Tuesday, July 5, 2011

CNET TechTracker

Download Now (3.93MB)
Tested spyware free

Publisher's description

From CBS Interactive:
CNET TechTracker is a free application from CNET that helps keep the software on your computer up-to-date and secure. TechTracker works by scanning your computer and alerting you when updates are available. Keeping software up-to-date is important because updates often contain patches that make your computer more secure and new features that make your software better.
TechTracker leverages the CNET Downloads software catalog--the largest catalog of software in the world--to provide secure, spyware-free software updates. From one easy-to-use interface, you can keep track of all software updates in one place and ensure you are running the latest versions.
Get the latest software updates: Learn whether any of the software installed on your computer is up-to-date. If updates are available, TechTracker lets you download them from a central interface. Get notified as new updates become available.
Customize how often TechTracker looks for updates: Choose between daily, weekly, monthly, and manual scans of your computer to discover whether you are running out-of-date software.
Hide & Skip applications: Hide applications you are not interested in tracking, or skip a version of an application until the next update is available.
Access product information: Your CNET TechTracker home page shows you what software is installed on your machine, and lets you download any available updates from a single interface. View your software update's file information, installed version, latest version, average user rating, editor's rating, and other software data.

What's new in this version:
  • Changed the "My Software" button to "View My Software"
  • Moved the "View My Software" button to a more prominent location in theinterface
  • Changed the behavior for showing the scan notification bubble if CNETTechTracker is open
  • Removed marketing tab from application interface
  • Changed application behavior for first-time users
 
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Read more: CNET TechTracker - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Downloads http://download.cnet.com/CNET-TechTracker/3000-18513_4-10912909.html#ixzz1RITyizdP

UMPlayer

Download Now (146.77K)
Tested spyware free

CNET Editor's Note

The Download Now link will download a small installer file to your desktop. Remain online and double-click the installer to proceed with the actual 12MB download.
  • Quick specs
  • Version: 0.97
  • Date added: June 21, 2011
  • Price: Free
  • Operating system: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/Server 2008/7/NT
  • Total Downloads: 1,867,718
  • Downloads last week: 183,894
  • Product Ranking: #5 in Video Players
  • See full specifications

Publisher's description

From UMPlayer:
UMPlayer is an advanced yet simple to use open-source cross-platform multimedia player that aims to fill all your needs; with over 270 built-in Audio and Video codecs UMPlayer can play any media format including AAC, AC3, ASF, AVI, DIVX, FLV, H.263, Matroska, MOV, MP3, MP4, MPEG, OGG, QT, RealMedia, VOB, Vorbis, WAV, WMA, WMV, XVID as well as Audio CDs, DVDs, (S)VCDs, TV / Radio cards, Youtube videos, SHOUTcast Radio streams and even incomplete or damaged media files. It also comes equipped with some unique features such as a built-in subtitles search, YouTube player / recorder, SHOUTcast Radio player, skinable interface, customizable hotkeys, audio / subtitles sync, and many more.
What's new in this version: Version 0.97 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.
 
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VLC Media Player

Download Now (20.03MB)
Tested spyware free

CNET Editor's Note

The VLC Media Player source code is also available.
  • Quick specs
  • Version: 1.1.10
  • Date added: June 06, 2011
  • Price: Free
  • Operating system: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7
  • Total Downloads: 34,164,198
  • Downloads last week: 223,572
  • Product Ranking: #3 in Video Players
  • See full specifications

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on July 09, 2009
VLC Media Player is a long-time open-source favorite, and the latest version is also the first to be out of beta development. It's not the only option for free video playback, but it's one of the best, and the feature updates in version 1 make it well worth the upgrade.
Users can now get frame-by-frame advancement, granular speed controls allowing for on-the-fly slower or faster playback, and live recording of streaming video. The toolbars are fully customizable, so you can have only the buttons you need in the interface, there's AirTunes streaming, and there's better integration in Gtk environments. Along with the improvements, VLC continues to offer robust support for a wide range of video and audio formats, including OGG, MP2, MP3, MP4, DivX, HD codecs like AES3, Raw Dirac, and even support for playing back zipped files. The default interface is still a stripped down player that belies VLC's functionality and features. Skinning can fix that quickly, but behavior can still be a bit unpredictable depending on the quality of the skin. VLC's open-source foundation and community ensures that it evolves quickly and often, with new features and fixes released frequently. Overall, VLC Media Player is a must-have application for its ability to open just about any type of video file you throw at it. Watch the CNET video review of VLC Media Player:
 
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GOM Media Player

Download Now (7.22MB)
Tested spyware free
  • Quick specs
  • Version: 2.1.28.5039
  • Date added: November 21, 2010
  • Price: Free
  • Operating system: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7
  • Total Downloads: 34,865,534
  • Downloads last week: 203,111
  • Product Ranking: #4 in Video Players
  • See full specifications

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: CNET Staff on November 06, 2008
As various media players jockey for position to become your default setting for music and video streams, GOM Media Player's support for a wide range of file formats has helped it stand out as a firm favorite.
Supported formats include DAT, MPEG, DivX, XviD, WMV, ASF, AVI, and MOV, as are common codecs like FLV1, AC3, OGG, MP4, and H263. A pop-out playlist can save and organize your various media files, though the limited sort modes--two--hardly makes it a champ.
More impressive are the customizable settings on the control panel. Here you can adjust a video's image brightness, hue, and saturation. There's no preview window, and changes occur as the video runs, so unless you care for a rousing session of trial and error, be sure to tweak the settings after clicking "play." There's also a built-in screen-capture feature that includes zooming and panning, customizable themes, hot keys, and a host of preset and adjustable audio controls.
GOM is weakest when you're looking for help documentation and trying to tweak Save settings, but overall it's a very strong player worth at least a supporting role in your video-watching habits, if not the lead.
Watch the CNET video review of GOM Media Player:
 
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Ad-Aware Free Internet Security

Download Now (9.68MB)
Tested spyware free
  • Quick specs
  • Version: 9.0
  • Date added: May 24, 2011
  • Price: Free; paid upgrade available
  • Operating system: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7
  • Total Downloads: 371,184,487
  • Downloads last week: 246,708
  • Product Ranking: #2 in Spyware Removers
  • See full specifications

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on December 06, 2010
The bottom line: One of the first applications built to find and remove malware and spyware, Ad-Aware's reputation is well-justified. The latest version continues the publisher's tradition of adroitly addressing user concerns, yet some annoyances remain.
Review:
Ad-Aware 9 continues the development progress that publisher Lavasoft began in the previous version. No longer content with offering only malware protection, Ad-Aware now includes antivirus protections licensed from Sunbelt, the makers of Vipre, as well as interesting in-house improvements.
Lavasoft first started changing Ad-Aware's protection engine more than a year ago in version 8.1, when it introduced Genotype. This heuristics-based technology identified identical snippets of code across multiple threat mutations. In version 9, Genotype receives support from what Lavasoft calls "Dedicated Detection." This tech looks inside files, analyzes the code, and creates a loose pattern for finding families of related malware. The company touts that a single dedicated detection signature can detect hundreds of thousands of threats. More importantly, Lavasoft expects that dedicated detection will lower false positive rates by creating more points of comparison.

Ad-Aware 9 debuts new tech

The second new engine, MagmaShield, is proactive. It emulates processor instructions, comparing approved processor-level operations against those that are undefined in the application layer. This means that it aggressively looks at how a file interacts with the CPU and uses that to call out threats faster.
Installation
Ad-Aware 9 Free has a fairly straightforward installation process, simple in procedure. The installer file is enormous, at 124 MB, so users who are on slower connections ought to prepare for a lengthy download wait. Ad-Aware has no toolbars and won't attempt to commandeer your default browser's search engine, an irritation that some free competitors still believe in. Installing does require a reboot, which is expected for security software. The install itself was a bit slow, taking more than five minutes including the reboot, yet it's noticeably faster than it used to be.
Interface
Ad-Aware's interface hasn't changed much since version 8, which means that it's still in dire need of a refresh. The main window offers three icons that you can click on to update your virus definition files and engines, scan your system, or check your status on Ad-Watch Live, Ad-Aware's real-time protection engine. Below the main icons there's a button for updating your scan schedule and accessing support, while a toggle button to jump between simple mode and advanced mode sits in the bottom left corner of the interface. The interface's simple mode merely makes some otherwise visible options disappear, hidden behind an extra click. All but the newest of users ought to feel comfortable using Ad-Aware's "advanced" mode.
As you can tell, it's sort of a mess, and we're not done yet. At the top right of the interface are a series of buttons that replicate the three features in the main window, as well as a fourth for accessing "extras". A Settings button sits below those four.
Tapping the Scan button will run a full scan, and there's no way to change this behavior to Smart scan or Profile scan, the Ad-Aware term for a custom scan. Within the Scan window there are tabs near the top for jumping into the scheduler, the quarantine, and the ignore list.
The Ad-Watch Live window will show you which kinds of real-time protection you have running. Process protcetion defaults to on, while File, Network, and Registry protection are available only in the Ad-Aware paid upgrade. Some competitors, such as Avast, offer all of these in their free version.
Features
As mentioned above, the "Dedicated Detection" and MagmaShield engines are the biggest feature improvements in Ad-Aware 9 Free, although there's no direct interaction between them and the user. Lavasoft has tweaked the scheduler behavior a bit in version 9. The feature arrived in the free version only recently in version 8.3. Ad-Aware Free users can only schedule two scans; upgrading to Ad-Aware Pro removes the handicap. Both Free and Pro users can schedule Smart scans, Full scans, custom scans, and can set them to run daily, weekly, monthly, or at Windows startup.
In addition to virus and malware scans, Ad-Aware 9 Free offers a browser track sweeper. Accessible from the Extras button, it can wipe your cache, cookies, history, last typed URLs, and tabs from Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Opera. The Toolbox, a second tab under Extras, contains options such as additional process-protecting features that are restricted to the paid upgrade.
Ad-Aware has some limitations that make it hard to compare favorably to its free competitors. You can't view other parts of the program while running a scan, and the scan itself lacks a progress meter or a pause button. Ad-Aware Free cannot scan networked drives.
The restrictions placed on the real-time shields also stands competitors like Panda Cloud Antivirus, Avast, AVG, and Avira on a more solid security foundation. Ad-Aware is also missing other key features, such as Web protection and a silent/gaming mode. Advanced rootkit removal is only available in the paid upgrade as well, leaving Ad-Aware 9 Free with a similar problem to the previous versions: the basic feature set is adequate yet lacking.
Performance
Ad-Aware 9 Free performed scans on a real-world computer quite slowly, taking close to 2 hours for its first Full scan. The quick, "Smart" scan took about 4 minutes, slightly slower than the quick scan under version 8.3.
Full CNET Labs' benchmarks benchmarks will be added to this review as they become available, as will independent third-party efficacy test results. For now, though, while Ad-Aware's new detection and prevention engines sound effective, they are largely untested in the real-world.
Conclusion

Longtime fans will notice the changes to Ad-Aware, and the program continues to grow in the right direction after several missteps in recent years. While the free version continues to make improvements and seems to be unwilling to rest on its malware-removing laurels, Ad-Aware 9 Free remains undeniably hamstrung.
Watch the CNET video review of Ad-Aware Free Internet Security:
 
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MyVideoConverter

Download Now (14.72MB)
Tested spyware free
  • Quick specs
  • Version: 2.42
  • Date added: June 26, 2011
  • Price: Free to try (Watermark on output); $39.95 to buy
  • Operating system: Windows 98/2000/XP/2003/Vista/Server 2008/7
  • Total Downloads: 9,797,888
  • Downloads last week: 274,045
  • Product Ranking: #2 in Video Converters
  • See full specifications

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: CNET staff on October 29, 2009
MySoft's MyVideoConverter is an all-in-one software solution for converting digital video files from one format to another. It touts lightning-fast conversions, high-quality video output, and an easy-to-manage interface.
MyVideoConverter's clean, Windows-style interface certainly facilitates the quick-and-easy conversions it promises, with four easy steps: 1) Click Add a Task to select the source file, target, quality, and output format; 2) load a video file; 3) enter a name for the output file; and 4) click OK. MyVideoConverter does the rest, and quickly, too, just as advertised. If you have orphan video files that have been hanging around your hard drive for too long, MyVideoConverter can render them playable so that you can finally decide whether you can delete them.
This flexible program supports all major video file formats, including AVI, ASF, DAT, DVD, MOV, MPEG, WMV, VCD, and many more. You can alter the height, width, and frame rate of the video output. It will join lots of little video files into one big file, or split a large file into tiny sequential bits. It will even extract audio tracks from video files and save them as audio files, which is handy if you like to create cell phone ring tones out of famous movie lines or TV sitcom theme songs.
The free version of MyVideoConverter is fully functional and comes with no time limitations, but it inserts a digital watermark that reads "MyVideoConverter Unregistered" over the files it converts. The reasonably-priced full version adds an enhanced ability to convert whole movies.
 
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Read more: MyVideoConverter - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Downloads http://download.cnet.com/MyVideoConverter/3000-2194_4-10485691.html#ixzz1RISdGXs5

Internet Download Manager

Download Now (4.26MB)
Tested spyware free
  • Quick specs
  • Version: 6.06 build 8
  • Date added: June 23, 2011
  • Price: Free to try (30-day trial); $24.95 to buy (Buy it now)
  • Operating system: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/Server 2008/7/NT
  • Total Downloads: 22,458,173
  • Downloads last week: 276,425
  • Product Ranking: #2 in Download Managers
  • See full specifications

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: CNET Staff on November 08, 2008
Don't let the dull name fool you: Internet Download Manager is a full-featured package that handles downloading tasks with aplomb. It conveniently integrates into your browser, even if you use Mozilla or Opera.
It automatically sorts incoming files by file type and puts them in the appropriate folder. Most importantly, it supercharges download speeds (it doubled ours). Its windowed interface is clean and easy to understand. Power users can take advantage of the command line interface to resume file transfers, schedule downloads, connect through dial-up, or log on to password-protected sites. Experienced users also can limit the number of connections, the download speeds for specific sites, and even create an exception list to block specific, user-defined sites.
Other features include automatic virus checking and the ability to download all files linked to a page. The new version has a Web spider that can analyze a site and retrieve, for example, all the images on it.
Internet Download Manager strikes us as a natural choice for users in need of a trusty transfer tool. Version 5.11 build 5 added FLV grabber that can be used to download videos from YouTube, Google Video, MySpaceTV, and other popular sites.
 
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Photo Scape

Download Now (16.52MB)
Tested spyware free

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: CNET Staff on November 06, 2008
Add another name to the roster of feature-rich freeware image editors: PhotoScape. Although it eats and leaks about as much memory as Firefox, this editor is perfect for those making the jump between JPEG and am-pro dSLR work.
It supports RAW, as well as all other major image formats from JPEG and PNG to animated GIFs. It comes with prebuilt templates for users to create photo collages, fumetti, and Web comics, and has a standard set of red-eye removal, light/shadow, and contrast-editing features. One warning about the RAW processing: although it looks like you can drag and drop, the converter doesn't change RAW to JPEG unless you load the RAW file from within the native file navigator. It's a minor bug, but one that can lead you to believe that there's no RAW support at all. You can also batch edit images, combine them, and print them out one at a time or several at once.
The program loads fast and possesses an interface completely different from those familiar with Adobe's industry-leading tools. Users are greeted by circular navigator complemented by a tabbed nav on the top of the main screen. Most but not all main features are accessible from either nav. It might take some people time to get used to the unusual layout, but it's only unusual for an image editor; otherwise it's intuitive, fast, and lacks only the most advanced of image editing features.
 
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Read more: PhotoScape - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Downloads http://download.cnet.com/PhotoScape/3000-2192_4-10703122.html#ixzz1RIRcJEmq

Free YouTube to MP3 Converter

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Tested spyware free

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: CNET staff on May 14, 2009
The minor quibbles we have with Free YouTube to MP3 Converter have nothing to do with its functionality. This effective freeware is ready to go right out of the box, but can be easily customized by the user.
No effort has been made to dress up the program's utilitarian interface, which consists of seven large buttons, a few fields, and a drop-down menu. A plain text box advises users to paste URLs in the field, and this is all the onscreen guidance you'll need. Once you see the video title in the field, you click Download and the program goes to work. The process wasn't lightening quick, but considering the size of some of our test files, it wasn't bad. Converted files played without a hitch.
The beauty of this converter lies in its simple set up. By default, converted files are saved into the program's folder in My Documents, and they retain the name of the source video. The files are saved as MP3s, normal quality. These settings are easily changed, though, with quick-access buttons and a drop-down menu. The most work a user might have to do is fill out the fields in the optional Tags fields for artist, title, track, and other information.
Sadly, the program doesn't integrate with your browser, but you can opt to have it automatically pick up URLs from the clipboard, which eliminates one step from the cutting and pasting process. It also installs the Ask.com Toolbar and resets your home page to the Ask.com Web site by default, so if you don't want these extras, you'll have to uncheck some boxes during the installation process. These inconveniences are offset by the fact that this program is not only effective, it also costs nothing to use. We highly recommend Free YouTube to MP3 Converter for any user.
 
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Virtual DJ

Download Now (34.9MB)
Tested spyware free
  • Quick specs
  • Version: 7.0.4b
  • Date added: June 19, 2011
  • Price: Free
  • Operating system: Windows 98/XP/Vista/7
  • Total Downloads: 47,154,242
  • Downloads last week: 316,837
  • Product Ranking: #1 in DJ Software
  • See full specifications

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: Jasmine France on January 12, 2011
Digital deejaying has skyrocketed in popularity over the past five years and it's no wonder why. Compared to a full vinyl setup with all the hardware and physical media it requires, an MP3-based mixing station is extremely simple and cheap. There's even free software to get you started, and one of the most popular programs available is Virtual DJ.
Virtual DJ is often packaged with USB-based hardware mixing consoles from the likes of Hercules and Numark, and, in fact, if you really want to delve into the full array of features, such devices are going to be a necessity--and they'll require a $99 license fee to upgrade to the Pro version of the software. That said, you can download the app for free by itself and make very basic mixes and playlists.
While the program isn't specifically geared at newbies, it is intuitive enough for a musically inclined individual to use right off the bat. Once installed, Virtual DJ automatically populates a folder tree in the bottom left corner where you can easily access your music collection. The bottom middle serves as a tabbed, multifunction area where you can browse tracks, sample music bites, add effects, and make recordings.
The top of the window is dominated by two digital turntables, which are distinguished by color: blue on the left and red on the right. Each one has the ability to cue, loop, adjust pitch, scratch, and shift (among other features). In the middle is the mixing console, where you can adjust the gain and master volume, as well as transition between the two tracks. Once the songs have been dragged and dropped into the console, a bar along the top displays the sound waves of each to help with visual mixing. There's also a video input option that lets you create montages to the music.
The stylish interface and high number of features score points, but learning how to use the program is a hit-or-miss proposition. To be perfectly honest, using it without mixing hardware (that is, just a mouse and keyboard) is a challenge, and not one we enjoyed, so we recommend hooking up a compatible USB controller. Also worth a look: the thorough online user guide.
Virtual DJ is free, fully featured, and well-laid-out. It's a useful option both for aspiring mixers and newbies.
Watch the CNET video review of Virtual DJ:
 
Convert video files between various video & audio formats.

Read more: Virtual DJ - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Downloads http://download.cnet.com/Virtual-DJ/3000-18502_4-10212112.html#ixzz1RIPbIjxA

Camfrog Video Chat

If you're sick of hopping from one chatware program to another, looking for the perfect mix of video, audio, and text socializing, CamFrog might be what you're looking for.
The chat rooms feature everything from music lessons to sign language to non-English chatting, and integrating video, audio, and text components are a great leap forward for chat communities since a Webcam is not a requirement. Be warned, though: There's also a slew of X-rated chat rooms--this is not a program that kids should use without supervision.
The interface should be familiar to anyone who has used any messaging software. You can create your own chat room and password-protect it, and the Contacts list has a section for favorite rooms and one-click contact adding, user searching, and profile management. New in Version 5 is high-resolution video support, interface tweaks, and the ability to send little "virtual gifts" to both friends and anonymous recipients that borders on the annoying.
Cautious users should note that the install includes several toolbars and a Weather Channel widget, which you can opt out of. Despite those drawbacks, if you're looking for a well-trafficked video chat program that serves a diverse community, CamFrog is cool place to land.
Watch the CNET video review of Camfrog Video Chat:
 
Convert video files between various video & audio formats.

Publisher's description

From Camshare:
Camfrog Video Chat allows you to join real streaming video chat rooms where you can hear, see, and chat with many people at a time. Instant message a user to get to know them before you Webcam chat, and add them to your contact list. This videoconferencing software also works behind most firewalls and routers. Camfrog Video Chat allows multi-user videoconferencing where you can join a room with up to 1000 users and just click a user name to begin seeing someone. Press the 'talk' button to talk to the entire room with audio. The video chat rooms are hosted by broadband users who are running the Camfrog Video Chat Room Server software so any user can set up their own multi-user video conference for other users to join.
What's new in this version: Version 6.0.111 fixes a problem that was causing some users to have choppy audio in rooms.

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