System Mechanic 14: An excellent PC maintenance suite, packed with capable features [Review]
Keeping your PC running smoothly can be a complicated, time-consuming business. There are so many important issues to consider that even expert users can struggle to monitor them all.
Iolo’s System Mechanic 14 claims it can help by cleaning up your system, optimizing settings, and then running in the background, fixing problems as soon as they appear. This isn’t just marketing spin, either, as over the years the suite has built up a very impressive feature list. There are tools to clean and defragment your hard drive, repair the Registry, find and fix system problems, tune your internet connection, even optimize running processes in real time.
Geekbench offers redesigned and simplified results view, adds ARMv8 support
Primate Labs has updated its cross-platform, flagship benchmark tool with the release of Geekbench 3.2 for desktop and Android. Also available on iOS, the latest build’s main highlight is a redesigned results page.
The redesign aims to simplify how results are shown, particularly on mobile platforms. Version 3.2 also comes with added support for the forthcoming 32-bit ARMv8 processor due to launch on Android later this year.
Emsisoft Internet Security 9 integrates firewall into existing anti-malware protection
Emsisoft GmbH has unveiled its first integrated security suite for Windows in the form of Emsisoft Internet Security 9.0. The suite comprises all the functionality of Emsisoft Anti-Malware, plus the core engine from its Online Armor firewall.
Emsisoft Internet Security promises the same lean and efficient protection as the standalone Anti-Malware tool, while adding in a user-optimised version of its firewall that -- unlike Online Armor -- is designed to be as beginner-friendly as possible.
Quickly search 50-plus torrent sites with Bit Che
Finding a particular torrent isn't always easy, and you might have to visit several search engines before you spot the one you need.
Bit Che is a free PC program which offers an interesting alternative, quickly running searches on 50-plus torrent sites in a single operation.
Web security scanner Netsparker gets a thorough testing
Web security specialist and Microsoft MVP Troy Hunt has published a detailed review of the web security scanner Netsparker.
Hunt tested the application by pointing it at a test site with "about 50 serious security vulnerabilities" and checking exactly what it managed to uncover.
VMWare Fusion 7 promises OS X Yosemite support and optimization, better connectivity with Windows 8.1
VMware has launched VMWare Fusion 7.0, a major new version of its virtualization software for Macs. Version 7 adds support for OS X Yosemite and improves compatibility with Windows 8.1 guests.
The new release also shows off a new look, designed to fit in with Yosemite on its launch, plus promises improved performance, better connectivity with peripherals and Retina display optimizations.
CCleaner 4.17 improves browser cleanup
Popular system optimization tool CCleaner has been updated to version 4.17 with a series of mostly browser-related improvements.
The official release notes say the new build -- also available in a portable version -- adds "Google Chrome and Opera GPU cache cleaning". We’re not entirely sure what that involves, but it’s here anyway: let’s see if it makes a difference.
Patients beware: Surgeon Simulator out now on Android
Wannabe medical students everywhere, it’s time to rejoice: popular PC game Surgeon Simulator is finally out on Android.
As usual, you get to save the lives of your grateful patients on a daily basis. Or butcher them mercilessly; it’s your call, really.
Panda 2015 consumer range now available
Panda Security has announced the launch of its 2015 consumer range, claiming that it’s "lighter, safer and easier to use than ever before".
Protection is improved with the new XMT (Extreme Malware Terminator) Smart Engineering engine. This isn't just marketing spin, either: the latest AV-Test and AV-Comparatives reports both saw XMT-powered products at the top of the list.
Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 6 adds new portrait tools, photo effects, delivers UI improvements
German developer Ashampoo has unveiled Photo Optimizer 6, the first major new build of its fast, user-friendly photo tool for over two years.
The program adds a number of new portrait-enhancing tools and a slew of extra effects, but also delivers various "structure" improvements to the user interface and promises a more efficient, faster image-editing tool. It also drops support for Windows XP.
Parallels Access 2.1 improves Lock’N’Go Magnifying Glass feature, supports Google+ login
Parallels IP Holdings GmbH has launched Parallels Access for iPad and iPhone 2.1 and Parallels Access for Android 2.1, a useful new update to its desktop remote control app.
Version 2.1 now allows users to sign in using their Google+ accounts, plus promises slicker drag-and-drop performance when using the Lock’N’Go magnifying glass among other improvements and the usual stability fixes.
Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 10 [Review]
Do you really need separate applications to cover your design needs, whether photo editing, digital art or simple design tasks like producing flyers and scrapbooks? For those who want everything in one package, Xara has the answer.
Xara Photo & Graphic Designer can’t compete with the very best specialist tools like Photoshop, but it’s certainly a match for most. And that’s even after you realize that it’s effectively bundling two or three design packages in one for a very price. And for most people that will be enough.
CyberLink Media Suite 12 Ultimate: A great value-for-money bundle [Review]
After almost 20 years developing multimedia software, it’s no surprise that CyberLink has some impressive products. But they can seem expensive. PowerDVD is definitely a versatile and feature-packed media player, but if you’re used to freeware then its $99.95 list price might send you elsewhere.
Fortunately CyberLink’s Media Suite 12 Ultimate offers a more value-for-money option, providing a big chunk of the CyberLink range -- a total of fifteen products -- for as little as $139.95.
Printworks gives Mac users a user-friendly, yet surprisingly powerful, design tool
Belight Software has released Printworks 1.0 for Mac. Launching with a discounted price of $29.99 (normally $49.99), the app is a fully fledged desktop publishing and design tool aimed at the home and small business market.
The app’s main appeal is that it manages to wrap up all the core functionality required for designing a wide range of documents -- including flyers, newsletters and greetings cards -- in a user interface that’s simple to grasp and places all the key tools at the user’s fingertips.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2015: An accurate and reliable security suite [Review]
Kaspersky Internet Security 2015 is a capable product which delivers everything you’d expect from a security suite: antivirus, firewall, browsing protection, a spam filter and more. The technology scores highly with the independent testing labs, too, so we were interested to see what the new build had to offer.
Installation was quick and easy. Unlike some of the competition, you’re not forced to remove anything else vaguely security-related: Kaspersky warns you about possible conflicts, but whether you uninstall any problem programs is up to you.
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