http://news.softpedia.com Softpedia News - Windows software reviews Softpedia News en-us 2001 - 2009 Softpedia. All rights reserved. Sun, 8 Nov 2009 21:16:56 GMT Sun, 8 Nov 2009 21:16:56 GMT News http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 10 http://www.softpedia.com/base_img/softpedia_logo.gif http://news.softpedia.com/ http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Wondershare-PDF-Converter-Review-126125.shtml Converting PDF to plain text is nothing out of the ordinary. You just select the paragraph, right-click it, choose “copy” function and then paste everything in the clipboard in a Notepad document. It is just a matter of copy-paste basic in all operating systems.

The only problem is the formatting of the text, which is no longer preserved, and the aligning of the paragraphs can also be an issue. Fortunately, the amount of utilities on the market ready to assist you in this endeavor is huge. The downside is that they do not come free.

Wondershare PDF Converter comes for the huge sum of $49.95 and the evaluation version restricts your conversion to only the first three pages of the document. It can transform the PDF file to Microsoft Word format, Microsoft PowerPoint, HTM or plain text with no hesitation at all.

$49.95 sure is a lot, for any sort of user, considering there are online services that do this for free. However, the developer released the software with a promotion that halves the price. So you'll be able to get it 50% off, for $24.95, a more decent figure.

The interface is as simple as can be, featuring nothing else but the conversion formats supported by the application. One thing you have to keep in mind, though: you can't convert to Word format if the application is not prese... (read more)]]> Thu, 5 Nov 2009 12:10:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Wondershare-PDF-Converter-Review-126125.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Wondershare-PDF-Converter-Review-126125.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Ad-Aware-Game-Edition-Review-125890.shtml Gaming experience has for too long a time been corrupted by the various security solutions installed on your computer that in some cases totally disregarded your need for a change. In the last couple of years security product developers understood the urge of the user to keep the system protected even during gameplay and appended a new section to their applications, specially designed for gamers. In some cases real-time protection would be suspended along with all scheduled tasks that may affect your game experience, and alert messages suppressed.

Less than a month since the release of the latest Ad-Aware, Lavasoft prepares the launch of a game edition of their flagship software, designed to keep malware out of the system even while playing your favorite games. Ad-Aware Game Edition is not a new product to its core as it relies on the same protection features available in Ad-Aware product family, but it has been fancied up with themed interface and adjusted in terms of options and default settings.

The set of features Game Edition sports are closer to those in Ad-Aware Pro rather than the Plus version, as you'll benefit from both antivirus and anti-spyware protection, as well as real-time security (the full power of Ad-Watch Live! is available), behavior-based heuristics detection, rootkit ... (read more)]]> Tue, 3 Nov 2009 13:34:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Ad-Aware-Game-Edition-Review-125890.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Ad-Aware-Game-Edition-Review-125890.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/sFont-Review-125051.shtml Finding the best things to integrate into a personal or business-related project is what most of us look for and, if text is involved, then choosing the most appropriate fonts is a must. This task, however, can prove daunting if your library contains hundreds of typefaces. To meet the challenge, you will have to enroll the service of a dedicated viewer that can help you pick out the fonts you consider befitting for the job. Sure enough, the application you're after has to work fast and efficiently, while allowing you an effortless operation. As there are enough such tools for you to select from, it's mainly a matter of personal taste in deciding for a piece of software or another.

An interesting and very likely candidate that meets all the requirements for this kind of utility is sFont, a freeware app designed exactly for this purpose: that of assisting you in making the right choice with no fuss and with a little bit of style. The package is lightweight, under 1 MB, and the installation smooth, just like the interface you'll be meeting. The looks score the first points and the works will reveal more benefits for you, all of them preserving the simplicity without cutting out the quality.

The main window is divided into two areas, one for the list of typefaces and the other dedicated to the preview. There are also several modules in bot... (read more)]]> Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:01:02 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/sFont-Review-125051.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/sFont-Review-125051.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Olivian Puha) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Moo0-ImageTypeConverter-Review-124931.shtml Digital images are now part of all our lives and we encounter them almost everywhere. Today, we have right at our fingertips both the technology and the ability to produce and edit pictures with insignificant effort. There are hundreds of applications that can help you change anything about a graphic file and all you need to do is reach out and pick the right one for you. Many utilities try to do it all and offer you an exhaustive tool for all purposes but often fail because of lack of attention insofar as details are concerned. Then again, once in a while, you come across a piece of software focused on one task but so good at it that you'll keep and use it for a long time.

When it comes to converting images, the range of available apps is nearly limitless even though the possible uses and facilities they can supply are roughly the same. The difference is made by the price you have to pay for such a piece of software, by the complexity of features and quality it provides. If you're on the lookout for a utility that can work with several picture files and formats at once with high processing speed and great looking output, you may want to take a closer look at Moo0 ImageTypeConverter. It offers you, in a small package, all the capabilities of a much larger and complex application with the great advantage of being free of cost.
read more)]]> Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:01:03 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Moo0-ImageTypeConverter-Review-124931.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Moo0-ImageTypeConverter-Review-124931.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Olivian Puha) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Panda-Cloud-Antivirus-Review-125419.shtml After a period of hard work from both hardcore beta-testers and the Panda Security division shaping out the new generation of antivirus of the company, the third beta of Panda Cloud Antivirus is out and ready to protect your system. The application targets home users and strives to offer the best protection with a minimum effort from the user and little impact on system resources.

The main feature of this intermediary build is that it integrates perfectly in Windows 7 (both 32-bit and 64-bit), but it also brings a new set of fixes and improvements. Performance-wise, the antivirus no longer pops the Internet connectivity message and reduced system resource usage during scans.

The interface has not been left untouched and now you have different scan types available (full scan, which used to get stuck at a certain percentage, has been replaced by a quick scan, which checks the malware-magnet areas of the system). The functionality has been improved a lot, although the main lines have been preserved.

However, despite all the improvements and fixes applied, there are still some problems. During our testing we noticed that a very small amount of the detected and neutralized items were displayed in the Recycle Bin. If you want to view the full list of malware discovered by Panda Cloud Antivirus, it can be found in ... (read more)]]> Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:07:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Panda-Cloud-Antivirus-Review-125419.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Panda-Cloud-Antivirus-Review-125419.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/LockFiler-Review-124926.shtml The methods for keeping your data safe from prying eyes vary from user to user. Some prefer simply hiding the files from everyone else (if they don't know where it is, they can't peek in), but accidental finding has been known to happen, especially if the perpetrator knows how to make hidden data visible (and this is not quite rocket science), so this is not foolproof.

Encryption, on the other hand, may be a more suitable choice for some of you, because it ciphers up the data in a proprietary container, making the effort of de-scrambling the information too much, even for the most patient wrong-doer. Even if encrypting sensitive files’ weakest spot is that they can be deleted, moved or copied, this method stands among the most efficient ways to secure data.

LockFiler is a data-encryption tool designed to protect your files using the Dynamic Linkage Data Encryption System, which specifies a one-way symmetrical encryption algorithm. To put it in short, the D.L.D.E.S. concept actually applies the encryption key to create the encryption process itself rather than apply the key to encrypt data.

This may be one of the reasons the application does not come cheap. The current price is of €29, quite an amount if you think that there are free solutions on the market possessing file-encryption capabilities, as well as e... (read more)]]> Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:01:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/LockFiler-Review-124926.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/LockFiler-Review-124926.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Gios-PDF-Splitter-And-Merger-Review-123555.shtml PDF files… can't live with them, can't live without them. The PDF file format is, in my opinion, one of the best there are on the market. You can scan books or other materials and save them as PDF, it allows you to insert pictures, drawings, etc. and can also contain customized display settings, including page display layout and zoom level.

However, all these features have a price and that is the size of the output file and the loading time. But we already know that quality does not come for free, and for those who want to split very large PDF files in individual pages or merge them into a bigger file, there is a simple solution designed to do just that.

Gios PDF Splitter And Merger is a small application that allows you to split your PDF files into single page ones or merge multiple PDF files. The software is released under the LGPL license, which means you can use it for free for as long as you want, without any limitations, and it is also portable, meaning you don't have to install it and you can take it wherever you go on a flash drive.

The graphical user interface of the app is as simple as it gets, though it looks a little oldish, but we have to focus on the functionality of the application and not on its looks, since here you can find all the options and features without surfing through bulky ... (read more)]]> Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:49:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Gios-PDF-Splitter-And-Merger-Review-123555.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Gios-PDF-Splitter-And-Merger-Review-123555.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Cosmin Anton) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Registry-Booster-2010-Review-124713.shtml It is a well-known fact (or at least it should be) that Windows Registry is the core area of any Windows operating system. It's the place where system and installed application settings are saved as well as information and hardware settings. To make a long story short, mess the registry up and you can start preparing a Windows disc for a fresh installation.

Working with plenty of software frequently (install/uninstall operations) will also lead to this effect, if you don't weed out unnecessary data stored in the registry. But at least you will have a good indicator that this area needs to lose clutter, and that is system performance. The moment it starts going downhill, the most probable cause is an overcrowded with invalid entries, fragmented registry.

The Internet provides both free and paid products cut off for improving registry health on your system. But, we have to admit that, with a few exceptions, freebies do not rise to the standards of the paid programs. RegistryBooster from Uniblue has recently moved on to a new version, ready to resolve registry issues that may occur while working with your computer. It comes packed with registry cleaning options and a registry defragmenter, two tools that are rarely encountered in a single application.

Compared to the 2009 version the improved issue of the appli... (read more)]]> Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:01:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Registry-Booster-2010-Review-124713.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Registry-Booster-2010-Review-124713.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Portable-HotKeyz-Review-120450.shtml On a daily basis, we use a third or less of all the applications installed on the system, but the situation changes when it comes to particular work. For example, how often do you use a system cleaner, or defragmenter? Such applications are obviously a must on your computer, but they are not for daily use, unless you frequently install/uninstall programs or spend a lot of time copying or moving data around. The list of the most used programs contains shortcuts that can very well fit in the quick launch area (near the Start button), but to have complete control and gain time when accessing programs I would recommend a program launcher. Why? Because every launcher allows you to access not only programs, but also files, folders, or, even better, system control shortcuts.

Hotkeyz was designed to provide such services. It comes with a bundle of predefined shortcuts to choose from, and not only will it allow you to access your files, folders or applications in an easier manner, but it will also help you sort your shortcuts in categories for a better and clearer management. The basic idea that stands behind this tool is hotkey management. Although it does not sound like it, every power user knows that the keyboard is faster than the mouse.

There is also a portable version of the software, which can be downloaded from here. The application is free and has no restrict... (read more)]]> Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:11:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Portable-HotKeyz-Review-120450.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Portable-HotKeyz-Review-120450.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Radu Bogdan) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/WinRefine-Review-124457.shtml Microsoft has made huge progress with the post-XP operating systems in terms of stability, performance, ease of use and usability. Well, maybe the initial Vista is not quite the best example to support this statement, but after being patched for the second time it came really close to what it should have been at the beginning.

Nonetheless, one option available in both Vista and Windows 7 is the preview pane for taking a peek at different files, be they plain text, images or audio data. All there is to it is enabling the preview pane from the Organize drop-down menu in a Windows Explorer window and the “Preview Pane” in the Layout menu. After that you should be good to go.

As insignificant as this feature may be to most of you, one developer has created an alternative that does not require selecting the file you want to preview. With WinRefine previewing files is simply done by hovering your mouse over the item (images, video and audio data only) and a separate window shows you the contents or, in the case of audio files, the music will start playing.

The freebie has no interface, save for the configuration panel, which is built in a manner that should not pose problems to any user. None of the settings available needs an explanation as their name is self-explanatory. It does not provide an extensive amount o... (read more)]]> Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:03:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/WinRefine-Review-124457.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/WinRefine-Review-124457.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Ad-Aware-Pro-Internet-Security-Review-124190.shtml The Extras menu in Ad-Aware contains a set of instruments meant to brush off your web surfing tracks as well as tools such as a process manager, hosts file editor or startup manager. It is compact and split into two tabs: TrackSweep and Toolbox. The former deals with traces left behind as a result of your web browsing applications, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Opera. The odd thing is that Google Chrome, which is offered to be installed with Ad-Aware and which continues to gain market share and popularity, is not present in the list.

Eliminating your web browsing footsteps is no more complicated than it used to be in the previous version of the security suite. Ad-Aware automatically detects the web browsers installed on the system (except for Opera, for which it appears that support has not yet been implemented, so the list is basically cut down to the major competitors) and allows you to choose what you want to be erased. There are no fancy options to deal with and sweeping is enabled by ticking the desired boxes for the desired browser: cache, cookies, history, last typed URL and tabs.

However, all things worked great with Internet Explorer, but in the case of Mozilla Firefox no change was recorded. To make it clearer, after sweeping all tracks in Firefox, Ad-Aware left History intact, allowing me to view... (read more)]]> Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:03:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Ad-Aware-Pro-Internet-Security-Review-124190.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Ad-Aware-Pro-Internet-Security-Review-124190.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Ad-Aware-Pro-Internet-Security-Scan-and-Remove-Review-124195.shtml Just as Lavasoft has already accustomed its users by taking eight months to bake a new version of its flagship product, Ad-Aware, it could not disappoint this year either, especially with the fierce competition and every security product struggling to adapt to the new trend in malware attacks. In the past years viruses have lost their touch and spyware and spam took the number one spot as the most vicious cyber disease. So this should be Ad-Aware’s lucky ticket as spyware is its specialty and this is the fight it has prepared all this time for.

Regarding the editions up for grabs, nothing has changed. You will benefit from the same three versions, two paid products (Plus and Pro) with features to match their price and a free one, designed for every user out there. For the paid editions prices are $26.95 and $39.95, respectively, the differences between them consisting in the amount of features available. The Pro version is, of course, the full-fledged Ad-Aware that comes with the complete rack of options.

The amount of new features added to this new iteration of the award-winning Ad-Aware is quite impressive, as they have been thought to improve comfort as well as detection and removal of malware. The Neutralizer for instance is an advanced removal tool cut off to combat malicious code that att... (read more)]]> Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:05:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Ad-Aware-Pro-Internet-Security-Scan-and-Remove-Review-124195.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Ad-Aware-Pro-Internet-Security-Scan-and-Remove-Review-124195.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Peacock-Color-Picker-Review-124074.shtml Even if their importance is undeniable for a web designer or developer, color pickers are not given the proper attention. Part of this is because this type of software targets only a specific niche of users who don't need to invent colors but rather to “pluck” them out of an image for use in their own project.

Despite the use for only a small category, color pickers are quite a presence on the web. And the best part is that most of them are absolutely free. As for their handiness, this is another issue. Most users will settle for a simple action of picking the color on the screen by means of a special cursor and a magnifying glass. But for a professional the possibilities need to be far more extensive.

Enter Peacock Color Picker, an instrument designed by Reohix and whose functionality does not resume to only letting you get the desired color off a screen and provide its code in Delphi or HTML. The application is free of charge, and, most important, can be used for both personal and commercial purposes.

The looks of the app are a bit different from what you've seen in a color picker, in that the color picking area is available in the interface. You have the possibility to import an image stored on your computer (BMP, JPG, or GIF) and get colors from there, or you can select directly from the windo... (read more)]]> Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:29:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Peacock-Color-Picker-Review-124074.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Peacock-Color-Picker-Review-124074.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Batch-Picture-Resizer-Review-123079.shtml Working with pictures is something most of us do on a regular basis, especially if a digital camera and a vacation are involved. Sharing the images with family and friends is nowadays a common practice that requires a bit of work for making them fit an e-mail attachment or comply with a website's hosting requirements. To do this, one must have the appropriate tools that operate fast and provide a good quality at the lowest price possible.

Such a piece of software is the Batch Picture Resizer, a small tool with a great potential. The developer offers you a 30-day trial to familiarize with it and test its full potential, whereas, after that, you need to buy it for 29.95$.

With Batch Picture Resizer, you can easily convert your pictures into more popular known formats, including: JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG, PCX, TIFF and TGA. The interface is very intuitive, with no tricky buttons or menus that can slow you down from your work.

The upper part of the main window allows you to find and insert the source files or folders through the use of the Add File(s) and Add Folder buttons. Also, it can display the selected pictures in various ways: thumbnail, large icons, list and details for a better management and ease of use. If you want to remove one, a group or the entire photos from the batch, you can do that with the help of... (read more)]]> Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:51:02 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Batch-Picture-Resizer-Review-123079.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Batch-Picture-Resizer-Review-123079.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Cosmin Anton) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/M-File-Anti-Copy-Review-123932.shtml What do you do in order to restrict actions such as file copying/moving or even launching programs on your system? There are workarounds in Windows that can help you with setting restrictions like these, but it is not a feasible solution when you need to impose the limitations quickly and without too much hassle. Plus you'd have to really know your way around Windows in order not to fumble, or worse, mess up user/group permission settings.

Luckily there are alternatives to the matter from third-party developers. M File Anti-Copy brings a rather elegant solution to the problem at hand by letting you easily restrict file copying and even application launching. It has already been reviewed here, at Softpedia, and raked unfortunate scores due to some bugs that either prevented the app from applying the file-copying restriction or because some options did not stick after enabling them.

The current version is 4.3 and comes for a $14.75 price. The trial covers only 15 runs, so wasting them is not an option and you should make the most of them in order to decide on the capabilities and flaws of the program.

This edition sports a redesigned interface and an enriched set of options. Among the new features we count the possibility to restrict files from running, USB Anti-Copy and restricting folders from being copied or mov... (read more)]]> Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:07:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/M-File-Anti-Copy-Review-123932.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/M-File-Anti-Copy-Review-123932.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Portable-tinySpell-Review-121637.shtml Communication does not imply too much care or effort for the average user (especially if one is chatting with their pals). Misspelling words in an email or an IM window to one's buds can sometimes turn into something hilarious, but it will not have an impact on them as a person.

However, it so happens sometimes that you have to write to someone you'll make a first impression to. In this case, the utmost care has to be taken, because you wouldn't want the person reading your text to think of you as sloppy (you know what they say, "You only make a first impression once").

Some users are careful as to their writing, even on forum pages or any other sorts of post possibilities the Internet can provide them with. If one wants to be professional and not look like an amateur, then every post, email or reply should first be checked for spelling errors and grammar.

There are plenty of tools bundled in text processors that offer spell-checking, but you will have to open up the app that has these capabilities and then paste the corrected version wherever you want. This comes as a drawback for short texts because it is so much easier to type directly into the web-page fields. And, yet, there is a tool that will monitor your writing in every window you choose.

tinySpell offers such services. This little tool re... (read more)]]> Fri, 9 Oct 2009 17:41:02 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Portable-tinySpell-Review-121637.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Portable-tinySpell-Review-121637.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Radu Bogdan) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Returnil-Virtual-System-2010-Home-Lux-Review-123679.shtml New comparative tests for different antivirus solutions have been released on the Internet, and judging from the results, we should benefit from tight security against malware. The current solutions will not create an impenetrable shield around the system, making it invulnerable to any sort of attack, but at least it is prepared to deflect a high amount of malicious code.

Yet, besides the traditional solutions available for the traditional user, there are some unconventional methods to keep your system out of harm's way. Virtualization has gained more and more turf when it comes to protecting the computer from any unwanted changes. From dedicated software capable of carrying an entire virtual system to various apps that integrate it to allow program testing and reverting to the initial state of the host, virtualization has been adopted in order to ease users' work with no impact at all on the primary system.

Returnil Virtual System is designed to offer maximum flexibility when deciding to test try something without spending too much time getting rid of all the modifications. What it does is completely virtualize the entire system drive and allow you to make any modification you want, with the possibility to return to an un-touched host system by simply restarting the machine.

The developer makes av... (read more)]]> Thu, 8 Oct 2009 13:11:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Returnil-Virtual-System-2010-Home-Lux-Review-123679.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Returnil-Virtual-System-2010-Home-Lux-Review-123679.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Emicsoft-DVD-Ripper-Review-121875.shtml In the last few years, storage media has continuously diversified. From the old floppy disks to CDs, memory sticks, DVDs and Blu-ray disks with a rapid growth in capacity and quality. But even these products of modern technology can't get away from the clutches of time, they deteriorate and lose their properties even when properly stored.

Fortunately, there are many software products that can help save your data for later use with little effort. One of these applications is Emicsoft DVD Ripper, a simple tool that will help you backup your DVDs and even add various effects and adjustments for a better result. It is provided as a demo with 5-minute conversion of a more than 5-minute file and half of the files below 5 minutes, but you can unlock its true potential for 35$.

With Emicsoft DVD Ripper, you can easily rip your DVDs into popular video formats including: MP4, MOV, AVI, DivX, XviD, WMV, VOB, FLV, SWF, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, 3GP, 3G2, MP3, WMA for your iPod, iTouch, iPhone, Apple TV, PSP, PS3, Zune, Xbox, Wii, CreativeZen, Walkman, Archos, Gphone, PDA, Palm, Blackberry, MP3 player and more.

The first thing you notice when you open Emicsoft DVD Ripper is the four easy steps you need to follow in order to rip your DVDs. Load your DVD Disc, add effects, trim and crop your video files, select the type of format you want f... (read more)]]> Tue, 6 Oct 2009 16:41:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Emicsoft-DVD-Ripper-Review-121875.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Emicsoft-DVD-Ripper-Review-121875.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Cosmin Anton) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Easy-TV-Radio-Review-121519.shtml Given the fact that Internet has increased its role in our lives, some of us have decided to replace some of our home electronics like TV or radio with a computer, either because we need the space or maybe just because we spend more time in front of the computer, so it's easier this way.

If you want to replace your TV or radio, there are numerous applications ready to assist you, such as Easy TV Radio, which can be downloaded and used on a 15-day trial base after which you will be asked to purchase the software as a one-off payment of $25.00. The program comes with the following recommended requirements: 400MHz or higher CPU, 256 MB or more RAM, 45 MB disk space, Windows Media Player 11, .Net Framework 3.5, Real Player 11 (Optional), Flash Player 10 (Optional) and a 512 Kbps Internet connection.

Easy TV Radio is an easy to use piece of software that offers you more than 1,500 free TV channels and over 2,000 free Radio channels according to the developer. The interface is simple and easy to access, thus handy for the less advanced users as well. The program comes with a built-in database to give you a start but you also have the possibility to add new channels that you want to watch. This feature makes it possible for you to have virtually a no-limit channel database.

Easy TV Radio is more than just an Internet strea... (read more)]]> Tue, 6 Oct 2009 15:51:01 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Easy-TV-Radio-Review-121519.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Easy-TV-Radio-Review-121519.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Raluca Burlacu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Absolute-StartUp-Review-120449.shtml The first step in optimizing your system is startup. There are numerous applications that provide partial or total control of your startup items. The difference between partial and total control is the way that a startup manager handles the items. A complete solution, in my opinion, should provide startup item management and startup monitoring. Let me explain this a bit. To optimize your startup list, you must follow a few unwritten rules. Depending on everyone’s need and the amount of items in a list, a startup manager must be able to create an order, so that “big” applications that require a lot of RAM memory can start first or last. Another aspect that a smart manager should include is delay. Delay between items can save a lot of time and boost system startup.

To be more helpful, a startup manager must also provide startup monitoring. This is not an absolutely necessary trait and does not define all startup manager applications (in the end, a manager will deal with the existing items), but a lot of aggravations can be wiped if such a feature is provided. Yes, every manager will display the items, but it is of much help to have the possibility to deny certain entries, then to have them removed manually. This happens especially with potentially dangerous items. Not every application announces, or, better yet, lets the use... (read more)]]> Mon, 5 Oct 2009 16:41:02 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Absolute-StartUp-Review-120449.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Absolute-StartUp-Review-120449.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Radu Bogdan) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Microsoft-Security-Essentials-Review-123071.shtml Since migrating to Windows 7 from a Service Pack 3 XP was not too much of a hassle, and with Microsoft Security Essentials freshly launched, it seems only natural to test the latest release in computer protection from Microsoft.

Codenamed Morro, Microsoft Security Essentials is desired to be an additional layer of protection for Windows users. It is free of charge and destined for those who have genuine operating systems running on their machines. Before starting the installation procedure for the application your OS has to pass the genuine validation test, otherwise Microsoft Security Essentials will not find its way in Program Files directory.

But before validation of your operating system the application will warn that it cannot coexist with other antivirus products, recommending their uninstall, thus preventing any eventual clash. However, after all this is done, installation of the program will run smoothly, at the end of which an easy to navigate, clear interface awaits (very similar to Windows Defender's).

It is split into no more than four free-from-confusion-or-doubt tabs that give you a clear look at the current computer state, last definition update or scan history. There is also the “Settings” area where you can configure the application to scan the PC at specific times, defi... (read more)]]> Thu, 1 Oct 2009 15:02:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Microsoft-Security-Essentials-Review-123071.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Microsoft-Security-Essentials-Review-123071.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/DateTime-Calculator-Review-121520.shtml Time measurement can be critical for some of us. There are moments when we need to know the exact number of days or hours in a certain period of time and it's easier for us when somebody, or, better said something, does that for us, like a complex calculator developed precisely for these tasks.

eTimeInc Software’s DateTime Calculator is a tool designed to compare two different dates or times or add/subtract dates and time intervals. The product can be downloaded for a 30-day trial, after which you will be reminded that you have to register the software for $19.95. The application doesn’t have any special requirements except for the ones regarding the OS, given the fact that it will run on a Windows 2000 or higher. Although the developer has not added Windows 7 as a supported OS we have tested the application and it works on this operating system too.

When you open DateTime Calculator you are bound to observe the simplicity of its interface. It is tab-based and designed to be as easy to use as possible; in short, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to use this piece of software. The application is designed to offer something more than a simple calendar; it’s a utility to help you count the days in a precise manner, ideal for those who don’t accept errors.

The "Basic" tab is the firs... (read more)]]> Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:36:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/DateTime-Calculator-Review-121520.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/DateTime-Calculator-Review-121520.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Raluca Burlacu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/TimeComX-Review-122482.shtml Getting your computer to shut down unattended nowadays is nothing surprising. There are so many methods to achieve this that there is almost no room for innovation. And yet, some developers managed to adapt their software to the new technology on the market, such as the ubiquitous Bluetooth or the more and more popular wireless.

Regardless of how you want to transmit the desired signal for the system to perform a specific action, the number one condition is to grab the appropriate software, capable of fulfilling the actions your way. There are plenty of solutions on the market and most of them are absolutely free, despite the wide range of options they make available. My personal favorites are Reohix's Sleep Moon Xpress for my laptops and the old PowerOff for the desktop equipment. If you read the reviews you'll get why I use different apps for a laptop and a desktop.

But even if I settled just fine with these two, I am still keeping my ear to the ground waiting for a better solution. TimeComX is not the perfect answer for carrying out automatic actions such as restarting, shutting down, putting into hibernation or suspending your system from the current activity, but it does represent an easy way to replace the aforementioned two solutions should they be considered too complicated, and it is a tad different from the traditional batch in... (read more)]]> Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:07:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/TimeComX-Review-122482.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/TimeComX-Review-122482.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/PicShrink-Review-121093.shtml Let's talk about pictures! Any of us has them, they remind us of various occasions, feelings, state of mind and also give us the opportunity to take a look back into the past. Throughout the years the technology allowed us to store them in various ways, from the dusty old albums to different devices, gadgets and personal computers of today. Using the latest digital cameras, pictures have grown in size, reaching 10-20 MB, so as to offer you good quality and clarity. However, this can be a problem when you have a lot of pictures that you don't want to delete.

PicShrink is a small application that allows you to shrink and optimize digital pictures, resize, resample, add watermark and convert them to the desired format. The developer offers you a 30-day trial to fully test the product, after which time you will have to buy it for $29.95 if you decide that it is what you were looking for.

With PicShrink you can easily convert your pictures into more popular formats including: JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF and TIFF. The interface is very user friendly with no tricky buttons or overwhelming menus that can make your work a lot harder.

After you select and load the desired files / folders, the application will display the picture files found and allow you to select the ones you want to shrink. By double-clicking any picture you will be ab... (read more)]]> Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:31:01 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/PicShrink-Review-121093.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/PicShrink-Review-121093.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Cosmin Anton) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/AutoShutdown-Review-121999.shtml Despite our everyday work, everyone needs a break, even computers. Saving energy is also important. I know that, when you have a deadline, and you’re only halfway done, the energy-saving issue is the least to worry about. But there are applications that can help save energy and start freshly at the same time. What I mean by that is that you can save energy by creating a power-management schedule and also run a certain tool at shutdown or startup. Not to mention that you can configure your system to lock during a break.

Why do you need a schedule for system shutdown and startup? A small example: all your work can be saved at the end of the day if, before shutdown, you run a backup solution or upload data to an FTP location. The same solution, but vice-versa, can be applied at startup. Yes, you would say, but this is geared towards power-users that deal with complicated projects every day and, if one mistake occurs, all data is lost, so why would a light user like me need such a solution? Simple, to run a cleanup tool at the end of the day (empty recycle bin, delete temp files, remove cookie or clear cache).

The basic premises that lie behind power-management solutions is to save energy (your money), create a shutdown, restart or lock schedule or be able to take these actions in case of CPU inactivity. Of course, not all powe... (read more)]]> Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:31:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/AutoShutdown-Review-121999.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/AutoShutdown-Review-121999.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Radu Bogdan) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Moo0-ImageInColors-Review-121998.shtml Taking pictures and editing them into personalized, unique creations or designing graphical art from digital images are currently two very popular hobbies, as well as steady jobs for many people. Today, graphic design is not only for artists and professionals, but also an activity that gains more and more disciples with various levels of knowledge and skill. Almost anyone with a digital camera and a specialized piece of software can edit and transform a regular photo into something original that reflects more than a common landscape.

Adding effects and morphing elements of an image are far more accessible now than a few years ago. And this is thanks to the emergence of so many applications that can individually or in diverse combinations give the same superior quality to the output as the full-blown suites that once ruled untroubled. Nowadays, with no more than two or three dedicated utilities, you can change photo dimensions, format, colors, add frames and other enhancements, without having to pay a cent.

The abundance of freebies doesn't mean that all of them work flawlessly and produce stunning results, on the contrary. Perhaps too many are difficult to operate even though their job is very simple or the final results are just what you'd expect them to be and this is why finding the right tool for the task you need to ac... (read more)]]> Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:51:01 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Moo0-ImageInColors-Review-121998.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Moo0-ImageInColors-Review-121998.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Olivian Puha) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/VistaSwitcher-Review-122258.shtml One of the improvements included in the much debated Windows Vista is the simple task-switching function, which has gained far more functionality through the simple display of a thumbnail of all top-level windows available in the taskbar. Unfortunately, this only works if you have an Aero-enabled edition, otherwise it'll be closer to XP task switching, which shows only the application's icon and its name.

Luckily, third-party developers provide us with plenty of replacements, one better and slicker than the other, ready to take on the task-switching mission responsibly and in a more efficient way. VistaSwitcher is a neat way to alternate between tasks easily, effortlessly, and, most importantly, knowing what each and every window is for. The freebie works on all three most discussed Windows operating systems lately, XP, Vista and Windows 7.

The application does not provide any sort of interface, save for the task-switching display and the configuration panel. It installs easily and poses no problems during the process. Downloading the software and putting in on the system took less than 30 seconds, and I slacked a bit. Switching between the windows is done elegantly at pressing the traditional Alt+Tab combination, showing a list of all opened top-level taskbar windows, plus a preview screen of the selected item. In case of multi... (read more)]]> Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:02:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/VistaSwitcher-Review-122258.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/VistaSwitcher-Review-122258.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Fitness-Calculator-Module-Review-121876.shtml The fast-moving world we live in compels us to pay more and more attention to our wellbeing and this is due to the ever-increasing stress and pollution we are exposed to on a daily basis. The lack of physical exercise and poor alimentation contribute to the generation and propagation of health problems for individuals just as for entire communities. The first thing and perhaps the one most often at hand for everyone to do is fight the inactivity by working out. The exercise routines needn't be complicated, but well targeted to bring about relaxation and a feeling of relief from passivity and mental strain.

Nowadays, for most people, going to the gym and having a personal trainer is a pretty common practice that yields good results. For those interested in a bit more than that, for people who want to find out and understand more than the basic principles that are behind a good workout, there are quite a few things to be unveiled. This is usually done by accessing specialized websites, reading specific books in a hardback or digital format. For the latter part, there are also dedicated software products made for different levels of users and with various degrees of detailing.

Such a utility is the Fitness Calculator Module, a handy, freeware application that will help any user get an insight into the elementary paramet... (read more)]]> Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:21:01 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Fitness-Calculator-Module-Review-121876.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Fitness-Calculator-Module-Review-121876.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Olivian Puha) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Machete-Review-122112.shtml Nowadays you don't have to be especially computer savvy in order to start cropping into your videos and taking out the parts you dislike. With a little documentation and the right application you can start slicing them like melons, because you do not need a steady hand to cut into a specific part of the movie.

Sure there are plenty of solutions to invoke for such a need, but only a small bunch address the average Joe and even a smaller one bring complete, easy to follow documentation. Machete is not quite new on the market, and it is not freeware, but it features amazing ease of use and complete documentation about its options and functions.

The cost for the application is $19.95, but you benefit from a 14-day trial period to test the software at full capacity, the only hen-peck being the screen at launching the software that reminds you that “Machete is a try-before-you-buy program” and the number of days left for evaluation.

It comes with a video player-like interface that should pose absolutely no handling problems, featuring tooltips for each function available at hovering your mouse over it. And if you have problems understanding the terminology the help file explains each and every aspect thoroughly without resorting to geek language.

Besides splitting video or allowing you to trim it to you... (read more)]]> Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:48:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Machete-Review-122112.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Machete-Review-122112.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/PDFTiger-Review-121635.shtml The Portable Document Format, or, shortly put, PDF, files are a document standard providing a secure and reliable way to distribute electronic documents. The beauty of the PDF documents consists of the fact that, with a professional instrument, you can set restrictions to a PDF document, so that the receiver is allowed only specific operations.

The market is not flooded with pieces of software ready to convert between different types of documents, but, still, the Internet provides a comfortable pool of such programs, ready to give a hand in transforming a regular document such as a TXT or WordPad format into the classy PDF.

PDFTiger, just like the name suggests, comes as a full solution dedicated to converting PDF documents into a number of common formats such as DOC, TXT, images, HTML and even Flash. It does not come free and the price tag reads $29.95. Of course, there is a trial version to test the app before shelling out the money, which lets you convert only 50% of your document, and that pops out a nag screen motivating you to buy the full version to erase all restrictions. In the main windows of the program, the developer alerts you that the unregistered edition lets you convert for only 30 times, but, during our testing, that number never decreased, despite all our attempts.

Installing PDFTiger is a cinch and ... (read more)]]> Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:46:00 GMT Softpedia News - Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/PDFTiger-Review-121635.shtml Windows software reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/PDFTiger-Review-121635.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Ionut Ilascu)