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Freeware Files: Five Apps for Advanced Virus/Malware Elimination!

David Murphy — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:00:36 -0500

Alright, I'll admit it. I finally got hit with a virus.

Well, sort-of. I first thought that the strange "YOUR COMPUTER IS NOT PROTECTED" icon in my taskbar was some indication that my antivirus software of-choice had finally flipped out for good. Double-clicking on the icon brought up an obviously fake replica of Windows Security Essentials that, more annoyingly, wouldn't close no matter how many times I clicked on it. Over and over, my machine would be assaulted with "*.exe is not secure!" messages. My Internet sessions grinded to a halt no matter which browser I tried using. I started to fear for the safety of my World of Warcraft account.

As it turns out, I only got nailed with an annoying piece of malware. But after running through a number of analysis and removal techniques (which ultimately failed, as I had managed to disable the malware's process from starting up as-is using good ol' msconfig), I had amassed quite a list of rootkit removal programs, hardcore malware eliminators, and antivirus applications that were more surgeons in training than general practitioners.

I now share them with you.

Look, it's easy enough to install a common antivirus scanner on your system and call it a day. But you, like me, might forget to do so throughout the course of your PC building life. Or, worse, your system might become compromised in such a way as to render your analytical tools entirely useless. In that case, it's time to roll up your shirtsleeves and get crackin' with the digital equivalent of bleach for your mucked-up PC.

ComboFix

We'll start with a biggie. ComboFix is a super-power analytical tool for finding tough-to-reach spyware and malware infestations and blowing them to digital bits. A word to the wise, however: consider this the bug-bomb of your cleaning arsenal. While it could very well solve your problems in one big hit, you might also end up killing your house cat if you haven't taken the necessary precautions during the elimination. For example, make sure you're running the most up-to-date version of the application. Or, better yet, hit up one of these forums to make sure that said latest version is running perfectly and accurately on other people's systems.

Due to its power, ComboFix does have the capacity to make unexpected alterations to your computer. That's not to say that ComboFix intends to turn your system into a brick; that's just a possible side effect of the application's comprehensive techniques for rooting out your malware woes. Tread carefully. Or, better yet, hit up the aforementioned forums and post your log file if you're having any trouble (or are still infected) after-the-fact: ComboFix is, in many ways, an analytical tool for giving other users the information they need to know in order to write you a customized solution to your issue.

Download it here!

Avira AntiVir Rescue System

Oftentimes, a virus will be buried so deep within your system that it's impossible to isolate it for deletion. Perhaps the virus spawns multiple copies of its executable whenever its closed. Maybe there's just no way for you to prevent the unwanted executable from loading whenever you fire up a specific program or, worse, your operating system as a whole. Booting into safe mode isn't an option (or doesn't work), and you're running low on options.

Thus enters Avira's AntiVir Rescue System. Burn this image to a disc and tuck it away in a safe place. The next time your system reaches catastrophic levels, slap this CD into your drive and boot directly into the Linux-based antivirus environment. The app will allow you to perform one of three lifesaving features on your compromised system: rescuing your system's data in case you have to nuke your hard drive for good, repairing the system as-is, and running a comprensive virus scan across every bit of data on your drive. If none of these three options save your system, you might want to take your hard drive out in the back yard and throw some holy water on it.

Download it here!

RootRepeal

Simply put, rootkits are the scourge of a functioning, happy system. To defeat these powerful instruments of digital pain, you need an equally strong--yet flexible--solution for assessing the situation and eliminating the problem. RootRepeal is that program for you. But I warn you, this isn't your average one-click elimination utility. RootRepeal is a comprehensive scanning application that requires you to think through the information it's able to pull up about the hidden, locked, or fake files on your system. Similarly, RootRepeal works to diagnose system functions that have been hooked: a classic sign of a middleman-type program that's affecting your system when things are otherwise looking fine.

This program only scans; it doesn't fix. That said, you need to know your enemy before you can Google up ways to eliminate him.

Download it here!

Erunt

If your registry has become too corrupt by malware or other such digital baddies, you usually have no choice but to start a brand-new path toward a working operating system--a format, a reinstall, and a few more hours spent getting your system back the way it was pre-destruction. Erunt aims to take a little burden off your shoulders by offering you a means for backing up and restoring your registry. The application can back up your registry as you see fit or, if you're especially nervous, can automatically back up your registry with each boot of the operating system. While that might not do you much good if your corrupt registry becomes your new backup, Erunt could still be the guiding light between you and the unpleasant task of a complete system rebuild. To that, I say, "yuck."

Download it here!

Returnil

One of the surest ways to avoid a catastrophic infection of your system is to block it off from modifications by any person that isn't you. You can accomplish this one of three ways: locking the door to your room, setting up a password on your machine that's some horrific obscenity (as to discourage friendly use), or slapping your entire system in a virtualized environment with Returnil. But this isn't just some VMware clone. No, Returnil actually locks down your primary operating system (when activated) without the typical resource drains of having to have an entirely second virtualized environment up-and-running. Changes to the Returnil-based OS can be committed to a virtual drive or non-system disk if you so desire. Otherwise, any alterations made within the operating system will be eliminated upon the restart of your system.

Jumping in and out of this "System Safe" mode just requires a simple restart of your PC. If you're throwing a party or otherwise opening up your system for access by other users--or if you happen to install a ton of freeware applications each week as a part of your job--Returnil is the best solution for keeping your system in perfect working order.

Download it here!

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

Freeware Files: Five Apps for Perfect Podcast Recording, Listening, and Editing!

David Murphy — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:01:01 -0600

Listening to the Maximum PC podcast #131 this past week (I'm behind) brought back some fond memories. Not only was there a little glint in my eye because I was actually mentioned on said podcast, but I was also tearing up a bit at the realization that the very art of podcasting could serve as an excellent Freeware Files roundup.

Thus, here we are! Podcasting is a huge topic in itself, so I'm trying to bridge a bunch of different worlds in this week's list of awesome applications. Just interested in listening to podcasts? Don't worry--I've got you covered. Looking to make a Maximum PC (or Freeware Files) fan podcast of your own? You'll find a fun trick or two within the bits and bytes of this week's post. Tired of all the same-ol', same-ol' podcasting programs that you read about on all the other tech sites (like iTunes, cough cough?) Well, I'll do my best to surprise you with a new app or two!

Even if, like me, you think that 99-percent of all podcasts are lame and not really worth your time, you can also use some of the enclosed apps and utilities to exert some editing influence over existing audio files. As well, you'll even find an awesome player for video and music files that even comes with a built-in Bittorrent download capability.

Have I whet your podcasting whistle yet? Great. Let's begin!

Robert's Podcatcher

If you're just looking for a way to grab the latest versions of audio recordings on the 'net, why bother with a bulky program like iTunes or its graphically intense cousin, Zune? Robert's Podcatcher is a perfect application for identifying and downloading all the latest updates to a syndicated podcast feed. It works rather simply: Enter a stream, and the program will go out and download the very latest episode in the feed. The next time you launch the application, it'll automatically grab all the new files that have been put up since the last time you loaded the program. The program can run in the background of your system and scan for new updates to your podcast feeds along set intervals.

Download it here!

The Levelator

If you've ever recorded an audio file of a conversation--especially one handled over a VoIP medium like Skype--you've probably been frustrated by the volume disparity between all the voices on said recording. You might sound super-loud, one of your subjects might sound deathly quiet, and a third party might warble between the two extremes depending on how often he or she has had to move away from the microphone to breathe.

Anyway, you can definitely fix this problem by applying limiting effects and other such audio trickery using complicated paid-for apps (or open-source software, like Audacity). Or... you can grab The Levelator, which fixes the issue for you without requiring so much as a peep of parameter setting from you. Just drag your crazy-sounding file over the interface and let The Levelator do what it does best--automatically try to make everyone in the file sound as equal in volume as possible. Editing audio doesn't get much easier than this!

Download it here!

Miro

Now we're getting intense. Miro is an application that's mainly geared for watching videos. Not only can you view (and download) YouTube HD files, but you can also use the app to subscribe to (and play) video podcasts as well as a wide range of other common video file. Miro's extended this functionality to audio podcasts as well--again, it's not the program's forte, but it's a welcome addition to an otherwise feature-packed media player. The icing on the cake lies in Miro's Bittorrent support. If there's a particular Bittorrent RSS feed that you care for (who's podcasting with Bittorrents anyway?), you can one-click add it to to Miro's scan list. The program will download new files automatically using its integrated libtorrent engine.

Download it here!

Streamripper

It wouldn't make much sense to just outright record a podcast while it's playing--as in, make an audio recording of a live podcast you're listening to. That pretty much defeats the entire concept of a podcast, doesn't it? Well, if you've found yourself in this predicament or, conversely, have a favorite Internet radio station that you'd love to have a downloadable archive of, then Streamripper is your ticket. This console utility will record and automatically separate tracks for any of the five following streams:

.mp3 Shoutcast streams
.mp3 Icecast streams
.nsv (Nullsoft Streaming Video) streams
.aac Shoutcast/Icecast streams
.ogg streams

And if you want to get a little fancier, Streamripper can also take care of LasfFM streams and Live365 streams, amongst others.

Download it here!

LoadScout

File transfers are cheap, right? Look, it might not break your bandwidth bank to download huge files--like a .zip archive of your favorite podcasts or, for that matter, the 150MB "Gordon's Greatest Rants Ever No Really" Maximum PC podcast. If you're on anything but a cable Internet connection, the prospect of downloading huge files on a whim doesn't sound very appealing. The situation's compounded if you're being asked to download a huge file based on something you may or may not even like to begin with.

That's where LoadScout comes into play. This helpful application allows you to extract snippets of .zip archives and .mp3 files to your computer so you can judge for yourself whether you want the whole archive or audio file. Don't let the older appearance of LoadScout throw you off--this application is a powerful tool for power downloaders that want only what they like without having to waste precious bandwidth on guesswork.

Download it here!

Freeware Files: Five Unmentioned, but not Unappreciated, UI Apps for your Desktop!

David Murphy — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:38:04 -0600

Let it not be said that I don't pay attention to the demands of the readers. No sooner did I wrap up another comparative analysis of three slammin' freeware applications for altering your desktop in new and unique ways then, well, you all talked. And talked. And talked.

That's not a bad thing, however. A number of you voiced support for your favorite applications and utilities that you use to radically transform the look of your traditional Windows desktop in some pretty awesome ways. It would be a shame to let these suggestions languish in the comments thread of an old article, however. So, this week, Freeware Files is all about you. I'll be featuring your suggestions for applications and showing people why they should consider your alternatives for giving their desktops a refreshed look.

Got it? Let's begin!

3DNA

What. The. Hell. Sorry to be so blunt, and I apologize for offending anyone's sensitive ears. Let's not kid ourselves, however. That's the first think you'll be thinking when you go to load up 3DNA, a desktop transformation that takes the concept of a 3D environment one step further... off the deep end. I kid, but it's just that much of a radical transformation. Unlike the previously featured Bumptop, which allows you to manipulate your desktop as if it was a 3D cube of-sorts, 3DNA turns your desktop into the equivalent of Second Life.

Is it useful from a functional standpoint? Doubtful. Is it cool to run through? Admittedly... yes. Just not if you're a Windows 7 user, however--there's no support for that OS just yet!

Download it here!

Hyperdesk

On the flip side from 3DNA, we have Hyperdesk. This application doesn't really transform the look of your desktop in a significant way per se--it's more akin to slapping a new layer of paint on a building than retrofitting the underlying framework. Still, the skins created by The Skins Factory, Hyperdesk's creator, are nothing short of artistic wonders. Nor are they free. So what, then, is Hyperdesk doing in a Freeware roundup? Keep this one on your radar, because you'll occasionally find widgets or skins for free (or cheap.) Hey, it's not like da Vinci worked free either, eh?

Download it here!

RocketDock

Have we covered this application before? Yes. Does it still do the same thing it did then? Yes. Did many of you scream and clamor when we didn't include this in our "apps that transform your desktop" feature profile? Yes. To be fair, RocketDock doesn't actually change the entirety of your desktop--hence it's omission. What it does, however, is pretty great. The application gives you a little launching bar that almost perfectly mimics what you'd find in Apple's OSX platform. You know, the bar that you move the mouse over, and the icons get bigger as you scroll through them, and you cackle with glee, et cetera.

The transparency of this application really helps it stand out as a beautiful addition to desktops of all varieties. Were it only so easy to completely remove the Windows taskbar in favor of this little guy--that's how much RocketDock, well, rocks.

Download it here!

Samurize

Here's a big gun for you. Samurize is a great desktop replacement tool that operates along the same vein as Rainmeter. My experience is that it's a little tricky to use, but not complicated enough to make you want to give up before you've managed to stick your first CPU meter on your desktop.

I might be getting ahead of myself here, so permit me to take a step back. Samurize is an application that basically adds a layer on top of your desktop, which you can then populate with widgets of all varieties to transform your desktop into a customized, one-of-a-kind experience. Everything from abstract clocks to CPU use meters are yours for the tweaking--and even if you're uncreative (or confused), you can pick from a variety of preconfigured "configs" that others have created for you.

Download it here!

SharpEnviro

This shell replacement for the Windows doesn't skin your desktop, nor does it dump widgets overtop your desktop's existing look and feel. When I say "replacement," I mean just that: You're getting an entirely new look and configuration to play around with, styled in a similar condition to Litestep (from the aforementioned desktop UI application showdown.)

SharpEnviro succeeds in its ability to present a bit more of a user-friendly setup over competing shell replacements. You won't be screwing around in notepad to make your potential changes. The configurations and launching elements are all styled in an easy-to-navigate GUI, and you're free to make additional modifications--like adding new toolbar configurations--without having to deal with the hassle of figuring out just what exactly it is you're doing. Heck, SharpEnviro even comes with built-in support for switching between two separate desktops featuring their own individual windows. You won't see that in a Microsoft-based product! These are just a few of the highlights of this super-simple desktop replacement--you'll definitely want to explore the nooks and crannies of this app.

Download it here!

Freeware Files: 5 Portable Apps to Stick on Your Security-Themed USB Key!

David Murphy — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:00:11 -0600

Security rivals thermal paste as the most important thing you have to keep in mind when building or using a system. Every bit of software on your PC should be updated; every external access point into your digital life, closed. There's no reason why you should be handing over the keys to the castle to random Internet strangers. Powerful virus protection, a strong firewall, and a bit of common sense -- among other tricks -- will go far to preserve your fortress of a system.

Now that's all well and good for the desktop in your living room, but what about third-party machines? We've all had to jump on a system over which we've had no control--no observance or administrative rights to ensure that every bit of the operating system checked out to ideal security standards. You can always head over the falls in a barrel and type your passwords and login credentials blindly, with no foresight or worries that you're inputting valuable information on a potentially infected machine. That, or you can do what I'd do: Make sure that your every keystroke and action is somehow safeguarded through the use of portable applications that you can carry on a storage device of your choice (cough USB key cough).

And that's exactly what I'll be exploring in this week's Freeware Files: Five awesome portable apps that you can carry with you to increase your security presence on a PC that isn't yours. These aren't panaceas--you'll still want to be as critical and as cautious as you would previously. However, they're a step in the right direction toward (hopefully) a data-leak-free lifestyle.

Active Kill Disk -- Hard Drive Eraser

In a world of small arms, I'll start with the security nuke: If you need to wipe a drive that's too far beyond saving due to malware, virus infections, or some other critical issue, you'll want to slap a copy of Active Kill Disk on your USB key post-haste. Provided you're rocking a bootable USB key, you can use this app to fire up a DOS-based destruction tool for unruly digital files. The free version of the app only allows you to erase your drive using the one-pass zero method. Stronger techniques will require you to pony up a price for the full version of the app. However, unless you're trying to avoid a government inquiry or something, this should be all you need for bringing your beleaguered hard drive back in line--and making sure that your key information is gone for good!

Download it here!

FreeOTFE

Similar to the popular privacy app TrueCrypt, FreeOTFE allows you to create and access encrypted volumes of information on a system--which, naturally, will appear as just a stream of junk for anyone lacking the proper authorization credentials. The beauty of FreeOTFE is that, unlike TrueCrypt, you don't actually have to install an application in order to gain access to this powerful protection. You don't even need administrator rights for the encryption to work! While this app might not make the most sense if you're frequently jet-setting between systems, it's an ideal solution for building additional privacy into something like your work system.

Download it here!

PortableTor

Need a quick way to access Web sites while reducing your ability to be tracked? PortableTor is the easy solution for gaining access to a large network of proxy servers (really, other people) that bounce your traffic requests around before pointing them toward the final destination you seek. The only problem with the Tor solution is that, by nature, traffic exiting the Tor network isn't going to be encrypted. That would theoretically allow someone serving as an exit node for Tor to eavesdrop on what gets passed out between that machine and said destinations. Still, for an easy-to-use privacy solution, PortableTor sure beats surfing the Internet vanilla-style.

Download it here!

PuTTY Portable

Right on the heels of PortableTor comes PuTTY Portable. This app doesn't allow you to join an encrypted network of proxies. Rather, you can use PuTTY to fire up an encrypted SSH connection -- or tunnel -- to your desktop computer that's presumably located in a safer surfing location than wherever you happen to be. Once this connection is live, you can use this protected gateway to do your normal network routines like browsing around, checking email, et cetera. Others won't be able to decrypt the information you're sending out and you won't be forced to use an unsecure network to conduct your important business!

Download it here!

NetWrix USB Blocker

If you're on the flip-side of the equation and are looking for ways to keep your system free from the USB-based applications others are carrying around, then this app is a perfect way to lock down your system from unauthorized, portable access. NetWrix USB Blocker helps you turn off all (or a select number) of your USB ports, which will prevent anyone from simply walking up, slapping in a USB key, and ripping out your saved passwords in a single setting. The app requires the use of Microsoft's Group Policy Management, so make sure that's installed on the system of choice before you go to run NetWrix USB Blocker. After that, your system will be safe from unwanted flash drives!

Download it here!

Freeware Files: 5 Add-ons that Make Windows Explorer Even Better!

David Murphy — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:30:00 -0600

Windows Explorer hasn't always been the most feature-packed of elements inside Microsoft's operating systems. Yet, oddly, it's probably the one part of your Windows version that you use most frequently. But that's not to say that everything is Microsoft's fault. We're often so quick to blame the software giant for what's more a lack of future-proofing than outright failure. In this case, Windows Explorer can't predict what's going to be the next big thing--it can't know that you'll want your photographs easily updated to Maximum Photos someday; it has no idea that you might somehow need to paste a direct link to a file instead of its name or containing folder.

Windows Explorer is, in a word, dumb.

But that's not what we're here to talk about. We're not going to sit around a table and lament about all the features Windows Explorer could have were you one, Bill Gates, and had access to an engineer, or two, or twenty thousand. We're going to go over all the unique little elements that you can build into Windows Explorer right this darn second. I can think of five off the top of my head that are useful additions to your standard interactions with your operating system. They're free, they're awesome, and they're yours for the taking.

Lammer Context Menu

Right-clicking on a typical piece of content via Windows Explorer gives you a useful, but limited, number of options for manipulating said content. Lammer Context Menu is like calling up a fifty-person catering squad to serve food for a dinner with you and your cat. It's chock-full of useful features and shortcuts that can all be access via your standard right-click context menu in Windows Explorer. This includes the ability to quickly mount anything as a virtual drive, batch rename files, open up a command prompt at a given directory, and a whole host of parameter-based copying and moving options. And that's just the tip of the contextual iceberg!

Download it here!

TeraCopy

I didn't believe in the raw speeds unlocked by the popular freeware program TeraCopy until I tried it. And once I tried it, I became hooked. This little application integrates into your right-click context menu as well, and it's designed to turbo-boost your copying and movement capabilities in Windows Explorer. Not only does it work--a big complement for a program that sounds a wee like snake oil at first glance--but it also comes with a number of other great features that Windows Explorer lacks: pause transfers, resume transfers, and blow past transfers that simply don't work for whatever reason (unlike Explorer, which would automatically kill the whole batch).

Download it here!

Vanity Remover

Have a whole bunch of empty folders clogging up a particular directory on your hard drive? Not anymore! Fire up the ultra-portable (and ultra-easy-to-use) Vanity Remover, and this little open-source utility will scour said folder in search of directories with nothing in them. When it finds said directories, it will eliminate them. If the totality of its work ends up leaving the actual folder that Vanity Remover resides in empty as well (save for the program, obviously), it will delete itself and said folder in one heroic self-sacrifice. For Spartaaaaa!

Download it here!

ShellMenuNew

Tired of seeing a laundry list of options whenever you right-click inside a folder, in Windows Explorer, and hover your mouse over the "new" option? ShellMenuNew, as the name somewhat implies, allows you to dig deep into your operating system and excise or add these options. Prune your "new" listing to your heart's content and assume control of your overflowing ability to create!

Download it here!

NoDrives Manager

I'm not going to ask what you might use this for; I'm just going to tell you what it does. The helpful-yet-sneaky utility NoDrives Manager allows you to quickly and easily edit the system registry to display or hide any of your system's drive letters. From hard drives, to optical drives, to USB key assignments, you can make it look as if your C:\ drive is the only chunk of files that exists on your system. You won't be able to stop creative users from accessing other drives by typing in the drive letter, but nobody's that crafty, right?

Download it here!

iTunes vs Zune vs Songbird: Music Organizer Showdown

David Murphy — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:00:00 -0600

Music, music everywhere, and a ton of programs with which to organize it. But how will you know which of the many iTunes-equivalents (if not iTunes itself) are going to be right for your needs?

If you're one of the many people using Windows' default music libraries to organize and store your files, stop. Just stop. There's so much more you can do beyond that-which-is-given by Windows Media Player's library features, it's not even funny. Conversely, if you're one of the people who clings to Apple's iTunes with a death grip by virtue of it being one of the first big music organizing tools to really "stick" amongst the general geek population... you might be in good hands. You also might be missing out on a ton of additional functionality, depending on what you're looking for and how you typically go about rocking out on your computer.

To keep the playing field fair, we'll look at three different applications in this ultimate guide to media organizing: iTunes, Songbird, and Zune. For those keeping score at home, that's one big solution from Apple, one big solution from Microsoft, and one big solution from the open-source community. There are certainly other options around--Foobar comes to mind as one such example. None are as comprehensive in their combination of features and/or customizability as these three, however. They're all easy to install and easy to set up, but which application has the features and usability that'll make it a hit?

iTunes

Apple introduced iTunes into the world at the 2001 Macworld Expo. At the time, it was fairly trimmed-down piece of software that was really only meant to do two things: play audio files and burn discs in a single program. Apple's app wasn't quite as slick as its chief rival, Windows Media Player 7. The latter built Internet connectivity into the usual list of media playback features to deliver a player that could not only burn and rip CDs, but also connect to Internet radio, surf online media guides, and download new skins for the whole application.

My, how times have changed.

Awesome

Apple Support: Duh. Apple's iTunes is the only media player/organizer that fully supports all the features of Apple's various handheld products. Other media organizers simply can't bypass the encryption Apple keeps between its products and its players.

Online Store: It's hard to deny the power of Apple's online store. With downloads of more than 8.5 billion songs, three billion apps, and one million video files since its inception, the iTunes Store is a veritable powerhouse of content in the marketplace.

Customized Data Dump: Want to list your music by the last time you accessed the file? Okay. You're your music by beats-per-minute? Sure! Want to organize your files by bit rate? Go ahead. iTunes comes with a full list of sortable options for listing your jams.

Powerful Playlisting: Automatically assign new songs to a playlist based on customized criteria you select. It's a perfect way to have a perfect, hands-free organization for your music library.

Unfortunate

Apple Authorization: Want to connect your app to your iTunes Store account? You only get five authorizations (and one do-over) per year. That's not much for a single computer user, but if you're running iTunes on multiple devices using one account, and forget to deauthorize your computers when reinstalling the OS, you're hosed.

Clunky Interface: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I can't help but feel that the iTunes UI is a bit kludgy. Throw in Apple's marketing efforts--like the Genius-based callbacks to the iTunes Store, as well as the entirety of the iTunes store itself--and the whole app just feels a bit out of its element on the Windows platform.

Lookups, Schmookups: Apple's iTunes isn't that good about looking up cover art for MP3s you've imported, even when the album seems pretty easy to identify-in my case, the Avenue Q soundtrack. If the ID3 tags aren't perfect, isn't there some kind of fancy technology iTunes can use to suggest a best-guess fix?

Lost Music? Lost Money: Delete a track you've downloaded from iTunes and you're stuck--unless you send a mea culpa to Apple itself, you'll have to repurchase the song from the iTunes Store.

Zune

Ahh, yes. Microsoft's answer to Apple's iTunes-if-we're-not-talking-about-Windows-Media-Player. Like iTunes, you won't be able to use the external-features of Zune with any device but... the Zune. Go figure. However, unlike Apple's iTunes, Microsoft has really hit one out of the park from an interactivity standpoint. Zune is easy to install and setup, and it works wonderfully with your preexisting music libraries in Windows. Provided you've dumped your music according to Windows' design, you won't have to go through any annoying re-importing via Zune.

Awesome

Interface: ‘nuff said. With beautiful backgrounds, fading windows that pop up and down, and awesome auto-collages of your entire library's cover art--to name a few--Microsoft's interface for Zune is simply amazing. It's responsive, it's artistic, and it's a lot more fun to navigate than any other music organizer out there.

Social Interaction: Since Zune ties into your existing Microsoft Live account, you gain access to a wealth of awesome social features that you don't normally find in music organizers. Track what you're listening too, message your friends and see what they're listening to, and gain mini-achievements for your rocking out!

Home Page: That's right. The Zune software comes with its own "You just loaded the app" page that gives you quick access to bands you've selected to care about, music you've recently imported, and Smart DJ mixes that--in theory--should give you the same kind of sound as the band you've selected.

Unfortunate

Limited Ripping: You can only rip tracks from CDs to a WMA or an MP3 format. That's not a lot of choice.

Zune Pass: Microsoft is really pimping its Zune Pass service all over the software. While admittedly neat--unlimited access to all music on the Zune Marketplace for $15 a month--I don't need it thrown in my face every time I'm trying to play a song or mix.

My Library? Zune Marketplace? Whenever you click on related links to what you're listening to, you might be pulling up a preview track from the Zune marketplace instead of an actual related song--e.g. clicking on Sara Bareilles when listening to Ben Folds could get you a 30-second preview of "Gravity" instead of an actual Bareilles song in your library. Zune needs a way to restrict recommendations to offline-only.

Long Loading: I'm currently sitting at 2.5-hours and counting just for Zune to make a Smart DJ mix of my files. While this will hopefully offer stronger musical recommendations than iTunes' default "eh, whatever" DJ service, you'll want to make sure you enable this functionality... a few days before your party.

Crazy networking: Streaming audio files in iTunes is a breeze--just click on a shared computer and play away. Zune requires you to go through Windows Media Extenders. Admittedly, this opens up your software to more devices for playback. However, it's a bit more involved of a process than iTunes--also, no Zune remote software for your device or wireless speaker connectivity.

Songbird

Open-source, here we come! The third entrant in the "best music organizers ever?" category is its only open-source creation. Thousands of developers--ranging from Mozilla Firefox geeks to Winamp hackers--have descended upon this application in hopes of providing an awesome third-party solution to the predominant media tools on the marketplace. Have they succeeded? Yes and no. Unfortunately, some of the program's faults are elements that don't really have an open-source solution.

Awesome

Add-ons: Right off the bat, Songbird prompts you to install a number of awesome add-ons that take this music organizer light-years beyond its closed-source competition, including last.fm integration, a built-in lyrics auto-downloader, and a concert-tracker to tell you when artists in your library are on tour. Excellent.

Tabbed-browsing: Ahh, now you know it's an open-source program. In all seriousness, Songbird's tabbed-browsing-friendly interface does help you look up information on-the-fly, as these tabs serve as a built-in Web browser analogous to Mozilla Firefox.

File-formats: You'll be hard-pressed to find a music organizer that supports more file formats than Songbird, including: MPGA, MP3, M4A, M4V, MP4, M4P, M4B, Ogg Vorbis, Speex, AAC, WMA, WMADRM, FLAC, LPCM, ADPCM, and AMR.

Skinnable: Don't like how Songbird looks? Change up the look at a whim by installing a new skin overtop the program's core!

iTunes integration: Sorry, Zune. Songbird works alongside your existing iTunes configuration, enabling you to pull up your playlists from that program into this one. It's a great trick if you're still on the fence about switching from one to the other

Unfortunate

Video: Not gonna' happen. Songbird is the only media organizer on this list that can't play video files... for right now. This support is promised in the February revision of the program. We'll see just how well it works then!

64-bit: Sorry, Windows 7 x64 enthusiasts. The current version of Songbird (as of this article's writing) doesn't work perfectly in your 64-bit operating system. Hello, problematic disc burning. For what it's worth, Windows 7 support as a whole is also fairly limited--no Aero in this one, folks! [author's note: fixed this section for additional clarity!]

Not very speedy: Clicking through menus and selecting options in Songbird feels like you're wading through molasses. This could be a direct result of the program's lack of 64-bit support (confession: That's how I was running it on my system). Or, at least, here's hoping that's the fixable culprit--this app is s-l-o-w.

Less-than-perfect device support: Although Songbird will sync up with devices like the Palm Pre and Motorola's Droid, and a other handheld audio players like Apple's iPods and MTP-based devices, it employs workarounds to sync with Apple devices and won't sync with a Zune unless you go hunting for add-ons.

No streaming: Want to share your library to other computers on your network a la iTunes' shared libraries or Windows' libraries? Not with Songbird, you won't!

The Wrap-up

So which music player should you go with? All three. No, really. There are compelling reasons to pick any of these media organizers--your personal "best match" really depends on your use scenarios. For a no-frills audio experience with super-fast sharing capabilities and a powerhouse store of content to purchase, you'll want to hit up Apple's iTunes.

If you're looking for a bit more flair for your rocking out and prefer to synchronize your tunes with more than just computers, Zune is an excellent choice that bridges a beautiful aesthetic with excellent, recommendation-based functionality (provided you don't mind the constant links to Zune's store).

And, naturally, if you're looking for features that you simply can't find in either app, Songbird is your ticket--its powerful add-on database extends the capabilities of this application light-years beyond what you'll find in either iTunes or Zune. The downside? You can't stream your audio and, honestly, the program feels a bit sluggish.

Freeware Files: Five BitTorrent Apps for Maximum Downloading!

David Murphy — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:00:00 -0600

I don't care what you use BitTorrent for. I don't even want to know. What you download is your own business. That said, don't even think about coming in the comments with a "omg check out this awesome freeware Pirate Bay scanning app it helped me download all the copies of My Little Pony in like no time whatsoever." Not cool.

Now that the semi-useful disclaimer is out of the way, let's get down to business. There's no denying that BitTorrent is a powerful tool for downloading (legal) files of all kinds. It can run faster than a straight one-to-one transfer from a Web site and, more importantly, it allows you to preserve files online when you would otherwise have no direct way to host them.

That sounds a little weird, so hear me out: Suppose you have an awesome recording of you playing piano in eight grade and you want everyone to hear it, only you don't really have access to a direct host for these files. Nor do you want your files to be dependent on a Web host that could theoretically go down at any time. No worries--just find a place to stash a .torrent link to your information and let everyone connect (and subsequently share) your information with the world. Your files will live in perpetuity provided others are as willing to share your data as you.

Got it? Good. I'm taking the BitTorrent concept to the next level this week by showing you five different ways to take your downloading to the next level... with a particular emphasis on one of the best BitTorrent clients around, uTorrent!

uTorrent

Speaking of... no, really. Although the program is corporate-owned at this point, that's not to say that its initial goal of delivering an easy-to-use, lightweight experience for torrent downloads has gone south in the slightest. With uTorrent, it's really more a question of where does one begin? If you're a novice user or somebody who just wants a simple download or two (or twenty), you'll appreciate uTorrent's support for Magnet Links (decentralizing the need for actual .torrent files), bandwidth scheduling, and automatic client or PC shutdowns once the download finishes. Advanced users will want to make use of the app's Web UI for remote torrent downloading or--if you're really hardcore--the beta 2.1 client, which builds video streaming for ongoing file downloads into the mix.

uTorrent 2.0 just officially hit the Web a little bit ago. There are a few new features worth noting, including the ability to set permanent bandwidth caps (as to not hack off your greedy ISP) and a new uTP communication method which functions as a kind of Quality-of-Service protocol for your network. Download files all you want--in theory, uTP should allow others on your network to continue their habits sans slowdowns or interruptions.

Download it here (and the beta here!)

uTorrent Portable

PortableApps has done it again! If you want to carry a powerful BitTorrent tool wherever you go, then this modification of the core uTorrent program is an excellent way to satisfy your downloading urges on the go. The only issue with this portable app is that it's not as frequently updated as the main uTorrent application. At the time of this article's writing, uTorrent Portable uses the 1.8.5 version of the program. That's not a huge deal, as it's just one revision behind the current 2.0 version. This portable application, while useful, is always going to be just a little bit behind. If that's OK with you--and I don't see why it wouldn't be--it's OK with me.

Download it here!

Torrent Magnifier

Looking for a way to find torrent files from your desktop? The search is over: Torrent Magnifier is an awesome, no-frills utility that allows you to scour the net for your next big download without ever having to fire up a Web browser. Sort-of. Torrent Magnifier pulls down a list of relevant torrent files from a wide range of sources. You can see seed counts, leech counts, the tracker and the torrent's name in the program. Double-clicking on any entry pulls up the associated Web page in your browser of choice. From there, I would assume you're only a click or two away from grabbing the file yourself!

Download it here!

Vuze

Older torrent fans might remember the Azureus client. You're still looking at it, but the Vuze application isn't just a direct rip-off of the lineage you might have grown accustom to. I include Vuze on the list--even though it's not a true addon or helpful accessory to uTorrent--because its social features and emphasis on media downloading simply can't be found in the more popular uTorrent app. How's that? For starters, a built-in transcoding tool allows you to convert videos you've downloaded into formats playable on your iPod (or like devices), PS3, and Xbox 360, amongst others. Beyond that, an integrated video content distribution network will give you a host of new sources for compelling content. You can add Vuze friends, grab files your pals recommend, and create your own online identity for your (legal) bandwidth-killing.

Download it here!

Download at Work

I normally don't opt for Web apps in these freeware updates--Web apps aren't freeware, after all. However, the thought occurred to me: What good is a BitTorrent file (or client) if you can't download it at work? I'm not actually suggesting that you should use the considerable resources of your T1 connection to grab every episode of Scrubs under the sun. However, work-based limitations on what you're actually allowed to download are lame. Solve that by hitting up the site Download at Work, which converts URLs you enter into downloads with conventional (or weird) file extensions. If you can't grab .exe or .torrent files from the 'net, surely your job won't limit a PDF or DOC file, right?

Check it out here!

11 Best Greasemonkey Scripts that Actually Work with Chrome

David Murphy — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:00:00 -0600

One of Mozilla Firefox's bigger advantages over Google Chrome has just been wiped away and, dare we say, Google Chrome has actually one-upped its rival in terms of overall usability and ease-of-installation. We're referring, of course, to Greasemonkey. You might have heard this name echoed across tech and tweak sites far and wide. As well you should have--the functionality you can achieve by this upgrade to your surfing experience is simply unsurpassed in its depth or scope by any conventional add-on or extension.

It's quite simple, really. You install Greasemonkey to gain access to a gallery of add-ons that benefit your browsing experience just as much as your favorite official "add-ons," if not more. By add-ons, we mean "scripts." In its conventional format, Greasemonkey is a browser add-on that grants you the ability to automatically integrate new Javascript-based modifications to a site whenever you load up the page. You don't have to design these modifications yourself--a huge gallery of scripts (more than 40,000!) have already been written for a wide swath of functions and locations. Consider Greasemonkey scripts to be analogous to extensions for Greasemonkey--itself an extension for your main browser.

Or, at least, for most browsers--Google Chrome doesn't force you to install a separate extension in order to access this huge body of customized tweaks and modifications. You can thank Aaron Boodman for that. He created Greasemonkey back in 2004 and, as luck might have it, now works at Google as a software engineer. The whole point of that short story is to give a little bit of background for Chrome's interpretation of Greasemonkey scripts. It's rather ingenious, really. Chrome automatically converts these hunks of Javascript into browser-suppoted extensions, which gives you the ability to install, uninstall, and configure your Greasemonkey scripts just as easily as you would a normal extension. You don't need a separate add-on, nor do you even need to restart your browser to fiddle around with all the scripts you want.

And by "all the scripts you want," we mean, "most of the scripts you want." Not all Greasemonkey scripts work perfectly in Google Chrome. The running estimation is that roughly 20 percent of what's out there is currently broken for Google's browser. That's not great news for a person who's easily frustrated by failure. However, here's where Maximum PC comes into the picture. We've run through a large swath of awesome Google Greasemonkey scripts to achieve two key goals: to see what works and to see which scripts, of the 40,000+ available, are awesome tweaks for your browser. That said, here's a list of 11 excellent Greasemonkey scripts that you should put at the top of your must-have list, depending on your browsing preferences:

Inline Google Player

This one's a Lifehacker original and, if you find yourself often searching for new jams on the Web, a complete lifesaver. The premise is simple. Whenever the script detects a link to an MP3 file on a page, it'll throw a little "Play" link after the actual hyperlink. Click on "Play," and a small Flash-based streaming player will appear. Preview your tune. Decide if you like it. Rock out.

Download it here!

Yays! (Yet Another YouTube Script)

We, like most people, enjoy watching videos on Youtube. But what we don't enjoy is waiting for these videos to buffer, and especially when the playback catches up to the end of said buffering. When we want to watch cats chasing each other around, we want it in its full, uninterrupted glory. The Yays script makes this possible... and more! You can now toggle whether you want Youtube videos to autoplay or not, and you can also select a default quality setting for said videos--no more paused playback or 360p videos when you can instead be watching a full, uninterrupted, 1080p stream.

Download it here!

Remove Facebook Ads

Annoying advertisements, especially those related to Mob-based Facebook games or hints of things to come (are YOU getting married! Buy a RING TODAY!), are often a source of laughter--and complaints--on good ol' Facebook. Install this script and you'll never be prompted to "CHECK OUT THIS NEW ENERGY DRINK" or "HEY ARE YOU PREGNANT" ever again.

Download it here!

Greased Lightbox

If you find yourself often searching for images on the 'net, then this script should increase the awesomeness of your conventional experience to a great degree. Instead of jumping to normal HTML pages when you click on picture links--like on Flickr, for example), Greased Lightbox slaps these images into, well, a lightbox. The background of the page you're viewing fades down and the image you're looking at appears in the center of your screen. You can then use keyboard commands to scroll through subsequent images and increase or decrease the size of the picture you're viewing.

Download it here!

Secure Connections on Sites

This one's simple -- when you hit up a particular site on this script's list (like Amazon, Facebook, or Paypal), the script will automatically force your browser to use the more secure https:// version of the page.

Download it here!

BugMeNot

Little is more annoying than when you've gotten yourself all emotionally invested to read an article online only to find that the site hosting said article won't let you through an imposed gateway without registering for a free account. Grumble. BugMeNot adds a little menu to the login pages of sites like this, allowing you to pull up a login and password from BugMeNot's archives instead of having to submit your own info.

Download it here!

LookItUp

What the heck is that? It's a fair question to ask yourself when you stumble across a word or phrase you simply don't recognize. This occurrence might normally result in a trip to an online dictionary or Wikipedia, which would require you to open up a new tab in your browser, go back to the original tab, copy the word, go to the new tab, load up the appropriate site, paste the word, et cetera. Psh to that process, I say. With LookItUp, you can simply highlight words and use keyboard hotkeys to automatically pull up what you've selected in a sidebar of various reference sites.

Download it here!

Virtual Keyboard Interface

Worried that you might be surfing the Web or typing up information on a compromised machine? Virtual Keyboard Interface adds a clickable keyboard below any text field on a Web page. Use your mouse to do your typing, and you'll spare yourself the wrath of an angry keylogger!

Download it here!

Multi-Column View of Google Search Results

Alright, widescreen enthusiasts. If you're sporting a huge monitor, you might be frustrated by the typical wasted space you see in a given Google search result. This script fixes that by allowing you to split Google search results into columns. Change back and forth between one, two, or three columns by using the hotkeys alt+1, alt+2, or alt+3!

Download it here!

Chromium RSS-Feed Detection

Does the site you're browsing have an RSS feed? If the site's layout is poor, good luck finding that little orange icon that represents your ability to subscribe to said site's updates. This script aims to fix that by placing an RSS icon in a little drop-down display in the upper-left corner of Chrome. If you see this, congratulations--you're one step away from accessing the RSS feed you seek!

Download it here!

Helvetwitter

We know how much typical Maximum PC readers love Twitter (read: none), so here's a special one that might just get you back into the service. If you're tired of Twitter's color-filled interface and just want a simpler way to read what's going on with your friends and/or random strangers, grab the Helvetwitter script. It strips everything out of the Twitter interface save for the essentials: names, Tweets, and a box for updates. Instead of a ton of colors, you get three: white, black, and red. This is Twitter minimalism to the max.

Download it here!