Pidgin Portable 2.5.8 (Windows, Open Source, 14MB) is the versatile Pidgin instant messaging client packaged as a portable app, so you can take your IM settings and buddy lists with you. It has all the same great features as Pidgin, including support for AOL, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ and Jabber networks, but there's nothing to install on the local PC.

Changes:

• ICQ
  • Fix misparsing a web message as an SMS message. (Yuriy Kaminskiy)

• MSN
  • Increase NS command history size to prevent crashes on buddy lists that have a lot of buddies on other networks like Yahoo!

• MySpace
  • Accounts with empty buddy lists are now properly marked as connected.
  • Fix receiving messages from users of MySpace IM's web client.

• Yahoo
  • Fixed phantom online buddies. They should now properly disappear when signing out.
  • Fixed the crashes some users were seeing with cn.scs.msg.yahoo.com in 2.5.7.
  • Fixed compiling on systems with glib 2.4.x or older.
  • Fixed an issue with file transfers. This may not resolve all issues, but it should resolve at least some of the most common ones.
  • The pager server will automatically update to scsa.msg.yahoo.com if the user empties the field or if it is scs.msg.yahoo.com. This should ease the pain of transition to the new login method.

• XMPP
  • Fix an incompatibility betweeen Prosody and libpurple clients.

Mozilla Firefox 3.5 Portable Edition (Windows, Open Source, 9MB) is the popular Mozilla Firefox web browser in portable app format, so you can take your bookmarks, extensions and saved passwords with you.

Changes:

• Firefox has been updated to 3.5.
• has an improved installer and launcher.
• has several enhancements which improve performance on portable devices.

FileZilla 3.2.6 (Windows, Open Source, 3.8MB) [alt DL] is a fast and reliable cross-platform FTP, FTPS and SFTP client with lots of useful features and an intuitive graphical user interface.

Also available for Linux.

Changes:

• Don't display error messages multiple times if modification times of edited file cannot be obtained
• Fix problems with certificate dialog introduced in 3.2.6-rc1

Miranda IM Portable 0.8.1 (Windows, Open Source, 3MB) is a multi protocol instant messenger client for Windows, in portable format, which uses very little memory and supports ICQ, AIM, MSN, Jabber, Yahoo, IRC and more.

Changes:

• Improve account renaming inside of the account manager
• Notification if missing messaging plugin
• Improved upgrade procedure when using older contact list and messaging plugins
• Network list in options wasn’t sorted
• Fixed missing icon/menu issues
• Fixed crash in options on XP pre SP2
• Fixed errors loading dlls on wrong OS
• Fixed drawing background in options search
• Fixed account removal handling
• Fixed hotkey issue with some MS keyboards
• Fixed possible crash with event data
• AIM: Fixed issue with multiple connection requests
• AIM: Fixed issue setting AIM profile
• ICQ: Fixed AIM away message handling (caused online status to be seen as away in some clients)
• IRC: Possible crash on specific alias
• MSN: Fixed renaming nickname from options
• MSN: Fixed Offline messaging reception from Beejive client
• Yahoo: Show download progress properly
• Yahoo: Cancel out in the middle of file receive.
• Yahoo: Main menu fixes

Mozilla Firefox 3.5 (Windows, Open Source, 7.7MB) [alt DL] sets the pace with dozens of new features to deliver a faster, more secure and customizable Web browsing experience for all.

Also available for Linux.

Changes:

• Use the new Private Browsing Mode and the updated Clear Recent History function (in the Tools menu) to keep your browsing habits a secret.
• Tear tabs off the tab bar to create new windows, and drag and drop them from one Firefox window to another.
• Watch a video in your browser without needing any plugins or external media players.
• Control the Smart Location Bar results with special characters.

CCleaner 2.21.940 (Windows, Freeware, 3.1MB) [alt DL] is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space.

Changes:

• Added U3 smart drive support. (Separate installer)
• Added support for: Adobe Reader 9.0, Adobe Photoshop CS3, Adobe Photoshop CS4, Adobe Illustrator CS4, Nero Burning ROM 9, OpenOffice 3.1, AVG AntiVirus 8.0, AntiVir Desktop and Vuze.
• Added Installed date and size to Uninstall Tool.
• Added support for multiple item selection on Start up tool.
• Added support for cleaning Windows 2008 IIS log files.
• Improved Windows 7 support.
• Improved 64-bit Registry cleaning accuracy.
• Improved loading of System Restore Tool.
• Improved various routines in the uninstaller code.
• Fixed Windows 7 Task Scheduler bug.
• Fixed "No Disk" bug when using Wipe Free Space.
• Fixed Win98 support.
• Minor text and translation improvements.
• Minor bug fixes.

Nowadays, DDR3 memory is slowly being the de facto standard of system RAM. One of the major hindrances of building an inexpensive AMD rig with DDR3 is the price of the motherboard.

X-bit Labs took a close look at the Gigabyte MA770T-UD3P (US$80) mainboard:

“According to the results of our test session, despite its modest price, this mainboard may become a good choice not only for inexpensive unpretentious platforms, but also for computer enthusiasts. It has adequate specifications meeting today’s needs, and flexible configuring options together with overall predictable behavior are just as good as those of more expensive Socket AM3 products. In other words, during our test session, we didn’t reveal any serious issues that could give anyone the reason to underestimate Gigabyte MA770T-UD3P. Especially, since it performs and overclocks just as good as Gigabyte MA790FXT-UD5P, for instance, that belongs to a much higher price range.” [X-bit Labs | Gigabyte MA770T-UD3P]

Gigabyte MA770T-UD3P Specs:

• AMD socket AM3 processors support (Phenom II X4, Phenom II X3)
• AMD 770 / AMD SB710 chipsets
• 4 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets, up to 16GB of system memory
• 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot
• 4 x PCI Express x1 slots
• 2 x PCI slots
• 1 x IDE
• 6 x SATA 3Gb/s,with SATA RAID 0, 1, 0+1
• 8 x USB 2.0 ports at back panel
• 1 x Gigabit LAN
• 7.1 HD Audio
• ATX form factor, 30.5 cm x 21.0 cm

If you are looking to build a new AMD rig with a socket AM3 processor and DDR3 memory, it’s worth looking for the Gigabyte MA770T-UD3P.

Fallout 3: Point Lookout (PC, Action RPG) is the fourth downloadable expansion for the Fallout 3 series. The adventure begins with notice of a ferry boat that will take you to Point Lookout and a woman looking for her lost daughter, Nadine. This main quest line quickly devolves into a series of trippy quests and conversations with things that are barely human. The stories and characters here are filled with that trademark Fallout dark humor, elevating these quests to a level that rivals the main game.

 

IGN gave it an 8.5 (‘Great’) rating:

“Point Lookout is one of the better Fallout 3 expansions and feels well worth the $10 price tag. There’s a brand new area with over a half dozen trippy and exciting missions to find and work through. Plus, there are inbred hillbillies. If you’re still looking for more Fallout 3, definitely give Point Lookout a try.” [IGN | Fallout 3: Point Lookout Review]

Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility 9.1.1.1014 (Windows, Freeware, 2.7MB) [alt DL] installs the Windows INF files. The INF files inform the operating system how to properly configure the chipset for specific functionality, such as AGP, USB, Core PCI, and ISAPNP services.

TeraCopy 2.0 (Windows, Freeware, 1.5MB) [alt DL] is a compact program designed to copy and move files at the maximum possible speed, providing the user a lot of features.

Features:

• Copy files faster
• Pause and resume file transfers
• Error recovery
• Interactive file list
• Shell integration
• Full Unicode support

K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 4.95 (Windows, Freeware, 19.4MB) [alt DL] is a collection of DirectShow filters, VFW/ACM codecs, and tools. Codecs and DirectShow filters are needed for encoding and decoding audio and video formats.

Changes:

• Updated ffdshow to revision 3018
• Updated DirectVobSub to version 2.39.5.2
• Updated MediaInfo Lite to version 0.7.17
• Updated GraphStudio to version 0.3.2.0
• Fixed crash with ffmpeg-mt
• Minor changes

Left 4 Dead (PC, Shooter) is expected to get new updates soon, according to the official Left 4 Dead Blog site.

Update Key Features:

• Add-Ons – Third party campaigns are designed to be installed using a new Add-On framework. Content authors will be able to package up their new maps, along with new posters, models, and textures, into a single .VPK file.
• Matchmaking – Because Left 4 Dead is all about sharing, we’ve re-tooled Left 4 Dead’s matchmaking system to provide extensive support for custom add-on campaigns.
• Authoring Tools – We’re also officially releasing the Authoring tools/SDK.

About Left 4 Dead:

A new kind of action game for the PC that features single player, co-op and multiplayer game modes. Set in the immediate aftermath of the zombie apocalypse, L4D offers four expansive "movie campaigns" that challenge you and your fellow survivors to battle thousands of swarming zombies as you travel across the rooftops of an abandoned metropolis, through rural ghost towns and pitch-black forests. In addition to the movie campaigns, Left 4 Dead features a Versus mode that allows you to play as the Boss Zombies.

Read more at the Left 4 Dead Blog site >>

Thunderbird 2.0.0.22 (Windows, Open Source, 6.46MB) [alt DL] is a great email client from the same people who brought you the Firefox browser.

Also available for Linux.

Fixes:

• Crash viewing multipart/alternative message with text/enhanced part
• JavaScript chrome privilege escalation
• Arbitrary code execution using event listeners attached to an element whose owner document is null
• SSL tampering via non-200 responses to proxy CONNECT requests
  * Crashes with evidence of memory corruption
• Same-origin violations when Adobe Flash loaded via view-source: scheme
• Crashes with evidence of memory corruption

Notepad2 3.1.21 (Windows, Open Source, 235KB) [alt DL] is another small, fast notepad replacement with some unusual features. It includes zoom, rectangular selection, regular expressions, and more.

Changes:

• No ini-file is created by default (save settings with F7, once)
• "Move Up" and "Move Down" keep selection and work with blocks
• Set cursor to start (Ctrl+,) or end of text selection (Ctrl+.)
• "URL Encode" (Ctrl+Shift+E) and "URL Decode" (Ctrl+Shift+R)
• "Escape" (Ctrl+Alt+E) and "Unescape C Special Chars" (Ctrl+Alt+U)
• "Sort Lines" with several options (Alt+O)
• "Pad With Spaces" block command (Alt+B)
• "Replace Next" assigned to hotkey (F4)
• Auto strip trailing blanks option (File, Line Endings, Default)
• Remapped "Transparent Mode" hotkey to Ctrl+0
• Simple XML detection for files without extensions
• Simple language detection for cgi and fcgi files
• Reload file without file variable parsing (Alt+F8)
• Enabled better styling of C/C++ preprocessor elements
• Recent files and search strings merged with existing items on save
• Paste board mode ignores immediately repeated copy actions
• Command line switch + to accept multiple files (quoted spaces)
• Command line switch - to accept single file argument (no quotes)
• Option to set default command line mode (single or multiple files)
• Command line switches to set file encoding and line ending mode
• More /p command line switches (see "Command Line Switches" below)
• /r command line switch to reuse existing window
• /ns and /rs command line switches to enable single file instance
• Renamed /t command line switch to /d (select default text scheme)
• /t command line switch to set window title
• Set window title to excerpt of current text selection (Ctrl+9)
• Save relative pathnames for recent files (ini-option to disable)
• Save relative directories for "Open with..." and "Favorites"
• "Open with..." no longer sends short pathnames to external programs
• External commands use current file directory as working directory
• Remember "Save Copy" location until exit
• Require only single click to restore window from tray icon
• "Reuse Window" option timeout improves opening multiple files
• Replaced "Find Up" option with "Find Previous" button in dialogs
• "Find Wrap" notification dialogs provide "Cancel" button
• Option to suppress replace count notifications
• Find and replace dialogs provide new system menu commands
• Dialog boxes use correct theme fonts on Vista
• Patches to default styles, file types and auto-detection by Kai Liu
• Incorporated base x64 source code compatibility patch
• Fixed some problems with relative ini-file locations
• Fixed some minor file variable problems
• Fixed some encoding detection issues
• Fixed some find and replace problems
• Fixed several memory leaks when saving files
• Fixed several memory leaks for editing operations
• Reduced size of Notepad2.exe program file

Evil Player 1.29 (Windows, Freeware, 538KB) [alt DL] is a fast, powerful and flexible media player for Windows. Some of the key features include Shoutcast, Icecast and Icecast2 support, low memory footprint and native support for several popular formats (MP3, MP2, MP1, OGG, AIFF and MOD).

Changes:

• Updated Bass.dll to version 2.4.3.0
• Fixed last.fm submission error
• Fixed not remembering all the previous added files
• Fixed a string that wasn't translatable

This is my current favorite audio player for Windows. It’s simple, easy to use, and does not *hog* your computer’s resources. FTW!

Pidgin 2.5.7 (Windows, Open Source, 13.7MB) [alt DL] is a chat program which lets you log in to accounts on multiple chat networks simultaneously. This means that you can be chatting with friends on MSN, talking to a friend on Google Talk, and sitting in a Yahoo chat room all at the same time.

Also available for Linux.

Changes:

• Yahoo Protocol 16 support, including new HTTPS login method; this should fix a number of login problems that have recently cropped up.
• Only display the AIM "Unable to Retrieve Buddy List" message once per connection.
• Blocking MSN users not on your buddy list no longer disconnects you.
• When performing operations on MSN, assume users are on the MSN/Passport network if we don't get network ID's for them.

If you are an athlete, or just a plain Joe or Jill wanting to improve your well-being and fitness, you could try something simpler: more sleep.

“Most people training for a race or sport focus on adding more miles, workouts or weight training to improve their fitness. But new research suggests that simply getting more sleep can improve athletic performance.” [New York Times | To Improve Fitness, Try Sleep]

In the study made at Stanford University, the performance of the athletes increased when they extended their sleep to 10 hours a night for five to six weeks.

Well, now we have an excuse for “sleeping on the job”.

The ATI Radeon HD 4890 is one of many graphics cards in AMD’s Radeon HD 4000 series. It features:

• 55nm fabrication process
• PCI Express 2.0 x16 bus interface
• 256-bit GDDR5 memory interface
• Microsoft® DirectX 10.1 support
• Shader Model 4.1 support
• 800 stream processing units
• OpenGL 3.0 support
• ATI CrossFireX™ Multi-GPU Technology

HardwareZone reviewed the PowerColor PCS+ HD 4890 Battle Forge Edition card, and gave it a 4.5 out 5 rating:

“To sum up, the PowerColor PCS+ HD 4890 BF Edition is a very capable card. It offers decent performance and its cooler does the job. What we don't like, however, is that the cooler isn't that much less noisy than the reference model, and also the high power consumption figures (which is to be expected since it's overclocked). Even so, it is still one of the better Radeon HD 4890 cards around, and is definitely great value for money if your heart's set on a Radeon HD 4890.” [HardwareZone | PowerColor PCS+ HD 4890 Battle Forge Edition]

If you are interested in looking at what Nvidia has to offer in competition with the HD 4890, you could take a look at the GeForce GTX 275.

Mozilla Firefox Portable Edition 3.5 Release Candidate 2 (Windows, Open Source, 9MB) allows you to test all the latest features in the upcoming version without disrupting your current Firefox installation.

Changes:

• updates Firefox to 3.5 RC 2
• now available in more than 70 languages
• Improved tools for controlling your private data, including a Private Browsing Mode.
• Better performance and stability with the new TraceMonkey JavaScript engine.
• The ability to provide Location Aware Browsing using web standards for geolocation.
• Support for native JSON, and web worker threads.
• Improvements to the Gecko layout engine, including speculative parsing for faster content rendering.
• Support for new web technologies such as: HTML5 <video> and <audio> elements, downloadable fonts and other new CSS properties, JavaScript query selectors, HTML5 offline data storage for applications, and SVG transforms.

NVIDIA Forceware 186.18 WHQL XP (Windows, Freeware, 72.9MB) [alt DL] unleashes the full power and features in NVIDIA's desktop, gaming, platform, workstation, laptop, multimedia, and mobile products.

Vista version also available. [alt DL]

Changes:

• Numerous bug fixes.
• Installs the new PhysX System Software version 9.09.0428.

Mozilla Firefox Portable Edition 3.5 RC 1 (Windows, Open Source, 9MB) allows you to test all the latest features in the upcoming version without disrupting your current Firefox installation.

Changes:

• updates Firefox to 3.5 RC 1
• has an improved installer and launcher with fixes for a registry issue on Vista.
• has improved Windows 7 support.
• As with other tests, it will install alongside your current Firefox Portable installation in a FirefoxPortableTest directory by default.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.38 (Windows, Shareware, 3.4MB) [alt DL] can detect and remove malware that even the most well known anti-virus and anti-malware applications fail to detect.

This is actually shareware, but is a great free to use manual scanner. If you are already using an antivirus software with resident protection, Malwarebytes is a great manually-started scanner.

Changes:

• (FIXED) Minor issue with updating.
• (FIXED) Certain types of freezing during full and quick scans.
• (FIXED) Problem with Estonian language and installer.
• (FIXED) Certain folders showing up as files in results list.
• (FIXED) Scan time improperly displayed if Abort Scan clicked after Pause Scan.
• (FIXED) Error during loading log files after database update.
• (FIXED) Issues with freezing in protection mode. Certain conflicts with anti-virus software.
• (ADDED) Some proxy support, please see /proxy command line parameter.
• (ADDED) New command line parameters: /logtofolder, /logtofile (see help file).

The Shuttle XPC SX58H7 Pro Station (around US$867) aims to bring the Small Form Factor PC to the extreme gamers, demand enthusiasts, and mainstream PC users.

Features:

• Intel Core i7 processor support
• I.C.E Technology CPU heat-pipe
• Intel X58 and ICH10R chipsets
• 4 x 240pin DDR3 DIMM slots, 4GB per DIMM(Max 16GB), Triple channel DDR3 1066/1333/1600(OC)MHz support
• Realtek ALC888 7.1 channel High Definition Audio
• 2 x Realtek RTL8111C Gigabit LAN
• 3 x 3.0Gb/s bandwidth SATA (RAID 0,1,10,5)
• 2 x 3.0Gb/s bandwidth eSATA in back panel
• 1 x UltraDMA 133 channel master from JMicron JMB368
• 2 x PCI-E x16 slots
• 6 x USB 2.0 ports
• 500W power supply
• Dimensions: 325(L) x 208(W) x 189(H) mm

Register Hardware gave the SX58H7 an 80% rating:

“… you pay a premium of £200 for the privilege of building your Core i7 system in a small, compact, quiet chassis that's half the height of a regular mid-tower. That’s a high price to pay for a regular desktop PC but it’s worth considering as the end result is very smart and effective. LAN party gamers – yes, both of you – should form a queue here. … The Shuttle SX58H7 is brutally expensive but that’s a fact of life with Core i7 hardware. However, the price is offset by low noise levels, stylish design and excellent cooling.” [RegHardware | Shuttle XPC SX58H7 Core i7 mini desktop PC]

Do you want something small, yet powerful enough to go side-by-side with its bigger desktop counterparts? The Shuttle SX58H7 could just be for you! (Of course, you have to pay the price to get it.)

uTorrent 1.8.3 Build 15638 (Windows, Freeware, 281KB) [alt DL] is a small and incredibly popular BitTorrent client.

Changes:

• Fix: make "alternate upload rate when seeding" apply when the seeding is set by the scheduler
• Fix: align "Web Seeds" in torrent creation dialog
• Fix: translated strings in uninstaller

FileZilla 3.2.5 (Windows, Open Source, 3.8MB) [alt DL] is a fast and reliable cross-platform FTP, FTPS and SFTP client with lots of useful features and an intuitive graphical user interface.

Also available for Linux.

Changes:

• Fix adding remote directory symlinks to queue not working
• Fix "Timer creation failed" message boxes on update download dialog. Actual update download was not affected, only display of the progress bar.
• MSW: Use deferred volume label gathering on local file list as well

ATI Catalyst Drivers 9.6 Vista (Windows Vista, 43.2MB) [alt DL] is AMD's award-winning graphics and HD video configuration software that delivers unprecedented control of performance and visual quality with ATI Radeon graphics processors.

Changes: Catalyst 9.6 brings performance benefits in several cases where framerates are CPUlimited. Some measured examples are:

• Company of Heroes – performance improves up to 25% with HD 4600 series
  products and below as well as improvements of up to 10% on HD 4800 series
• Crysis – performance improves up to 13% in multi-GPU configurations
• Crysis Warhead – performance improves up to 11% in multi-GPU configurations
• World in Conflict – performance improvements of up to 30% can be seen in settings that were previously CPU limited

Wireshark 1.2.0 (Windows, Open Source, 17.4MB) [alt DL] is the world's foremost network protocol analyzer, and is the de facto standard across many industries and educational institutions.

Changes:

• Type-ahead search now works properly.
• Several bugs that affected capture from pipes have been fixed.
• Many Lua-related bugs have been fixed.
• Several memory leaks have been found and fixed.
• The "Follow TCP Stream" feature could show two streams at the same time The hex dump view has been narrowed.
• WPA and SSL decryption bugs have been fixed.
• Readability problems on 256-color displays on Windows have been fixed.

The main event of UFC 99: The Comeback was between Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva and Rich “Ace” Franklin. Both camps agreed to a catch-weight match at 195 pounds.

Franklin won the unanimous decision, with the scores 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28. I felt that Silva had the edge in the second round, while the third round seemed like a draw.

Other fights:

• Cain Velasquez won against Cheick Congo by unanimous decision.
• Mirko Cro Cop won against Mostapha Al-Turk by TKO in the 1st round.
• Mike Swick won against Ben Saunders by TKO in the second round.
• Spencer Fisher won against Caol Uno by unanimous decision.
• Dan Hardy won against Marcus Davis by split decision.

K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 4.90 (Windows, Freeware, 19.4MB) [alt DL] is a collection of DirectShow filters, VFW/ACM codecs, and tools.

Changes:

• Updated ffdshow to revision 2996
• Updated Cyberlink MPEG-2 decoder to version 8.4.0.330
• Updated Xvid to version 1.2.2
• Updated AC3Filter to version 1.61b
• Updated AC3File to version 0.6b
• Updated Gabest Matroska splitter to version 1.2.1160.0
• Updated Gabest MP4 splitter to version 1.2.1160.0
• Updated Gabest MPEG splitter to version 1.2.1160.0
• Updated Gabest Ogg splitter to version 1.2.1160.0
• Added DivX 3.11 codec. This is needed by WMP to be able to play certain old files. Other players do not need it.
• Updated MediaInfo Lite to version 0.7.16
• Added the ability to easily change the preferred splitter for TS/M2TS files
• Minor changes

Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder 2.0.1 (Windows, Freeware, 330KB) [alt DL] is a free utility that retrieves your Product Key (cd key) used to install Windows from your registry. It has the options to copy the key to clipboard, save it to a text file, or print it for safekeeping. It works on Windows 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP, .NET, Office 97, and Office XP.

Changes:

• Removed everlasting "beta" tag
• New save format: CSV
• Added command-line option: /savecsv {location}
• Added command-line option: /file {file}
• Added command-line option: /hive {location}

This is very useful in getting the current product key(s) before doing a format and clean install.

The GeForce GTX 295 (around US$520) is a dual-GPU graphics card from Nvidia that features:

• 240x2 Stream (Shader) Processors
• 576 MHz Core Clock
• 1242 MHz Shader Clock
• 999 Memory Clock x2
• 1792 MB Memory
• HDCP support
• Two Dual link DVI

The Guru of 3D took a close look at the Point of View GeForce GTX 295 single PCB, and gave it the Guru3D Top Pick stamp of approval:

“Much like any of our GeForce GTX 295 reviews, we can only conclude that the GTX 295 single PCB graphics card pwns. Really it's a 480 shader processor encounting raw fricking compute monster, I liked the first model when it was released, and I like this version just as well. … Either way, we liked the GTX 295 ever since it was introduced, and this revised model does not make that conclusion any different. If you want to be a total freak and go quad-SLI, you can mix and match the old GTX 295 with this new one, not a problem either.” [Guru of 3D |GeForce GTX 295 single PCB review]

Great graphics card to have, if you’ve got money to burn! Need more down-to-earth gaming graphics card suggestions? Head on to cedled’s Game!

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Firefox 3.0.11 (Windows, Open Source, 7.4MB) [alt DL] is a redesign of Mozilla's browser component, written using the XUL user interface language and designed to be cross-platform.

Also available for Linux.

Changes:

• Fixed several security issues.
• Fixed several stability issues.
• Fixed an issue where some extensions wouldn't work properly.

Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization, recently announced that the world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic.

“I have conferred with leading influenza experts, virologists, and public health officials. In line with procedures set out in the International Health Regulations, I have sought guidance and advice from an Emergency Committee established for this purpose.

On the basis of available evidence, and these expert assessments of the evidence, the scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met.

I have therefore decided to raise the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6.

The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic.” [Dr. Margaret Chan | World now at the start of 2009 influenza pandemic]

What is Influenza A (H1N1):

Influenza A virus subtype H1N1, also known as A(H1N1), is a subtype of influenzavirus A and the most common cause of influenza (flu) in humans. Some strains of H1N1 are endemic in humans, including the strain(s) responsible for the 1918 flu pandemic which killed 50-100 million people worldwide. Less virulent H1N1 strains still exist in the wild today, worldwide, causing a small fraction of all influenza-like illness and a large fraction of all seasonal influenza. H1N1 strains caused roughly half of all flu infections in 2006. Other strains of H1N1 are endemic in pigs (swine influenza) and in birds (avian influenza). [Wikipedia | Influenza A virus subtype H1N1]

Signs and Symptoms:

• Similar to regular flu:
  • fever
  • headache
  • fatigue
  • lack of appetite
  • runny nose
  • sore throat
  • cough
• Vomiting and/or nausea
• Diarrhea

Prevention:

• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing
• Always wash hands with soap and water
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers
• Avoid close contact with sick people
• Increase your body’s resistance:
  • Have at least 8 hours of sleep
  • Be physically active
  • Manage your stress
  • Drink plenty of fluids
  • Eat nutritious food

Personally, I also make sure to sanitize frequently used areas and objects in my home and work area. These are (but not limited to):

• computer keyboards, mice, displays
• door knobs
• light switches
• remote controls (TV, air conditioner, stereo, etc.)
• landline phone units
• mobile gadgets (cell phones, PDAs, media players, portable computers, etc.)

To sanitize, we can use alcohol and water (or a very mild bleach and water solution) applied on the objects using a clean cloth.

Tom’s Hardware released their June 2009 choices for best gaming video cards for the money. [Source: Tom's Hardware]

Recommended PCI Express Cards:

• Radeon HD 4650 DDR3 (around US$50)
• GeForce 9500 GT DDR3 (around US$50) [review]
• Radeon HD 4670 (around US$70) [review]
• GeForce 9600 GSO (around US$70)
• Radeon HD 4850 512 MB (around US$105) [review]
• Radeon HD 4850 1GB (around US$130) [review]
• GeForce GTX 260 (Core 216) (around US$170)
• Radeon HD 4870 (around US$170) [review]
• Radeon HD 4850 X2 1 GB (around US$220)
• 2 x Radeon HD 4850 512 MB in CrossFire (around US$220)
• 2 x GeForce GTX 260 (Core 216) cards in SLI Configuration (around US$340)
• 2 x Radeon HD 4870 in CrossFire Configuration (around US$340)
• 2 x Radeon HD 4890 in CrossFire Configuration (around US$455)
• 2 x GeForce GTX 275 in SLI Configuration (around US$455)
• GeForce GTX 295 (around US$520)

For value cards that start around $50, your best bet is either the Radeon HD 4650 DDR3 or the GeForce 9500 GT DDR3. Take note that these are the variants that sport DDR3 memory. (Cards with DDR2 will be generally be much slower.)

If you’ve got money to burn, the king of the hill in the list is the GeForce GTX 295, which can be purchased for around $520. Two GTX 295 cards in SLI, you say? Why not. Just be ready to explain to your spouse why on earth you are spending a thousand dollars or so for your PC “gaming experience”. (And yes, you should also pick up a really beefy Power Supply Unit while you’re at the store.)

The midrange choices would be the GeForce GTX 260 (Core 216) and/or Radeon HD 4870 cards. Both of these would be SLI or Crossfire ready, paving the way for your next upgrade.

Patch version 1.0.9 for Crown of Glory: Emperor’s Edition (PC, Strategy) is now available.

Changes:

• documentation: The Advanced Economy: Help and Advice for the New Player
• documentation: Modder’s Guide
• bug fix: mouse lag experienced by some in certain parts of the interface
• improvements to the AI for both the strategic and tactical portions of the game
• several significant improvements to the overall interface
• and two dozen “fine tune” rule changes to enhance historical accuracy.

About Crown of Glory: Emperor’s Edition:

“The new Emperor’s Edition is a sequel to the acclaimed Crown of Glory and improves on the original in every area, immersing the player in the epic events of the Napoleonic era. A beautiful strategic map with more than 200 provinces covers all of Europe and North Africa, with scenarios and campaigns from 1792 up to 1820. Players take the role of one of the crowned potentates of any of the eight Major powers as well as having the option to play as a minor power such as Poland or Portugal.”

Download Patch 1.0.9 at the Matrix Games website >> [external link]

Safari 4.0 (Windows, Freeware, 27.2MB) [alt DL] is the web browser from Apple that introduced sophisticated design elements that made browsing a joy.

Changes:

• Top Sites – See your favorite website at a glance;
• Cover Flow – Flip through your site history or bookmarks like you flip through albums in iTunes;
• Full History Search – Easily retrieve sites you’ve seen before;
• Nitro Engine – Wait less, browse more;
• Windows Native Look and Feel – Vista and XP users feel right at home;
• Developer Tools – Access the best suite of developer tools ever included in a browser.

Google Chrome 3.0.187.0 Beta (Windows, Open Source, 9.9MB) [alt DL] is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier.

Changes:

• Linux: Import passwords from Firefox.
• On Mac use Keychain for passwords.
• Fix regression where Omnibox would drop characters during rapid typing.
• The web inspector is now working again.
• Fix browser hang due to plugin deadlock.
• --enable-user-scripts is working again.
• Clicking an extension toolstrip no longer selects the first tab.
• Extension buttons now show after install
• Increase the maximum number of cookies to 3000. This matches Firefox.
• When the contents don't have title, use URL for the name of bookmark entry.
• Move download shelf from per-tab to per-window.
• Improved support for Squid proxies.
• Fixes a flash plugin hang on Google Finance ticker symbols in a background tab.

QuickTime Alternative 2.9.0 (Windows, Freeware, 10.9MB) [alt DL] is a trimmed-down version of QuickTime that contains only the essential components needed for playing QuickTime content that is embedded in webpages.

Changes:

• Updated Media Player Classic to version 6.4.9.1 rev. 100
• Updated QuickTime framework to version 7.62.14.0

Any Video Converter 2.74 (Windows, Freeware, 14.8MB) [alt DL] is an All-in-One video converting tool with easy-to-use graphical interface, fast converting speed and excellent video quality. It allows you to effortlessly convert video files between every format! It can convert almost all video formats including DivX, XviD, MOV, rm, rmvb, MPEG, VOB, DVD, WMV, AVI to MPEG-4 movie format for iPod/PSP or other portable video device, MP4 player or smart phone. It also supports any user defined video file formats as the output. Any Video Converter makes it easy for anyone to enjoy the any format video with your iPod, PSP, mobile phone or MP4 player.

Changes:

• Updates the Spanish and Czech language files.
• Updates the output file for Archos players.
• Updates the YouTube downloader engine to resolve the program error when the age authorization is required.

Tom’s Hardware built an Intel machine with an MSI Intel P45 motherboard and Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 processor, and then overclocked it up to 4.2 GHz.

System Setup:

• 3.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 processor
• MSI P45D3 Neo-F motherboard
• 2 x 2GB DDR3-1600 Corsair TR3X6G1600C8D memory
• 300 GB Western Digital VelociRaptor SATA/300 16 MB Cache HDD
• Fortron Everest 1010, 1010 W power supply unit

“Although the 4.26 GHz setting provided the most performance, the 3.9 GHz overclock turns out to be the winner of this efficiency analysis. The clock speed increase provides a nice speed bump when compared to the 3.33 GHz stock speed without bumping power consumption up to excessive levels. If you are looking to get the best performance paired with the lowest effective power consumption, the fastest possible speed without a voltage increase should be your goal.” [Tom’s Hardware | Overclocking Core 2 Duo: Power Versus Performance]

Although an Intel Core i7 and/or AMD Phenom II based system would be the ideal setup for future-proofing your build, the Intel P45 and Core 2 Duo E8600 combo is still a great one to have, especially if you are into overclocking.

Going outdoors sometimes has its disadvantages, one being bitten by insects. One quick remedy to ease the pain and swelling of the bite is applying a cut onion on it.

“We first heard about using a cut onion on a sting about 20 years ago. We checked with world-renowned onion chemist Dr. Eric Block of the State University of New York at Albany. He agreed that a fresh-cut onion might ease the pain of an insect sting because an ingredient in onions breaks down the chemicals responsible for inflammation and discomfort. Other readers have used fresh onion juice to soothe the pain from a minor kitchen burn.” [Los Angeles Times | Cut onion may ease pain of bee sting]

It’s still best to have the insect bite seen by a medical professional, but this quick and easy solution can make the commute to the clinic more bearable.

Demigod (PC, Strategy) has been updated by Stardock to version 1.01.

Demigod is set in a magical world where gods walk among mortals, Demigod blends action, strategy and role-playing elements into a thrilling new experience. Select the demigod that will lead your minions into battle and unleash the dogs of war against your rivals. Your demigod will do whatever it takes in order to ascend to true godhood.

Changes:

• Improved on-line connectivity
• Significantly improved computer AI
• Better in-game detection between those who quit a game versus those who get disconnected
• Reduced bandwidth requirements
• More robust storing of online statistics (favor points, achievements, rankings, etc.)
• Better queuing of player actions in game
• Many misc. improvements

Virtual CloneDrive 5.4.3.2 (Windows, Freeware, 1.5MB) [alt DL] works and behaves just like a physical CD/DVD drive, however it exists only virtually. Image files generated with CloneDVD or CloneCD can be mounted onto a virtual drive from your hard-disk or from a network drive and used in the same manner as inserting them into a normal CD/DVD drive.

Changes:

• New: Added tray icon
• New: Added shell extension for images
• New: Improved shell extension for drives
• New: Added HD-DVD emulation (Windows 2000/XP/Vista)
• New: Added option to purge history of recently mounted images
• New: Added /p command switch to VCDMount.exe to purge history
• Fix: Mounting failed, if .dvd or .ccd file names contained unicode characters
• Fix: Virtual Sheep on Windows XP64
• Fix: Problems mounting files with some language settings
• Some minor changes and improvements

iTunes 8.2.0 (Windows, Freeware, 74.09MB) [alt DL] is a free application for Mac and PC. It plays all your digital music and video. It syncs content to your iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV.

Changes:

• Supports iPhone and iPod touch with the iPhone 3.0 Software Update.
• Also includes many accessibility improvements and bug fixes.

CCleaner 2.20.920 (Windows, Freeware, 979KB) [alt DL] is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool.

Changes:

• Added support for Google Chrome recently closed tabs
• Disabled removal of most recent System restore point
• Fixed bug with Internet Explorer 8 Compatibility View settings
• Improved uninstaller support for Windows 7
• Enhanced right-click menu options for Cleaner screen tree
• Added extra information under title for Options and Tools screens
• Added right-click menu to Registry screen tree
• Added support to multi-select items in Include, Exclude and System Restore screens
• Added language support for Estonian and Farsi
• Internal 64-bit improvements
• Minor bug fixes

VirtualBox 2.2.4 (Windows, Open Source, 63MB) [alt DL] s a general-purpose full virtualizer for x86 hardware. Targeted at server, desktop and embedded use, it is now the only professional-quality virtualization solution that is also Open Source Software.

Changes:

• Windows Installer: fixed a potential hang during installation
• Windows Installer: fixed several problems
• Solaris hosts: make it work with Solaris build 114 or later
• Solaris hosts: fixed a bug serial port character handling found during loopback
• Linux hosts: adapted vboxdrv.sh to the latest changes in VBoxManage list runningvms
• Windows hosts: fixed a crash caused by host-only/bridged networking
• Mac OS X hosts: fixed access to host DVD with passthrough disabled
• Guest Additions: fixed problems with KDE 4 not recognizing mouse clicks
• Windows Additions: fixed incorrect 8-bit guest color depth in Windows 7 guests
• GUI: warn if VT-x/AMD-V could not be enabled for guests that require this setting
• VMM: fixed occasional crash due to insufficient memory
• VMM: fixed hanging 64 bits Solaris guests
• VMM: restore from a saved state occasionally failed
• And much more fixes and enhancements

Java Runtime Environment 1.6.0.14 (Windows, Freeware, 15.5MB) [alt DL] allows you to run applications called "applets" that are written in the Java programming language. These applets allow you to have a much richer experience online than simply interacting with static HTML pages.

Changes: Various bug fixes.

ImgBurn 2.4.4.0 (Windows, Freeware, 1.95MB) [alt DL] is a lightweight CD / DVD / HD DVD / Blu-ray burning application that everyone should have in their toolkit.

Changes:

• Added: A 'Note' to the box that pops up at the start of a burn when the LB in the settings doesn't match the one in the DVD/MDS file - basically it tells you to put the setting back on 'Calculate Optimal'.
• Added: Support for one more Lite-On device identifier ('ATAPI iHES') - used when automatically changing the book type etc.
• Added: Ability to select the size of the format when multiple options are available. 'Preferred' uses the 'Number Of Blocks' value from the first descriptor in the list for a given format type, 'Minimum' and 'Maximum' should be pretty obvious!
• Added: New log entries showing the status of options (enabled/disabled etc) that have an effect on what happens during an erase operation.
• Added: The user can now choose if they want to perform full certification or not (the opposite being 'Quick Certification' !) when full erasing BD-RE via the New option 'Prefer Format With Full Certification'. Previously the program always requested full certification - i.e. where the drive tests all the sectors and maps out any bad ones.
• Added: Detailed 'Write Speed' descriptor information to the bottom of the disc information text.
• Added: Option to never delete audio files when deleting files (having been told to!) after a burn/verify. This makes it safer for people burning audio discs via the 'Create CD CUE File' feature.
• Added: The ability to create *.DVD files (a plain text and basic alternative to .MDS files) via the same basic interface used to create the *.MDS ones.
• Added: 'Content Type' field to the image details box that pops up when you use build mode. ('DVD Video', 'BD Video', 'Data' etc)
• Added: 'Shut Down' shutdown action that calls the 'ExitWindowsEx' API with the 'EWX_SHUTDOWN' flag. This might work to shut down and turn off the PC for some users where 'EWX_POWEROFF' fails to do so.
• Added: More debug code to the exclusive access locking / unlocking functions.
• Added: Options to control build mode prompts for including ADV_OBJ and CERTIFICATE folders when they're present but not in the source list.
• Added: Ability to ignore the reported file system on remote drives - so the program doesn't then force the 4GB file splitting limit on anything (possibly incorrectly) reported to be using FAT/FAT32.
• Added: Options to do with (not) prompting for confirmation of HVDVD_TS / BDMV content in Build mode.
• Added: Options to do with (not) prompting for confirmation of correcting DVD Video / HD DVD Video / BD Video / DivX Video / OS Install Disc settings in Build mode.
• Added: The option to have Read and Build modes write out an MD5 file when they're done (assuming ImgBurn has been told to calculate the MD5 values in the first place).
• Added: The program now remembers if the Log windows was minimised / maximised when it was closed and restores it accordingly when opened again.
• Added: The Main and Log windows now snap to the centre of the screen vertically too, rather than just horizontally.
• Added/Changed: The program will once again (by default) update the GUI with any proposed setting changes it detects are required when you're building a disc. A new option 'Proposed Setting Changes - Update GUI' can be used to toggle this on/off.
• Added/Changed: The program will now examine the write speed descriptors to find a match with whatever the user selected (i.e. '8x') and use the values from it (if one is found) when setting the write speed.
• And lots of enhancements and fixes.

K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 4.85 (Windows, Freeware, 19.2MB) [alt DL] is a collection of DirectShow filters, VFW/ACM codecs, and tools. Codecs and DirectShow filters are needed for encoding and decoding audio and video formats.

Changes:

• Updated ffdshow to revision 2954
• Updated AC3Filter to version 1.60b
• Updated x264VFW to revision 1145
• Updated MediaInfo Lite to version 0.7.15
• Added the ability to easily change the preferred splitter for AVI/MP4/MOV/HDMOV/3GP files
• Minor changes