Software Report
October 13th, 2004
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October 13th, 2004
Download This: Guard Your PC and IM With a Gem
Asst. Editor Laura Blackwell
Many free programs are simple, one-task affairs. A few, though, are so
generously laden with features that they can take the place of several
other programs, even ones you must pay for. This month, we look at a
new version of a popular startup-management / cookie-management /
spyware-detection-and-removal tool and a new (deep breath)
universal-instant-messenger / video-messenger /
Voice-over-Internet-Protocol / file-sharing / photo-sharing
communications suite.
Scotties Make Good Watchdogs
Your computer could use a watchdog like a Scottish Terrier, something
small to brighten up the household and alert you to intruders. Enter
WinPatrol, a popular, free security program that's recently been
updated to version 8.0.
It's a good idea to run WinPatrol immediately after downloading it,
simply to help with housekeeping. WinPatrol's mascot, Scotty the
Windows Watchdog, fetches information about what programs are running
at startup, what useful and not-so-useful helpers are installed in
Internet Explorer, and the like. You can also look at the cookie
blocker's list of objectionable keywords ("commission," "track," and
"porn," for example) and add items or subtract them. Version 8.0
includes a new "Delete File on Reboot" feature that removes stubborn
programs in their brief moment of vulnerability.
Even when the program appears to be napping in the system tray, this
clever pup monitors your system, barking whenever it detects
suspicious behavior. Instead of referring to a long, frequently
updated list of programs, WinPatrol simply looks for anything that
behaves like malware. You can click the Scotty icon in the system tray
to find brief descriptions of the potentially troublesome files;
another click takes you to the Web site for WinPatrol maker BillP
Studios, where you can read the latest information about questionable
files. Not every file that makes Scotty bark is a bad one--some are
downright neighborly, once you've been properly introduced--but he'll
sniff out all the strangers and help you decide who's a friend and
who's a foe.
If the descriptions in the free version aren't quite enough, you might
consider paying the one-time $20 registration fee for WinPatrolPlus.
WinPatrolPlus users get access to more detailed descriptions. And, as
the Scottish side of my family would say, "Dread naught!"
You can check out a screen shot here:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/248891/21421683/755845/0/
And download the program here:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/248891/21421683/755481/0/
What Will They Think of Next?
If you were building your ideal instant messaging client, you'd want
it to cover the IM services you already have. You might add lots of
features, but you'd limit desktop-cluttering windows. Oh, and you
wouldn't want to pay for it. Qnext, a free universal instant messenger
from a company called (you'll never guess) Qnext, just might fit the
bill.
Qnext lets you exchange IMs with contacts on the AIM, ICQ, MSN, and
Yahoo networks as well as Qnext's own peer-to-peer service. Your
friends on other networks don't need to have Qnext. When I tested the
program, many of my contacts were using AIM and ICQ through another
universal instant messenger, Trillian. (Yes, I still like
Trillian--but many of that program's richer features are cordoned off
in the $25 Pro version.)
Trillian Free v0.74H:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/248891/21421683/755846/0/
Trillian Pro 2.01:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/248891/21421683/755847/0/
That said, there are advantages to a purely Qnext conversation. The
number of features accessible through Qnext's main interface window is
its biggest edge over other universal IM clients. Qnext evades the
usual muddle of windows by opening what the company calls "zones." If
you want to share files from work or photos of your new kittens, you
open a zone from Qnext's main interface; this widens the interface
window instead of popping up a separate window. If you want to chat
with Voice over Internet Protocol or the video messenger, you do that
through the main interface, too.
When you use Qnext's P2P services, 512-bit user authentication and
192-bit encryption keep your privacy intact. Each zone can be
configured as public, friends-only, private, or shared with only the
Qnext users you choose. If someone pesters you about the kittens--or
shows you any other unwanted attention--you can remove their access to
a zone or block that person's messages entirely.
In the future, Qnext plans to charge for the photo-sharing service,
Qnext Photo, and for other services not yet announced. For now,
though, it's all free.
You can check out a screen shot here:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/248891/21421683/755848/0/
And download the program here:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/248891/21421683/755849/0/
Have any thoughts on these programs? Want to make us aware of your
favorite software? URLs are welcome, but messages with attached files
will be deleted unread. Write to Laura Blackwell:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Read Laura Blackwell's regularly published "Download This" columns:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/248891/21421683/239109/0/
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Top News From PC World
* Yahoo's Yang Looks Back on 'Amazing Ride'
Cofounder reflects on company's first ten years at Web 2.0 Conference.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/248891/21421683/755831/0/
* First Look: RemoteTV Offers Slick Media Streaming
Belkin's latest product lets you effortlessly share digital content
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* Check out all of today's news...
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Editors' Picks
Free Games: Ruthlessly Claw, Blast, and Shoot Your Opponent
>From the sublime to the absurd, these games are sure to entertain--and
they're free to keep.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/248891/21421683/755796/0/
Chicken-Fight v1.0
Claw and scratch your opponent in this silly chicken fight game.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/248891/21421683/755797/0/
Desert Combat 0.7 Full Install
The full-sized, 620MB Desert Combat installer for Battlefield: 1942.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/248891/21421683/755798/0/
Tribes: Vengeance multiplayer demo
Try out the multiplayer gameplay in this latest addition to the Tribes
family of first-person shooters.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/248891/21421683/755799/0/
World Wind
A highly detailed 3D map of the Earth enhanced with live satellite
imagery.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/248891/21421683/755800/0/
Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 demo
Take a spin at building your own amusement park, rollercoasters and
all.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/248891/21421683/755801/0/
For a full list of this week's Editors' Picks, go to:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/248891/21421683/755796/0/
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* Reviews *
* Top 15 Desktop PCs
Our chart has eight newcomers this month, including speed champs from
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* Top 10 Monochrome Laser Printers
This month's chart presents an all-new lineup of printers, and the
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