Mike Williams

Berlin developer O&O Software has unveiled O&O SafeErase Professional 8 ($29.95), a new edition of its commercial secure deletion tool.

Version 8 delivers enhanced Explorer integration. If you spot files or folders you need to delete permanently, right-click them, select SafeErase, and there’s no waiting for the full program to load: a simple dialog now quickly appears with the core options you need.

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Your browser's misbehaving? It's a common problem, and you've probably got your own quick fixes: delete the cache, scan for malware, remove the last add-in you installed, whatever it might be.

Now Google is offering a little extra assistance with Chrome Software Removal Tool (CSRT), a Windows beta which scans for programs known to cause problems with Google Chrome and offers to remove them.

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EditShare has announced the release of Lightworks 12, its powerful non-linear video editor for Windows, Linux, and -- at last -- Mac.

The hugely extended Content Manager is a highlight. Everything is immediately accessible, there’s easier searching and filtering to help you find what you need, you can even drag and drop files directly into open bins as required.

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Acronis International has unveiled Acronis True Image 2015, a significant update for its popular PC (and Mac) backup tool.

An entirely new interface makes it easier than ever to run basic backups. Choose your source – which can now be "Entire PC" -- and destination, and it’s ready to go immediately.

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IObit has announced the release of IObit Uninstaller 4, an interesting extension of its freeware program uninstaller.

The program now has the ability to completely remove Windows 8 apps. A "batch uninstall" option ditches as many as you like in a single operation, and the "Powerful Scan" tool ensures there's no hard drive or Registry junk left behind.

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Windows remote desktop, VNC, telnet, SSH -- there are many ways to access a remote computer, and using them all can require a whole library of networking tools.

Fortunately, there are alternatives. The open source Terminals not only handles a lengthy list of protocols -- RDP, VNC, ISA, SSH, Telnet, RAS, HTTP, HTTPS -- but a tabbed interface means you’re able to open and manage multiple connections simultaneously.

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Piriform Ltd has released CCleaner 4.18 and CCleaner Portable 4.18, the latest versions of its popular Windows cleanup tool.

This time the big addition is a limited version of Active System Monitoring, a smart feature previously reserved for the commercial CCleaner Professional. Turn it on and CCleaner monitors your system, checking for junk, and lets you know when it’s time to clean up.

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ACD Systems has unveiled the latest versions of its flagship photo editors, ACDSee 18 ($79.99, $39.99 upgrade) and ACDSee Pro 8 ($199.99, $59.99 upgrade).

Both editions include a new Explorer extension, PicaView, which previews an image from its context menu and launches ACDSee with a click.

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There are hundreds of free audio editors around, and if your needs are basic -- trimming an MP3 here, maybe adjusting volume there -- then just about any of them will do.

Finding more capable editors can be a real problem, but there are a few around, and ocenaudio is a very interesting example.

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Cyotek has announced the release of Gif Animator 0.0.3.0, an updated beta of its ultra-configurable GIF creator.

The program can now export any or all of your animation frames as a sprite sheet, with your choice of columns, rows, margins, spacing and more (there’s WebP format support, too).

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CyberLink PowerDirector has long been one of the most powerful consumer video editors around, packed with functionality, yet still remaining very usable for just about every level of user.

PowerDirector 13 doesn’t bring any radical changes, and the core of the package remains much as before. Import your source files -- images, audio or video, even PowerPoint presentations -- and arrange them on the 100 track timeline. Apply effects and transitions by dragging and dropping, then preview and tweak each one as required.

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Symantec has announced the first full release of Norton Security ($79.99) and Norton Security with Backup ($89.99), its one-stop replacement for Norton Antivirus, Norton Internet Security and Norton 360.

The most obvious change is the revamped interface. It’s recognizably Norton -- if greener than usual -- with its many functions neatly organized under Security, Identity, Backup and Performance tabs.

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Versatile video converter/ downloader/ editor TEncoder has expanded its range even further with the addition of a DVD ripper.

Point the program at your disc video folder (\VIDEO_TS, probably), and you’re able to choose the title, start and end chapters, audio and subtitle track you’d like to rip.

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Most big-name audio players come with a few visualizations to liven up playback. Right-click inside Windows Media Player, click Visualizations, and you can have it display swirling clouds, spectrum-type bars, psychedelic ripples and space flight effects, amongst others.

These aren’t always great quality, though. There may not be much choice, and smaller audio players often don’t have a visualizer at all. But if you like the core idea, you can always improve the situation by installing the free Plane9.

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All-in-one free screengrab tool Grabilla has been updated to version 1.23 with the ability to capture scrolling windows.

This is ideal if you need to capture a long web page or other document. There’s no need to take and edit multiple grabs, as the program should handle everything for you.

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