Internet Explorer at 18 -- Microsoft's web browser comes of age
It's a big day in anyone's life -- turning 18. The strike of the clock at midnight opens up a world of opportunity that simply did not exist before. Things may not be quite so dramatic in the life of a web browser (they can't vote, for starters), but today is a big day for Internet Explorer nonetheless; today marks the 18th anniversary of the release of Microsoft's much loved and hated browser. There's something of a nostalgia-fest underway at IE's Facebook page!
Whichever side of the fence you fall on, there's no denying that Internet Explorer has been, and continues to be, an incredibly important tool in opening up the Internet to a wider audience. Usage figures may not be quite as high as they were back in the heady days at the turn of the century when there was slightly less competition in the market, but IE continues to do well -- amazingly well considering the criticism and ridicule often levelled at it.
K-Lite Codec Pack bundles 32 and 64-bit codecs into a single package for the first time
Problems playing certain video or audio files on your PC? For a number of years now, K-Lite’s collection of Codec Packs have been the answer, making it possible to play most popular media formats. And now, with the launch of K-Lite Codec Pack 10.0, users will find it even simpler to play the formats they need.
Version 10’s headline feature is the incorporation of 32-bit and 64-bit codecs in a single package for convenience and flexibility, while the new version includes some universal filter updates, including LAV, xy-VSFilter and Icaros.
Ashampoo Home Designer improves startup wizard, adds new design tools
Ashampoo has released Home Designer 2.0, a brand new version of its 3D home planning tool. The new release comes with a number of new features, from support for variable ceiling heights to customizable roof styles to help users plan, design and decorate their dream home both inside and out.
The program’s extended project wizard -- which aims to simplify the process of using the tool -- comes with a number of new steps in version 2.0, including the ability to enter project data such as location, planner and building contractor.
NirSoft’s new EventLogSourcesView lets you make better use of Windows event logs
If a Windows application is misbehaving then browsing your event logs (Start > Run > eventvwr.msc) can sometimes tell you more, as they’ll typically reveal all kinds of error and status messages that aren’t visible any other way.
To find out whether this is worth your time, though, it would help to know whether the application can actually use the event logs to record anything. Most programs don’t bother to tell you, and Windows won’t either -- but that’s where EventLogSourcesView comes in.
Firefox 24 Beta 1 reveals tear-off social windows, 'Close tabs to right' feature
Hot on the heels of its Firefox 23 FINAL release, Mozilla has launched updates to its beta and alpha channels with the launch of Firefox 24.0 Beta 1 and Firefox Aurora 25.0a2 respectively.
The biggest changes in play can be found in Firefox 24.0 Beta 1, with a number of noteworthy new features and improvements, including another update to its burgeoning social API with support for tearing off chat windows to view them in a separate, floating window.
Run only trusted programs on your PC with SecureAPlus
Most antivirus tools try to keep you safe by identifying malware before it can do any harm. In principle this sounds like a good idea, but in practice it requires a lot of work to scan your files and monitor process behavior. And even then, it’ll often fail when confronted with brand new, previously undiscovered threats.
SecureAPlus takes a different approach. While it does include a basic antivirus engine, the core technology here is application whitelisting, which means only trusted programs are allowed to run automatically. If something unknown is launched then you’ll be alerted right away, and the program won’t be executed until you provide your express permission.
Trim Enabler for OS X boasts redesigned interface, adds Pro-only features
Oskar Groth has released Trim Enabler 3.0, his tool for enabling Trim on non-Apple SSD drives in OS X. The latest build continues to offer this core functionality, plus redesigns the user interface and adds some minor tweaks, for free, but also incorporates a new Pro version with extra functionality including benchmarking and advanced SMART monitor that can be unlocked for $10.
The most notable change in version 3.0 is the redesigned user interface, which takes its design cues from the forthcoming iOS 7. The app also adds menu bar support, allowing it to be accessed directly from the menu bar or "torn off" and placed in a standalone window.
Back up, sync and share your photos with Picturelife
There are many ways to back up or share your photos online. You’ll probably have some at Facebook, for instance. Perhaps more at Flickr. Or maybe just a folder at Dropbox or some other cloud storage site, where you can access them from any convenient browser.
Checking out yet another photo management service probably isn’t a task which ranks high on your list of priorities, then. But with Picturelife, at least, it could be worth the effort, because this isn’t just some "me too" site: it’s packed with genuine photo management power.
Paragon Partition Manager 2013 Free debuts new interface, adds Windows 8 support
Paragon Software has released a major new version of its free partitioning tool for Windows with the launch of Paragon Partition Manager 2013 Free. The new build introduces full support for Windows 8, a new user-friendly ribbon-based interface and removes the requirement for free registration.
The 2013 build also adds two new features -- including non-destructive partition conversion from NTFS -- but remains a cut-down version of the company’s more fully functional Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12.
FotoSketcher transforms your photos into works of art
David Thoiron has announced the release of FotoSketcher 2.50, his excellent tool for transforming digital photos into paintings, sketches, cartoons and more. And while it doesn’t exactly transform the program, the update does include one or two very welcome improvements.
Top of the list has to be the new linear halftoning effect. With its default settings this is a very effective abstraction tool, and delivers great results on both color and black and white images. But as usual with FotoSketcher, the effect has a host of configuration settings (Abstraction, Angle, Color Intensity, Texture and more), and it’s easy to produce more customized results to better suit individual images.
Connectify Lite sports new look, adds random password generator
Virtual router Connectify Lite 6.0 has been released, boasting a redesigned look, more flexible user interface and new menu bar alongside a random password generator.
Connectify makes it possible for users to turn their computer’s network connection -- wired or wireless -- into a personal Wi-Fi hotspot through their PC’s wireless network adapter. There is also a Pro version with enhanced and exclusive features not found in the free build.
Get an in-depth troubleshooting report on any PC with RegRun Reanimator
If you regularly help to troubleshoot PC problems for friends and family then you’ll know that understanding their system setup is a good place to start. This can be a challenge, though, particularly if they’re far away and you can’t get to visit the computer in question.
You could try to get around this by asking the system owner to run particular applets -- Device Manager, say -- and report on what they see. But that will also take a while, so it might be easier for them to install a single tool which can assemble a detailed report on their entire PC setup. And that’s precisely what you’ll get with RegRun Reanimator.
Depeche View Lite lets you quickly search and explore plain text files
Searching one or two plain text files is easy. Windows Search and Notepad will probably be enough. But when you need to browse ten files, a hundred, maybe even thousands, then you’re likely to need a little specialist assistance. And that’s where the free-for-personal-use Depeche View Lite comes in.
Point this tiny portable program at a location and it will open every plain text file in that folder tree (up to a maximum of 10,000 in this build, anyway -- the $40 commercial version is unrestricted). These are all displayed in a flat view, one above the other, and that alone can be useful as it’s easy to scroll down and browse them all.
Firefox 23 enables mixed content blocking, consolidates search settings
Mozilla has released Firefox 23.0 FINAL, the latest version of its open-source, cross-platform browser for Windows, Mac and Linux. The new build’s main highlight is the implementation of mixed-content blocking for improved security, but it also comes with a host of minor changes, including one that has already provoked a negative response from power users.
The controversial change is the consolidation of search default preferences so both Address bar and Search bar use the same default search engine. Previously Address bar searches defaulted to Google regardless of the default provider set in the Search bar.
Moborobo lets you manage iPhone or Android devices from your PC
If you’d like to manage your smartphone from a PC then just connecting the two devices should help you get started. Your device should show up in the Computer folder, and you’ll be able to drag and drop files to it, just like any other drive.
Need more? Then you might want to consider the free Moborobo. File transfers, backups, imports and exports are just the start of its abilities, and -- conveniently -- the program works both with Android devices and the iPhone.
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