Month: December 2007

With just a few days left to end 2007, it’s time to take a look back on the past twelve months and see how software has evolved all along this year, especially for us Windows users. There have been key software releases and improvements for the Windows platform during this year, starting with a new operating system and ending with a new version of Firefox that’s about to be announced.

This is why I’ve decided to follow Cyril’s idea and create a list with the ten most important Windows apps in 2007. Should you think we’ve missed any, feel free to add your own.

• Windows Vista – Whether you love it or hate it, Microsoft’s new operating system clearly stands out as one of the most popular software releases this year.
• Safari for Windows – Though poorly implemented in its first version, the native Mac OS web browser was a total surprise for Windows users.
• Google Earth – The virtual interactive atlas implemented some new cool features in 2007, like astronomic imagery and even a hidden flight simulator.
• Joost – Probably the biggest software hit of 2007, Joost has been extensively covered on our blog and opens up a new era in online visual media streaming.
• Adobe Air – Adobe’s cross-platform runtime to create rich Internet apps for your desktop brings offline and online software development even closer.
• Firefox 3 – The final version hasn’t come out yet, but all those sleeky betas that keep coming out really have us drooling over Firefox’s next release.
• Miro – Previously known as Democracy Player, Miro launched as an alternative way to watch videos online. Only time will say if they’re on the right path.
• Call of Duty 4 – I’d dare say this is the best CoD ever. Truly realistic, gleefully frightening and sometimes devilishly difficult, it guarantees hours of fun.
• uTorrent – After being bought by BitTorrent, uTorrent kept up the good work in 2007. They even launched a mobile version (Mac version coming soon).
• Google Reader – Though not really a Windows app, Reader has included some nice features (embedded search, colored tags and more) to make it even better.

I know I’m cheating a bit here but despite having listed already ten apps, I couldn’t finish this 2007 roundup without including World of Warcraft. After all, this list is based only on personal criteria and WoW still remains my favorite game.

Are you ready for some fast-paced action? Download Exteel and join an online frantic battle between high-tech robots set in a futuristic scenario. This online-only shooter features four game modes (including solo and team combats) as well as all sorts of items to customize your robot and turn it into a truly invincible war machine.

Sandvox makes creating web sites fun and easy for anyone. The colorful and friendly interface is ideally suited for beginners who want to learn how to make websites or simply want to post audio, video or photos in an easy way. You get to choose from more than 40 original designs and can create your site in a snap thanks to drag and drop, live text editing and pagelets.

With 2007 almost over, now is the perfect time to reflect on the year that went through and talk about the software that stood out the most. It’s been a very good year for Mac, and the release of Leopard has really pushed developers to build exciting new versions of their software with sleeker designs and new technological advances. New innovative software have emerged and many older applications have gone through significant face lifts.

To celebrate the moment, I’ve put together a list of the 10 Mac applications that made the most impact this year. This is only my personal opinion though, so don’t hesitate to shout out if you think I’ve missed out a Mac application that deserves to be in the list.

• Coda – Because of its beautiful design and how it manages to integrate all the tools you need to develop web pages.
• Picturesque – This little app is a pleasure to use: drag and drop your image, set your effect, and you’re done!
• Delicious Library – Create beautiful digital shelves of all your CDs, books and DVDs.
• Omnifocus – One of the most hyped about Mac apps of the year, Omnifocus offers the GTD approach to tasks in a nifty interface.
• CSSEdit – Because it looks great, loads sites really quickly and makes editing CSS accessible to anyone.
• Joost – The online TV revolution is here thanks to Joost, which gives you access to hundreds of quality programs from your desktop.
• World of Warcraft – Because WoW is truly a phenomenon. The release of the new Burning Crusade expansion pack back in January was one of the biggest gaming events of the year.
• Flock – The social browser reached 1.0 this year offering up smooth integration to services like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr or YouTube.
• iWork – Mac users can now claim a solid office suite with three great applications: Numbers, Pages and Keynote.
• Pixelmator – An intuitive imaging application with loads of editing tools and layer support, Pixelmator comes in a sleek dark grey multi-windowed interface.

Are you fed up with having to trawl the various Windows Mobile menu systems to access your favourite applications or files? Well get yourself a copy of Pocket Launcher and improve the way you use your Pocket PC. The program brings a little more order to the Today screen, providing you with quick access to often-used applications and files from a series of tabs at the bottom of the screen.

Have you ever thought of storing and organizing all the files on your Mac? You should take a look at Yojimbo, an elaborate mix of Finder and Spotlight. Thanks to advanced search and filtering and a number of ways to organize your items like labels or collections, anyone of your files should only be a few clicks away.

Having a break from work? Try any of the free four games included in the Resco PC Games pack: they’re perfect for some easy fun before going back to your tasks. You can choose between Sudoku, Sokoban, Resco Diamonds or Resco Defender: brain teasers, puzzles and strategy, suitable for all ages.

Personally I love Christmas, but if you’re a bit of a Scrooge and are fed up with being reminded of the festivities at every turn then fear not – I’ve devised a package of software downloads to get you through the season. Before we start, it’s important to make sure you’ve locked all your doors, unplugged the TV, taken the phone off the hook and burnt any greetings cards you may have received. Done that? Now let’s destroy Christmas!

• Volley Balley – Transport yourself back to those hot summer days
• Clive Barker’s Jericho – Celebrate Satanism with this cool horror game
• Deer Drive – Fed up with reindeer? Shoot them to death in this hunting game
• Hawaii Wallpaper – Get away from all the snow and frost
• Money Manager – Work out how much you’ll save by not buying anyone presents
• MorphVOX – Steal Santa’s voice and tell your kids they’re not getting anything this year