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This electronic newsletter is registered – ISSN 1441-6840
Welcome to the CFS Weekly Newsletter.
The programs listed here are completely free for non-commercial use, even though some may be shareware or commercial products. None are time-limited and all are fully functional. If you know any that aren't exactly as specified, please let us know and they will be removed immediately.
If the link below does not work (does not take you directly to the program listing) it is probably because the site has been upgraded and the link is no longer valid. Please use the CFS Site Search facility (above) to locate the program.
COMPLETELY FREE SOFTWARE
X-Hex v1.1.0 (demo) – Win9x/ME
X-Hex is a unique, very playable game demo involving strategy, action, thinking and fire power. It features a choice of 7 different weapons (Airstrike, X-Mines, Missile Barrage, Bomb, Lightning Attack, Missile & Water), four players can play at once (computer or human), 4 backgrounds, 3 music tracks, 5 built-in boards, and more. This is one of the best games we have played for a long time. While it is 'only' a demo, it is extremely playable and its limitations are really quite minor (up to 4 players instead of 7, less backgrounds, less music, and no level editor are the main differences). X-Hex is a high strategy game with enough built-in action to keep almost anyone amused for considerable periods of time. You can play against the computer or against human foes (humans are more fun, and easier to beat). You can also sit back and watch the computer play itself, but that's not much fun and doesn't really teach you how to play the game. If there is a problem with this game it is the lack of teaching. There is a Helpfile, but it doesn't really get down the bare basics of the game – how to actually play it and how to get the best from it. There is an assumption of knowledge which a new player just won't have unless there is another player to teach him (or her). Featuring superb graphics, X-Hex is not just a strategy game, it is not just an action game, it is not just a board puzzle – but it is all of those things, and more. Even if you dislike demos as much as we do you will still want to invest in the download to get a copy of X-Hex. It truly is that good! Access this 10.8MB download from: Win9x General Games
Free Precision Rip v1.0 – Win9x/ME
Free Precision Rip is an Explorer add-on which seamlessly offers all the tracks on an audio CD in WAV format so they can be played from there or copied to the hard drive. Tracks are displayed in 12 qualities, from low-quality mono to CD-quality stereo. Once installed on a computer, it is automatically available through Explorer and no separate program has to be loaded to use it. Normally, Explorer only displays a 1kB CDA file on an audio CD, but when Free Precision Rip is installed an audio CD then displays a choice of 12 different formats for each track. Without doing anything else, those WAV files can be played through the computer using any multimedia player capable of playing that format (even if the CD drive does not have an audio cable connecting it to the sound card) and tracks can be copied to the hard drive as WAV files, converted straight from the CD into MP3, OGG or any other audio format using a separate converter. This seems quite strange until you actually see the WAV files "on the CD" through Explorer and realize you can treat them like any other file. This is the handiest little tool you will find. It uses no resources until it actually converts files and it is simply just another part of Explorer. The program deposits an icon on your desktop which, when clicked, is a Helpfile. Read it once and then you can dispose of it because this is such an easy add-on to use. Free Precision Rip is a "must have" for anyone who has a CD drive in their computer. Get it. Access this 588kB download from: Win9x Multimedia Programs
Info Angel v1.51 – Win9x/ME
Info Angel is a full-featured personal information manager (PIM) with Notebook, Contact Book, Organizer & (Internet) Bookmark Manager. It features a built-in Web browser, integration with phone dialer, e-mail & browser, includes an alarm function, includes a huge amount of editable information, easy to use, and more. This is one of the best PIMs we have seen. The range of information you can incorporate is enormous and, just to make it even better, the author has incorporated a huge database of general information which even includes recipes, US public holidays, etc. Info Angel includes all the major (and minor) standard PIM features but also some nice touches, like the Bookmark Manager has a built-in browser so you can either load a page within the PIM or you can use your default Web browser (erroneously labeled "Internet Explorer"). We presume that IE must be pre-installed on your computer to use the built-in Web browser but the author doesn't mention this. Integration within the program and with outside tools (like your e-mail client and the MS phone dialer) is excellent and the only real area of criticism is that it uses a hefty 11% of valuable system resources (not a problem if you run Windows XP) which means that you must be careful about how many other large programs are open on your desktop at the same time. That aside, Info Angel is a sensational PIM for both business and personal use. Access this 2.87MB download from: Win9x General Programs
SmoothView v1.0 – Win9x/ME
SmoothView is an image viewer which can stretch images smoothly to retain much the original sharpness and which supports GIF (not animated), JPG, BMP, PNG, TGA, etc. It features zoom in and out using the mouse scroll wheel, zooms from 25% to 500% of original image, single click to restore original size, and more. This is a nice little image viewer which, while lacking an automated slideshow, does allow the user to manually move through all the supported images in a folder by clicking on "Previous" and "Next" buttons. It offers an Explorer-style file browser (which can be hidden) and an image larger than the window can be moved around inside the window using the mouse key. Undoubtedly the best feature of SmoothView (and the reason for the program title) is that it can render stretched images remarkably cleanly. Zooming can be achieved by the buttons on the program ("Zoom In" and "Zoom Out") or by using the scroll wheel on your mouse (assuming it has one). A single click on the "Actual Size" button restores the image to 100%. There is no install with this program, just unzip the archive into the folder where you want it to reside and start using it. The executionable file is around 900kB so it easily fits on to a floppy disk for transport. The lack of animated GIF support was the biggest problem we found with SmoothView, though it would have been nice to have had an automated slideshow function too. Definitely worth a look. Access this 440kB download from: Win9x Graphic Programs
UrthWurm v1 – DOS
UrthWurm is a small MS-DOS game where you guide a wurm though a cave (a remake of the PalmOS game, SFCave). It features 10 levels of play, 3 levels of difficulty, simple & unique gameplay, addictive, fun to play, high scores, and more. This is one of the simplest, and coolest, little DOS games we have seen for a long time. It lacks fancy graphics, it lacks fancy background music (that's a loss???), it lacks bells and whistles. However, what it does offer is a fun little game which seems so easy you will wonder why you aren't winning. The scenario is this. You have to guide a wurm through a cave and around lots of obstacles by using your spacebar. The wurm always wants to dive down, and the spacebar makes him climb upwards, so the game is a balance between the wurm diving down and you counteracting that movement with the spacebar. Judicious use of the spacebar will soon have the wurm climbing and diving at your every command, avoiding obstacles as it negotiates the cave. Well, that's the theory anyway. This game looks almost too easy – until you start to play. It takes a while before you can get the correct combination of spacebar, not just to keep the wurm on track but to get him to rise and fall at your command. Suitable for most versions of Windows, UrthWurm is a fabulous little game which you will want to play, and to keep on playing. Get it now! Access this 19kB download from: DOS General Games
CD man v0.5 beta – Win9x/ME
CD man is an autorun CD menuing system which allows the user to quickly build a menu driven front-end for CD-Rs so programs and other data can be quickly loaded direct from this menu. It features a customizable menu, you can use your own background image, and more. This is a simple little utility which provides a front-end menu for a CD. It is customized by editing the INI file supplied with the program. Editing is done with an ASCII text editor, like Notepad. Lacking somewhat in style, never-the-less CD man is a useful little program when you want to create a CD menuing system which will autorun when the CD is inserted in the drive. There is ample assistance in the various help files provided, including information on how to create the AUTORUN.INF file. It might have been easier if the author had included a standard AUTORUN.INF file which simply needed modifying if there were any changes needed. Overall, CD man is a useful tool, but it still has a "beta look" to it. Access this 108kB download from: Win9x Desktop Utilities
JPhotoBrush v2.3 – Win9x/ME
JPhotoBrush is a Java-enabled photo editor which supports 24-bit GIF, JPG, PNG, TIF, TGA & BMP formats. It features a huge range of filters & special effects, undo/redo (1 level), multiple page image printing facility with preview, mouse wheel support, and more. This is a sensational photo editor and offers many features not found on expensive commercial editors. It is also hampered by using Java, and can be slow and cumbersome to open and to use. There are so many special effects and image manipulation tools it is impossible to list them all here, but the one we really liked was a tool which allows you to drag a portion of the screen around – you can give someone a big cheesy smile by dragging the corners of their mouth, etc. Cool. There are numerous 3D effects you can apply, plus the usual range of polarization, motion blur, etc effects. Offering a phenomenal rage of adjustment for most effects, JPhotoBrush should be everyone's number one choice of photo editing tool. Unfortunately, because it's Java program, it is as slow as a wet week and you can make, and drink, a cup of coffee while it is loading (reviewed on a PIII 733MHz PC). This is the main problem we found with all Java-enabled programs and is no reflection on the quality of JPhotoBrush or the programming skills of its author. However, if you just want one of the best photo editors then JPhotoBrush should be high, very high, on your list. It is hard not to be impressed with this editor and, apart from only having one level of undo/redo (we need at least 10!!!), performed flawlessly and did much more than most similar editors – of any price. Worth much more than a quick look! Note: you will need the Java2 version 1.3 or later installed on your computer to use this program (approx 9.8MB). Access this 356kB download from: Win9x Graphic Programs
Ani Secure Monitor v1.0 – Win9x/ME
Ani Secure Monitor is a screensaver-style system lock-up utility which requires a username and password to access but, if the wrong in formation is used, a lock-out screen slides into place and locks up everything until the correct information is supplied. As far as security goes, you cannot get much better than Ani Secure Monitor. It loads through a disguised Registry key and, once loaded in the background, disables the Ctrl-Alt-Del key combination plus some other combinations (like Alt-Tab). This is to prevent anyone from closing the program without closing Windows (and the program will just be re-launched when Windows is loaded again). While this is great security, it is far from practical for most Windows users because the Ctrl-Alt-Del key is an important key combination for checking, and closing, problem applications, and for closing down Windows if there is a lock up. The program locks the monitor with a special screensaver-style of window, with a slowly moving statement saying that the computer is locked bouncing around the screen. Click on the screen and you are prompted for a username and password – both of which are the generic word "ani". The author urges you to change that password and username immediately. While it is not obvious from the program, you must read the TXT file before using the program (it tells you about the default username and password) though this isn't apparent unless you are pre-warned. We have reservations about this program because it permanently disables the Ctrl-Alt-Del key combination, and we weren't too impressed that the Alt-tab combination was disabled too. We couldn't see why it just couldn't lock up the screen when activated and leave everything normal at other times. Use Ani Secure Monitor with care because if you lock up your computer, and then can't unlock it, you may have to delete the entire Registry and reload Windows (followed by reloading all of your other programs!). Not nice... Access this 1.75MB download from: Win9x Desktop Utilities
Mission 2 Mars v00 – Win9x/ME
Mission 2 Mars is a space shooter game where you have to fight against some very intelligent and vicious aliens to save planet Earth. It features four different weapons (3 lasers & a bomb), excellent graphics & sound effects, and more. More than just another Space Invaders clone, Mission 2 Mars combines just sufficient of the original to make the game seem familiar, but sufficient of the new elements to give you a whole new gameplay. The bomb array is a terrific new weapon which you can activate to destroy a huge number of enemy ships. The enemies, of all types, just keep on coming and, while there is only one level to this game, it really does last a long, long time (assuming you don't get wiped out). One of the better space shooters we have seen, Mission 2 Mars is great fun and a good game. Don't expect to play just the one game – you'll wonder where the hours went. A "must have" game for all space shooter fans. Get it now! Access this 0.97MB download from: Win9x General Games
UPDATE
602Pro LAN Suite – an all-in-one server application – has been updated to version 2002.0.03.0212 with a download size of 9.11MB. Unfortunately we have not been advised of the changes made in this version. Get this update from: Win9x Internet Related
Calendar Magic – a cornucopia of calendar-related information – has been updated to version 13.1 with a download size of 675kB. The author advises that changes in this version include: enhanced reminder capabilities; radically overhauled listing of Observed Days; significant changes to the data tables for listing Western Christian festivals and Orthodox Christian festivals; output from the "This is Your Life" command button now includes a person's date of birth in other calendar systems and the Chinese year (Dog, Pig, Horse etc) in which the person was born; and other minor enhancements and improvements. Grab this latest version from: Win9x General Programs
COMMENTS
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