Software Report
September 15th, 2004
proudly presented by
PC World
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Help with pesky software annoyances, tips on taming and improving
Windows performance, and an expert look at the most useful (and
sometimes crucial) shareware. Plus, an enthusiast's look at Linux.
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September 15th, 2004
Download This: Monitor Your PC, Train Your Mouse
Asst. Editor Laura Blackwell
We work hard, and so do our PCs. We humans have useful pain and
exhaustion sensations to help us figure out when to take a break. Our
poor PCs, though, can't tell us how hard they're working. This month,
let's look at a system monitor that improves a PC's reporting ability,
a mouse utility that could soothe physical discomfort, and a
mood-mellowing puzzle game to help humans and PCs enjoy a little
quality time while building a friendly relationship.
Cool as a Cucumber
You put your PC through its paces, so it's good to keep an eye on how
it's holding up. How much are you pushing the CPU's capacity? How much
of the total RAM are you using? Do you even remember how much RAM it
had in the first place? CoolMon, a free program from The CoolMon
Project, answers these burning questions and many others.
CoolMon installs an icon in the system tray; right-clicking that icon
brings up a small window full of useful tidbits. It arrives with
several suggested points of interest for both current stats (CPU
usage, processes running, RAM usage, and so on) and important--but
easily forgotten--information such as your IP address.
You can alter the window's appearance to suit your taste, but the best
part is how much you can customize the information. Perhaps you'd like
to know how much room you have left on your hard drive; or perhaps
you're a little concerned about your notebook's battery life. The
Display Items function lets you select CoolMon tags, which are very
similar to HTML tags, from a list. This adds the information to
display on CoolMon, and a few seconds with the Delete button removes
the information you don't want to see.
CoolMon can remain as simple as it is the moment it's downloaded or
grow as complex as you want to make it. Check out The CoolMon
Project's site for news, extension programs, and thriving support and
development forums:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/221145/21421683/755121/0/
You can check out a CoolMon screen shot here:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/221145/21421683/755122/0/
And download the program here:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/221145/21421683/755123/0/
The Mouse That Roars
Many computer users complain that mousing causes them pain and injury.
I myself have been known to mouse with my nonwriting hand just to
remove some of the strain. ActiveClick spares me the pain of clicking
and lets my wrists relax. With this mouse utility, I park the mouse
over a link or button; after a few seconds, it clicks for me.
ActiveClick appears on the desktop as a small window with a few easily
identifiable buttons. With the triangular buttons, you can assign
ActiveClick to substitute for the left, right, or middle mouse
buttons, or the double-click function. Enabling or disabling
ActiveClick takes one tap of the big round button. One of the small
round buttons brings up the Settings menu, in which you can assign
HotKeys and customize the auto-click period. Another small button
launches the Help menu. True to the spirit of the program, there's no
need to click a button just to see what it does. When you mouse over
the smaller buttons on the program window, the title bar explains the
button's function.
As you may have guessed, I'm not a medical professional, nor is the
author of this program. If you believe you may have any kind of
repetitive strain injury, please see a medical professional. Please.
ActiveClick offers a 14-day free trial. The program costs $25.
You can download the program here:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/221145/21421683/755124/0/
A Not-So-Jagged Edge
Jig Jag Gold is one smooth customer, richer and more entertaining than
you'd expect of a sliding puzzle game. Instead of the simple squares
you may remember, Jig Jag Gold's puzzles arrive in unusual, often
asymmetrical, geometric shapes. Navigating the square tiles around
them can be tricky, and piecing together several different
images--each of them a different shape--in these strange spaces can be
a real feat.
Unlike a jigsaw puzzle you complete once and then stow in the closet,
Jig Jag Gold tests you on several different levels. You can pit your
skills against the game in Puzzle, Strategy, and timed Arcade modes.
Jig Jag Gold offers good replay value, too. Each of the 75+ puzzles in
Puzzle mode can be replayed to attempt completion in fewer moves, and
the Strategy and Arcade modes include bonus levels. The pleasant
music, reminiscent of the Jeopardy countdown theme, exerts just enough
pressure to emphasize the challenge.
You must register to download the trial version, which allows one hour
of play--just enough time to scratch the surface. Once the trial's
over, you can buy the game for $20.
You can check out a screen shot here:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/221145/21421683/755125/0/
And download the program here:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/221145/21421683/755126/0/
Boot That Malware Into Orbit
In the last edition of "Download This," I recommended a beautiful and
educational screen saver called 3D Solar Traveler. It's come to light
that this seemingly innocent program--a Shareware Industry Award
nominee, no less--slipped some malware past the usual downloads
screening process. 3D Solar Traveler 1.03 as formerly hosted at the PC
World Web site contained a browser helper object called FavoriteMan.
This far-from-favorite BHO "helps" by downloading more unsolicited
software into your system.
If you're one of the unlucky folks who downloaded 3D Solar Traveler
and didn't have a good, up-to-date spyware checker to protect you,
please follow the step-by-step instructions here to remove it:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/221145/21421683/755127/0/
Needless to say, no form of malware is welcome in the PC World
Downloads library. Thank the heavens for the alert readers who
detected the problem and let me know.
Have any thoughts on these programs? Want to make us aware of your
favorite software? URLs are welcome, but messages with attached files
will be deleted unread. Write to Laura Blackwell:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Read Laura Blackwell's regularly published "Download This" columns:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/221145/21421683/239109/0/
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Top News From PC World
* CEDIA 2004: Picks and Pans
Here's what was good-looking, butt-ugly, and just plain annoying at
the recent consumer electronics and home theater show.
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Editors' Picks
Prevent Suspicious Files from Infecting Your Hard Drive
Block spyware parasites, Web bugs, and other pests that Spybot and
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CWShredder v1.59.1
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Qwik-Fix
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IE Privacy Keeper v2.3
Clean out unwanted traces of your online journeys through IE.
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SpySubtract v2.5
Keep spyware parasites from following you home from the Internet.
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NoSpyMail
Block Web bug elements in email messages without having to turn off
HTML.
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For a full list of this week's Editors' Picks, go to:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/221145/21421683/755067/0/
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* Reviews *
* Top 15 Desktops
Two new Dell Dimensions--the 8400 and the 4700--rise to the top of our
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This year's updates of the two major packages will please new users.
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See all Reviews:
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