Articles about Software

Video Comparer is an interesting commercial tool which can find similar videos by their content.

The key word here is "similar". The program doesn't just look for identical files. It can also match files when one has been cropped, rotated or resized. It's even able to identify videos where one clip exists within another (video A is a single scene extracted from video B).

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Video Comparer is an interesting commercial tool which can find similar videos by their content.

The key word here is "similar". The program doesn’t just look for identical files. It can also match files when one has been cropped, rotated or resized. It’s even able to identify videos where one clip exists within another (video A is a single scene extracted from video B).

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NTWind Software has released WinSnap 4.5, a major new build of its Windows screen capture and post-processing tool. Version 4.5 debuts a completely redesigned and updated user interface, plus adds a host of new tools, including new presets and quick preferences and a number of new drawing tools.

The new release also promises improved support for the most recent Windows 8 Aero theme, plus the usual gamut of tweaks and bug fixes.

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Security firm Avast Software, celebrating 25 years in the business this year, has released a second update to its avast! 2014 range of products. Avast Free Antivirus 2014, Internet Security 2014 and Premier 2014 all get updated to build number 9.0.2013.

The new build, although a minor one, contains a number of important stability and bug fixes, making it a must-have update for all existing Avast users.

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Sandboxie Holdings, LLC has just released Sandboxie 4.08, an update to its shareware Windows sandboxing tool. The new build comes with the usual mixture of bug fixes and minor tweaks, but includes several significant improvements that should make it more reliable, particularly when run on Windows 8.1 systems.

Sandboxie’s prime purpose is to provide additional security by allowing users to run programs in an isolated environment, preventing them from making any changes to the hard drive without the user’s express consent.

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EaseUS software has released EaseUS Todo Backup Free 6.5 and EaseUS Todo Backup Workstation 6.5. The new release debuts one major new feature: the ability to back up and restore Android devices to the user’s PC.

Todo Backup combines file- and image-based backup and recovery with disk cloning and -- for paid-for users only -- snapshotting tools.

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The start of a new year is always a good time to review your computing habits. If you’ve not yet done so, make sure 2014 is the year you finally implement a long overdue backup plan for your PC with the help of our current favorite backup tool, Acronis True Image 2014.

Not only does True Image contain all the tools you need for backup and recovery, you can use it to clone your hard drive when upgrading to a new model or (if you buy the Premium version) even transfer an entire Windows installation from one PC to another.

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In an ideal world manufacturers would support their hardware devices forever, providing new drivers every time a new version of Windows or OS X appears on the scene. The sad truth, however, is that support tends to only last a few years, leaving your hardware relying on backwards compatibility to keep it working longer term.

For many hardware devices, once they stop working with a newer version of your operating system, that’s it. But if you’re about to throw out a trusty old scanner, stop and check out VueScan 9.4 before doing so.

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CyberLink has launched a major new update to its powerful webcam toolset with the release of CyberLink YouCam 6 Standard and CyberLink YouCam 6 Deluxe. Version 6.0 adds a new camera shooting mode and creative photo editing tools alongside a new free Creative Camera companion app.

The latest build also introduces a new calendar view, plus allows users to organize photos using facial recognition technology. It also comes optimized for use with Windows touch screens.

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Genie Corporation has announced the availability of Genie Timeline 2014, the latest edition of its popular backup tool.

All editions now benefit from a Recycle Bin. Accidentally delete some backed-up files and they’ll all appear together in the Bin, making them much easier to restore. Or, if you really need to be sure the files have gone forever, then you’re able to permanently delete them with a click.

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Security vendor Agnitum has announced the availability of Outpost Security Suite Pro 9, Outpost Firewall Pro 9 and Outpost Antivirus Pro 9.

The new release is much better at handling infected systems. If malware prevents Outpost 9 from installing fully, it can run a Safe Mode scan to remove any threats. There’s also the option to create a bootable Linux-based CD or USB drive, which should help to eliminate even the most stubborn malware.

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German software developer Ashampoo GmBH has launched Ashampoo Snap 7.0, a major new release of its screen-capture tool for Windows users. Version 7 is described by Ashampoo as "The screen capturing solution that does it all", and is backed up with a large array of new features.

Version 7 also comes with the promise of a smoother workflow, simpler user experience, smarter work environment and integrated sharing tools.

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So Windows 8.1 is finally here and although it is a massive improvement over its predecessor (I recently had to install Windows 8 on a laptop and couldn’t believe how bad it is in comparison), Microsoft’s new Start button really isn’t what a lot of people were hoping for.

If you want to enjoy the benefits of the new operating system without being bothered by the Modern UI there are lots of alternative third-party options available. And when I say lots, I mean it. Some cost money, others are free. I’ll list my favorite three and then suggest some others to try if those don’t appeal.

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Berlin developer O&O Software GmbH has released O&O SafeErase Professional 7.0, a major update to its secure delete tool for Windows PCs. Version 7.0, also available in 64-bit form adds Windows 8.1 compatibility and promises faster data deletion on more powerful PCs.

The new release also debuts a tweaked user interface with redesigned icons and subtle changes that O&O claims will make it easier and better to use than previous releases.

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PNG is a great format for compressing images without any loss in quality, but its files are usually much larger than the equivalent JPEGs, and that can be a problem. Especially when you’re using them on a website.

There are tools which can help, though, by using various lossless compression techniques to slim down your graphics. Daanav Software’s Image Optimizer is the latest, and we downloaded a copy to run a few tests.

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