This program almost works well, but the currrent problems are severe enough that I can't recommend it.

The range of codecs available for conversion is good. But the program does not include Same as original settings for both the fps and the audio settings. So it's necessary to open the flv file in GSpot to find out the necessary settings.

Then, it converts the file well and reasonably quickly (wmv slowest), except that the sound is almost never linked to the video correctly, so the last few seconds are silent and of course dialogue is not aligned.

FLV Converter comes with a downloader which is inferior to Free Download Manager and a link to the file which is supposed to make downloads possible that doesn't work. At least not on non-UTube sites. You'll have much better luck with Replay AV 8, even the Demo version. And when Dr Divx can read the file, it works without problems, even when Moyea FLV Converter has failed.

So, though I bought this program because the first few conversions I did happened to work, I can't recommend it to you now. I'll post an update if any of the problems are resolved.

Like most of these freeware programs, this one works from user scans of the versions of applications on the computer. If the version reported is equal to or greater than the version reported by others, then you don't need an update.

The SUMO user scans identify most programs, but miss at least those like VirtualDub which do no install themselves to the Program Files folder and leave registry entries in expected places. These can be added from the executeable.

Of course, the more users reporting the more likely a new version will be identifed promptly. SUMO appears to have an adequate number of users. Updates successfully recorded usually appear within a week.

A major problem with each of these programs is false positives - updates which do not exist.

One reason is misidentification. For example, the same company produes Regsupreme Pro and jv-16 Powertools. The version number for PowerTools is applied to Regsupreme Pro.

The other difficulty is inconsistent version numbering on some computers. The current version of Tagscanner, for instance, is 5.0, build 518. Somehow that has been translated to 5.1 in a few computers.

Response to identified errors is non-existent. I have approximately 12 programs in the Ignore list because of erroneous entries.

SUMO is no worse at these errors than other freeware programs of this sort I have tried, and in some ways is better. Probably one program of this sort will become predominant and have the largest number of sers and thus the best information. That program may or may not be SUMO, but it's adequate for its purpose now.

An easy to use program which provides no useful information.

The drivers listed as updates for my video card (nVidia) are for a different video card. The drivers listed as updates for my sound card (Creative) are for a different sound card.

E-mails explaining the problems have been ignored.

In the year since I paid for this service, I have not been informed correctly of a single new driver. I suggest that you learn from my mistake. It's cheaper.

An easy to use program that incorporates well into Outlook Express.

The difficulty is: it refuses to identify spam.
After trying it for 3 weeks and training on a significant number of emails, it identified only 3 emails as spam during that entire period. And all 3 were in Russian.
That's with the setting to identify spam aggressively.

Going over a set of spams, I found one classified as spam which had not been diverted into the correct folder. The remainder it still considered good.

If was misusing the program in some way, it's not obvious to me. I can recommend only avoiding it.

In case the other reviews don't dissuade you, the "booster" works with only two versions of WinMX, as I found out when I (mistakenly) tried to install it.

The first website identified did not have a WinMX file for download. The second did, a shareware version and a freeware version. The freeware version includes spyware severe enough that my AS prevented installation.

In fairness, I've left the rating at the defaults because I couldn't use the program.

The best tray launcher I've tried.
Development has stopped according to the site, but this beta has worked without problems for years.

The program puts an icon is the system tray, near the clock. You can right or left click or double click it and have access to a column of applications with icons and any folders you've selected.
I haven't used the email feature.

This program is a model; it does the only the tasks required, simply and well. I suggest using it if you have more than a very few icons on your desktop. Clear the debris and see your wallpaper.

There are two versions of this program; one is adware and the other is freeware.

Here's a link to a comparison of the two. You can be certain you're downloading the freeware version from this page.

http://www.singerscreations.com/AboutWeatherWatcher.asp

I rated the software only Overall.

The program has become the best way to convert to divx avi. Even does a good job with automatic cropping.

If you have to edit the video or use filters, then VirtualDub is better. VirtualDub works conveniently only with single pass, so Dr. Divx's 2-pass default produces better quality.

Just be sure to go to the Advanced tab and, in addition to choosing Insane quality, you'll have to increase the rate to keep the video at the same quality.
You can't do that with the Converter, another reason Dr Divx is better.

You may also have to use a slider to return the file to its original size. Dr Divx is likely to want to shrink the picture.

By the way, to avoid the Divx watermark, use Divx Configuration under Start / Divx.

It works with flv files.

It is free to download; the shareware listing continues to be in error.

Along with VirtualDub and (an old version of) TMPEnc (for mpg joining though not edit; doesn't cut to the frame), essential freeware for videos.

I recommend Foxit as a way to escape Acrobat Reader. Works at least as well, and without the bloat.

For reference, only the basic functionality is free. The add-ons that cost money include (As listed on the site):

Foxit Reader Pro Pack is not free. It unlocks functions to save annotation, save a PDF document as a text file, copy text from text viewer.

Actually without Pro Pack, you are still able to annotate a PDF document and print it out. However when you save the annotated document, it will be stamped with an evaluation mark on the top-right corner of the annotated pages. If you purchase a Pro Pack add-on, then there will be no evaluation mark.

Foxit PDF Creator, which allows you to convert non-PDF file into PDF file, is non-free.

Foxit PDF Editor, which allows you to modify content of a PDF file, is non-free.

[End quote]


"... non-free"?

This program has one useful function.

If you click on the Static Items Cleanup tab it will show every file type suffix.

If you click on Extension it will sort them into aplphbetical order.

If you click on an extension it will show all the associated commands in the pane on the right. You can delete any command on the list.

So if you have removed an application but the context menu listing for the program remains when you click on a particular file type, you can clean it with this program.

Adware.

Click through the installer and you'll be promised targeted ads and pop-ups.

Rating left on default because I didn't install the program.

Take a look at the screenshot and you'll see why this screensaver has been rated excellent. The tank is larger than shown; it's set up to be displayed in a rectangle covering only part of the screen. When you zoom in to fill out the screen, you see only part of the tank.

A still picture cannot show it, but strands of coral move. Watching for them helps draw attention into the tank.

Notice that there are no fish on the screen.
That's the weakness of this screensaver. Some of the older fish are not very lifelike at all, and even the better, newer ones only approach the level of a fish-specializing tank like Serene Screen, or even Real. Behaviors are more limited, and the fish cannot swim behind the coral in this tank.
(Other tanks in the series do allow the fish to swim behind small sections of the tank near the front.)
So I use only 4 fish with this saver. For one thing, it would block the view.

Notice also that this new tank is number 5. There are in fact 4 other tanks and a free tank. Oddly, the free tank, advertising for the set, includes only a sandy bottom; the emphasis is on the fish, with lighting effects. So the least advanced aspect is the highlight of this tank.

If you like the tank after you've tried it, you should consider purchasing more than one. There are volume discounts, and the other tanks are also striking.

In addition the author has been said to be working on Sim Aquarium 3 for some time. I'm not certain what the pricing for that will be, but you can expect to spend money to expand your collection. It's even worth considering buying the code that unlocks everything the author has or will produce.

Anyway, look carefully at all the trials and prices before you decide. I think they're worth collecting, and you will probably agree.

Some of the ratings have been marked down because the settings are intricate. You have to open Settings, choose a tank, and go to other pages to set Options. Older computers will require additonal work to cut back on effects. And, rarely, getting the right passwords has been aggravating. That's not part of using the screensaver, but it should be reflected.

I paid for this program years ago, so have forgotten the differences between the paid and the unpaid versions. The Softpedia reviewer was dissatisfied with the results of his test of the trial version, though I have the impression that he did notice changes in the sound. He appeared well-satisfied with his equipment before the plug-in, so I'm not certain that the software could have provided an improvement.

I should add that I've used the program with XMPlay rather than WinAmp because for me XMPlay sounded better even before the plug-in.
(In order to use it with XMPlay, you have to use a trick. In the XMPlay folder, create an empty folder reading WinAmp. The installer requires such a folder to allow installation to continue.
I'll add that XMPlay also has an equalizer with only 5 bands.)

All that said, I first appreciated the program because I was not certain what to do with all the ways to control the sound. Too many ways to set up the graphic equalizer, etc. This program controls everything according to a very large number of presets.
(More are available in a package available separately, but I have never tried it.)

The presets are effective; even with the best player I know, I could hear the improvement when the plug-in began to work. The sound had greater depth, and the increase in differentiation among instruments in a Beethoven Symphony was appreciable.

So if you already have software which can improve the sound as part of your player and you already know how to get the most from it, you may be able to replicate the advantages provided by this program. I don't know; I didn't bother to try.

But if you prefer listening to music to making small experimental adjustments all through the composition, then this program is definitely worthwhile. And even if you're an expert, you still might well find this program adds more than other software can to the experience.

Try it yourself. If you can tell a real difference and you like it, the program is well worth the money.

This program will make high quality mp3's from CDs in good condition.

If your CD is not in good condition, then EAC does the best job of recoveringwhat's there to be recovered.

EAC is also at least as good as CDex on regular CDs as well. But there's something extreme about the diligence with which some people seek a perfect copy. The complexity mentioned by the previous reviewer may even be appreciated by some.

Actually, if you want a perfect copy, use a lossless codec instead of mp3. There are a number of good codecs for the purpose; even wma lossless is not bad. But that's a different debate.

So my recommendation is, use CDex for good CDs, EAC for ones with scratches to make good mp3 files.

I'm not certain about what has changed in the new betas; I'm still using 1.51, though I do update LAME from time to time manually. If someone else can comment on these newer versions it would be appreciated.

Just a reminder:

Let's say you flip an honest coin 6 times, and each time it comes out heads. Gambler's Fallacy is the view that the odds of heads coming out on the 7th flip is anything other than 50%.

This principle is complicated a bit by another concept called Regression to the Mean. If you flip the coin often enough you can be certain that the number of times heads comes out will equal the number number of times tails comes up.

So when heads have come up on the first 6 flips, over a number of subsequent flips tails will appear 6 more times than heads.
There's a way of calculating approximately how many more flips will be required, but that's only an average, and any given set of coin flips can vary from the prediction, sometimes significantly.

But, at any rate, Regression to the Mean does not help predict the result of the next coin flip. No matter what happened in the past, the odds of heads coming up remain 50%.

So a proggram like this one does nothing at all to improve your chances of winning.

Also, contrary to the publisher's text, there's no such thing as a "less likely" number. Any number at all is equally likely - or unlikely - to be drawn.

And, by the way, flukes happen. Having heads come out on the first 6 coin flips is not unexpected. Please don't think anything that happens in an honest random event is significant. Low probability of something happening means only that it happens rarely, not that it never happens at all.


Past history can do only one thing for you.

If the payout of a prize is decided on a pari-mutuel basis (the amount available for payout divided by the number of winners), then you would get a bigger prize if you share the payout with fewer people.

Past history of prizes paid for known winning numbers can allow you to calculate which numbers make it more likely you will share the prize with fewer people, and thus receive a higher amount if you win.

But of course, choosing numbers this way makes your odds of winning neither better nor worse. It affects only the amount paid when - if - you win this one kind of prize.

So, if you want this program, have fun. Just don't expect to make back your purchase price from the lottery.

Sorry I made this review so long.
I left the ratings at the default because I have not tried the program.

I have used this tag editor for years, partly because it uses software from XMPlay, my favorite player.

There are a number of flaws:
- Tracks in the playlist cannot be played.
- Tracks in the playlist cannot be dragged, but must be moved one step at a time. That can be time consuming in a long list. Sometimes it's easier to create lists in a player with this feature.
- If an artist's name or any other entry is removed, leaving the space blank, the program will return the original entry on Save. I have to substitute a period if the tag has been saved with an entry previously.
- For some reason, tracks in the beta have defaulted to Ape tags, at least for me, and finding where to make the change (top right, two entries) wasn't easy. Without that change, the program shows the ID3 entries, changes the Ape tag, then shows the same ID3 entries when I return to the track.
- The folder rescan after change feature is good, but if you're previewing changes to the file title (as opposed to the tag), the rescan does not change the preview listing. You have to reopen the folder.
- The player drops a listing for a track which has been renamed or moved when opening a playlist. Showing the listing with a line through it would be better. (I have not checked for this feature recently; perhaps this has changed .)

My ideal playlist program would search for a missing track in the same folder or, even better show a listing of files in the folder with similar names. But that software does not exist, to my knowledge.

Despite these caveats, the program does a good job with my Mp3's, both playlist and renaming. You should find it superior to anything else available, particularly among free softwares.

I have been using mst Defrag for more than a year, and recommend it.

At one time, the program seemed at least to be attempting to defrag data in use, but that has stopped with the newest version.

The program still, I believe, requires registry entries for some changes, like eliminating the useless tray icon. But the instructions are clear, after they are found, and they do work.

The reason to buy the program is inexpensive defragmenting if, like me, you put a great deal of software and data onto the hard drive and take it off again.

Before using mst Defrag I used the old, free version of DisKeeper, called DisKeeper Light. This program is even lighter on resources and CPU.

The rating redctions were for having to access the registry to make changes that should be in the Options.

I use this program and recommend it.

I think the working parts (Mp3Gain is the GUI) are included in XMPlay, my favorite player.

There are a number of programs which will normalize sound. These programs include rippers (such as CDex, which I usually use, though EAC is better for damaged CDs) and burners (including Nero and WMP).

This program is said to have an unusually good algorithm for determining the correct adjustment. (For reference, it sets the overall level to 89.0 by default.)

The question is, does it work better than others?

To test it, I ripped a track with CDex 1.51 twice, once with Normalization (on the Generic tab) and once without. I then used Mp3Gain on the track without normalization.

I couldn't hear any definite difference between the two tracks. That could be the result of my sound equipment or my hearing.

As a second experiment I tested a series of tracks with MpTrim, which also has normalization. All but one of the tracks showed the same amount of change; the difference was probably because of a different default setting.

So, is this program better than any other for normalizing? Perhaps. Is it a reliable way of handling a lot of tracks at once? Definitely.

So it's worth the space on your hard drive, but I can't guarantee that it will be significantly better than alternatives on every track.

This program scans but changes nothing unless registered for $30.

It apparently has no way to identify cookies the user wishes to keep.

Most results are not listed in enough detail to verify a problem. However, among the files to be repaired were a number of mp3's which do play. The listing does not identify what the problem might be.

I don't know how anyone would determine whether this is worth owning. Because I did not pay the $30 the rating was left at default.

On the download page, the InDepth products are said to be free as of the date of this review.

However, what you can download are 180solutions installers.

This company is attempting to use reputable methods to gain users, but has been - and is still by some, including me - considered spyware.

I have used the Video Cutter and Splitter inDepth product, and it is useful, if very heavy on resources and CPU. But I have not used Sound inDepth, so I have left the rating at default.

This product is described on the Divx site as LPGL freeware, not shareware.

http://labs.divx.com/node/182

If the link ceases to work, check the second question under General in the FAQ's.

I haven't (yet) downloaded, so rating is left at default.

This is a quirky and demanding program. I wouldn't be without it.

A few of the quirks:
- refuses to work with wmv files. It's necessary to convert to avi before Opening. A message says by Microsoft request, but other programs have resolved the issue.
- does not show segments to be merged. The program tries to be helpful by taking in more than one segment, so you have no idea what is being merged until you do it.
- does not work with Creative mp3 codec. It's necessary to go to the Creative codec in Device Manager and check Do not use. Then the fallback is the Windows codec, which produces a maximum 56 quality sound. It's necessary to obtain still another codec to get better quality sound.

On the plus side, the program is the best Converter to avi with sound sync. Unlike the divx Converter, you can set the quality of the video yourself.

The program also allows editing to the indivudual frame.
It deletes the first but not the last frame in a segment. Sometimes it requires that the program Save in Full Processing mode to save the file with the deleted sections removed. Two more quirks.

The program needs time and patience. But it's worth it.

I bought this tank as much for its promise as for its performance as it was at the time. Updates are frequent, and some of my comments may be out of date before long.

Observations:

No sound.
Options work from the Return while the tank is running. I check Get Current Update weekly.
Feeding the fish has been turned from an option to a feature. You can change how often the feeding occurs under More Stuff...
There is now a choice of tanks and a sequencer.

The advantages:
Quality of the images and light effects.

Disadvantages:
Fish behavior is very smooth; real fish are more erratic. There is an option to speed up the fish, but the effect is to me slightly odd.

Fish interaction is not very elaborate.

I have never been able to observe a fish actually swallowing the food. The fish swim around the pellets rapidly and the food disappears somehow.


This is a program with many light effects and fish swimming smoothly in silence. The effect is slightly hypnotic, but still just short of realistic.

For me:
SimAquarium is a remarkable painting sometimes marred by the fish.
AquaReal has a large number of bugs, like fish swimming through the coral, but a number of interesting behaviors and very odd fish.
SereneScreen has slightly rubbery fish and they are onscreen almost constantly, seeming restricted, but the behaviors are the best I've seen.
ScreenGardens Living (Koi) pond could be great next version, but the fish look rubbery and the background fake. It's heavy on the computer and difficult to shift through the possible views.

Without being negative, Dream Aquarium is like a cartoon compared to the paintings and puppet shows in the other programs.

None of these are perfect, but any of them would be worthwhile.

Best sounding audio player.
Little use of CPU, resources.
Library simple and easy to use. WMP should emulate.
Great support site and very active forums.
A large number of skins.
Uses WinAmp plugins.

Just be patient learning how to use it.
A very long text help file is in the XMPlay folder.
Uses right clicks extensively.
The Options and Stuff tabs are cluttered in my view.

Visualizations are available, though my experience has been that many cause the program to freeze. This may have been fixed.

I have not used a number of the features, such as streaming and sampling and encoding.
For a small program XMPlay does a great deal. More than I need.

Worth downloading and hearing how much better mp3's and other formats can sound.

This screensaver is a series of still photographs of fish in aquariums contributed by members of a chat site. Most of the photos use up little of the screen, and the contributor is named in large letters in the black area beside the picture.

Good if you've contributed a photo, unspectacular if you have not.

I had some difficulty uninstalling, but I'm not certain the program's uninstaller was the problem.

Best weather forecasting program I've tried.
Includes hourly, daily forecasts as well as prose descriptions.

Maps are present, but not especially helpful.
Also various skins and formats, but simplest is best.

Still, if you want to get the forecast without waiting and then excess verbiage about distant places on TV, this is a good program for the purpose.

This is one you probably don't want to risk.
When it crashes VirtualDub the Microsoft error message says it has discussed the problem with LAME and no solution is available.

The way to get rid of it is to hack the registry, as said in the prior post.

To do that, download Regscanner and look for Lame entries within the hour that you attempted the install. By double clicking on the entries you go to where you can delete them.

Time consuming and I'm not sure yet that I've succeeded.

This eliminates having to check each of your email accounts. Replies are possible with a couple of clicks.
The providers of the program work to keep up with changes in each type of mail they support. These include various web mails, not just Pop3.
You can't get a virus because you are shown only text versions of the message.
You can delete off the server without ever downloading. That's useful for worms received and, from experience, if someone accidentally send you 100 copies of a very large email.

The bad news:
- You do not know if you have received an attachment
- You can save a copy of a note you sent only by sending a bcc to yourself
- The program looks only at the first page of emails received at a given address; some emails can be invisible. On some types of mail only the past few emails are recorded, not even the whole frirst page.
- The connection used by ePrompter can interfere with the continuous connections used by other sites. In this case, just set the program to check manually only.

The program is highly recommended.