Skype for Mac gets new features

(Credit: iFR)

Skype, the solid chat, VoIP, and videocam software has been around for awhile now on the Mac and we have already sung its praises for its free computer-to-computer long distance. Call clarity has always been quite good and if you have one of many available USB handsets, you know it's just like talking on a regular phone. For a little extra money through the company's pay-as-you-go or monthly subscription services, you can call cell and land lines and the prices are fairly affordable. But today, Skype for Mac got some new features that definitely make it worth updating your client.

Skype 2.8 for Mac now offers a pay-as-you-go public Wi-Fi service, screen sharing, and even better-quality video and sound. The Wi-Fi service lets you use your Skype Credit to connect to public Wi-Fi. Simply add money to your Skype account, which is used for calling landlines as well, and you're ready to go. The screen-sharing feature lets you show your friend, coworker, or family member what's on your screen--great for when you're helping someone with a computer problem or sharing a design layout with a coworker, for example. The video and sound quality were already pretty good, but the update made both sound and video clarity noticeably better.

Use the Share button at the top of the chat window to show your full screen or just a portion with another user.

(Credit: iFR)

Skype has always been one of our favorites for VoIP and video chat, but as has always been the case, Skype offers no emergency numbers so you should not use it as a replacement for your regular phone. Still, with all the features already available and the new additions, we think Skype is definitely worth a look for those new to the program and a must-download for current Skype users.

Post-it Digital Notes 4.7

From 3M :

Post-it Digital Notes are easy, intuitive, and packed with features to get you organized. So you can make lists and reminders, key-code them with colors and photos, sort them by category, and set alarms to remind yourself of projects and appointments. Sort and search, add photos, and set alarms.

Version 4.7 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.

The Download Now link will download a small installer file to your desktop. Remain online and double-click the installer to proceed with the actual (12.3MB) download.

DivX 7 for Windows 7.2

From DivX :

DivX 7 for Windows is a free software download that provides everything you need to watch digital videos on your computer. In addition to playback of any DivX video, DivX 7 for Windows enables you to watch H.264 (.mkv) files, the new standard for true HD digital video. The DivX 7 for Windows download includes: DivX Player to watch HD videos on your PC; DivX Community Codec and Filters to watch HD videos in your favorite software media player; DivX Web Player to watch DivX videos in your web browser; DivX Converter (15-day trial) to convert to DivX video in one easy step; DivX Pro Codec (15-day trial) to create DivX videos in your favorite video editing applications. Users may purchase DivX Pro 7 for Windows ($19.99 USD) to receive unlimited use of the DivX Converter and DivX Pro Codec. DivX playback is always free.

Opera updates beta, but Unite still separate

From Opera Software :

Version 10.0 beta includes a refreshed interface, faster speeds on slow connections using Opera Turbo, easier customizations, improvements to Speed Dial and the Tab bar, and better e-mail and newsfeed support.

Opera 10 beta 2 includes several visual tweaks, including an icon for when Opera Turbo is activated, a "Synchronize Opera" button on the Speed Dial page, and inverted tab icons for panels viewed as tabs. The Opera Wand has been renamed Password Manager, and there are other bug- and stability-fixes, as well.

This beta version of Opera is pre-release software and should be used with caution. Pre-release versions are inherently less stable than official releases and you should be aware that such software can cause problems to your computer system.

CCleaner 2.21.940

Reviewed by: iFR Staff

Although it lacks a few of the bells and whistles found in other PC-cleaning applications, this free program offers more than enough features to make it a worthy download. CCleaner's interface is logically designed and makes it easy to wipe away your tracks from Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, and Google Chrome from various Windows system areas, and from some third-party applications.

CCleaner doesn't support the large number of extraneous programs that some competitors do, but it can erase traces from such popular programs as Spybot - Search & Destroy and WinZip. CCleaner now offers secure file erasing along with a Registry-cleaning utility that quickly scans for invalid entries before removing them. CCleaner can even back up your Registry before removal, in case it accidentally removes a crucial component, and the download includes a rudimentary feature for uninstalling any program on your machine.

Since this free application handles the majority of PC-cleaning chores and offers a nice extra, we strongly recommend CCleaner to all users, except those who need robust tools to remove supersensitive data.

Wise Registry Cleaner 4.63

Reviewed by: iFR staff on January 14, 2009

This program provides utilities to quickly tidy up your Registry, but lacks some features of competing applications. Wise Registry Cleaner 3 Free has an intuitive interface and is relatively easy to use.

The program works quickly, using very few of the computer's resources. This cleanup tool offers an undo option, which is important any time you deal with the Registry. Users can even set the program to check the Registry automatically, although there is no option to set a specific time for this function. One feature this program lacks is a severity level warning. A harmless entry from a deleted program is shown as having no distinct differences from an entry from a harmful virus or malware. It does have easy-to-understand graphic warnings for any entry that may be dangerous to delete, though.

It also would be nice if users were offered the option to select/deselect all, since there may be dozens of entries but only be one or two severe issues in the Registry. Still, this freeware Registry cleaner proved effective, and we recommend it for users comfortable working with the registry.