Date: September 19th, 2008 2:50:55 a.m.

(Mailing list information, including unsubscription instructions, is located at the end of this message.)
___________________________________________________

CFS Weekly Newsletter #489
[ISSN 1441-6840]

Web Site: http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com
E-mail 1: editor@completelyFREEsoftware.com
E-mail 2: cfs@people.net.au
___________________________________________________

Welcome to the 'Completely FREE Software' Weekly Newsletter.

This is an "opt in" only newsletter. If you didn't subscribe, or wish to unsubscribe, please use the personalized address at the end of this newsletter.


HOWDY

Great to be back with you for another week of fabulously fresh freeware.

It was an interesting week at CFS as we "upgraded" our Internet connection to ADSL2+ and went from getting a 1.26Mbs download service to a 2.85Mbs service (where is the indicated 20Mbs?). Still, I suppose we did double our download speed... I must add that this is not our server speed -- that is totally different.

We are now using OpenDNS to secure the network on our test computers and protect ourselves against the recently-discovered DNS vulnerability -- and you should too. It's fast and free.

OpenDNS is one of the only DNS services that was never susceptible to the vulnerability.

As an added bonus, OpenDNS also makes your network faster and more reliable, and gives you free Web content filtering and the tools to easily see which Web sites are most visited on your network. If you see problem Web sites in your network stats, you can easily block them.

You can also use it to automatically correct misspelt Internet addresses (converts "cmo" to "com", etc), and to use shortcuts to access commonly visited sites (we can type "cfs" into our browser navigation bar, click on the Enter key, and have the CFS Website open up).

Switch now at http://opendns.com/

This week we have an excellent selection of freeware reviewed for you. This includes three great games, a business card designer, a GUI front-end to the bland Command Run function, a program that blocks on-line chat (Messenger, ICQ, etc), another that... Well, why don't you check them all out for yourselves.

We also have our regular columns -- Dr T's excellent Computer Tip of the Week, and our ever popular Smile of the Week.

To get access to the best downloads, why not take a minute and become a member of arguably the best freeware-only site in the world. More details from our members' page:

http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/join.html

What are you waiting for -- become a CFS "lifer" now, or try out the site with a 1-month, 1-year or 2-year membership. We are still half the price of most other members-only sites and I think we offer the best value for your hard earned dollar.

Is your CFS membership going to expire soon? If you wish to extend an existing membership (without creating a new account) read this FAQ:

http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/faqs5.html#15

See you all next week.

Keep smilin'

Regards

Graham Pockett
Editor
Completely FREE Software


SPECIAL OFFER FOR SUBSCRIBERS

As a special offer to newsletter subscribers, anyone with a current 1-year membership can update to a Lifetime membership for just $25. Members with a current 2-year membership can update to Lifetime for just $15.

Please note that this is for current members only and can be used at any time during the period of a membership. Don't put it off because this offer may not continue indefinitely.

Make the appropriate payment ($25 or $15) using your credit card and tell us your username so we know which account to update. Click on this address to update your membership through PayPal:

http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com/paypal.html

(Payment is made through our parent company, Kooronya Holdings.)


COMPLETELY FREE SOFTWARE

Cosmic Ball v2.1.1 -- Win98/ME/XP/Vista (5 doves)
Cosmic Ball is a Breakout-style game where evil enemy robots guard the bricks you must destroy. It features 90 levels, 3 levels of difficulty, powerups, moving bricks, attacking spaceships, several types of balls & weapons, excellent graphics, and more. This is an excellent version of the popular Breakout game where, with a paddle and ball, you must destroy all the bricks to progress to the next level. There is a tremendous selection of brick types, ball types and powerups (yes, and powerdowns too!) and the whole package is professionally presented with excellent animated graphics. The inclusion of spaceships that fire at you adds to the game, and those ships normally have to be hit a number of times before they are destroyed (there is a red dot on each ship denoting the number of times that it must be hit). Our only real issue with Cosmic Ball was that there appeared to be no way of saving a game -- if you choose to stop mid game then the next time you played you started bac
k with a zero score, though the locked levels you had successfully completed would be available to you. We really enjoyed playing Cosmic Ball. Yes, the lack of a "save game" function was a major omission but the game was good enough to keep us playing in spite of that. An awesome Breakout clone! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 5.64MB download from:

http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/gg4_w95.html#cosmicball32

SmartCommand v2.1.4 -- WinXP/Vista (5 doves)
SmartCommand is an easy-to-use GUI-based Command Run tool. It features 15 pre-prepared commands, help notes for some commands, quick access to 4 commonly used MS tools (MSconfig, Registry Edit, Disk Space Cleanup & Disk Defragmenter), alarm, and more. This is a handy tool that puts a more human-friendly face on the bland Run Command dialog box (Start/Run). Not only are there 15 pre-prepared commands you can use, but you can add your own, and even save them for later use. The MS tools are handy, though not hard to find -- most are at Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools -- but it is certainly easier to access them through SmartCommand. The Alarm function was most disappointing and this is one feature that we doubt will be much used. We set an alarm and, when it went off, instead of playing the tune it was supposed to play, it simply opened the 9-second WAV file in our audio editor -- not exactly what we expected! Of course, if your default WAV program is a player then it sh
ould play the audio. Another aspect about the alarm was that the time is shown in 12-hour format in the display, but requires 24-hour format when you set an alarm. Most annoying. That aside, SmartCommand really has some value as a friendly GUI (Graphical User Interface) on top of the not-so-friendly Start/Run box. The other functions are nice, but not as valuable. If you use the Command Run functions then your will find that SmartCommand make life much easier. Worth a look! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 282kB download from:

http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/we3_w95.html#SmartCommand32

Businesscardmonster Designer v1.3.0 -- Win9x/ME/XP/Vista (5 doves)
Businesscardmonster Designer is a business card designer, with the proof page delivered immediately by e-mail in PDF format ready for printing. It features over 900 backgrounds in 42 categories, choice of over 20 editable text layouts, full font control (type, size, color, etc), choice of 12 program skins (or none), and more. This is an excellent designer tool to create professional-looking business or introduction cards. You create the card by inputting your information and then select the background and the text layout. You can then tweak the text layout -- adding color to the text, changing fonts, even moving the text around to conform to the text points already built into the program. Once you are happy with the look of the card you simply click on the "send me the Proof" button, include your e-mail address, and within two minutes an e-mail will arrive with an attached PDF document that contains your cards ready for printing. The PDF document contains 8 copies of your car
d, plus all trim marks, so you can simply print it (best on to 120 or 150gsm card) and then cut out the individual cards. Simple. Unfortunately you cannot simply add your own background image, though it is not too hard to overwrite an existing background with your own and have that display instead of the original. We were most impressed with Businesscardmonster Designer. It creates a truly professional looking card with the minimum of effort or artistic flair, but still allows the user to personalize the layout and appearance of the card. We loved! Access this 12.6MB download from:

http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/gp2_w95.html#bcard32

Messenger Blocker v1.0 -- WinXP/Vista (5 doves)
Messenger Blocker is a relatively effective tool to block on-line chat by preventing popular chat programs from operating. It features support for 13 chat-type programs (including Yahoo & MSN Messenger, Google Talk, Skype, ICQ, mIRC, Pidgin, Trillian, etc), selective user block, activity report logs, update button, and more. This is a good way of blocking chat on a PC. The blocking can be restricted to just some users, or can be for all users. You can also select which chat programs are blocked, and which are not. Unblocking can be carried out quickly so the password holder of the program can allow chat. We tried to use Yahoo! Messenger and were effectively blocked from doing so. However, we could have removed the startup entry through a program like RegRun (listed with CFS) and then re-booted the computer, allowing chat to be resumed. That startup entry could be then re-instated, the computer re-booted, and no-one would be the wiser -- there would have been no record of the
unauthorized activity in the log. That aside, we really were impressed with Messenger Blocker. Assuming that it is loaded with Windows it does provide adequate blocking of many chat programs (although not all versions of each). It cannot be uninstalled except through the program itself, and that is password protected. If you have children and wish to block on-line chat, Messenger Blocker is quite an effective way to do that. Worth a look! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 2.05MB download from:

http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/ir2_w95.html#messengerblock32

Twoccer World 2 v1.0 -- Win98/ME/XP/Vista (5 doves)
Twoccer World 2 is a 3D "collecting" game where you must steal items lying around Shinebrook town. It features 4 modes of play (2 having 6 styles of playing each), timed gameplay, 3D graphics, fully created township to roam, powerups, on-screen map, and more. Before you ask, "twocker" is a slang expression for thief, taken from the expression "Taken Without Owners Consent" or TWOC. Having cleared that up, Twoccer World 2 is a strange game where you move a ball around a township (Shinebrook) and collect everything lying around (or floating in the air). Apart from playing the Free Mode, all other modes and styles (of which there are many) rely on timed gameplay and you must either see how many items to collect (there are about 50 different types), or carry out mission-based tasks, within a specific time period. Some items, like clocks, are powerups (clocks give you extra time to complete your level). Twoccer World 2 suffers from poor 3D graphics, and a questionable concept (unl
ess, of course, you wish to emulate a thief). Its saving grace is the number of variations and options available through the various game modes. Even with those, we found it has a limited long-term appeal and this is probably not a game you would rush home every day to play. If you have an inclination to become a thief then try Twoccer World 2. At least you won't end up in jail... Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 2.63MB download from:

http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/gg13_w95.html#twoccer_world2_32

Free WMA MP3 Converter v1.0 -- Win98/ME/XP/Vista (5 doves)
Free WMA MP3 Converter is an easy-to-use audio file converter. It converts equally between 3 major audio formats (WMA, MP3 & WAV), offers adjustable output quality, supports ID3 tags, bulk processing, and more. This is an excellent audio file conversion tool that takes any of the three supported formats and equally converts between the other two (a total of six conversion options -- WMA to MP3, MP3 to WMA, WAV to MP3, MP3 to WAV, WAV to WMA, and WMA to WAV). Conversion is quick and simple, and you only need click on the appropriate button, tell the program where the source file is located, and it will be automatically converted and the new file placed in the location specified in the Options dialog box. It should be realized that this is not "Free WMA to MP3 Converter", which is also listed with CFS. We were highly impressed with Free WMA MP3 Converter. It is a simple to use yet very effective tool. What it lacks in eye candy it makes up for in functionality. We loved! Note:
we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 858kB download from:

http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/mp2_w95.html#FWMC32

Apex Text v1.0 -- Win98/ME/XP/Vista (4 doves)
Apex Text is a Java-based ASCII text editor. It features infinite undo/redo, syntax highlighting, code templates, code completion (preview), tabbed documents, document templates, typed document, incremental search, highlighting search results, essential tools for Java programming language, document management, and more. On paper Apex Text sounds like an excellent text editor, with tools for both home user and programmer alike. Alas, like many Java applications, in practice it lacks the practicability of a well designed Windows program. Our first hint that Apex Text may not be the answer to a maiden's prayer was when we loaded our 10MB test file (with 470,000 lines of text). Rather than load our file in seconds, as do almost all modern text editors, it took a 3 yawning minutes to load (stare at a clock for 3 minutes and you'd be yawning too!). The search and replace function, always valuable with a tabbed document interface, only worked within the active (top-most) document --
it did not apply changes globally or give the user the option to make changes across all open documents. As with the slow loading of our 10MB test file, making changes (search and replace) in a large document was painfully slow -- the expression "walking pace" came to mind. Java started out with such promise, and the option to create a program that can be used on many different platforms is appealing, but in practice we have found that Java-based applications are generally slower than a lizard walking through a snow storm. Apex Text has many, many great features and, if you have plenty of spare time, could be what you need. However, it didn't suit us. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 975kB download from:

http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/tp4_w95.html#ApexText32

Super Mario World v1.0 -- Win9x/ME/XP/Vista (5 doves)
Super Mario World is the original 1991 Super Nintendo (SNES) version of this run 'n jump classic. In this game Mario must save Princess Toadstool who has been captured by Bowser. It features 72 levels, original retro graphics & gameplay, numerous powerups to collect, and more. This popular side-scrolling platformer introduces Yoshi, a dinosaur that Mario can ride, and consists of seven main worlds and two secret worlds. The gameplay is just as much fun today as it was in 1991, and the bright music and cheesy enemies are lots of fun too. By default the game plays fullscreen but the graphics still look good, even when viewed on a 22" widescreen monitor. If you enjoy run 'n jump platform games then Super Mario World is a "must have". We loved! Access this 1.14MB download from:

http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/gg5_w95.html#super_mario_world32


UPDATE

1-2-3 Spyware Free -- a simple solution for finding & removing spyware & adware from your computer -- has been updated to version 4.7 with a larger download size of 7.85MB. The author advises that this version has a new antivirus kernel. Get this excellent spyware remover from:

http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/du2_w95.html#spywarefree32


COMPUTER TIP OF THE WEEK
from Dr T -- RTemlak4dds@aol.com

=: Program Ghosts :=

Have you ever uninstalled a program only to later discover it's still on your Add/ Remove programs list? The program is gone, but its entry is still there. When that happens, most people click the program, hit the Add/Remove button and end up with an error. And the program is still stuck on the list. It may have been removed from your computer, but its ghost seems determined to stay on. So, is the program listing there forever? Can you ever get rid of it? YES -- but you have to play around in your system registry.

Before we go any farther, I want to say that messing with your registry is not for everyone and should only be attempted by advanced users. If any of the information below doesn't make sense to you, it's probably NOT a good idea for you to be trying this tip. So, do this only at your own risk. If something gets messed up, I don't wanna hear about it :-)

Here's the procedure:

1. Run your registry editor by hitting the Start button, Run, Then type:regedit Hit Enter.

2. Your registry editor should now be up and running. Now would be a good time to back up your registry by hitting the File menu, Export Registry. Just in case.

3. OK, now navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

4. Under this Uninstall folder, you'll see all the stuff that's listed on the Add/Remove programs list. Find the folder for the program that's stuck in your Add/Remove programs box, right-click, and select Delete from the resulting menu. Now, go back to your Control Panel, Add/Remove programs area and you should find that extra program is now gone. You may have already figured this out, but there's another use for this tip. If you have a program listed in the Add/Remove programs section that you DON'T ever want uninstalled, you can delete its folder from the Uninstall folder list mentioned above. That way, you (or someone else) won't accidentally remove it.

Oh, and don't worry. Deleting the folder won't remove the program, just its entry in the Add/Remove section of the Control Panel.

[Source: Worldstart.com]


SMILE OF THE WEEK

(contributions for this section are most welcome)

=: Grandchildren Chips :-=

She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter as she'd done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, "But Gramma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!"

My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, "62." He was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"

After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was THAT?"

A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like: "We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods." The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, "I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!"

My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo while I asked, "No, how are we alike?" "You're both old," he replied.

A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word processor. She told him she was writing a story. "What's it about?" he asked. "I don't know," she replied. "I can't read."

I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last she headed for the door, saying sagely, "Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these yourself!"

When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use, Grandpa. The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."

When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, "I'm not sure." "Look in your underwear, Grandpa," he advised. "mine says I'm four to six."

A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, "Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today." The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. "That's interesting," she said, "how do you make babies?" "It's simple," replied the girl. "You just change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'."

Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public servant," said a teacher. One of the small boys wrote: "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant." The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't you know what pregnant means?" she asked. "Sure," said the young boy confidently. "It means carrying a child."

A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties. "They use him to keep crowds back," said one child. "No," said another, "he's just for good luck." A third child brought the argument to a close. "They use the dogs," she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrants."

[author unknown]


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 application and you would like it listed on these pages please fill in the form at:

http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/submit_software.html

If you enjoy the Completely FREE Software site -- and this newsletter -- please don't feel shy about letting others know.
___________________________________________________



The following information is a reminder of your current mailing list subscription:

You are subscribed to the CFS Weekly Newsletter using the address: example@example.com

You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL:

<http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com/cgi-bin/newsletter/mail.cgi/u/cfs/[email_name]/[email_domain]/1234/>;

If the above URL is inoperable, make sure that you have copied the entire address. Some mail readers will wrap a long URL and thus break this automatic unsubscribe mechanism.

You may also change your subscription by visiting this list's main screen:

<http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com/cgi-bin/newsletter/mail.cgi/list/cfs>;

If you're still having trouble, please contact the list owner at:

<mailto:editor@completelyfreesoftware.com>

The following physical address is associated with this mailing list:

www.completelyFREEsoftware.com