Completely FREE Software - CFS Weekly Newsletter #463 issued February 8, 2008

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(does not take you directly to the program listing) it is probably because the site has been upgraded and the link is no longer valid.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

Red Valkyrie v1.0 – Win9x/ME/XP/Vista
Red Valkyrie is a top down shooter that combines both dungeon (corridor) and space genres. It features superb gameplay & graphics, a choice of 3 ships, 10 levels, an interactive tutorial, there are 3 types of powerups (power, repairs & credits), you can purchase upgrades & weapons between levels, on-screen radar, and more. This is an awesome shooter which is set inside a space station with lots of corridors where you fly a ship (?) that bounces off the walls and generally is not always easy to manoeuvre without some serious practice. You aim the ship by placing the mouse pointer in front of where you want it to face and use the W key for thrust and the S key for braking. The mouse buttons provide firepower. There are lots, and lots of robotic enemies to battle, and each is well drawn and rendered. The various enemies exhibit different strengths and weaknesses and each of the major ones requires some effort to overcome. It is hard to quantify Red Valkyrie but, overall, it offers excellent gameplay and 3D graphics. This is a game you will want to keep playing! We loved Red Valkyrie. It is everything we love about shooters, and combines the fun of a 3D corridor/dungeon game with the fun of spaceflight. A "must have" for anyone who has more than 5 minutes to kill. Access this 5.59MB download from: Win95 General Games

Easy 3D Creator v3.0 – Win98/ME/XP/Vista
Easy 3D Creator is a Wizard driven tool to create 3D screensavers. It features 24 sample screensavers, 60+ animated objects, 80+ background images, object rotation & motion controls, variable camera position, 25+ sprites, 14 background sound clips, compiler (creates distributable EXE version), and more. This is an excellent tool for creating your own screensavers within a few minutes, or you can use (or modify) one of the 24 sample screensavers provided. It uses a simple Wizard interface to guide the user through the process of creating a screensaver, which can then be compiled into a distributable EXE file. You can use your own logo, add static sprites – even add background music. If you don't like the packaged options many can be changed, or you can use your own images or sound clips. The end result is a professional looking screensaver that adds some nice, personalized eye candy to your computer. This is an ex-shareware program that is free for personal use only. With the huge number of samples, objects and backgrounds provided within the program, most users will find something to suit themselves without looking beyond. In fact, the 24 sample screensavers are, in their own right, excellent and make Easy 3D Creator a worthwhile acquisition. We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 6.08MB download from: Win98 General Programs

Movies To DVD v1.0.136 – WinXP/Vista
Movies To DVD is a video converter to convert & burn videos to DVD. It features support for most video formats (AVI, DIVX, XVID, MPEG, MP4, VOB, WMV & ASF), burns to DVD media or saves as an ISO image file, you have a choice of NTSC or PAL, there is an optional widescreen format (4:3 or 16:9), if offers variable video bitrate, and more. This is a great way to convert those AVI, WMV, etc movies from your computer to a DVD (or an ISO file). It takes the movie format from your computer and turns it into the same format used by commercial DVD moves so it can be played on a TV through any DVD player. There is an excellent number of options, though we would suggest that you make sure a movie really is widescreen before selecting the 16:9 format because, if the movie was a regular 4:3 format, it would get stretched to fit the widescreen. It supports both popular TV formats, NTSC for the USA and PAL for almost everywhere else (though most modern DVD players and TVs can play both formats). The output quality can only be as good as the input quality so a poor quality movie file downloaded from the Internet will still be a poor quality DVD movie once converted. The only complaint we had about Movies To DVD was the time it takes to carry out the conversion and then burn the DVD. You not only have time to make, and drink, a cup of coffee, but you also have time to go to the supermarket and get some more! That aside, Movies To DVD is a fabulous program and one we are happy to endorse. Grab a copy for yourself! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 6.83MB download from: WinXP Multimedia Programs

Primitive Disk Indexer v1.0 – WinXP/Vista
Primitive Disk Indexer is a tool for indexing CDs, DVDs, HDDs and any other type of disk by saving a copy of its file structure, allowing the user to view its folders & files through an Explorer-style interface as if they had the actual disk on hand. This is a great utility that allows the user to view, or share, the content structure of a disk (does not copy the actual files, just the directory structure and file details). A project is saved as a PDI file which can be viewed only through Primitive Disk Indexer (the word "Primitive" does not indicate that the indexer is a primitive tool, this is from of the author's Website name). Particularly handy for indexing a large collection of CDs or DVDs. It could also be used to share with others the contents of your disks. Primitive Disk Indexer lacks a few functions which, we believe, would enhance it enormously. First, it lacks a search engine so you cannot search through a project for a particular file. Secondly you cannot add to an existing project – you need to create a new project to incorporate new files (not so important for CDs and DVDs which shouldn't change). Finally, you cannot print out a copy of the file structure. These aside, Primitive Disk Indexer is a great tool and one that many people will find invaluable. Worth a look! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 3.20MB download from: WinXP Desktop Utilities

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? (Deluxe) – DOS
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? is an enhanced version of this famous edutainment game where you travel around the world trying to find the evil Carmen Sandiego and her V.I.L.E. henchmen. It features enhanced graphics, speech, and more. One of the most famous of the old DOS games, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? is more than a whodunit, and more than a geography lesson – it is a fun computer game in its own right that has spawned many variations, like TV shows, boardgames, etc. In this game you go looking for one of the V.I.L.E. henchmen who has stolen something famous from somewhere in the world. Finally you get to go after Carmen herself. You start as a rookie detective from the A.C.M.E. detective agency and you must travel the world looking for clues to find the criminal(s). In this version, there are enhanced graphics and speech (which we could not get to work when played under Windows XP). We have been informed that Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? is best played using DOSBox (which you can find at CFS) but it does play directly from XP (and, most likely, other Windows versions too). More than just a retro look at this famous franchise, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? is a terrific game in it sown right and is just as relevant today as it was back in 1990 (albeit with slightly older technology). Not just for those who remembered playing the original, this is a game for the whole family to play. We loved! Download this 4.08MB game directly from CFS at: DOS General Games

98/ME Smoker v1.2 – Win98/ME
98/ME Smoker is a Windows 98 and Windows ME tweaking utility that will help to reduce system bottlenecks, decrease boot times and increase system stability. It features an Internet optimizer (will tune any Internet connection – dialup, cable, DSL, satellite, etc). Unfortunately, CFS was unable to review this program. The author says: "98/ME Smoker is a Windows 98 and Windows ME tweaking utility that will help to reduce system bottlenecks, decrease boot times and increase system stability. In addition 98/ME Smoker has a new State-Of-The-Art internet optimizer that will tune any internet connection to perfection. Boost your dialup, cable, dsl, satellite, etc. Get it, or stay slow!" Note: we have been advised that this program is only suitable for Windows 98 and ME – it will not work with any other version. Access this 3.15MB download from: Win98/ME Windows Enhancements

Glenlay Gallery v2.1 – Win9x/ME/XP/Vista
Glenlay Gallery is a Wizard-driven Web-style photo album. It creates a page of clickable thumbnail images that displays in a Web browser. It features 12 layout templates, 10 color & background image schemes, it displays full technical information (EXIF), offers basic image editing (rotate, flip & sharpen), allows you to include rich-text descriptions, has a built-in FTP client, and more. This is one of the better photo album programs. While the finished photo album is designed to be uploaded to the Internet, it is just as good working from a CD, a USB flash drive, or even from a hard disk. It presents your images in one of 12 separate ways, including displaying the full information text about a photo (which is not limited – you can make it as long as you like and even include Weblinks, etc). It is hard to fault Glenlay Gallery. Because it is HTML driven you can amend the look 'n feel of the displayed pages by editing the HTML coding. It could even be placed within a Web template so that it retains the same look as the rest of your site (should you choose to post it on-line). While there is no limit to the number of photos it can process, you might find that about 50 photos is a good practical maximum and still achieve a Webpage that doesn't look overloaded. Of course, this depends somewhat on which layout template you choose. We really liked Glenlay Gallery. It is a good, solid program that provides an excellent way of presenting digital photos in a format that is suitable for posting on-line and for viewing locally. An impressive tool. Access this 3.07MB download from: Win95 Graphic Programs

Dream Chronicles v1 – WinXP/Vista
Dream Chronicles is a beautifully crafted adventure puzzle where you must escape the mysterious sleeping spell cast on the town, and help Faye find her husband. It features 32 levels, 18 environments, 115 Dream Jewels to collect, sensational graphics, subtle clues, highly addictive gameplay, and more. This is an awesome game with some of the best graphics we have seen. On the earlier levels the puzzles are generally achievable without much trouble, though they get more and more difficult as you progress through the game. Fortunately there is constant help to point you in the right direction and, if you click twice on a named object (its name appears when the cursor is over it), it will be saved to your inventory if it is a usable item. The secret to successfully playing this game is to (a) collect all the Dream Jewels as they appear, and (b) read carefully the clues offered as they will direct you to the next item. Unfortunately, Dream Chronicles is spoilt with a huge download and advertising. To download this game you must first get a small 613kB helper file that, when launched, downloads both the game browser or agent and the game. We are unsure of the size of these two programs, but the game itself claims to be 21.94MB, though we noticed over 81MB of traffic when this file was being downloaded and installed! The game browser (which you can use for other games from the same publisher) is a further 11MB. This makes Dream Chronicles a massive download. The game browser installs itself in the Startup folder and loads every time Windows loads. We suggest that you delete the shortcut to this game browser so that it only loads when you want to play the game. The advertising is somewhat invasive but you get to view some television-style ads which, if you click on them, will take you to the advertiser's Website. Both the agent and the game are slow loaders, even with a fast computer, and this can be most annoying. Even with all the negative aspects (including the download size and the advertising), we thought Dream Chronicles an excellent game – one of the best adventure puzzles we have seen. If you have the patience (and a fast broadband connection) try it for yourself. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 613kB download (this is just the helper file) from: WinXP General Games
UPDATES
FrameSize – a digital photo frame file resizer to convert standard format photos into widescreen format – has been updated to version 2.0 with a slightly larger download size of 340kB. The author advises that changes in this version include the following items. The quality of the output images may optionally be reduced, allowing even more photos to fit in a digital photo frame's memory. (This was specifically listed as a disappointment in the original CFS review.) If the original photograph contains information about the image produced by a digital camera or tagged in Windows (EXIF data), the data is now retained in the output image. This data is used by some digital photo frames to sort images in date order, or to overlay the image with information about the image. Information about each image (for example, the date taken or a description) can optionally be written at the top and bottom of the output image. The data that is displayed and the location it appears in is entirely configurable. More than one set of options can be saved allowing for photos for several photo frames to be maintained on the same computer, each with their own output resolution and output folder. When opening photos in a folder sequentially, it is now possible to use the 'Back' button to return to the previous photo. Get a copy of this much updated program from: WinXP Graphic Programs
COMMENTS
We would like to thank the regular visitors to the CFS site who have told us their favorite freeware. If you have a favorite program which isn't listed on the CFS pages we invite you to share that information with everyone through this site and this newsletter. If you are an author of a freeware app (or would just like to suggest a program) and would like it listed on these pages, please fill in the Submit Software form.
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