Internet Download Manager is the choice of many, when it comes to increasing download speeds up to 5x. IDM has a clever download logic accelerator that features intelligent dynamic file segmentation and incorporates safe multipart downloading technology to increase the speed of your downloads. IDM reuses available connections without additional connections to gain the best acceleration performance. Internet Download Manager houses a comprehensive error recovery system with resume capability features. These will restart interrupted downloads due to lost connections, network issues, power outages and system shutdowns. IDM has a simple GUI, which makes it easy to use, or if you prefer, you can use Internet Download Manager from the command line interface. Features include:
Resume and schedule downloads.
Resume capability
Error Recovery
Proxy Server Support
FTP and HTTP Protocol Support
MP3 audio and MPEG video content processing
Multilingual support
IDM will integrate effortlessly into your web browser of choice, whether that be Microsoft Internet Explorer, Opera, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome, in fact almost all other popular browsers are supported to automatically handle your downloads. You can download music and video files in the form of MP3, FLV, MPEG and a multitude of other formats. This latest version of IDM (6.18) has resolved issues with 1080p HD video recognition in Google Chrome. There is also a new feature to take over https downloads in Google Chrome (it adds a feature to Show download this video/audio panel for https videos in the browser). IDM has also added Windows 8 compatibility and it features Windows 7 and Windows Vista support Internet Download Manager also adds improved integration for IE 10 and IE based browsers, has an improved toolbar, and lots of other improvements and features such as a video page grabber, a redeveloped scheduler and MMS protocol support.
Skype is the most popular free voice-over IP and instant messaging service globally. It allows users to text, video and voice call over the internet. Users can also call landlines and mobiles at competitive rates using Skype credit, premium accounts and subscriptions. Skype was public ally released in 2003 and now accounts for roughly a third of all international calling minutes. Skype uses P2P technology to connect users on a multitude of platforms including desktop, mobile and tablet. The call quality (depending on your internet signal) and additional features like conversation history, conference calling and secure file transfer are excellent. There have been some criticisms over the programs bandwidth usage and security vulnerabilities. Skype Calling Once you’ve downloaded and installed Skype, you will need to create a user profile and unique Skype name. You can then search for other users in the Skype directory or call them directly using their Skype name. Voice chat comes with conference calling, secure file transfer and a highly secure end to end encryption. Video chat is available on higher bandwidth connections and makes keeping up with distant family/friends much more interactive. Video conferencing and the Screen share features make Skype popular with the corporate market. Skype’s text chat client features group chat, chat history, message editing and emoticons. Skype also enables calls to landlines and mobiles using a premium paid service. Easy to Use Skype’s UI is very intuitive and easy to use. All the classic messaging service features like profiles, online status, contacts and recent history are displayed in the left navigation. Here you will also find the Skype directory, group options, a search box and premium calling buttons. The right side (main window) opens the content you select. For individual contacts you will see a text message box, chat history and calling options. Call Quality On fast internet connections Skype call quality is excellent for both voice and video calls. The hybrid peer-to-peer client server system means the sound quality is better than most VoIP services. That being said, if you do have a slower internet connection, voice calls may be interrupted or delayed. Video calls will be intermittent and pix elated. Text chat will only be affected by very poor connections. The call quality button will give you detailed information on the expected call quality for each of your contacts (as the quality depends on both parties internet connection). Summary If you’re looking for a reliable and easy to use VoIP client, you’ll find it hard to beat Skype. Microsoft’s purchase of Skype in 2011 has further stabilized the platform and accelerated development as Microsoft used Skype to replace its aging messaging service Windows Live Messenger. Click on the green download button to give it a try.
Google’s game changing browser Chrome combines sophisticated technology with a simple UI, to create a faster, safer and easier browsing experience. Launched in 2008, Google Chrome quickly dominated the browser market to become the most used browser globally within 4 years of its public release. Google’s rapid and continuous development cycle ensures the browser continues to compete with the other most popular and advanced web browsers available. Speed Perhaps the area Google invested most of its development time to differentiate from other browsers. Google Chrome launches extremely quickly from your desktop, runs applications at speed thanks to a powerful JavaScript engine and loads pages rapidly using the WebKit open source rendering engine. Add to this quicker search and navigation options from the simplified UI and you have a browser that is pretty hard to beat on speed, especially if gaming is your thing. Clean, simple UI Google Chrome’s most striking feature and a substantial factor in its popularity - the simple UI hasn’t changed much since the beta launch in 2008. Google focused on trimming down unnecessary toolbar space to maximise browsing real estate. The browser is made up of 3 rows of tools, the top layer horizontally stacks automatically adjusting tabs, next to a simple new tabs icon and the standard minimize, expand & close windows controls. The middle row includes 3 navigation controls (Back, Forward & Stop/Refresh), a URL box which also allows direct Google web searching and a star bookmarking icon. Extensions and browser settings icons line up to the right of the URL box. The third row is made up of bookmark folders and installed apps. Easily overlooked now, this clean UI was a breath of fresh air compared to the overcrowded toolbars of popular browsers pre-2008. Privacy Another hugely popular feature, Incognito mode allows you to browse privately by disabling history recording, reducing traceable breadcrumbs and removing tracking cookies on shutdown. Chrome’s settings also allow you to customize regular browsing privacy preferences. Security Chrome’s Sandboxing prevents malware automatically installing on your computer or affecting other browser tabs. Chrome also has Safe Browsing technology built in with malware and phishing protection that warns you if you encounter a website suspected of containing malicious software/activity. Regular automatic updates ensure security features are up to date and effective. Customization A vast selection of apps, extensions, themes and settings make your browsing experience unique to you. Improve productivity, security, navigation speed, pretty much anything you can think of with apps and extensions from the Google Chrome Store. Install themes created by top artists or make your own using mychrometheme.com. Sign in with your Google Account to back up your contacts, preferences, history as well as access all your Google tools with a single login.
Mozilla Firefox is a fast, light and tidy open source web browser. At its public launch in 2004 Mozilla Firefox was the first browser to challenge Microsoft Internet Explorer’s dominance. Since then, Mozilla Firefox has consistently featured in the top 3 most popular browsers globally. The key features that have made Mozilla Firefox so popular are the simple and effective UI, browser speed and strong security capabilities. The browser is particularly popular with developers thanks to its open source development and active community of advanced users. Easier Browsing Mozilla put of a lot of resources into creating a simple but effective UI aimed at making browsing quicker and easier. They created the tab structure that has been adopted by most other browsers. In recent years Mozilla has also focused on maximizing browsing area by simplifying toolbar controls to just a Firefox button (which contains settings and options) and back/forward buttons. The URL box features direct Google searching as well as an auto predict/history feature called Awesome Bar. On the right side of the URL box there are bookmarking, history and refresh buttons. To the right of the URL box is a search box which allows you to customize your search engine options. Outside of that a view button controls what you see below the URL. Next to that you have the download history and home buttons. Speed Mozilla Firefox boasts impressive page load speeds thanks to the excellent JagerMonkey JavaScript engine. Start up speed and graphics rendering are also among the quickest in the market. Firefox manages complex video and web content using layer-based Direct2D and Driect3D graphics systems. Crash protection ensures only the plugin causing the issue stops working, not the rest of the content being browsed. Reloading the page restarts any affected plugins. The tab system and Awesome Bar have been streamlined to launch/get results very quickly too. Security Firefox was the first browser to introduce a private browsing feature which allows you to use the internet more anonymously and securely. History, searches, passwords, downloads, cookies and cached content are all removed on shutdown. Minimizing the chances of another user stealing your identity or finding confidential information. Content security, anti-phishing technology and antivirus/antimalware integration ensures your browsing experience is as safe as possible. Personalisation & Development One of the best features of the Firefox UI is customization. Simply right click on the navigation toolbar to customize individual components or just drag and drop items you want to move around. The inbuilt Firefox Add-ons Manager allows you to discover and install add-ons within the browser as well as view ratings, recommendations and descriptions. Read about the top recommended add-ons for Mozilla Firefox on TechBeat. Thousands of customizable themes allow you to customize the look and feel of your browser. Site authors and developers can create advanced content and applications using Mozilla’s open source platform and enhanced API.
Windows Media Player for Windows XP offers great new ways to store and enjoy all your music, video, pictures and recorded TV. Play it, view it, and sync it to a portable device for enjoying on the go or even share with devices around your home, all from one place. Simplicity In Design - Bring a whole new look to your digital entertainment. More of the Music You Love - Breathe new life into your digital music experience. All Your Entertainment in One Place - Store and enjoy all of your music, video, pictures, and recorded TV. Enjoy Everywhere - Stay connected with your music, video, and pictures no matter where you are.
Features
Core playback and library functions Windows Media Player supports playback of audio, video and pictures, along with fast forward, reverse, file markers (if present) and variable playback speed (seek & time compression/dilation introduced in WMP 9 Series). It supports local playback, streaming playback with multicast streams and progressive downloads. Items in a playlist can be skipped over temporarily at playback time without removing them from the playlist. Full keyboard-based operation is possible in the player.
Windows Media Player supports full media management, via the integrated media library introduced first in version 7, which offers cataloguing and searching of media and viewing media metadata. Media can be arranged according to album, artist, genre, date et al. Windows Media Player 9 Series introduced Quick Access Panel to browse and navigate the entire library through a menu. The Quick Access Panel was also added to the mini mode in version 10 but was entirely removed in version 11. WMP 9 Series also introduced ratings and Auto Ratings. Windows Media Player 10 introduced support for aggregating pictures, Recorded TV shows, and other media into the library. A fully featured tag editor was featured in versions 9-11 of WMP, called the Advanced Tag Editor. However, the feature was removed in Windows Media Player 12. Since WMP 9 Series, the player features dynamically updated Auto Playlists based on criteria. Visualizations While playing music, Windows Media Player can show visualizations. The current three visualizations are Alchemy, which was first introduced in version 9, Bars and Waves, which has been used since version 7, and PulsingColors, introduced in later editions of version 12 but previously available for download on Microsoft's official website. "Musical Colors" was removed starting with version 9, but is retained if Windows Media Player was upgraded from version 7 or 8. Version 11 and above refrains from having the former "Ambience", "Particle", "Plenoptic", and "Spikes" visualizations. The "Battery" visualization was similarly removed in later editions of version 12. The reason for their removal was that the visualizations do not support full screen controls (either the visualization gets shifted to the left while there is a thick black bar to the right side of the screen, that there are no full screen controls, or that the visualization moves too fast). More visualizations such as "BlazingColors", "ColorCubes", "Softie the Snowman," and "Yule Log" can be downloaded from Microsoft's website.
