Completely FREE Software - CFS Weekly Newsletter #468 issued March 28, 2008

Home > CFS Weekly Newsletter #468: issued March 28, 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(does not take you directly to the program listing) it is probably because the site has been upgraded and the link is no longer valid.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.

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COMPLETELY FREE SOFTWARE

Hamaya v0.52 – WinXP/Vista
Hamaya is a frenetic, Japanese-style, vertically-scrolling shooter. It features fast action shooting, multiple weapons, powerups to collect, excellent graphics & sound effects, demo mode, and more. While this is a fairly standard shooter, it has a nice feel about it that really does bring you back to play again and again. Unfortunately, not only is the author's site in Japanese but so too is the game. What you really need to know is that the executionable file to play the game is called "shoot.exe", the top item in the menu starts the game (the last one exits the game), and that the arrow keys move the ship and the Z key fires the primary weapon. From there you are on your own. Hamaya is a great game that all shooter fans should grab. We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 21.9MB download from: WinXP General Games

ConfigInspector v1.0 – WinXP only
ConfigInspector is an enhanced Task Manager that offers additional information & controls. It displays all standard Task Manager functions plus a full list of CPU capabilities, important Windows OS parameters, HDD status & information, videocard & soundcard information, and more. This is a much enhanced Task Manager program that not only offers all the features of the Task Manager supplied with Windows XP but it adds a lot more information. You can still use it to control open processes and to close programs but it offers lots more information not easily available through commonly used Windows applets. You can get all the information about your hard drives, your CPU, your videocard, etc. ConfigInspector is a handy little tool that is a worthy replacement for the Task Manager. Unfortunately it does not minimize to the desktray (next to the clock) and needs to be separately loaded every time you want to use it. We suggest that you nominate a hotkey combo to launch it. ConfigInspector is an excellent little program and one that most experienced PC users will find valuable. Note: we have been advised that this program is only suitable for Windows XP. Access this 158kB download from: WinXP Windows Enhancements

Parental Internet Filter v3.1 – WinXP/Vista
Parental Internet Filter is a password protected Internet filtering program that protects children while they are surfing the Internet. It features a word filter, you can specify days & hours when Internet is allowed, limit the amount of data sent or received, set the lists of allowed & blocked Internet programs, get e-mail notifications in realtime, see detailed reports about visited Websites & programs used, and more. This is a highly effective Internet blocking tool for users of Internet Explorer. It has a built-in database of inappropriate words and it can filter-out Websites, blogs, e-mails, and instant messages if they contain those words (or other words you choose). It is password protected to prevent children from amending its settings, and also to prevent it being uninstalled. Of course, this can be easily beaten by any astute child who can prevent it from being loaded with Windows, and then simply re-boot Windows to by-pass this control mechanism. The biggest problem we had with Parental Internet Filter was that it totally blocked all Firefox traffic – if you use Firefox then this is not the program for you. We were most impressed with Parental Internet Filter when used with Internet Explorer. It was very effective in blocking all inappropriate sites we tried to access but, because we do not use Outlook as our e-mail client, we could not check its effectiveness with that program. If you have young children, and only use Internet Explorer, you will find Parental Internet Filter to be very effective. Worth a look! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 2.39MB download from: WinXP Internet Related

Call Screener v1.7 – WinXP/Vista
Call Screener is a program that blocks unwanted telephone calls, sending a recording that the number is no longer available. It features whitelist & blacklist numbers (including prefixes only), the recorded message can be changed, and more. Unfortunately, CFS could not review this program. The author says: "Call Screener is a freeware application that blocks unwanted telephone calls. It runs under Windows XP SP2, and requires a dial-up modem that has voice and caller ID capability to be installed on your computer. When a call is blocked, Call Screener speaks the message contained in the ZapMessage.wav file to the caller. An example of a ZapMessage.wav file is included in the kit. To install Call Screener, create a folder for it, and copy the files included in the kit into that folder. See the example Block.txt and Accept Always.txt files for a description of the formats of telephone numbers. Some dial-up modems that have worked well for me are the Zoom 3025C, the AOpen FM56-PX, and the Best Data 56HP92-PCT." Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 802kB download from: WinXP General Programs

Free Tetris Sp 2008 v1.01 – WinXP/Vista
Free Tetris Sp 2008 is a classic Tetris clone that offers both 1- and 2-player games. It features pretty graphics, challenging gameplay, and more. This is a very ordinary Tetris clone that doesn't even offer a next piece notification. It has reasonably good graphics, and the two-player option is excellent, but the game is, overall, just another version of this Russian classic. Our major criticism (apart from the lack of next-piece notification) is that quite often the pieces are hard to see against the background – and there is no way to turn the background off. If you are a die-hard Tetris collector, or if you really want a two-player version (both played on the same computer keyboard – network gameplay is not an option), then grab a copy of Free Tetris Sp 2008. This is not a bad version of this classic, it just lacks anything to really make it stand out from a thousand other versions (many of which offer something really new). Yawn. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 614kB download from: WinXP General Games

Audio Splitter Utility v2.0.1.5 – Win98/ME/XP/Vista
Audio Splitter Utility is a non-destructive tool that splits audio files into smaller, individual files. It features support for the popular audio formats (MP3, MP2, WAV & WMA), retains the original file, has a built-in audio player, a preview facility, Helpfile, and more. This is a terrific tool if you want to extract a section of an audio file from a larger file and save that segment without affecting the original. Unfortunately you can only create one segment at a time, though you can go back and save other segments of the same file should you so desire. It uses a slider bar and a time stamp to create the start and finish points for your segment. Alternatively, you can simply play the file and mark the start and finish points as it is playing. Once you click on the End button the segment is highlighted and you can then use the Split button to extract the segment. It is not really suitable for extracting, say, dead time from the main file so that the original is shorter by the loss of that dead time. Audio Splitter Utility is an excellent way of extracting sections or segments from a file. We liked! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 677kB download from: Win98 Multimedia Programs

TipCam v1.5.0 – WinXP/Vista
TipCam is a screencast recorder that can record and share on the fly. It records up to 20 minutes of video, you can include and/or dub audio, it offers smart zoom & pan, an adjustable zooming window during recording, it saves to Flash Video (FLV) format which is optimized for the Web, is capable of recording screen activities remotely, variable frame rate, and more. This is an excellent way to grab a movie of your screen. TipCam can be used to show others how to run software, to show a tech what your computer is doing (or not doing), to discuss project changes with a colleague, and lots more. While the window size is relatively small compared to the natural screen size (it displays at approximately 500 x 300 pixels), you can zoom in to show the screen at fullsize within that window, and either have the window move with the cursor, or pan across window. The resultant FLV file is perfect for sharing through the Internet, though long clips with audio can be quite large files. You can even get free space on the author's site to display your clip. TipCam is one of the better screencast recorders we have seen and we like the fact that it will either shrink your screen size down to something manageable, or allow you to zoom in for that fullsize shot. A "must have" for everyone who wants to share information from their screen with others. We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 4.37MB download from: WinXP Graphic Programs
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KA-Boom! v1.0 – Win98/ME/XP/Vista
KA-Boom! is a mad bomber game where you must catch the falling bombs in buckets of water to save your building from being blown up. It features 10 levels, has fun gameplay, is challenging but winnable, addictive, and more. This is a simple-concept game that is a recreation of the 1981 Atari 2600 video version. The mad bomber sits on top of the building throwing bombs, and you use your mouse to move the buckets of water to catch them before they hit the ground. As you progress the bombs get harder and harder to catch but you get higher points for them. Each level has a different points allocation, and a different number of bombs to catch to finish the level. For example, the first level requires 10 bombs to be caught and each is worth 1 point. The second level requires 20 bombs to be caught and each is worth 2 points. The third level is 30 bombs and 3 points each. If you miss a bomb all the bombs in your bucket will explode and you lose the bucket. You have a total of three buckets. While the concept and the gameplay is quite simple, KA-Boom! has a fun, no brainer aspect to it that should bring you back to play it again and again. We liked! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 1.66MB download from: Win98 General Games
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