Windows Live Messenger, previously known as MSN Messenger, was renamed as part of Microsoft's move towards the Live online community. So far, the most popular IM app in the world had already gone through a bunch of updates, but this new name also meant important changes that would somehow start a new period in Messenger's history.

Windows Live Messenger includes some outstanding characteristics that are well worth a mention. Firstly, its all-new interface features a completely different design from traditional Windows applications, which you can also customize by choosing your own color scheme. In order to maintain this neatness, the menu bar has been hidden under a single top right corner button but this makes it a bit uncomfortable to browse through options. Luckily, the most common actions (send email, call a contact, access MSN Spaces and view shared folders) have been implemented as nice little buttons right under your username, so they're easy to access. Another thing we liked is that you can hide side tabs in the main interface window (right click on any of them and check the "Hide tabs" checkbox). However, there's apparently no way to hide the bottom ad.

Windows Live Messenger offers plenty of emoticons and winks to cheer up your conversations with. You can expand both collections by easily adding new sets which you'll find by the hundred on the Internet. Customization possibilities include changing the chat window background or even adding a personal message to your nickname, but not creating custom status messages. At least this new version features the longed-for offline messaging tool, enabling you to leave a message to any of your contacts even if they're not online.

The two most important features in this new Windows Live Messenger are the ability of sharing folders and making free PC-to-phone calls. As for the first one, it proves as a very handy way to share pictures, while the second feature allows you to save some pennies on your phone bill. However, this service is currently only available in certain countries (United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Finland, Belgium, Spain and Italy) and requires a subscription to the Verizon Web Calling system.

In any case, you can always make use of the PC-to-PC call feature, which provides excellent sound quality. In fact, we must say this feature has been pretty well implemented in Windows Live Messenger. Its ease of use makes it a great alternative to written conversations: just click on the phone icon and your friend will instantly receive an invitation to answer the phone call on the chat window itself. A simple wizard will guide you through audio configuration and a couple of sliders enable you control the volume of your speakers (or headphones) and mic. You can still use the chat window while you talk, for instance to send a web link or a handwritten message.

Summing up, the main issue with Windows Live Messenger is that it has taken it too much time to offer tools that were already found in other IM apps, such as the VoIP calls mentioned above. However, its attractive design plus the huge number of people who are already MSN Messenger users (and who will eventually upgrade their client) will probably help this Live version reach the top.

Download Windows Live Messenger 2009 14.0.5027.908 Beta in Softonic

uTorrent has quickly become a favorite among torrent users worldwide thanks to an innovative interface, minute CPU usage and extensive download details.

The program is undoubtedly one of the most reliable torrent clients on the market, thanks to an ultra quick installation process and a minimal use of PC resources. You can have a good number of torrents downloading and still be able to use your PC without suffering any lags.

The interface is simple to use and is divided into the list of torrents and extensive details like peer data, download and upload speeds, file pieces and blocks, or a graph of your current speeds. In an attempt to help you structure all your torrents, the application allows you to set labels to your individual downloads. You can also view the torrents according to whether they are downloading, completed, active or inactive. If you download a good deal of torrents at a time this is a good way of keeping track of the progress of them all. Furthermore, you can easily set up the web interface for uTorrent, which allows you to check your torrents from any PC connected to the internet. All you need is to have one PC taking care of the downloads and set up access to the interface of your uTorrent session.

uTorrent makes it easy for you to look for new downloads without opening up your browser. You can search the main torrent sites by typing the name of the file you are looking for in the box on the top right corner of the interface. uTorrent also includes an RSS downloader to receive feeds of your favourite torrent sites. This little feature is great to check out all new torrents in one click.

The first time you launch uTorrent it lets you check your connection settings online and verify whether your ports are functioning properly. The preferences menu is also replete with tweaking possibilities. You can customize queuing, scheduling and downloading. Setting the location of downloaded files is the only bit that could confuse users as uTorrent makes a difference between new downloads and completed downloads.

You might have guessed it, here at Softonic we have a soft spot for uTorrent. Not only does the mini torrent client use up very little memory, it also comes with loads of information and customization features to make your downloading experience as simple and automated as possible. If you’re tired of the bandwidth hogging Azureus or bored of the basic Bittorrent client, check out uTorrent.

Download uTorrent (µTorrent) 1.8.1 in Softonic

Limewire, one of the world’s most popular peer-to-peer filesharing applications, has received a lawsuit from the RIAA, who are demanding $115 million in damages, claiming the application promotes the infringement of copyright. Similar applications like Grokster and Kazaa have been forced to go legal and there is speculation as to just how long LimeWire will resist until they have to buckle and pay up. The existence of the popular P2P application is not under threat, but if you haven’t given it a try yet, here’s just what makes it a standout program.

In terms of file sharing, LimeWire is the cream of the crop, offering the essential peer-to- peer tools in what is probably the friendliest interface of applications in its class. Beginners will appreciate the search bar, which allows you to select the type of file you’re looking for, video, image, audio, program or file. LimeWire has a “what’s new” button to check out what popular files users have recently exchanged. We also enjoyed the direct connect option. If you know the IP address of one of your friends, type it in the box and LimeWire will browse that user’s files. This is a quick way of sharing files with someone else and can come in handy when working on a project and exchanging documents. The only little snag we have with direct connect is that it doesn’t let you enter the username, much simpler than looking for your friend’s IP address.

Downloading with LimeWire is very intuitive. After you’ve searched and found the file you are looking for, double-click on it to start the downloading process. The speed of your download depends firstly on the quality of your connection (broadband is a minimum), if you’ve correctly opened your router’s ports and whether you’re downloading a popular file or not. We would like to point out the effort that Limewire takes to make itself accessible to beginners. Not only does a tip pop up every time you launch the application, the help option also leads you to LimeWire’s support centre, FAQs and a forum to get in contact with other users.

The lawsuit carried out by the RIAA is all the more surprising because of the measures LimeWire takes to keep you in the realms of legality. If you decide to download LimeWire from its website, you will first have to agree you will not use it for copyright infringement. When you’re configuring the application, you can set content filters, to avoid downloading files that copyright owners do not want you to share. To avoid embarrassing situations, make sure you tick the “block adult content” box, which will filter out any pornographic files from your searches.

The best way of checking the quality of the audio or video you’re downloading is via LimeWire’s mini player. It’s fairly basic and to par with the players you find in similar filesharing applications, but we appreciated the way it was integrated in the application.

If there’s one thing that we’re still expecting from the LimeWire team, it’s that it finally decides to jump on the BitTorrent bandwagon. Torrents are the way forward when it comes to peer to peer file sharing because of the speed, the security and freshness of downloads. Large files like movies or complete seasons of TV series are much easier to download via BitTorrent. We were also annoyed by the “buy the PRO version” window that popped up every time we started LimeWire.

For its wealth of possibilities and huge base of users, (more than 4 million simultaneously on the Gnutella network) we encourage you to give LimeWire a test drive. Because of the controversial nature of the application, you should always make sure that you aren’t using LimeWire for illegal activities like copyright infringement. However don’t be scared off by the legality issue. LimeWire, like most P2P applications is one of the most exciting possibilities that the internet gives us. It would be a shame not to give it a try. You should also check out Frostwire, the not-for-profit project of the LimeWire development team.

Download LimeWire Basic 4.18.8 in Softonic

As the world of P2P TV continues its expansion, new kid on the block is TV Ants. The increasing unreliability of its Chinese cousin PPLive means that increasing numbers of users are changing to this simple but highly effective alternative.

The installation is fortunately pretty simple as everything is in Japanese – it’s simply a case of clicking on “Ok” a few times and away you go. The channel list appears in a simple window and you can reveal more by clicking “Renew”. The channel list is a bizarre mix of Japanese, public and private channels. If you want to find out how American troops keep up their morale in Iraq, check out “TV Pentagon” (the US army’s official channel) or if you’re looking for something a bit more scenic, there’s “TV Canada Tourism”.

Streaming is steady once it gets going and image quality is as good as anything you’ll get on PPLive. There are literally hundreds of channels to choose from although most are obviously of little interest to English viewers. The program is actually a project of Zhejiang University hence the plethora of mainly Asian channels. Its popularity lies in the fact that like most P2P TV apps, the channels broadcast live European football much to the chagrin of the The Premiership, La Liga, Sky Sports,etc.

Other channels include music, movies, news and fashion, mostly from Asian sources. Most of this can be found on Shanghai TV, Gungdong TV and Goal TV. Schedules can be found on various P2P forums around the net such as Free Football and you’ll certainly need them to get the most out of TV Ants.

Download TvAnts 1.0.0.59.0834 in Softonic

By releasing their own chat and VoIP client, Google aims to compete with the already existing MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and Skype. Google Talk is a messenger client with a "Web 2.0" feel that makes communicating with other Google users a piece of cake. The program integrates well with many of Google’s other products. You can open it inside of Gmail, add it to your Google Desktop bar, or even manage your Orkut conversations directly from Google Talk.

At first glance, Google Talk follows in the company’s tradition of keeping things simple. All your contacts are automatically loaded from your Gmail account the first time you launch the client. You can start a conversation in a click and keep all of your different chats in separate windows.

Although, Google Talk doesn’t allow you to call phones, it will let you talk with other Google users and even send voicemail if they are offline. Gmail users will appreciate how the chat client is also embedded in your Gmail account, allowing you to chat with other Gmail users instead of sending emails. Google Talk also integrates into the Google Desktop, making it immediately accessible from anywhere on your PC.

Google Talk doesn’t allow you to set an alias but you’ll still be able to set a user picture. Maybe influenced by all the developments in online music like Last.fm, Google integrates Music Trends to your Google Talk. What this means is that you’ll be able to share your musical history with other Google Talk users. You can also set your status as displaying the track playing on your PC.

Google supports the Jabber protocol, so you can chat with friends using Adium, Gaim, iChat or Trillian. You can also connect to your Google Talk account using any of these chat clients. In the future, Google Talk, like most other IM clients, is expected to support Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) meaning you’ll be able to chat and call friends on many more clients like MSN or Yahoo Messenger.

Because it’s such a young chat client, it’s been easy to pinpoint the failings in Google Talk. First of all, Google Talk does not encrypt your conversations or calls, making your discussions available to anyone on the Internet. Many users have also claimed that the Gmail notifications are not very reliable and that Google Talk can suddenly freeze up after you’ve left it on for a while. We also find the user status icons to be too discreet.

Google Talk is not perfect but we think it’s a good bet for the future. As Gmail has shown, Google tends to constantly improve its products so we can expect some exciting improvements soon. The most urgent ones will be to support VoIP to phones, finally encrypt your conversations and to support the SIP protocol. Because of its integration with other Google products, Google Talk is an exciting chat client for Google users. However if you already have a solid chat client and are not a big fan of Google, this application won’t really bring you anything new.

Download Google Talk 1.0.0.104 in Softonic

The P2P protocol is frequently used to exchange files and other data between users, but some people regard it as quite an insecure method.

If you too are worried about security when it comes to online transfers, use Hamachi instead. This handy tool lets you connect two computers via Internet by creating your own private network and protecting it with industry-standard encryption algorithms. This means that your communications will be safe from prying eyes at all times, creating a private channel between both computers.

Hamachi features a simple step-by step tutorial that launches the first time you use the program, showing you how to use the main functions. At first sight, it all looks very easy to use. Complications arise later on when trying to share files between computers: you'll need to have a user account with enough privileges in the target PC, or so it seemed in our testing, during which we were unable to share files due to right issues. Oh well, at least we could have a chat – a very safe one, of course.

Hamachi is a great solution to establish safe, private P2P connections between two computers; unfortunately it's not as easy to use as it seems at first sight.

Download Hamachi 1.0.3.0 in Softonic

MSN Messenger has been perhaps the biggest hitter of the IM world for some time now and this update adds a range of cool new features designed to make your chatting experience even better. Additions include an interactive video conversation tool, "winks" - small animations that you can download and send to your pals - and dynamic display pictures that will change emotions based on the emoticons you send.

Of course, all the features that we've come to know (and in most cases, love) are still housed within MSN Messenger 7.5, such as a plethora of emoticons, the ability to check and send Hotmail directly from the client, and a slick contacts organizer.

Although the new version has improved video chat and contains the ability to send SMS messages, we can't help feeling that Microsoft has fallen behind in terms of technology. For instance, Skype allows you to perform most of the things that MSN Messenger does, as well as letting you make and receive PC phone calls. You also have the age-old problem of MSN taking over your client, as it's filled with even more ads, and a barrage of links to other areas of the MSN portal. A great client for beginners but it doesn't beat Skype for the more Net-savvy user.

Download MSN Messenger for Windows XP 7.5.0322 in Softonic

Adobe's Flash Player (originally a Macromedia product) remains the standard platform for viewing a wide variety of web content, varying from navigation elements to every video you watch on YouTube. Its ease of use, high performance, small file-size and now near-HD quality all combine to make it a popular choice for web content professionals and casual users alike.

Flash Player 9 includes a range of interesting additions and improvements when compared to previous versions. Top of that list is the inclusion of support for the H.264 video codec and the HE-AAC audio codec, which together offer a much richer, higher-definition picture along with crystal-clear sound. Introducing these capabilities with only slightly reduced performance looks set to trigger another revolution in web video, as the first HD movies are already beginning to appear on YouTube - and they look and sound great!

Apart from that, Flash 9 irons out some of the problems that previous versions have suffered from (like security and stability issues), as well as adding suuport for ActionScript 3.0, the latest instruction set from Adobe. This makes for more dynamic and interesting navigation, games and interactivity on websites.

Adobe Flash Player 9 represents a leap forward in terms of quality and also stability and security. It's therefore a highly recommended update for all users.

Download Adobe Flash Player 9.0.124 in Softonic

Bittorrent and Gnutella might be hogging the headlines of the peer to peer (P2P) world, but close behind comes Ares, a successful P2P application that boasts of having its own decentralized network and a simple, quick access interface. Ares spun-off from Gnutella in 2002, and since then has been building a strong and dedicated community of users.

Installing Ares only takes a few minutes and the interface is simple enough that anybody will feel comfortable with it. The new version has a very sleek and dark interface, not unlike that of WMP 11. When you start Ares, it lets you auto scan your PC to find files you might like to share on the network. Beginners will be relieved to know that there is no complex configuration process involved. Once Ares is installed, all you need to do is select the search tab and type the name of the file you want to download. Once it appears, double click on it to begin downloading. You’ll be able to check its progress in the transfer tab. The recent update adds bittorrent support, opening Ares up to loads of new content.

If you enjoy exchanging words with other users, click on the chat tab and connect to one of the thousands of channels available. You can pick up tips on how to use Ares better, ask which files other users recommend or just chit chat about your life in general. You can even insert emoticons into your conversation and keep a list of your favorite chat channels.

Of all the P2P programs, Ares probably features the widest preview screen. You can set it to fit to screen or adjust it to your preference. This is a great way of making sure you’re downloading the right movie or to get a sneak peak at your downloads.

Unlike WinMX or FileNavigator, the two other spin-off Gnutella projects, Ares did not drop into obscurity and unites a flourishing community of users. However, the same old problems usually seem to arise. According to many Ares users the application suffers from constant connectivity troubles making it difficult to properly search for a file or to successfully complete downloads. Others will worry that Ares is a much smaller network than the globally used Gnutella and does not offer quite as much download sources.

Ares is an ambitious project, and the fact that it still remains standing while eDonkey has fallen at the hands of the RIAA, is characteristic of its reliability. Thanks to a strong community of users, a simple interface, a great preview page and multichat service, Ares remains a P2P application of choice for anybody interested into sharing files over the internet.

Download Ares Galaxy 2.0.9 in Softonic

Here at Softonic we download and test up to 30 programs a day, so having a download manager on our PCs definitely makes our life easier. Flashget is considered by many to be the best download manager out there, but does it really deserve this reputation? We gave it a test drive to uncover the features that make it such a widely-coveted application.

Flashget takes charge of your downloads, automating the whole process from start to finish. Among the essential features of a download manager is batch downloading of multiple files, well handled by the program. Flashget also lets you schedule downloads to start at particular times. This is good when you have a long list of files waiting to be downloaded but you want to avoid sucking up bandwidth. You can schedule them to download one after the other, or at times when you will not be using your PC. What makes Flashget a particularly valuable tool is the speed of its downloads. You can cut up a file into various parts to download it faster and can optimize the speed according to your connection. When tested out, Flashget definitely revealed higher performances than the in-browser download managers included in Internet Explorer and Firefox.

Modem users will appreciate the auto-connect/disconnect function but the majority of users, who are on broadband, can ignore this feature. Our favourite function was the ability to explore a website for all possible downloads, an easy way to catch all the files in a site in one go. However, avoid using this tool for a website like Softonic, otherwise you’ll end up with hundreds or even thousands of random programs queued up.

Flashget is compatible with Internet Explorer and Netscape (meaning it also works with Firefox and Opera) but a little browsing on the developer’s website and you will find out that it also offers plug-ins for Opera and Firefox.

Flashget allows you to set up rules for your downloads, such as organizing them according to name or URL; a promising feature which actually turned out to be pretty disappointing. Where we expected a whole range of filters to select and organize downloads according to categories like size, download speed or even comments, we only found two sets of rules, seriously limiting this feature’s possibilities.

So what is our verdict? Flashget has enough features to make it a solid option for any download addict or beginner alike. What’s more, Flashget is fast. Actually, it’s really fast: the Formula 1 of download managers. If you download files often, you won’t be disappointed.

Download FlashGet 1.9.6.1073 in Softonic

Long gone are the days when you’d have to save up for weeks to make a long distance or international phone call. Thanks to Voice over IP technology and the widespread availability of broadband it’s now possible to talk free of charge to anyone in the world.

Skype has made the technology accessible to all through it’s simple and fun-to-use chat-style interface. The program is gaining in popularity, meaning the community of users you can chat to for free is expanding. This update certainly contains some decent additions to the previous version, most notably its webcam facilities. This means you can now watch your buddies as you chat to them and let them see you if you want.

You can use the program to chat with other Skype users anywhere in the world for free either via telephone or the built-in chat feature. However, some overly optimistic users may be disappointed to learn that you still need to pay for credits to make calls to landlines and mobiles with Skype, through the SkypeOut function. Luckily, this is a very painless process, and Skype has recently added a plethora of different ways to pay.

The program is perhaps even easier to use than ever, with streamlined new tools such as the ability to add a contact from the main Skype window and contact grouping for arranging your friends, family and colleagues into categories. You can even import contacts from Outlook, and find out if any of these use Skype. The changes to the interface and its icons may confuse existing users for a while, but once you get used to it, the new GUI is arguably more intuitive than ever.

As we’ve come to expect there’s plenty you can do other than just having a two-way conversation with a friend, including inviting other users into a conference, setting up chatrooms, exchanging files, and viewing the history of your contacts. You can even set up customized voicemail to record messages while you’re away from base.

We're also excited by the new public chats function. You'll get to join in many different groups and talk about a specific subject. You can even create your own chat for others to join in, like an Italian language class or a talk on the consequences of the Iraq war.

As more people clamber aboard the Skype bandwagon, the network will become a much more convenient way for people to chat with each other. The client now provides the perfect platform on which to join the communication revolution. Let the Skyping commence…

Download Skype 3.8.0.139 in Softonic

Ares Lite is a special version of the peer to peer (P2P) application Ares, of which you can read an indepth review on Softonic. What sets it apart is that it actually uses up much less computer processor. Otherwise, Ares Lite has exactly all the features and interface that you can find in Ares, including the wide preview screen, a multichat section through which you can connect to thousands of channels, and an easy search view.

Ares Lite is a real breather from all the CPU-hogging P2P applications out there. Feel free to browse the net, write a document or even play a game on your PC while you’re downloading files on Ares Lite. Like we wrote in our review of Ares, one of the assets of this P2P application is that it has its own decentralized network, making it a good alternative to Gnutella. We can also praise the large and adaptable preview screen, an indispensable feature of any good P2P program.

If you feel that your version of Ares is weighing on your CPU, or if you want to try a solid, lightweight P2P application then Ares Lite is right up your alley.

Download Ares Ultra 4.0.0.0 in Softonic

If you usually come across downloads from free hosting sites you'll probably have noticed that they're all quite unfriendly and difficult to use: lots of ads, waiting times, extra clicks, passwords and some other elements make downloading from free hosting services a real pain.

Luckily enough you can now use Universal Share Downloader. This manager handles the whole downloading process in a very convenient way, saving you all the hard work. Just enter the appropriate link for the file you want to download an this application will take care of everything.

Universal Share Downloader is configured to work with more than a hundred free hosting services, including the most popular ones like RapidShare, MegaUpload or YouSendIt. It can also be integrated into Firefox (with the FlashGot extension) and Internet Explorer, plus monitor the Windows Clipboard for copied download links.

Some other interesting features are compatibility with proxy servers, the ability to schedule tasks, support for remote control and automatic program updates.

Download Universal Share Downloader 1.3.4.4 in Softonic

Adobe's Flash Player (originally a Macromedia product) remains the standard platform for viewing a wide variety of web content, varying from navigation elements to every video you watch on YouTube. Its ease of use, high performance, small file-size and now near-HD quality all combine to make it a popular choice for web content professionals and casual users alike.

Flash Player 9 includes a range of interesting additions and improvements when compared to previous versions. Top of that list is the inclusion of support for the H.264 video codec and the HE-AAC audio codec, which together offer a much richer, higher-definition picture along with crystal-clear sound. Introducing these capabilities with only slightly reduced performance looks set to trigger another revolution in web video, as the first HD movies are already beginning to appear on YouTube - and they look and sound great!

Apart from that, Flash 9 irons out some of the problems that previous versions have suffered from (like security and stability issues), as well as adding suuport for ActionScript 3.0, the latest instruction set from Adobe. This makes for more dynamic and interesting navigation, games and interactivity on websites.

Adobe Flash Player 9 represents a leap forward in terms of quality and also stability and security. It's therefore a highly recommended update for all users.

Download Adobe Flash Player (IE & AOL) 9.0.124.0 in Softonic

From slow beginnings, BitComet has risen to become one of the most popular torrent client downloads on Softonic. For users accustomed to the often sparse interfaces of torrent apps, BitComet surprises with its flashy icons and multitude of options that give you more control over your downloads. For those that want a no-fuss client, the extra features may simply get in the way.

Once a torrent is selected for download with BitComet, a dialog pops up allowing you to determine the location to save to and select exactly which files in the torrent you want. Once downloading, the regular stop, pause, cancel, update etc options are all available plus a handy “remove torrent & all files” option which removes all trace of an unwanted torrent from your PC. Many users report the download rates are good although note no particular difference with other client speeds. The best feature however is a ‘preview media’ option, which forces the torrent to download sequentially instead of randomly thus allowing you to preview any multimedia downloads. It’s a great way to avoid broken links, but, on the downside, it will slow down your download considerably.

Another interesting feature is the ‘intelligent disk cache’ which really comes into its own on high speed connections. If you are lucky enough to get download transfer rates of 500 kb/s or higher, activating it allows BitComet to cache the data to access the disk less frequently. The result of this is that it doesn’t slow down your PC as receiving large amounts of data can sometimes do.

Forum reports from foreign users suggest that the program has not been translated properly from English, yet this doesn’t affect the capacities of BitComet. The other downside is that the uninstall procedure is not particularly clean. The application directory remains as does the registry entry although you can remove the former manually and the latter with any good registry cleaner.

There are simpler clients out there, such as uTorrent uTorrent and Azureus that offer the same download rates but with less fuss. If you have a particularly fast connection, can’t wait for your files to download before watching them and enjoy a torrent client with lots of whistles and bells, BitComet might be for you.

Download BitComet 1.05 in Softonic

YouTube is undoubtedly the biggest video site on the internet and one of these business success stories of the decade.

However, with copyrighted content increasingly being removed, the only way to save your favourite clips is to download them onto your hard drive. YouTube Downloader is a software that helps you download videos instantly and convert them into other video formats. The program is incredibly easy to use - just specify the URL for the video you want to download and click the Ok button. It also allows you to convert downloaded videos for Ipod, Iphone, PSP, Cell Phone, Windows Media, XVid and MP3 which is useful for taking your films on the move. The converter is a bit slow but it's a nice add on to have. One problem you may have is that when you've downloaded the clip, you may have no sound. This is easily remedied by downloading a codec which can be found on the developer website.

For those worried about the disappearance of their favourite clips from YouTube or those that just want an archive, YouTube Downloader is an ultra easy to use and efficient option.

Download YouTube Downloader 2.1.6 in Softonic

Do you usually download from free file sharing sites like Rapidshare, Megaupload and the likes? If so, you'll love jDownloader.

This Java-based tool makes the whole file downloading process much easier for those sites, saving you the pain of going through endless pop-up windows, waiting times and download links cunningly hidden among dozens of Google AdSense boxes.

jDownloader works best with multiple downloads, as it enables you to create a list of files and then download them all at the same time. Other interesting options include the possibility to limit bandwidth usage and support for premium user accounts. Unlike other download managers though, jDownloader doesn't have support for resuming downloads.

That said, the only thing that really needs to be improved is its user interface. I don't know if it's just the design, or the fact that the program runs on Java, but the truth is that jDownloader is confusing and sometimes counterintuitive.

If you take the time to learn how to use it, jDownloader will prove to be a handy companion for download junkies.

Download jDownloader 0.2.888 in Softonic

Getting in touch with someone on the other side of the planet is becoming just as easy as talking to your next-door neighbour these days. First it was email, then IRC chatrooms, then instant messaging, and now the world is being sucked in by Voice-Over-IP. Thanks, in no small part, to the popularity of Skype, using your computer to talk with people around the globe is becoming more commonplace and cheaper.

VOIP Stunt is certainly one of the most eye-catching of the Skype copycats out there, due to the fact that it’s very, very cheap. It’s so cheap, in fact that it offers free calls from your PC to landlines in a wide range of countries, including the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Canada, Australia and the US. This of course, is even cheaper than calling with Skype, which applies an, albeit small, call charge. Even for those countries where calls to landlines aren’t free, the call charge with VOIP Stunt is generally cheaper than Skype.

Before you start ditching Skype and switching to this app, there are a couple of points you should consider. For starters, to use VOIP Stunt you need to have credit in your account in order to make calls, even free ones. While it may sound like a bit of a scam, the minimum top-up is only about $12, and credit remains in your account for 120 days, so it’s possible to make infinite calls to landlines (in the countries listed) while only paying this nominal fee every four months. Nevertheless, the service is still effectively a subscription-based system, but then the developers do have to make their money from somewhere.

It’s also worth noting that VOIP Stunt contains nowhere near the amount of features that Skype comes with. This means no instant messaging, no video conferencing and only a limited range of settings. This said, if you’re busy chatting away all night with your friends and family for nothing then you can quite easily forgive the application these shortcomings.

Download VOIP Stunt 4.00.461 in Softonic

Morpheus is one of those age old P2P applications and, with support for Gnutella, eDonkey, Bittorrent and many others, probably the most versatile you can find on the market. The new version aims to turn the P2P client into the ultimate multimedia application. Does it succeed?

Morpheus has gone through a complete facelift and the new version brings a newer interface. The window is divided into 4 tabs: search results, my files, podcasts and Morpheus online, giving you an idea of what it considers important. A pane on the left side allows you to create playlists or keep track of searches and videos – although strangely not music. Morpheus lets you also sync all your downloaded files to import them automatically to iTunes. Oddly enough, the chat tool is now hidden at the top of the interface, next to help and preferences.

Morpheus wants to appear as a multifaceted app, not just a simple P2P program. It includes an embedded browser, Morpheus Online, from which you can check-out the internet or find new files to share while you’re downloading. This is particularly useful when you’re looking for new podcasts. By clicking on the podcast page button in the podcasts tab, you will be taken to Morpheus’ own podcast library. While it’s not as star studded as the iTunes library, it’s full of varied and original content. The podcast tab is wisely divided into podcast and episodes, so you can browse through what you’ve downloaded. However we were quite confused by the whole podcast downloading procedure. The progress bar is hidden in the file window of the My Files tab. Why didn’t Morpheus leave this in the podcast section?

Morpheus has also beefed-up its security. You can now select your antivirus application to automatically scan downloaded files. The program also includes solid parental control so you can enter hazardous terms into the block list to avoid your kids searching for violent or pornographic material. You can also add a password to make sure you control who has access to Morpheus. The application also introduces UDP technology to improve the performance of downloads and allow secure file sharing between 2 firewall protected PCs.

This new version comes with many interesting enhancements, but not enough to get us overexcited. Add to that the many drawbacks we found in the application. The interface for example is way too clunky, and it’s safe to say that lies in the two large ads at the top and the bottom of the program (which disappear if you buy the Pro version). The “My Files” tab has an additional file window at the bottom, which adds to the confusion in the interface. The one click burning function is something we were eager to try out but was nowhere to be seen.

However hard Morpheus tries at integrating cool features like web browsing or podcasting, we figure the application should only be used for what it’s good at i.e.P2P downloading. The program gives access to all the P2P networks, even Bittorrent, and the new version introduces safer and quicker transfer thanks to UDP technology. The other extra features in the application like the library structure or web browser felt a bit awkward, and therefore failed at turning the program into a true multimedia application. Let’s hope Morpheus gets it right in the future.

Download Morpheus Basic 5.5.1 in Softonic

If there's something positive about Vista, that's its visual appearance. The Aero style, packed with jaw-dropping 3D effects and transparent windows, makes an eye-catching operating system. And now you can add that style to Firefox too!

Simply install this theme and select it from the Tools - Add-ons menu, and you'll tweak the browser's interface so that it perfectly matches the Vista design. In fact, the skin uses IE7 buttons, which I must admit suits Firefox well. However, I didn't like having all those extra Favorite buttons on the tab bar and not being able to remove them.

Needless to say, you can use this theme even if you don't have Vista, but it doesn't look quite as nice.

Download Vista-aero Theme 2.0.0.8 in Softonic