TypingMaster Typing Test 6.3

If you're looking to boost your typing speed and accuracy, TypingMaster Typing Test can provide the repetitive practice you need. Just don't expect this freeware program to give you any coaching. In a typical session, you might start with the rudimentary (and rather dull) warm-up games and move on from there to the full-blown typing tests. TypingMaster offers only one kind of testing method--retyping a set text--though you can break up the monotony by supplying your own TXT files. The program can store results for several users and track their progress over several tests. At the end of each test, the program gives a brief performance evaluation, though we wish it also gave custom-tailored advice based on our typing patterns. Unfortunately, that feature is restricted to the for-pay version. In sum, TypingMaster Typing Test offers nothing to distinguish it from countless similar titles, and earns only a lukewarm recommendation from us.

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WordWeb 5.52

WordWeb is a handy utility that gives you the definition, synonyms, and antonyms of any given word without requiring you to go online, though it can connect to the Internet for expanded functionality should you want it.
The interface feels like an expanded version of any major word processing app's dictionary function, giving users an instant familiarity--even if they've never used WordWeb. After you type a term into the Lookup dialog box, the word's definition will appear in the interface's top pane, along with tabs that link to various wiki functions.
The bottom pane offers tabs for such items as synonyms, antonyms, and related words. The app's most notable feature is its hot key support; you simply use a hot key combo when the cursor is pointed over any word, and WordWeb will pop up onscreen with all pertinent information.
There are tools for changing the database to one of several English variations, altering the text size, and disabling WordWeb from recognizing offensive terms. The depth and functionality of WordWeb would be worth paying for, but thankfully you don't have to redefine your budget to get it--it's free.

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Virtual DJ 6.0.1

With effects, samples, and transitions that rival vinyl turntablisms, Virtual DJ lets anyone produce polished MP3 mixes.
At the top of the graphically-intense interface, song-structure visualizations show the beats as the music plays. Two simulated turntables play the currently- loaded tracks. Windows below the turntables show samples, effects, music search, recording, program options, and an Explorer-style interface for loading music. You'll need to download an MP3 encoder if you don't want to record files in WAV format.
Virtual DJ not only can create audio collages, but it now also can make montages of video clips. The stylish interface and high number of features score points, but learning how to use the program is a hit-or-miss proposition. Fortunately, the program offers a thorough user guide. Virtual DJ is well worth a look both for aspiring mixers and newbies.

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PowerISO 4.5

This muscular disc-imaging utility is not kidding around (though we thought the demo might be). PowerISO lets you mount virtual drives, create bootable discs, and generate CD and floppy images. It supports a huge number of image formats, including standard ISO and IMG files as well as files created by almost all popular disc-burning programs such as Nero, CloneCD, and Alcohol120%.
Our one major caveat is that the trial version doesn't let you create images larger than 300MB (most CDs hold 700MB), making it much harder to fully test the product. On the other hand, the trial period is unlimited, so some users may actually prefer this arrangement. Trial restrictions aside, we think

PowerISO makes a good
pick for intermediate to advanced users.

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RealPlayer SP 1.0

It's social. It's portable. It's the new RealPlayer SP. And it's perfect for playing and sharing video with your friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter. You'll also be happy to know it works easily with your favorite flavors of Blackberry, iPod, iPhone and game systems. Now you can download and organize your favorite videos from YouTube and thousands of other sites. Then watch them anytime, anywhere you want.
The new video converter makes it easy to copy online video to your iPod, cell phone, Xbox, PS3 or other favorite device. RealPlayer SP is the easiest way to share your favorite videos--with your favorite people--on your Facebook page or Twitter feed. Take your media experience to the next level with RealPlayer Plus. Its advanced video features let you burn DVDs with a single click.

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CyberLink PowerDVD 9

PowerDVD 9 is simply the best video playback software for enjoying HD and Blu-ray movies. PowerDVD allows you to enjoy and remix movies as well as to store and organize your movie information. Get the widest selection of useful video formats including HD formats like AVCHD, AVCREC, MPEG-4 AVC (H.264), MPEG-2 HD and WMV-HD. Transfer 8 channels of audio via HDMI 1.3 support. Also included is support for the popular Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio formats. With TrueTheater, you have a set of digital tools at your disposal for upping the quality of DVD video playback for HD viewing, all smoothly and with splendid visual results. Flip through box shots of your movie collection titles while viewing highlights from movies with the Fancy View user interface. PowerDVD has all the features and style that will please even the most demanding movie fan.

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Windows Movie Maker (Windows XP) 2.1

Windows Movie Maker 2 is so easy a child could use it--an incredibly patient child born to filmmaker parents who didn't mind restarting this application every few minutes. From the get-go, you get the feeling that this isn't going to be an easy program to like; Microsoft's installer doesn't play nice. It gives the user no input on program location or other options. The plain interface promises simplicity with drag-and-drop storyboard options, though during testing, it was more like drag and freeze. The program typically froze while importing MPG video files. If importing worked, Movie Maker 2 would quit responding when clips were placed on the storyboard. On the rare occasion that our testers made it to the storyboard, the program would freeze when adding one of the numerous effects. There were so many hurdles to creating a short video that no editing seemed preferable to using this software. What's more, uninstalling the program was even more tedious than installing it. It should be no surprise, then, that we can't recommend this freeware for any user.

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RealPlayer SP 12.0.0.297

It's social. It's portable. It's the new RealPlayer SP. And it's perfect for playing and sharing video with your friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter. You'll also be happy to know it works easily with your favorite flavors of Blackberry, iPod, iPhone and game systems. Now you can download and organize your favorite videos from YouTube and thousands of other sites. Then watch them anytime, anywhere you want.
The new video converter makes it easy to copy online video to your iPod, cell phone, Xbox, PS3 or other favorite device. RealPlayer SP is the easiest way to share your favorite videos--with your favorite people--on your Facebook page or Twitter feed. Take your media experience to the next level with RealPlayer Plus. Its advanced video features let you burn DVDs with a single click.

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DivX 7 for Windows 7.2

DivX 7 for Windows is a free software download that provides everything you need to watch digital videos on your computer. In addition to playback of any DivX video, DivX 7 for Windows enables you to watch H.264 (.mkv) files, the new standard for true HD digital video. The DivX 7 for Windows download includes: DivX Player to watch HD videos on your PC; DivX Community Codec and Filters to watch HD videos in your favorite software media player; DivX Web Player to watch DivX videos in your web browser; DivX Converter (15-day trial) to convert to DivX video in one easy step; DivX Pro Codec (15-day trial) to create DivX videos in your favorite video editing applications. Users may purchase DivX Pro 7 for Windows ($19.99 USD) to receive unlimited use of the DivX Converter and DivX Pro Codec. DivX playback is always free.

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FLV Player 2.0.25

Most people don't need anything more than a Web browser and a Macromedia plug-in to watch Flash videos. However, if you want a hair's breadth more control over your viewing, this open-source freeware program will do the trick.
FLV Player's exceedingly simple controls allow you to navigate backward and forward through videos and play them in a loop. You can also adjust the volume, mute it, and adjust the size of the player. The Settings menu provides some basic control over program behavior, such as opening a new player window when double-clicking on an FLV file and remembering previous settings. And that's about it.
Our only major complaint is that the display window doesn't automatically resize to the size of your movie frame. We hope this problem will be remedied in future versions. FLV Player isn't a must-have by any stretch, but it's a decent tool for penny-pinching Flash developers.

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VLC Media Player 1.0.2

VLC Media Player is a long-time open-source favorite, and the latest version is also the first to be out of beta development. It's not the only option for free video playback, but it's one of the best, and the feature updates in version 1 make it well worth the upgrade.
Users can now get frame-by-frame advancement, granular speed controls allowing for on-the-fly slower or faster playback, and live recording of streaming video. The toolbars are fully customizable, so you can have only the buttons you need in the interface, there's AirTunes streaming, and there's better integration in Gtk environments. Along with the improvements, VLC continues to offer robust support for a wide range of video and audio formats, including OGG, MP2, MP3, MP4, DivX, HD codecs like AES3, Raw Dirac, and even support for playing back zipped files. The default interface is still a stripped down player that belies VLC's functionality and features. Skinning can fix that quickly, but behavior can still be a bit unpredictable depending on the quality of the skin. VLC's open-source foundation and community ensures that it evolves quickly and often, with new features and fixes released frequently. Overall, VLC Media Player is a must-have application for its ability to open just about any type of video file you throw at it.

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GOM Media Player 2.1.18.4762

As various media players jockey for position to become your default setting for music and video streams, GOM Media Player's support for a wide range of file formats has helped it stand out as a firm favorite.
Supported formats include DAT, MPEG, DivX, XviD, WMV, ASF, AVI, and MOV, as are common codecs like FLV1, AC3, OGG, MP4, and H263. A pop-out playlist can save and organize your various media files, though the limited sort modes--two--hardly makes it a champ.
More impressive are the customizable settings on the control panel. Here you can adjust a video's image brightness, hue, and saturation. There's no preview window, and changes occur as the video runs, so unless you care for a rousing session of trial and error, be sure to tweak the settings after clicking "play." There's also a built-in screen-capture feature that includes zooming and panning, customizable themes, hot keys, and a host of preset and adjustable audio controls.
GOM is weakest when you're looking for help documentation and trying to tweak Save settings, but overall it's a very strong player worth at least a supporting role in your video-watching habits, if not the lead.

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Free YouTube to MP3 Converter 3.2.2.66

The minor quibbles we have with Free YouTube to MP3 Converter have nothing to do with its functionality. This effective freeware is ready to go right out of the box, but can be easily customized by the user.
No effort has been made to dress up the program's utilitarian interface, which consists of seven large buttons, a few fields, and a drop-down menu. A plain text box advises users to paste URLs in the field, and this is all the onscreen guidance you'll need. Once you see the video title in the field, you click Download and the program goes to work. The process wasn't lightening quick, but considering the size of some of our test files, it wasn't bad. Converted files played without a hitch.
The beauty of this converter lies in its simple set up. By default, converted files are saved into the program's folder in My Documents, and they retain the name of the source video. The files are saved as MP3s, normal quality. These settings are easily changed, though, with quick-access buttons and a drop-down menu. The most work a user might have to do is fill out the fields in the optional Tags fields for artist, title, track, and other information.
Sadly, the program doesn't integrate with your browser, but you can opt to have it automatically pick up URLs from the clipboard, which eliminates one step from the cutting and pasting process. It also installs the Ask.com Toolbar and resets your home page to the Ask.com Web site by default, so if you don't want these extras, you'll have to uncheck some boxes during the installation process. These inconveniences are offset by the fact that this program is not only effective, it also costs nothing to use. We highly recommend Free YouTube to MP3 Converter for any user.

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FreeZ Online TV

While we love the idea of free TV (who doesn't?), it never seems to be quite what we hoped. FreeZ Online TV is no exception. The channel selection is unimpressive and user guidance is nonexistent.
The most confusing things about the program are the links that appear on the initial screen when the program is opened. We mistakenly believed they might provide more guidance for the program but instead directed us to two different sites promising free online TV. Both require additional downloads, and weren't related to FreeZ Online TV.
That said, once we explored those two false leads, the program itself proved fairly easy to operate, although disappointing in its outcomes. A standard viewing screen sits next to a file tree with 16 main categories, including News, Entertainment, and Weather. Within each category are at least a half dozen channel choices, but many are not in English. Simply click one and it begins playing. The typical media controls to stop, start, pause, etc., become visible at the bottom of the screen as the content buffers. What you won't find are any guides to the channels, which seem randomly selected from various countries around the world. All you get are the call letters (like WSTV) or largely unrecognizable names like NOS Journaal. We also found that many of the listed channels didn't play at all. There are no user settings, so you can't delete or add your own channels, and no Help file or other user guidance is available.
During installation, a box is pre-checked that will add the FreeZ Online TV Toolbar, so be sure to uncheck this if you don't want this little extra. Or, better yet, skip the download altogether and avoid not only the toolbar but this unimpressive program as well.

  
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