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Best Windows 8 apps this week

Publié: décembre 28, 2012, 7:30pm CET par Martin Brinkmann

Ninth in a series. The world did not end last week, so here we are with this weeks installment of our weekly look at the greatest Windows 8 apps that got released or updated this week.

The store recently crossed the 35,000 apps mark worldwide according to MetroStore Scanner, and while you won't find that many apps in your local store -- the US app store has 22,876 currently -- it is remarkable after two months of release; 18,618 of those apps in the US store are free to download and use, while 4,249 are paid apps. That is a ratio of more than four to one, and while some free apps may include advertisement or in-game purchase options, it's still a healthy ratio for the store.

We have only eight apps this week for you because of Christmas.

AppSwitch

If you are switching from Android or iOS to Windows 8, or use an Android or iOS device, you may find AppSwitch useful as it highlights apps available for these devices and their Windows Store equivalent.

The application displays Windows 8 apps on the left and their equivalent app on the right. While designed for the Microsoft operating system, it can also be used if you started with Windows 8 and got your hands on an iPhone, iPad or Android device later on. So, if you want to find out if a particular app is available for another operating system, try this app to do so.

Hertz

The official Hertz car rental application for Windows 8 uses location-based services if you allow it to. You can enter a zip code or city to get a visual listing of Hertz stores near the entered location and use the application to book a car right from the apps' interface.

A list of available cars is displayed after you enter a location, dates you want to rent the car and the car rental type. Here you see available cars listed with names, thumbnails, pricing and extras information, as well as options to pay directly or later to rent it. Various sorting options are available, for instance from lowest price to highest or starting with vans.

KEXP

Seattle's KEXP radio broadcast application enables you to listen to music played on the radio station, check out live audio and video performances, listen to songs of the day and explore artists based on recommendations by the radio station.

You can furthermore tune in to recent shows that aired on the radio or access the streaming archive for a selection of past shows that you may have missed.

Parents Pregnancy & Baby Guide

This may be an unusual pick for an application on a tech website but bare with me. The application walks parents through all weeks of pregnancy starting with week 1 of pregnancy to week 42, and then followed by a weekly baby guide.

It explains core concepts and things parents may want to do. Especially the what to do right now advice can be useful for women who are pregnant the first time as it explains recommended practices, e.g. reducing caffeine intake or quitting smoking.

The app provides you with options to add photos to each week which may be a nice thing to do. It has ads, and further reading will redirect you to the Parents website where articles and offers are displayed to you.

Style Quicktips

A fashion and beauty application for Windows 8 that provides women with the latest fashion, beauty and entertaining tips. The application offers videos and photo series that can be accessed right from within the application.

Related contents are displayed on the right when you open a video or photos series in the application. Note that you won't find lots of textual contents here, photos and videos dominate this app.

ReddHub

Probably the most popular Reddit application for Windows 8 right now. You can sign in with your Reddit account or browse Reddit as a guest instead using the app.

A list of threads is displayed on the left that you can sort and filter. You can for instance display the hottest items of the technology subreddit here, and either the comments or the linked content on the main area on the right.

Logged in users can vote stories up or down, or leave comments on their own. The application makes available all subreddits right in the app.

Daily KXCD

This is not a typo. The application brings the latest XKCD comics to Windows 8. The list of comics are displayed on the left, from newest to oldest. A click on a comic displays it on the right so that you can read it in full.

The arrow icon pointing to the left displays the comic in full screen by removing the sidebar navigation, the arrows pointing to the top and bottom load the next or previous comic instead. Sorry no link yet.

MangaZ

If you are a fan of Manga series such as Naruto, Dragon Ball, Bleach or One Piece, or have children that love to read these special types of comics, you may want to try the MangaZ application for Windows 8.

It gives you access to Manga series that you can download to your system to read them offline. The application keeps track of your reading so that you always know where to start reading again.

A search is provided that helps you find the Manga series you would like to read. Free users can only download episodes one by one, the app displays a "purchase" notification when you try to download series in bulk.
10 must-have apps for your new Android device

Publié: décembre 28, 2012, 5:52pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Yesterday my colleague Wayne Williams posted hist list of must-have iPad apps. Of course I did not want Android fans to be left out, so I sat down and thought about the apps I use most on my Galaxy Nexus. This was a tough decision because there are many. Of course, it is also purely driven by personal opinion and tastes, but many of these types of lists are.

So, if you found a new phone or tablet under your tree on December 25th and you are wondering what you should install then here is a top-10 list of my personal recommendations.

1. Lookout -- free

I covered this already in my post about Android security, so I won't go into great detail here, but I truly believe that it is something every user should install. It is a great app for keeping your device safe from malware. There are also premium features available, but those will cost you $2.99 per month.

2. Angry Birds -- free or ad-free for a price

I know. Everybody already knows about this game. You can't miss it, even in retail stores where the Rovio merchandise abounds. However, it is a great little time-waster and fun for both you and your kids. There is a total of five games -- Angry Birds, Angry Birds Rio, Angry Birds Space and Angry Birds Star Wars. You really can not go wrong with any of them.

3. Camera 360 -- free or $3.99

I have a weakness for camera apps. In fact, I almost feel as if I collect them. With that said, I find myself going back to this one on a regular basis though. Why? Because of the feature set. It shoots great HDR images, but you can also choose from other cool effects, the latest of which is called UFO and was just added in a December 6th update. You can use the free version, but I recommend grabbing the Ultimate version for $3.99.

4. Backgrounds HD Wallpapers -- free

There is no shortage of wallpaper apps and themes for Android, but this one provides "more than 10,000 Wallpapers". You can browse through the available images via a number of categories. Even better, the images are panoramic, so scrolling left and right from the home screen reveals more of each background.

5. Facebook -- free

The social network is the service we all seem to love to hate, but still can not get away from. I do not need to say much about it because chances are you are already using it. This was not a very good app in the past, but recent updates have improved it considerably.

6. Star Chart -- $2.99

Odds are that you at least occasionally look up in the sky at night and wonder what that particularly bright object is or wonder where a specific constellation is. Star Chart solves this masterfully. The app utilizes your phone's GPS, compass and accelerometer to identify your location and calculate what direction and angle you are pointing the device. It then tells you exactly what each thing is and it scrolls as you move the handset aroud.

7. Amazon Appstore for Android -- free

The Google Play store is great, but it is not the only source for apps. Amazon is also great place to find apps and it features a different paid app for free each day. The retail giant also gets occasional exclusives on new apps.

8. Field Trip -- free

Google released this app a few months ago and has been improving it ever since. As you travel around your phone will pop up interesting messages about what is nearby your location. If you are using headset or a bluetooth ear piece it will read the information to you. To find things Google has utilized a number of sources.

"The hyperlocal history experts of Arcadia and Historvius will unveil local lore in places you never expected. Trend-setting publications like TimeOut, Thrillist, Food Network, Zagat, and Eater will point out the best places to eat and drink. Experts at Sunset, Cool Hunting, WeHeart, Inhabitat, and Remodelista will guide you to the latest unique stores and products. Atlas Obscura, Dezeen and Daily Secret help you uncover hidden gems no matter where you are. Songkick and Flavorpill guide you to local music".

9. Silent Sleep -- free

Silent Sleep solves a very basic problem. While many of us turn down the volume of our devices at night, vibration on the nightstand can still wake up light sleepers. This app completely mutes your phone, including vibrations. You can set it to go silent and wake up at your times of choice and by what days of the week you wish for it to be active.

10. Pandora -- free or $4.99 per month

I listen to a lot of podcasts, and for that I use BeyondPod. I can also stream my 80+ GB of music to my device via Google Music. However, even with all of that, I still use Pandora enough to pay the monthly fee to avoid ads and get the the features that come with it. I love it for hearing the genres I like, and being able to switch genres as the mood strikes me. Plus, I discover new music and can bookmark it for future purchase -- although that means the app cost me even more!
How much RAM is your PC usung? MemInfo can answer

Publié: décembre 28, 2012, 4:52pm CET par Mike Williams

If your PC’s performance is currently suffering because of a few memory hogs, then a few minutes spent with Process Explorer,Process Hacker, or even just Task Manager will probably be enough to tell you what’s going on.

Those tools can be a little intimidating, though, so if you’d like something simpler – or would just like to monitor your system’s RAM usage all the time -- then you may prefer Cathargo Software’s free and extremely lightweight MemInfo.

At its simplest, the program will just display the amount of RAM currently being used in a system tray icon. (Right-click this and select Settings > More Settings if you’d prefer to see the percentage.) This sounds very basic, but it’s enough to be useful: you’ll soon learn what RAM usage levels are typical, and will quickly spot when there’s a problem.

Hovering the mouse cursor over the icon will display more information, including the precise amounts of free and available RAM, details on your page file usage, and more.

Right-clicking the MemInfo icon shows you details on your top ten processes by RAM use. Selecting any of these will tell you more, and you can terminate the process, or ask it to free up some RAM, with a click.

Double-clicking the MemInfo icon launches Task Manager, perfect if you need further details on any particular process.

And a Memory Defragmenter tool may help to condense your free RAM into a smaller number of larger blocks. (Most people won’t see the speed increase the authors suggest, or indeed any difference at all, but this may help in a few situations.)

Under normal circumstances you won’t need any of this, as Windows generally manages your memory just fine. And when you do need to drill down into the raw details of precisely what’s happening on your PC then something like Process Hacker will deliver far more data and options.

If simplicity is what you’re after, though, MemInfo provides a quick and easy way to monitor your current RAM usage. It’s highly compatible, running on everything from Windows NT through to 8. And there’s no need to worry about the program’s own memory consumption: we found it needed less than 1MB RAM on our test PC, and sometimes much less, so should run happily in the background just about anywhere.

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox
How much RAM is your PC using? MemInfo can answer

Publié: décembre 28, 2012, 4:52pm CET par Mike Williams

If your PC’s performance is currently suffering because of a few memory hogs, then a few minutes spent with Process Explorer,Process Hacker, or even just Task Manager will probably be enough to tell you what’s going on.

Those tools can be a little intimidating, though, so if you’d like something simpler – or would just like to monitor your system’s RAM usage all the time -- then you may prefer Cathargo Software’s free and extremely lightweight MemInfo.

At its simplest, the program will just display the amount of RAM currently being used in a system tray icon. (Right-click this and select Settings > More Settings if you’d prefer to see the percentage.) This sounds very basic, but it’s enough to be useful: you’ll soon learn what RAM usage levels are typical, and will quickly spot when there’s a problem.

Hovering the mouse cursor over the icon will display more information, including the precise amounts of free and available RAM, details on your page file usage, and more.

Right-clicking the MemInfo icon shows you details on your top ten processes by RAM use. Selecting any of these will tell you more, and you can terminate the process, or ask it to free up some RAM, with a click.

Double-clicking the MemInfo icon launches Task Manager, perfect if you need further details on any particular process.

And a Memory Defragmenter tool may help to condense your free RAM into a smaller number of larger blocks. (Most people won’t see the speed increase the authors suggest, or indeed any difference at all, but this may help in a few situations.)

Under normal circumstances you won’t need any of this, as Windows generally manages your memory just fine. And when you do need to drill down into the raw details of precisely what’s happening on your PC then something like Process Hacker will deliver far more data and options.

If simplicity is what you’re after, though, MemInfo provides a quick and easy way to monitor your current RAM usage. It’s highly compatible, running on everything from Windows NT through to 8. And there’s no need to worry about the program’s own memory consumption: we found it needed less than 1MB RAM on our test PC, and sometimes much less, so should run happily in the background just about anywhere.

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox
[Mihaita] The tech I used most in 2012

Publié: décembre 28, 2012, 4:45pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

If there's one word that best describes my personal tech use for 2012, change is definitely it. For the most part of the year I "cheated" one platform with another, with no particular personal favorite to get me through (almost) 365 days. Each piece of software and hardware is used for a particular scenario, something that I find rather soothing for my personal early adopter endeavors as well as my sanity. I just can't stand tinkering with the same bit of tech for longer periods of time, although there still is a dear old friend in my life...

My colleagues Alan Buckingham and Wayne Williams already wrote about their personal tech choices in 2012, and now it's my turn. Without further ado here is what I used most throughout the year, starting with my trusty dear old friend.

HP 8710p

This professional-grade laptop has been with me ever since the second half of September 2008 -- in tech years "he" must be 70 or so of age. The specs seem rather modest right now, when there are laptops with quad-core processors, 16GB of RAM and even touchscreen displays, but it's working just fine for my personal needs even four years later.

The 8710p has a 17-inch panel with a 1680 by 1050 resolution, which is perfect for viewing two web pages concomitantly, and the CPU is decent enough to allow me run a fully-fledged desktop operating system inside a virtual machine, not counting the common apps such as browsers, media players and so on.

I even purchased some gifts for my old friend on "his" anniversary -- 4GB of RAM and Intel SSD 330 Series in 240GB trim. My laptop doesn't have to go, I care about it.

Windows 8

It's only fair that the software matches the hardware shortly after. Microsoft's latest foray into personal computer operating systems is still a mixed bag of seldom frustration paired with utter efficiency and ease of use most of the time. Yes, I use all three terms because that's what still happens after awhile. Sadly though, that insignificant other part might just be overly significant.

Windows 7

But not too long ago, before Windows 8 RTM'd, I was pretty happy riding the Windows 7 bandwagon. Unlike the former, the latter does not require any sort of patience on my behalf nor do I ever feel the need to change to a different Start menu or obliterate the new user interface. More than often do I think of downgrading (maybe improperly said so) rather than plowing though with the latest and (not) the greatest. New sometimes grows old fast, and old is just right.

Ubuntu

Throughout 2012 I've had my fair share of open-source operating system encounters, the most memorable of which is Ubuntu. I love the thing, but I keep our love affair inside Oracle VirtualBox or VMware Workstation/Player. I just don't want to be caught cheating by Windows 8 and have a blue screen of death my way.

I mainly use Ubuntu to test the waters, maybe (or finally) pull the plug and build Android. Yes, I recently discovered the joy of building the little green robot from the Android Open Source Project. It's a fun hobby of mine, of getting in touch with Ubuntu's open-source cousin and adding some worthwhile customization over the stock flavor. I even purchased an external HDD rack so I can run Ubuntu without a virtual machine. Hush, don't let Windows 8 know.

Google Galaxy Nexus

Galaxy Nexus is one of my favorite purchases of 2012. The Samsung-made smartphone has an excellent build quality, paired with a decent Super AMOLED display and rather awful front and back-facing cameras. Don't get me started on the battery life. Still, the combination of a sleek design, attractive price and immense developer support make up for any flaws I often find just as an excuse to acquire the (almost always out of stock) successor.

Android -- the Jelly Beans

Fact is, I purchased Galaxy Nexus mostly because I could run unadulterated Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The green droid is almost perfect for my personal use -- I love widgets, the simple yet elegant design of the user interface. The customization options are rather impressive as well, there are a ton of apps that add useful functionality from weather info inside the notification panel to lockscreen widgets on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The latest treat in the candy jar is far from perfect, but I've grown to using the quick settings and the new features after a while.

Apple iPhone 3G

But for the most part of 2012 my smartphone of choice was iPhone 3G. Oh, the joy of an old handset when the Samsung Galaxy S III was touting a quad-core processor and a large 4.8-inch display. Needless to say, the 3G may have been my worst tech partner of the year -- enough said.

Apple iPad 2

The apple couldn't fall closer to the tree, especially after ditching the above mentioned device bearing the fruit logo. But fact is the iPad 2 is an excellent tablet especially for what I paid -- the display is quite good, the app selection is impressive with plenty of tablet-optimized offerings available on Apple's App Store and the iPad 2 still sports a dashing appearance paired with excellent build quality. The bitten apple-branded tablet surprised me when I (almost) swore that I would not buy one. I still can't do real work on the iPad, but I don't care as much now.

iOS

My day-to-day iOS experience comes from two, now old, devices -- the iPhone 3G and the iPad 2, but that's where the connection ends. iOS on the iPhone 3G is a rather frustrating experience most of the time because the operating system runs overly slow on slow hardware, and the app limitations shortly kick in.

On the other hand, iOS is a much more enjoyable operating system on iPad 2, that slowly matured up to a point where I can no longer pick major faults. Sure iOS does not feature the same customization option as Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, nor the same cool factor as Windows Phone 8, but I have not once felt the need to jailbreak it to get some useful functionality. It simply works, and I find that refreshing after installing a ton of custom Android distributions.

Google Chrome

Just like my colleagues Alan Buckingham and Wayne Williams, up to a point Chrome was my secondary browser. Today it is my daily driver on Windows 8, Ubuntu and Android; however, while it works great on the first two I can't say the same about Chrome on the green droid. Simply put it is slow and laggy, and I am highly tempted to switch to Dolphin for instance, except I love the syncing functionality just like Wayne Williams does. Of course, Chrome does not come without its caveats -- I don't like the ton of processes nor the lack of live bookmarks a la Firefox.

Mozilla Firefox

For the most part of 2012, I roamed around the Interwebs alongside my first browser crush -- Mozilla Firefox. In some regards Firefox is like Android, with plenty of customization options through a myriad of extensions and themes. However, unlike Android some blokes working at Mozilla placed "foxy" on the wrong track where I no longer find it appealing to have as a cross-platform browser. Just yesterday Firefox crashed on Ubuntu. It took me less than a few minutes to get Chrome up and running.

What else?

In late 2012 I found myself using cloud storage services even more. I now have Box, Dropbox, Google Drive and SkyDrive on each of my daily driver devices. I also slowly gave up on using Microsoft Office to write articles at BetaNews, and decided to embrace WordPress instead. Not great, but less of a headache to have most of the time for editing purposes.

Things I want to get in 2013

Lately my early-adopter habits almost got the best of me, but I decided to postpone any wallet-burning decision for 2013. Next year I plan on purchasing a Windows Phone 8 handset, maybe a Nokia Lumia 920 or HTC Windows Phone 8X. The latter seems like a more logical choice considering it runs for two-thirds of the former's price, but I guess I'll have to wait and see how the Lumia 920 actually is (no local availability at the moment).

Still, in the smartphone department Google Nexus 4 is a desirable handset as long as it's cheap and there are no other Nexus-branded devices on the horizon by the time it shows up locally. I don't wish to give up on Android, but rather upgrade from the Galaxy Nexus to a better device, which is why I'm also eyeing a future Samsung-made smartphone like the Galaxy S IV or HTC's successor to the great looking One X/One X+. Decisions, decisions...

I also plan on replacing my laptop for a new generation model, still professional-grade if possible. I like a rugged design and quality build, a combination which I only find to work best on professional laptops. I'm eyeing an HP EliteBook 8770W at the moment, unless there's an 8780W incoming. Yes, someone actually wants/plans to buy a laptop in 2013.

Basically if I could afford it, I would buy every new gadget under the Sun. Sadly I cannot do that at the moment, so "Things I want to get in 2013" might just be "Things I want to get in 2013, but will not" later on.

Photo Credit: Mihaita Bamburic
[Wayne] The tech I used most in 2012

Publié: décembre 28, 2012, 1:16pm CET par Wayne Williams

To paraphrase Ferris Bueller, "Technology moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it". Smartphones and tablets are being updated, iterated and replaced so quickly these days. Take the iPad. Apple rolled out a new version in March, and then replaced it with a faster model in November. You’re never at the cutting edge for long, so you need to enjoy that moment while you can (not that it really matters if your tech devices are a generation or two behind, of course -- so long as they work and do what you need them to).

My colleague Alan Buckingham wrote the first of the BetaNews team’s personal tech retrospectives yesterday. Now it’s my turn.

Browsers

Not much changed for me, browsers-wise in 2012, really. I’ve been using Firefox as my primary browser since the days when it was Firebird, and I've relied on Chrome as my secondary browser since it launched. I use Safari on iOS, just because it’s there. However, I have found myself using Chrome more and more. I recently added Google’s browser to my iPad, and I expect 2013 will be the year when I finally make Chrome my primary choice, purely for ease -- the ability to sync everything between browsers is a pretty big draw.

Apple devices

I used to own an iPhone. When I switched to the Samsung Galaxy S II (later replacing it with the S III), I wanted to still be able to access all of my favourite iOS apps, so I bought an iPod touch, then an iPad 2, then a newer iPod touch. This year, I replaced my iPad 2 with a 4th gen iPad -- which I love -- and updated all of the compatible devices to iOS 6 -- which I mostly like. There are elements of the new operating system I’m not keen on, Apple Maps being the obvious choice, but the card system in the App Store annoys the hell out of me too.

Windows 8

Like a lot of tech journalists, I made the switch to Microsoft’s new OS full time once it was released, having dipped in and out of the preview releases as and when required. I’m not a fan of Windows 8, but I’ve learned to tolerate it. I still have Windows 7 installed as a dual boot, but I rarely use it now. I do however, have Ex7ForW8 installed on Windows 8, and I use that more than I probably should.

Windows 8 has grown on me, and my short-lived experience with Surface made me like it just that little bit more. I think if I went all-in with a Windows 8 PC, Windows RT/Windows 8 Pro tablet, and Windows Phone 8, I’d enjoy the benefits immensely, but that’s never going to happen.

Ubuntu

I’ve always been an ad hoc Linux user. My job requires me to write about Windows -- the OS and the software I run on it -- so switching to another operating system full time is not a realistic proposition. I do enjoy Ubuntu though, and have it running on an aging laptop that I use, on average, once a week or so. I actually have two laptops -- as well as the Ubuntu one I have a second, slightly newer device running (you’ll like this) Windows Vista! I kept the original OS on it for work reasons, and never got around to upgrading. It will finally be swapped for either Windows 7/8 or Ubuntu in the next few days or so.

Samsung Galaxy S III

Although I like everything about my smartphone, the truth is I don’t use it as a phone all that much. The problem I have with it is I work in a basement office at home, and get a very poor signal. If someone calls me on my mobile, I have to hotfoot it upstairs or risk the call cutting out. Most people who call me know this, so usually contact me via other means -- landline, email, Skype/FaceTime.

Things I want to get in 2013

Although I can say what I want right now, it doesn’t necessary mean that’ll be the tech I get. There will likely be some good launches in the coming year, and I’ll no doubt covet one or more new devices over the tech choices currently available.

I’d definitely like a Kindle Paperwhite. Although I have a Kindle, I’d prefer a model that makes it easier for me to read in the dark. While I can, and do, read on my iPad, I prefer reading on an E Ink screen.

I’d also like a Windows 8 Pro Surface tablet. But I don’t think I’ll get one. Although I’d get a lot of use out it -- possibly even more use than I get out of my iPad -- I don’t think it’ll be enough to justify the cost.

I remain, as ever, tempted to get a MacBook and will likely upgrade my smartphone to a newer model, but haven’t decided if I want to go back to an iPhone, or upgrade to whatever new device Samsung rolls out.

I will, without question, finally be getting a Raspberry Pi.

Stay tuned for more posts from BN writers about what each of us used this past year and let us know in the comments below what tech you liked/disliked and used most throughout 2012.

Photo Credit: Wayne Williams
Keep your system safe with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.70

Publié: décembre 28, 2012, 12:32pm CET par Mike Williams

Malwarebytes Corporation has released Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.70. And while (as usual with this particular program) the upgrade isn’t particularly revolutionary, it does contain some important tweaks and additions.

The new build sees Anti-Malware finally get up-to-date with Windows 8, for instance. Not only does the program now properly identify Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 10 in scan logs, but it can also use the Windows 8 Start Screen to show notifications.

Threat handling changes (in the Pro version) mean that malware detected by the protection module is now automatically quarantined by default. But elsewhere Anti-Malware 1.70 has become more flexible, with its protection prompts now including options to run detected threats temporarily, or add them to the Ignore List so you won’t be hassled about them again.

If you’re more concerned about any practical day-to-day benefits of the new release, the official change log claims it’s now better at detecting new and unknown threats, with a more efficient scanner and enhanced compatibility with other security tools.

The More Tools tab now finally looks like it’s going to live up to its name, with links to Chameleon, Anti-Rootkit and StartupLite, as well as FileAssassin. Although don’t be surprised if these open the relevant Malwarebytes web page in Internet Explorer, rather than your default browser: apparently that’s hard-coded into the build, slightly annoying but a relatively minor issue which should get fixed next time.

And all this is presented via a mildly revamped interface. Don’t worry, everything works more or less the same, there’s just a new icon and subdued blue-black color scheme to give the program a slightly different look.

It’s not the longest of “new feature” lists, then, but Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.70 looks like another solid step forward for this excellent tool, and the release is available now.
Score 200+ free apps with DDownloads

Publié: décembre 28, 2012, 8:28am CET par Mike Williams

Setting up a new PC can be a tedious experience, as you have to spend an age browsing the web, finding and downloading all your usual tools: Flash, Adobe Reader, CCleaner, Paint.NET, Dropbox, whatever you might use. DDownloads aims to simplify the process, though, by providing download links to more than 200 popular free applications, allowing you to perhaps grab everything you need without ever seeing a browser window.

Small and portable, the program launches with a simple home page which points you at a series of application groups. Click “Windows Starter Kit”, for instance, and you’ll see a list of apps which will come in very useful on most new systems: Adobe Reader, Flash, Java, DirectX, the Visual C++ 2010 redistributable package, .NET 4.5 and the Windows Essentials Codec Pack.

And if you want to download Flash, say, all you have to do is choose it in the list, click Direct Download, specify a source file and folder and wait as the installer is downloaded directly from Adobe. (Or, if you need more control over the version or some other detail, clicking “Direct Download from Page” opens the download page in your default browser, where you can choose whatever file you need.)

Your PC is properly set up? DDownloads may still come in useful when you need to find new software of a particular type. If you think you may be infected by a virus, for instance, there’s no need to head off to Google for ideas. Just click “Malware Removal” here and you’ll find links to Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware, Spybot S&D, Threatfire, Spyware Terminator and more, and any of these can be downloaded at a click.

Other categories on offer here include Archive Managers, Browsers, Email Clients, Productivity, Video Tools and many more (29 in total), and we write they provide links to 241 of the best free applications around.

It won’t take long to realize that DDownloads has a few limitations. If you really are equipping a new PC, for instance, then you might want to download everything in the “Windows Starter Kit” in a single operation, but this isn’t possible. First, you have to select and save each application individually. And second, only three of the seven programs have a “Direct Download” option available; for each of the others (and many of the other tools here), you must click “Direct Download from Page”, then find and download whatever file you need.

The organization of the categories also leaves something to be designed. We clicked “PC Maintenance”, for instance, expecting to find CCleaner there, but no -- it’s in “Drive Cleaners”. We similarly went looking for OpenOffice in “Productivity”, but it was actually in “Documents”. And at first we thought the “Image Tools” category would relate to disc images, but no -- it was all about graphics. There is a search tool to assist in locating something specific, but it would still help if the categories were presented more as we’d expect (just having them sorted alphabetically would be useful).

And it’s also worth keeping in mind that DDownloads isn’t a full applications manager, so it won’t, for instance, check to see what software you’ve installed and whether it’s up-to-date. The program has more basic ambitions, being essentially just a front end to a centrally maintained collection of download bookmarks.

As long as you understand these limitations, though, there’s plenty to like here. And if you are setting up a new PC -- or just regularly use other people’s computers and would like a quicker way to find and install popular apps -- then DDownloads could be a great help, by making it easy to download some of the best free tools around.

Photo Credit: Alberto Zornetta/Shutterstock
[Alan] The tech I used most in 2012

Publié: décembre 28, 2012, 7:27am CET par Alan Buckingham

The year has almost passed and that makes it a great time for reflection. Of course, I have thought most about my family -- what we did in 2012 and our plans for 2013. I have thought of household repairs and projects planned for the coming year, goals I would like to attain, but I also considered what technology I used the most and the changes I made.

My colleagues and I plan personal tech retrospectives. I'm first up.

Google Chrome

Unlike some users who have made the switch to a Chromebook as their full-time device of choice, I simply made a smaller switch -- from Firefox to Chrome as my web browser. The transition is easy since you can import every bookmarks. And, thanks to Tab Cloud, I could even bring my tabs along for the ride.

While I still use Tab Cloud, I also love the sync feature that allows me to seamlessly switch between my desktop and laptop computers at any moment.

Android

When I worked in IT I used Windows Mobile. It was clunky and apps were scarce. When the company opened things up a bit I immediately graduated to Android, choosing a Motorola Droid X. This year I upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus -- it is not the newest Google Phone anymore, but I have not stopped loving it. And, unlike Joe Wilcox, I don't buy every new device to hit the market, although I wish I could, but a wife stands in the way of those investments.

Laptop

I am still using my trusty Gateway NV55S02u that I purchased in late 2011. It isn't shiny and new anymore, but nor is it outdated. With 500GB HDD, 4GB of RAM and quad-core AMD processor it is still more than I need. In fact, I am writing this post from the laptop. I do have to admit though that the Samsung $249 Chromebook calls to me.

In fact, for Christmas this year we gave our daughter the cash to buy that Chromebook. We wanted it under the tree, but Google and Samsung could unfortunately not deliver, giving only "out of stock" messages everywhere.

Windows 8

Perhaps the biggest move I made this year was the one from Windows 7 to Windows 8. It was a major change to an OS with a much different user interface.

I elected to use Windows 8 as-is. No adding a Start menu via third-party software. I wanted to see how it worked out-of-the-box as many new users will experience it.

I have to admit that I honestly do not miss that Start menu. In fact I have grown accustomed to the Charms bar and the new ways that the OS provides for access to my apps. While I have reviewed plenty of replacements for that lost feature I have uninstalled each upon review completion. They simply are not needed.

I do however use one third-party app -- QTTabBar, which adds tabs to Windows Explorer.

Google Music

I was an early beta tester and big proponent of Google Music. Thanks to its terms of service that counts songs instead of storage space I was able to upload more than 8 GB of music and still have room to spare. Now I stream that music to my phone while I work. In fact, I can stream it wherever I go and use zero storage space on my device. I do wish the company would improve the interface a bit though. It appears a bit dated for something so new.

Office 2013

Back to Microsoft again. I have to admit that I have fallen in love with Office 2013. The suite is not tremendously different from the 2010 version, but there are enhancements like the new Start screen. The ribbon menu has been tweaked and improved as well. This is one piece of software I am greatly looking forward to when it leaves beta and hits the market in early 2013.

Netgear NeoTV

I have an HTPC running Windows 7 with Media Center set to open on startup. While I love it, I have found myself increasingly using the Netgear set-top box. Both are hooked to our living room TV with audio fed to a Yamaha 5.1 A/V receiver.

The NeoTV interface is not flashy, but it is smooth and easily controlled by the remote. It also plays .ISO files natively, which is my preferred way to rip our DVDs to preserve all information, including menus and extras.

Two Things I want to get in 2013

Two things is not much, but we don't know much of what is coming yet either.

For now, while I love the aforementioned Netgear NeoTV, I plan to pick up my first Google TV after the holidays are over. As of now, I am leaning towards the Vizio Co-Star, but that choice is subject to change.

I also pre-ordered an Ouya box. The new Android game console, which is due to ship in March or April. While I am looking forward to this little box, my son is on the edge of his seat in anticipation.

Stay tuned for more posts from BN writers about what each of us used this past year and let us know what you liked and used most in the comments. In fact, let us know what you disliked as well.

Photo Credit: Alan Buckingham
Seven out of 10 will buy Surface Pro

Publié: décembre 28, 2012, 6:57am CET par Joe Wilcox

Twenty-six days ago I asked "Will you buy Microsoft Surface Pro?" after pricing released and pundits gripe it is too high. They compared to iPad, which I argued then (and still maintain) isn't right: Microsoft smartly prices Surface Pro against MacBook Air and Ultrabooks. But do you agree? Based on responses to the poll, yes.

Quick recap: Microsoft plans to release the second Surface tablet, running Windows 8 Pro, next month. The model available since October 26 runs Windows RT and is priced against iPad. Surface RT starts at $499. Pro is either $899 or $999 for 64GB or 128GB storage, respectively. Users can't install legacy apps on RT but they can on Surface Pro, which Microsoft positions more for business users and anyone needing access to the more traditional Windows desktop. The company also expects Pro buyers to pay up for Office 2013; the Home version ships free on Surface RT.

So what do you think of all this? As I post, 1,699 people responded to the poll, and that's a healthy sample size. The numbers are compelling: 42.85 percent of respondents will buy Surface Pro "as soon as available", and another 16.36 percent within three months. Nearly 71 percent of you plan to buy Surface Pro. Only 18.5 percent say they won't.

Specs: 10.6-inch ClearType HD Display with 1920 by 1080 resolution; Intel Core i5 processor and HD 4000 graphics; 4GB RAM; 64GB or 128GB storage; 720p front- and rear-facing cameras (meaning they're for video more than photos); accelerometer; ambient light sensor; compass; gyroscope; Wi-Fi A/N; Bluetooth 4; USB 3; Windows Pro 8. Dimensions and weight: 10.81 x 6.81 x 0.53 inches and just under 2 pounds.

Surface Pro is unlike other tablets because it runs a traditional desktop OS, unlike, say, Android or iOS devices. Microsoft also sells a keyboard cover that transform the Windows 8 slate into a real portable. It's either a best-of-both-worlds solution or the worst. We'll know which when Microsoft releases the tablet and real users get their hands on it.

A BetaNews reader using the handle Dig The Noise is enthusiastic: "Love the Surface RT -- heck yeah I'm getting a Pro. The Surface Pro will replace my laptop; I'm a developer and need the Intel or AMD chip (don't care which). I may also have to buy a 2nd RT because our current one gets a lot of home use and my wife would like one just for her job -- she needs only Office, mail, Skype, Skydrive, IE, calendar, etc. so the RT would rock for her".

"I am a developer too, but I hate the small screen while coding", Joe Cho comments.

"I can write on the Surface Pro -- while walking, while driving, when I get a brainstorm anywhere, without having to hunt and peck on a teeny screen requiring my eyes and at least 1 hand, or open a keyboard, which for me requires two hands", Helen Starkweather comments. "That is what's going to sell the Surface, whatever the price. The Surface doesn't replace a tablet and a laptop, it replaces a notepad, plus a tablet, plus a laptop".

Troy Gates "will be testing Surface Pro for our project managers. Our project managers are in client/consultant offices nearly everyday or traveling by air to get there. They primarily use MS Office, PDF markup tool and a project management tool. Surface Pro looks to be exactly what they need. Will know a week after it comes out. This comment written from my Surface RT that I was testing for the same purpose, but the lack of full Outlook and our project management tool, it's a no go for our project managers. Too bad because I am getting full day usage with battery to spare".

Microsoft already concedes Surface Pro battery life will be considerably less.

benjitek: "People with money to burn, or deep corporate IT budget pockets, might buy it; the rest of us will take a look when the 3rd generation version of it comes out... ;-)"

"The Surface pro is a great and unique concept", Lina Stein opines. "I certainly prefer the Surface or Surface Pro over an iPad which is not much more than child's play".

A reader going simply by Jim sees a future flop: "The Surface Pro seems like the digital version of the Flying Car! Sounds great but historically they didn't fly well and didn't drive well either. The Surface line isn't really mobile because it lacks a cellular option and in the case of the Surface Pro battery life, and the Surface isn't a workhorse machine because it lacks screen size and a comfortable keyboard".

Do you agree?