FotoSketcher adds new knife-painting effect, improves existing brushstrokes filter
Freeware digital art creation tool FotoSketcher 2.45 has been released by French author David Thoiron. FotoSketcher, also available in portable form, provides quick and easy tools for Windows users wishing to transform digital photos into virtual works of art.
Version 2.45 introduces a new stylized effect (Emergence 2) and improves on an existing brushstrokes-based effect. It also includes a number of minor bug fixes and coincides with the author making a series of scripts available for download.
Panda Cloud Antivirus adds Data Shield, Parental Control and Rescue Boot creator
Bilbao, Spain-based Panda Security has released Panda Cloud Antivirus Free 2.2, a major new version of the company’s cloud-based antivirus tool. Version 2.2 adds a number of notable new features, including protection against data theft through malware infection and parental control tools.
The new version also bundles a bootable rescue creation tool and also adds support for access in Safe mode, ensuring it’s more capable of dealing with stubborn malware that proves hard to shift or even cripples the user’s PC entirely.
TweetDeck 3 for Windows unveils new design and better navigation
Twitter has released TweetDeck 3.0.2 for Windows, a major new build of its desktop Twitter client. The new release adds support for minimizing the application to the Taskbar Notification area, plus unveils a new layout, followers column and additional search filters.
TweetDeck is designed to make it easier to track real-time conversations as well as monitor specific Twitter feeds or hashtags through the use of a multi-columned layout. Users can also access TweetDeck via their browser using its web-based app, which also recently gained a redesign.
WordWeb 7 offers a universal dictionary, thesaurus, and spellchecker
UK-based WordWeb Software has released WordWeb Free 7.0, a major new version of its universal spellchecker and thesaurus tool for English-speaking Windows users. When running, users can look up definitions for words as well as alternatives such as synonyms from any application by holding the [Ctrl] key as they right-click the word in question.
Version 7.0 offers new and revised definitions and related words, along with updated audio pronunciations. One-click integration with other programs has also been improved, along with support for 64-bit systems and Windows 8.
Opera Mail says goodbye to the browser and goes it alone
Opera has unveiled the first stable release of its standalone mail client. Opera Mail is based on the integrated Opera email client found in the current version of Opera 12.15 FINAL, but which is due to be dropped from the next major release of Opera (currently in alpha as Opera 15.0 Next).
Opera Mail promises to be both lightweight and fast, and while mirroring the functionality found in previous versions of Opera, which includes features such as labelling, filtering, multiple tabs and thread support.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 shows off advanced healing brush, smart straighten tool
Veteran US developer Adobe has released Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 for Windows and Mac. Photoshop Lightroom is aimed at improving digital photographs, and version 5 debuts some major new features, including an Advanced Healing Brush for removing unwanted elements from photos.
Other new features include Upright, a smart straightening tool, Radial Gradient, smart previews, video slideshows and the promise of better photo book creation.
Dropbox Experimental Edition reveals future path for the cloud backup solution
Cloud backup and storage provider Dropbox has released Dropbox Experimental Edition 2.3.12, a pre-release version of its desktop client for Windows, Mac and Linux. The new build introduces several new features -- some restricted by OS -- designed to help simplify the import of photos and other images into the user’s Dropbox account.
At the same time, Dropbox 2.2.0 Release Candidate as quietly slipped out, confirming that the next stable release of Dropbox -- currently at version 2.0.26 -- will go straight to version 2.2, skipping the whole 2.1.x release branch that was previously being used to preview new features.
Recuva now lets users filter deep scan results by file type
Piriform has released Recuva 1.47 and Recuva Portable 1.47, new versions of its freeware data recovery tool for Windows PCs. Version 1.47 comes with one major new feature -- the ability to filter results by file type during deep scans -- along with a number of minor tweaks and improvements.
Recuva 1.47 allows users to recover lost and deleted data from hard drives -- the Portable build can be unzipped and run directly from a removable device such as a thumb drive, ensuring data isn’t written to the drive users are trying to recover data from.
Kingsoft Office 2013 Free revamps interface, improves support for new Office formats
Hong Kong-based developer Kingsoft Software has released KingSoft Office Suite Free 2013, a brand new version of its sleek free alternative to Microsoft Office. Version 9.1.0.4056 makes its bow with a redesigned user interface with choice of three skins, plus improves support for the latest Office formats. There’s better support for foreign characters as well as date and number formats too, while users can now undo changes even after saving documents.
The suite consists of three tools -- Writer, Spreadsheets and Presentation -- all of which gain specific new features and improvements. All three sport a ribbon-based user interface with one key advantage over Office’s own: the ability to view and switch between multiple documents in a single tabbed window.
Gmail for Android unveils radical new design, adds support for tabs
Google has released Gmail for Android 4.5, a radical new version of its Google Mail client for Android smartphones. At the present time, the update is slowly making its way to users through the Google Play store, with the intention being all users will be able to update or install the latest version within the next few weeks.
We’ve managed to get hold of a sneaky copy, and can reveal it’s as radical an update as anticipated, with a revamped user interface and support for new features such as Gmail tabs and pull-to-refresh. As expected, these new features require a handset or tablet running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or later -- those running earlier versions of Android get version 2.3.6, with minor bug fixes.
Get detailed system information and benchmark your PC with AIDA64
Budapest developer FinalWire Ltd has released AIDA64 Extreme Edition 3.00 and AIDA64 Business Edition 3.00, a major new version of its diagnostic and benchmarking tools for Windows PCs.
The new release comes with completely rewritten memory bandwidth and latency benchmarks, along with optimized 64-bit benchmarks for AMD "Kabini" and Intel "Haswell" processors, plus support for the latest generation of AMD Radeon and nVIDIA GeForce graphics chips.
MacFamilyTree and MobileFamilyTree bring family history alive on Mac and iOS
Synium Software has released MacFamilyTree 7.0 and MobileFamilyTree 7.0, brand new versions of its acclaimed family history software for Mac, iPhone and iPad. Both MacFamilyTree and MobileFamilyTree are built from the same architecture, sharing the majority of features as well as a practically identical user interface.
Both versions gain significant new features and improvements in version 7.0, including redesigned user interface, improved source management tools and iCloud integration for keeping research backed up and in sync between computers and mobiles. In addition, MacFamilyTree 7.0 gains high-definition maps for the first time with an improved Virtual Globe chart.
Protect your PC from malicious threats with Emsisoft Anti-Malware
Emsisoft has released minor updates for its commercial and free anti-malware tools with the publications of Emsisoft Anti-Malware 7.0.0.25 and Emsisoft Emergency Kit 3.0.0.6. Although minor, both updates are strongly recommended for existing users.
Emsisoft Anti-Malware 7.0.0.25 builds on the improvements introduced with the release of version 7 last September. Major new features in that build included a second malware scanning engine -- Bitdefender -- being added alongside Emsisoft’s own along with performance tweaks for advanced users who wished to control how many system resources should be given over to the program.
Keep your passwords secure with Dashlane for Windows, Mac and Android
Dashlane, Inc has launched Dashlane 2.0 for desktop and Dashlane for Android 2.0.1, major new updates of its secure password management tool that allows users to securely store sensitive personal details such as online passwords and credit card information via free desktop and mobile apps.
Both builds gain a complete new user interface, the promise of a "massive jump" in product quality and support for two-factor authentication via Google Authenticator. In addition the desktop build gains a new Security Dashboard feature, while the Android version expands support for tablets and adds in-app browsing.
Feedly lets your RSS feeds live on after Google Reader's death
It’s common knowledge that Google is closing its Google Reader service, and that July 1 deadline is creeping ever closer. Now is the perfect time to switch to an alternative service and become acclimatized to a slightly different way of working, and the good news is that you can make the switch in minutes without having to perform any convoluted tricks, thanks to Feedly.com.
There are two ways to access Feedly -- if you’re on a desktop or laptop, you’ll need to install the Feedly for Firefox, Chrome and Safari plug-in, and if you’ve an Android or iOS mobile, you’ll want to install Feedly 15.0.1 instead (or in addition to) in order to access the service.
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