CCSIO Benchmark is a smarter way to test drive speeds
CCSIO Benchmark is an intelligent drive speed checker from Swiss-based storage expert Pipemetrics. The tiny portable program (210KB download) uses multiple combinations of options to automatically find the fastest possible read and write speeds for any storage device.
This means you’re not asked to make any of the usual testing options. You don’t have to try and decide which buffer size or count is best, which IO mode to use, because CCSIO always runs through every possible combination of settings.
Kdenlive is a powerful video editor for… Windows?
Kdenlive has been a popular non-linear video editor in the Linux world for a very long time, but the developers have also recently released a first Windows port.
The build doesn't skimp on functions: there's a full multi-track timeline and an array of effects and transitions to explore.
Riot Isolator is a versatile but quirky security toolkit
Riot Isolator is an unusual application which offers a host of powerful privacy and security tools in a single free package.
The program should normally be installed to deliver the best protection, but there’s an option to run it stand-alone, convenient for testing.
How to switch between windows of the same application on a PC
Windows enables switching from one application window to another by pressing Alt+Tab -- what could be easier?
Well, quite a lot, especially when you’ve got 30 or 40 windows open but are only interested in the ones belonging to the current application.
ColourGrab is a likeable color picker for Windows
ColourGrab is an easy-to-use color picker which enables speedy capture of any color on your screen, and reuse of its hex or RGB value elsewhere.
The program adds an icon to your system tray and can be activated with a click, or you can start grabbing immediately by pressing Alt+C (customizable).
PhotoPageGen 5.1 takes the pain out of creating slick web photo albums
One of the simplest ways to share photos with others is through a web album. If you’re looking to avoid a third-party service, or would like to distribute your album locally, then take a look at the newly updated PhotoPageGen 5.1 from Brian Donahoe.
PhotoPageGen takes a folder of photos and allows you to create an interactive web-based catalogue, complete with mapping tools, privacy functions and even YouTube video support.
mrViewer is a quirky but powerful media player
While most PC media players are identikit clones which bring nothing new to the playback, mrViewer is a rare exception. A program that has the courage to do things differently. Very differently…
This starts less than impressively with an oddball interface. Menu bars, ribbons, standard toolbars? MrViewer doesn’t have any of the usual UI chrome, and leaves you looking at tiny buttons with such informative text as "F" and "W".
NetAudit is a simple network toolkit
NetAudit is a portable network toolkit for Windows which combines simple Ping, Traceroute, Whois and connection monitoring features.
The program interface is a mess. There’s a useless list of processes; a Network Usage indicator which isn’t scaled properly so it’s almost always blank; big arrows with figures to presumably indicate total uploaded and downloaded data, although with no tooltips or labels it’s hard to tell.
StExBar extends Windows Explorer with some time-saving extras
StExBar is a tiny freeware tool which extends Windows Explorer with some handy features.
The program has been around for years, but it’s just been updated to work fully on Windows 10, so we grabbed a copy to see how it would perform.
WebCatalog runs your favorite web apps natively
WebCatalog is an open-source cross-platform tool which runs your favorite websites and services as native desktop applications.
A huge list of supported services includes Amazon, Basecamp, BBC iPlayer, Bing, Dropbox, Evernote, Facebook Messenger, Gmail (and just about every other Google app), iCloud, iCQ, OneDrive, Netflix, Outlook.com, Skype, Spotify, Twitter, WhatsApp, Wikipedia and more.
Over 60 percent of organizations hit by ransomware in 2016
Ransomware continues to be a major problem, a new report reveals that more than 60 percent of organizations suffered some form of ransomware attack in 2016.
The good news is that 54 percent successfully retrieved their data without resorting to paying the ransom. These are among the findings of the fourth-annual Cyberthreat Defense Report from security research firm CyberEdge Group.
wtrace is a process monitor for Windows
wtrace is an open-source console-based process monitor for Windows. It’s essentially a stripped-down version of Sysinternals Process Monitor which you can run at the command line.
The program is entirely portable, with no drivers or Windows services involved. Just unzip the single executable and run it from an elevated command line.
Firefox 52 lets you send tabs to other synced devices, ups the security ante
Mozilla has released Firefox 52.0 for Windows, Mac and Linux, with Firefox for Android 52.0 due imminently.
Firefox 52 now supports syncing tabs to specific devices, makes various improvements to the Downloads button and introduces a raft of security, developer and other enhancements. It’s also the final release for Windows XP and Vista users.
Lossless Cut trims videos with no loss of quality
LosslessCut is a simple open-source video editor which enables cutting and trimming videos without any loss of quality.
The program imports videos via the regular File > Open dialog, or via drag and drop. LosslessCut’s player is based on Chromium, so most browser-friendly formats are accepted (MP4, MOV, WebM, MKV, OGG, WAV, MP3, AAC, H264, Theora, VP8, VP9).
Three ways to inspect Google Chrome history
Viewing Google Chrome’s history is easy -- just press Ctrl+H -- but the standard window is basic, and doesn’t give you much information or control.
Using a third-party portable tool provides extra details on your recent browsing past, and may be a more convenient and stealthy choice if you’re hoping to check what someone else is doing in Chrome.
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