Pidgin (free multi-protocol Instant Messaging client)

Category: Chat

Product's Description:

Pidgin.im : Pidgin is a multi-protocol Instant Messaging client that allows you to use all of your IM accounts at once.

Pidgin is an instant messaging program for Windows, Linux, BSD, and other Unixes. You can talk to your friends using AIM, ICQ, Jabber/XMPP, MSN Messenger, Yahoo!, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, IRC, Novell GroupWise Messenger, QQ, Lotus Sametime, SILC, SIMPLE, MySpaceIM, and Zephyr.

Pidgin can log in to multiple accounts on multiple IM networks simultaneously. This means that you can be chatting with friends on AIM, talking to a friend on Yahoo Messenger, and sitting in an IRC channel all at the same time.

Pidgin supports many features of the various networks, such as file transfer, away messages, and typing notification. It also goes beyond that and provides many unique features. A few popular features are Buddy Pounces, which give the ability to notify you, send a message, play a sound, or run a program when a specific buddy goes away, signs online, or returns from idle; and plugins, consisting of text replacement, a buddy ticker, extended message notification, iconify on away, spell checking, tabbed conversations, and more.

Platform:
Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP

Pidgin is free software. It is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2. This means you are free to use it and to modify it, but if you distribute your modifications you must distribute the modified source code as well.

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GIMP (great free image editor)

Category: Image/Graphic

Product's Description:

Gimp.org : GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring.

It has many capabilities. It can be used as a simple paint program, an expert quality photo retouching program, an online batch processing system, a mass production image renderer, an image format converter, etc.

GIMP is expandable and extensible. It is designed to be augmented with plug-ins and extensions to do just about anything. The advanced scripting interface allows everything from the simplest task to the most complex image manipulation procedures to be easily scripted.

GIMP is written and developed under X11 on UNIX platforms. But basically the same code also runs on MS Windows and Mac OS X.

Product's features:
Painting
• Full suite of painting tools including Brush, Pencil, Airbrush, Clone, etc.
• Sub-pixel sampling for all paint tools for high quality anti-aliasing
• Extremely powerful gradient editor and blend tool
• Supports custom brushes and patterns System
• Tile based memory management so image size is limited only by available disk space
• Virtually unlimited number of images open at one time
Advanced Manipulation
• Full alpha channel support
• Layers and channels
• Multiple Undo/Redo (limited only by diskspace)
• Editable text layers
• Transformation tools including rotate, scale, shear and flip
• Selection tools including rectangle, rounded rectangle, ellipse, free, fuzzy
• Foreground extraction tool
• Advanced path tool doing bezier and polygonal selections.
• Transformable paths, transformable selections.
• Quickmask to paint a selection.
Extensible

• A Procedural Database for calling internal GIMP functions from external programs as in Script-fu

• Advanced scripting capabilities (Scheme, Python, Perl)

• Plug-ins which allow for the easy addition of new file formats and new effect filters

• Over 100 plug-ins already available
Animation
• Load and save animations in a convenient frame-as-layer format
• MNG support
• Frame Navigator (in GAP, the GIMP Animation Package)
• Onion Skin (in GAP, the GIMP Animation Package)
• Bluebox (in GAP, the GIMP Animation Package) File Handling
• File formats supported include bmp, gif, jpeg, mng, pcx, pdf, png, ps, psd, svg, tiff, tga, xpm, and many others
• Load, display, convert, save to many file formats
• SVG path import/export
Supported Platforms :
• GNU/Linux (i386, PPC)
• Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista)
• Mac OS X
• Sun OpenSolaris
• FreeBSD

Platform:
Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista, GTK + Runtime Environment.

To go to GIMP’s tutorial page, click here.

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CutePDF Writer (create pdf file easily)

Category: Office

Product's Description:

CutePDF Writer : Portable Document Format (PDF) is the de facto standard for the secure and reliable distribution and exchange of electronic documents and forms around the world. CutePDF Writer (formerly CutePDF Printer) is the free version of commercial PDF creation software. CutePDF Writer installs itself as a "printer subsystem". This enables virtually any Windows applications (must be able to print) to create professional quality PDF documents - with just a push of a button!

Installation Requirements:
• Supports Microsoft Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista (x32/x64).

• Requires PS2PDF converter such as Ghostscript (recommended).
You can get the free GPL Ghostscript 8.15 here.

How to use : After installation, open the document that you want to convert into .pdf file. Click print button and choose CutePDF Writer as your printer then press print. The document won’t print out but make new pdf file from document that you have choosen.

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K-Lite Codec Pack 4.14 FULL (codec collection)

Category: Multimedia

Product's Description:

K-Lite Codec Pack is a collection of codecs, DirectShow filters and tools. Codecs and DirectShow filters are needed for encoding and decoding (playing) audio and video formats. The K-Lite Codec Pack is designed as a user-friendly solution for playing all your movie files. With the K-Lite Codec Pack you should be able to play all the popular audio and video formats and even some rare formats.

This download is for the Full package and contains all the codecs a normal user would ever need.

The K-Lite Codec Pack has a couple of major advantages compared to other codec packs:
• It it always very up-to-date with the newest (and/or best) versions of the components.
• It is very user-friendly.
• The installation is fully customizable, it is mean that you are able install exactly those components that you really want.
• Uninstallation removes all files and registry entries created by the pack.
• It is extremely easy to make a fully customized unattended installation.
• It has been very well tested, so that the package doesn't contain any conflicting or buggy codecs.
• It tries to avoid potential problems with existing codecs and even fixes some problems. The pack is able to detect broken codecs and filters on your system, and remove them for you.
• It is a very complete package, containing everything you need to play your movies.
• There are different packages. From small to extra-large.
• Suitable for both novice and expert users.

Product's features:
• Player :
- Media Player Classic [version 6.4.9.1 rev. 73]
• FFDShow :
- FFDShow [revision 2067]
- extra plugins
- FFDShow VFW interface
• DirectShow video filters :
- XviD [version 1.2 build 2008-01-10]
- DivX [version 6.8.4]
- On2 VP6 [version 6.4.2.0]
- On2 VP7 [version 7.0.10.0]
- MPEG-1 / MPEG-2 (Cyberlink) [version 8.1.0.1608]
- MPEG-1 / MPEG-2 (DScaler5) [version 0.0.8.0]
- MPEG-1 / MPEG-2 (Gabest) [version 1.0.0.3]
- MPEG-1 / MPEG-2 (MainConcept) [version 1.0.0.78]
- MPEG-1 / MPEG-2 (Ligos) [version 4.0.0.77]
• DirectShow audio decoding filters:
- AC3/DTS/LPCM/MP1/MP2 (AC3Filter) [version 1.51a]
- Vorbis (CoreVorbis) [version 1.1.0.79]
- AAC (CoreAAC) [version 1.2.0.575]
• DirectShow audio parsers:
- MusePack (MONOGRAM) [version 0.9.1.2 | 0.3.1.2]
- WavPack (CoreWavPack) [version 1.1.1]
- FLAC (madFLAC) [version 1.8]
- Monkey's Audio (DCoder) [version 1.0]
- OptimFROG (RadLight) [version 1.0.0.1]
- DC-Bass Source [version 1.1.0.0]
- AC3/DTS Source (AC3File) [version 0.5b]
- AMR (MONOGRAM) [version 0.9.0.1]
• DirectShow source filters:
- AVI splitter (Gabest) [version 1.0.0.9]
- AVI splitter (Haali Media Splitter) [version 1.8.122.18]
- MP4 splitter (Haali Media Splitter) [version 1.8.122.18]
- MP4 splitter (Gabest) [version 1.0.0.4]
- Matroska splitter (Haali Media Splitter) [version 1.8.122.18]
- Matroska splitter (Gabest) [version 1.0.3.0]
- Ogg splitter (Haali Media Splitter) [version 1.8.122.18]
- Ogg splitter (Gabest) [version 1.0.0.1]
- MPEG PS/TS splitter (Gabest) [version 1.0.0.4]
- MPEG PS/TS splitter (Haali Media Splitter) [version 1.8.122.18]
- FLV splitter (Gabest) [version 1.0.0.4]
- CDDA Reader (Gabest) [version 1.0.0.2]
- CDXA Reader (Gabest) [version 1.0.0.2]
• DirectShow subtitle filter:
- DirectVobSub (a.k.a. VSFilter) [version 2.39]
• Other filters:
- Haali Video Renderer [version 1.8.122.18]
• VFW video codecs:
- XviD [version 1.2.0-dev build 2007-07-25]
- DivX Pro [version 6.8.2.6]
- x264 [revision 913]
- On2 VP6 [version 6.4.2.0]
- On2 VP7 [version 7.0.10.0]
- Intel Indeo 4 [version 4.51.16.2]
- Intel Indeo 5 [version 5.2562.15.54]
- Intel I.263 [version 2.55.1.16]
- huffyuv [version 2.1.1 CCE Patch 0.2.5]
- I420 (Helix) [version 1.2]
- YV12 (Helix) [version 1.2]
• ACM audio codecs:
- MP3 (LAME) [version 3.97]
- AC3ACM [version 1.4]
- Vorbis [version 0.0.3.6]
- DivX ;) Audio [version 4.2.0.0]
• Tools:
- Codec Tweak Tool [version 2.2.4]
- GSpot Codec Information Appliance [version 2.70a]
- MediaInfo 0.7.7.4
- VobSubStrip [version 0.11]
- GraphEdit [build 061102]
- Haali Muxer [version 1.8.122.18]
- AVI Fixed [version 2.0b1]
- FourCC Changer
- Bitrate Calculator

Changes from K-Lite Codec Pack 4.1.0 FULL to K-Lite Codec Pack 4.1.4 FULL :

- Updated Media Player Classic to version 6.4.9.1 rev. 73
- Updated ffdshow to revision 2067
- Updated DivX to version 6.8.4
- Fixed a registry access error on Vista
- Minor changes

Platform:
The K-Lite Codec Pack works only on Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista.

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ZipWiz (a free good zipper)

Category: File Compression

Product's Description:
ZipWiz 2005 provides novice users with a fully prompted solution for working with ZIP files.

The Zip Wizard interface leads you step-by-step through the processes of zipping and unzipping files, as well as the processes of creating and extracting files from ZIP archives. IntelliZIP technology eliminates the need for option configuration. The Zip Pro Navigator provides advanced file- and ZIP-management features for power users. Home folders streamline zipping and unzipping operations and provide a well-organized work environment. Finally, Synaptek's exclusive Zip List provides instant access to ZIP files.

Version 5.0 now includes SnapView high-speed previewing and FlashX and FlashHelp technologies that provide a truly animated computing experience, along with slide show capabilities, full shell integration, and browser support.

Why use ZipWiz ?
• Gives you easy access to the Millions of Zip files available.
• IntelliZip makes ZipWiz a full Backup utility.
• Keep data safe with the most widely used archive format in the world.
• Zipping can compress files by as much as 70% to 90%.
• You can combine a group of files into one for ease of transmission.
• Zip files can be split across multiple disks to archive large amounts of data.
• Zip files can be encrypted to provide security while data is in transit.
• This means reduced transmission times and greater reliability.

This is a novice-friendly file compression/decompression utility, but too many bells and whistles may leave advanced users searching for another tool.

ZipWiz 2005 isn't a wallflower. The bright red main control interface is glitzy and includes a mere six control buttons. Everything sparkles with this utility. Menus fly open, and preview buttons light up when you hover over them. Novices will like that ZipWiz holds their hand through every step. There are plenty of tips and hints on almost every screen, but all that information doesn't slow down the utility. Opening most directories quickly lists files, while ZipWiz allows select directories to be added as favorites for faster access. Compression and decompression is quick and accurate, and you can preview some compressed files to make sure they're what you need.

All these features make for a flexible program, but users wanting a basic tool to simply compress select files and place the zip in the same directory won't want to use ZipWiz. It just isn't basic enough for advanced users. Try this freeware if you're new to file compression or like glamorous software interfaces, but keep looking if you want the interface to stay out of your way (cnet editor).

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Rainlendar Lite (free calendar on your desktop)

Category: Calendar

Product's Description:
Rainlendar is a feature rich calendar application that is easy to use and doesn't take much space on your desktop.

All the coming events are shown in a separate list where you can see the week's events at one glance. You can decide how many days in advance you want to see in the list. Different events can have a different appearance in the list so you can easily spot the important events from the others. The icons in the calendar are also available in the event list and other windows to make it easier to separate the events.

You can also have a separate list for your long term tasks. The task list can be arranged several ways so that you can keep it better organized. You can also set a due date for the tasks to make sure you'll remember to do them on time.

You'll also get an alarm when an event or task is due so that you don't miss it. The alarm can be defined to be set off any duration before the actual event so you have time to prepare for it.

It is possible to use Rainlendar with other calendar applications too. Rainlendar uses the standard iCalendar format to store its events and tasks so you can easily transfer them between applications. You can also subscribe to online calendars and see your Outlook appointments directly in Rainlendar*. (Network shared calendars and Outlook support are available only in the Pro version).

Product's features :

Platform independent : Rainlendar can be run on both Windows and Linux. Both platforms use the same file formats so all skins and scripts created for Windows version will work also on Linux and vice versa.

Localized : Rainlendar supports localization so you can have the user interface in your own language. Rainlendar is an Unicode application so different character sets can be used at the same time.

Standards Compatible : Rainlendar uses standard iCalendar format for it events and tasks to maximize the compatibility with other calendar applications. You can easily transfer the events from the calendar you are currently using to Rainlendar.

Look'n'feel : The appearance of the calendar can be changed with skins. The skins can be of any shape and size and they can also contain buttons for additional functionality. It's also possible to combine different skins by using e.g. the calendar from one skin and event and to do list from another. The events can have different appearance depending on their category.

Highly Customizable : It is possible to have multiple months visible at the same time. The months can be laid out the way you want and they can even have different sizes.

Multiple Calendars : You can have any number of calendars show at the same time. Different calendars can show e.g. holidays, tv programs, your personal events or what ever you like.

Import & Export : Events and tasks can be transferred to and from other calendar applications. You can also import the data from the old version of Rainlendar.

To do list : In addition to normal events Rainlendar includes a separate to do list where you can store your ongoing tasks.

Alarms : Get notified in advance before the event is due so that you don't forget any important events. The alarm works with tasks too.

Recurrence : The events and tasks can be made to repeat automatically so you don't have to enter them multiple times. It's also possible to have exceptions in case the event doesn't happen on one particular day.

Scripting : Lua scripting language makes it possible to extend the functionality of Rainlendar.

Backups : Integrated backup and restore functionality makes it easy to make sure your events safe if something bad happens.

Printing : You can print your events and tasks as a separate list or as a month view.

Search : If you have a lot of events and tasks you can find the one you are looking for easily with the substring search in the Manager dialog.

Shared calendars (Pro only) : Subscribe to online calendars to stay up to date with the current events. You can also publish your own calendar online.

Outlook support (Pro only) : See the Microsoft Outlook's appointments in Rainlendar without the need to keep Outlook open all the time.

Google Calendar support (Pro only) : Edit your Google calendar events directly with Rainlendar. It works also when you are not connected.

System requirements :
Windows :
• Windows 2000 or newer.
• 500 MHz or higher processor clock speed recommended
• 10 MB of available hard disk space
• 512 MB of RAM or higher recommended
• A display card capable of showing transparent windows

Linux :
• Ubuntu 7.10 or equivalent Linux distribution (newer versions should work too).
• 500 MHz or higher processor clock speed recommended
• 10 MB of available hard disk space
• 512 MB of RAM or higher recommended
• Packages:
- gtk+ 2.12 or higher
- libc6 2.6 or higher

Install instructions :

Windows :
Just run the installer and follow the instructions.

Linux (Ubuntu) :
- Download the DEB version of Rainlendar2
- Double click on the package
- Click "Install package"
You can start Rainlendar from the Applications->Office menu.

Linux (others) :
See Installing Rainlendar2 on Ubuntu on the How-To Geek or the Installation guide on ArsGeek.
Or untar (tar jxvf Rainlendar-Pro-2.3.tar.bz2) and run (cd rainlendar2; ./rainlendar2)

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Glary Utilities

Category: Privacy Tool

Product's Description:

You can get many utilities in this FREE software.

This powerful application offers extensive utilities to improve your system's performance and protect your privacy. Glary Utilities' well-organized interface allows users to easily choose from several tools. It cleans unwanted junk files and removes invalid and broken shortcuts, freeing up valuable disk space.

Its Registry cleaner allows you to scan, remove, and back up faulty Registry entries. You also can wipe out online and Windows traces, although Internet Explorer is the only browser in which this function is supported. To improve the speed of your computer, Glary Utilities offers tools to manage start-up programs and memory optimization. Privacy-conscious users will certainly appreciate its inclusion of a government-standard file shredder to securely delete data.
Overall, users who are looking for an effective and easy-to-use application to keep their system in tip-top shape should try this one out.

• Optimize, dean and boost the speed of your Windows.
• Protect your privacy and security.
• Block spyware, trojans, adware, etc.
• Fix certain application errors.
• Simple, fast and User friendly interface.
• For only private use.

All Glary Utilities tools can be accessed through an eye-pleasing and totally simplistic interface.

Product's features :
Clean Up & Repair : Disk Cleaner (removes junk data from your disks and recovers disk space), Registry Cleaner (scans and cleans up your registry to improve your system's performance), Shortcuts Fixer (corrects the errors in your start menu & desktop shortcuts), Uninstall Manager (uninstalls programs completely that you don't need any more).
Optimize & Improve : Startup Manager (manages programs which run automatically on startup), Memory Optimizer (monitors and optimizes free memory in the background), Context Menu Manager (manages the context-menu entries for files, folders).
Privacy & Security : Tracks Eraser (erases all the traces, evidences, cookies, internet history and more), File Shredder (erases files permanently so that no one can recover them), File Undelete (quick and effective way to retrieve accidentally deleted files), File Encrypter and Decrypter (protects your files from unauthorized access and use).
Files & Folders : Disk Analysis (shows you the disk space usage of your files and folders), Duplicate Files Finder (searches for space-wasting and error producing duplicate files), Empty Folders Finder (finds and removes empty folders in your windows), File Splitter and Joiner (splits large files into smaller manageable files, and then rejoin them).
System Tools : Process Manager (monitors programs that run on your PC and stop spyware and Trojans), Internet Explorer Assistant (manages Internet Explorer Add-ons and restores hijacked settings), Windows Standard Tools (provides direct access to the useful windows default functions).

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Orbit Downloader can work with Firefox

Category: My News/How To

Now I can make Orbit integrate with Firefox.

Just change preference on Orbit. Restart the browser.

Then enjoy.

Orbit Downloader

Category: Download Manager

Product's Description:

It is a FREE download manager.

Orbit Downloader, leader of download manager revolution, is devoted to new generation web application downloading to make downloads more easier and faster.

It is a free all in one downloader which can download streaming media, social music or video from anywhere include YouTube, Myspace, Imeem and Pandora. It is famous for its super light, great speedfeature riched and YouTube supported.

Never Miss YouTube using Orbit Downloader as YouTube downloader from now on.

Product's features :

• Download social music, social video and streaming media
• Extreme download acceleration
• Super light: micro sized and resource friendly
• Support Rapidshare download
• Support IE, Firefox, Maxthon, Opera
• Support Metalink download
• Support HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, MMS, RTSP and RTMP protocols
• Support Proxy server configuration
• Support download pause and resume
• General downloader management

Orbit Downloader 2.7 release Grab Pro to support video download from sites which user anti-leeching technology like YouTube.

Although designed to integrated with IE, Firefox, Opera and Maxthon, I had great difficulty getting Orbit to work seamlessly with Firefox and Maxthon. But Firefox already have its own downloader, very fast downloader I guess.

Orbit Downloader shines with IE integration.

It is little difficult getting Orbit integrate with Opera, but finally I can do it. Orbit downloader faster than Opera downloader.

Orbit's feature Grab Pro only work with IE I guess.

Try this free software.
Download here.