Free Software

Google has unveiled Chrome 36 FINAL for Windows, Mac and Linux, with Chrome for Android 36 rolling out shortly. The desktop update adds a couple of user interface tweaks under the label "rich notifications improvements".

It also updates the incognito browsing page, adds a browser crash recovery bubble that could help prevent data loss and extends the Chrome App Launcher to Linux, plus adds various under-the-hood tweaks.

PassMark Software has announced the release of OSForensics 3.0, a major update for its excellent PC investigation suite.

A stack of new viewers tell you more about your target system. The Prefetch viewer reveals when (and how frequently) applications have been run; the ThumbCache viewer displays thumbnails cached by Explorer, and the ESE Database viewer gives access to a host of low-level Windows information.

French developer David Thoirin has released FotoSketcher 2.90, an update to his freeware Windows program for transforming digital photos into works of art.

The major new feature is a second watercolor effect (Edit > Drawing Parameters > Painting 9), which Thoirin has described as using "a loose style (with transparency)… based on a new segmentation algorithm".

Oracle has released VirtualBox 4.3.14, the latest in a series of maintenance fixes for its cross-platform, part-open-source virtualization program.

Version 4.3.14 includes a wide range of fixes and tweaks, including one that sees the Mac build now include Blu-ray devices when scanning for host CD and DVD drives. Windows hosts should also now be able to install or upgrade VirtualBox without having to reboot their system.

It’s all change for media server TVersity with a new major release. The old Basic version has been retired and in its place comes TVersity Media Server Free 3.0, which offers identical functionality to the Pro version minus the ability to transcode audio and video when required.

Version 3 also shows off a brand new and simplified user interface, introduces support for hardware-accelerated H.264 encoding in the Pro build and adds support for both Roku and Chromecast.

Small home networks can take a while to set up -- especially if you’re a networking novice -- but once they’re up and running, there’s usually little else to do. Everything just works. And if it doesn’t, there’s generally a simple explanation (something’s been unplugged or turned off).

Add a few more systems, some of which are really important (a business server), and it’s another story. Problems quickly become complex, and have to be fixed right now.  To keep up it’s important to manage your network more carefully, and Axence nVision Free is the ideal program to help.

WindowsX has released Windows 8 UX Pack 9.0 and Windows 8 Transformation Pack 9.0, new builds for its Windows skinning tools.

Each tool allows users to emulate the newer Windows 8.1 user interface on PCs running older versions of Windows -- the UX Pack works with Windows 7 or later, the Transformation Pack works with Vista and XP also.

dotPDN LLC has released Paint.NET 4.0.1, a minor -- but important -- update to the recently released Paint.NET 4.0. Version 4.0.1 is primarily a major bug fix release, but does include some performance optimizations too.

Existing users will be prompted to update the software when launching it, or can manually check via the Settings > Updates > Check Now menu. Alternatively, simply download the latest version and install it over the top of the existing build.

Screen sharing tools are great when you need to show someone else what’s happening on your own computer. You connect, do whatever you like, and your contact can follow every step.

If the remote user wants to make use of the other computer, however, it’s often more difficult. There’s still only one mouse cursor, so you’ll need to negotiate who can use it at any one time -- not exactly convenient.

It used to be very basic, but Windows 7 saw Calculator evolve into a capable tool, with the addition of statistics, programmer, unit conversion and date calculation modes, amongst others.

The Calculator interface isn’t always the easiest to navigate, though, and if you’re more interested in speed and convenience then you might prefer Numculator.

Apple has rolled out iTunes 11.3, the latest update to its popular media tool for Mac and Windows. Version 11.3, which is also available as a separate 64-bit build for Windows, extends its iTunes Extras feature to HD movies.

iTunes Extras include additional featurettes -- some of which may be interactive -- to accompany movies, such as behind-the-scenes documentaries, director’s commentary and high-resolution image galleries.

Binary Fortress Software has announced the release of ShellSend 2.0, the latest edition of its free tool for sending emails from the command line.

The new build adds an extra parameter which specifies the email body text, rather than pointing the program at a separate text file.

When it comes to purchasing new software, many organizations do so to increase efficiency, save time, and reduce costs. This is particularly true of nonprofits, which often have limited staff and busy schedules.

Enter "free" software: on its surface, a simple, cost-effective solution. However, free software isn’t always free, and nonprofit executives often learn this the hard way: after incurring costs from implementation, consultants, ancillary features, support, and ongoing maintenance. These costs add up to more than a solution with an upfront cost but long-term savings. Here are pitfalls to avoid and tips to help you select something that will be a better fit for you, your nonprofit, and your budget over the long haul.

Microsoft has had a hard job convincing people of the merits of the Windows Modern UI in Windows 8, so any help it can get to make the Start screen in particular more useful has got to be a good thing. With that in mind, it can only applaud Russian software developer Greatis Software.

The folk at Greatis are the brains behind a collection of gadgets and tools for making the Start Screen that bit more useful. Step forward, Start Screen Unlimited Lite 2.0.

If you’ve taken a video which you’d like to share with others, it can often be useful to include a few frames as well. They’ll give your recipients an immediate idea of the contents, and might help them find the movie again later.

Batch Video to Image Extractor is a free tool which can help by extracting image frames from one or more videos. At its simplest, just drag and drop your source videos, decide how many frames you need, and you’re ready to go.