Pazera Free Audio Extractor 2.0 now available
Pazera Free Audio Extractor is an excellent tool for saving video soundtracks as audio files which was just upgraded to version 2.0 with a host of welcome additions and improvements.
The previous edition supported all the main video and audio formats, but 2.0 adds even more. The new formats are M4B, WebM, OGV, OGA, DTS, DTS-HD, EAC3, AIFF, GSM, MP1, QCP (qcelp), RA, TrueHD, VQF, MP4V, MKA, M2TS, MTS, WTV, F4V, F4P, F4A, F4B, VIDEO, M4R and AVS files, while your audio tracks can be saved as MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, AC3, FLAC, WAV, and -- new this time -- M4A.
Securely delete confidential files with BitKiller
If you ever work with personal or confidential documents then you’ve probably considered using a shredder, a tool which overwrites your files so they can’t be recovered by others. And there are plenty around: searching for "secure delete" returns lots of capable programs in just the first few hits.
Which file shredder is best for you, though? Most recommendations focus largely on the length of their feature list, but if you’re just looking for something simple, a convenient way to get the job done with the minimum of hassle, then BitKiller could be more interesting.
Cupcloud lets you save your work, then restore it later on any PC or Mac
You’re at work, tied up with some major project: browser tabs are open, maybe a Word document, while you’re adding polish to some graphics in Photoshop. And deadlines are looming, so you’d like to carry on at home. What do you do?
If you’ve set up a syncing service like Dropbox then your key documents will probably be accessible already; if not, you can always just copy them to a USB key. But for real convenience, you might prefer Cupcloud. Click "Cup" and your application states are saved; click "Uncup" later, on this computer, or another PC and Mac, and the programs reopen, just as they were. Easy.
Sound Valley brings the relaxing sounds of nature to your PC
Working on your PC isn’t generally a great way to wind down, but if you’re stressed out after a hard day then Sound Valley might be able to help. It’s a small and simple tool which plays the sounds of nature -- birdsong, wind in the trees, rain, streams and more -- gently in the background, while you just relax.
The program looks like a simple but stylish media player. Click "Play" and Sound Valley plays its first scene, "Forest -- Day". You’ll hear a stream gurgling nearby, various birds singing, perhaps the rustle of the undergrowth in the background. It’s nicely done, and very restful.
Easily delete locked files with Reboot Delete File Ex
Deleting files on a PC is normally very easy. If they’re locked, though -- being accessed by another program -- then Windows won’t allow you to touch them. Tools like Unlocker try to help out by unlocking the files themselves, but this is a dangerous approach which risks crashing your PC. Reboot Delete File Ex offers a marginally alternative: point the program at the offending file and it’ll have Windows to delete it when your system next restarts.
There’s nothing complicated to this process at all, but the program still requires installation, most probably because it wants to equip your PC with a toolbar. If you’re not interested then watch carefully during setup, and click "Decline" as appropriate.
BleachBit now digitally signed, adds Explorer integration
It’s taken almost five years to get there, but disk cleanup and shredding tool BleachBit has finally reached version 1.0 with some welcome new features.
The Windows installer and executable are now digitally signed, so users shouldn’t be hassled with "unknown publisher" alerts any more.
Easily retrieve 200+ product keys with Windows License Key Dump
Reinstalling Windows and your applications is a hassle for many reasons, but the greatest is probably the time it takes to find your various license keys. Are they on a CD box, a sleeve, in an email, online, somewhere else? You’ll have hours of fun finding out.
Windows License Key Dump can help by finding the product key for Windows, along with many other applications (Acrobat, Creative Suite, Photoshop, Norton Internet Security, TuneUp Utilities, VMWare Workstation and so on), and displaying them all in a single report.
Adobe Brackets is a powerful source code editor for the web
If you’ve tried more than your share of source code editors, then Brackets probably won’t make much of a first impression. It may have been launched by Adobe in 2012, but this open-source tool still looks a little basic, not something you’d want to use for serious work.
Actually try the program, though, and you’ll soon feel very differently. It’s very much a work-in-progress (the project is still only at version 0.34), but already Brackets is proving to be a capable editor with some very interesting features.
IObit Advanced SystemCare Ultimate 7 Beta 1 showcases real-time protection
Hot on the heels of the recently released Uninstaller 3, IObit has launched the first public pre-release version of its forthcoming commercial system and security suite, IObit Advanced SystemCare Ultimate 7 Beta 1. The new build adds official support for Windows 8, 8.1 and Internet Explorer 11, but also bundles a new anti-virus engine with real-time protection.
The update also debuts a revamped user interface similar to found in IObit Uninstaller (and in Advanced SystemCare 7 Free), and throws in some potentially useful new tools along with performance improvements.
Remotely control a PC from your smartphone with ROCCAT Power-Grid
It’s been in development for a long time, but PC remote control app ROCCAT Power-Grid is finally available for iOS and Android devices. And so you’re now able to view your PC’s status, launch and control programs, monitor emails/ Twitter/ Facebook, play music and more, all from the comfort of your own smartphone.
This is just the start, though. You’re also able to create your own "grids", collections of tools which help you to control particular programs or perform various tasks. It’s possible to download and install grids created by others, too, and just browsing these will give you an idea of what Power-Grid can do.
7+ Taskbar Tweaker adds even more desktop tricks
RaMMichaeL’s excellent 7+ Taskbar Tweaker has been updated to version 4.4 with the inclusion of even more tweaks and customizations. A new "Hide the Start button" option does exactly what you’d expect, for instance, saving useful taskbar space. And yes, it works in Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.
If you need another way to launch the Start menu or Start screen, then good news: install 7+ Taskbar Tweaker 4.4 and double or middle-clicking empty taskbar space will do just that.
DVDStyler extends slideshow support
Alex Thuring has released DVDStyler 2.6, the latest revision of his open-source video DVD authoring tool for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Previous editions have been able to create video slideshows from your chosen images. DVDStyler improves on this by adding support for a few transitions -- fade in/ out, and four wipes -- as well as allowing you to loop your slideshow audio.
AndreaMosaic transforms your photos into hi-res works of art
If you’d like to do something different with your digital photos then most image editors provide at least some artistic effects you can try. They’re not always that interesting, though, and after you’ve tried ten "Oil Painting" filters which don’t produce anything vaguely painting-like, it’s tempting to just give up. But wait: there is another option.
AndreaMosaic is a free tool for creating photo mosaics, pictures which are themselves built up of other images (check the program samples page if you’ve not seen these before). The technique only takes a few minutes to master, but delivers pictures with an appealing, abstracted look, which look great on anything from a Facebook thumbnail to an A3 page (or even larger printed formats).
IObit Uninstaller 3 adds browser plug-in removal and file shredding tools
IObit has released IObit Uninstaller 3.0, a major, redesigned update of its application uninstall utility. Application uninstallers have never had much of a reputation for thoroughly cleaning up after the programs they’re supposed to remove, which is where the likes of IObit Uninstaller come into their own, hunting down leftover files and Registry entries to offer a more complete removal.
Version 3.0 debuts a redesigned and simplified user interface, adds full support for Windows 8/8.1 and now incorporates browser plug-in removal functionality too alongside a number of more minor tweaks.
System Mechanic license giveaway -- get yours now!
While Windows, at least arguably so, has become more efficient with each new version, it's still far from fault-free. System problems still rear ugly heads -- check the action center and you will likely find something awaiting you. There is no end to the amount utilities that purport to help you fix these errors, but some are useless and a few are just malware, so it's frequently best to go with a reputable piece of software, even if it costs a few dollars.
System Mechanic describes itself as "an all-in-one PC tune-up utility software suite that analyzes, fixes, optimizes, and maintains Windows computers. It incorporates multiple patented and patent-pending technologies, such as ActiveCare, a technology that allows the program to run automatic maintenance scans and repairs on a Windows PC while a computer is on but not in use".
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