software before you buy it. It requires Windows 2000/XP/Vista.
The code editor of CoffeeCup has been available since 1996. This editor is still available for those who know HTML. There is also a What You See is What You Get Visual editor included. If you want you can shuffle between the two kinds of editors and make an amazing website.
Included with CoffeeCup are more than 100 Javascripts and DHTML, 25,000 graphics and photos, a DHTML menu wizard and more than 500 web site templates free.
Both new web designers as well as HTML hotshots will enjoy this package. CSS scripting and Flash animations are supported. There is a great tutorial for beginners. This software allows you to insert images, tables or a list easily.
There is also a built in thesaurus in this software. You can easily preview your work in a browser. Also available in this software are a project manager, flash text wizard, HTML code cleaner, a color scrollbar wizard, a stylesheet editor and a list wizard.
If you want a reasonably good web design software at a price that is not sky high, consider CoffeeCup HTML Editor.
December 23rd, 2007
Camfrog Video Chat 4.0.4.7 is the latest version of the software. It will not cost you to try it, but the free version does not offer all the features. The paid version will cost you $49.95. It requires Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003 Server.
If you are an avid chatter then this software might interest you. This software allows you to video chat and hear and see and talk to many people at once. This software is able to work behind firewalls and routers.
With the help of this software, you can enter a chat room which has 1000 users and see someone just by clicking on their username. Once you have bought this software, you can set up your own chat room. You do not require a webcam to see someone, but it might be a requirement to enter some rooms.
The other features of this software include non English chatting, sign language, music programs and integrated video, audio and text. There are many Xrated chat rooms and so this program should not be used by children without supervision.
The interface is similar to messaging software and easy to use. You have a contacts list handy with easy contact adding, searching users and profile management. There are many toolbars and a widget (Weather Channel) that you can opt out of. If you want video chat with a multitude of different users, then Camfrog is your thing.
December 22nd, 2007
Roboform 6.9 is free to try. However, some of its features get disabled after 30 days. To buy Roboform it will cost you $29.95. It requires Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003 Server.
With this software, you can easily log into websites and fill up forms fast and securely. The way it works is this, it remembers and stores user names and passwords when you log into the site the initial time. After this you are supplied the user name and pass automatically. You do not need to manually log into an account once you have this software.
If you have had a problem with long registration forms, Roboform 6.9 solves this problem for you. All you have to do is click on your Roboform identity and the entire form is filled in a snap. You don’t have to tax your memory much with Roboform. You just need to remember the master password and the rest are stored in Roboform’s memory.
This makes your online surfing more secure. How this happens is that with the help of Roboform, you can create complex alphanumeric passwords which you do not need to memorize. Hackers will find it a very tough job to hack your accounts!
December 20th, 2007
OpenOffice.org is a free to use software that is available for download from www.download.com. The freely downloadable version does not have any limitations. This is a package of software and included in it are a word processor, a presentation manager, a drawing program and a spreadsheet program. All these make OpenOffice.org very similar to Microsoft Office.
The file formats OpenOffice works transparently with include Microsoft Office formats. This software’s localizations are available in 27 languages. Linux, Solaris and Windows can be used as operating systems for this software. This office productivity suite is written in C++. Any knowledgeable developer can benefit from the OpenOffice Source.
OpenOffice is a worthy alternative of MS Office. Its applications that can be used in every office are powerful. Apart from basic editing, complex equations and multipart documents can be handled by this software. Users will find the software similar looking to MS office. If you are used to MS Office you will be comfortable with this software.
In the latest versions, there are many program extensions available. There is a great export tool with bidirectional functionality as well as a professional writers template. In addition there is Blog publishing assistance available. If you are in search of office productivity free then this software is for you.
December 16th, 2007
This software is available for free trial. If you want to buy it you will have to pay $19.99. It needs any version of Windows to run.
Talking Time Keeper is a desktop time package with all the features you would need. It announces time in a human voice. There is a grandfather clock mode, and message and picture displaying alarms and timers. There is a calendar with alarms and 250 world times with a day and night world map. In addition you can watch moon phases.
If you want you can use this as a stopwatch with lap timers. There is a voice building and skin building tool. This software can be highly personalized.
Let me tell you what I think of this software. For its many features and its flexiblity, I will give it full points. The fact that it can be personalized with a male and female voice is great. I like the many types of alarms.
If you are an early bird the sunrise times will be of great help. There are sunset times as well and the time is very accurate. I like the compact and intuitive main menu and the customizable skins.
For all it’s features I think this is a reasonably good download. It would work very well for those who spend a lot of time in front of a computer and need to schedule themselves accurately.
December 15th, 2007
The 32bit Web Browser is offered as a free download. Is it worth your download time? Let us give you a review of it.
This browser has been created by electrasoft.com. The 32bit Web Browser is fast. You can browse faster with it and thus increase your productivity. It is user friendly and operating it is fun.
Its USP is the smart bookmark feature which has many search options. Your most liked links and web addresses are stored in its memory. This makes accessing your favorite sites easy.
All Netscape bookmarks and IE links can easily be imported into this browser. It is also good at keeping those irritating pop-ups and advertisements at bay.
This browser has a lot of interesting new tools. There is no adware or spyware in this browser. It has been fully tested for these.
This software is available as a 399kb download froma special server of SoftSea.com. It is shareware. You can try it and if you find it really worth it, you can buy the full version.
I have found this to be a really zippy and cool browser. I recommend trying out the free version. If you really like it then go for it!
December 8th, 2007
Need a good solution to put DVDs on your iPod? There are a plethora of software available to assist you with this common goal. One of our personal favorites is the Avex DVD to iPod Converter Suite. With this outstanding package, you can convert your DVDs and video files to play on your iPod Video Player.
Continue Reading March 2nd, 2007
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