Completely FREE Software - CFS Weekly Newsletter #553 issued July 16, 2010

Home > CFS Weekly Newsletter #553: issued July 16, 2010

Enter your search termsSubmit search form

Search the CFS site Search the Web

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(does not take you directly to the program listing) it is probably because the site has been upgraded and the link is no longer valid.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

The Atlantis Series – WinXP/Vista/Win7
The Atlantis Series is an underwater shooter presented in 2 parts (Project: Atlantis & The Fall of Atlantis). It features over 20 levels, many different scenarios including a tour of Atlantis, tells its story by in-game cut scenes & data, save game, and more. This is a simple little shooter that is basically two games in one. While they share a similar look 'n feel, it is obvious that they were created at separate times, with The Fall of Atlantis being the second game (and, arguably, the better of the two). Graphics are simplistic, animations basic, and your underwater craft is controlled by the arrow keys, with the S and D keys for firing. If you go outside the screen you are lost, though if you don't change direction and use the down arrow to reverse, you can find your way back onto the screen. Simplistic, it lacks the eye candy or the big bangs that make similar shooters popular. The Atlantis Series does not rate well in many areas but, in spite of that, it has an addictive aspect that is hard to explain – it draws you back to play again and again. It may not be in your top 10 favorite games of all times but it is very playable. We liked. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 5.60MB download from: WinXP General Games

AquaSoft SlideShow for YouTube v6.6.0.1 – WinXP/Vista/Win7
AquaSoft SlideShow for YouTube is a tool that creates professional slideshows or animations for posting on YouTube. It features a built-in YouTube uploader, it can optionally add music, there is a multi-track timeline, you can add text with more than 100 effects, includes many animations (turns, zooms, fadings, panoramas, etc), it supports both 4:3 & 16:9 video formats, has various camera angles & pans, offers non-destructive image editing, it supports more than 50 image formats, it supports EXIF data, and more. This is a superb tool for creating YouTube videos of your photos, etc. It offers so many professional tools that we could not list them all in the space we have available. There is an optional Helpfile and PDF manual which you are given the option to download when the program is being installed, but these are larger than 22MB (a point not mentioned when you are given the option to download them). However, we believe that they are worth the bandwidth as AquaSoft SlideShow for YouTube is not the simplest tool to get started using – in fact, there is a steep learning curve to get the best from this program. Probably the most annoying aspect of the program (deliberately so) is the promise of so many other ways to export your finished project – to CD or DVD, as a program to run on your computer, etc – but these are not available in the free version, which is limited to posting your project on YouTube. Of course, the author expects that once you have created your masterpiece you will want to do more than simply post it to YouTube and will be prepared to spend the money on purchasing the full version. AquaSoft SlideShow for YouTube produces a superb, professional looking result, as long as you are prepared to spend the time to master the program. We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 18.6MB download from: WinXP Internet Related

Kaspersky Rescue Disk v10.0.21.5 – WinXP/Vista/Win7
Kaspersky Rescue Disk is a bootable Linux-based rescue disk that scans and removes threats from an infected computer. It features configurable object scanning, Internet updates the for malware database, a built-in file manager & Web browser, support for all popular file systems (FAT32, NTFS, Ext2, Ext3, Ext4 & Reiser), 80-page downloadable user guide (1.39MB), and more. The Kaspersky Rescue Disk is downloaded as an ISO image file that must be burnt to a CD or DVD. The resultant disk can then be used to boot the computer into a Linux environment where scans can be carried out to find and quarantine malicious software (malware). When you boot up your computer using the Kaspersky Rescue Disk you must update the malware database so it can find the latest risks. There is no need to understand how to work with Linux because this disk uses a Windows-style interface. Kaspersky Rescue Disk should be created before you experience any problems, and we suggest that you download, create, and store the disk in case you might need it. After an infection you may not be able to download or create the disk – you might not even be able to boot into Windows! We consider that Kaspersky Rescue Disk a "must have" tool for all PC users. Get a copy now before you are infected. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 193MB download from: WinXP General Programs

Cute Screen Recorder v1.3.0.1 – Win98/ME/WinXP/Vista/Win7
Cute Screen Recorder is an easy-to-use video screen capture that saves to MP4, FLV, SWF or WMV video formats. It features fullscreen or customized capture area, variable output quality (BitRate, FrameRate & audio sample rate), captures audio in mono or stereo, and more. This should be an excellent video screen capture tool, but it isn't. Output quality for a fullscreen capture, even when set to maximum quality using the WMV format, is poor, and Cute Screen Recorder does not use hotkeys to start and stop. This means that the program is visible in the capture when using fullscreen! Likewise, when you stop the recording you must bring the program to the front to click on the Stop button. When a smaller area of the screen is used, you can hide the program window outside the capture area. If the Cute Screen Recorder window is visible in the first and last few frames of the video, you could use a video editor to trim those parts and just leave the bulk of the recording (the part you really want) but this workaround should not be necessary if the program was able to be minimized to an icon in the tray and the recording activated by hotkey. Even if that was done, more work is required to improve video quality. We were very disappointed in Cute Screen Recorder. It has so much unfulfilled potential that it was a major disappointment when the program was actually used. Not our first choice for screen capture to video. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 4.02MB download from: Win98 Multimedia Programs

Mini Desktop Stopwatch v1.0 – WinXP/Vista/Win7
Mini Desktop Stopwatch is a stopwatch and countdown timer. It offers accuracy to 1,000 of a second, counts to & from 100 hours, it has the ability to go fullscreen, it has pause & reset controls, is fully portable (no installation required), always stays on top (unless minimized), and more. This is an excellent way of monitoring your time, whether you wish to be notified at the end of a specific period of time (the program beeps when it counts back to zero) or if you wish to time an event (use it as a stopwatch). On the countdown you simply insert the numbers using the mouse-control keypad in the program, and click on the Start button. Mini Desktop Stopwatch autoconverts base-10 numbers (ie 97 minutes becomes 1 hr 37 min). You can make the program go fullscreen for large numbers that can be read at a considerable distance. For example, on a 22 inch widescreen monitor the numbers are over 1.5 inches (4cm) high, making them easy to read from well over 20 feet away. Mini Desktop Stopwatch is a great tool to have on hand for those times when you need a timer. We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 4.11MB download from: WinXP Desktop Utilities

FotoMorph v11.1 – WinXP/Vista/Win7
FotoMorph is a photo animator which can morph images, warp (distort) an image, or zoom/pan within an image. It can import popular image formats (BMP, JPG, PNG, TIF & GIF), export to popular video formats (FLV, AVI, SWF, animated GIF, etc), add scrolling & fading text, print the current animation frame, and more. This is an awesome photo tool which can create professional looking animations of your photos. Of course, the most popular is morphing (image metamorphosis) when you can change the photo of, say, a cat into a lion, a child into an adult, etc using a sequence of images. These can be extremely complex, or quite simple. Some of the controls are not obvious on first glance but, as you use the program, you realize that it offers a level of power you would expect from an expensive commercial program. FotoMorph looks good, is very powerful, and creates awesome image videos in a number of formats. If you choose the popular SWF format, it will even provide the HTML required to post it to your Website! Cool. As with any high-end program of this type, FotoMorph has a reasonably steep learning curve to get the best from its many controls and features. Fortunately, there is good on-line assistance offered through the author's site. This includes a tutorial using the included sample file which incorporates all three of the main functions of this program – morphing, warping and zoom/panning. If you are looking for a program to create image morphing then you should start looking with FotoMorph. It is an amazing program! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 2.68MB download from: WinXP Graphic Programs

Microsoft Reader v2.1.1 – Win98/ME/WinXP/Vista/Win7
Microsoft Reader is an eBook reader that can read eBooks out loud. It features on-screen readability using ClearType display technology, text enhancement (highlighting, bookmarks, notes & drawings), thousands of books available (free & purchase), and more. If you enjoy reading books you will find that there are many books available in the LIT format used by Microsoft Reader. These can be read on your computer screen, or through your Pocket PC device. You can even create your own LIT books using the Word add-in, Read in Microsoft Reader, which is available from Microsoft (819kB download, suitable for Word 2000, XP & 2003). Microsoft Reader displays your library of LIT books and you can select a book to read. The next time you want to read more of your book simply select "Most recent page" to go back to where you were. While reading text on-screen is not always easy, Microsoft Reader uses ClearType to improve the reading experience, specially on LCD screens. If you are visually impaired, or just like listening to someone reading a book to you, there is a built-in audio reader. Microsoft Reader is a superb eBook tool and one worth grabbing. We liked. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 3.58MB download from: Win98 Text Programs

Falco Blood v1.0 – Win98/ME/WinXP/Vista/Win7
Falco Blood is a classic top down shooter where you are besieged by monsters. It features 12 levels of action, lots of cool weapons & reinforcement bonuses (powerups), dynamic gameplay, and more. Limited to a confined space, you must try to stay alive long enough to get to the next level. Fortunately you have 15 lives per level, and you will often need that many! Gameplay is fast and furious, and made harder because while you control the gun and the angle the gun is firing through the mouse, movement of your character is through the cumbersome W, A,S and D keys. As you would guess from its title, Falco Blood displays lots of cartoon-style blood, so caution should be used with younger players. Falco Blood is pure escapism. It is a fun way to kill a few minutes, and a lot of monsters. Worth a look if you like fast-action shooters. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 6.14MB download from: Win98 General Games
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.
If you enjoy the Completely FREE Software site please don't feel shy about letting others know.

Click Here to share this page with your friends, website visitors, ezine readers, social followers and other online contacts.
The Link-To Tool is a gift from:
Website software that works
120 Florida Nature Videos
Completely FREE Software