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Create a professional resume (DownloadExaminer.com)

Create a professional resume

Recent developments in the global economy have sent shockwaves through industries and companies around the world. Whether or not the economic downturn has hurt your employer or your job, it’s a good time to take a look at your professional resume and update it or polish it as necessary. These six applications offer resume templates, styling advice, and helpful guidelines to help you develop a resume that impresses your next interviewer.

ResumeMaker Professional Ultimate

ResumeMaker Professional Ultimate

This jam-packed resume software is loaded with thousands of samples and templates from a wide range of industries. It also allows users to browse or search millions of available career opportunities. View sample cover letters and create and manage your own quickly and easily. A Virtual Interview feature puts you through the paces before the actual big event.

JobTabs Job Search and Resume

JobTabs Job Search and Resume

A nice, compact interface lets you create, edit, and manage your resume, while also searching job listings and creating job-search agents. More of job-search assistant than a resume builder, JobTabs uses a tree-style navigation with Search Agents for various industries and online career resources. Advanced search features let you narrow down your searches, while other tabs provide resume guidance and industry information about necessary training.

EasyJob Resume Builder

EasyJob Resume Builder

More than 25,000 resume and cover-letter templates provide a wide range of styles and formats for nearly any sort of job application. A clean navigation lets you manage your career history and goals and your resumes quickly and easily. A “Get Started” wizard may help reluctant job searchers to get the process rolling, and the career resources section includes an resume knowledgebase for reference.

CVitae

CVitae

The software name has strong educational connotations, but the program works for many industries and lets users capture job offers directly through the application. A form-based approach lets users enter all of their work history, personal information, experience, and skills, transforming all of your data into a polished one-page paper. Keyword shortcuts make composing cover letters a breeze.

Kinetic Resume

Kinetic Resume

For users who learn visually, this shareware app uses a multimedia approach to creating and editing your resume. Start out by simply copying and pasting your career information and personal data, decide what sort of jobs you are interested in pursuing, and before you know it, you’ve got a formatted Word document that should work for many professional job applications.

Resumizer

Resumizer

This online tool lacks some of the fancy features of its downloadable counterparts, but for speed and ease of use, it’s hard to beat. Pick from several templates, enter your contact info, experience, qualifications, and skills, and you can quickly print or save a digital copy of a simple, stylish resume. The site is supported by the now ubiquitous Ads by Google and an occasional pop-behind, but there’s no upsell, and the site also lets you create six different styles of cover letters.

Source: www.download.com

11 Convicted in $2 Billion Microsoft Piracy Case
A Chinese Court has convicted 11 people involved in what Microsoft referred to as the world’s largest software counterfeiting syndicate. According to estimates from the Redmond company, the syndicate, based in the southern China province of Guangdong, counterfeited and…

A Chinese Court has convicted 11 people involved in what Microsoft referred to as the world’s largest software counterfeiting syndicate. According to estimates from the Redmond company, the syndicate, based in the southern China province of Guangdong, counterfeited and… (read more)
Source: news.softpedia.com

Tags: , , , ,

Create a professional resume (DownloadExaminer.com)

Create a professional resume

Recent developments in the global economy have sent shockwaves through industries and companies around the world. Whether or not the economic downturn has hurt your employer or your job, it’s a good time to take a look at your professional resume and update it or polish it as necessary. These six applications offer resume templates, styling advice, and helpful guidelines to help you develop a resume that impresses your next interviewer.

ResumeMaker Professional Ultimate

ResumeMaker Professional Ultimate

This jam-packed resume software is loaded with thousands of samples and templates from a wide range of industries. It also allows users to browse or search millions of available career opportunities. View sample cover letters and create and manage your own quickly and easily. A Virtual Interview feature puts you through the paces before the actual big event.

JobTabs Job Search and Resume

JobTabs Job Search and Resume

A nice, compact interface lets you create, edit, and manage your resume, while also searching job listings and creating job-search agents. More of job-search assistant than a resume builder, JobTabs uses a tree-style navigation with Search Agents for various industries and online career resources. Advanced search features let you narrow down your searches, while other tabs provide resume guidance and industry information about necessary training.

EasyJob Resume Builder

EasyJob Resume Builder

More than 25,000 resume and cover-letter templates provide a wide range of styles and formats for nearly any sort of job application. A clean navigation lets you manage your career history and goals and your resumes quickly and easily. A “Get Started” wizard may help reluctant job searchers to get the process rolling, and the career resources section includes an resume knowledgebase for reference.

CVitae

CVitae

The software name has strong educational connotations, but the program works for many industries and lets users capture job offers directly through the application. A form-based approach lets users enter all of their work history, personal information, experience, and skills, transforming all of your data into a polished one-page paper. Keyword shortcuts make composing cover letters a breeze.

Kinetic Resume

Kinetic Resume

For users who learn visually, this shareware app uses a multimedia approach to creating and editing your resume. Start out by simply copying and pasting your career information and personal data, decide what sort of jobs you are interested in pursuing, and before you know it, you’ve got a formatted Word document that should work for many professional job applications.

Resumizer

Resumizer

This online tool lacks some of the fancy features of its downloadable counterparts, but for speed and ease of use, it’s hard to beat. Pick from several templates, enter your contact info, experience, qualifications, and skills, and you can quickly print or save a digital copy of a simple, stylish resume. The site is supported by the now ubiquitous Ads by Google and an occasional pop-behind, but there’s no upsell, and the site also lets you create six different styles of cover letters.

Source: www.download.com

Tags: , , , ,

Windows 7 Beta Build 7000 Screenshots Gallery (DownloadExaminer.com)

Windows 7 Beta Build 7000 Screenshots Gallery
It’s no doubt that 2009 will be Windows 7’s year. Even with Internet Explorer 8, Windows Vista Service Pack 2, Windows Azure, Windows Server 2008 R2, Office 14 and additional software products from … It’s no doubt that 2009 will be Windows 7’s year. Even with Internet Explorer 8, Windows Vista Service Pack 2, Windows Azure, Windows Server 2008 R2, Office 14 and additional software products from … (read more)
Source: news.softpedia.com

Tags: , , , ,

Create a professional resume (DownloadExaminer.com)

Create a professional resume

Recent developments in the global economy have sent shockwaves through industries and companies around the world. Whether or not the economic downturn has hurt your employer or your job, it’s a good time to take a look at your professional resume and update it or polish it as necessary. These six applications offer resume templates, styling advice, and helpful guidelines to help you develop a resume that impresses your next interviewer.

ResumeMaker Professional Ultimate

ResumeMaker Professional Ultimate

This jam-packed resume software is loaded with thousands of samples and templates from a wide range of industries. It also allows users to browse or search millions of available career opportunities. View sample cover letters and create and manage your own quickly and easily. A Virtual Interview feature puts you through the paces before the actual big event.

JobTabs Job Search and Resume

JobTabs Job Search and Resume

A nice, compact interface lets you create, edit, and manage your resume, while also searching job listings and creating job-search agents. More of job-search assistant than a resume builder, JobTabs uses a tree-style navigation with Search Agents for various industries and online career resources. Advanced search features let you narrow down your searches, while other tabs provide resume guidance and industry information about necessary training.

EasyJob Resume Builder

EasyJob Resume Builder

More than 25,000 resume and cover-letter templates provide a wide range of styles and formats for nearly any sort of job application. A clean navigation lets you manage your career history and goals and your resumes quickly and easily. A “Get Started” wizard may help reluctant job searchers to get the process rolling, and the career resources section includes an resume knowledgebase for reference.

CVitae

CVitae

The software name has strong educational connotations, but the program works for many industries and lets users capture job offers directly through the application. A form-based approach lets users enter all of their work history, personal information, experience, and skills, transforming all of your data into a polished one-page paper. Keyword shortcuts make composing cover letters a breeze.

Kinetic Resume

Kinetic Resume

For users who learn visually, this shareware app uses a multimedia approach to creating and editing your resume. Start out by simply copying and pasting your career information and personal data, decide what sort of jobs you are interested in pursuing, and before you know it, you’ve got a formatted Word document that should work for many professional job applications.

Resumizer

Resumizer

This online tool lacks some of the fancy features of its downloadable counterparts, but for speed and ease of use, it’s hard to beat. Pick from several templates, enter your contact info, experience, qualifications, and skills, and you can quickly print or save a digital copy of a simple, stylish resume. The site is supported by the now ubiquitous Ads by Google and an occasional pop-behind, but there’s no upsell, and the site also lets you create six different styles of cover letters.

Source: www.download.com

The best new Windows programs of 2008

There were a lot of high-profile updates in 2008, and the line between traditional software downloads and Web applications blurred significantly. The browser especially has become, for some people, the only program they need.

There were several stand out new applications, though, and here are six of what I think are the best ones. They range from traditional Web browsers and browser hybrids to communication tools and utilities that should help you work faster and help maintain your system.

Google Chrome : The one application that probably going to be on everybody’s Nice list this year, Google Chrome unexpectedly redefined the highly competitive browser market. While the summer months saw major updates to Firefox and Opera, Google showed in September that Steve Jobs isn’t the only guy who knows how to make a big “boom.”

Google Chrome has thrown the browser wars on its ear.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Google Chrome is notable on several fronts, even if browser traditionalists dislike the lack the extensibility. The capability to rip off tabs from the main window and drag them to your desktop to save as discrete Web applications goes a long way to blurring that between Web applications and traditional software. There’s also the fact that Chrome is arguably the fastest browser on the market. If it’s not, it’s certainly tied with the second Firefox 3.1 beta.

Chrome’s speed at starting up, at loading Web pages, and at returning URI bar search results have helped push the focus of browser development back onto performance. I still use Firefox as my default browser, because what I lose in performance, I gain in add-on tools that I consider essential for work. But if you haven’t yet checked out Chrome, you’re missing out on more than just the Google Kool-Aid.

KidZui: KidZui takes the tried-and-failed child-control methods of Web site blacklists and keylogging and abandons them in favor of something far more sensible: an extensive whitelist. First released back in March, KidZui looks and acts like a browser, but instead a closed system of editor-approved sites.

KidZui is the kids browser that's both a bit more and a bit less.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

These editors, made up of parents, teachers, and former teachers have compiled database of 800,000 Web sites the last time I saw KidZui’s stats. At-home parents can approve specific Web sites, such as a family photo gallery, that KidZui users couldn’t otherwise see. KidZui is more than just a safe browsing environment, though. It combines that most essential of computer tools with social networking features. Children can rate sites, videos, and images, and share those ratings with their KidZui friends. Parents get the peace of mind that comes from weekly browsing and logging updates, and can further block approved KidZui sites if they deem them inappropriate.

It’s not a program for everybody, obviously. What it does do, though, is create a uniquely safe way to teach children about surfing the Web and the power of exploring information without worrying about sketchy shenanigans.

Songbird: Songbird was in beta development for more than a year, and finally reached a stable release just after Thanksgiving. Originally designed as a balanced mash-up between Firefox and iTunes, it’s instead used Mozilla’s Gecko engine to drive music content. You can still browse the Web with it, but it’s no accident that Songbird opens up to your music library.

It's a browser! No, it's a jukebox! No, it's…

(Credit: Songbird)

Also taking a page from its Firefox roots, Songbird lets users create add-ons with ease. These aren’t limited to skins–”Feathers” in the Songbird argot. Songbird’s add-ons include a Cover Flow-styled album art browser, lyric windows, and Last.fm and mashTape support. As much as people love their MP3s, it’s amazing to me that it’s taken this long for a serious and slick cross-platform jukebox competitor to get onstage. And as much as I love MediaMonkey, it’s starting to look like there might be a software-based “Battle of the Bands” on the horizon.

Secunia Personal Software Inspector: Secunia PSI seeks to address an often-overlooked software security issue: the out-of-date program. It makes sure that your applications are up-to-date, which is great not only for ensuring you’ve got the latest features, but it also takes care of any bug-fixes that might patch previously-unknown exploits. What’s important about Secunia is that while it will notify you of updates, it only provides direct links. It won’t automatically upgrade your software unless you tell it to.

Secunia PSI keeps track of program updates.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Based on the Web-based Secunia Software Inspector from 2006, and in development since late 2007, Secunia PSI should appeal to both casual computer users and those who think they know what they’re doing. If you’re the former, the Simple layout provides basic information about the installed program statuses, with a chart to gauge their security over time and a simplified listing of any errors. Clicking on an error leads you through the proprietary Easy-to-Patch program update process, which automatically excludes more challenging updates.

If you’re a power user, Secunia’s Advanced layout tab exposes more details and more updates. It also checks your Microsoft XML, your Adobe Flash player installation, and others programs, looking for mission-critical holes and their respective updates. Scanning wasn’t like trying to use a 56k modem to stream video, but for a program that runs in the background, I expected it to be a bit faster. It didn’t slow down my computer’s overall performance, though, and the update process went smoothly. All that makes this a highly-recommended freeware.

Smart Defrag: Smart Defrag is another excellent program that left its beta training wheels behind in 2008. Yeah, there are a lot of defraggers out there. Some are free, some are trialware. Smart Defrag stands out for two reasons.

Speed demon Smart Defrag is much faster than you'd expect.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

It has the quick analysis and scan times that are practically required to be competitive in the field. Alongside those, it boasts an automated defragger that continually defrags the files that you use the most, and does it without becoming a persistent drag on your system resources. The program eats up a small amount of RAM when running in the background, so it’s possible to run it smoothly on older machines. Throw in a scheduler you can set up to defrag whenever you want and some customization features like running a defrag when you boot up or shutdown Windows, and Smart Defrag makes a great tool for users of all experience levels.

Digsby: Digsby got off to a bit of a rocky start, a bit like the kid in school who you think would be a lot cooler if it just stopped trying so hard. The problem was that Digsby wasn’t particularly stable, was pigging out on every user’s RAM, and was offering something fairly unique at the time: a multiprotocol chat client that also pulled in Web mail, and access to MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook accounts.

Digsby offers multiprotocol chat, social networking, e-mailing, and more skins than you can shake a stick at.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

About six month later, in late September, Digsby released a massive update that fixed most of the RAM-hogging issues. Firing up the program is still a bit wonky for me, but there’s no doubt that once it’s going it works better than it has before. Digsby should easily be the instant messaging freeware of choice for the super social set. It supports the major IM networks of Yahoo, MSN, AIM, ICQ, Google Talk, and Jabber.

Updating Twitter is a breeze from the application’s main interface, though users wishing to do anything more than read Facebook and MySpace news feeds will be redirected to their online accounts.

Users can initiate text, video, and audio chat from the conversation window, and transfer files, send SMS, and compose short e-mails. POP and IMAP accounts are supported alongside Web mail. The notification pop-ups for every activity can get distracting, though a deep preference options control nearly every aspect of the display, including a wide variety of skins and those pesky pop-ups. Although many people had written off the application as too cumbersome in the past, the current build is well-worth downloading and exploring.

Got a favorite brand-new program that you think we overlooked? Tell us about it in the comments.

Source: www.download.com

Tags: , , , ,

The best new Windows programs of 2008 (DownloadExaminer.com)

The best new Windows programs of 2008

There were a lot of high-profile updates in 2008, and the line between traditional software downloads and Web applications blurred significantly. The browser especially has become, for some people, the only program they need.

There were several stand out new applications, though, and here are six of what I think are the best ones. They range from traditional Web browsers and browser hybrids to communication tools and utilities that should help you work faster and help maintain your system.

Google Chrome : The one application that probably going to be on everybody’s Nice list this year, Google Chrome unexpectedly redefined the highly competitive browser market. While the summer months saw major updates to Firefox and Opera, Google showed in September that Steve Jobs isn’t the only guy who knows how to make a big “boom.”

Google Chrome has thrown the browser wars on its ear.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Google Chrome is notable on several fronts, even if browser traditionalists dislike the lack the extensibility. The capability to rip off tabs from the main window and drag them to your desktop to save as discrete Web applications goes a long way to blurring that between Web applications and traditional software. There’s also the fact that Chrome is arguably the fastest browser on the market. If it’s not, it’s certainly tied with the second Firefox 3.1 beta.

Chrome’s speed at starting up, at loading Web pages, and at returning URI bar search results have helped push the focus of browser development back onto performance. I still use Firefox as my default browser, because what I lose in performance, I gain in add-on tools that I consider essential for work. But if you haven’t yet checked out Chrome, you’re missing out on more than just the Google Kool-Aid.

KidZui: KidZui takes the tried-and-failed child-control methods of Web site blacklists and keylogging and abandons them in favor of something far more sensible: an extensive whitelist. First released back in March, KidZui looks and acts like a browser, but instead a closed system of editor-approved sites.

KidZui is the kids browser that's both a bit more and a bit less.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

These editors, made up of parents, teachers, and former teachers have compiled database of 800,000 Web sites the last time I saw KidZui’s stats. At-home parents can approve specific Web sites, such as a family photo gallery, that KidZui users couldn’t otherwise see. KidZui is more than just a safe browsing environment, though. It combines that most essential of computer tools with social networking features. Children can rate sites, videos, and images, and share those ratings with their KidZui friends. Parents get the peace of mind that comes from weekly browsing and logging updates, and can further block approved KidZui sites if they deem them inappropriate.

It’s not a program for everybody, obviously. What it does do, though, is create a uniquely safe way to teach children about surfing the Web and the power of exploring information without worrying about sketchy shenanigans.

Songbird: Songbird was in beta development for more than a year, and finally reached a stable release just after Thanksgiving. Originally designed as a balanced mash-up between Firefox and iTunes, it’s instead used Mozilla’s Gecko engine to drive music content. You can still browse the Web with it, but it’s no accident that Songbird opens up to your music library.

It's a browser! No, it's a jukebox! No, it's…

(Credit: Songbird)

Also taking a page from its Firefox roots, Songbird lets users create add-ons with ease. These aren’t limited to skins–”Feathers” in the Songbird argot. Songbird’s add-ons include a Cover Flow-styled album art browser, lyric windows, and Last.fm and mashTape support. As much as people love their MP3s, it’s amazing to me that it’s taken this long for a serious and slick cross-platform jukebox competitor to get onstage. And as much as I love MediaMonkey, it’s starting to look like there might be a software-based “Battle of the Bands” on the horizon.

Secunia Personal Software Inspector: Secunia PSI seeks to address an often-overlooked software security issue: the out-of-date program. It makes sure that your applications are up-to-date, which is great not only for ensuring you’ve got the latest features, but it also takes care of any bug-fixes that might patch previously-unknown exploits. What’s important about Secunia is that while it will notify you of updates, it only provides direct links. It won’t automatically upgrade your software unless you tell it to.

Secunia PSI keeps track of program updates.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Based on the Web-based Secunia Software Inspector from 2006, and in development since late 2007, Secunia PSI should appeal to both casual computer users and those who think they know what they’re doing. If you’re the former, the Simple layout provides basic information about the installed program statuses, with a chart to gauge their security over time and a simplified listing of any errors. Clicking on an error leads you through the proprietary Easy-to-Patch program update process, which automatically excludes more challenging updates.

If you’re a power user, Secunia’s Advanced layout tab exposes more details and more updates. It also checks your Microsoft XML, your Adobe Flash player installation, and others programs, looking for mission-critical holes and their respective updates. Scanning wasn’t like trying to use a 56k modem to stream video, but for a program that runs in the background, I expected it to be a bit faster. It didn’t slow down my computer’s overall performance, though, and the update process went smoothly. All that makes this a highly-recommended freeware.

Smart Defrag: Smart Defrag is another excellent program that left its beta training wheels behind in 2008. Yeah, there are a lot of defraggers out there. Some are free, some are trialware. Smart Defrag stands out for two reasons.

Speed demon Smart Defrag is much faster than you'd expect.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

It has the quick analysis and scan times that are practically required to be competitive in the field. Alongside those, it boasts an automated defragger that continually defrags the files that you use the most, and does it without becoming a persistent drag on your system resources. The program eats up a small amount of RAM when running in the background, so it’s possible to run it smoothly on older machines. Throw in a scheduler you can set up to defrag whenever you want and some customization features like running a defrag when you boot up or shutdown Windows, and Smart Defrag makes a great tool for users of all experience levels.

Digsby: Digsby got off to a bit of a rocky start, a bit like the kid in school who you think would be a lot cooler if it just stopped trying so hard. The problem was that Digsby wasn’t particularly stable, was pigging out on every user’s RAM, and was offering something fairly unique at the time: a multiprotocol chat client that also pulled in Web mail, and access to MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook accounts.

Digsby offers multiprotocol chat, social networking, e-mailing, and more skins than you can shake a stick at.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

About six month later, in late September, Digsby released a massive update that fixed most of the RAM-hogging issues. Firing up the program is still a bit wonky for me, but there’s no doubt that once it’s going it works better than it has before. Digsby should easily be the instant messaging freeware of choice for the super social set. It supports the major IM networks of Yahoo, MSN, AIM, ICQ, Google Talk, and Jabber.

Updating Twitter is a breeze from the application’s main interface, though users wishing to do anything more than read Facebook and MySpace news feeds will be redirected to their online accounts.

Users can initiate text, video, and audio chat from the conversation window, and transfer files, send SMS, and compose short e-mails. POP and IMAP accounts are supported alongside Web mail. The notification pop-ups for every activity can get distracting, though a deep preference options control nearly every aspect of the display, including a wide variety of skins and those pesky pop-ups. Although many people had written off the application as too cumbersome in the past, the current build is well-worth downloading and exploring.

Got a favorite brand-new program that you think we overlooked? Tell us about it in the comments.

Source: www.download.com

Create a professional resume

Recent developments in the global economy have sent shockwaves through industries and companies around the world. Whether or not the economic downturn has hurt your employer or your job, it’s a good time to take a look at your professional resume and update it or polish it as necessary. These six applications offer resume templates, styling advice, and helpful guidelines to help you develop a resume that impresses your next interviewer.

ResumeMaker Professional Ultimate

ResumeMaker Professional Ultimate

This jam-packed resume software is loaded with thousands of samples and templates from a wide range of industries. It also allows users to browse or search millions of available career opportunities. View sample cover letters and create and manage your own quickly and easily. A Virtual Interview feature puts you through the paces before the actual big event.

JobTabs Job Search and Resume

JobTabs Job Search and Resume

A nice, compact interface lets you create, edit, and manage your resume, while also searching job listings and creating job-search agents. More of job-search assistant than a resume builder, JobTabs uses a tree-style navigation with Search Agents for various industries and online career resources. Advanced search features let you narrow down your searches, while other tabs provide resume guidance and industry information about necessary training.

EasyJob Resume Builder

EasyJob Resume Builder

More than 25,000 resume and cover-letter templates provide a wide range of styles and formats for nearly any sort of job application. A clean navigation lets you manage your career history and goals and your resumes quickly and easily. A “Get Started” wizard may help reluctant job searchers to get the process rolling, and the career resources section includes an resume knowledgebase for reference.

CVitae

CVitae

The software name has strong educational connotations, but the program works for many industries and lets users capture job offers directly through the application. A form-based approach lets users enter all of their work history, personal information, experience, and skills, transforming all of your data into a polished one-page paper. Keyword shortcuts make composing cover letters a breeze.

Kinetic Resume

Kinetic Resume

For users who learn visually, this shareware app uses a multimedia approach to creating and editing your resume. Start out by simply copying and pasting your career information and personal data, decide what sort of jobs you are interested in pursuing, and before you know it, you’ve got a formatted Word document that should work for many professional job applications.

Resumizer

Resumizer

This online tool lacks some of the fancy features of its downloadable counterparts, but for speed and ease of use, it’s hard to beat. Pick from several templates, enter your contact info, experience, qualifications, and skills, and you can quickly print or save a digital copy of a simple, stylish resume. The site is supported by the now ubiquitous Ads by Google and an occasional pop-behind, but there’s no upsell, and the site also lets you create six different styles of cover letters.

Source: www.download.com

Tags: , , , ,

New Years downloads (DownloadExaminer.com)

New Years downloads

Goodbye, 2008 and hello, 2009!

A new year means new calendars, new personal resolutions, and an end-of-year celebration to ring it in. Our collection of applications for your PC has bartending and DJ downloads for all that party planning, a calendar to keep you up to date, desktop sticky notes to remind yourself of those all-important resolutions, and screensavers to get you into the spirit of the season.

Fireworks Screensaver

Fireworks Screensaver

This classic fireworks screensaver lets you get interactive with the spectacular display you shoot onto your desktop. Have fun choosing the number of rockets for a grand finale that sends 2008 off in style.

3D New Year’s Countdown

3D New Year's Countdown

How much longer until the New Year? You’ll always know with this screensaver that counts down the days, hours, and minutes until the ball drops and the streamers pop. A few controls on the Settings menu let you tweak the tint and the types of goodies that fall from the sky.

3D Fireworks Extravaganza demo

3D Fireworks Extravaganza demo

If nothing but the most realistic fireworks will do to ring in 2009, this could be the screensaver for you. The colorful blasts look right, and we are sure they are even better in the full version. Like many of its screensaver cousins, the trial download unfortunately obscures the view with a nag screen.

3D Fireworks by the Bay

3D Fireworks by the Bay

New York and London aren’t the only places to celebrate the turning of the years! This jubilant screensaver shoots off rockets from San Francisco Bay that explode over the city’s unique nighttime skyline. A deep blue sky punctuated by points of red light complete the mood.

Professional Bartender 2010

Professional Bartender 2010

This desktop bartending application may look a little retro, but it’s got the goods. Browse cocktail recipes, or search by name, alcohol, ingredients, glass type, or even by season. You’ll be able to add, modify, and delete drinks, print recipes, and flag your favorite elixirs.

Mobile mixologists will also have their applications. iPhone and iPod Touch barkeeps should make a beeline to Drinks or Party Pro, while those with Java phones can turn to Drinkipedia. Even Google Android has its own bartending application, called simply, Bartender.

Media Monkey

Media Monkey

If the New Years Eve party is at your place this year, you have to have a playlist plan; music makes the party. Look no further than Media Monkey, a solid freeware music application whose full features include a customizable interface and device-syncing support that doesn’t devour resources. We’re talking about top-notch library-management tools, skins, plug-ins, autotagging, track encoding, podcast catching, and more. It even includes a dedicated party mode to lock down your library while allowing song requests through.

Virtual DJ

Virtual DJ

Serious DJs who add scratch and mix effects to their 2009 countdowns will want professional software such as Virtual DJ. With beat-matching, looping, sampling, and cues, it brings the business to the party and vinyl sounds to a compact, wholly digital setup. Now all you need are the strobe lights.

Excel Calendar Template

Excel Calendar Template

Here’s a great way to save some cash this holiday season–make your own 2009 calendar as a gift or for yourself. Choose the year 2009 from the ZIP file, and a calendar template opens in Microsoft Excel. One spreadsheet is accessible for each month of the year, and is already peppered with major U.S. holidays. Since the calendar is based on Excel, you’ll be able to easily add and delete text and import clip art and photos. It loads instantly, and is good until 2012.

Post-it Digital Notes

Post-it Digital Notes

Everyone needs extra help keeping New Year resolutions, especially the tricky ones that involve rigorously tended willpower. The iconic Post-it brand and its updated look can help. You can do a lot with this digital version of the classic sticky note–including setting alarms, making lists, and adding photos.

Source: www.download.com

Tags: , , , ,

Windows 7 Beta Build 7000 Screenshots Gallery (DownloadExaminer.com)

Windows 7 Beta Build 7000 Screenshots Gallery
It’s no doubt that 2009 will be Windows 7’s year. Even with Internet Explorer 8, Windows Vista Service Pack 2, Windows Azure, Windows Server 2008 R2, Office 14 and additional software products from … It’s no doubt that 2009 will be Windows 7’s year. Even with Internet Explorer 8, Windows Vista Service Pack 2, Windows Azure, Windows Server 2008 R2, Office 14 and additional software products from … (read more)
Source: news.softpedia.com

Tags: , , , ,

The best new Windows programs of 2008 (DownloadExaminer.com)

The best new Windows programs of 2008

There were a lot of high-profile updates in 2008, and the line between traditional software downloads and Web applications blurred significantly. The browser especially has become, for some people, the only program they need.

There were several stand out new applications, though, and here are six of what I think are the best ones. They range from traditional Web browsers and browser hybrids to communication tools and utilities that should help you work faster and help maintain your system.

Google Chrome : The one application that probably going to be on everybody’s Nice list this year, Google Chrome unexpectedly redefined the highly competitive browser market. While the summer months saw major updates to Firefox and Opera, Google showed in September that Steve Jobs isn’t the only guy who knows how to make a big “boom.”

Google Chrome has thrown the browser wars on its ear.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Google Chrome is notable on several fronts, even if browser traditionalists dislike the lack the extensibility. The capability to rip off tabs from the main window and drag them to your desktop to save as discrete Web applications goes a long way to blurring that between Web applications and traditional software. There’s also the fact that Chrome is arguably the fastest browser on the market. If it’s not, it’s certainly tied with the second Firefox 3.1 beta.

Chrome’s speed at starting up, at loading Web pages, and at returning URI bar search results have helped push the focus of browser development back onto performance. I still use Firefox as my default browser, because what I lose in performance, I gain in add-on tools that I consider essential for work. But if you haven’t yet checked out Chrome, you’re missing out on more than just the Google Kool-Aid.

KidZui: KidZui takes the tried-and-failed child-control methods of Web site blacklists and keylogging and abandons them in favor of something far more sensible: an extensive whitelist. First released back in March, KidZui looks and acts like a browser, but instead a closed system of editor-approved sites.

KidZui is the kids browser that's both a bit more and a bit less.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

These editors, made up of parents, teachers, and former teachers have compiled database of 800,000 Web sites the last time I saw KidZui’s stats. At-home parents can approve specific Web sites, such as a family photo gallery, that KidZui users couldn’t otherwise see. KidZui is more than just a safe browsing environment, though. It combines that most essential of computer tools with social networking features. Children can rate sites, videos, and images, and share those ratings with their KidZui friends. Parents get the peace of mind that comes from weekly browsing and logging updates, and can further block approved KidZui sites if they deem them inappropriate.

It’s not a program for everybody, obviously. What it does do, though, is create a uniquely safe way to teach children about surfing the Web and the power of exploring information without worrying about sketchy shenanigans.

Songbird: Songbird was in beta development for more than a year, and finally reached a stable release just after Thanksgiving. Originally designed as a balanced mash-up between Firefox and iTunes, it’s instead used Mozilla’s Gecko engine to drive music content. You can still browse the Web with it, but it’s no accident that Songbird opens up to your music library.

It's a browser! No, it's a jukebox! No, it's…

(Credit: Songbird)

Also taking a page from its Firefox roots, Songbird lets users create add-ons with ease. These aren’t limited to skins–”Feathers” in the Songbird argot. Songbird’s add-ons include a Cover Flow-styled album art browser, lyric windows, and Last.fm and mashTape support. As much as people love their MP3s, it’s amazing to me that it’s taken this long for a serious and slick cross-platform jukebox competitor to get onstage. And as much as I love MediaMonkey, it’s starting to look like there might be a software-based “Battle of the Bands” on the horizon.

Secunia Personal Software Inspector: Secunia PSI seeks to address an often-overlooked software security issue: the out-of-date program. It makes sure that your applications are up-to-date, which is great not only for ensuring you’ve got the latest features, but it also takes care of any bug-fixes that might patch previously-unknown exploits. What’s important about Secunia is that while it will notify you of updates, it only provides direct links. It won’t automatically upgrade your software unless you tell it to.

Secunia PSI keeps track of program updates.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Based on the Web-based Secunia Software Inspector from 2006, and in development since late 2007, Secunia PSI should appeal to both casual computer users and those who think they know what they’re doing. If you’re the former, the Simple layout provides basic information about the installed program statuses, with a chart to gauge their security over time and a simplified listing of any errors. Clicking on an error leads you through the proprietary Easy-to-Patch program update process, which automatically excludes more challenging updates.

If you’re a power user, Secunia’s Advanced layout tab exposes more details and more updates. It also checks your Microsoft XML, your Adobe Flash player installation, and others programs, looking for mission-critical holes and their respective updates. Scanning wasn’t like trying to use a 56k modem to stream video, but for a program that runs in the background, I expected it to be a bit faster. It didn’t slow down my computer’s overall performance, though, and the update process went smoothly. All that makes this a highly-recommended freeware.

Smart Defrag: Smart Defrag is another excellent program that left its beta training wheels behind in 2008. Yeah, there are a lot of defraggers out there. Some are free, some are trialware. Smart Defrag stands out for two reasons.

Speed demon Smart Defrag is much faster than you'd expect.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

It has the quick analysis and scan times that are practically required to be competitive in the field. Alongside those, it boasts an automated defragger that continually defrags the files that you use the most, and does it without becoming a persistent drag on your system resources. The program eats up a small amount of RAM when running in the background, so it’s possible to run it smoothly on older machines. Throw in a scheduler you can set up to defrag whenever you want and some customization features like running a defrag when you boot up or shutdown Windows, and Smart Defrag makes a great tool for users of all experience levels.

Digsby: Digsby got off to a bit of a rocky start, a bit like the kid in school who you think would be a lot cooler if it just stopped trying so hard. The problem was that Digsby wasn’t particularly stable, was pigging out on every user’s RAM, and was offering something fairly unique at the time: a multiprotocol chat client that also pulled in Web mail, and access to MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook accounts.

Digsby offers multiprotocol chat, social networking, e-mailing, and more skins than you can shake a stick at.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

About six month later, in late September, Digsby released a massive update that fixed most of the RAM-hogging issues. Firing up the program is still a bit wonky for me, but there’s no doubt that once it’s going it works better than it has before. Digsby should easily be the instant messaging freeware of choice for the super social set. It supports the major IM networks of Yahoo, MSN, AIM, ICQ, Google Talk, and Jabber.

Updating Twitter is a breeze from the application’s main interface, though users wishing to do anything more than read Facebook and MySpace news feeds will be redirected to their online accounts.

Users can initiate text, video, and audio chat from the conversation window, and transfer files, send SMS, and compose short e-mails. POP and IMAP accounts are supported alongside Web mail. The notification pop-ups for every activity can get distracting, though a deep preference options control nearly every aspect of the display, including a wide variety of skins and those pesky pop-ups. Although many people had written off the application as too cumbersome in the past, the current build is well-worth downloading and exploring.

Got a favorite brand-new program that you think we overlooked? Tell us about it in the comments.

Source: www.download.com

Mac Starter Kit

Mac Starter Kit(Credit: CNET Networks)

Now that your new Mac is set up and you have the Internet hooked up, how about some software? Out of the box, your Mac is loaded with cool apps to get you started on stuff like uploading and organizing your digital images, creating a music library, making your own movies, and surfing the Web. But it doesn’t come with everything.

New Macs come with a ton of goodies already, but there are several cool apps Mac users count on every day that aren’t included in the initial setup. To get you started, we’ve rounded up our must-have downloads for your new Mac. From Web browsers and useful utilities to fun and games, these top Mac downloads are perfect for your new computer and a great way to start exploring the world of Mac software at CNET Download.com.

Get started right here with our Mac Starter Kit.

Source: www.download.com

Tags: , , , ,

Mac Starter Kit (DownloadExaminer.com)

Mac Starter Kit

Mac Starter Kit(Credit: CNET Networks)

Now that your new Mac is set up and you have the Internet hooked up, how about some software? Out of the box, your Mac is loaded with cool apps to get you started on stuff like uploading and organizing your digital images, creating a music library, making your own movies, and surfing the Web. But it doesn’t come with everything.

New Macs come with a ton of goodies already, but there are several cool apps Mac users count on every day that aren’t included in the initial setup. To get you started, we’ve rounded up our must-have downloads for your new Mac. From Web browsers and useful utilities to fun and games, these top Mac downloads are perfect for your new computer and a great way to start exploring the world of Mac software at CNET Download.com.

Get started right here with our Mac Starter Kit.

Source: www.download.com

Tags: , , , ,

Mac Starter Kit (DownloadExaminer.com)

Mac Starter Kit

Mac Starter Kit(Credit: CNET Networks)

Now that your new Mac is set up and you have the Internet hooked up, how about some software? Out of the box, your Mac is loaded with cool apps to get you started on stuff like uploading and organizing your digital images, creating a music library, making your own movies, and surfing the Web. But it doesn’t come with everything.

New Macs come with a ton of goodies already, but there are several cool apps Mac users count on every day that aren’t included in the initial setup. To get you started, we’ve rounded up our must-have downloads for your new Mac. From Web browsers and useful utilities to fun and games, these top Mac downloads are perfect for your new computer and a great way to start exploring the world of Mac software at CNET Download.com.

Get started right here with our Mac Starter Kit.

Source: www.download.com

Tags: , , , ,

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