Get Ashampoo WinOptimizer 8 for free, but hurry!
You can get hold of a full version of Ashampoo WinOptimizer 8, which normally retails for $39.99, completely for free, courtesy of Downloadcrew. This offer ends 23.59, Central European Time, on March 19, which is 6:59 pm EDT. You can download, install and register the software, completely free.
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 8 is a complete tool for maintaining, optimizing and securing your system. It’s packed with features -- version 8 added over 100 new features alone -- that will help you clean up, speed up and protect your PC.
Which Firefox should you choose -- 11, 12, 13 or 14?
As part of Mozilla’s rapid-release cycle program for its open-source, cross-platform browser, the recent release of Firefox 11 FINAL has now been followed by updates for its various developmental branches, namely Firefox 12 Beta, Firefox 13 Aurora, Firefox 14 Nightly and Firefox 14 UX.
Versions 11 and 12 feature little to excite the Firefox user base, but look further ahead and you’ll see some interesting new developments on the horizon. Read on to discover more about what’s happening with Firefox and to pick the perfect build for you.
Mozilla Thunderbird 11 moves the tabs, changes little else
Mozilla has updated its email messaging client with the release of Thunderbird 11 FINAL. Version 11 introduces a slightly tweaked user interface -- tabs are now placed above the menu bar -- and promises to improve startup times and overall responsiveness.
Version 11’s lack of notable new features is disappointing, but Mozilla’s release of Earlybird 13.0a2, an early alpha version of Thunderbird, hints at more radical changes to follow.
Six years of betas later, Audacity 2.0 debuts
It’s official. More than six years after its last stable release, Audacity 2.0 is now available. This open-source, cross-platform audio recording, editing and mixing tool is often bundled with audio hardware devices and has garnered a huge following since it first appeared.
Audacity 2.0 is based on the 1.3.x beta channel, which means those currently running this version of Audacity, the only version to support the latest Windows and OS X operating systems, won’t notice any differences between this and the latest beta release (1.3.14) that appeared in December.
Got Windows 64-bit and want the latest Firefox? Try Waterfox 11 instead
Hot on the heels of the slightly delayed official unveiling of Firefox 11 FINAL comes Waterfox 11.0, an optimized build of the Firefox source code for Windows 64-bit users.
Waterfox 11.0 contains exactly the same updates as Firefox 11 (see below), plus one major change of its own, a switch from AMD’s Core Math Library (ACML) to the AMD LibM library, which is optimized for 64-bit processors.
Nitro Reader 2.3 uses less memory, improves digital signing
Nitro PDF has updated its free PDF reader and creator, Nitro Reader, to version 2.3. The latest version, which is also available as a 64-bit app promises improved performance through reduced memory usage, plus revamps its QuickSign signature tool and adds a smattering of new features in addition to various bug fixes.
Nitro Reader has carved itself a niche in the PDF reader market by providing a feature-rich application that includes powerful PDF creation tools as well as viewing ones, all without delivering ads or nags to upgrade to a paid-for version. Version 2.3 aims to maintain its lead in the feature stakes while significantly cutting back on its system demands.
Apple releases Safari 5.1.4 -- get it NOW!
For Apple, the past week was about post-PC devices and apps; now comes Mac software. Today Safari 5.1.4 released, and despite the very small x.x.1 version number increase, there is a massive improvement in JavaScript performance to look forward to, as well as the usual plethora of bug fixes and general tweaks.
Any claims about performance increases for software are usually open to interpretation and individual user experiences will differ from one machine to another. However, Apple claims that users running a reasonably specified system should be able to reap the benefits of up to an 11 percent improvement in JavaScript performance. This can do a lot to improve the responsiveness of websites, but there are also a number of other improvements included in the browser.
Get in sync with Bitdefender Safebox
Security firm Bitdefender has launched Safebox, a new cloud-based backup, sync and share solution. Safebox, which is currently available for Windows and Android, with an iOS version in the pipeline, offers users 2GB free online storage space, with the option to upgrade to 30GB and 60GB packages.
Like competing products, Safebox allows users to back up selected folders to the cloud where they’re encrypted for storage, synchronizing with other devices and sharing with selected users.
Firefox 11 is available -- get it NOW!
If you can’t wait for Mozilla to officially unveil the next stable version of its web browser, the good news is that you can download Firefox 11 FINAL now. One again, minor changes and additions are the order of the day with this new release: add-ons can now be synchronized via Firefox Sync, while those migrating from Google Chrome will find limited support for importing bookmarks and other settings from the browser.
Developers will also be pleased to see additional tools added to the raft of new features introduced in Firefox 9, including a CSS Style Inspector and Tilt (3D) view for the Page Inspector, while Firefox 11 Mobile for Android, finally gains Flash support on Android 2.3 and earlier.
Got Windows 8? You need EaseUS Partition Master 9.1.1
The days of having to pay to repartition your hard drive without data loss are long gone, and as time has gone on, partitioning tools have become more and more sophisticated, even for those unwilling (or unable) to pay for the privilege.
Take EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition for instance. Already one of the most fully functional free partition managers out there, version 9.1.1 has just been released, adding support for Windows 8.
Make Windows 8 work for you
The next version of Windows is nearly here. If you missed it, you can now download and install a fully functional pre-release in the form of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview. We recommend following our recent guide to installing it in a virtual environment so your main system is left untouched, but once it’s up and running, what then?
Whether you plan to use the Consumer Preview to familiarize yourself with the next version of Windows, or decide to migrate across now, you’ll want to know how your apps are going to fare. Read on then, for our guide to picking the perfect software packages to help you with your exploration of the next generation of Windows.
Run Office 2010 or Quicken 2012 for Windows on your Mac
Codeweavers has announced the launch of CrossOver XI, its commercial port of the open-source Wine application that allows Linux and Mac users to run Windows applications without having to install Windows itself.
CrossOver XI sees the two previously available separate editions of CrossOver, Games and Pro, incorporated into a single application, and includes numerous platform updates and improvements. It also promises support for a wider range of applications than before, including Microsoft Office 2010.
Adobe releases Photoshop Lightroom 4, cuts price by half
Adobe has released version 4 of its photo cataloguing and editing tool Photoshop Lightroom. This high-end tool, aimed at photography professionals and enthusiasts, debuts with new basic video-editing capabilities and more photo-editing controls, among other improvements.
Photoshop Lightroom 4 also costs 50-percent less for new users: $149 for new users, and $99 for upgraders, compared to $299 and $99, respectively, for version 3. A 30-day trial is available for download for Windows and Mac users.
Get Genie Timeline Home 2.1 for free NOW, before we run out of giveaway licenses
Considering how important it is, backing up in Windows is never as simple as it should be. Until now. Genie Timeline Home 2.1 reduces the backup process to just three steps: pick your backup drive, choose what to backup and then set your backup options. It comes with disaster recovery options, so you’ll never be left without your data and is constantly working quietly in the background ensuring your backup is fully up to date.
All of this powerful and useful technology could one day save you in all kinds of different ways: hundreds of dollars in data recovery fees, your job or even your marriage (imagine telling your better half what happened to those priceless photos when your hard drive crashed). That’s got to be worth something, right?
Postbox 3.03 adds archiving features
Postbox, Inc. has updated its cross-platform, commercial email client with a minor update. Postbox 3.0.3 includes a number of enhancements, some platform-specific, plus fixes a number of issues, including one that meant the “Check this folder for new Mail” feature didn’t work with IMAP accounts.
Postbox 3.0 released last November and introduced tighter integration with a range of third-party apps and services, including Gmail, Dropbox, Facebook and Twitter. The full version costs $29.95, and a 30-day trial is available.
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