November, 2012 - Softonic English

Internet Explorer 10 preview for Windows 7 released. Find out what’s changed.

Internet Explorer 10 has been a Windows 8 exclusive so far, but Windows 7 users can get their hands on the preview today. What’s changed from IE 9? For many Windows 7 users, there will be no apparent change other than the updated interface. Windows 8 users running Internet Explorer 10 will notice the biggest changes as Microsoft designed IE from the ground up to work with touch. Windows 7 users won’t get the simplified touch interface nor will they get handy features like sharing from the Windows Charms Bar.

There are plenty of improvements under the hood of the Internet Explorer 10 preview for Windows 7. Here’s a look at the features that may make you want to upgrade. Continue reading “Internet Explorer 10 preview for Windows 7 released. Find out what’s changed.”

How to delete chat history in Skype

If you want to make sure that your Skype history stays personal, you can erase recent calls and IM lists from the application.

Skype keeps a record of your recent calls and instant messages. This can be useful if you want to pick up on a previous conversation with someone but you might be worried about your Skype activity being seen by someone else.

It’s not always obvious how to clear your chat history in Skype though, and often the feature is well hidden. So, here’s a guide to how to erase call and message logs in Skype for all the major systems:

Continue reading “How to delete chat history in Skype”

Rules of engagement for Black Ops 2

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is launched on 13th November 2012, and while playing the single-player campaign will be most people’s priority, it’s the multiplayer mode that will keep everyone coming back.

Developer Treyarch has released a ‘Security & Enforcement Policy‘. It details the punishments they will give out to players who break the rules, or try to cheat.

Temporary bans will range from 48 hours to two weeks, but there are also possible permanent bans.

Continue reading “Rules of engagement for Black Ops 2”

Angry Birds movie tie-ins we’d like to see

Yet another Angry Birds spinoff has been released today in the form of Angry Birds Star Wars. The new game sees the Angry Birds go head-to-head with some of the characters from George Lucas’ sci-fi masterpiece. However, here at Softonic, we thought we could do better than that so we put our heads together to discuss what kind of Angry Bird film spin-offs we’d like to see in the future. We tried to cover a range of genres and here’s what we came up with.

Continue reading “Angry Birds movie tie-ins we’d like to see”

How to use the hidden emoticons in Yahoo! Messenger

Like most instant messenger apps, you can use emoticons in Yahoo! Messenger. Clicking the smiley face in the messenger window opens up a big selection of emoticons you can use to spice up your conversations.

Did you know there are a range of hidden emoticons not accessible from the emoticons menu? If you know the right combination of keys, you can say anything from ‘Bring it On’ to ‘Shame on You’ or ‘Not Worthy.’

See below the break for a table of the hidden emoticons in Yahoo! Messenger:

Continue reading “How to use the hidden emoticons in Yahoo! Messenger”

Google Chrome 23 released with controversial Do Not Track support

Google released its latest stable version of the Chrome browser, version 23. In this version, Windows users will gain support for GPU-accelerated video decoding for better performance and battery life (up to 25% better). Users will also get the controversial “Do Not Track” feature, which opts users out of targeted advertising.

While Do Not Track is opt-in only, there are many advertising companies that feel Do Not Track will provide a sub-par user experience.

Here’s how to update and turn on Do Not Track. Continue reading “Google Chrome 23 released with controversial Do Not Track support”

How to use photo filters in Facebook 5.1 for iOS

Facebook already released standalone apps messenger and the camera, but Facebook’s latest update to the iOS app adds more than just improved chat or multiple photo sharing. You can now take photos and apply different filters to them before you upload them to your wall.

Even though Facebook purchased Instagram, these filters are different. The update adds a new menu you select to bring up the filters option. It’s simple to use, but the included filters are a lot more difficult to see changes because of the smaller screen.

Here’s how to use photo filters in Facebook 5.1.

Continue reading “How to use photo filters in Facebook 5.1 for iOS”

How to download and combine multiple videos with aTube Catcher

aTube Catcher is a super handy and powerful application for downloading videos from all across the web. Chris has already shown you how to download videos using aTube Catcher but did you know you could combine multiple videos into one file? aTube Catcher has this functionality built-in so you don’t need another program to do this.

Combining videos is great if you have one video that is broken up into different parts. This way, you can create one continuous, uninterrupted video file.

Here’s how to do it. Continue reading “How to download and combine multiple videos with aTube Catcher”

Skype is replacing Windows Live Messenger

Microsoft is planning to kill off Windows Live Messenger, moving all its users to Skype. “We will retire Messenger in all countries worldwide in the first quarter of 2013 (with the exception of mainland China where Messenger will continue to be available),” according to Skype’s official blog.

There are lots of reasons why this is a good idea, now that Microsoft owns Skype. There is also no cause for concern if you’re a Messenger user. You won’t lose your contacts or friends, and there are some great reasons for using Skype instead of Messenger.

It’s curtains for Windows Live Messenger, and that’s not a bad thing. Here’s why.

Continue reading “Skype is replacing Windows Live Messenger”

Instagram begins to roll out web profiles

Instagram, the insanely popular photo editing and sharing mobile app, announced today that web-based profiles will begin rolling out incrementally to users this week. These web profiles will bring with various features previously only accessible via the mobile app.

There are other third party sites like Webstagram that already offer Instagram users the ability to view their own picture feeds and those of other users, of course. This latest news is likely Instagram’s response to a growing user demand for at least a minor web presence in which to show off the photos they’ve taken. Continue reading “Instagram begins to roll out web profiles”