Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool 1.20

Platform Windows 2000, Windows XP
Type freeware
Manufacturer Microsoft
Size 3.68MB

Download this small tool and your PC will be scanned and checked for malicious software. Should any be found it is automatically removed, and a full report displayed on-screen at the end of the scan.

A new version of this tool will be released every second Tuesday of the month, and the download link above takes you to the Microsoft download page to ensure you get the most up-to-date version.

Apple iTunes 7

Platform Windows 2000, Windows XP
Type freeware
Manufacturer Apple
Size 34.9MB
It's been long coming, but this is the major upgrade to iTunes and the iTunes music store. Mainly due to the inclusion of full movie downloads (currently US only) and other improvements.

The popular iTunes has been one of the best audio players on the market. However, its vast music store now gives holders of the video iPod the opportunity to preview and download music videos, TV programmes and now full movies, all at very reasonable prices.

If you want to share your music, iTunes will look for other copies running across a network and you can then listen to other people's music. An Internet radio option is available for broadband users.

Video support comes in the form of an embedded QuickTime player which supports all the video formats that QuickTime supports (AVI, MPEG, Flash etc.). Note that QuickTime 7.1.3 is included within the iTunes installer.

Audio can be encoded in the Apple Lossless format, which lets you import music into iTunes at half the original size with no loss of quality. Podcast support is included so that you can subscribe to podcasts from within iTunes and have them automatically synced to your iPod.

Version 7.0 contains a number of improvements in addition to the provision of full movie downloads (currently US only). You can now flip through your cover CD artwork as if you’re skimming through your CD collection. Better still, if you’ve imported your music from your audio CDs, iTunes 7 now enables you to download cover art, free of charge. The interface has had an overhaul, with different categories and the ability to navigate through your media collection. You’ll also find a graphic view of your iPod contents, so you can see how much space is taken up you’re your video, audio and podcasts.

Note that the Mac OS X version is available to download from the Apple iTunes website.

Mozilla Firefox 1.5.0.7
Firefox is built with speed in mind, and does away with many of the components of its big sister, Mozilla. Therefore, all you get is a browser, download manager and a DOM inspector (for developers).

This results in a tiny download and a very fast application (both starting up and rendering pages).

Tabbed browsing and a pop-up stopper are, of course, included as standard. The latter can also foil other irritations such as scrolling status bar messages and 'spoofed' (false) URLs in the address bar to which IE is prone.

Features include improved privacy which prevents websites installing applications on your PC without your knowledge (you need to authorise a site first). Privacy is also improved with the addition of a master password for protecting all saved passwords.

Live Bookmarks lets you bookmark RSS feeds and display the article headlines in the bookmarks panel - simply click one to be taken to the article.

Numerous extensions are available to add extra functionality to the browser, including a great Calendar and a powerful set of web developer tools.

The latest 1.5.0.7 contains a few security fixes and product stability improvements.
Download it here

Winamp has always prided itself on being free and it has a steady, loyal following as a result. Version 5 is sure to please its current users, and to win it some converts.

It looks good with a completely new interface, and comes with fairly comprehensive file support. Audio support includes CDA, MIDI, MP1/2/3/4, AAC, OGG, WAV, AIF, WMA and more.

Support for video is added in version 5, and currently this stretches to MPG, M2V, AVI and ASF formats.

It packs a good deal into a fairly slim package, with the player incorporating everything you would expect and more: loop, repeat, ID3 tag support, cross-fading between tracks, 2x CD burning/ripping, internet TV and radio support etc.

It has a media manager, 10-band graphic equaliser, visualisations and a playlist editor. Upgrade to the Pro edition to get full support for ripping/encoding audio into the MP3 format, and integrated CD burning up to 48x speed.

Winamp 5.2 adds iPod support and a slightly updated interface.

Download now