If you're a sports fan, then you may well get a lot from CyberLink MagicSports, which facilitates simultaneous sports viewing as well as the editing of sports packages.

CyberLink MagicSports is designed to put you in the directors chair, giving you greater control over recorded TV sports programs by allowing you to create your own action replays of key moments. However, it only works with CyberLink PowerCinema 4 or Windows Media Center so if you're not streaming your sports events through either of these mediums, then it's not much use to you. It also won't work with any content that's protected by DRM.

In reality, CyberLink MagicSports is basically a Tivo player for your PC. You can store certain parts of games on your hard drive and create your own highlights with a simple editor. It features a virtual remote control to control your viewing. However, it's unclear how many sports fans would really want to edit together their own highlights package - most people just want to sit back with a cold beer and enjoy the game.

If you're a die-hard sports fan and want to relive a special sporting moment in the way of your choosing, then CyberLink MagicSports is a powerful all round package.

Download CyberLink MagicSports 4 in Softonic

VSO ConvertXtoDVD is an attractively designed and easy-to-use video burner that gives you the power to convert and burn a huge range of formats.

VSO ConvertXtoDVD can handle just about any format you throw at it including AVI, WMV, MKV, YouTube, OGM, MPEG and Quicktime. So instead of having to watch your downloaded films and videos on your PC, you can watch them in the comfort of your lounge on your DVD Player. VSO ConvertXtoDVD goes much further than just mere DVD creation though because it helps you create and author DVD menus.

It offers the possibility to add background video, image or audio and even have chapter and audio/subtitle menus. If you do want to add subtitles, it supports most of the major formats including SRT, .SUB/ID and .SSA and VSO CovertXtoDVD gives you control over color and font selection, and supports tags like italic, bold and the ability to toggle them on or off with DVD player remote control. The encoder makes a decent job of converting videos in terms of the output quality although it is slightly slow - estimate about 1 hour for conversion of a full movie.

A powerful and easy way to get your favourite movies and video clips onto DVD and give them an extra touch of class with a menu.

Download VSO ConvertXtoDVD 3.2.1.55 in Softonic

Have you ever wanted to LoadScout is a smart program designed to help you browse the web and FTP sites.

If so, then you'll need LoadScout which allows you to access information from any remote media or archive without the need to download it. Basically, it works by downloading only a small part of a file and then extracting the required data. It works very well in Internet Explorer although unfortunately it doesn't integrate into Firefox at all.

So what are the practical uses of LoadScout? Well, if you want to download an Mp3 or image from a sever, you can use it to preview exactly what it is before downloading the whole thing saving you a hell of a lot of time. LoadScout also includes it's own FTP client and download manager so you can use it to download the full file if you want. Finally, it also supports all types of proxy: FTP, HTTP and SOCKS and will let you save frequently visited sites into the favorites folder.

LoadScout is a great way to preview files on FTP servers without the need to download them whole.

Download LoadScout 2.0 in Softonic

How many times have you tried to save streaming media locally but realised you don't have the appropriate tool? Net Transport (NetXfer) can do just that for you. Net Transport downloads MMS and RTSP streaming in multiple threads with perfect video & audio quality.

There are some other great features, like "Site Manager" which allows you to keep the active connection with the remote servers. In addition, the support for both SSL and SSH is hardly found in other upload/download tools.

Main Features:

• Simple but powerful "File Manager" to categorize and manage downloaded files
• Simple multi-user management
• Inbuilt "Site Explorer" lists the directory structure of the remote server
• FTP reuse mechanism uses one connection to get different files from the same site
• Assign every working thread a different proxy to break certain site restrictions
• Proxies with NTLM authentication can penetrate local firewall, like Microsoft ISA 2000
• Adjust the bandwidth usage of Net Transport
• Monitor browser click
• Can automatically shutdown the system or hang up the modem
• NTLM authentication is supported for both MMS and RTSP
• Use multi-threads for both MMS and RTSP to significantly reduce the time of downloads
• Automatically parse streaming script such as .asx, .smi to acquire real URLs
• Support SSH encryption for both HTTP and FTP
• Flexible "Scheduler Manager"

Download Net Transport (NetXfer) 2.64.423 in Softonic

Desktop sharing is not just the expert field of tech professionals anymore. Whether you want to show how an application works or simply to explain things on someone else's PC, you'll need to find a way to share desktops easily.

TeamViewer offers a simple way of creating desktop sharing sessions with other users whether on a distant PC, local connection or over the internet. Both users will each have an ID and password with which to connect to their session.

Taking control of another PC is a great way to solve issues from a distance and demonstrate things on a desktop without actually being there physically. TeamViewer also allows file transfer and includes a chat function to communicate with your contact.

You can also record sessions and play them back afterward. These can then be used as tutorials or to go back on what you've done in previous sessions.

If you dig in the details you'll be able to choose not only whether to optimize quality or speed, but also configure the amount of access you want to give to your desktop.

The free version of TeamViewer has a number of limitations, and lacks a number of modules like the TeamViewer manager or customer module. If you want more features you'll have to be ready to pay at least €159 for higher end versions.

TeamViewer is a good program to quickly share desktops with another user. The free version will let you create secure sessions and control what you show to your contact over the internet.

Download TeamViewer 3.6.4889 in Softonic

The default Windows search tool has always been accused of being slow, inaccurate and useless. This is why it could be a good idea to replace it with another local search engine.

Everything could be that replacement you're looking for. This simple, fast tool indexes absolutely all the contents on your hard drive (hence its name) and puts them into an ever-growing database that you can search with keywords, like you use any regular search engine.

The program is incredibly fast in all aspects: installation, indexing of contents and display of results. Also, it doesn't hog system resources like other similar apps do. Another difference between Everything and other local search tools is that Everything lets you set up an HTTP server that makes all indexed content available online.

On the one hand this is a handy feature because you can access your files remotely from other computers or share files with your friends: on the other hand it does raise some concerns about privacy, especially since there's no way to filter which kind of content is indexed and which is not, neither is there a system for controlling who has access to the HTTP server.

Everything is a simple, really fast local search tool that makes a great replacement for Windows default search box, though sadly you don't have any control over what the program indexes.

Download Everything 1.1.4.299 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

Whenever someone needs my help with their computer I usually connect with them through a screen sharing software such as CrossLoop.

However, this can be a very bandwidth-heavy way of doing it. Plus, of course, the recipient needs to have the software installed. That's why UltraVNC is a useful alternative - an easy-to-use, fast and free software that can display the screen of another computer on your own screen. The difference between UltraVNC and other screen sharers is quite simply the lightness and speed of it.

Of course, the recipient needs to have UltraVNC installed but once they have, you have a whole host of options open to you including file transfers, a viewing toolbar, scaling options and even text chat. However, what impresses most about UltraVNC is the speed, Where some screen sharing programs severely lag behind because of bandwidth issues, UltraVNC is lightening fast at connecting and sharing.

As an alternative solution to most bloated screen sharing software, you'll appreciate the lightness and speed of UltraVNC.

Download UltraVNC 1.0.5 in Softonic

PeaZip is an OS-portable archiver tool (released for Windows and Linux); it supports it's native Pea archive format (featuring compression, splitting and flexible encryption and integrity check schemes) and other mainstream formats, with especial focus on handling open formats. Full support: 001 (raw file split/join), 7z, 7zip sfx, Bzip2, Gzip, Pea, Tar, Zip; Browse/extract-only support: Z.

PeaZip doesn't follow the Explorer-like interface paradigm; the interface is more similar to a CD/DVD-burner application, allowing the user to: - save and restore layout of archives (input files and folders list) to speed up definition of archiving and backup operations; - save job definition (as plain text, to be used in any script language).

The interface is fully skinnable (skins can be customised and saved as plain text to be re-edited as freely as possible) and uses customisable transparency. The program doesn't need to be installed/unistalled, it can run from any path (even remote; a writeable path is recommended), however Windows version is released both as a standalone binary and as a fully automated installer/uninstaller package, allowing tight system integration to use PeaZip right from Explorer.

Download PeaZip 2.3a in Softonic

You could pretty much consider FileZilla an open source success story. It's popular, works well and fast, and regularly updated.

If you're looking for a solid FTP client what more could you ask more? In fact, FileZilla is not just limited to FTP, but also handles FTPS and SFTP for secure transfers of multiple files on multiple servers. The interface gives you a quick outlook of all your transfers, sites and disks and makes it easy to drag and transfer. I also quite like the QuickConnect feature to access your favorite server in seconds.

FileZilla is known to be fairly fast, and can also resume downloads and handle very big transfers, I'm talking here higher than 4 GB. You can set both local and remote filters for things like images, explorer files or CVS and SVN directories or even create your own. FileZilla also includes a tool to compare directories in terms of file size or modification time.

The application can guide you when setting up your network and lets you set speed limits in case you don't want to overload your bandwidth.

One thing really missing from FileZilla though is a scheduler to automatically set transfer times.

Despite lacking a scheduler, FileZilla is an excellent open source FTP client. It's stable, fast and very efficient. Highly recommended.

Download FileZilla 3.1.3 in Softonic

Establishing the amount of connections made to your computer is one way to find out whether your PC is being hacked into or use as a bot.

Whenever you open a website or establish any kind of connection with an outside entity, you open up what's known as a TCP/UDP connection. But getting a list of all the TCP/UDP connections on your computer is not always easy, especially when some of them may have been connected remotely without your knowledge.

NetStat Agent offers a comprehensive way to monitor all incoming and outgoing connections to and from your PC. NetStat Agent offers a range of tools including NetStat, Ping, Traceroute, IPconfig, ARP and Whois in a user-friendly graphical interface.

It's an excellent tool for anyone that's involved in network administration or those that may suspect their browser has been hijacked. While many of the connections will appear a little mysterious, you can easily see which ones relate to internet, networks and those that are erroneous or unrecognized and could be suspicious.

NetStat agent features a whole host of tools to do a pretty simply job - find out who is connected to your PC. For network administrators, it's a very useful resource.

Download NetStat Agent 2.0 in Softonic

As far as open source multimedia entertainment centers go, Elisa is a very impressive effort although it requires a lot of processing power and RAM.

Elisa has an intuitive interface that gives a professional feel and can be used to view both TV streams and most major video formats. You can even access it remotely from another computer if need be. Elisa also makes a pretty good audio player and displays album covers and other band related images as it plays your music in the same way as iTunes does.

Indeed, some of the inspiration for it appears to have come from iTunes although unlike iTunes, it extends itself to photo viewing and even browsing the Internet. The latter two functions are not the strongest areas of the package, although the browser is mainly designed for watching videos.

If you've got plenty of RAM to spare and fancy doing all your multimedia functions under one umbrella, Elisa is a beautifully presented and free open source solution.

Download Elisa 0.5.10 in Softonic

Archivarius 3000 is a full-featured application to search documents and email on the desktop computer, your local network and removable drives (CD, DVD). The documents can then be searched by keyword or using a query language.

Due to full Unicode support, Archivarius 3000 allows correct search in multilingual documents. For instance, a Greek-German bilingual document can only be handled in Unicode, otherwise Greek symbols and German diacritics would be lost.

File names are also in Unicode, which enable correct handling of Asian documents (Japanese, Chinese, Korean). Archivarius 3000 searches not only e-mail messages, but also attachments, including compressed ones. The following formats are supported: Outlook, Outlook Express, The Bat!, PocoMail, Netscape, Mozilla, Firefox, and those that are compatible.

Server mode allows you to search remotely and have remote access to your documents through any web browser (i.e. Internet Explorer). This mode can be switched on with a single mouse click.

Download Archivarius 3000 4.10 in Softonic

MioNet is the first and only personal private network that makes remote access and file sharing seamless, simple and secure. It is incredibly easy to set up and use - no dedicated hardware, networking protocols or firewall reconfigurations required.

It can access anything you want on any of your computers running MioNet - documents, music, photos, and more - regardless of where they're physically located. And you can access them all immediately since each computer simply appears as another drive on your local desktop. You can also share photos, home videos, work folders, webcams, you name it.

Finally, MioNet is seamlessly integrated with your Microsoft OS, so everything you can do on one computer you can now do across all your computers - simultaneously. Desktop search, Microsoft Office applications, photo and music management, even backup.

Download MioNet 3.6 in Softonic

VirtualBox is a general-purpose full virtualizer for x86 hardware. This means that you can generate and run virtual machines using an operating system which is completely different from the one installed on your computer.

Presently, VirtualBox runs on Windows and Linux 32-bit hosts and supports a large number of guest operating systems including but not limited to Windows (NT, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista), DOS/Windows 3.x, Linux (2.4 and 2.6), and OpenBSD.

The virtual machines created with VirtualBox offer support for USB devices by means of a virtual USB controller, can be remotely run and controlled and can also share files and folders with the host system.

VirtualBox is being actively developed with frequent releases and has an ever growing list of features, supported guest operating systems and platforms it runs on. VirtualBox is a community effort backed by a dedicated company: everyone is encouraged to contribute while InnoTek ensures the product always meets professional quality criteria.

Download VirtualBox 2.0.2 in Softonic

With so many devices to watch your programs on, it would sometimes be useful to have one universal interface through which to watch them all. Veoh Player provides exactly this enabling you to watch full-screen, DVD-quality videos on your computer, portable device, or TV.

Amongst it's many features, you can create your own library of video content, subscribe to video series, channels, or publishers similar to a virtual TiVo or SkyPlus system. You can also download and save videos from Veoh and from thousands of other websites including YouTube and Google Video.

Finding something to watch is quite easy - there's a TV-style guide or you can search via keywords or a remote control. Possibly the best feature of this program is that it 'learns' what you like to watch and recommends programs accordingly.

The downside of it is that it's designed specifically for the American market so options such as the Home Delivery service are redundant for users in other parts of the world. However, if you're a big fan of American TV series, you'll appreciate the fact that you can watch full-length episodes from ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX.

Download VeohTV 3.9.8.1077 in Softonic

Though Windows has a quite high degree of customization, there are certain features that are way too hidden for the average user. This is when a tool like TweakNow WinSecret comes in really handy.

With this Windows tweaker you'll be able to access even the most remotely customizable option in Windows XP or Windows Vista, changing not only visual elements that modify the system's appearance, but also its behavior and level of security. All tweaks are conveniently categorized in an easy-to-browse interface that lets you find any of them in just a couple of clicks.

On the one hand, I liked some of the options offered by the program a lot, like the security tweaks that allow you to restrict access to certain system's functions and tools. On the other hand, to be honest, I was disappointed with some categories, such the Applications one for only enabling me to tweak Internet Explorer and Outlook Express or some other tweaks that are easily accessible without using this program - even for a novice user. Nevertheless the overall impression is a very positive one, as TweakNow WinSecret can really make a difference in your daily work with Windows.

TweakNow WinSecret features many varied tweaks, some of them quite obvious, some of them not, with which you can fully customize the system's appearance and behavior.

Download TweakNow WinSecret Professional 1.5.3 beta in Softonic

SpotAuditor reveals passwords saved in Internet Explorer, recovers Outlook and MSN messenger passwords, IE Auto Complete Fields. It is a program for viewing and cleaning the secret data stored by Internet Explorer. SpotAuditor allows deletion of unwanted entries from the system protected storage.

The program also explores Outlook Accounts, Visited URLs, Installed Programs and Start Run Programs on a local machine or remote computers. SpotAuditor allows to clear Internet Explorer history, delete cookies and temporary internet files.

You can recover and restore any lost or forgotten password ever entered in Internet Explorer. If you forget your passwords or need to access some passwords or confidential information stored in your computer, SpotAuditor can really help you to do it. All the mentioned features are provided with a user friendly graphical interface.

Download SpotAuditor 3.7.8 in Softonic

The world of FTP can be a little confusing for anyone new to it or unfamiliar with what it's all about.

Basically, FTP servers are a quick and easy way to remotely back up or store any data on your PC. To use one, you'll need an FTP client such as Save2FTP, which is a free and easy-to-use utility designed to automatically back-up your most important data to remote FTP servers. Of course, you'll need an FTP account which Save2FTP can't provide - this you can obtain from a web hosting company or other dedicates online storage host.

However, Save2FTP doesn't just act as a go between for you and an FTP site. It actively prompts you when you need to make backups based on your own time schedule and preferences. In this way, Save2FTP can actually help you organize your backups and schedule automatic backups. Generally FTP client interfaces aren't complicates and Save2FTP is particularly easy to use making it suitable for both beginners and advanced users.

It would have been nice to have had some sort of browser extension for Save2FTP but as a general FTP server, it hots all the right notes.

Download Save2FTP 2.1.2 in Softonic

DV Kitchen aims to be a complete video solution for preparing and uploading videos to the web. All in one workflow solutions just like these are becoming more and more common to make it easier for anyone to share videos online.

Although I did find the interface a little unfriendly, you can't resize it properly and the tabs at the top right are too small, the video production process is well streamlined. You start off by selecting a video and encoding it. DV Kitchen comes with over 77 formats to choose from, among which the most popular.

Upload to a server is very easy thanks to the folder browser. You can also create remote folders.

Because video production is complex, DV Kitchen have included three tools that make it easy for users: SampleLab, Budget BitRate Calculator and TimeFreezer. These are all great help for best preparing your video to your needs.

One thing that is missing out is presets for online web platforms such as You Tube or Brightcove.

DV Kitchen is a good all around solution for preparing and uploading videos to the web.

Download DV Kitchen 1.1.6 in Softonic