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Freeware Files: Five New Tools for Your Virtual Toolbox!

David Murphy — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:30:00 -0500

With the imminent launch of Windows 7 and its much-hyped Windows XP mode, the word "virtualization" is going to be everyone's lips throughout the month of October. Never one to let a fad slide on by, I'm jumping on the bandwagon in this week's freeware and open-source application roundup. I'll be taking a look at five different programs that enrich your computing experience with some kind of virtual add-on.

What does that even mean? A number of things. Windows XP mode is a great example of the common definition of virtualization--running a second operating system inside your primary operating system in a way that typically allows you to quickly switch between the two and access the contents of your primary machine's hard drives from the virtualized environment.

Virtual desktops are a lesser derivative of this concept. Instead of running a separate operating system, you're merely extending the size of your workspace by stacking on additional desktop layers that you can swap back-and-forth. You can also install a virtual keyboard that sits overtop your programs--analogous to what Windows offers for tablet PCs--if you're concerned about keyloggers somehow getting their hands on your mission-critical information.

I won't go on, as that might spoil some of the fun applications listed below. The virtual world, er, world of virtualized software is vast and interesting, featuring many applications that can expand your computer's functionality without adding a crazy amount of complexity. The coolness of these apps is only rivaled by their ability to save you precious time and headaches from doing things the old-fashioned way. Let's go exploring!

VirtuaWin

As mentioned above, VirtuaWin is the open-source program that allows you to create multiple desktops on a single operating system. You can switch between your desktops, or workspaces, using a handy little taskbar icon or preset keyboard hotkeys, although you can also set the program to swap over to a new workspace whenever you hover your mouse near the edge of a screen. Sending applications from desktop to desktop is as easy as clicking the taskbar icon or using the hotkeys as well. You can also drag a window over the "gutter" between your desktops, then swap over to the other side and pull that half of the window over to the new screen.

The downside? VirtuaWin doesn't create new desktops per se, in that your icons and background will look identical from screen to screen. Still, this program is a great organizational tool. It's nice to see Windows finally getting the same treatment that Linux has had for how long now?

Download it here!

Neo's SafeKeys 2008

If there's one thing that strikes fear in the computer-savvy traveler, it's having to use an unsecured terminal somewhere to access one's important, password-protected information. Who knows what could be lurking on a PC over which you have no control or supervision? Neo's SafeKeys 2008 attempts to relieve the stress of having to use potentially infected systems by giving you a virtual keyboard for inputting your sensitive information (think logins and passwords). It's not foolproof, but it does provide a measure of security from keyloggers using a whole swath of measures: clicked-on keys aren't translated to real-life key presses, the utility changes height and width to fool mouse-loggers, and you can even hover over keys you want to input instead of pressing the mouse button to thwart would-be screen-grabbers.

Like I said, this program isn't going to be the James Bond of safeguards against someone who's using a number of fancy techniques to steal your sensitive information. However, I'd much rather use Neo's SafeKeys 2008 than just type my password onto a provided physical keyboard. Yikes!

Download it here!

MobaLiveCD

It's not the fastest virtual environment around in terms of raw application speed, but MobaLiveCD puts up a fight for the title of fastest-loading. That's because this one-shot, single-executable application lets you launch into LiveCD-based operating systems at the touch of a button, right in the middle of your pre-existing Windows environment! If you're trying to save yourself coasters by installing your Live CDs straight onto bootable USB keys, you can use MobaLiveCD to launch into said operating systems without having to reboot your PC. The program can also launch a LiveCD-based OS from the .iso file you'd otherwise use to burn said CD.

Download it here!

Visual Subst

For convenience's sake, Virtual Subst allows you to take any folder on your system and mount it as if it was its own virtual hard drive. While the functionality is somewhat negated by the "Favorite Links" section in Windows Explorer, you have to dig a little deeper to see the true genius of Visual Subst. For example, pretend that you've mapped all of your iTunes music to the X:\ drive. The actual folder that corresponds to said virtual hard drive can be located anywhere on your PC, and you can move it around to anywhere else you want without any problem. To iTunes, your music will always exist in a single location--X:\. For you, however, you can shift and shuffle your files to your heart's content, provided you always point the final destination back to your trusty virtual drive of choice. That's just one thought--the mapping possibilities are endless!

Download it here!

VirtualBox

I would be remiss as an app-reviewer if I didn't mention VirtualBox, the oft-heralded free application of choice that allows you to load and launch any number of operating systems in a virtual environment. Essentially, this program will perform nearly the same functions as Windows 7's Virtual XP Mode. It offers you greater configurability and increased support for operating systems beyond Microsoft's own creations. You can also rollback changes you've made with an included snapshot mode, an ideal feature for those looking use a virtualized operating system as a clean test platform for new applications. Nothing against the Windows Virtual PC application--VirtualBox just offers more bang for your $0 worth of buck.

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 July Upgrades Worth Downloading!

David Murphy — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0500

As we close up yet another month of freeware goodies, it's important to look back and reflect on some of the awesome programs that received a version bump in the past 30 days. It was tough to nail down five free applications that not only upgraded themselves to a new iteration, but ones that successfully packed new and interesting features into their latest builds. There's no overarching theme this week save for that; it's a grab-bag of awesome new software to install. If this lack of a unifying concept horrifies you, don't worry. I'll list out all of this month's freeware roundups below, which you can use as a guide of-sorts to travel back to safer downloading waters.

Audacity

What it does: One of the best open-source audio editors out there has jumped up from version 1.3.7 to 1.3.8--both beta. What's included in the new batch of features? Support for more than 16 channels of audio recording, provided your hardware can handle it. The performance of the app's single-file editing and multi-track editing modes have been improved as well, as has the speed of the app's included equalization and noise removal options. A new interface mode--the "mixer board" view, offers volume-unit meters (VU meters) for each track.

For a full list of updates, click here! To grab the app, click here!

MyDefrag

What it does: Remember JkDefrag? It's gone. The latest iteration of the program, version four, has transformed this previously open-source defragging tool into a closed-source freeware application. And MyDefrag, after sitting in beta for nearly five months, finally launched its official release in early July. The program boasts an improved interface and performance over its open-source predecessor, as well as lower memory use and more helpful documentation. Is it better than the standard Windows defragmentation tool? Run some benchmarks and report back!

Download the app--click here!

Opera

What it does: The semi-popular Opera browser has jumped up to its second version of the Opera 10.0 beta. Aside from widget version support and multi-server updates, a majority of the differences between 10.0 beta 2 and 10.0 beta 1 come in the form of tweaks and improvements to a laundry list of specific items. I'll back the train up even more--what separates the Opera 10 beta program from the current Opera 9 browser? Gosh. Visual tabs, increased configuration options for the browser's "Speed Dial" feature--a Safari-like list of the Web pages you most frequent--as well as automatic updates, crash logging, an inline spell checker, and perfection on the much-dreaded Acid3 rendering test.

For a full list of updates, click here! To grab the app, click here!

VLC Media Player

What it does: This open-source alternative to Windows Media Player is the kitchen sink of features and formats. New to the 1.0.0 "Goldeneye" release of the app includes support for even more HD codecs: Dolby Digital Plus, TrueHD, and Blu-ray Linear PCM, to name a few. The app also brings instant pausing and frame-by-frame advancement to the table, perfect for those trying to catch every little detail in their favorite sci-fi series of choice. You can live record video in VLC Media Player 1.0.0, and even stream the audio of what you're watching via AirTunes

For a full list of updates, click here! To grab the app, click here!

VirtualBox

What it does: To be fair, the update of VirtualBox from 3.0.0 to 3.0.2 is more a maintenance release than anything else. But what's less important than increasing the performance of a virtual PC application? You can use this open-source app to launch new versions of operating systems inside your primary OS. It's a great time-saver when you want to fiddle with some component of an alternate OS, but don't have the time, space, or desire to split your drive into partitions and install a separate version of said OS in addition to what you normally run. This version of VirtualBox fixes 28 annoying bugs across Windows and Linux platforms, including a nasty one that sucked up your CPU resources when attempting to load a virtual OS from a hibernated state.

For a full list of updates, click here! To grab the app, click here!

July's Mega-Freeware roundup!

Miss any of the freeware roundups this month? Check out this list of 14 other programs that are worth your bandwidth, time, and love:

Freeware Files: Five Instant Messaging Apps (that are better than AIM)

Including: Pidgin, Digsby, Trillian Astra, Miranda IM, VoxOX

Freeware Files: Five Free Distributed Computing Projects for your Idle PC!

Including: Folding@home, Climateprediction.net, GIMPS, SETI@home, Muon1

Freeware Files: Five Portable Software Suites for your USB Key

Including: PortableApps, Lupo PenSuite, MyApps, Mojopac

As always, if you have any freeware or open-source programs that you think rock harder than a reunion of your favorite band (Jonas Brothers excluded), leave me a message in the comments or via Twitter @acererak. You could be featured in a future freeware roundup!

VirtualBox 3 Adds Support for 3D Graphics

Paul Lilly — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:00:30 -0500

If this is the first time you've heard of VirtualBox, there's a good chance it won't be your last. The open-source virtual machine software, now owned by Sun, is giving the likes of VMWare Workstation a run for its money, and with the release of VirtualBox 3, the VM now supports experimental 3D graphics.

Not entirely new, developers have been slowly adding support for accelerated 3D graphics, and with the latest release, it's possible to run Direct3D 8 and 9 games or applications. That's in addition to OpenGL support.

Other new features and fixes include a revamped settings dialog, the addition of a minimalistic toolbar for seamless and full-screen mode, Windows 7 Remote Desktop Protocol client support, fixed TX checksum offloading for Linux kernal 2.16.8 or higher, fixed USB dongles issues, and lots more.

Changelog
Download VirtualBox 3

Image Credit: Arstechnica

The Best Open-Source (or Freeware) System Optimizers!

David Murphy — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:40:18 -0500

We're back! In our last feature, we showed you the best open-source/freeware graphics applications. But we realize that not everyone shares our crude artistic skills. Thus, we're aiming for a general market this time around. Enclosed within this article are the top freeware system optimization tools we've discovered in our mighty search of the Web. Clean your PC of spyware! Keep it virus-free! Run new, scary program in a virtualized environment! And much more--our full list of awesome, must-install applicaitons awaits. Check 'em out! Your PC isn't complete without them!

Clamwin

If you aren't running an antivirus application on your computer, shame on you. There's no reason you should open up your technological insides to invasion. Clamwin is a fully functional antivirus application that's as free as it is updated. While the program doesn't feature real-time scanning, it's still updated with all the latest virus definitions. Establishing a schedule for a scan is as easy as clicking the mouse a few times and typing in a number. The application doesn't abuse a ton of system resources, which in itself is a boon. Nor have we detected the egregious number of false positives that a free scanner like A-Squared spits out. Clamwin keeps you safe sans hassle--the epitome of a free virus-scanning application.

CCleaner

PC running slow? Seeing a ton of strange pop-ups and application launches that shouldn't be happening. CCleaner -- short for "Crap Cleaner" -- is your ticket to a healthy PC. The program runs through a bevy of files on your machine and deletes those which are no longer necessary. It's not a spyware-fighting application. You'll want to look to Spybot for that. However, we typically run CCleaner once a week on our machines just to keep them (and their storage capabilities) in tip-top shape. The application nukes the temporary files of your operating system and Internet browsers, then sifts through your registry for improper shortcuts and unused entries. Freeing up storage is always fun, and CCleaner doesn't disappoint in that regard!

V irtualBox

Feel like testing out an application, but don't want to leave its footprint on your primary operating system? Want to cover your tracks for all the less-than-reputable Web browsing you're undertaking? Feel like screwing around with Linux, but don't want to set up a new partition to do so? Accomplish these tasks, and more, by creating a virtualized operating system environment inside of VirtualBox. You can run operating systems of all kinds inside this application, including the very latest Linux and Windows installations. The program lets you share files between your "fake" OS and your real OS, and you can even interact with your virtual operating system using standard USB devices. Hardcore users take note: you can also access your virtual environment remotely. VirtualBox is a tinkerer's dream.

DriveImage XML

Don't let expensive commercial software steal all the fun of backing up files! DriveImage XML is the free, one-stop shop for making backup images of your disk partitions. Once complete, you can then go back and browse or restore the contents of these images as much as you'd like. You can also set up a direct clone of you drive and use Windows' built-in Task Scheduler to run this, and DriveImage XML's other operations, any time you want. DriveImage XML comes with no nag screens or registration prompts. It's simple, easy-to-use backup that you can even slap onto a preinstalled Windows envrionment like a BartPE disk.

Sumo

Whether you're an application fanacit or just have a cursory few programs installed on your desktop, one of the biggest frustrations of being a PC users is keeping your programs up-to-date. This used to involve checking vendor websites and file depositories on a regular basis to see when new versions pop up. But those days are no longer, thanks to Sumo. This lightweight application generates a list of all the installed applications on your PC. It then hops onto the Internet and scans for the latest version of the programs. If you could use an upgrade, the program tells you which application is lagging behind the technology curve and gives you the opportunity to update to the latest version at the click of a mouse. Use Windows Update for your system; use Sumo for your applications!