Completely FREE Software - CFS Weekly Newsletter #409 issued October 20, 2006

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(does not take you directly to the program listing) it is probably because the site has been upgraded and the link is no longer valid.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

Gunny Bunny ++ v2 – Win9x/ME/XP
Gunny Bunny ++ is a fun action shooter where you, as a gunned-up psycho bunny, must shoot your ways through hordes of robot mice and other enemies using your twin guns. It features extra weapons, lots of enemies, excellent graphics, highly addictive gameplay, and more. This is an excellent way to reduce some tension by blasting your way through hordes of enemies using your twin guns. You can fire both individually guns at the one target (a single crosshair) or fire them separately at twin targets using twin crosshairs. Supported with good animated graphics and excellent background music, Gunny Bunny ++ is a great shooter for anyone who wants 10 minutes of mindless (though blood free) action. We were most impressed with Gunny Bunny ++ and are happy to recommend it. Access this 7.26MB download from: Win95 General Games

my Shutdown v1.0 – WinXP
my Shutdown is a program that will auto shutdown your computer. It features: a choice of shutdown, restart, hibernate, logoff or standby; it can be activated at a preset time or after a certain period of time has elapsed; there is an optional auto-force to close non-saved windows; a warning before any preset action is taken; an action log; and more. Being able to auto shutdown a computer can be very handy, specially if you are downloading something that takes some time and you don't want to sit around for it to finish. my Shutdown not only will shutdown your computer but will also restart it, make it go into hibernation mode, etc, and it will do this at a predetermined time or after so many hours, minutes and seconds. It can also optionally force any windows to close, even though they might not be saved. Of course, this is a dangerous option and should only be used if you are sure there are no unsaved documents. my Shutdown offers a range of options that make it one of the best utilities of this type we have seen. Worth a look! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 2.33MB download from: WinXP Desktop Utilities

LePlayer v3.0 – Win98/ME/XP
LePlayer is an on-line video search tool that uses YouTube, MySpace, etc. It features access to over 3 million video clips in over 2,500 categories, clips can be saved to the computer or other media (phone, etc), it has an optional floating video window, uses bookmarks, has a searchbar, and more. This is a great program for anyone who enjoys surfing the video clips available on the Net. It allows you to watch video on demand from around the globe. It not only gives access to the home grown amateur clips but also to the professional ones – including news, weather, sports, and more. While many of the amateur clips are of somewhat lesser quality (and content), there are some that are superbly crafted and well presented and you can bookmark these to later perusal. You can also download them to your computer. We found video content very slow to load using LePlayer – and it seemed to be even slower than directly accessing the same clips from YouTube and other major video sites. However, the huge amount of content available through LePlayer makes it a worthwhile tool for those who cannot get enough of the video clips available on the Net. Why don't you try it for yourself. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 9.26MB download from: Win98 Internet Related

EBook Maestro v1.60 – Win98/ME/XP
EBook Maestro is a tool that creates feature-rich non-commercial eBooks that can be distributed (Internet, CD, etc). It features copyright security against copying & printing, has a highly customizable user interface, has an HTML based file input (with a maximum of 500 files), optionally opens a URL when closed, includes 2 Search Bar templates & 2 Control Bar templates, and more. This is an awesome way to create eBooks or presentations. With its excellent "user interface" options you can change templates, determine your own security limitations (the default prevents anyone using the PrintScreen key to copy it and also prevents it being printed), optionally prevents the changing of the window size, and lots more. Compiling a presentation using EBook Maestro is simple once the content has been created in HTML format – just aim the program at the root folder that contains the files, tell it the main file (page) to be opened, and click on Compile in the toolbar. The finished eBook is presented as a stand-alone EXE file that is slightly smaller than the original HTML files. EBook Maestro has some limitations not present in the paid versions. These include the 500-file limitation, the lack of purchase features (using a key to unlock sections of the eBook, etc), and the stipulation that it is not to be used for commercial purposes – you aren't allowed to sell your finished eBook. It also includes a statement saying it was compiled with the free version of this program (you cannot remove that bottom bar advertising). The only "problem" we found with this program is that external links in the eBooks are opened in Internet Explorer and not in your default Web browser. That aside, the free version of EBook Maestro is sensational and a perfect way of making Websites available for download. Finished content looks professional and the program is easy-to-use. We loved!!! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 2.51MB download from: Win98 Text Programs

Supaplex v6.3 – DOS
Supaplex is a BoulderDash style game where you must collect enough "Infotrons" and get to the exit of each level. It features 111 levels, good VGA graphics, challenging gameplay, and more. The storyline is: "You are Murphy, a bug-hunter inside the PC. Your job is to remove bugs from programs inside the computer. To do this, you must collect vital pieces of information, called infotrons. If you have enough, you can fix it, and continue to the next bug." There are a large number of levels you can play and the author says: "A level is made up of 60x24 tiles (squares). Every tile can contain an object, which can be Murphy, an enemy (called sniksnaks and electrons), rocks (called zonks), diamonds (called infotrons), exploding diskettes, and other objects. The object of every level is to collect a fixed number of infotrons, and then get to the exit as fast as possible, without getting killed anywhere." Supaplex is an excellent game for anyone who enjoys puzzle games and who doesn't mind the DOS graphics (crude compared to Windows graphics). However, the puzzles are genuinely challenging on many levels and you can download a level editor to create your own levels. While it is designed for use only in pure DOS (not even a DOS-box under Windows) we reviewed it on a Windows XP SP2 computer without any special settings and it ran fine. Supaplex is a terrific puzzle and one that we recommend for anyone who likes BoulderDash type of games. Access this 288kB download from: DOS General Games

PPedia Task Manager v1.02 – Win98/ME/XP
PPedia Task Manager is a Windows task manager with a built-in process library to distinguish between over 580 system processes, known trustworthy programs & malware (adware, spyware, trojan horses, keylogger, virus, etc). It displays the file path of each process, includes a Google link for more on-line information to identify a process, you can use it to end a process, it can open the source of a process in Explorer, change priority of a process, and more. Authors of malicious software (malware) can be very sneaky and it is sometimes hard to identify between legitimate programs that you want (or need) running on your computer and these malware programs. PPedia Task Manager is an excellent way of identifying the good and the bad processes and, in cases where the process is not listed in the library, you can right-click on a process and select "Google it" to conduct an Internet search to see what others are saying about that process. Often you can simply shut down a malicious process and go to its source to remove the executionable file, therefore preventing it from re-opening when Windows is next opened. When this doesn't work, you may have to restart the computer in Safe mode, go to the process location and remove the executionable file (you could also go into pure DOS to remove unwanted malware if you have a DOS bootup disk). PPedia Task Manager is an excellent program and should be in the front line of all attempts to keep your computer clean. A "must have" program. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 383kB download from: Win98 Windows Enhancements

Virtual Keyboard v2.0 – WinXP
Virtual Keyboard is a multilingual program for typing text with computer mouse through an on-screen QWERTY keyboard. It features all the regular characters & numbers, includes additional non-keyboard symbols (various currency symbols, copyright, etc), and more. This could have been an excellent program for anyone who could not easily use a regular keyboard, and who were limited to a mouse or pointer-stick, but there is no provision to save the text in a file so its use is limited to people who wish to converse using Virtual Keyboard. Its interface supports 5 different languages, and we really liked the inclusion of the non-standard symbol keys, but it is of limited functionality because text cannot be saved. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 113kB download from: WinXP General Programs

Super Mario XP v1.21 – Win9x/ME/XP
Super Mario XP is based on the old Nintendo Mario run 'n jump games, but with elements of Castlevania. It features a Boss at the end of each 7th level, simple graphics, fullscreen mode (requires editing the INI file), auto-saving at the end of a level, challenging gameplay, and more. This is an unusual version of this old classic because it adds new aspects. In this version you must save the princess from a gothic castle and you have more weapons, etc than the original Mario. With a new background and a new soundtrack, Super Mario XP is (almost) a new game. There is a Helpfile with the game but it is in Japanese and we believe that there are 10 bosses (70 levels) plus 10 bonus levels. However, we have not played it through to its conclusion to confirm this. The normal game window is a tiny 320x240 pixels but if you manually edit the CONFIG.INI file and change the line "fullsc=0" to read "fullsc=1" it will play fullscreen (much more comfortable for larger screen resolutions). Super Mario XP is a fun version that retains just enough Mario for fans but adds sufficient Castlevania elements to make it a fresh new game. Super Mario XP can be downloaded directly from the CFS server. We loved! Get this 5.95MB download from: Win95 General Games
UPDATES
EZDictionary – a dictionary helper so users can easily look up words – has been updated to version 1.2 with a new download size of 145kB. The author advises that changes in this version include optimized form resizing, and support for Internet Explorer 7. Get this latest version from: WinXP Text Programs
Dedaulus System Cleaner – a tool that helps clean the PC from temporary files, incorrect shortcuts – has been updated to version 1.6.23 with a new download size of 543kB. The author advises that changes in this version include: link to view files in temp folder; possibility to add new MRU must be cleaned; Windows Media Player MRU added; Mozilla Firefox 2.0 support; and some bugs fixed. Grab this update from: WinXP Windows Enhancements
COMMENTS
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