December, 2006 - Softonic English

Opera takes control in console wars

When it comes to taking on the might of Internet Explorer, the small, but perfectly formed Opera is a mere bit-part player in the battle for browser supremacy, with Firefox now firmly established as the mainly pretender to IE’s crown. Not to be deterred by its tiny share of this market, Opera has pulled off something of a masterstroke when it releases a beta version of its browser for the Nintendo Wii on December 22nd.

The console has received many plaudits for its innovative use of new technology, and in particular the motion-detecting joypad. It’s rather fitting then that Nintendo should team up with Opera, which is famed for its innovation (it was after all the first app to give tabbed web browsing and mouse gestures). The two firms have been mere also-rans in recent years, so it’s nice to see them working together to develop the first external web browser for a console.

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Google Toolbar: Google apps a click away

I’ve never been very fond of toolbars and other web browser add-ons, basically because the services they’re supposed to offer don’t make up for the amount of resources and space they use. But this toolbar has the Google trademark on it and that encouraged me to test it. If it’s Google, it can’t be that bad.

No sooner said than done. A two minute installation process and you’re ready to go with your brand-new browser companion. At first sight, Google Toolbar looks similar to other add-ons but a deeper look reveals quite interesting functions. Also, the toolbar allows a high level of customization, so you can really choose which buttons to show and which to hide. This is something you’ll be thankful for, especially if you care about the number of free pixels on your screen.

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The Firefox extensions how-to

New to Firefox? First of all, let us give you the warmest welcome to the best web browser in the world! Now we can go on to explain how to customize your Firefox by adding extensions in just a few easy steps.

First of all, some information: an extension is a small piece of software that can be installed in your web browser to either modify one of its built-in tools or add a completely new function.
Click on the link of the desired extension, usually an XPI file, and a software installation window will open.
Allow the installation and once it’s finished, restart the browser.
If you see a yellow bar on top of the page, don’t worry. It’s just a warning message in case the webpage is trying to install software on your PC without your consent. Just click on the Edit options button and include the current site in the list of allowed web pages.

There’s a huge amount of Firefox extensions available on the Internet. We recommend taking a look at our list and select the ones you like best. Also, if there’s one cool, handy extension you’re using and we don’t have it, do not hesitate to share it with us!

Top 10 Christmas screensavers

Unless you’re hiding in a bush in the desert then you would’ve probably noticed that it’s Christmas. If you’re not quite in the festive spirit then why not deck out your PC with some Christmas trimming to get you in the mood? We’re not talking about draping a bit of tinsel across your monitor or spraying fake snow over your keyboard (not recommended), but installing a seasonal screensaver to bring yuletide merriment to your home or office. We’ve got a sackful of them, and the Christmas number one at the moment is the Winter 3D screensaver, which whisks you away to a winter wonderland.

Here’s our top ten list of Christmas screensavers:

Checking links in Dreamweaver

There’s nothing that puts a visitor to your site off more than a string of broken links, missing graphics or files. To avoid this embarrassment and the consequent exodus from your site, Dreameaver has a neat tool that helps you make sure everything is working properly. Simply go to the ‘Site’ menu in the application and choose ‘Check Links Sitewide’. Adobe’s flagship web editor will then willingly generate a report of all broken links on your site.

To fix a link all you need do is click onto the broken link and browse to the correct file. Be warned though, if you need to view local file references you’ll need to change your Link Checker from ‘Show Broken Links’ to ‘Show External Links’. You can also use the app to find orphan files (i.e. files that aren’t in use) by altering your link report to ‘Show Orphaned Files’. If you’re a HTML puritan and don’t use a WYSIWYG editor then try Web Link Validator, which is more than adept at checking broken external links.

uTorrent: bite size torrent downloads

uTorrent has quickly become a favorite among torrent users worldwide thanks to an innovative interface, minute CPU usage and extensive download details. The program is undoubtedly one of the most reliable torrent clients on the market, thanks to an ultra quick installation process and a minimal use of PC resources. You can have a good number of torrents downloading and still be able to use your PC without suffering any lags.

The interface is simple to use and is divided into the list of torrents and extensive details like peer data, download and upload speeds, file pieces and blocks, or a graph of your current speeds. In an attempt to help you structure all your torrents, the application allows you to set labels to your individual downloads. You can also view the torrents according to whether they are downloading, completed, active or inactive. If you download a good deal of torrents at a time this is a good way of keeping track of the progress of them all. Furthermore, you can easily set up the web interface for uTorrent, which allows you to check your torrents from any PC connected to the internet. All you need is to have one PC taking care of the downloads and set up access to the interface of your uTorrent session.

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X-Plane

Have you ever wanted to take charge of a commercial airliner and fly around the world? Well X-Plane is about as close to the real thing as you’re ever going to get on your PC. Claiming to be the world’s “most comprehensive, powerful simulator” it’s so accurate that the US and Canadian aviation authorities have given it official approval to train pilots towards their commercial licence.

Of course, those guys are not sat behind a PC in their bedroom – their training is done in a $150,000 simulator – but what they see is exactly what you get on your PC. What’s more, you’re not limited to Earth – you can even fly around Mars!

Firstly, be warned. This is one MASSIVE program. Don’t be fooled by the 1.8MB file size in the game description – that’s just the installer. Once you’ve installed that, a very swanky download dialogue opens to download the other 1.3 gigabytes of the game. All those scenarios, vectored graphics and flight controls take up a lot of hardrive space. Depending on your bandwidth, you will be looking at hours, if not days to download the whole thing.

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eMule content database updated

The eMule database has managed to keep updating, even with a number of legal battles raging in the P2P and bittorrent worlds. All the changes have been implemented to make eMule a better user experience, “more secure”, “more functional”, and “user friendly”.

The message center has been improved and will work under a “forum based structure”. I never really chat with other userswhen I’m downloading but I suppose it’s a great way to exchange suggestions and recommend what files to download or avoid.

Following the example of a number of torrent clients, eMule has added 6 RSS feeds and set up syndication tutorials for the big three browsers, IE, Firefox and Opera. The advanced search feature has been upgraded and according to Slyck, should give you more “specific” results. I tend to find what I’m looking for, but hey, if this little improvement can rid search results of irrelevant files it can’t be bad. As Slyck arguably writes, the new “file statistics feature” will greatly improve usability. It basically allows you to see how many people are sharing a particular file “without having to download the file to find out”. That feature and the improved search should guarantee that more quality files are exchanged.

Security enhancements are probably the most important part of this update and we hope it’ll make it even safer to download P2P, although it can’t protect you from the odd dodgy file. Make sure you update your eMule to benefit from all these exciting enhancements.

Mind-mapping: the solution for creative meltdown?

Homer's brain You can be sure that once Bill Gates starts banging on about a new business or technology concept, IT departments everywhere will be clambering aboard the bandwagon. The craze in question this time is ‘mind-mapping,’ a system of planning and structuring ideas through a visual approach. The whole idea is that instead of thinking in a linear fashion when taking notes or brainstorming ideas, you develop a solution in the form of branches radiating from a central core, known as a mind-map.

According to Gates, mind-mapping software can “be used as a digital ‘blank slate’ to help connect and synthesize ideas and data – and ultimately create new knowledge.” It’s quite rare to hear Bill Gates talking about technology that Microsoft does not have a software program for, so you can take it as read that the Redmond giant is close to an acquisition in this area (or is that just us being cynical).
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Let the truth be told on Skype

Next time you try to pull a fast one on your buddy, think twice because Skype is now offering a built-in lie detector for its VOIP service. The KishKish Lie Dectector analyses audio streams over a Skype call in real time, illustrating the stress levels of the other person to determine whether or not they’re telling the truth. The app represents the latest in a long line of smart tools seized on by Skype to add to its premium plug-ins service.

Paul Amery, Director of Skype’s development program said: “This is an excellent application, and the kind of thing we want to see more of. Lie Detector is the latest in a variety of products in our premium add-on programme which greatly enhances the Skype communication experience.”

The developer of the KishKish Lie Detector offers a superb illustration of how the app works by using it to analyzing President Clinton’s infamous denial of his ‘relations’ with Monika Lewinski.