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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(does not take you directly to the program listing) it is probably because the site has been upgraded and the link is no longer valid.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
Never-Ready Calculators v1.0 – Win9x/ME/XP
Never-Ready Calculators is a game where you collect batteries to power-up your calculator. This is a cross between a platform game, a math game and a logic game. It features 15 levels, demo mode, save/restore unfinished levels, undo moves, hints, automatic saving of unfinished games, and more. This is an excellent game where you must apply logic to solve each level. It could be described as a "thinking man's arcade game". Mathematics must be used to open the vaults. Given the combination of the vault (a number) you must assemble blocks to create an equation which equals that combination number. Like Mail-Room Madness (from the same author) you use elevators and other tools to move around a level and reach the calculator (with the batteries to power it) and therefore move to the next level. If you register on-line (free) you can increase the levels of undo from 5 to 100, and be able to playback entire solutions for all levels (not just 50% of the solutions). The game is challenging, interesting and, yes, addictive. Most of all it is great fun. Never-Ready Calculators is worth grabbing. Get it! Access this 238kB download from: Win9x General Games
HoeKey vA11b13 – Win9x/ME/XP
HoeKey is a small hotkey utility which can be configured (via an INI file) to run programs, open or close windows, vary the sound volume level, search Google via the Internet, and much more. It features a detailed Helpfile in HTML format, a very small footprint, and more. This is a terrific utility which allows you to control programs via hotkeys. For example, when the program is active you can bring up its screen by pressing the Windows key and the "Q" key at the same time. There is no icon in the desktray when it is "closed" (but not shut down – just the main window is hidden from view) and, surprisingly, there is no checkbox to automatically load the program with Windows. The author possibly thought that anyone who could configure this program would know exactly how to have it load with Windows on startup, and this leads us to the biggest criticism we have of HoeKey. Quite simply, it uses a scripting language which ensures that only intermediate or advanced computer users will be able to program it. Of course, there are a huge number of functions pre-programmed into HoeKey but the advantage of this type of utility is for users to be able to configure it to suit themselves. If you have a working knowledge of DOS batch files and the scripting language used therein you will be easily able to re-configure this utility. If you are a novice user, you can still use the pre-programmed functions (of which there are quite a few) to get good value from the program. Even though it uses a scripting language which may confuse some users, HoeKey is a fabulous little tool and one we have no trouble recommending. See for yourself – it really is terrific. Access this 43kB download from: Win9x Desktop Utilities
Tales Animator v1.03 – Win9x/ME/XP
Tales Animator is a program which creates animated cartoons & exports the finished file to either AVI (includes full audio) or GIF (no audio). It features 25 actors, an actor editor, 22 backgrounds (or use your own JPG photo), a choice of 1 to 7 fps GIF animation (the higher the fps the larger the file), 4 levels of image quality, and more. While primarily designed for children, Tales Animator offers a terrific way to create animated cartoons and presentations (complete with audio) using either the supplied "actors" or ones you have created yourself. Add your own background image and you can create a completely unique cartoon. The program is available in three different downloads – Lite (2.38MB) which contains only a small number of background images & audio samples in low quality format and does not contain the MS Speech API; Standard (7.78MB) which contains all files from Professional version except the MS Speech API; and Professional (17.54MB) which contains all files including MS Speech API. If the MS Speech API is not on your computer, the program will use a small internal text-to-speech engine (not as good as Microsoft one). We downloaded the Standard version of Tales Animator but were disappointed in the built-in text-to-speech engine. However, the program itself is superb. It is very easy to use with a simple scripting language which is very much like simple English instructions. Commands are automatically colored, which quickly shows the syntax. While very young children may have some trouble initially, older children will quickly understand the basics and soon start producing masterpieces of their own. The download includes 19 samples which can be modified or simply used to demonstrate how the scripting language works. It supports simultaneous actions (the command syntax is "meanwhile") and even some hand movements (currently limited to the "man" actor). We were highly impressed with all aspects of Tales Animator. The quality of the finished cartoons is excellent. Get it! Access this 7.78MB download (Standard version) from: Win9x Graphic Programs
TZ Connection Booster v2.5.0.0 – Win9x/ME/XP
TZ Connection Booster is a connection Wizard which can configure any modem, ADSL, Cable, DSL & LAN connection for maximum performance & faster Web surfing, playing online games, downloading files, etc. It also re-configures Internet Explorer for better stability, and keeps the connection secure & prevents automatic disconnection. Unfortunately it is hard to assess programs like TZ Connection Booster from our test computer because we have so many different "speed boosters" loaded at different times there is rarely any change when loading another one. That said, we were impressed with TZ Connection Booster. It seemed to offer all of the major speed-up "fixes" that Windows needs to operate properly and is able to recognize various versions of Windows and apply the correct fixes to improve the speed for each one. As well as boosting the connection speed, it also improves the stability of Internet Explorer. It saves the previous settings so you can always revert back if need be. Overall, TZ Connection Booster is one of the better of its type and one we are happy to use on our test computer. Access this 609kB download from: Win9x Internet Related
The Bouncy Killer v1.00 – Win98/ME/XP
The Bouncy Killer is a remake of an old Vic20 game where the ball is bounced horizontally or vertically and, when it hits one of the men, they turn into devils (hit them again with the ball and you die). This is a very simple game where you press either the left/right arrows or the up/down arrows to start the ball bouncing and press the opposite arrows for the ball to change direction. There are a number of men on the board but you can hit them only once. Once hit, they change into devils and you get 10 points. If you hit them again you die. This is not an very easy game to achieve constant high scores as it gets faster and faster as more men are hit with the ball. Lacking any high tech graphics we were surprised to see that it required at least DirectX9.0 which means that it must be played on a Windows 98 machine (or later). The game itself is extremely simple to play, but highly addictive and it is quite hard to achieve good high scores. Like with many games of its type, it seems to be so easy to win you keep on playing and playing in the hope of getting a decent score. Of course, as the ball gets faster and faster, a very high score becomes almost impossible. Simple, fast and addictive – the recipe for a good arcade game. The Bouncy Killer certainly is that. Worth a look! Note: this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 316kB download from: Win9x General Games
Rainbow Folders v1.02 – Win9x/ME/XP
Rainbow Folders is a utility to colorize folder icons in Explorer to aid in grouping similar types of folders with the same color. Because the program does not need to be active for the folder icons to remain colored it need only be loaded to add, subtract or change colors on folder icons. Even after a re-boot, the folder icons remain colored. Rather than it simply being eye candy, Rainbow Folders offers a handy way of identifying groups of similar folders to make it easier to access them. The folder icons can either be the standard Windows ones, or the special XP folders. A useful little tool, Rainbow Folders does more than simply add color to dull old Explorer. Worth a look. Access this 332kB download from: Win9x Windows Enhancements
Mohofa Media Center v1.0 – Win9x/ME/XP
Mohofa Media Center is a combined e-book reader, slim Web browser and MP3 player. It includes the World English Bible (WEB) New Testament e-book. This is a neat all-in-one suite of three programs. The Web browser is limited in size to a 700x380 window – it cannot be increased in size to cover the fullscreen which, we felt, was somewhat limiting as most Websites (including the author's!) are designed for a minimum 800-pixel wide screen. Navigating using the Web browser is somewhat primitive, but effective never-the-less. It will play all of the MP3 files within a folder – you cannot select a playlist, though you can dump a particular song while it is being played and move to the next song. The e-book reader is terrific, if you can get suitable e-books. The excellent WEB New Testament is included with the program and there is another e-book which can be downloaded from the author's site. This book is about the Universal Life Church but it unloads into the C: drive (the program's default location), which isn't very helpful if you loaded the program elsewhere... If the author adds some more e-books to download, we hope he sets them up so that they unpack into the folder where the program is located, not into its default location. Overall, Mohofa Media Center is an excellent program which offers the WEB New Testament e-book (a modern translation we find very good), a reasonably good Web browser and a simple-to-use MP3 player. It is well packaged and presented. We liked. Access this 2.28MB download from: Win9x General Programs
scanTime Stop Watch v1.41 – Win98/ME/XP
scanTime Stop Watch is a simple stopwatch program. It features optional stay-on-top mode, count up or count down, event log, Helpfile in HTML format, and more. A basic desktop stopwatch, scanTime Stop Watch had one feature we wanted – an event log so we could record events in a logfile and export that log in CSV format to our favorite spreadsheet. We found the event log to be somewhat awkward to use and we had some lost events before we could get the program to display (and save) the events. However, it did save the events and that was a decided plus. As a stopwatch, it worked well, though only displaying tenths of a second, not hundreds of a second as did most similar programs. The download includes the VB6 runtime files which bloats it unnecessarily if you already have those files on your computer (as do 95% of PC users!). An alternative download without the VB6 files would have been advantageous (and which would have saved about 1.5MB on the download!). Overall, scanTime Stop Watch was a good desktop stopwatch and worth looking at, if you don't mind the download size. Note: this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 2.89MB download from: Win9x Desktop Utilities
Jarkanoid 3 v1.0.0.1952 – Win9x/ME/XP
Jarkanoid 3 is an excellent Arkanoid-clone. It features 30 levels, 22 powerups (& downs!), it is highly configurable, and much more. This game rocks! It is a superb clone of the old Arkanoid favorite but offers many, many new features and configurations. Apart from the 22 powerups (not all help you, some are negative), Jarkanoid 3 allows you to decide on the frequency of bonuses, the speed and the way balls accelerate, the speed that bonuses fall (the faster they fall, the harder they are to catch), and more. It even offers a "fix" for cordless optical mice and allows you to turn on "triple buffering" to improve the graphics (if your system is powerful enough). Jarkanoid 3 requires a Pentium 500 MHz CPU with 64MB RAM, DirectX 7 or higher, 1024x768 screen @ 60Hz or better, 16MB 3D graphic card and a sound card. Screen resolution is important as the game is played at fullscreen. We loved Jarkanoid 3. It is well crafted, interesting to play, addictive, and allows you to personalize gameplay to suit yourself. Make it too easy and it will bore you, make it too hard and you will get frustrated trying to get good gameplay. It is a "must have" game for anyone who loves this genre. Access this 4.91MB download from: Win9x General Games
UPDATE
Key Folder – a password manager that helps organize & store passwords – has been updated to version 1.22 with a new download size of 391kB. The author advises that changes in this version include: possibility to sort items & folders; menu item & keyboard shortcut for "Collapse All" and "Sort All"; and if an item/user name/password is selected in the tree view and the enter key is pressed the edit item windows is opened. He says that this is a minor update. Get this latest version from: Win9x Desktop Utilities
PSPad – a programmer's text editor with special support for Web development – has been updated to version 4.2.9 with a download size of 2.63MB. The author has not advised the changes in this version. Grab this update from: Win9x Text Programs
Dark Disciples – a single character, single player, fantasy based, computer role playing game (RPG) – has been updated to version 2.2 with a new download size of 5.42MB. The author advises that changes in this version include: keys (in inventory) are now stored on a single keyring rather than as separate keys; items given to you by NPCs are no longer lost forever if your backpack is full; poison now reduces your Hp to 1, but does not kill you; simple doors (doors without locks) now automatically open when you push against them; text messages such as signposts no longer require the user to press ENTER to continue; you now automatically talk with NPCs when you 'push' against them; a previously looted chest (or other object) produces an 'empty' message rather then making you investigate it; and numerous bug fixes. This version can now be played on most Windows XP computers if you disable DirectDraw acceleration. There is specific information on the author's site to carry this out. Get this latest version from: Win9x General Games
COMMENTS
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