Completely FREE Software - CFS Weekly Newsletter #329 issued November 5, 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(does not take you directly to the program listing) it is probably because the site has been upgraded and the link is no longer valid.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

AA Defense v1.125 – Win9x/ME/XP
AA Defense is a war-based shooter where you defend your base with 6 anti-aircraft guns, for as long as possible, against endless waves of enemy planes. It features 2 types of weapons (high calibre AA HE shells & AA MG bullets), 3 types of enemy aircraft, enemy paratroopers, simple controls, a reasonably fast games (5-15 minutes), a choice of windowed or fullscreen modes, and more. This is one of those games that, once started, you really won't want to stop until it is over (and then you'll probably want to start it again!). You use the left and right mouse buttons to fire at enemy aircraft as they fly over head, dropping bombs on your guns and sending in waves of paratroopers who are trying to capture your home base. Guns do not have unlimited ammunition and must be reloaded so you can't just plant your finger and blast at everything in sight. The high explosive shells do more damage to the enemy planes but they are slower to fire and you must compensate for the speed of the plane and its height above you (shells take time to travel to the enemy). This is a very realistic game that requires some skill to achieve really high scores. If your guns are bombed then they cease to be available so it gets harder and harder to shoot down the planes. The longer you play AA Defense the more planes attack, the more bombs are dropped and the more paratroopers are released. If you hit a bomb or a paratrooper it will be destroyed (paratroopers lose their parachutes and fall to earth). You receive points for each plane you shoot down (a fighter 250 points, a light bomber 150 points and a heavy bomber 50) and 20 points for each paratrooper killed. If 20 paratroopers get to your home base then they take control and the game is over. AA Defense is a great game. It has excellent graphics (though the sound effects are not very loud, you may wish to crank up the volume to enjoy them) and is extremely playable. The action is surprisingly realistic for a game of this type. Anyone who enjoys shooters will love it, as we did, and AA Defense will bring you back for more, and more, and more. Get it! Access this 1.07MB download from: Win9x General Games

AppManager v1.0 – Win9x/ME/XP
AppManager is a Taskmanager-style program that manages all applications running on a computer, even though some (like trojans) are normally hidden under Win9x/ME. It features a startup manager (allows access to all the startup locations in the Registry) with a backup facility. AppManager is similar to an NT/XP Taskmanager and even shows programs that do not show up through the Alt-Ctrl-Del window in Win9x/ME. This means you can often identify trojans and other malicious programs that try and hide themselves. Once identified, these intruders can be stopped from loading and then deleted from your hard drive. The program also includes a Run List that displays all processes scheduled to run with Windows through the Registry. These can be blocked from running, either by moving them into the Backup Items section or by deleting them completely. If they are moved to the Backup Items section they can be restored at any time. We found AppManager to be a superb Taskmanager clone that can successfully run as an adjunct to XP's Taskmanager, in some areas offering more control. We liked! Access this 294kB download from: Win9x Windows Enhancements

PicWalker v4.2 – Win98/ME/XP
PicWalker is an image viewer, with continuous scrolling, supporting most major image formats including BMP, GIF, JPG, JPEG2000, PNG, PCX, PNM, PSD, RAS, SGI, TGA & TIF. It features automatic scrolling, view images in archives, Explorer view, zoom, Clipboard, built-in editor, customizable layout with docking windows & toolbars, duplicate file finder, slide show with transition effects, support for plug-ins, and more. This is a full featured image viewer with a unique continuous scrolling view plus all the usual features. While it supports an impressive number of file formats, it cannot properly display animated GIFs (just shows the first frame of the animation). The built-in editor is very basic, though it does have undo and preview options. It will rotate images, but not in small increments. Overall, this is a handy image viewer with some unique features, but it lacks in the follow through. Even so, PicWalker is worth a look. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 688kB download from: Win98 Graphic Programs

Access Manager v2.0.54 – Win98/ME/XP
Access Manager is a secure password storage manager that keeps all passwords together. It features strong "dual" encryption, stores an unlimited number of passwords, includes a password generator, can include clickable notes (e-mail & Web addresses), passwords can be imported from CSV & XML files, you can print a list of all passwords, and more. One of the best password storage managers we have seen, Access Manager makes the whole process of keeping track of your many passwords simple – but very secure. It uses a dual encryption method that includes both 'Blowfish' and 'Rijndael', each with 256 bits. The free version (free only for non-commercial use) lacks a few bells and whistles of the Pro version, like it cannot export password lists, it cannot be run from a USB flash drive, and it cannot backup your data to another location, but the list of features it does offer is huge, and it is an easy way of keeping track of all those passwords and access codes. One of the features we really liked was the note section where you can add notes (no size limit) with clickable Web addresses. Of course it includes a search function, and lots more besides. Access Manager is a powerful yet easy to use tool that virtually every PC user will find invaluable. We consider this a "must have" utility. Get it! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 1.63MB download from: Win98 Desktop Utilities

Memory Tiles v1.0 – Win98/ME/XP
Memory Tiles is a multiplayer (1 to 6 players) "Concentration" game where the goal is to match more pairs of tiles than your opponent(s). It features 30 tilesets, 20 backgrounds, customizable, create your own tiles, buttons and backgrounds, and more. This is a good version of the classic game of Concentration. You select the tileset you wish to play with (they vary from medium difficulty to very hard), the players and their names, and then click on New Game. For a couple of seconds the tileset is displayed in the correct order for that game (usually long enough to memorize one or two pairs) and then it blanks out into plain, numbered buttons. Turn them over one pair at a time and, if you get a match, that part of the background image shows through. Once you have matched up all pairs, you have finished. You can use your own tilesets and backgrounds (instructions are included) and the game can be customized a little to suit you. For example, you can change the plain gray buttons for one of 10 colored buttons, and you can select from one of 6 board layout sizes (starting at 5x6 and finishing at 9x8). Memory Tiles is a good example of this type of game. Worth a look. Access this 3.06MB download from: Win98 General Games

ASIA v2.12 – Win9x/ME/XP
ASIA is a fully featured WAV editor. It features cut/copy/delete/paste selection, trim, insert silence, 8- to 16-bit conversion, advanced mono-stereo conversion, graphic equalizer, band-pass filters, zoom, send via e-mail, MDI interface, drag 'n drop, print display, and more. This editor rocks! It allows you to take a WAV file – or paste a section of file from the Clipboard – and then edit it. You can add a variety of effects, convert the file from mono to stereo or reverse, and do lots more good things to that file. Once it is finished to your satisfaction you can send the file via e-mail to a friend. It would be easy to criticize its vanilla appearance, but ASIA is a tool and not a piece of eye candy. However, we can criticize the movable cursor or marker that indicates where on the display the current audio emanates from. This is not accurate and sometimes it takes a few minutes to exactly highlight a section of track for editing. It also looks strange to have the cursor still moving towards the end of the track when it has already finished playing! Our only other criticism was that it does not convert between audio filetypes – it loads, edits and saves only in WAV format (though it will convert a copied section of track into WAV format if necessary). We were most impressed by ASIA. While it lacks some of the grunt of the heavyweight editors, most people will find it more than adequate for their needs – and it is a lot smaller and less complex to use than the more powerful editors. A "must have" tool for anyone working with WAV files. Access this 711kB download from: Win9x Multimedia Programs

Ajour v5.63 – Win9x/ME/XP
Ajour is a personal information manager (PIM) combining calendar, diary, organizer and reminder. It features hyperlinked Web addresses, dials phone numbers stored in the data, includes CheckAjour applet (starts with Windows & displays a summary of recent appointments, etc), supports 8 languages, and more. This is a neat little PIM that helps keep you on time and reminds you of appointments. It has most of the necessary PIM information though it doesn't include an addressbook. The CheckAjour applet optionally loads with Windows but, because it does not minimize to the desktray (next to the clock) it would most likely be closed once the information has been read and would therefore not be around as a reminder of appointments, etc. PIMs need to be available but not in-your-face so you can consult them periodically without tripping over them every time you need to access the Windows taskbar. It does not offer an alarm function to give you due warning of an appointment and this, too, we see as an oversight. Ajour is probably of more value to someone who has only the occasional appointments and who wants to keep track of birthdays, etc. Access this 766kB download from: Win9x General Programs

SIW v1.44 – Win9x/ME/XP
SIW (System Information for Windows) is a tool that displays extensive hardware & software information about a PC. It features a network information section plus tools to discover passwords hidden behind asterisks, secret system passwords & keys, CPU usage, and more. This is one of the best system information utilities we have seen. The information it offers is exhaustive (and mostly irrelevant except to a tech) and covers most aspects of the computer's hardware (BIOS, motherboard, CPU, etc) and software (operating system, programs, protected files, etc). It also includes detailed network information. However important all of that information may be at different times, it is the extra tools mentioned above that many people will find invaluable. The first impression when you open SIW is that of information overload – there are hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces of information about your system. However, once you start to target specific information you realize the importance of the depth offered and, while much of it would be redundant for 99% of users, if you need information then this is the place to find it. The value of SIW has to be experienced to be appreciated. You might not need that information today, you might not need that information tomorrow, but one day soon either you or someone working on your computer will need to access it. SIW is one of those programs that everyone should have. What's stopping you from grabbing a copy now? Access this 1.06MB download from: Win9x Windows Enhancements

3D UltraPong v1.3 – Win98/ME/XP
3D UltraPong is a 1- or 2-player 3D tennis-style paddle game. It features 4 ball speeds, 4 matches to choose from, 20 different table terrains, 12 ball colors, 2 camera modes, 12 different game songs, powerful computer AI, settings can be saved, and more. This is a simple pong game played on a 3D court. You can change the camera mode for each player though the game is really too fast to switch between players while a game is in progress. Even the slow (easy) level is not so easy as you must move the paddle with the left and right arrow keys (or the A and D keys for a second player). This means that the paddle does not move smoothly and it is quite hard to judge where the ball will hit the end board and have the paddle there waiting for it. The game is quite challenging and we suggest that new players start with the slow ball and progress only once they have mastered it. This should be a sensational pong game but unfortunately it does not quite live up to the hype. While 3D UltraPong offers lots of customization settings, unfortunately few make any real difference to the game as most are cosmetic (color of ball & paddles, etc). If you like a challenge in your pong game, grab a copy of 3D UltraPong. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 4.06MB download from: Win98 General Games
COMMENTS
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