Author: Nick Peers

File-sharing Dropbox has updated its desktop client for Windows, Mac and Linux with the release of Dropbox 2.0 FINAL. The new build debuts a major revamp of the user interface, accessed when the user clicks the app’s menu bar or Taskbar Notification area icon.

At the present time, the new menu system is only available to Windows users running XP or later, and Mac users running Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) or later — it has not yet been implemented in the Linux build.

The new menu is more graphically pleasing affair than its predecessor, displaying a summary of recently changed or shared files complete with file type icon or thumbnail preview for identification purposes. Rolling the mouse over an item reveals a Share button, which whisks the user off to the Dropbox website for setting up a public file-sharing invite.

Users should also get notifications when other Dropbox users share items with them — in the case of files, it’s a straight link to the file itself via the Dropbox website, while folder invites can be accepted or declined from here. Once accepted, shared folders are accessible from the user’s own Dropbox folder.

The new build also provides real-time notification of invites and other sharing functions — via the program icon in Windows and the Notification Center in OS X, while shortcuts at the top or bottom of the pop-up menu provide quick and easy access to the user’s locally hosted Dropbox folder as well as their Dropbox account online.

Features displayed on the old menu bar — including how much space is left in a user’s account as well as the current sync progress — have been relegated to a new settings button. The update also fixes a bug where discrete graphics would be enabled on OS X laptops along with other small, unspecified bug fixes. Support for Brazilian Portuguese has also been added with this release.

In itself, the new features — while pleasing on the eye — don’t offer an awful lot to get excited about, but highlight Dropbox’s new focus on sharing as well as backup and syncing. They follow similar functionality appearing on recent updates to the mobile versions of Dropbox, including Dropbox for iOS 2.1.3 and Dropbox for Android 2.3.3.

Dropbox 2.0 FINAL is a freeware download for Dropbox users running Windows, Mac or Linux.

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Once upon a time Google Chrome was considered the go-to browser for those looking for a fast, speedy browser, even on low-powered computers. These days, however, those running older 32-bit OSes with 4GB or less than RAM might struggle to reconcile the sluggish performance they witness on a day-to-day basis with the supposedly nimble Chrome.

The problem with Chrome — and Firefox too — is that the more tabs you have open, the more memory Chrome gobbles up. It doesn’t take much to assign gigabytes of RAM to Chrome, which may leave your computer creaking at the seams. Short of closing down those tabs, what can you do? The solution lies in a tiny, elegant add-on called OneTab for Chrome 1.3, which has just been launched.

OneTab is a tiny 85KB download that adds a small, unobtrusive button to the Chrome toolbar. When your browser’s demands become too much, clicking this button sees all of your tabs magically disappear, reduced to a list in a single browser tab. And as the tabs close, so too does Chrome return RAM to your system, with an instant improvement in performance.

OneTab claims to be able to reduce memory consumption by up to 95 per cent – from gigabytes to one or two hundred megabytes – and in some cases it may even free up CPU cycles too, as script-based sites are quietly folded into the background.

This is all well and good, but what about the tabs you just closed? You still want access to them, right? No problem – just click a tab entry in the list to restore it, or click Restore All should you want to bring them all back to life. As tabs are closed, restored and closed again, so OneTab’s history list builds up and your tabs get grouped by the last time they were shut down. The history survives different Chrome sessions too, so nothing is lost when you close down your browser.

This list can also be managed, so you can delete unwanted tabs completely — either individually or by group. One drawback is that a tab’s history isn’t restored with the tab (you can still access previous websites via Chrome’s own History though). OneTab also allows you to share groups of tabs as public webpages, plus export and import previous groups for backup and syncing to different computers.

It all adds up to one clever, simple-to-use extension for any Chrome user, although those struggling to maintain multi-tab setups on older, lower spec’d machines will of course see the most benefit. And for any jealous Firefox users out there, the developers behind OneTab promise that a Mozilla-friendly version is in development.

OneTab for Chrome 1.3 is a freeware download for Windows, Mac and Linux computers runningGoogle Chrome.

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Ellora Assets Corporation has released Freemake Video Converter 4.0, the latest version of its freeware video conversion tool for Windows. Despite the major version number change, version 4.0 contains no new functionality of its own — instead, it’s being used to promote a free ad-supported Gold Pack add-on.

All four new features touted in version 4.0 — namely new DVD menus, auto-crop, auto-backup and the option for setting a customized background — aren’t actually new, as the Gold Pack was available for installation with earlier versions of the software too.

Users are given the option of installing the Gold Pack after install Freemake itself — the option is prominently displayed on the program’s main screen when no videos have been selected for conversion. Installing the Gold Pack adds an auto-crop tool that automatically detects and removes black bars from video. There’s also automatic backup of project edits and changes.

The Gold Pack also provides additional options for burning DVDs using the program, with additional DVD menu styles and an option to set any picture the user likes as the background image for the DVD itself.

The add-on comes with several strings attached, however: first, users must agree to set the Freemake customized search as their default provider, plus change their homepage to the customized search tool. Clicking Install appears to have no effect, but simply enables features already installed, but disabled by default.

From here users have a wider choice of DVD menus and can change the DVD background when selecting DVD as an output format, while the auto-crop option requires enabling via the Black bars tab on the program’s Options screen.

Homepage and search settings are changed across all major web browsers, but users can easily change these settings via their browser’s settings: Firefox users should click the Freemake icon in the search bar and choose Manage Search Engines to remove the Freemake entry, for example. Doing so has no effect on the Gold Pack functionality.

The update is rounded off with a specific fix for problems with temporary DVD folders, and the promise of better all-round stability, while there are also minor, unspecified interface changes.Freemake Video Converter 4.0 is a freeware download for PCs running Windows XP or later.

Photo Credit: moneymaker11/Shutterstock

Bopsoft has released Listary 4.0 and Listary Portable 4.0, the latest builds of its lightweight, ultra-compact search add-on for Windows users. The new release has been rewritten from scratch, and simplifies browsing and searching for files from a number of locations, including Windows Explorer, Open/Save dialog boxes and various third-party tools.

Version 4.0 includes a number of major new features, including disk and sub-folder search, fuzzy navigation, History, Actions and Projects. It also comes with a number of notable improvements, including enhanced search performance and ranking.

Listary is triggered from Windows Explorer, application open/save dialog boxes and other supported programs simply by typing keywords — for example, browse to a folder and start typing to see a list of files and folders containing the letters or phrase typed.

Version 4.0 adds a number of major new features. By adding the ‘>’ prefix to an item, Listary will switch on the new Disk Search mode to search across your entire hard drive for the file or folder name entered as opposed to the currently selected folder. Note that Disk Search only works with NTFS-formatted drives.

Projects, Actions and Fuzzy Navigation support are all billed as new Pro features, but will work without restriction in the free version, with the occasional nag screen and reminder to upgrade whenever they’re used. Projects allows users to create shortcuts to frequently accessed folders that can be searched directly from the Listary dialog simply by entering the folder’s name or pre-defined shortcut. Browse to the folder and type proj to set it up.

A new Actions feature provides users with access to commands from the Windows Explorer context menu from Listary by selecting the target file and pressing the right cursor key. Also added is Fuzzy Navigation, which allows users to drill down to favorite files without knowing their exact name or location by typing what you do remember – such as a mixture of the parent folder name and the file itself.

Also added to version 4.0 is the ability to exclude items from the Recent list by drive, folder or user-defined filter — this feature is managed manually via the History tab of Listary’s Options dialog. Toolbars and menus can also now be customized via the Menu tab. A tutorial is also provided to give users a head start into using the program — this launches automatically on first-run, and can be repeated via the program’s Taskbar Notification Area icon at any time.

Support for many third-party file explorer tools has been updated to support the latest versions and add new tools, such as FreeCommander XE, XnView and Clover. The program now also checks for updates automatically — a timely addition as both skin and custom action support for Pro users is planned for version 4.1.

Listary 4.0 is rounded off by a number of improvements, including better search ranking and performance, better support for changing the portable folder’s user-data location and an enhanced auto-expanding folder option.

Listary 4.0 and Listary Portable 4.0 are both available as a free-for-personal use downloads for Windows XP or later. The commercial version — Listary Pro — can be unlocked within the program and costs $19.95 for a three-computer license and lifetime of free updates.

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There are many reasons why you’d want to hide your internet IP address. The most common one is that you’re trying to access services or web sites restricted to a specific country or territory — this might be to catch up with UK BBC TV’s shows via iPlayer or for more fundamental reasons, such as bypassing a country’s censorship restrictions.

Spoofing your IP address so you appear to come from another country than the one you’re residing in isn’t by itself a difficult task — all you need is a decent VPN service. But when it comes to simplicity and decent performance, you can’t beat a service called Hideman, available on Windows and Mac via the free Hideman 2.0 tool, and Hideman VPN 1.9.7 for Android.

Hideman isn’t new — version 2.0 has just been released sporting a brand new user interface — but it’s built a reputation as one of the better VPN services out there. Aside from providing you with the opportunity to spoof your own IP address, it also provides 256-bit encryption for all data received and transmitted, adding an extra layer of protection to your web browsing while also allowing you to surf safely via open public Wi-Fi hotspots.

The software is ridiculously easy to use. Fire it up, click the > button to choose the country you wish to appear to be in, and let the software do the rest. Suddenly services restricted to your country of choice are available to you wherever you happen to be.

The service — like most good VPN services — isn’t completely free. However, for occasional use and testing purposes you can use the service for up to five hours per week — note, however, that once you trigger one of your free hours, it will count down relentlessly in the background whether or not you use the service, and shutting down the program has no effect.

You can subsequently leave the program running in the background and trigger a fresh hour by clicking the Hours button, or completely close it from its Notification area icon, knowing the next time you launch it, the next hour’s countdown will begin.

There are other restrictions for free users to be aware of: first, you can only connect through six countries: the US, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Panama and Singapore (four of which permit the use of P2P). Second, you can only download 2GB per month, and the connection speed may be limited to 512Kbps.

It’s also worth noting that free users’ access logs are stored encrypted for 14 days, and will be used in exceptional circumstances (see the FAQ for full details).

Should you want unlimited access with no logging to more than 20 countries (including Australia, the UK, Canada and Japan), support for port forwarding and changing IP on the fly, then invest in a paid-for account. Prices start from $3 for one week’s access from your computer, or $2.90 for one month’s access from your mobile (either through the Android app or by logging on through the Hideman website on your iPhone or iPad). Pricing plans go all the way up to a year’s access — $69 for computers, $24.90 for mobiles.

Hideman 2.0 is available as a free, function-limited download for Macs and Windows. Hideman VPN 1.9.7 is a free app for Android users. Up to three devices can connect at one time through a single account.

The Document Foundation has released LibreOffice 4.0.1, a primarily maintenance release for its open-source office suite. Comprising word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentations, drawing and maths tools, LibreOffice 4.0.1 has one notable update, cross-platform support for its LibreOffice Impress Remote app for Android.

LibreOffice Impress Remote allows users to control Impress presentations over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi using their Android phone or tablet. Only Linux builds of LibreOffice 4.0 supported the app, but as of version 4.0.1, Windows and Mac LibreOffice users can also control presentations using the Android app.

The simplest way to use an Android phone with LibreOffice is to pair it with the target computer using Bluetooth, allowing both to be used in remote scenarios without relying on other network connections. Users can, however, connect through Wi-Fi by specifying the target computer’s IP address.

The app allows users to start the currently loaded slideshow, then control it via the volume buttons or touch-screen controls. Users can move between slides one at a time, with accompanying notes for each slide displayed on the mobile for reference. Users can also insert blank screens, plus view all slides as thumbnails for jumping quickly to different parts of the slideshow.

TDF warns that the app is still a little buggy, particularly on Windows and Mac platforms, but we found that on the whole it worked well when paired with our Mac Mini running LibreOffice 4.0.1.

As for LibreOffice 4.0.1 itself, over 100 bugs have been fixed with this release, including a significant number that caused crashes. Elsewhere there’s a fix for text rotation in shapes when exporting presentations in PPT (PowerPoint) format, plus users should now be able to format comment text and import MSDraw files without worrying that certain shape properties won’t be handled incorrectly.

Other editing fixes should ensure that conditional formatting isn’t destroyed when copying and pasting spreadsheet cells, while autofit text should no longer break superscript or subscript text in Impress. Version 4.0 was released last month, boasting a revamped API and host of new features.

LibreOffice 4.0.1 is a free, open-source download for Windows, Mac and Linux. LibreOffice Impress Remote is a free companion app for Android mobiles running Android 2.3.3 or later.

Berlin software developer Ashampoo GmbH has released Ashampoo WinOptimizer 10.1.0, the latest version of its Windows system optimization tool. WinOptimizer 10, which provides one-click tools for privacy, cleaning and optimizing PCs, debuts four new modules, plus a brand new user interface.

The tool, which is available as a 10-day trial by default (users can extend this by a further 30 days by registering for a free key), also comes with four updates for existing modules, enhanced Windows 8 support and user-definable favorites.

The most striking thing about WinOptimizer 10 is its brand new interface. The overtly blue appearance of version 9 is replaced by a steel grey look. The main screen provides a summary of the three key areas WinOptimizer addresses: cleaning, optimizing and protection. Users can then go for a one-click scan, with options for easily reviewing and “hiding” (ignore) individual issues, or letting Ashampoo fix the problems automatically.

Alternatively, users can opt to optimize manually via the program’s Modules section. Four new modules have been added to version 10 to take the grand total to 32 — these are a duplicate file finder, obsolete shortcuts checker, fonts manager and System Restore manager, the latter allowing users to review and delete individual Restore points.

In addition to these new modules, four existing tools have also been enhanced. The File Wiper adds an option for wiping free disk space to prevent recovery of previously deleted files, while the Internet Cleaner and Drive Cleaner promise faster performance. The Drive Cleaner — along with the Registry Optimizer module — has also been improved by providing more accurate detection rates for better results.

While WinOptimizer 9 came with support for Windows 8, version 10 promises enhancements for users of Microsoft’s latest operating system. There’s a revised task scheduler, and Windows 8-tailored tweaks to go with compatibility improvements.

Other user interface tweaks include redesigned overview and statistics pages for better clarity, and user-definable favorites. The Favorites screen has always displayed the most frequently accessed modules in WinOptimizer, but from version 10 users can now pin up to four of their favorite modules to this screen for permanent access: from the Modules page, roll the mouse over an individual tool and click the star icon that appears next to it to add (or subsequently) remove that module from the Favorites screen.

Ashampoo WinOptimizer 10.1.0 is available now as a free trial download for PCs running Windows XP or later. The full version comes with a MSRP of $39.99, although upgrades and discounts are available for existing and trial users.

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Norton has refreshed its entire 2013 security range with the release of Norton Antivirus 2013 v20.3, Norton Internet Security 2013 v20.3 and Norton 360 v20.3. The update should be applied automatically to all existing Norton 2013 users. Version 20.3 is a maintenance release fixing a number of known issues, but also comes with improvements from the previous release, including enhanced Windows 8 compatibility, better overall performance and improvements to Norton Identity Safe.

Highlighted bug fixes include one resolving issues where the Norton program service ccsvchst.exe doesn’t shutdown properly, plus another that led to blue-screen issues when both Norton and Nero products are installed on the same computer. Another corrected issue saw users complain about other products being uninstalled during the Norton installation process leading to junked Windows installations, while problems with key components like AutoProtect and AntiSpyware getting switched off without being resolved by the Fix Now tool have also been fixed.

Users having problems with two instances of AntiSpam running, one of which consuming 100 per cent resources in Task Manager, have also been fixed along with incorrect subscription expired notices.

The update will be delivered automatically to all existing Norton users, but you can also download and install the latest versions of Norton AntiVirus 2013 v20.3, Norton Internet Security 2013 v20.3and Norton 360 v20.3 directly. These function as 15-day trials for those without subscriptions.

And once you’ve discovered how powerful and lightweight Norton products are, why not pick up a full year’s license for a bargain price at the Downloadcrew Software Store? You can get Norton AntiVirus 2013 for just $19.99 for one PC, or $24.99 for three PCs — both deals represent a saving of 50 percent on the MSRP. You can save even more by purchasing Norton Internet Security 2013: the one-user version costs $23.99, a saving of 60 per cent on the MSRP, while you can protect your entire home for just $29.99 by purchasing the three-user version, which represents a whopping 63 per cent off the usual MSRP. These licenses last for 365 days after activation, and will entitle you to download and use Norton 2014 products for the remaining part of your subscription when they become available later this year.

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Open-source Windows defrag tool UltraDefrag 6.0 FINAL has been released along with a 64-bit build and portable editions. The new build promises optimized disk processing algorithms for speed and efficiency, support for optimizing FAT disks and the ability to minimize the main window to the Taskbar Notification area.

Ultra Defrag comes with a graphical interface for less experienced users as well as options for defragging individual files, folders and drives from the Explorer context menu, but power users can also control it via a console, with options for batch processing and setting up scheduled tasks available. It also comes with boot-time options for defragging system files and Registry hives.

The key improvement in UltraDefrag 6.0 is the reimplementation of all the disk processing algorithms. This optimization improves the program’s overall speed through more efficient and therefore shorter processing times.

Version 6 also allows users to optimize FAT disks for the first time, plus users can now sort files on the disk by optimization as well as path, size and one of creation, modification or last accessed times. The program’s optimization tools now also make full use of all specified filters.

The GUI has been tweaked with redesigned icons aimed at making the program look better on Windows Vista and above. Users also gain a few additional options, including one to minimize the program to its Taskbar Notification area icon, and another that allows them to suspend and resume running jobs.

Windows 7 and 8 users can also view a progress of any currently running jobs through the program’s Taskbar Notification area icon with this latest release. Like many other settings, this can be switched off by clicking the program’s Options button, which opens its configuration file in Notepad for editing manually.

All file fragmentation reports are no longer stored on the root directory of each analyzed drive; instead they can be found in the Reports sub-folder inside the program’s own folder.

The new release, which went through two beta and three Release Candidate versions, is rounded off with one new language (Bengali) added alongside numerous language updates (including Chinese, Dutch, Italian, Russian and Spanish), plus the usual gamut of bug fixes and behind-the-scenes tweaks.

UltraDefrag 6.0 FINAL and UltraDefrag 6.0 FINAL 64-bit, along with UltraDefrag Portable 6.0 32-bit and UltraDefrag Portable 6.0 64-bit, are all available as open-source downloads for PCs running Windows NT 4.0 or later.

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Oracle has released VirtualBox 4.2.8, a maintenance update for its open-source, cross-platform virtualisation tool that should improve stability and fix various regressions. Notable changes include a fix that caused guests to crash when using a huge amount of guest RAM on machines with Intel Virtualisation (VT-x) technology.

Aside from bug fixes, there is one minor performance tweak of note, which sees the time for merging snapshots reduced under certain conditions. Users can now also change VRDE settings for saved VMs under Settings.

Over 30 changes have been recorded in version 4.2.8 — other notable bug fixes include a fix for the layout bug in the OS X version of VirtualBox’s Clone VM dialog box that caused the GUI to fail. Windows hosts will also find they are now able to use keyboard input when the Take Guest Screenshot dialog box is open.

An access violation error that caused occasional crashes on multi-monitor setups when users attempted to change resolutions has been resolved, while another that destroyed VDI images using the XFS file system when extended has also been fixed.

Performance issues with IPv6 networking over bridged adapters have been resolved through fixing a TCP pseudo header checksum computation, while a small memory leak affecting VBoxService.exe in the Guest Additions has also been closed.

Among the regressions fixed include one that caused VirtualBox 4.2.6 to hang when certain inaccessible VMs were present, and another that has affected X11 Additions since version 4.2.0, which prevented screen automatic resizing for guests using X.org 1.3 or earlier.

VirtualBox 4.2.8 is available now as a free, open-source download for Windows, Mac and Linux. Also available is VirtualBox Extension Pack 4.2.8, a free-for-personal-use download that adds support for USB 2.0, VirtualBox Remote Desktop Protocol and more.

Amazon has launched Amazon Cloud Player 2.0 for iOS. The app, which lets users stream or download music from their Amazon Cloud collection, has been revamped to support the iPad and iPad mini for the first time, in addition to previous support for iPhone and iPod touch.

Version 2.0 also debuts a revamped user interface and adds a new setting that allows users to configure the size of the offline cache used for storing streamed music for access while offline.

Amazon Cloud Player, which is also available for other mobile devices, including Amazon MP3 2.8.0 for Android, lets users access both music stored in their Amazon Cloud account as well as locally on the device. Music stored in the cloud includes all MP3 and auto-rip CD purchases from the Amazon music store, plus existing music uploaded by the user. Up to 250 songs can be stored this way without charge — if users purchase an Amazon Cloud Premium subscription for $24.99 per year, this limit increases to 250,000.

Unlike Amazon MP3 for Android, Amazon Cloud Player does not allow users to browse, search or purchase music through the Amazon store; the app is currently limited solely to playing or downloading music from songs already uploaded or purchased.

Aside from adding support for iPad users, Amazon Cloud Player 2.0 adds one more feature in the form of an option under Settings for users to manually set the cache size for music previously streamed or downloaded. Music stored in the cache can be played offline, and a 500MB cache is set by default – users can now adjust this to a number of presets from 50MB to Unlimited (Amazon Cloud Player will always leave at least 10 per cent free space on the device), plus clear the cache with a single tap.

Amazon Cloud Player 2.0 is available now as a free download for iPad, iPad mini, iPhone and iPod touch users running iOS 5.0 or later. Amazon MP3 2.8.0 for Android users is also available.

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Plymouth, MI-based Stardock Software has released Stardock DeskScapes 8.0, a brand new version of its Windows desktop and screensaver animation tool. Version 8.0, which costs $9.99 after the intial 30-day trial expires, adds full Windows 8 compatibility to the tool’s roster, plus debuts a brand new user interface that’s designed to be easier to use.

DeskScapes 8.0 allows users to customize existing desktop wallpapers with animations and over 40 special effects. Users can also apply, and create, specially animated desktops created using Stardock’s own proprietary Dream format. A number of examples are provided with the program, but dozens more are available to download via wincustomize.com. Stardock, which specialises in desktop customisation tools, is celebrating its 20th year.

The tool is incredibly easy to use. It can be accessed at any time via the desktop by right-clicking and choosing Configure DeskScapes. From here, it’s a basic three-step process: first, choose your target wallpaper – seven animated examples are provided in the program, with the other options made up of images from selected folders (users can choose other folders to include with the default selections too). There’s also a link to wincustomize.com, where users can download dozens of animated desktops created by other users.

A small preview, plus description and three or four tabs will appear. Select these to configure the wallpaper further — select Effects to access one of 40 special effects, which include a range of filters including blur and colorization effects. Again, the preview updates when one is selected to give you an idea of how it will look.

Users can also combine up to four special effects together for one striking effect — click the Combined effects button to get started — and then it’s a case of clicking Apply to my desktop to make it your desktop wallpaper, or clicking the down arrow next to the button to access an option to make it your screensaver instead.

The tool also comes bundled with Stardock DreamMaker, a tool for creating your own desktops in the Dream format. It’s not particularly simple to use, but does at least give you the opportunity to indulge your creative side further.

Stardock DeskScapes 8.0 can be downloaded for free as a 30-day trial, with the full version costing $9.99. DeskScapes 8.0 requires a PC running Windows 7 or 8.

Astonsoft Ltd has released EssentialPIM Free 5.5 and EssentialPIM Pro 5.5, major new versions of its Windows personal information manager. Highlights in this new release include support for iCloud synchronization, native Dropbox support and improved CardDAV tools.

Also updated are EssentialPIM for iOS 2.6 and EssentialPIM for Android 1.8.2, mobile apps designed to give users access to their EssentialPIM data while on the move. While iOS users only see minor bug fixes in this update, Android users will enjoy major improvements to the Calendar and Contacts modules.

The most eye-catching new feature in EssentialPIM 5.5 is native Dropbox support — users can now easily access their EssentialPIM data from multiple PCs by storing their database in the Dropbox cloud folder. EssentialPIM can automatically download, upload and pack the database from this location, and the effect is seamless.

Also added in version 5.5 is full support for Apple’s iCloud and the CardDAV synchronization service, the former being of most benefit to EssentialPIM for iOS users. As with other supported cloud services, including Google, CalDAV and Yahoo!, however, the feature is restricted to EssentialPIM Pro 5.5 users.

Enhancements in version 5.5 include better CalDAV support, plus improved synchronization with both Android and iOS apps. The update also promises to have fixed all known issues since the last release.

EssentialPIM for Android users also gain new features with the 1.8.2 release. These include a new Calendar module, which now syncs with EssentialPIM’s own Calendar module in Android as opposed to the native Calendar app. At the present time, Agenda and Day views are available, with more to follow.

There are also improvements to EssentialPIM’s Contacts support, with all contact fields now being synchronized with the native Contacts app along with photo synchronization support.

EssentialPIM Free 5.5 and EssentialPIM Free Portable 5.5 are both free-for-personal-use downloads for PCs running Windows XP or later. EssentialPIM Pro 5.5 is available as a free trial download, with full licenses starting from $39.95. Both EssentialPIM for iOS 2.6 and EssentialPIM for Android 1.8.2 are free downloads.

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Microsoft has released the first stable version of Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 (32-bit) and Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 (64-bit). The latest version of the browser — which comes pre-installed in Windows 8 — promises improved performance, better privacy and supports the latest web standards, plus adds integrated spell-checking and auto-correct tools.

Internet Explorer 10 in itself isn’t new — it was bundled with Windows 8 on its release on October 26. However, it’s only now that Windows 7 users have been able to install a stable version of the software, although a Release Preview has been available since mid-November. Just as Internet Explorer 9 dropped support for Windows XP, so IE10 drops support for Windows Vista.

There’s one major new feature to speak of: an integrated spell-checker and AutoCorrect tool, which appears in web forms and other input boxes as the user types. Microsoft claims this feature will aid users in typing faster, more accurate, posts. The user interface remains very similar to IE9, although it has been overhauled slightly, one noticeable improvement being that tabs close more quickly in this version.Privacy has also been enhanced, with the Do Not Track (DNT) signal switched on by default in the new release (it can be switched on in IE9 via the Tools > Internet Options dialog). This instructs compliant websites to stop tracking users’ movements on their own as well as third-party websites.

The update, which will be pushed to all Windows 7 machines over the coming weeks, also promises better performance, particularly where JavaScript is concerned, with Microsoft’s own benchmarks suggesting IE10 is up to 25 per cent faster than IE9. Other performance improvements centre around hardware-accelerated support for SVG and HTML4 constructs, as well as improved drawing performance, the latter rendering images up to 30 per cent faster than IE9.

Performance should also be improved by the promise of reduced CPU usage in IE10, a side-effect of which will benefit the battery life of mobile users.

IE10 also promises better support for modern web standards, with up to 30 new standards supported in this release over IE9, primarily in the fields of CSS3 and HTML5.

Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 (32-bit) and Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 (64-bit) are both available now as a free download for PCs running Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 installed.

Photo Credit:  Ljupco Smokovski/Shutterstock

Piriform Software has released CCleaner 3.28 and CCleaner Portable 3.28, updated versions of its popular freeware Windows cleaning tool. Version 3.28 is a minor release, promising better performance and compatibility, plus support for cleaning up behind two new programs.

Piriform has also announced that the release of CCleaner 3.28 will be the last of the 3.x branch, with CCleaner 4.0 the next release slated. It also hints that this is the first of a number of major updates to its product line planned over the coming months.

Key changes in CCleaner 3.28 include the promise of improved compatibility with Windows 8 machines. Windows 7 users should also benefit from faster performance through enhanced memory usage, while version 3.28 also improves cleaning of the Windows log files.

The new build adds cleaning options for Gadu-Gadu, a Polish instant messaging client, as well as Foxit Phantom PDF, while existing cleaning options for Adobe Flash Player and ConvertXToDVD have also been tweaked for a more thorough cleaning experience.

Pro users will benefit from faster automatic updates, while the update is rounded off with the usual mixture of updated translations, minor interface improvements and bug fixes.

Piriform has also announced that the next release of CCleaner will be version 4.0, which will add system monitoring tools and file-finding capabilities alongside a minor interface refresh and will also debut a brand new program icon. Piriform also claims to be finalizing details of other “exciting” releases. It appears these may be brand new tools to add to its stable, which currently include Recuva 1.45 and Defraggler 2.13 as well as CCleaner for Mac.

CCleaner 3.28 and CCleaner Portable 3.28 are both available as free-for-personal-use downloads for PCs running Windows 2000 or later. Pro and Business Editions are also available.

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Moonchild Productions has launched Pale Moon 19.0 and Pale Moon x64 19.0 for Windows. Pale Moon is a customised build of popular web browser Firefox, with the developer making no attempt to keep pace with Mozilla’s six-weekly development cycle in favour of applying security updates and concentrating on delivering improved performance.

This release marks the first major update since Pale Moon 15.0 — based on Firefox 15 — was released last August, but while Pale Moon 19 utilizes the brand new Gecko 19 engine found in the latest version of Firefox, don’t expect to see all the functionality in Firefox 19 making an appearance here.

With the underlying Gecko update, Pale Moon 19.0’s HTML5 implementation is more complete than the previous build. Javascript performance has also been improved thanks to the shift to the IonMonkey engine, which first appeared in Firefox 18. Also improved in Gecko 19 are the layout and rendering engines, but one side-effect is that users may have to update both add-ons and themes to retain compatibility with Pale Moon 19.

While the overall layout of the browser hasn’t changed, there are subtle changes to the main browser controls and padlock icon.

Moonchild has – in accordance with its desire to produce a faster browser than Firefox – also applied specific tweaks to the rendering engine to improve performance, which it claims is noticeable both in general user and via certain unspecified benchmarks. These changes should help prevent browser stalls or high CPU usage on certain web pages.

Pale Moon 19.0 also abandons PGO (Profile Guided Optimization) in favour of global speed optimizations, which should give better smoothness regardless of which PC is using the browser.

As this is a custom build, don’t expect all of the functionality of Firefox 19 in this release. There are fewer developer tools, for example, while Moonchild has publicly stated the social API introduced in Firefox 17 won’t be appearing in Pale Moon.

The inline PDF viewer is also apparently missing in this release, but that’s because it’s been switched off by default. Switch it on by typing about:config into the browser Address bar, then search for pdfjs — verify that pdfjs.firstRun is set to true, then double-click pdfjs.disabled so it’s set to false. Once done, you’ll be prompted each time you click on a PDF whether or not you want to preview it in Pale Moon. To make it the default choice, open Pale Moon >Options > Applications tab and change the Portable Document Format (PDF) entry to Preview in Pale Moon. Job done.

Pale Moon 19.0 and Pale Moon x64 19.0 are both available as freeware downloads for PCs running Windows XP SP3 or later, as are portable builds Pale Moon 19.0 Portable and Pale Moon x64 19.0 Portable.

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Mozilla has released Firefox Beta 20.0b1, the first public beta of a landmark release. Like its predecessor, Firefox 19 FINAL, which debuted the new inline PDF viewer, version 20 looks set to unveil another major new feature to the Firefox armoury: a redesigned, panel-based download manager.

Version 20 also includes a major refresh of the Developer toolbar, providing tweaked and redesigned access to all of the major components, plus an option to view the tools in a separate window. A new Javascript benchmarking tool has also been added.

The headline new feature in Firefox 20 — the panel-based downloads manager — has been in existence for a quite some time. After an extended period in Firefox Aurora, the feature is now considered stable enough to move towards a final release.

The downloads manager automatically appears when a download has been initiated – it can also be brought up by clicking the new Downloads button that appears immediately to the right of the Search bar. This changes from an arrow icon to a progress bar with estimated download time when downloads are in progress.

When clicked, all present downloads — including completed ones — are shown in a list. Unfinished downloads are shown with a green bar charting their progress, while right-clicking the download reveals a number of additional options, including Pause and Resume, Cancel, Go To Download Page and Remove From History.

Clicking Show All Downloads opens the new Downloads Manager, which is integrated in the Library window alongside History, Tags and Bookmarks. The display is basically an exact replica of the panel-based manager, and works in the same way, providing users with a consistent experience.

Developer Updates

Of interest to developers will be the radically revamped Developers toolbar. As the number of developer tools has mushroomed – Firefox 20 adds another to the mix – so the Firefox UI team have worked to provide a more user-friendly layout.

The redesigned toolbar sees tools more logically arranged to make it easier to switch between them. The Web Developer menu has been split to organize the tools more logically, while a Toggle Tools option provides quick access to the full gamut of tools, where users can now quickly switch between Web Console, Debugger, Inspector, Style Editor and the new Profiler tool with a single click.

Convenient shortcuts to the Scratchpad and Responsive Design Mode are also provided, along with a new button for splitting off the developer tools into their own window, allowing them to be arranged on a second monitor if desired.

The new Profiler tool allows developers to track the responsiveness of Javascript code. In this initial release, it offers a simple “start/stop” control that subsequently provides a graph charting the code’s performance and highlighting potential performance bottlenecks.

Firefox Beta 20.0b1 is available now as a free, open-source download for Windows, Mac and Linux. Also available are Firefox 19.0 FINAL and Firefox 19.0 for Android.

Open-source, cross-platform EPUB creator Sigil 0.7.0 has been released, sporting a number of major new features. These include finished versions of the Live Preview, Clips and spellcheck features.

The new version also sports a new HTML rendering engine, Qt 5, but remains an EPUB 2 editor, despite the inclusion of EPUB 3 features such as audio and video support. Support for EPUB 3 (as well as backwards compatibility with EPUB 2) is noted as in development for a future release.

Sigil 0.7.0 debuts the finished version of Live Preview, a dockable window that displays the results of editing in real time – it also continues to show the content from the last HTML tab opened by the user, allowing changes to auxiliary files such as CSS to be viewed as they’re updated. The Live Preview window can even be dragged on to a second monitor.

The spellcheck function is another feature-complete highlight in the new release. Clicking the spellcheck button now opens a dedicated dialog box containing a list of all misspelled words along with an option to display all words – clicking a word reveals its first occurrence in the document; double-click to move to the next. A tooltip provides a count of the unique number of words in the document, while support for multiple dictionaries is also added.

There are two notable improvements to Sigil’s support for multiple clipboard entries: the addition of a new, optional Clip Bar providing toolbar buttons for selecting the first 20 Clips in a user’s collection, plus a dockable window that lists all available Clips for quick and easy selection. Users can also define keyboard shortcuts and create buttons for quickly inserting special characters.

Another major new addition is the ability to quick edit an ebook’s Table of Contents without having to generate a new TOC. A number of new reports – including an all-encompassing All Files report – have also been added, while users can now play audio and video clips in Sigil, with the related functions for image handling updated to work with other media clips too.

Other minor changes include Sigil’s ability to now save invalidly constructed XML files, options for searching with wrap on or off, and separate stylesheets for the Index and TOC HTML files. Users can now also bookmark their location to return to later.

There’s one major behind-the-scenes change, with Sigil now using Qt 5 for its HTML rendering option. Two visible improvements brought about by this change are support for audio and video preview, plus the correct display of embedded fonts.

The update is rounded off with a promise of better performance and stability. Sigil 0.7.0 comes with visible performance improvements in a number of areas, including opening and changing tabs, merging of files and bulk renaming. It also promises to have fixed all bugs from previous releases, and no longer closes when attempting to open invalid EPUB files. The save routine implements more integrity checks, while splits and merges can be done without the risk of data loss.

Sigil 0.7.0 is a free, open-source download for Windows, Mac and Linux. Windows users can also download Sigil Portable 0.7.0 for running directly from a USB flash drive.

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Apple has released iTunes 11.0.2 for Mac and Windows. The new build, also available for Windows 64-bit machines as iTunes 11.0.2 64-bit, adds a Composer viewing option to the Music section, plus promises greater responsiveness when syncing large playlists.

The update, which also includes performance and stability improvements, plus one notable bug fix, comes hot on the heels of a Java update released by Apple to prevent hackers accessing the computers of its employees.

The new Composers view for music doesn’t appear by default in iTunes 11.0.2; instead users need to first open the Preferences menu and tick the new “Show Composers” option on the General tab. Once done, Composers appears as another viewing option alongside existing entries such as Songs, Albums and Artists.

Unfortunately the new view does reveal the inconsistent way composers’ names are recorded in iTunes, which leads to multiple entries for co-authors, and no option to consolidate the view to show all music by a composer, whether co-authored or composed individually.

Apple also promises that the update improves iTunes’ responsiveness when syncing playlists containing a large number of songs. The only documented fix applied is one that resolves issues whereby some users’ libraries weren’t showing their purchases from the iTunes store.

The 11.0.2 update is rounded off by a number of non-specified improvements to iTunes’ performance and stability.

The update follows on from the 11.0.1 release two months ago, which restored the option for displaying all duplicate library options as well as resolving issues with a disappearing AirPlay button and iCloud items not appearing in the user’s library.

Users will be prompted to install both iTunes on launching iTunes or checking Software Update in OS X (where the Java update will also be offered). Alternatively, iTunes 11.0.2 for Windows and Mac and iTunes 11.0.2 for Windows 64-bit are both available as freeware downloads.

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Spanish security company Panda Security Ltd has released Panda Cloud Antivirus Free 2.1.1, a minor update to its free cloud-based security tool for Windows. Version 2.1.1 is the first release to secure a Windows 8 compatible logo after passing the eligibility requirements laid down by Microsoft.

Panda Cloud Antivirus, also available with built-in firewall in Pro form, is primarily a maintenance release, building on the major improvements found in version 2.1, which included real-time protection for Windows 8 Store apps and anti-exploit technology.

Panda Cloud Antivirus 2.1.1 includes five specific fixes for problems. The first resolves an issue with file-blocking while waiting for scan results to be returned from the cloud. Another bug squashed was one that prevented the GUI console from opening in certain circumstances.

A number of linguistic errors have also been fixed, while the promotional banner should now be removed in all situations after users upgrade to Panda Cloud Antivirus Pro in the program. The final resolution ensures the correct remote IP address is shown in the Pro version’s firewall popups.

The update follows on from the release of Panda Cloud Antivirus 2.1, which added anti-exploit technology to both free and Pro versions, providing users with protection against malware that exploits so-called zero-day vulnerabilities in unpatched software such as Java, Adobe and Microsoft Office. Like traditional signature-based malware, suspicious files are sent to the cloud for analysis, but in this case their behavior is tracked to determine whether or not they pose a potential risk.

Version 2.1 also added real-time protection for Windows 8 Store apps, plus came with performance improvements, a tweaked user interface and a number of unspecified bug fixes.

Panda Cloud Antivirus Free 2.1.1 is available now as a freeware download for PCs running Windows XP or later. Users can upgrade to the Pro version for $29.95 per year, which adds a built-in firewall, extra protection when using public Wi-Fi networks and automatic USB vaccination.