If you've already adopted Google Chrome as your default browser, here's a small tool that you're going to find really useful.

Google Chrome Backup lets you create a backup copy of your Chrome user profile, that is, all the data you collect and save for your personal usage while using the web browser. This user profile includes saved passwords, bookmarks, browsing history and cookies, among other personal elements.

The whole process is done through a three-step wizard that limits user intervention to choosing a target folder where to save the backup copy. Easy as pie! Unfortunately, Google Chrome Backup doesn't really let you choose which elements should be added to this backup and which shouldn't: either you backup the whole thing or not.

The good thing though about Google Chrome Backup is that you can not only backup your existing profile, but also create new ones. This comes in specially handy when you want to run some tests or install new add-ons that may be dangerous for your current profile. It's also a great way to share the browser between users: each one of them can have their own profile.

With Google Chrome Backup you can create backup copies of your current Google Chrome profile as well as create new ones, all in a very easy way.

Download Google Chrome Backup 1.4.0.65 in Softonic

Speed Reading, Assessment and Online Reader Software. AceReader Pro is 3 tools in one:

• It is a training tool that will help you become a more proficient reader both online and offline
• It can be used to assess and track your reading level
• It can also be used as an online reading tool to help you read more efficiently while online

Utilizes Tachistoscope Technology to pace your reading. Designed for all ages. Assess and Improve your reading skills with Comprehension Tests, Drills and Games for grades 1-12 plus adult. Drills will automatically adjust training speed relative to personal reading ability. Test results are logged and graphed for accountability. With the Online Reader you can rapidly read and skim text from web pages and other sources in RSVP mode. In RSVP mode the words come to your eyes instead of your eyes going to the words. Customize your own hotkeys and create your own preset option settings. Includes Startup Wizard Screen and online Help.

Download AceReader Pro 5.1.3 in Softonic

If you are looking for an alternative music player which can also read Ogg Vorbis files and has an elegant, minimalistic GUI, Foobar2000 is worth a try. It features all the standard functions of other main players, like the possibility to import music folders and to create playlist, but it also supports advanced tagging and a useful converter to 9 music formats.

It's amazing how all these tools can fit into an installer file of just 1.6 MB, compared to the 36 MB for the iTunes download. The plus of this application is its fairly active community which develops add-ons in order to customize nearly every aspect of this player.

When you download these plug-ins, you'll get a .dll file that you have to add to the components folder of your foobar2000 directory and restart the program. Many users like it, others don't find a specific reason to leave Winamp for it. It's another good option you have, with the plus of conversion tools and many plug-ins.

Foobar2000 is a light, effective music player with a high level of customization, thanks to a personalized GUI and downloadable add-ons

Download foobar2000 0.9.5.6 in Softonic

If you're the kind of person who likes to have a colorful signature in your e-mail messages, this program is for you.

WiseStamp is a Firefox add-on that lets you add a fully customizable e-mail signature to all your outgoing messages. The good thing about it is that it's compatible with the most popular webmail services on the web: Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! and AOL Mail.

WiseStamp is very easy to use: after installing it in Firefox, you'll see a tiny icon in the browser's bottom right corner from where you can enable or disable the extension, as well as choose between the two only available signatures: business or personal.

You can totally customize each signature: choose fonts and colors, add links to Internet sites, display a small image, link to your profile on a dozen different social networks… the choice is yours.

WiseStamp offers also a preview window to make sure your signature looks nice before saving your work. Pity it doesn't save and sync signatures across computers, which means you'll have to manually create and configure your signature in every single computer you access webmail from.

With WiseStamp you'll be able to create and use completely customized HTML signatures in your webmail system.

Download WiseStamp 1.1 in Softonic

ProgDVB is a piece of software which allows you to watch SAT-Television and listen to Radio channels directly from satellite by using DVB-PCI cards with hardware decoders on the board, SAT-dish, and personal x86-compatible computers. ProgDVB has options for working with network broadcasting and Audio/Video recording of the stream to different digital-media formats.

Download ProgDVB 5.16.1 in Softonic

Few can dispute the fact that Apple created a flawless product when it built the iPod. However, the company did omit to include one feature that still bothers me. The legally-aware developer made it so that you couldn't copy tunes from your iPod onto another computer. OK, so it means everything is above board, but it also means that if you get a new computer or your hard drive fails, you have to build up your MP3 collection all over again. Luckily, there are now several programs available that let you copy your iPod tunes to any machine, and CopyTrans is a good example of one of these.

The process of synchronising your music with CopyTrans is a simple one and you can choose to archive your collection or import it into a new iTunes library. All you need to do is connect your iPod, wait for the program to scan the device, choose your transfer settings then wait for CopyTrans to work its magic.

It does take quite a long time to copy across the music, but the operation works very well and I experienced no problems other than that it didn't reproduce all of the album art I had. The program boasts some nice features such as selective transfers, incremental back-ups, and repair to damaged iPod databases.

If you're scared of losing all your iPod data then install CopyTrans and erase your worries with ease.

Download CopyTrans 2.590 in Softonic

Some years ago ICQ was one of the most popular IM applications among Internet users. But when Microsoft launched MSN Messenger, many of these users forgot about their original IM client and joined a network that was growing very quickly. In the meantime, ICQ continued to be upgraded until finally reaching version 6, which sets a new milestone in the history of this classic piece of software.

To begin with, the installation process is fast and easy, the only downside being the fact that you must set ICQ Search as your web browser's default search engine, as there's no way of getting around this option.

This new ICQ boasts a fresh-looking interface which has been completely redesigned. Also, you can customize it with skins, although you'll have to download them because there's not a single skin included in the program. It does include, however, a very complete personal profile which you can fill in with all your information, including name, location, interests, spoken languages and a personal avatar that ICQ oddly refers to as "devil".

Generally speaking, ICQ 6 offers all the functions that we find in other IM applications, namely instant written messages, voice calls and video calls. All of these are complemented with a very nice set of animated smilies and the so called "Tzers" which are the equivalent to Messenger's "Winks". Chat sessions can be grouped together under the same window, which prevents your taskbar getting cluttered. ICQ allows you to start text conversations right from the contact list using the Quick message feature. There's also the option to send SMS messages to your contacts, but this is not available in all countries yet.

This new version promises to give you complete control over configuration settings. However, we must admit that we had some trouble in finding them, until we happened to click on the "Main" button on the interface. The configuration options are quite complete indeed, allowing you to change every single detail regarding sounds, notifications, privacy and security, message history, appearance and the program's general behaviour.

In all, ICQ seems to have developed a new version with a fresh redesign only to measure up to its main competitors but without really offering any new functions. Again, choosing ICQ (or any other IM app) ends up being just a question of which IM your friends use.

Download ICQ 6.0.0.7015 in Softonic

Wallpaper Master offers a number of options to renew your desktop background image. Create categories to organize your wallpapers and order your different images in a list on the interface. Individual Overrides, like style, alignment or border can be modified directly from the program window. Images can also be set up on multiple monitors in one click.

Despite a good deal of options, we were slightly disappointed with Wallpaper Master. There's no drag and drop, which means you have to browse and select all the pictures you want to use as wallpapers. The effects you can add to them, mirror, black and white and mosaic, are fairly limited and do not add much to your images.

Once you chosen the image you'll use as wallpapers and set up the rotation you can let Wallpaper Master take care of the rest. The program could be a bit more intuitive and offer more effects, but on the whole is a good piece of software to manage your wallpapers.

Download Wallpaper Master Pro 2.16 in Softonic

TSDisp is designed for all users of Teamspeak who want to see exactly who they are talking to at any time.

TSDisp adds the option of being able to read the screen name of the person who is speaking to you to remove any confusion in group meetings. To use it, you need Teamspeak connected, and through TSDisp simply select a channel of "vigilance". Once done, you can see the screen name of the person who is speaking. There's actually not much more to it than that.

However, by the developer's own admission, there are a few bugs with TSDisp, one of which is it doesn't always work if you switch a game or other application to full screen mode as it does not remain in the foreground like it's supposed to. It could also do with a few customization options as to the way names are displayed - a few ways of changing the colour at the very least.

TSDisp is a handy plugin for Teamspeak users who want to know exactly who they're talking to or who deal with big online meetings.

Download TSDisp 1.13 in Softonic

If you have different devices with video capabilities, you need a complete video tool like ALO AVI MPEG WMV 3GP MP4 iPod PSP Converter.

With ALO AVI MPEG WMV 3GP MP4 iPod PSP Converter you can convert from the most popular video formats to those formats used in devices such as the iPod, the Zune, the PSP, the PS3 or the Apple TV. All you have to do is load the source video, select the target format and let the program take care of the rest. Plus, you can convert several videos simultaneously.

Formats are conveniently organized in profiles according to the target device.
ALO AVI MPEG WMV 3GP MP4 iPod PSP Converter lets you tweak those target profiles by customizing bitrate, frame rate, video codec, audio bitrate and other elements, but unfortunately you can't save this customization as a new personal profile.

ALO AVI MPEG WMV 3GP MP4 iPod PSP Converter features a straightforward interface and is really easy to use. It includes a video window preview, but it's meant to only show video as it's being converted, not work as a built-in player.

With ALO AVI MPEG WMV 3GP MP4 iPod PSP Converter you'll always find the right combination to convert videos from one format to another and watch them on any device.

Download ALO AVI MPEG WMV 3GP MP4 iPod PSP Converter 6.6 in Softonic

No matter how many fonts you have, you're probably still missing a special one: a custom font in your own handwriting.

Luckily now you have Scanahand, a very simple tool that can help you create a computer font that looks exactly the same as your very own handwriting. Unlike other similar tools where you have to design every single character right on the program's interface – only really suitable for those who are good at mouse-based drawing – Scanahand works with a alphabet template you just print out and fill in with a black felt marker.

Once the template is finished, you need to scan it so that Scanahand can assign each one of the letters, numbers and symbols you wrote to its correspondent character in the font file.

The whole process takes just a few minutes and is much easier than drawing everything with the mouse. On the downside, you need to have both a printer and scanner in order to be able to use Scanahand.

With Scanahand you can easily create a computer font based on your handwriting and use it for your most personal documents.

Download Scanahand 1.0 in Softonic

WinRAR for U3 is WinRAR adapted to the U3 smart drive computing platform. All you need is a U3 smart drive, and you can access WinRAR (including your profiles, AV-Code, themes, etc.) from any Windows 2000 or XP computer, anywhere.

No hassle – with a U3 smart drive, you minimize the hassle of managing multiple and shared computers. There’s no need to – because you can carry your personal PC-environment with you wherever you go. It’s easy to carry, easy to install, and completely secure. Once you remove the U3 smart drive from a PC, your software is removed, too – and no one else will have access to it.

Download WinRAR for U3 3.7.1.1 in Softonic

You can increase your productivity by allowing PhraseExpress to complete the sentences you want to write. How? The program simply keeps a record of the sentences you write, and when it detects something you have already written, it suggests it in tag form. You can then accept it by pressing the Tab button.

Nothing could be easier as the program does the whole job automatically. Sentences like, ‘I look forward to hearing from you soon’ or ‘thank you for your kind email’ or then again, ‘how could you do that? I cannot trust you, as usual’, will be quickly available as soon as you write the first two words. The program also works with abbreviations, which you can set in the manager. It even corrects typos that may reoccur with a certain frequency in your writing. I like the fact that it’s fast and that you can accept the suggestions with the Tab key or ignore them simply by continuing writing.

As we still haven’t achieved a very high level of artificial intelligence, even in high-tech laboratories, you can’t expect this application to guess what you would like to say. It is just suitable for standard sentences that are usually used in commercial style letters. Nevertheless, you might be surprised how often, even in personal letters we repeat certain sentences, and that’s where PhraseExpress will speed up your work.

Although PhraseExpress can’t really write for you, the application can suggest sentences if it detects from the first two words something you have already written. Therefore, it can speed up processes in office work and whenever you need to keep style consistent.

Download PhraseExpress 5.1.36 in Softonic

Open Video Converter is probably one of the easiest tools you can find to convert videos, though the truth is that it's also a fairly simple one.

This tool accepts quite a few source targets (MPG, EMV, ASF, VCD, SVCD…) but only converts to AVI, which in my opinion limits the program's usefulness a lot. At least you can tweak the AVI file's settings by setting the resolution, frame rate, video and audio compressors and other details.

Once you load the video on Open Video Converter, a preview window will open up. But instead of having the playback control buttons on this same window, they're on the main interface, something I personally found very awkward and difficult to use.

The best thing about Open Video Converter though is that before the conversion process begins, you can mark both the starting and ending points of the video. In this way you can convert just your favorite scene – and not the complete video.

On the whole, Open Video Converter is a simple tool that works fine if what you want is simply converting to AVI. If you need any other extra features, you'd better look somewhere else.

With Open Video Converter you can easily convert quite a few videos, though only to AVI format.

Download Open Video Converter 3.21 in Softonic

MSD Tasks Multiuser is a graphics work planner that allows you to visually schedule work tasks. The difference between this and the standard MSD Tasks program is that this version allows several users to share information in a local area network with user access control. It's great for bosses, managers and staff that need to collaborate, organise a rota or working schedule. The program can be used as an electronic appointment calendar, administer customer contacts or help project manager when organizing the activities of a team.

The developers assure that security is guaranteed as all data can be protected and encrypted by password. You can assign it to automatically manage work order numbers and print work order reports. All the records in the program can contain an unlimited history meaning you need never lose another rota or shift pattern.

The software is basically based on two concepts - the working groups on one hand and their tasks on the other hand. It does not however play a role as to whether a team works together on a project or individual coworkers separate tasks. The progress of individual projects can be pursued in detail and so in a glance, you can see how well a team is doing. All data is presented in graphical form and to leave despite innumerable factors clearly to present itself.

MSD Tasks Multiuser is a great tool for those that have to manage sizable teams or want to find a better way of tracking employee progress.

Download MSD Organizer Multiuser 9.10 in Softonic

If you've always dreamed of driving a Mercedes but can't afford one, this could be an intermediate solution while you're saving money.

Mercedes CLC Dream Test Drive puts you behind the steering-wheel of the awesome Mercedes CLC Coupé. The game is free though quite limited, as it only includes two gaming modes: a race against five other computer-controlled Mercedes through the streets of London and a single lap time trial against your personal best record. At least the scenarios are pretty realistic, giving you the opportunity to do some high-speed sightseeing around London or enjoy cool races at night.

The only choice of car available is obviously a Mercedes, but there are some customization options available such as changing color or getting new wheels. There are also three different difficulty levels that tailor the game to your driving skills.

That said, the truth is that Mercedes CLC Dream Test Drive is not a very fun driving game and it has some surprisingly odd characteristics, like the absence of driver or the fact that the car is not affected by crashes. In a way it feels more like an interactive ad than a real computer game, so unless you're a fan of the famous German car brand, I'd recommend downloading other driving games before this one.

Mercedes CLC Dream Test Drive is definitely a game for Mercedes fans: other people may find it too limited and a bit frustrating.

Download Mercedes CLC Dream Test Drive in Softonic

When Google suddenly entered the battle of the browsers with Chrome, many users expressed their concern about security and privacy issues. If you're among them, you'll be happy to learn about the launch of Iron.

Iron is a modified version of Chrome's source code that removes all the components in the original browser that collect usage data. This means that Iron blocks the unique user ID, doesn't send user-specific data to Google, disables the report-on-crash feature and doesn't connect to Google to check for updates.

Personally I don't see that much danger in leaving those features enabled, but I can understand there are people who might be worried about their privacy when surfing the web. As for the rest, Iron remains pretty much a Chrome clone, with the same clean interface, the Omnibar, the thumbnails homepage and even the Incognito function. In fact, the only problem you may find with Iron is language: the program runs in English, but the developer's website, installation and documentation are all in German.

If you don't agree with Chrome's privacy policy, get Iron: a web browser with Chrome's look and feel but without all the data-collecting elements.

Download SRWare Iron 0.2.152.0 in Softonic

Mozilla Firefox is a fast, full-featured web browser that's easy to use. It has lots of great features including popup-blocking, tabbed-browsing, integrated search, improved privacy features, automatic updating and more. Plus, thanks to the PortableApps.com launcher bundled in Mozilla Firefox - Portable Edition, it leaves no personal information behind on the machine you run it on, so you can take your favorite browser along with all your favorite bookmarks and extensions with you wherever you go.

Intelligent Start

Firefox Portable now uses an intelligent start system that keeps track of where you're running it from. That way, if you run it a second time from the same location or move to another PC that happens to give you the same drive letter, it won't have to do as much to start Firefox up.

Alternate INI Locations Dropped

To improve startup time, the alternate directory layouts for the FirefoxPortable.ini file have been dropped. It will need to be placed next to FirefoxPortable.exe. If you use an INI, you'll also need to update it with the new INI options.

Most Alternate Directory Layouts Dropped

To simplify the launcher, all alternate directory layouts have been dropped except placing the launcher one directory above the FirefoxPortable directory.

Improved Unicode Support

Firefox Portable has improved support for unicode, so you can drop a file with non-ASCII characters right on FirefoxPortable.exe and open it up.

Improved Live CD Support For Windows 95/98/Me

Live mode has been improved for better compatibility with most Windows 95, 98 and Me systems.

Download Firefox Portable 3.0.3 in Softonic

So you’ve taken the leap and installed the versatile internet browser, Firefox, but are you ready to trade in your Outlook Express for Mozilla’s open source mail application? Thunderbird is Mozilla’s award winning and free solution to manage your mail more efficiently.

Thunderbird woos users thanks to its flurry of options and the benefits of an open source application. Automatic updates ensure that you have the latest version of Thunderbird, preventing any security threats and offering you new features as soon as they’re available.

The biggest worry for users is switching from one mail application to another and losing precious information. With Thunderbird the switch is painless because you can quickly import your mail and contacts from your Outlook and set up your POP3 or IMAP account is a snap. To stay well organized we suggest taking advantage of Thunderbird’s filters. While this option is nothing new to the experienced Outlook user, you’ll have to admit that Thunderbird makes filters much more accessible, thanks to a simple selection of combinations and actions. Create distinct folders for your personal and professional mail and your newsletters and associate them with filters to avoid the hassle of constantly sorting your mail. Another feature we could single out is the integrated spell checker, a blessing if you send many emails and can’t be bothered to constantly verify your writing.

Although it isn’t visible right away, Thunderbird also features an RSS reader. Handy if you need to follow the news or specialist websites, this tool fits seamlessly into Thunderbird and you could almost forget that it is a mail application. Paste in the RSS feed from your favorite news source and the main messages window will reveal a list of all the latest feeds. The message pane is used as an integrated browser window to display the selected article.

Email is the number one source of viruses, that’s why Thunderbird offers various levels of message encryption, a spam filter and support for valid certificates. We found the spam filter particularly effective. Set it to “learn” mode, and it teaches itself to separate the valid email from the rest of the junk. You have to be mindful of this option though, because Thunderbird can become too restrictive and may decide on its own that one of your friends is suddenly persona non grata. Reviewing your junk folder every now and then should avoid you accidentally losing friends. Thunderbird also automatically turns off Javascript and by default does not load remote images, a good way to defuse the risk of viruses from dodgy emails.

Another known feature of the Mozilla line of products is customization. Just as with Firefox, Thunderbird can integrate a slew of extensions and add-ons to rev up your inbox. You can also add or remove icons from the actions pane, selecting the ones you use most frequently.

The one place where Thunderbird fails, and professionals will confirm this, is the failure to integrate Microsoft Exchange support. An essential tool in any work environment, the collaborative messaging software is sorely missed in Thunderbird and seriously limits its usefulness in offices. Furthermore, we can question why Mozilla included an RSS reader yet failed to incorporate a calendar, standard in most mail applications nowadays.

While the lack of proper business minded features will limit Thunderbird’s point in the workplace, the simplicity, customizability and security make it a number one choice for home users. If you’re worried about your safety on the Internet or are just looking for a more efficient way of handling your mail, Thunderbird is probably the best solution out there.

Download Mozilla Thunderbird 2.0.0.17 in Softonic

I must admit I don't like updating my software. It's just too boring a task to do: search the web, then download the new file, then install it on the PC... no, thanks. Fortunately for me and for all the people who also remain blissfully outdated, someone has come out with UpdateStar.

This tool scans your system and finds all available updates for the applications installed on your PC. Bear in mind that it doesn't work with anything you have, because the updating process it's based on a database created and maintained by the program's developers. But still, it does recognize the most popular tools and provides links to download them directly from its interface.

UpdateStar can be scheduled to look for updates on a regular basis and also enables you to mark certain apps so that they're not updated. However, I really missed the possibility to add my own apps to the list, or at least having the opportunity to check the database used by the program itself.

UpdateStar helps you keep your software updated, although it still needs some improvement.

Download UpdateStar 2.3.654 Beta in Softonic