Orbit Downloader 3.0.0.2

• Price: Free


• Operating system: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Server 2008/7

Download Orbit Downloader 3.0.0.2

Downloading videos, Flash games, and large batches of files is greatly simplified with this freeware download manager, but Firefox users may have difficulty with integration.

Orbit's primary interface is bland, but the basic toolbar and info boxes guarantee everything is easy to find. Orbit shines with Internet Explorer integration. To get a media file, simply right-click a video or photo and choose Download from your context menu. Grabbing a Flash game is even easier. Hover over a Flash file, and Orbit displays a button for a fast download.

Download Orbit Downloader 3.0.0.2

WinRAR (32-bit) 3.92

• Price: Free to try (40-day trial); $29.00 to buy


• Operating system: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7

Download WinRAR (32-bit) 3.92

There are plenty of solid compression utilities to choose from, but this shareware powerhouse offers the features and ease of use that place it at the top of the compression category. WinRAR is easy to use, lightweight, and flexible.

An intuitive interface lets you mouse over icons to see their functions, and if you don't like their candy-coated appearance, you can always choose from several themes at the developer's site. The Folder Tree Panel makes sifting through your directories to find files easier than ever. But once you see the size savings of a RAR archive, with a compression ratio of 8 percent to 15 percent better than the ZIP format, you'll understand why so many users and developers are making the switch from other apps. With virus scans now integrated and minor interface tweaks for Vista, only the slightly slower decompression speed holds the app back.

Download WinRAR (32-bit) 3.92

Ad-Aware Free Anti-Malware 8.2

• Price: Free; paid upgrade available


• Operating system: Windows 2000 Professional/XP 32-bit/Vista 32-bit/64-bit/7 32-bit/64-bit

Download Ad-Aware Free Anti-Malware 8.2

One of the first applications built to find and remove malware and spyware, Ad-Aware's reputation is well-justified. The latest version continues the publisher's tradition of adroitly addressing user concerns, but isn't yet perfect.

Building on the improvements made in version 8, former Ad-Aware users should be glad to hear that the program installs faster than it used to. Without a doubt, though, this version of Ad-Aware improves greatly on what has come before. It loads faster during your boot cycle, and scans are faster. Empirical tests noted that while the Quick Scan finished in less than 10 minutes for version 8, the current version's Quick Scan finished in under three minutes. Previous files that had been falsely detected as threats weren't flagged this time around, probably due in part to Ad-Aware's behavioral detection engine. Called Genotype, it's based on heuristics and uses a one-pass scanning system, Genotype isn't directly exposed to users, although you can opt in to anonymously contribute data from the Settings menu. The new version also explicitly calls out in the scan windows what the scan looks for.

Download Ad-Aware Free Anti-Malware 8.2

LimeWire 5.4.7

• Price: Free


• Operating system: Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP/Vista/NT

Download LimeWire 5.4.7

From its start as a post-Napster clone to its leading role as the quintessential Gnutella client, LimeWire is the highest-profile P2P application. Version 5 re-envisions LimeWire for a Web 2.0 world, with an emphasis on sharing with friends, square buttons with rounded corners, and overall a cleaner interface.

Two search bars and two sidebars cap off the redesign. The uppermost search bar is the global search that scans what everybody is sharing over the P2P network, while the secondary one on the right searches your library. The sidebars are set up in a similar way. Both are on the left, with the outer one offering three options: your library, the global P2P network, and your friends. Click on My Library and your inner sidebar shows your collection of music, movies, and documents. The P2P Network option shows what you're uploading and downloading, while the Friends option lets you share your library specifically with your Google/Jabber contacts, which you can import. Search results can be presented in both the new Web 2.0-style that surfaces just the most relevant information, with an Information button to dive deeper or the "classic" spreadsheet view

Download LimeWire 5.4.7

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.44

• Price: Free $24.95 to buy (Buy it now)


• Operating system: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/Server 2008/7

Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.44

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a surprisingly effective freeware antimalware tool. It's a relatively speedy malware remover, with the quick scan taking about 8 minutes even with other high-resource programs running. The heuristics engine proved on multiple computers during empirical testing that it was capable of determining the difference between false positives and dangerous apps.

The app has some nice features rolled in, too. It supports multiple drive scanning including networked drives, context menu options including a scan-on-demand for individual files, and the FileAssassin option under the More Tools section for removing locked files. The interface is simple, but pleasant-looking and well-organized. Tabs live just below the oversized logo, with few options per tab to keep down the clutter. The installation process was fast enough, but interestingly offered up the well-kept changelog and an instant definition file update.

Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.44

Avast Free Antivirus 5.0.418

• Price: Free; requires e-mail registration after 60 days


• Operating system: Windows 2000/XP/Vista 32-bit/64-bit/7 32-bit/64-bit

Download Avast Free Antivirus 5.0.418

Avast Free 5, an A-list freeware antivirus app, provides the same steadfast protection of well-known, pricier antivirus programs. Avast is remarkable for both its effectiveness and arguably providing the most complete free antivirus on the market.

Avast Free 5, formerly known as the Home Edition, protects you with multiple guards. The antivirus, antispyware, and heuristics engines form a security core that also includes multiple real-time shields. The adjustable mail and file system shields join the pre-existing behavior, network, instant messaging, peer-to-peer, and Web shields. The behavioral shield is a common-sense feature, as security software publishers leverage their large user bases to detect threats early and warn others. Other new features include a silent-gaming mode and an "intelligent scanner" that only looks at changed files after establishing a baseline. The biggest change in Avast 5, though, is the interface. Gone is the music player default look, which was skinnable but confusing. In its place is a sleek UI that new users should find far more manageable. It's also Aero-friendly, with Explorer-style navigation buttons in case you can't remember where you tweaked a particular setting.

Download Avast Free Antivirus 5.0.418

Game Development with ActionScript

Download Ebook Game Development with ActionScript

Lewis Moronta, Queens, New York, has been programming and working with computer graphics since 1996. Lewis began freelancing as a graphic designer in 1998 through his virtual studio, m80produxions.com. His website hosts many articles on math, programming, and computer graphics, including 3D animation. Lewis earned a degree in visual communications from Katharine Gibbs School in New York in 2003. Lewis recently formed Ism Studios, a graphic design and animation studio that handles everything from graphic design to professional-level CGI.

Download Ebook Game Development with ActionScript