Articles about Free Software

The classic free memory diagnostic tool MemTest86 has been maintained by author Chris Brady since 1994, but this has finally changed, with Australian company PassMark Software taking over the program this month.

It doesn’t seem like there’s any need for MemTest86 fans to be concerned, though. The program code remains open source, and so of course it’s still available to download for free.

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The Windows Run box has always been a quick and easy way to launch programs, but it’s not exactly packed with features. You can specify an application to launch, choose something you’ve run recently from the History list, and, well, that’s about it.

You don’t have to live with these limitations, though. Grab a copy of the new Run-Command and it’ll take your Run box to a whole new level.

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If you regularly edit images it's likely you'll occasionally find yourself with multiple copies of the same picture, and wonder how (or even if) they might be different. And that can be a surprisingly difficult question to answer.

Checking the file size might be a good place to start, of course (if they’re the same format, anyway). And visually comparing the pictures could help. But if you need to know for sure then you may want to try DiffImg, a simple tool which can highlight the pixel differences between any two images of the same size.

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Nitro PDF Pty Ltd has launched two major updates for its flagship PDF reader and authoring products. Nitro Reader 3.5 is its powerful freeware PDF reader app, also boasting PDF creation and limited editing and form-filling tools. Nitro Pro 8.5 is Nitro’s flagship PDF authoring product.

The headline new feature in this update is Nitro Pro 8.5’s ability to convert PDF files to Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 (PPTX) format as well as Word and Excel. Also added to both Nitro Pro 8.5 and Nitro Reader 3.5 are support for XML Forms Architecture (XFA) documents and the promise of vastly improved printing of images and text in PDF documents.

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When you’re having problems understanding an idea, or conveying it to someone else, then building a mind map can often help. Just the process of defining the core concepts and showing how they’re related will often make things very much clearer.

If you’re familiar with the basics then creating a map doesn’t require very much, of course -- a pen and paper will probably do. But if you’re a beginner to this kind of outlining approach then a little software-based assistance should help to make things clearer, and while it has some problems, InfoRapid KnowledgeBase Builder is an interesting place to get started.

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QR codes can be a very convenient way to convey URLs, images, text or other information to anyone who scans them with a compatible smartphone, or other mobile device.

And it’s just as easy to create QR codes for yourself. You don’t need to buy some complex package, in fact you don’t have to spend any cash at all: QrCodeR is an excellent Firefox extension which will create all the codes you need for free. (Although the author will happily accept -- and probably deserves -- donations, if you’re feeling generous.)

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Binary Fortress Software has released DisplayFusion 5.0, a brand new version of its multi-monitor management tool for Windows. DisplayFusion 5.0, which comes in Free and Pro editions, gives users more control over multi-monitor management.

Version 5.0 is a major update, adding more online wallpaper sources and a background gradient option for desktop wallpaper, while Pro users also gain a number of Windows 8 enhancements, plus options for flipping and rotating desktop wallpaper.

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Launch your PC and very soon there will be a host of processes making use of your internet connection. Your antivirus program might download new definitions; other programs will check for updates; your email client may scan for new messages, and of course there’s also your browser, download manager and anything else you’ve directly launched for some specific task.

If you have unlimited internet access and a speedy broadband connection, none of this will matter very much. But if you have limited bandwidth, a slow connection, or you’d just like to track your system’s network use, then installing NetTraffic could be a great way to monitor exactly what’s happening.

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The Windows HOSTS file is based on a simple idea -- it just redirects specific domain names to your preferred IP address -- but this has some very useful applications. If you want to block access to a particular website, for instance, just add its domain name to HOSTS, point it to an IP address representing your local system (127.0.0.1, usually), and you won’t be able to reach the site in any browser.

But that’s just the start. You could also use HOSTS to block advertising servers, and known malicious sites. And sometimes malware will tweak your HOSTS file to gain control over your internet access. If you want to review all this then you could just open HOSTS in Notepad, but HostsMan could be a much better option -- it’s a compact, portable and free HOSTS file manager with a stack of features.

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From a Captain Picard facepalm to a dancing Homer Simpson, there’s an animated GIF for every occasion. Which is one reason why they’re still regularly used in emails, forum posts, on web pages and so on. (Although another is probably compatibility: unlike more modern technologies, such as HTML5 or CSS3, animated GIFs work just about everywhere.)

If you’re tired of reposting one of the standard animations, though, why not create a new GIF of your own? It’s surprisingly easy. Any GIF Animator imports just about any video or YouTube clip, and once you’ve zoomed in on the section you’d like to use, can have a quality animated GIF ready and online in just a few seconds.

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Browser password manager LastPass 2.0.20 has been released for all major web browsers. The new release, also available for 64-bit versions of Windows is accompanied by the LastPass for Windows 8 app, which gives users access to their LastPass account directly from the Modern UI interface in Windows 8.

Version 2.0.20 now automatically calculates the user’s security score and displays it next to the Security Challenge link in the user’s vault. It also extends support -- albeit in beta -- to the Maxthon web browser.

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Take a photo with most digital cameras and by default you’ll get a JPG file, which is great for compatibility purposes, but does involve some compromises in image quality. And that’s because your picture will go through various processes before the final JPG is produced -- sharpening, adjusting colors and contrast, compressing the results -- and each step results in the loss of some information.

Take pictures using a camera’s RAW format, though (if it has one), will give you access to the full and unprocessed image data. And you can then apply any tweaks you like on a case by case basis, for the best possible results. You’ll probably need a specialist tool to access the RAW images, but that may not be a problem: Scarab Darkroom, for instance, is a very capable RAW converter with support for cameras by Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Samsung, and Sony, and you can download it and it entirely for free.

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Popular open-source image editor GIMP 2.8.4 FINAL has been released for Linux and Windows, with a Mac binary build due for release imminently. Version 2.8.4 is a minor stability release, but does contain a number of interesting improvements, including more responsive drawing -- particularly with the brush outline tool -- plus better names for the default filters when saving or exporting.

GIMP 2.8.4 will also be the second OS X release that runs natively on the Mac -- 2.8.0 and earlier required X11, and many improvements in this release are aimed specifically at that platform.

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Windows disc-burning tool BurnAware 6.0 Free has been released. This major update, also available with additional features as BurnAware 6.0 Premium (rebadged from Home Edition) and BurnAware 6.0 Professional, comes with an updated burning engine and a number of new features, including a new tool for checking discs for read errors.

BurnAware 6.0 also ships with a number of improvements, including the grouping of all burning elements at the bottom of the main form, and a number of notable bug fixes.

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The Calligra team has announced the release of version 2.6 of the Calligra Suite, Calligra Active and the Calligra Office Engine, a versatile Linux-based productivity suite.

The big news in this suite is the addition of Calligra Author, a specialized tool which aims to help authors through the process of creating eBooks, including the ability to add interactive content (animations, embedded web content, scripting, and more).

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