Completely FREE Software - CFS Weekly Newsletter #549 issued June 11, 2010

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(does not take you directly to the program listing) it is probably because the site has been upgraded and the link is no longer valid.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

Road Attack v3.5 – WinXP/Vista/Win7
Road Attack is a car racing arcade game where you shoot other vehicles. It features shoot-em-up action with sophisticated weaponry, lots of powerups to collect, time-based gameplay, good graphics, and more. This is a lightweight racing game with lots of gratuitous violence and shooting. It is also lots of fun. In this game you race to the finish line, avoiding traps (water on the road, broken pavement, etc) while collecting as many powerups as you can and trying not to get shot by other vehicles. The storyline behind Road Attack is so weak they didn't even bother to produce one, but the game is fun in a silly way and it is surprisingly addictive. Produced by MyPlayCity, it carries an ad when the game is loading but that is the only time the ad is played. Like all MyPlayCity ads, it appears to be benign. Road Attack won't stretch your mind, though it might stretch your credibility. It is a good bit of nonsense in a shoot-em-up way. We liked. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 3.44MB download from: WinXP General Games

Math-o-mir v1.4 – WinXP/Vista/Win7
Math-o-mir is a mathematical notepad which emulates pencil and paper for writing equations. It features the ability to add & edit complex equations, it has a virtual keyboard, there is hotkey support, it includes a simple line editor, a function plotter, a symbolic calculator, you can print equations, there is a downloadable manual, and more. This is an awesome tool if you work with mathematical equations. While it is not quite as easy as using pencil and paper, it gets very close. Using a series of built-in macros, the author has created a tool that allows the user to create very complex, multi-page equations – and then print them out and/or save them as MOM files (which can be opened for further editing in Math-o-mir). There is a superb manual in PDF format, but the author has elected not to include it in the program's download. It is an additional (and very necessary) 381kB file. You can use the built-in line editor to create simple hand-drawings which can be placed into your document to illustrate your equations. Neat. There is a small learning curve to get the best from Math-o-mir. For best speed, the macros must be learnt (for example, typing // opens up the fraction editor), as does some of the hotkeys (for example, Ctrl+R brings up the square root editor) but you can use the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen to access these. It is impossible not to be impressed with Math-o-mir. While it is somewhat complex to use, the advantages to using it are worthwhile for anyone working with post-Elementary level math. We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 652kB download from: WinXP Text Programs

XMPlay v3.5.1 – Win9x/ME/WinXP/Vista/Win7
XMPlay is a stylish audio player. It supports all major audio formats (OGG, MP3, MP2, MP1, MO3, IT, XM, S3M, MTM, MOD & UMX), playlists (PLS & M3U), plays audio CDs (also obtains CD info from Internet), supports WinAmp plugins, has automatic gain control (and Replaygain), a 9 band equalizer, reverb, it offers Net streaming, it requires no installation, it is skinnable (additional skins are available), and more. This player rocks! It does everything that other players can do, and then more, much more. It can even be set to minimize to the tray as an icon so you can set it playing in the background while you work. XMPlay can also play streaming audio from the Internet, and can even write a copy to your disk. The more we looked at XMPlay the more we found it did! What is probably more amazing is that it is tiny in size and requires no installation – just download, unzip into the required folder, and start using. And wait, there's more. XMPlay also looks cool and, if it is not cool enough for you, there are lots of free skins you can download. We cannot speak highly enough of XMPlay. It is one of the best audio players we have seen, and certainly the smallest. We loved! Access this 319kB download from: Win95 Multimedia Programs

ISOBuddy v1.0.1.2 – WinXP/Vista/Win7
ISOBuddy is an ISO image file processing tool that can convert almost any image file format to ISO and can burn CD/DVD disks. It supports the conversion of GI, NRG, CDI, MDF, IMG, B5I, B6I, DMG, PDI, BIN & CCD disk image formats to the industry-standard ISO disk image format. While there are a number of proprietary disk image formats, the universal standard is ISO. For example, the popular Nero burning software uses its own NRG format, a format not used by many other burning programs. Likewise, Roxio uses the GI format. ISOBuddy can not only convert all the popular formats to ISO, but also burn your disk image to your CD/DVD burner. If you are using rewritable media (eg CD-RW disks) it can erase the existing data, either quickly so that only the disk structure is updated, or completely where the surface of disk is over-written with a neutral pattern to clear all the old data. It also supports making an ISO image file from any multi-session disk image by providing an easy option to select any single session from the selected multi-session disk. We could not fault ISOBuddy in what it does and how it works. We would have liked to have seen the Serif MoviePlus SBA disk image format included, but understand why it was not. If you work with disk images, and find that you sometimes have to work with proprietary disk image formats, then ISOBuddy is a "must have". A superb tool! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 2.00MB download from: WinXP General Programs

CollageIt v1.1.5 – WinXP/Vista/Win7
CollageIt is an easy-to-use collage maker, which makes photo collages automatically. It features variable parameters (number of photos, photo space, photo frame, shadow, page margin, auto rotation mode, sparse mode, page size & background setup), realtime preview, saves collage to any of 7 image formats (BMP, GIF, JPG, PNG, TIF, TGA & PCX), and more. This is a simple way of producing sophisticated collages of your photos. You can select up to 100 photos for your collage, and even use a photo as a background image! Created in three steps, the collage can be tweaked by changing the various parameters – including deciding if you want each photo framed, if you want to see a background shadow for each photo, etc. The final collage is usually impressive, and you can save it to any of seven popular image formats. We were a little disappointed that it often cropped the top and bottom off our photos, removing heads and other important features. The ability to turn that off, while still retaining the other variables, would be a worthwhile function. That aside, we really liked CollageIt. It is a lot of fun to use, and the results are worth hanging on the wall. Try it for yourself! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 4.79MB download from: WinXP Graphic Programs

Leawo Free YouTube Downloader v3.0.7.0 – WinXP/Vista/Win7
Leawo Free YouTube Downloader is a video downloader that can download from YouTube, Yahoo, Google, MySpace, iFilm, etc. It features multi-thread downloading, it automatically parses & grabs FLV videos, there is an optional drop box, it has an IE-style interface, it optionally loads with Windows, and more. Using a modified Internet Explorer Web browser, Leawo Free YouTube Downloader is an easy way to grab FLV videos by saving them to a cache and then copying them out of that cache into the selected download location. This two-step approach bypasses some of the video download problems as sites like YouTube try to prevent downloads. Operation is simple. Use the Leawo Free YouTube Downloader browser window to select your video clip and you will see the drop box showing the percentage actually downloaded. Once it is downloaded (usually much faster than simply watching the clip on-line) it is stored in the "Video" tab in a History-style sidebar. Highlight the movies you wish to keep and it can be either played and/or downloaded to the location nominated in the Settings dialog box. Simple. Leawo Free YouTube Downloader is one of the most effective video downloaders. We liked. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 12.7MB download from: WinXP Internet Related

WinHide.SB v2.0.0.2 – WinXP/Vista/Win7
WinHide.SB is a small program that controls the visibility of selected windows (including from the taskbar). It optionally changes or removes its own icon in the tray (to disguise or hide the program), permanently hides windows (automatically hides chosen windows), and more. This is a simple little program that is very powerful in what it does. It can either permanently or temporarily hide an active program – even to removing it from the taskbar. It can also disguise itself by using another icon (there are eight icons available), using alternative flyover text to match that icon (ie Word), or its icon can be hidden from the tray. Unfortunately, WinHide.SB displays bad manners by automatically having itself start with Windows – and even when you block that, it tries again later. While we agree that it would usually be started with Windows, we would like the option to control that ourselves. That small niggle aside, WinHide.SB is a great little tool for hiding some, or all, of the open windows on your desktop. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 831kB download from: WinXP Windows Enhancements

Falco Lines v1.0 – Win98/ME/WinXP/Vista/Win7
Falco Lines is a Lines puzzle where you line up 5 balls of the same color to have them disappear. It features a next ball indicator, timed gameplay, a 9x9 playing grid, excellent ray-traced graphics, good animation, and more. Falco Lines is easy to play, but hard to win. The author describes the gameplay like this: "The player may move one ball per turn, and only to a particular space on the board if there is a path (linked set of vertical or horizontal empty cells) between the current position of the ball and the desired space. The goal is to remove the balls by forming lines (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) of at least five balls of the same color. When such line is completed, the balls in those lines disappear and he gains one turn, ie he can move another ball. If not, three new balls are added, and the game continues until the board is full." Falco Lines is a great version of this popular puzzle, enhanced by the excellent animated graphics and the subtle sound effects. We particularly liked the "next ball" indicator so you knew where the next batch of three balls will be located, and what their colors will be. What surprised us was that the Helpfile describes those indicators as being "hints where to put the ball" rather than what they are, next ball indicators. Most strange. We enjoyed playing Falco Lines. It is an excellent way to pass a pleasant, if sometimes frustrating, hour or two. Worth grabbing! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 3.10MB download from: Win98 General Games
UPDATE
Fotobounce – a photo organizer, with built-in face recognition – has been upgraded to version 3.0.2 with a new download size of 14.7MB. The author has advised that changes in this version include: no need to expose your photos on a public website to share them with friends and family by setting up a private network; get full resolution copies of friend's photos from sites like FaceBook which reduce the size and resolution of uploaded images; and more. Grab this latest version from: WinXP General Programs
COMMENTS
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