36 software downloads you shouldn't miss this week

This has been another action-packed week for software releases, but it is one dominated by one name -- Microsoft Office 2013 Consumer Preview. The latest version of Microsoft’s office suite has received a public preview, meaning that anyone keen to get a glimpse of the Windows 8-friendly, metro-interface suite can do so right now.

Olympic fever is starting to take hold and two new mobile apps BBC Olympics 1.0.0 (UK ONLY) and London 2012: Official Join In App for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2.0 have been released to help you to keep up to date with the latest news and events, whether you are attending or not.

A more serious mobile app is available for Android users in the form of Paragon NTFS & HFS+ Beta 1.0, a free tool that make it possible to reads Mac and Windows formatted media in your tablet or phone.

Mac users looking for a new media player should take a look at VLC Media Player 2.0.3 which has been updated to include support for Retina Display computers. If you need to convert audio files from one format to another, Hamstersoft Free Audio Converter 1.0.20.0 provides one of the easiest methods of doing so while HandBrake 0.9.8 is a video conversion tool available for OS X, Windows and Linux, which has been updated with a range of bug fixes.

If you’re more concerned with taking care of your computer, there are releases that will be of interest. IObit Advanced SystemCare 6 Beta 1.0 comprises a great selection of free utilities designed with performance and maintenance in mind, and Sysinternals Suite 2012 is a wonderful tool for diagnosing system problems. Process Monitor 3.03 is part of the suite, but it is also available as a standalone product.

This have been busy in the house of Mozilla with Firefox 17.0a1 UX, Firefox 17.0a1 UX (64-bit),Firefox Nightly 17.0a1, Firefox Nightly 17.0a1  (64-bit) and Firefox Aurora 16.0a2 being released for anyone interested in living on the edge. Firefox 14.0.1 final and Firefox 14.0.1 portable are relatively minor updates to the stable release channel. Things have been pretty for Mozilla’s email client with the stable Thunderbird 14 and Thunderbird 14 Portable both being released, along with Thunderbird 15.0 Beta 1 complete with a new look.

Firefox is far from being the only browser available these days, but Pale Moon is an alternative based on version 12. The latest releases for this particular app are Pale Moon 12.3, Pale Moon12.3 Portable, Pale Moon 12.3 x64 and Pale Moon 12.3 x64 Portable.

Life online does not have to be conducted in a browser and if you’re a social networking fan TweetDeck 1.5.2 is a dedicated Twitter client available Mac and Windows users. If you’re more inclined to create websites of your own, or indulge in a little programming for that matter, the newly updated Programmer’s Notepad 2.3.4 is a powerful text editor that can be put to numerous uses.

There have been a number of updates and new releases in the security arena, starting off with Microsoft Malware Prevention Troubleshooter v3.5.0.41, which checks for solutions to common problems while Panda Cloud Antivirus Free 2.0 is the most recent version of the AV tool that relies on the cloud for definition updates. In a similar vein is Avira Protection Cloud 0.1.0.1 (Technical Preview) while Ad-Aware Free Antivirus+ 10.2 is a more traditional virus protection tool with a newly adding identity protection feature. AVG is a company usually associated with security, but AVG MultiMi 1.0.3.11540 FINAL is a new app that can be used to manage all of your social networks from one place.

Finishing off this week’s roundup are tools covering a number of different areas. PowerArchiver 2012 v13.00 includes everything needed to work with virtually any compressed file type you care to mention, while Dexpot 1.6.0 and Dexpot 1.6.0 Portable are advanced virtual desktop tools that benefit from new full screen previews and many more new features and options. For anyone impatient to get the look of Windows 8 but who doesn’t want to go quite as far as installing the preview version, Windows 8 UX Pack 5.0 and Windows 8 Transformation Pack 5.0 contain everything you need.

That’s it for another week, but there will be another round up in a week’s time so join us again then!

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