Month: August 2007

Languages are fascinating – at least for me. But they’re also expensive to learn: lessons, textbooks, a month or two abroad to improve your fluency… All of it costs an arm and a leg, so why not trying to do something on your own and save some money?

There are plenty of software applications and online resources to help you take your first steps in whichever language you choose. Here at Softonic you’ll find tools like Amigos Spanish, Easy French Dialogs, Prosonsoft Deutsche Sprache, InstantSpeak Chinese and Kana No Quiz to learn Spanish, French, German Chinese and Japanese respectively. You can even learn Morse if you want!

Other software applications work as real-time translators, enabling you to convert words, text fragments or just about anything you find on the web between different languages.

But that’s not all. A quick look at Google shows many interesting resources like the BBC Languages, great dictionaries like WordReference and many online courses to learn Spanish, French, German and many other languages. Also, don’t forget that iTunes offers many free language podcasts – as we already explained here – which, once saved in your iPod, can be the perfect way to improve language skills on the move.

The little bar at the bottom of Firefox can soon become filled-up if you’re always installing extensions. You may eventually find yourself floundering in status bars for everything from downloaders to security warnings. Organize Status Bar (OSB) enables you to organize your status bar icons and keep your browser organised the way you want it. You can rearrange or hide any item – icon or text – in the status bar.

Once the extension is installed, to arrange the status bar items, simply click ‘Tools->Addons/Extensions’ and click the Organize Status Bar entry. Note that you’ll have to reinstall and restart your browser after installation. Once selected, you can easily move elements in your status bar including program icons and even the progress bar that shows how quickly or slowly your pages are loading plus any security symbols that appear.

Simply select the name of the icon and move them up and down with the ‘up’ and ‘down’ boxes on the right. You’ll find this an excellent tool if you’ve got a lot of extensions although if you’ve got 10 or less, you probably won’t find much need for it.

Save precious disk space by using Wise Disk Cleaner! This simple tool analyzes your system in search of temporary files of all kinds and also system files, Windows updates and duplicate archives, Then it displays a list where you can check the files you want to delete and recover loads of free megabytes. What’s more, you can define your own filters to decide which folders and files should be swept away.

OK, OK, I give in. Not content with making me pay a fortune for cigarettes which I can only smoke outside and only if I promise to put the remains in the bin, the British Government has now decided to introduce picture warnings on tobacco packets. So, before I have to look at pictures of messed-up lungs and dirty hearts, I’ve decided to quit smoking. Maybe.

In order to help make my tortuous mission easier I’ve chosen to enlist the help of some software programs because I’m fed up trying patches and strange potions and my willpower isn’t what it used to be. To start with, I installed the No Smoking Screensaver on my desktop to set out my intent to be fume-free to anyone around me. I then used AntiSmoke to help me track the number of cigarettes I smoke in a day and the amount of money I’m saving by cutting down, which seems to help.

The Quit Counter is another neat utility which helps you keep track of your smoking stats and sends you nice messages of congratulations when you reach certain milestones. I even tried out Smoke Attack, a game devised by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health to warn of the dangers of puffing cancer sticks. Fighting off evil smoke balls with an oxygen gun certainly helps take your mind off the fact you’re not smoking.

When things get too tough, I’m using Subliminal Messages for Self-Hypnosis to trick my brain into thinking that giving up smoking is a good idea. Hang on, it is a good idea. Woah, this must really be working.

OK so here’s a piece of software that is either genius, dangerous or incredibly naive, I’m still making up my mind. The premise is brilliant. When your mobile gets stolen there’s not usually much you can do. Obviously a thief isn’t going to answer your call for a chat so it’s pretty futile phoning your number. Wouldn’t it be nice to know where your mobile had gone? Well PhoneBAK will tell you.

In May we reported that software company (or adware company according to some) Zango had filed a lawsuit against PC Tools the makers of Spyware Doctor. According to the company, Spyware Doctor removed its software without warning users and was seeking $35 million in compensation for ‘irreparable harm’ through the courts.

The decision to withdraw the suit came as a result of the court’s refusal to issue a temporary restraining order against PC Tools. The judge ruled that it was ‘unlikely that the Plaintiff will be able to prove that the Defendant’s software was unfair or deceptive.’ PC Tools CEO Simon Clausen said of the ruling:

It appears that Zango has realised they were not going to prevail in this matter and the case has been withdrawn on this basis. We believe the case should not have been brought in the first place. The outcome sends a strong message that PC Tools will not be changing their classification of programs as a result of the threat of legal proceedings.

This is excellent news for PC users everywhere as Zango have been embroiled in this kind of controversy before. In 2005, it unsuccessfully tried to bring a similar lawsuit against ZoneLabs, makers of ZoneAlarm Firewall, for labelling Zango products as ‘an elevated threat’. It’s encouraging news that the courts have supported Spyware removal software makers in not being intimidated by legal threats.

Chicago 1930 is a thrilling real time strategy game taking place during the prohibition. You can play as the Mafia, aiming to oust other gangs and take control of the alcohol distributing business or play as the police, hoping to crack down on all the illegal activities of mobs. The game environment is set in gloomy 30s inner city surroundings and the playability closely resembles that of other real time strategy games.

Now that summer holidays are over, it’s time to go back to school. Nick already gave us some software tips to make our academic year less stressful, but I’m going to deal with younger students. Starting school can actually be a real shock for them, especially after having spent a long, fun summer. This is why it’s important that you help your children deal with it, so that they start the new course on the right foot.

Some tips given by experts include getting children back to the sleeping schedule they have when they’re in school, creating a more organized structure for the last days of vacation or taking your kids with you when shopping for school clothes, textbooks and supplies, so that they feel personally involved in the whole process and can take it in a more relaxed way.

But being this a blog about software, we couldn’t help doing some research for kid-oriented applications that can make your children’s return to school easier. You may start with some educational games like Amazing Mosaic, ABC Animals or Blockworks, to improve your kid’s memory and imagination. There are also several activity suites such as ABC Kid Genius, Kidsmouse or Make Me Smart. They offer a wide range of exercises to practice spelling, counting, reading, typing and other skills. Finally, encourage your kids to explain their school experiences in their own blog with the help of Kidzblog and also let them express their creativity with digital coloring books like Tux Paint or Connected Kids Coloring Book.