CFS Weekly Newsletter #568
[ISSN 1441-6840]
Web Site: http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com
COMPLETELY FREE SOFTWARE
Air Assault 3D v1.70 -- Win98/ME/WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
Air Assault 3D is a fast action 3D helicopter shooter. It features 5 missions (incl tutorial), 5 landscapes, 20 levels, 5 levels of difficulty, 10 unique helicopters to fly, lots of weapons & power-ups, night missions & weather patterns, 1- & 2-player modes, excellent 3D graphics, various camera views, great sound effects, and more. Air Assault 3D is a frenetic war-based shooter where you pilot a helicopter through enemy territory, blasting away at everything that moves, and lots of things that don't. You collect powerups along the way, which includes missiles, health, new weapons, etc. While this is a standard shooter in many ways, the excellent 3D graphics and equally excellent sound effects put this shooter in the same category as the best of this genre. It is so much fun to play we felt that Air Assault 3D should carry a health warning -- "Playing this game is highly addictive!" If you enjoy fast action shooters with great graphics and sound effects then Air Assault 3D is a "must have". We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 10.9MB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/gg11_w95.html#Air_Assault3D32
JaBack v9.03 -- Win9x/ME/WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
JaBack is a program that can automatically backup, synchronize and/or archive files & folders. It will backup to a standard ZIP format, file copy, it can automate multiple tasks, the scheduler can handle over 1,000 tasks per day, it can transfer backups via FTP or e-mail, it has an optional e-mail notification of task failure, and more. This is a great, but not-so-little, backup program that incorporates virtually all the bells and whistles anyone could want in a backup scheduler. Its list of functions is extensive and it includes a detailed Helpfile to ensure you get the best from this tool. Like most tools of this type, JaBack requires a small amount of education before you can get the best from it. However, once you are over the small learning hump, you will find that it is a powerful backup tool that offers a great number of worthwhile functions. We liked! Access this 39.0MB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/gp6_w95.html#jaba32
Clementine Music Player v0.5.3 -- WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
Clementine Music Player is a music player with an easy-to-use interface. It features an optional OSD (on screen display), you can listen to Internet radio (Last.fm, SomaFM or Magnatune), it has tabbed playlists (import & export M3U, XSPF, PLS & ASX), visualizations, it can carry out file conversions (into MP3, Ogg Vorbis, Ogg Speex, FLAC or AAC), it can edit MP3 & OGG tags, download album cover art, there is a queue manager, and more. This is an excellent music player that handles a wide range of playlists, a good range of audio formats, and it can convert between those formats,. It can be minimized to a tray icon so it is hidden away and plays in the background while you continue with whatever else you are doing on your computer. Even though it is still a beta program, it appears robust and stable, and the features we checked worked as they should. One of the better music players we have seen, Clementine Music Player is worth checking out. Note: we have been advised that thi
s program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 14.4MB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/mp1_w95.html#Clementine32
SearchMyFiles v1.55 -- WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
SearchMyFiles is a powerful, fully portable, desktop file search tool. It can search files on your computer by wildcard, by last modified/created/last accessed time, by file attributes, by file content (text or binary search), and by the file size. As the author says, it can "search all files created in the last 10 minutes with size between 500 and 700 bytes". Once you have created your file list, you can select one or more files, save the list to a file (text, HTML, CSV, or XML), or copy the list to the Clipboard. In many ways, this is a much more powerful search than the Windows "Search For Files And Folders" module, though it cannot search for text within a file. It also lacks an indexing feature. This means that it is an adjunct to the existing Windows search and not a replacement for it. SearchMyFiles includes a duplicate file finder so it can ensure that you aren't duplicating your files and wasting valuable hard drive real estate. It is also fully portable and requires no installation. It runs just as happily from a USB stick drive as it does from your hard drive. With its tiny size, we suggest that you keep a copy on your hard drive, and also another copy on your USB pen drive (the one with your backup on it that you carry at all times!). We loved SearchMyFiles and suggest you grab a copy for yourself. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 60kB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/du2_w95.html#searchmyfiles32
Greatis Image Print Wizard v1.0 -- WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
Greatis Image Print Wizard is a program that prints large images in multipage mode. It features a simple 3-step Wizard, you have control over image size (varies the number of pages required to print image), it has image zoom, you can print images on a single page, and more. This is an excellent way of printing a large image across multiple pages so they can be taped together for a poster-sized image. But it can also be used for printing images on a single page -- either full page or part of a page. When printing an image across multiple pages you can set a border so that you can allow for printers which cannot print to the edge of a page. These need to be trimmed before the pages are joined. Simple to use, Greatis Image Print Wizard is a terrific way of printing images -- either a single image to a page or a large image across multiple pages. We liked! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 361kB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/grp15_w95.html#GreatisImagePrintWizard32
SportPlayer v4.1 -- WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
SportPlayer is a program that gives access to hundreds of live sport events broadcast across the Internet, sorted by sport or time. It supports Sopcast, TVU, JustinTV, Freedocast, BoxLive, and other formats. If you love sports, specially various sports from around the world, then check out SportPlayer. It gives you a huge selection of sports, and quite often multiple access points for each game. Some games are not described in English, depending on the country which is broadcasting the sport. This may not be the country where the sport is being played. Many of the broadcasts start with an advertisement, but these seem to come from the broadcasting site and not from this program. Check out your favorite sports with SportPlayer. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 3.57MB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/ir7_w95.html#SportPlayer32
Baku v4.2.3933 -- WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
Baku is a small but powerful utility that repairs System Registry errors, and removes unneeded & duplicated files. It features a simple-to-use interface, it has 4 separate searches (unneeded files, Registry errors, MRU lists & duplicate files), the searches can be tweaked by the user, and more. With the four searches, Baku puts the maximum control back into the user's hands. Before a search you can tweak the search criteria and, when the search is complete, you have the option of selecting all files for deletion or only selecting certain files. Once you have removed all unwanted links, empty folders, 'History' folder contents, 'Recent documents' folder contents, cookies, temporary Internet files, etc you can use Baku to compact or compress the Registry, saving hard disk space and making Registry access faster. It automatically backups the Registry before changes are made and gives you the option to create a Restore point as well (always worth doing). Baku also has a small app let that lists hidden installations and allows you to uninstall any found, or check their Registry keys. It can also backup and restore System device drivers. Even though it has a plain Jane face and does not look very inspiring, Baku is a fantastic tool that all PC users should have. We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 1.06MB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/we2_w95.html#baku32
Puzzle RailWay Deluxe v3.0 -- Win98/ME/WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
Puzzle RailWay Deluxe is a terrific puzzle where you build a railway track to keep the train rolling, while picking up all the workers, and arriving at the final station. It features 3 levels of difficulty, timed-based gameplay, a challenging puzzle, good graphics, fullscreen & windowed modes, and more. This is a great puzzle with blocks that must be moved (left mouse button) or rotated (right mouse button) so the train can continue to its destination, picking up passengers along the way. You also have to pick up coal, and contend with traffic lights and tunnels. If the train wasn't moving then Puzzle Railway Deluxe would be relatively easy, but because the train is on the move you have limited time to make your choices and move the blocks containing the track. Of course, the more you play it the easier it becomes because you learn what blocks to move, and where, but the course is quite involved and it would take a long time to master every junction. Fun to play, but not too easy so you get bored, Puzzle Railway Deluxe is a great puzzle and a great way to kill an hour or three. We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 3.46MB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/gg26_w95.html#PuzzleRail32
UPDATE
Keyboard Indicator -- a set of 3 tray icons that indicate if the Caps Lock, Insert or Scroll Lock buttons are "on", etc -- has been updated to version 1.3.0.0 with a download size of 36kB. The author advises that changes in this version include: the ability to change the font; more label positions to choose from; and opacity control. Access this latest version from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/du21_w95.html#KeyboardIndicator32
COMPUTER TIP OF THE WEEK
from Dr T -- RTemlak4dds@aol.com
Q:
When filling out a form online, why do I always have to fill in my e-mail address and password more than once? It's not hard to do, but it is a hassle. Got any explanations?
A:
I'm sure you're not the only one who has ever wondered that. It is true. Most of the time when you go to fill out an online form, you're asked to enter in your e-mail address and your password twice. Why is that? It just doesn't seem to make much sense. It's not that big of a deal and it's easy to do, but you're right, it is somewhat of a hassle, especially if you're in a hurry. So, there must be some valid reason why you're required to do this. Well, as a matter of fact, there is and it's actually all very plain and simple.
Most Web sites that have you fill out forms require you to enter your e-mail address twice simply for the purpose of making sure it was entered correctly. Perhaps your finger slipped when you were typing it in the first time. If you didn't have to enter it again, you wouldn't receive any of the informative e-mails from the Web site. But, since you typed your address twice, the Web site knows if everything matches up or not.
This is also done to eliminate any fake e-mail addresses. Any Web site who requires a form doesn't want a whole bunch of bogus e-mail addresses filling up their database. If they have to deal with a lot of phony addresses, it just takes longer for them to e-mail their information out to all of their customers. This is especially true if they have a huge list of clientele. If the e-mails with the fake addresses aren't able to go through, it holds up the process, wastes disk space and it just takes up too much time.
For example, you're obviously a subscriber of WorldStart's newsletters since you're reading this. Let's say we had a major problem with people entering in bogus e-mail addresses on our Web site. We send our newsletters out every single day (more than one newsletter at that) and if we had to wait on all the fake addresses, it would take forever for all of them to go out. Therefore, anyone who entered a correct address would have to wait extra long just to get their newsletters. What a pain, right?!
Now, for the password part of your question. You are required to enter your password twice for security purposes, obviously. Web sites want to know that you aren't trying to scam anything from them and by you putting in the same password twice helps them to rest at ease. It's also protection for you, because you can be sure your password is correct once you type it out twice. And hey, it gives you another chance to remember what exactly you chose to use as your password!
So, next time you're filling out a form online, don't feel hassled by having to duplicate your e-mail address and password. Feel safer knowing that Web site is going to protect you! Got it? Good!
[Worldstart.com]
[ISSN 1441-6840]
Web Site: http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com
COMPLETELY FREE SOFTWARE
Air Assault 3D v1.70 -- Win98/ME/WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
Air Assault 3D is a fast action 3D helicopter shooter. It features 5 missions (incl tutorial), 5 landscapes, 20 levels, 5 levels of difficulty, 10 unique helicopters to fly, lots of weapons & power-ups, night missions & weather patterns, 1- & 2-player modes, excellent 3D graphics, various camera views, great sound effects, and more. Air Assault 3D is a frenetic war-based shooter where you pilot a helicopter through enemy territory, blasting away at everything that moves, and lots of things that don't. You collect powerups along the way, which includes missiles, health, new weapons, etc. While this is a standard shooter in many ways, the excellent 3D graphics and equally excellent sound effects put this shooter in the same category as the best of this genre. It is so much fun to play we felt that Air Assault 3D should carry a health warning -- "Playing this game is highly addictive!" If you enjoy fast action shooters with great graphics and sound effects then Air Assault 3D is a "must have". We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 10.9MB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/gg11_w95.html#Air_Assault3D32
JaBack v9.03 -- Win9x/ME/WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
JaBack is a program that can automatically backup, synchronize and/or archive files & folders. It will backup to a standard ZIP format, file copy, it can automate multiple tasks, the scheduler can handle over 1,000 tasks per day, it can transfer backups via FTP or e-mail, it has an optional e-mail notification of task failure, and more. This is a great, but not-so-little, backup program that incorporates virtually all the bells and whistles anyone could want in a backup scheduler. Its list of functions is extensive and it includes a detailed Helpfile to ensure you get the best from this tool. Like most tools of this type, JaBack requires a small amount of education before you can get the best from it. However, once you are over the small learning hump, you will find that it is a powerful backup tool that offers a great number of worthwhile functions. We liked! Access this 39.0MB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/gp6_w95.html#jaba32
Clementine Music Player v0.5.3 -- WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
Clementine Music Player is a music player with an easy-to-use interface. It features an optional OSD (on screen display), you can listen to Internet radio (Last.fm, SomaFM or Magnatune), it has tabbed playlists (import & export M3U, XSPF, PLS & ASX), visualizations, it can carry out file conversions (into MP3, Ogg Vorbis, Ogg Speex, FLAC or AAC), it can edit MP3 & OGG tags, download album cover art, there is a queue manager, and more. This is an excellent music player that handles a wide range of playlists, a good range of audio formats, and it can convert between those formats,. It can be minimized to a tray icon so it is hidden away and plays in the background while you continue with whatever else you are doing on your computer. Even though it is still a beta program, it appears robust and stable, and the features we checked worked as they should. One of the better music players we have seen, Clementine Music Player is worth checking out. Note: we have been advised that thi
s program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 14.4MB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/mp1_w95.html#Clementine32
SearchMyFiles v1.55 -- WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
SearchMyFiles is a powerful, fully portable, desktop file search tool. It can search files on your computer by wildcard, by last modified/created/last accessed time, by file attributes, by file content (text or binary search), and by the file size. As the author says, it can "search all files created in the last 10 minutes with size between 500 and 700 bytes". Once you have created your file list, you can select one or more files, save the list to a file (text, HTML, CSV, or XML), or copy the list to the Clipboard. In many ways, this is a much more powerful search than the Windows "Search For Files And Folders" module, though it cannot search for text within a file. It also lacks an indexing feature. This means that it is an adjunct to the existing Windows search and not a replacement for it. SearchMyFiles includes a duplicate file finder so it can ensure that you aren't duplicating your files and wasting valuable hard drive real estate. It is also fully portable and requires no installation. It runs just as happily from a USB stick drive as it does from your hard drive. With its tiny size, we suggest that you keep a copy on your hard drive, and also another copy on your USB pen drive (the one with your backup on it that you carry at all times!). We loved SearchMyFiles and suggest you grab a copy for yourself. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 60kB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/du2_w95.html#searchmyfiles32
Greatis Image Print Wizard v1.0 -- WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
Greatis Image Print Wizard is a program that prints large images in multipage mode. It features a simple 3-step Wizard, you have control over image size (varies the number of pages required to print image), it has image zoom, you can print images on a single page, and more. This is an excellent way of printing a large image across multiple pages so they can be taped together for a poster-sized image. But it can also be used for printing images on a single page -- either full page or part of a page. When printing an image across multiple pages you can set a border so that you can allow for printers which cannot print to the edge of a page. These need to be trimmed before the pages are joined. Simple to use, Greatis Image Print Wizard is a terrific way of printing images -- either a single image to a page or a large image across multiple pages. We liked! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 361kB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/grp15_w95.html#GreatisImagePrintWizard32
SportPlayer v4.1 -- WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
SportPlayer is a program that gives access to hundreds of live sport events broadcast across the Internet, sorted by sport or time. It supports Sopcast, TVU, JustinTV, Freedocast, BoxLive, and other formats. If you love sports, specially various sports from around the world, then check out SportPlayer. It gives you a huge selection of sports, and quite often multiple access points for each game. Some games are not described in English, depending on the country which is broadcasting the sport. This may not be the country where the sport is being played. Many of the broadcasts start with an advertisement, but these seem to come from the broadcasting site and not from this program. Check out your favorite sports with SportPlayer. Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 3.57MB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/ir7_w95.html#SportPlayer32
Baku v4.2.3933 -- WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
Baku is a small but powerful utility that repairs System Registry errors, and removes unneeded & duplicated files. It features a simple-to-use interface, it has 4 separate searches (unneeded files, Registry errors, MRU lists & duplicate files), the searches can be tweaked by the user, and more. With the four searches, Baku puts the maximum control back into the user's hands. Before a search you can tweak the search criteria and, when the search is complete, you have the option of selecting all files for deletion or only selecting certain files. Once you have removed all unwanted links, empty folders, 'History' folder contents, 'Recent documents' folder contents, cookies, temporary Internet files, etc you can use Baku to compact or compress the Registry, saving hard disk space and making Registry access faster. It automatically backups the Registry before changes are made and gives you the option to create a Restore point as well (always worth doing). Baku also has a small app let that lists hidden installations and allows you to uninstall any found, or check their Registry keys. It can also backup and restore System device drivers. Even though it has a plain Jane face and does not look very inspiring, Baku is a fantastic tool that all PC users should have. We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 1.06MB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/we2_w95.html#baku32
Puzzle RailWay Deluxe v3.0 -- Win98/ME/WinXP/Vista/Win7 (5 doves)
Puzzle RailWay Deluxe is a terrific puzzle where you build a railway track to keep the train rolling, while picking up all the workers, and arriving at the final station. It features 3 levels of difficulty, timed-based gameplay, a challenging puzzle, good graphics, fullscreen & windowed modes, and more. This is a great puzzle with blocks that must be moved (left mouse button) or rotated (right mouse button) so the train can continue to its destination, picking up passengers along the way. You also have to pick up coal, and contend with traffic lights and tunnels. If the train wasn't moving then Puzzle Railway Deluxe would be relatively easy, but because the train is on the move you have limited time to make your choices and move the blocks containing the track. Of course, the more you play it the easier it becomes because you learn what blocks to move, and where, but the course is quite involved and it would take a long time to master every junction. Fun to play, but not too easy so you get bored, Puzzle Railway Deluxe is a great puzzle and a great way to kill an hour or three. We loved! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 3.46MB download from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/gg26_w95.html#PuzzleRail32
UPDATE
Keyboard Indicator -- a set of 3 tray icons that indicate if the Caps Lock, Insert or Scroll Lock buttons are "on", etc -- has been updated to version 1.3.0.0 with a download size of 36kB. The author advises that changes in this version include: the ability to change the font; more label positions to choose from; and opacity control. Access this latest version from:
http://www.completelyFREEsoftware.com/du21_w95.html#KeyboardIndicator32
COMPUTER TIP OF THE WEEK
from Dr T -- RTemlak4dds@aol.com
Q:
When filling out a form online, why do I always have to fill in my e-mail address and password more than once? It's not hard to do, but it is a hassle. Got any explanations?
A:
I'm sure you're not the only one who has ever wondered that. It is true. Most of the time when you go to fill out an online form, you're asked to enter in your e-mail address and your password twice. Why is that? It just doesn't seem to make much sense. It's not that big of a deal and it's easy to do, but you're right, it is somewhat of a hassle, especially if you're in a hurry. So, there must be some valid reason why you're required to do this. Well, as a matter of fact, there is and it's actually all very plain and simple.
Most Web sites that have you fill out forms require you to enter your e-mail address twice simply for the purpose of making sure it was entered correctly. Perhaps your finger slipped when you were typing it in the first time. If you didn't have to enter it again, you wouldn't receive any of the informative e-mails from the Web site. But, since you typed your address twice, the Web site knows if everything matches up or not.
This is also done to eliminate any fake e-mail addresses. Any Web site who requires a form doesn't want a whole bunch of bogus e-mail addresses filling up their database. If they have to deal with a lot of phony addresses, it just takes longer for them to e-mail their information out to all of their customers. This is especially true if they have a huge list of clientele. If the e-mails with the fake addresses aren't able to go through, it holds up the process, wastes disk space and it just takes up too much time.
For example, you're obviously a subscriber of WorldStart's newsletters since you're reading this. Let's say we had a major problem with people entering in bogus e-mail addresses on our Web site. We send our newsletters out every single day (more than one newsletter at that) and if we had to wait on all the fake addresses, it would take forever for all of them to go out. Therefore, anyone who entered a correct address would have to wait extra long just to get their newsletters. What a pain, right?!
Now, for the password part of your question. You are required to enter your password twice for security purposes, obviously. Web sites want to know that you aren't trying to scam anything from them and by you putting in the same password twice helps them to rest at ease. It's also protection for you, because you can be sure your password is correct once you type it out twice. And hey, it gives you another chance to remember what exactly you chose to use as your password!
So, next time you're filling out a form online, don't feel hassled by having to duplicate your e-mail address and password. Feel safer knowing that Web site is going to protect you! Got it? Good!
[Worldstart.com]
