Freeware World

Since its official launch in September 2009, Microsoft Security Essentials has become a popular choice among free antivirus tools, thanks to its quick scans, ease of use and lightness on system resources. Now Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0 Beta is ready to download and test, so let’s take a look at all the new features and improvements of this new version.

First of all, to grab hold of this beta you’ll need a Microsoft Connect account (you can use your Windows Live ID to create one). Security Essentials 2.0 Beta is available both for 32- and 64-bit systems, and can be downloaded via the Microsoft File Transfer Manager – though as the file is only 7.78 MB, you probably won’t need it.

The installation is quick and simple. You’re given the opportunity to join the customer experience improvement program, which is totally optional. Once installed on the computer, Microsoft Security Essentials updates its virus and spyware definitions database and performs a first system scan.

 So what’s new? At first sight, not much. You still get the same clear, tabbed interface with four main areas: Home, to check system status; Update, to download the latest definitions; History, to take a look at activity logs; and Settings, to configure the program.

Apparently the big changes are under the hood. Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0 features a new engine which provides faster performance and safer protection, an improved protection against network-based threats, a better integration with Windows Explorer and the Windows Firewall, and an enhanced protection against web-based exploits for anyone still using Internet Explorer.

Microsoft Security Essentials Beta is provided on a first-come, first-serve basis, so if you want to take a sneak peek at it head down to Microsoft Connect and download it while it’s hot. Then, you can share your impressions with us in comments!

Before you jump straight to the comments section, yes I’m aware that Firefox 4 beta doesn’t have to be compatible with pre-existing add-ons. The idea of my experiment was to see how much Firefox’s new add-ons center changes the way browser extensions work. The answer is: a lot!

Hacking Firefox to make it run addons designed to run in previous versions of the browser is hardly an advanced job. Just add a couple of Boolean values to the advanced preferences and you can tell Minefield (the best name for a beta program ever!), not to check add-on compatibility. Generally, this can force compatibility when the version change is minor (e.g. 3.5 to 3.6). It doesn’t usually work for most add-ons across major version updates.

And 4.0 is no exception! After telling Minefield (4.0b2Pre) to accept all my 3.6 add-ons and restarting, the extensions all appeared to  have loaded satisfactorily. FoxyTunes, Alexa, Google Wave, Tumblr Post, Firebug and Echofon all appear in the status bar where I’d expect to see them. But none of them do anything. Nor does Greasemonkey. In fact, except for the built-in extensions, the only add-on currently seems to function is the classic Tab Mix Plus.

So for those of you asking the question: ‘how do I force an add-on to be compatible with Firefox 4.0?‘, the answer is: You can’t. Be patient, Firefox 4 will be released soon and your favorite add-ons will be updated in no time.

Chrome and Opera are now the most forward-looking browsers on the market, while Internet Explorer has come a long way and caught up with the open source favorite, Firefox. 

For years, Firefox, Mozilla’s customizable browser, was the browser of choice for the tech savvy. Add-ons weren’t a new thing, but Firefox’s open source community really took them to new levels, meaning you could pretty much have your browser do anything you want. It looked modern, lean and quick, especially when compared to IE.

Recent updates have been less impressive, and very incremental. It may be more secure and faster every time, but I hardly notice. The design of version 3.x hasn’t changed much, leaving it looking very last decade compared to new kid Chrome and Opera’s flashy version 10.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Firefox 4, which is promising great change, but my first impressions are not good. Instead of something new, the tabs at the top interface is reminiscent of both Opera and Chrome, and the new orange button has been taken straight from Opera 10. While syncing is promised soon, there’s nothing that really makes Firefox 4 stand out.

Apple’s Safari has the useful and attractive Top Sites and History views, which are really user friendly, while Opera has the powerful Unite, which is a fantastic content sharing tool. Chrome is a streamlined and quick browser that keeps itself out of the way so you can concentrate on the web.

Firefox 4, meanwhile, does look fresher, but it doesn’t look like the game changer it once was. Will you be checking out the new beta?

Windows Live Messenger 2010 is finally here. The long-awaited new version of Microsoft’s chat client was launched a couple of days ago, featuring a load of new features: redesigned interface, new emoticons, easier photo sharing…

But if there’s one thing that characterizes this new version of Windows Live Messenger, that’s its integration with Facebook and other social networks and online services. The lack of connectivity with social sites was an issue in Microsoft’s instant messenger, especially as other IM clients (such as Yahoo! Messenger, ICQ, Trillian or Nimbuzz, to name a few) were already hooked up to the big social networks.

If you use the same email address for your Windows Live ID and your Facebook account, integration is automatic. If not, you’ll have to connect both services in the Windows Live website. In any case, once your Messenger and Facebook accounts are linked, the integration is seamless. You’ll be able to update your status or share a link on Facebook via Live Messenger, and also check the latest posts on your wall – including photos and videos, embedded right into Messenger’s interface.

Facebook is not the only online service you can link with Windows Live Messenger. You can also connect it to other wbsites such as YouTube, MySpace, Blogger, Flickr, Digg and a lot more to get all your social updates in one place. All you need to do is log in to the Live.com website with your Windows Live ID, and you’ll be able to connect new services and manage the ones you already use.

One feature I especially liked was the new contact management area. Contacts can be organized in groups or categories, as well as marked as Favorites. This makes long contacts lists much easier to handle. Also, if you have different types of contacts – like, say, family and friends, or friends and professional acquaintances – you can also sort them out in a much easier, clearer way.

Chat windows are pretty much the same. You can start voice or video chats, send nudges and emoticons (which have been slightly redesigned), send files over to your friend or engage in online games and activities. Also, if you find the default interface design boring, try spicing it up with themes.

However, the greatest new feature regarding chat windows is undoubtedly the ability to have multiple conversations in one single window, thanks to the introduction of tabs. Simply open up as many chats as you want, and they’ll be conveniently nested as new tabs in your chat window.

In all, the new version of Windows Live Messenger is centered in two main points: revamped design (in interface, emoticons and other minor details) and social integration. Being still in beta development, we’re already looking forward to getting new stuff, like more supported social networks (Twitter, please!) and more ways to share everything you like – photos, links, videos – with your MSN friends, be it on Messenger or on any other social site.

It’s a fact: the more you use your computer, the more unnecessary apps and processes are listed in the system’s boot-up sequence – and the longer it takes to boot up. And there are few things more irritating than having to wait 5 minutes to be able to use your computer.

The good news is that there are programs that can help you clean the mess, get rid of useless programs and leave only those which really need to be run on the system’s start. Soluto is one of them: an excellent start-up analyzer that calculates the time it takes your computer to boot up and helps you improve very easily.

Soluto is really simple. All you need to do is install it on your computer and then reboot it. Soluto calculates the time it takes the system to completely start up, and then shows you a nice graph with the results. Programs are divided into those that can’t be removed (usually because they’re system core components), programs that can be easily get rid of and those which could be potentially removed – but which you’ll probably need to check before.

Soluto can also help you decide if you should remove a program or not. It displays detailed information about each process – when available –, together with technical data such as how much memory it uses or how much time it adds to the total boot sequence. If the information is not available, you can add it yourself like in an online wiki, and thus contribute to Soluto’s user community.

Despite being still at a beta stage, Soluto already looks really promising. With a clear interface, nice animation effects and lots of interesting data, it makes system optimization much easier for everyone.

EA are really getting into online free to play - plus premium extras model, with BattleField Heroes, Tiger Woods, FIFA and now Need for Speed World.

All you need to do is download the client, and then sign in with an EA account if you have one, or register for a free account here.

Like all the games in the franchise, Need For Speed World is fast, with arcade-style handling. This makes it easy to pick up and play, and the relatively low system requirements keep it running smoothly on most PCs. Apparently you can earn experience points all the way up to level ten, which should make for hours of racing! It may not look brand new (it features roads from older Need For Speed games stitched together), but it’s yet another fun and impressive online option from the software giant.

It’s not due for release until the end of this year but we’ve had chance to take a look at the Beta release of Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac. Microsoft say they’ve been working on it since before the release of Office 2008 and first impressions are, it’s a definite improvement on the latter with a much more tailored Mac interface and user friendly features.

Obviously, the big star is the introduction of Outlook which looks great:

You can import PST files and it supports Microsoft Information Right’s management giving you control over what recipients can do with messages. You can also search for mail either within Outlook or by using Spotlight.

The rest of the suite has gone through a serious face lift too. It now sports a far more Mac friendly Cocoa interface and rather than having to cycle through menus, you can access everything via the Ribbon in the top Menu Bar.

The introduction of the ribbon means there are far less annoying floating windows to obscure your document. Also, Microsoft have introduced a new search box in the top right of Office documents that allow you to search for text instantly.

Those who regularly collaborate on documents with colleagues will be particularly pleased with the new On-Off switch for tracking changes.

In an attempt to compete with Google Docs, Microsoft have now enabled users to collaborate on documents via Sky Drive. If you do so, a ribbon along the bottom of documents informs you exactly who us editing a document at the same time as you. All you need is a Windows Live ID and then go to File and Share.

All parts of the suite have been given some nice new templates too meaning your documents will look more professional and polished than ever:

Microsoft have assured that this time round, users should have no problems opening different templates and formats whether they are viewing documents created on either a PC or Mac.

Overall, Office 2011 for Mac looks like Microsoft have finally done Office justice on Mac. It looks better, works better and the introduction of Outlook means it’s going to be an absolute must for those who also use it on Windows.

I’m yet to be convinced by Facebook gaming - it mostly reminds me of football manager games from the 80s: Lots of numbers, awful graphics and no action! Still, millions of players disagree with me…

Rockstar’s Read Dead Redemption isn’t released until May 21st, but if you need some mean dueling to keep you going until then, try the Red Dead Redemption: Gunslingers Facebook game.

It works like most Facebook games in that it’s not skill based, but rather based on statistics and chance. You challenge users to duels and gain experience, which makes you a better gunslinger and more likely to win the next fight. Each duel is illustrated with a video, showing you how the stand-off played out. Its pretty bloody, and not for kids!

Choose to be a powerful Outlaw, speedy Fast Hands or accurate Sharpshooter, name yourself and write your own bio. It’s not as in-depth as something like Mafia Wars, but it’s much more professional, with video and sound… and much less annoying!

You can share Red Dead Redemption: Gunslingers with your friends, but it’s not necessary in order to progress. Mafia Wars, however, requires you to bug your friend community if you want to succeed. Obviously, the Rockstar creation is promotional material, unlike Zynga’s, but it’s still a great example of how to make a Facebook game that doesn’t annoy people!

I think Red Dead Redemption: Gunslingers is a cool distraction, but it’s still nothing that will drag me away from ‘real’ games. The majority of Facebook gaming is based around just clicking and waiting - where’s the fun in that? There are still no games on Facebook that should give any of my consoles cause for concern!

Play Red Dead Redemption: Gunslingers here - obviously you need a Facebook account to get started!

Windows: Would you like to watch your favorite DVD and Blu-Ray movies on your laptop anytime, anywhere? With MakeMKV you can easily rip them to MKV, a highly compatible video format supported by most players. The conversion is easy, quick and produces excellent results: it preserves most of the original information and works with encrypted discs as well.

iPhone: If you want to become a TV star don’t bother going on Big Brother, just install Bambuser on your iPhone and broadcast yourself live on the internet! Bambuser allows you to capture video of yourself using your iPhone camera then stream it to a channel online. It’s very easy to start using the program. You just need to sign up for an account then click ‘Go Live’ to start recording.

Mac: If you’re looking for a way to improve your typing skills that gives you detailed readouts and stats on how you’re doing, then Master Key could be for you. Master Key is a rather basic looking but very effective typing tutor which takes you through a huge series of drills in order to bring your typing speed up to scratch. Master Key includes drills for U.S., Dvorak, French, and German keyboard layouts and you can create your own.

If there’s one thing Microsoft Messenger for Mac users have been waiting far too long for, it’s video and audio support. Until now, Microsoft only allowed corporate users of Messenger for Mac to use audio and video. Finally, with the recent release of Microsoft Messenger 8 for Mac, they’ve opened it up to all users but the question is, does anyone really care anymore? In the many years that Microsoft have neglected Mac users, they’ve found alternatives that will allow them to chat with video in particular aMSN and Skype.

Those that have converted to Skype, I can’t see Microsoft winning back. Skype provides an excellent video and audio chat platform that usually works for most people without problems and by now, most users will have convinced their essential buddies to open a Skype account. However in the case of aMSN (an unofficial modified version of Microsoft Messenger that has supported video for years), Microsoft might have more chance of winning back users.

The first advantage for Microsoft is that all aMSN users already have Windows Live accounts. The second, as this post proved, is that many users have struggled to get their webcam functioning with aMSN. The third, and perhaps most important, is that Microsoft have been very clever in changing the Audio/Video protocols for Microsoft Messenger in version 8.0. The result is that aMSN no longer supports Video or Audio clips at the moment and it’s now in the balance whether they will ever be able to get it working again.

Therefore, if Microsoft Messenger for Mac can simply offer reliable webcam support with high quality audio then there is a good chance Mac users may give Microsoft Messenger a second chance. This is especially true for Mac users who still use Window Live Mail and still have lots of Windows Live contacts.

In the meantime, let’s hope that the team behind Adium will follow suit and add video and audio support in the near future. That’s something for Mac users to get really excited about.