Process Hacker gains new features
Fabulous PC monitoring tools Process Hacker and Process Hacker Portable have been updated to version 2.35 with some welcome extras and enhancements.
One major addition is support for viewing the load time and load reasons for process modules, on Windows 8 and above. If a long-running process like Explorer.exe is developing problems, you can now sort its modules by load time to get clues about the cause.
View hundreds of retro graphics formats with RECOIL
Viewing images is easy these days. No matter which platform you’re on, or what application you’re running, just about everyone uses the same standard formats, and these can typically be displayed on your device’s native viewer, with no need to install anything else.
In the early days of computing, 30+ years ago, it was different. There was no JPG, no PNG, so companies like Atari and Commodore had their own graphic formats. Even these weren’t fixed, with new variations all the time, which makes it very difficult if you’d like to view any of them on a modern computer.
EncFSMP: a real cross-platform encryption tool
Encrypting your most confidential files can be very easy, at least with the right application. Create a container; choose a password; drag, drop, done.
Sharing those containers is often more difficult, especially if the recipient needs to install a copy of your original encryption tool, and it’s not available for their platform.
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 12 gains Windows 10 support
German developer Ashampoo has announced the release of Ashampoo WinOptimizer 12 ($49.99), its hugely comprehensive all-in-one PC maintenance toolkit.
Extended drive and internet cleaners work to free up more hard drive space. They can optimize multiple user accounts in a single operation, too -- no need to log into each account individually.
Extract, convert and process your PDFs with PDF MultiTool
"PDF MultiTool" sounds like it’s going to be yet another PDF toolkit: the usual set of basic functions, none of which work very well, which only exists at all because the developer hopes you'll install its assorted toolbars.
But no: this really is different. There's no adware here, no toolbars or similar irritations, and the feature list includes plenty of interesting extras which you'll rarely find elsewhere.
Access folder contents instantly with Wincmder Shellex
If your desktop is cluttered then you could create a few folders to hold shortcuts, important files, whatever you access regularly. That works, but it’s less convenient: you’re forced to open a folder to view the contents, then close it when you’re done.
Install Wincmder Shellex and just right-clicking a folder displays a menu listing its contents (shift+clicking gets you the previous context menu). Choose a shortcut or file and it launches as usual, no need to open the folder at all.
5 open source remakes of classic PC games you won't want to miss
Buying the latest games will typically get you top-quality graphics and an iTunes-ready soundtrack, but that won’t necessarily translate into compelling gameplay. And even if it does, there’s no guarantee you’ll be kept entertained for more than a few hours. The solution? Try one of these open source takes on classic PC games.
Sure, the graphics won’t be as good. There is no chance you’ll want to download the soundtrack, and there will probably be odd glitches and bugs here and there. But, you can be sure the central concept will be great (it’s what inspired the remake in the first place). It’ll have been developed by people who love it, rather than just because they want your cash. And as, in most cases, the projects are still evolving -- with new features, content, missions, expansion packs -- you’ll want to keep playing for a long, long time.
Take up to 10 times more photos and videos on your phone with FotoFox
No matter how much storage your phone has, it’s easily filled, especially if you’re always taking photos and videos.
FotoFox is a free iOS/Android app which compresses images and videos as they’re shot, reducing quality but cutting their size by up to 90 percent, and still giving you access to the originals when necessary.
Comic Seer is a one-stop comic viewer and manager
Viewing comics can be easy. Really, really easy. If you have a CBZ file, say, rename it to ZIP, open it in Explorer, and browse the images it contains -- simple.
That works well for occasional viewing, but if you’re a big comic fan, or just want the best reading experience, it’s worth installing a specialist tool like the free Comic Seer.
InPixio Photo Editor is a 1-click photo enhancer
Photo editors for the Windows desktop typically compete on the length of their feature list: file formats support, range of selection tools, layer handling abilities, whatever it might be.
InPixio Free Photo Editor ignores almost all of that, and instead focuses on app-like ease of use, just providing a quick and easy way to tweak an image and share it with others.
Add motion animations to your videos with Express Animate
Freeware developer NCH Software has released Express Animate, a key frame-based animation tool.
The program can import videos, images, text, shapes and audio tracks. Objects may be moved, resized or rotated, while key frame support gives smooth, high quality results.
How to display Windows 8 toast notifications from your own scripts
Scripts and batch files are great for automating complex tasks, but they’re not so good at keeping you informed about their progress. Typically you’re forced to Alt+Tab back to the command prompt window to try and figure out what’s going on.
ToastNotification is a tiny console tool which offers an alternative, at least for Windows 8 users. It allows you to display toast notifications -- pop-up status messages which disappear after a few seconds -- from your own scripts.
Emsisoft Anti-Malware and Emsisoft Internet Security 10 now available
Emsisoft has announced the release of Emsisoft Anti-Malware 10 and Emsisoft Internet Security 10.
The headline news is a dramatic cut in scan times, with a typical "Malware Scan" (aka the "Smart Scan" in previous editions) dropping from 13 minutes to 24 seconds.
Get location-based photo sharing with Snaptivity for Android
There’s no shortage of ways to share your photos with the world, but the free Android app Snaptivity does it differently: by time and location.
What does this mean? Imagine you’re taking a picture of a group of friends. Use Snaptivity, and it only takes a tap to share the shot with everyone in the photo (as long as they also have the app).
Lakka is a DIY retro games console emulator
If you’re a retro gaming fan then installing something like MAME gives you access to a host of classic arcade games on your PC.
You don’t need a modern PC to run some 25-year-old game, of course, but that’s where Lakka comes in. It’s a lightweight OpenELEC/ RetroArch-based Linux distribution which transforms small computers into retro games consoles.
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