Completely FREE Software - CFS Weekly Newsletter #309 issued May 21, 2004

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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(does not take you directly to the program listing) it is probably because the site has been upgraded and the link is no longer valid.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

The Witch's Death v1.3 – Win9x/ME/XP
The Witch's Death is an extensive RPG (role playing game) set in a medieval world. It features Persistent World (PW) online capabilities, single player mode, toolset, scripting language, save up to 10 games, free online hosting of MMORPGs, and more. This is quite a good RPG where you create your own character, attributing various characteristics (strength, intelligence, etc) and then selecting one of 21 available images to represent your character (ostensibly, you). Graphics are minimalistic but the game is enjoyable and very addictive. You can save your game as you progress, with the facility for up to 10 games to be saved. The game can also be played online with PW capabilities (the world continues to grow and evolve, even though you might not be online). The game has some interesting challenges, and many, many placeable objects. We enjoyed The Witch's Death, even though some aspects might not be suitable all people (always use discretion when playing RPGs). Note: the author offers the game as either a ZIP file or an EXE file – we recommend the ZIP file unless you are using WinZip. Access this 13.4MB (13.5MB for the EXE version) download from: Win9x General Games

StrokeIt v0.9.2a – Win9x/ME/XP
StrokeIt is an advanced mouse gesture recognition engine & command processor that lets you control programs by drawing symbols with the mouse, and will perform the "action" associated with that gesture. It can recognize more than 80 mouse gestures, and be trained to recognize more. This is an unusual tool which recognizes specific mouse actions or gestures (like drawing the letter E) on the screen while holding down the right mouse button (the E gesture opens Explorer). Draw a C on any program's window and it will close, an N and it will open a new document or window. A few minutes experimenting with this amazing little tool should convince you of its value. It can be used as a macro facility to write text to a word processor, to launch programs, to perform specific tasks in specific programs (the same gesture can be used in different programs with different results), and more. Gestures can be drawn "forward" or reverse (a letter E starting at either the top – forward – or the bottom – backwards) and have different functions associated with each direction. The biggest problem in using StrokeIt is to remember all of the gestures, and what each gesture does in each program. Of course, most users will probably only have 5 or 10 favorite gestures, but even using this limited number will enhance your computer experience and make working on your computer much easier. We found StrokeIt to be an exceptional program and recommend it to all PC users without reservation. Get it! Note: this program is free for individual and not-for-profit charitable entity use (excluding governmental entities & educational institutions). Access this 121kB download from: Win9x Desktop Utilities

Ulead Photo Explorer v6.02 – Win9x/ME/XP
Ulead Photo Explorer is a Web-enabled program to view many multimedia file formats (image, video & sound files) which operates like Windows Explorer and displays all the folders & files in a tree-like structure. It can: view the media files in any folder; move & copy media files between folders; delete or rename media files; create web pages with thumbnail-based hyperlinks & slide shows; find the files you want to edit & send them directly to an image editor of your choice; sort your media files visually; create multimedia slide show presentations; create screen savers & wallpaper; and share media files on the Web & download images from the Internet. It also includes a Digital Camera Wizard to transfer image files from a digital camera or a memory card reader to the computer. While Ulead Photo Explorer is not an image editor, it does allow you to view, or hear, a huge range of files. It offers native support for image formats including JPG, PNG, TIF, BMP, etc and audio formats like WAV and MP3. For formats not supported with a built-in viewer/player, it will use whatever program has been associated with that file extension. It has built-in TWAIN device support for grabbing images from scanners and other TWAIN devices, and can create slideshows of your images. Ulead Photo Explorer is a versatile multimedia viewer/player but is advertiser supported. However, if you block Internet access to the program through your firewall it will continue to function normally and you will be assured of complete privacy (apart from the "house ad" displaying at the top of the window). Using this program entitles you to free Web space to share your images through iMira.com. Ulead Photo Explorer is an exceptional photo viewer which handles a huge range of other multimedia formats. Well worth getting! Access this 6.17MB download from: Win9x Multimedia Programs

Ewisoft Web Builder v2.1.4.26 – Win98/ME/XP
Ewisoft Web Builder is a template-driven Website maker and WYSIWYG HTML editor designed for beginners & Website content owners. It features an Explorer-like tree structure, includes 4 templates (more can be downloaded from the Net), has a built-in previewer, FTP publishing tools, and more. The publisher also offers a free Template Builder (2.48MB) which converts existing HTML into Ewisoft templates. This is an easy way for a user to create a Website without needing to know anything about HTML coding. You can load a template, amend the editable text, preview the results, change them as much as you like, and then publish your site to the Web. This project-based tool is as simple to use as most word processors, though it includes an HTML section so you can hand tweak the code, or add your own code (banners from other sites, etc). The results of template-driven Website creators, like Ewisoft Web Builder, are an excellent compromise to learning HTML coding and allows the beginner to go on-line with a homepage within a very short space of time. The finished pages do carry a tag stating that it is powered by Ewisoft Web Builder, but this is a small price to pay for the convenience of using this software. If you want a site to post on-line, but don't want to learn HTML, then Ewisoft Web Builder is for you. Note: this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 5.69MB download from: Win98 Internet Related

Traps & Treasures v1 – Win9x/ME/XP
Traps & Treasures is a fun nostalgic platform game recreating the look 'n feel of the old black & white arcade games of the 1970s and 80s. Offering challenging gameplay, it features auto save at the end of each level, excellent animated graphics, fullscreen or windowed modes, music, and more. This is a game suitable for 21st Century players. While lacking the colorful eye candy of most modern games, the stark black and white screen has its own appeal and, once you start playing, you will be concentrating on the challenges rather than the nostalgic screen. This is not a game to be played once and discarded, it offers sufficient challenges to keep most gamers coming back for more and more. Animation is smooth, and graphics are not pixelated (as were the originals). The game can be run in a window but looks best in fullscreen mode (the default). The intro screen is amusing and worth reading, and you should note the key commands – the jump key is the up arrow, not the spacebar (which is the pause control key). This was the only area which we would have like to have seen changed because the game is best played using two hands (one for forward/backwards movement, the other for vertical movement) and we found using the arrow keys for both sets of controls awkward. We would have preferred to see the Alt key for pause and the spacebar for jump. That aside, Traps & Treasures is a terrific game which everyone, both young and old, will enjoy. Get it! Access this 1.58MB download from: Win9x General Games

RegSeeker v1.35 beta – Win 9x/ME/XP
RegSeeker is a Windows Registry companion. It features a powerful Registry cleaner, displays startup entries, several histories (even INDEX.DAT files), installed applications, tweaks, Registry search, 17 languages, and more. This is a superb tool to have on hand. The Registry cleaner found 944 incorrect and out-dated entries in our Registry, and removed them for us after having made a backup of that information. We were also impressed with the Registry tweaks section which offers 28 tweaks (some only for XP). We were less impressed with the anti-aliased headings on the side of the program which were blurry and hard to read. However, RegSeeker is an excellent tool and one which all experienced PC users should get. Warning: incorrectly editing the Registry may severely damage your operating system. Access this 314kB download from: Win9x Windows Enhancements

SoftwareKey Trial Creator v1.1.0.0 – Win9x/ME/XP
SoftwareKey Trial Creator is a Wizard-based tool that creates a fully-functional 30-day trial of any Windows software without modifying the source code. It is designed for 32-bit shareware developers. Unfortunately we were unable to review this program. The publisher says: "Windows 32-bit software developers can use SoftwareKey Trial Creator, a freeware program, to create fully-functional 30-day trial versions of their software program without modifying a line of source code. Potential customers will not be able to re-install the created trial software to gain time after the trial period has expired. The program is simple, easy to use yet powerful. A 30-day trial can be created in minutes." Access this 5.56MB download from: Win9x General Programs

FileZilla v2.2.6 – Win9x/ME/XP
FileZilla is an excellent FTP upload/download manager. It features the ability to resume uploads & downloads (if server supported), includes a Site Manager, Keep Alive system, timeout detection, firewall support, custom commands, SOCKS4/5 & HTTP1.1 Proxy support, SSL secured connections, SFTP support, upload/download queue, drag 'n drop, and more. This FTP client rocks! It is one of the easiest to use FTP managers we have seen and, with the resume feature in case of lost connections, etc, makes it one of the fastest. The Site Manager allows you to store information about numerous sites, and the extensive Helpfile shows you everything the program can do in a way that is actually helpful (other software authors please note!). The Keep Alive system automatically logs back in to the server if the connection drops out. Cool. FileZilla is an Open Source project which means that it is not only free (and free of ads) but is constantly being upgraded because it has a team authoring it. Impressive every way you look at it, FileZilla should be very high on your list of potential FTP upload/download managers. Definitely one to check out. Access this 4.13MB download from: Win9x Internet Related

Botonoid v1 – Win98/ME/XP
Botonoid is an amusing Arkanoid clone with a nautical theme (watch out for seagull droppings). It features lots of powerups, game record facility (uses a lot of disk space), screenshot capture, good graphics, and more. This is a fun paddle & ball game which is set out to sea under the watchful eye of a flock of seagulls. It does not attempt to be a "serious" Arkanoid clone (can a game be serious?) but is eminently playable and highly addictive. Because Botonoid can be fast, it is quite challenging as you move through the levels. Unfortunately the author has neglected to tell us exactly how many levels, how many powerups, etc, but most players will enjoy pitting themselves against computer and seeing how many levels they can achieve. We enjoyed our all-to-brief look at Botonoid and will be looking forward to coming to grips with the game when we get some spare time – lots of spare time. Get it! Note: this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 1.62MB download from: Win98 General Games
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