What it does

Samsung Kies also allows you to receive and install Firmware updates for your Samsung mobile and is regularly updated to be compatible with the latest Samsung mobile releases. In addition, Samsung Kies also works for transferring and managing contacts and calendar events between your mobile device and Mac.

If you're a Microsoft Office user, Samsung Kies also allows you to synchronize your Microsoft Outlook content on your computer with a Samsung mobile device. It's also very useful as a backup solution because it can backup data localized data on mobile device including bookmarks, settings (such as general settings, Wi-Fi lists) alarms, contacts, music, videos, or photos. Note that it does not backup DRM protected multimedia.

Buggy

While it's full of features, Samsung Kies can be unreliable. It sometimes fails to detect connected Samsung devices, can be difficult to sync and can be extremely slow.

Quality

Samsung Kies feels like a work in progress. It does not make managing your phone's content as easy as Apple do with iTunes.

Conclusion

Samsung Kies is an essential tool for any PC user with Samsung Android devices, but is pretty flawed.

Download Samsung Kies 2.5.3.13052_10 in Softonic

ccasionally you may find that you can. No access to the data on a map. This can range from slightly annoying catastrophic. Note that no guarantee that you can definitely retrieve your data from your card. If the card is damaged physically or electronically, it cannot be repaired. But here are some things you can try if you got a data loss problem. Formatted SD Card Recovery Pro provides these steps to recover your lost data: Download Corrupted SD Card Recovery Pro v2.6 software, install it and launch it. Click the "Start Scan" button on the main window. You can see the list of all volumes found on your computer, select the exact drive and click the "Next" button to start scanning.

Formatted SD Card Recovery Pro provides you an exclusive feature for recovery of lost photos, songs, videos, movies, and other multimedia files. Furthermore, it can perform safe optical media recovery to rescue all the seemingly lost files from severely damaged or incorrectly burnt optical discs. The software's interface is lucid and user-friendly providing clear instructions to safely carry out each phase of the recovery process.

People who lost their important files due to deletion, corruption or formatting. Any one who uses a computer or memory card will encounter such kind of problem. Data loss problems occur to people everyday. Especially photographers need this tool.

Download Formatted SD Card Recovery Pro 2.7.1 in Softonic

No need to lift a finger

You can add new downloads from the Internet Download Manager interface, but it's more usual to let it capture links. This means that every time you click on a certain file type (which can be specified through configuration options), Internet Download Manager will handle the download itself rather than letting the browser do the job. Everything is automatic: no changing from one app to another, no copying and pasting, no hassle at all.

Once Internet Download Manager captures the link, you can either download the file right away or save it for later, which can be a good alternative if you need all of your bandwidth for the moment and plan to leave the computer on during the night. Downloads can be classified into custom categories before starting them and can also be resumed if the connection is lost or broken.

Internet Download Manager's configuration menu displays a wide range of functions and tools devoted to handling your downloads, such as checking files for viruses with your own antivirus or limiting the amount of bandwidth used by the program. There’s also support for server authentication and proxy, FTP and HTTPS servers.

Speedy downloads - if your router's up to the job

Internet Download Manager does accelerate downloads, although it all depends on your internet connection. That is, don’t expect to download at the speed of light if you’re still using one of those old-fashioned 56K modems. Internet Download Manager achieves quite satisfying download rates by using multiple thread connections with servers.

A good program from another era

Internet Download Manager is a solid program that does what it says on the tin. It accelerates and manages downloads so that the process is as quick and painless as possible.

That said, these days most people have faster internet, so the effect of the app will be less noticeable. Even so, if you're a heavy downloader struggling to manage a slow internet connection, give it a try - it might just be the boost you're looking for.

Download Internet Download Manager 6.16.2 in Softonic

Remote Security

The trick is that Panda Cloud Antivirus is based on so called cloud computing, and is only partially installed on your system and keeps core files on a dedicated server on the Internet. Thanks to this special cloud structure, Panda Cloud Antivirus doesn't have to be manually updated. You can simply forget about complicated configurations and having to download new signature files!

The cloud-based functionality doesn't mean you remain unprotected when disconnected from the network: Panda Cloud Antivirus features a local cache that keeps the program up and running, working at 100%.

Analysis

Panda Cloud Antivirus features two types of analysis: Optimized scan – which presumably analyzes the most important areas in the system, though you can’t know for sure – and Other scans, where you can select specific folders and files to be analyzed. The program includes a behavioral analysis and blocking system that detects suspicious actions typically found in malware. Another nice feature in Panda Cloud Antivirus is the USB vaccine tool, which protects your computer from potentially dangerous files in USB portable memory devices.

Though Panda Cloud Antivirus can’t be scheduled to run automatic scans and doesn’t include filters for web or email, it’s still a perfectly valid antivirus for netbooks and low-spec computers.

Conclusion

Panda Cloud Antivirus is a lightweight, simple to use antivirus tool that keeps your system safe without nagging you with messages and updates.

Download Panda Cloud Antivirus 2.2 Free in Softonic

Impressive claims

The developers claims that with DFX Audio Enhancer, you can transform the sound of your PC into that of an expensive stereo system "placed in a perfectly designed listening environment'.

DFX Audio Enhancer seems to work with a huge range of services, from music and video sites like YouTube, Pandora and Netflix, as well as music services like iTunes, Spotify, VLC, QuickTime, and other media players.

Old interface looks dated

There's no other way to say it - DFX Audio Enhancer looks tacky. It has the kind of "control center" looks that were popular in the early 2000s and which just look terrible today.

Once you get past DFX Audio Enhancer's looks, you'll be disappointed to also find that the sliders don't work in this free version. You can simply enable or disable the various options, like Fidelity and Hyperbass.

Not a miracle solution

In reality however, DFX Audio Enhancer seems to add nothing more than a bit more body to your music. That said, it does allow you to control stereo depth, renew stereo depth, boost your audio levels and produce a deep, rich bass sound.

You can also do most of that with a full-featured media player or by tweaking the sound options on your PC, but lots of users will appreciate the added ease of controlling all this via the one interface.

Download DFX Audio Enhancer 11.110 in Softonic

Set up

Like the game, Minecraft Server doesn't come with instructions and can be challenging for beginners. You can find a tutorial here. In essence setting up takes four steps:
1. Download Minecraft Server.
2. Execute and configure the server.
3. Check your Firewall settings.
4. Open the Minecraft game client and connect to your server.
Once you're up and running, your friends can join you using your computer's external IP address. Minecraft will then play as usual, but won't be such a lonely experience!

If you can put the time into setting up Minecraft Server, it can be a lot of fun. However, compared to most commercial games, it's incredibly complex!

Performance

The more players you have in Minecraft Server, the more resources it will consume - if your PC is not very powerful, you may notice some lag and fan noise!

Download Minecraft Server 1.6 13w24a in Softonic

Compared to the latest stable version this edition contains subtle modifications that make it worth trying for die-hard Chrome fans. As you expect from Google Chrome, you get a web browser with a sleek, minimalist design.

Even compared with Safari and especially Firefox, the browser has very few buttons. All settings and options to choose your extensions are accessible via icons in the top right.

Please note that this version of Google Chrome is strictly a developer release, so bear in mind that you may occasionally encounter bugs and the developers are very keen to hear feedback on such problems.

The latest developer version of Google Chrome gives you a taste of what's to come from one of the fastest growing browsers out there.

Download Google Chrome Dev 29.0.1535.3 in Softonic

Features

Version 2 ("Twoflower") brings a new interface, faster decoding, support for more formats and the ability to play HD and BluRay. It still remains however the most stable, flexible and lightweight audio and video player around today. While other media players will play unusual formats after downloading a codec, or simply refuse to play things,

VLC media player handles tons of formats, from MPEG to FLV and RMBV files. Version 2 has seen some important additions too such as support for 10 bit codes plus multi-threaded decoding for H.264, MPEG-4/Xvid and WebM.

Also useful is the fact that you can use VLC media player to preview files you are downloading since it plays incomplete parts of video files. VLC media player is not just for video playback however. It also offers superb integration with video channel streaming services such as Channels.com giving you access to channels such as ESPN, Reuters and National Geographic. Just right-click or CMD-click on the playlist, select Services Discovery and Channels.com.

Channels.com will then appear in your VLC media player playlist. Click on it to reveal the the different categories of channels available. Click on the category you want and a drop down list of all available channels appears in VLC media player. Just click on the channel you want to watch and streaming should begin almost immediately.

Usability

VLC media player also has great hotkey support and if you take the time to learn the shortcuts so it can be controlled without touching your mouse. If you're watching DVDs or video files through it, this is not an issue. For music, it plays more or less any file and features an equalizer and playlist creation. VLC media player isn't as intuitive as iTunes as a media manager, but it's a much more flexible player in terms of file formats. You can even use VLC to convert your files, and on top of all the formats and physical media it will play, many streaming protocols and TV capture cards are supported.

VLC media player makes it easy to add subtitles to your video files too - just add the SRT file to the folder where your video is kept, and it will automatically play with subtitles.

Finally, the interface in VLC media player has been somewhat improved in version 2 although it remains strictly functional. However, you can download skins to completely change VLC media player's appearance. The preferences menu is comprehensive without being overwhelming, and there is extensive documentation online.

Conclusion

VLC Media Player is quite simply the best multimedia application for Windows and Mac. It plays just about anything, hassle free - what more could you need?

What's new

Rework and fixes of the Mac OS X interface

Fix Pulseaudio initial synchronization

Fix MKV, SWF, AIFF and subtitles demuxer crashes

Translations updates and new Welsh translation

DVB-S delivery system detection

Fix audio and video track selection through libVLC

Fix system sleep issue on Mac OS X 10.5

Download VLC media player 2.0.7 in Softonic

As soon as your friends and relatives find out that you know a bit about computers, it's all over. They'll be asking you for help with the most varied tech issues on a constant basis, as if you were a permanent, free customer support service.

Luckily you can count on TeamViewer 6 to lend you a hand. TeamViewer lets you gain access to the desktops of your friends, relatives or even customers in a snap. What's more, it doesn't require any technical skills on the remote side, making it incredibly easy to use.

A bit like Online Desktop Presenter, all you have to do is run TeamViewer and ask the other person to run it as well. Each time you run TeamViewer you'll be given a unique session number and password which you can use to enter the other person's PC. This means TeamViewer can be used for both entering a remote computer and letting another person enter yours in case you need remote assistance as well.

Beside viewing the remote desktop just as if you were sitting in front of it, you can also make use of the program's features: embedded chat client, file transfer tool, the possibility of recording the session, and more.

This version of TeamViewer is a stripped-down version of the paid application and therefore lacks some extra modules and functionality. Nevertheless it's still a great helper when you need to fix small problems in remote systems or show someone else how to do a certain task on the computer.

TeamViewer is an excellent desktop sharing tool that lets you manage remote systems in a safe way and without requiring a lot of technical knowledge.

Download TeamViewer 8.0.18930 in Softonic

Key features include: *Recover accidentally deleted data and files emptied from Recycle Bin and files deleted by using SHIFT+DELETE key, etc. *Recover data from damaged or formatted hard drive or the hard drive is inaccessible for unknown reason. *Recover data from the partition or external storage devices like memory stick, memory card and flash drive. *Recover data from lost or deleted partitions when hard drive crashed, MBR corrupted, disk repartitioned (fdisk) or overwritten *Recover lost image, audio, and video files from hard drives, USB drives, SD cards, Camera, and other memory cards. *Recover deleted data/photos/videos from the inaccessible or formatted memory card of your mobile phones.

7-Data Recovery Suite supports a wide range of storage devices inclduing: DE HDD, SATA HDD, SCSI HDD, FireWire HDD, SSD, USB HDD, External HDD, Hardware RAID, Floppy drive, USB flash drive, Compact flash card, Secure Digital card, Memory card/Memory stick, Micro card, Zip drive, IPod, Other storage devices. Supported File Systems: EXFAT, NTFS5, NTFS, FAT32, FAT16, FAT12

7-Data Recovery is for users who want to recovery lost/deleted data and files under almost any conditions and from almost any storage devices.

Download 7-Data Recovery Suite Free Edition 2 in Softonic

Features

Format Factory's supported formats include WMV, AVI, MPG, MP3, WMA, AAC, JPG, PNG, GIF, and many more. Better still, Format Factory supports media formats used by most major portable devices, including PSP and iPhone.

Usability

The app is very easy to use, although it does have a slightly unintuitive interface. Format Factory's file browser doesn't appear until you select the target format, which is a bit weird, but as long as you know this it's no problem. You can select individual files to convert, or complete folders, and also tweak some basic conversion settings.

Quality

Format Factory isn't particularly original but what makes it really useful is that it handles images as well as audio and video. Most converters like this only handle audio and video, so adding images to the mix gives it an edge, especially considering it's free. We also like the Audio Joiner in Format Factory, which allows you to take two separate clips, join them together and then convert them. It would've been nice to have preset profiles for mobile conversions, but you can't always have it all in a free app!

What's new

Adjust GUI to support Win8 pad
Adjust some profiles of video.
Fixed a bug of default bitrate and resolution algorithm
Fixed a bug of subtitle.
Fixed problems of MP4 muxer

Download Format Factory 3.1.0 in Softonic

What is Lightroom?

If you're not familiar with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, it's a photo processing app that's designed to be used by professional photographers for the post-production of batches of photos, and it's often used in conjunction with Adobe's seminal app, Photoshop.

The new interface

This latest version of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom looks great. It's divided into seven sections - Library, Develop, Map, Book, Slideshow, Print and Web- which let you easily flit between different stages of management, processing and presentation. There's also some awesomely configurable options, running from how the app looks to how it acts, before and after processing. There's only one thing - the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom interface is vast, and to get the most from it, you'll need a large screen.

Photo management

The upside to using a dedicated photo processing app is the ease with which Adobe Photoshop Lightroom allows you to see, categorize and manage your photos. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is no exception, with a great import features and options, and, new to this version, location-based organization. You'll find the tools to manage this function under Map.

Photo processing

In version 4 of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Adobe's self-stated aim has been to "extract more detail from highlights and shadows, make a wider range of targeted adjustments, and easily share your images and video clips on social media and photo sharing sites". It certainly provides some interesting options to do this, including highlight and shadow recovery, white balance features and local noise/moire tools. This is in addition to all the usual editing tools, which are present and easy to apply.

Presentation options

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom really excels when it comes to presenting your photos and passing them on. You can email directly from this new version, as well as sharing with a variety of social networks and photo sharing sites. The Book feature is also new, allowing you to create a variety of beautiful photo books from templates. This complements Adobe Photoshop Lightroom's Slideshow option, giving you even more scope for creating en eye-catching and imaginative end product.

Video management

In this version, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom really ramps up video support, further increasing its versatility. This means that you can make even more complex edits to video clips, as well as easier video publishing.

Conclusion

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 is an exceedingly promising piece of software. It can look complicated - and even overcrowded - on first glance, but once you become more familiar with app, you'll see everything adds up to offering you one of the most comprehensive photo processing apps around.

Download Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.0 in Softonic

Camfrog Video Chat sounds innocent enough and generally it is, although its a bit disconcerting when it asks you for your marital status as mandatory during registration! The Camfrog Video Chat interface is similar to that of an IM client with contacts listed down the right hand and a messaging box along the bottom. When you log in, you're asked whether you want to join the main Camfrog Video Chat room or a specific room such as Latino, LearnEnglish, Single and a special room for those using sign language.

When you log into a Camfrog forum room, the rules are made clear - "No disturbing the room with repeated text or spamming" and "No nudity or asking others to get nude", for example. The main Camfrog Video Chat room is chaos though. Because there are several people all communicating at once, all you see is a flurry of random messages between users. Click on a contact, and you can usually see their webcam (unless they are categorized as a "lurker" which means their webcam is paused for a while).

You can also hear Camfrog Video Chat conversations intermittently like you're tuning in and out of a radio. In general, the whole thing is quite confusing. It would be fine to have a one-on-one chat on Camfrog Video Chat but interacting with several different users at once is like trying to catch rain water. If nothing else, it's amusing just looking at people on their webcams who look equally confused as they stare at the Camfrog Video Chat messages scrolling past and scratch their heads. You also get the sense of a voyeur at times. It's quite odd to accidentally tune into a conversation between a guy who's explaining to his girlfriend that she and Camfrog Video Chat are the best things that ever happened to him!

The Camfrog Video Chat video and sound quality are pretty good and it's amazing how many people are online. It's much nicer to meet people "face-to-face" in this way rather than just chatting to them anonymously. It would be nicer to expand the size of the video but this is only available in the pro version. The same goes for seeing multiple videos at once. The overall Camfrog Video Chat interface looks a bit retro however - like MSN Messenger a few years ago - and feels a little bit cheap.

There are plenty of people online and Camfrog Video Chat has a lot of potential as a group collaboration tool. If you just want to meet friends though, you shouldn't have any problems if you persevere.

Download Camfrog Video Chat 6.5.285 in Softonic

Features

With Skype you can not only have voice chats on your computer – just like telephone, only for free – but also make real phone calls at much lower rates, using the SkypeOut service and paying with Skype credit. Besides voice chats, Skype also includes standard IM functionalities (written conversations, emoticons, user avatars and so on) and also lets you have group video conferences and share screens.

Usability

These video calls are precisely the main focus on Skype's latest version. The program's interface has been completely redesigned with video conferences on mind. This means it's been made wider so that video fits in perfectly with your written chat, your contact list and a toolbar to manage conversation.

The new interface is transformed when you make a call, getting rid of all the clutter, so you just see the video images, and controls. Group video is still being tested in this version, and it's pretty cool.

The other major development is Facebook integration. This is a pretty big thing, as not only does it give you your news feed in the app - anyone can do that - but adds call and sms buttons to any of your friends who share their contact numbers.

If you’ve paid for Skype minutes, you can call your Facebook friends, and if they’re also signed in to Skype you can call them for free. One of the best new features is the automatic call recovery - drop a call and it’s put in pause. Restarting it is now really easy.

Quality

The sound quality during our testing was perfect: loud and clear. Video sometimes appeared a bit pixelated, but nothing we couldn't really deal with. There was also one nice detail, and that's the ability to see your own video image built-in on your contact's video, and the option to take a snapshot of your own image.

Conclusion

Skype 6 features a complete interface overhaul that now focuses more on video chats, and also adds some handy improvements to the way you communicate online.

What's new

Log in with your Microsoft account
Select and pin your favorite contacts
Facebook and Skype contacts combined into one Contacts list
Easier to understand premium subscription notices
Possibility to control Skype video rendering technology for backward compatibility for people who have trouble with video calls

Download Skype 6.5.0.158 in Softonic

Deleting files by accident is something that happens more often than you think, no matter how computer literate you are. This is why it's always a good idea to have a tool like Recuva. With Recuva (pronounced as "recover") you can restore files that have been accidentally deleted from the computer, a USB drive, an MP3 player or even a memory card from your photo camera.

A very handy recovery wizard takes all the guesswork out of finding your files. All you have to do is select they type of file you want to recover (photos, emails, videos, etc.) and where it's likely to be (recycle bin, on a media card, etc.). As soon as Recuva's finished, you'll see a list with all the recoverable files, which you can sort in several ways or search with a customizable filter tool. Then simply select the files you want to recover and you're ready to go.

Obviously Recuva is just a software tool and can't perform miracles. The sooner you use the program after deleting files, the more chance you have of recovering them. Also, try saving them to a different drive: it improves the success percentage.

If you've accidentally deleted some important files, don't freak out: try using Recuva and you'll probably be able to restore them!

Download Recuva 1.47.948 in Softonic

Deleting files by accident is something that happens more often than you think – no matter how computer literate you are. This is why it's always a good idea to have a tool like Recuva Portable, which you can take anywhere with you.

With Recuva Portable you can restore files that have been accidentally deleted from the computer, a USB drive, an MP3 player, or even a memory card from your photo camera. Recuva Portable works with all sorts of files (photos, music, documents, videos) and doesn't require installation.

All you have to do is follow the step-by-step wizard, which launches when you run the program, and let Recuva Portable do the hard work for you. After the scan is finished (either in normal or deep mode) you'll be presented with a list of recoverable files. Then simply select the files you want to recover and you're ready to go. You also have the possibility to turn the wizard off and use Recuva Portable with an advance interface that shows more technical data.

Obviously Recuva Portable is just a software tool and can't perform miracles. The sooner you use the program after deleting those files, the more chances you have of recovering them. Also, try saving them to a different drive: it improves the percentage of success.

If you've just accidentally deleted some important files, don't freak out: try using Recuva Portable and you'll probably be able to restore them.

Download Recuva Portable 1.47.948 in Softonic

iTunes 11 has been completely redesigned from the ground up. Development of iTunes has been stagnant the last few years so Apple needs to get this one right. Has Apple nailed it or is the new iTunes a mess? Read on to find out.

Features

iCloud integration has also been tightened. Every track you've bought in iTunes will now show up in your music library, whether or not it has been downloaded. Click on it to download the album. User can now also stream directly from the cloud instead of having to download the track first. This also applies to all your TV and movies that were purchased in iTunes. There's also a dedicated tab for iTunes Match, Apple's music matching service to make all of your tracks available across devices, if they're available in the iTunes store.

The iTunes store has also gone through a redesign with featured content up top. Top lists are still there and are easier to browse. iTunes 11 will also allow you to access the iTunes store content from your music library, suggesting similar artists and tracks, without having to take you to the iTunes store.

Usability

New in iTunes 11 is the "Up Next" feature, which is basically a fancy name for your queue. Add songs to your queue from wherever you are in the interface. You don't need to manage a playlist to arrange and rearrange the tracks to your liking.

Creating playlists is much improved. Instead of having to jump in and out a playlist to add and arrange tracks, playlists now have a dedicated pane on the right where you can manipulate tracks without having to jump around the program.

The mini player has also been completely redesigned and is actually useful now. The mini player has gotten smaller but utilizes that small space much better than previous versions. Player controls will show up with you hover your mouse over the mini player. There's access to search and your Up Next queue can be manipulated from the mini player.

Devices now show up as a button at the top right. Clicking on it will take you to a detailed page where you can manage everything. Choose what you want synced, manage your apps, and even play music directly from your iOS device. Everything is easier to read and comprehend in the device tab.

Quality

Conclusion

Download iTunes 11.0.4 in Softonic