Windows: After a few betas and release candidates, our favorite torrent client has finally made it. uTorrent 2.0 is now available for download with the same speed, ease of use and simple interface we’ve grown to love. The new version also features support for UDP tracker and a completely overhauled setup menu, among other new features.

iPhone: Want a Kindle but can’t afford one? Then try Stanza. It’s ebook reader and library for your iPhone, offering commercial titles, which can be bought through bookstores in the app, and free titles from providers like the Gutenberg project. This is a really good application. It’s well organized, easy to use and makes reading on the iPhone as comfortable as possible on such a small screen.

Mac: Imagine if you could access your iTunes collection from any Mac, anywhere in the world. MyTunesRSS allows you to do exactly this by accessing your iTunes folder over a local network or the internet. Initial setup involves setting up a server using the IP address of the computer that contains your music. Once connected, the user interface is like a stripped down version of iTunes showing you your tracks and categories.

Because they’re amazing, you might think you never have to think about spring cleaning your Mac, but it’s still a good idea to keep things in order. The second Tuesday of February is Clean Out Your Computer Day, so today’s a good day to start!

There are some myths about optimizing your system, and perhaps the most damaging is that of cache cleaning. Tools like Cache Out X will find and ‘clean’ your various caches, some of which may look pretty big. While that may save you disk space for a few moments, it’s a bad idea. Cache files in OSX are created precisely to speed up performance, so if you delete them, the system will have to recreate them, actually slowing you down!

That’s not to say there aren’t things you can do, so here’s some good advice:

1: If your browser is slow, perhaps it’s time to delete its history, cache and cookies? A year’s worth of browsing with a saved history and cache will seriously decrease efficiency. Instead of relying on the history, bookmark your favorite sites, then hit clean (File>Delete Cache in Safari, Tools>Clear Recent History in Firefox).

2: If you’re running any OSX up to 10.5 (Leopard), and you turn off your Mac at night, there are some scripts that perform clean up tasks automatically in the early hour of the morning - they clear up any unnecessary log files and system cache. Left in sleep mode, they’ll run when you wake up the computer but if you turn off your Mac they won’t. You can’t do any harm by running these scripts anyway, and doing so is really simple:

Open Terminal (look in Applications>Utilities) and enter the following text exactly: sudo periodic daily weekly monthly. You’ll then be asked for your system password - enter it, and hit return. You won’t see anything happening, but it will finish when the blinking prompt reappears.

3: Run Disk Utility. Found in Applications>Utilities again, this will just make sure your directories are in order, and keep things running smoothly. It’s easy to use - click on your Hard drive in the Disk Utility window, then click Verify Disk, wait for the process to finish the click Repair. Repeat for Verify Disk Permissions. It may not speed your system up, but it won’t do any harm.

4: Clean out your folders. Over time it’s easy to let your pictures, documents and downloads folders get messy. Take time every month to clear them out. It makes finding things easier, and will free up some hard drive space. Go through your applications folder and delete apps you never use - they’re a waste of space!

Do you have any other cleaning routines?

I guess it was Nintendo who invented ice levels in platformers, and since then it’s become a video game standard. Whatever you’re playing, you can bet at some point you’ll be asked to continue what you have been doing for the last few hours, but on slippery surfaces. I’m not a fan, possibly with the exception of the snowy levels in Mario 64.

I Hate Ice Levels is an ode to everything we dislike about these staple levels. It’s unbelievably tricky - I got cramps in my fingers after ten minutes playing! It’s meant to be a satire of ice levels, and as such it works well. It’s also a tough challenge for anyone who thinks they’ve got skills when it comes to platforming. Play it here - requires Flash.

We’re big fans of Twitter here at Softonic, so I was surprised when I realized that we haven’t actually written a post about the best clients for PC. Well, fret no more, because I’m about to remedy the situation. Read on…

Echofon is a great option for serious tweeters. Although it seems to get uglier with every release, it’s still the OnSoftware team’s first choice. It integrates into Firefox, doesn’t take up much room, and makes it easy to post and switch between Twitter accounts. Try it!

Saezuri is equally light and flexible, but this app operates from your desktop, not the browser. It has pretty much the same features as Echofon, so if you like the sound of the add-on but don’t use Firefox, this is the client for you.

DestroyTwitter is guaranteed to make an impact. Scary name aside, it’s also a powerful Twitter client. A member of the AIR family, this sleek black app uses tabs to keep your tweets, contacts and messages under control.

Twhirl is the perfect solution if you want something even lighter. Fast, easy to use, but fully-featured, this AIR application is a great option. It also allows you to customize the interface and update frequency, as well as having support for various accounts.

TweetDeck is probably the most popular Twitter app on Softonic. It’s quite a looker and has lots of features, making it almost as good as using Twitter directly. It also integrates into Facebook and MySpace, but it isn’t weighed down by the extra functionality.

Seesmic Desktop is a tool you often see on twitter rankings, but it doesn’t make my top ten. Although it is a perfectly useful Twitter client, it also has a lot of additional non-Twitter related features. If you do want one app for all your social media needs, check out Sobees, AlertThingy or Yoono Desktop. They all do a similar job, but are more streamlined and nicer to use.

One of the great things about Snow Leopard is that you no longer need Cisco’s VPN Client to connect over a private network. Snow Leopard has its own Cisco VPN network configuration tool that works within OS X 10.6. Cisco’s VPN client doesn’t even work with Snow Leopard so if you’ve still got it on your system, you can dump it in the Trash. However, setting up a Cisco VPN network might be a little tricky for those doing it for the first time so here is a simple guide.

Go to System Preferences and select Network:

Use the “+” symbol at the bottom of the list of network connections on the left-hand side to add a new network. Read the rest of this entry »

Windows: With the All-in-One Sidebar extension you can access a bunch of tools and features in Firefox in a much easier, more comfortable way. This add-on displays your bookmarks, downloads, history, add-on updates and more on a handy, customizable sidebar. All the information you’re interested in, just a glance away!

iPhone: Tumblr is a great micro blogging service, where you can share all sorts of media, from text to quotes and audio and video. Now you can blog from your iPhone with this great Tumblr app. Pretty much everything you can do on the website you can do with this app, including adding text, video, photos and audio.

Mac: If you’re both a Firefox user and a soccer fan, then this plug-in combines the best of both worlds into a great little plug-in. Footiefox allows you to keep up with the latest results and scorelines without changing a page or even leaving your desktop. Once installed, the plug-in sits discreetly at the bottom of Firefox in the status bar. You can configure it to follow the games of your choice so you’ll always know the score.

Windows: Tumblr is a cool micro blogging site, where you can quickly and easily share all sorts of content, from simple text to rich media like video and audio. Tumblr Post is a fantastic Firefox add-on that sticks a little icon in the system tray of your browser. All you have to do to post blogs in Tumblr is drag things over the icon. Text, YouTube links, image and audio files can all just be dropped in and blogged automatically. It’s a great way to get into Tumblr!

Mac: NeoOffice is a welcome open source alternative to the pricier Microsoft Office and iWork’08 office suites. The application carries with it all the applications that you’d expect: word processing, spreadsheet, presentations, database and drawing. You’ll find the interface of NeoOffice and the range of tools in the office suite very similar to what you’d find in Microsoft Office but without the price tag.

Bored of your blog? All tweeted out? This week I’ve been having a second look at Tumblr, which sits somewhere between those two. When I first played with it over a year ago I wasn’t very excited. I don’t know what’s exactly happened since then, but Tumblr looks great now!

You’re not limited to 140 characters, but like Twitter the social aspects are central and built into Tumblr. Posts are split by category - text, photo, quote, link, chat, audio and video - and sharing any of these things is a breeze. The site gives you a Dashboard, which shows you a news stream of posts by you and the people you follow, like Twitter, but as it supports rich media, your Tumblr dashboard will be full of audio, video and images.

Go to the website to set up your account with an email address, and then off you go. The site looks good and is very usable, but even simpler is the Firefox add-on Tumblr Post. If you want to share something, simply drag it to the little icon in the status bar, and it will post on your Tumbleblog automatically! Until computers achieve sentience, I’m not sure blogging could be easier!

When away from your computer, that’s no excuse as there are Android and iPhone apps that allow you to blog just as easily on the move. The free iPhone app Tumblr is especially well designed, allowing you to record audio, photos and video on your phone and upload them, as well as use all the other Tumblr features.

While I love Twitter for keeping up with news, Tumblr seems much more fun. It doesn’t have the huge user base of Twitter but I’m sure it will grow as more people try it, as it’s so easy to get into. Come on, join in: Facebook and Twitter are so last decade!

Having your very own Karaoke nights doesn’t mean you have SingStar or spend lots of money on equipment. If you’ve got a Mac, you can turn it into a Karaoke machine complete with videos and all. Although there is a definite lack of decent karaoke apps on Macs, here is a selection of some of the better ones to give your vocal chords some exercise.

iStar Ok, it might sound a bit too much like SingStar but iStar is much more flexible than the latter. Why restrict yourself to SingStar discs when iStar can import almost anything including CD+G, KAR, AIFF, and MP3 files. So you’re not restricted to buying expensive songss like you are with SingStar. Because it can burn CD+G discs too, you can create your own karaoke videos to go along with songs.

SingSong Karaoke: Do you want a SingStar style app without the SingStar style price tag? SingSong Karaoke might not be as powerful as iStar but it is more fun by allowing you to measure your voice against the original artist of tracks. In the trial version of SingSong Karaoke, you can choose from Madonna, Eric Clapton and Gloria Gaynor but you’ll need the original MP3 file to sing them. Lyrics can be downloaded from the database.

kJams Although kJams (formerly known as kTunes) itself is free to download, you have to pay for a special burning plugin to burn CD-G discs. However, for those serious about karaoke, it may well be worth it. kJams is about as professional as it gets allowing you to rip, mix, play and burn CD+G format discs in a very easy to use iTunes style interface. kJams creates karaoke playlists, sorts tracks by name, artist, album etc.

TunePrompter While kJams can be a bit complicated for those just wanting a bit of fun, TunePrompter makes creating your own Karaoke videos an absolute cinch. Best of all, its absolutely free and a pleasure to use. Although it was originally designed for use with Griffin Technologies iKaraoke hardware, there’s absolutely nothing to stop you creating your videos, exporting them to QuickTime and then burning the results to disc.

KaraTunes is not strictly a karaoke application but it can very easily be adapted for karaoke sessions. KaraTunes puts all your lyrics data in one single database, letting you save, modify, and search lyrics with an easy-to-use interface. By supporting the LRC lyrics format, KaraTunes allows you to view lyrics synchronized with your songs. KaraTunes automatically displays the lyrics of the song being played while you sing.

iPhone: Guitar Hero and Rock Band are two of the most innovative console games of the last ten years. Now you can enjoy the wonders of virtual instruments on the go, by installing Rock Band on your iPhone. The Lite version lets you choose from four different instruments - bass, guitar, drums, and vocals - and all of them are excellently presented. From the animations above the game board to the vibrant neon colors, the graphics are almost worthy of a console - and the sound is superb too.

Windows:  Chrome users worldwide, rejoice! The latest stable version of Google’s web browser is already here. Google Chrome 4.0.249.78 includes a bunch of new features, such as enhanced developer tools, support for HTML5, performance improvements, full Acid3 pas and above all, support for extensions and bookmark syncing.

Mac: Mac fans have been able to try Google Chrome for themselves for quite some time now but this is the first unofficial portable version available that you can take anywhere. However, since it is still a beta version, Google Chrome Portable may be prone to bugs and instability but it’s enough to give you a good idea as to what the finished product will look and feel like. Note, it only works on Intel Macs.

It’s taken us just over six months but we’ve finally got our hands on one of the hottest download tickets in town - an invite to test Voddler. In July we had an exclusive interview with Voddler co-founder Mathias Hjelmstedt and couldn’t wait to give it a go. Now, we’ve finally had the chance to try it for ourselves and can safely say, Voddler looks like a genuine contender for the future of movie distribution in the same way as Spotify is for music. From a huge selection of films and documentaries to an easy to use interface and stunning video/audio, Voddler is all I expected and more.

Unfortunately for most, at the moment its still only available in Sweden but we’ve been able to give it a proper test run for you.

If you’re lucky enough to receive an invite, you can install the beta client for Voddler on Windows or the Alpha client on Mac. I installed the Mac client but it works exactly the same on both platforms.

When you install Voddler, it takes you through a quick setup wizard which checks the suitability of your connection. The test takes a few minutes but if you’ve got a 2.5Mbit connection or more, you’re good to go.

When Voddler launches for the first time, it goes straight into full-screen mode. I would prefer to have been prompted whether I wanted to open in windowed or full-screen mode but you can revert back to windowed mode (so that you can access the rest of your Mac normally) by pressing Command+F.

The first thing to note is that you can’t use your mouse when Voddler has started. Everything is controlled via the keyboard - mainly the Cursor, Enter and Esc keys - which is a bit disorientating and awkward at first. Alternatively, you can use an Apple remote instead which is a bit easier.

The reason for this is that in future, Voddler plan to launch a box that connects to your TV without a computer (known as a Voddler box) and presumably you’ll be able to use a virtual keyboard. However, I think it would still have made more sense at this stage to have allowed users on a computer to use a mouse.

Once you setup a profile and log-in:

You are presented with three options in front of a scrolling background displaying iconic movie stills. The options are Settings, Movies and Quit. Use the left and right arrow keys to scroll through them: Read the rest of this entry »

In case you hadn’t heard, rumor has it that Apple will release a new ‘tablet’ on Wednesday. Here at OnSoftware, we decided that rather than add to the echo chamber, we’d stay out of any debate on the putative features and software of this alleged device. We’ll be offering our thoughts when we know how the machine looks and feels, which version of OS X it runs and what software-enhancing goodies it has packed into its super-thin body.

At the same time, there is a lot of great analysis and gossip-mongering going on out there in the blogosphere. So with about 28 hours to go, here’s a round up of some of the best articles we’ve read about the mysterious “Jesus Tablet”.

TUAW has a rundown of their tablet coverage. They discussed the ramifications for software developers, ‘print’ publishers and how the tablet might connect with the world. They also think that Steve Jobs might be planning to revolutionize the education sector with this device.

Seth Weintraub at 9 to 5 Mac wrote a great post arguing that the tablet will be a breakthrough convergence device. In short: it’s going to do most of what you want it to, plus lots more.

Plenty commentators reckon that the Wall Street Journal is receiving lots of leaked information directly from Apple, which would explain why that newspaper is so packed with insightful, authoritative articles about a device ‘no one’ has seen. Like this one.

MacRumors has been, as usual, a great place to read up on the latest gossip. One of its most repeated topics is that the tablet might be called the iPad.  Personally, I prefer Canvas as a name, but a forum user has pointed out a good reason why that might not be so.

John Gruber’s Daring Fireball blog is always an excellent place to visit for news and analysis, and he’s been particularly good as the hype has built around the tablet. (That last link includes a link to a very entertaining and incisive article by Chicago Sun-Times writer Andy Ihnatko, which is among the best tablet-related pieces we’ve seen so far).

Leigh McMullen at Cult of Mac wrote a piece which really resonated with us. He doesn’t want to see a tablet that runs something like iPhone OS. Nor do we. A hybrid between Mac and iPhone makes more sense… but Apple might well ignore that.

The Guardian is also crowdsourcing a prediction on the possible specs of the new tablet. It’ll be interesting to see how close the results are to reality.

Finally, here’s Mosspuppet reviewing the tablet [via: 9 to 5 Mac]

Windows: Download managers may not be as necessary as they were in the modem era, but they’re undoubtedly a handy tool for download addicts. FlashGet proves to be one of the best download managers out there, with great features such as support for Torrent an eMule files, scheduled downloads, and clipboard and web browser monitoring, among others.

iPhone: If you’re a Photoshop addict then why not try out the new iPhone version of the app, Photoshop.com Mobile. It’s by no means a fully-featured editing suite, but what it does do is to allow you to quickly and easily tweak photos on the move, through an excellent interface based around touch gestures. This latest update adds support for video playback.

Mac: kJams (formerly known as kTunes) can Rip, Mix, Play and Burn CD+G format discs in a very easy to use iTunes style interface. kJams allows you to create playlists, sort tracks by name, artist, album etc and much more. If you’ve already ripped some MP3+G files, kJams allows you to import them along with standard formats such as QuickTime, KAR, MIDI and Vorbis.

Windows: Firefox releases are something we always look forward to. The all new Firefox 3.6 brings a handful of new features and enhancements that will improve your user experience and web browsing: support for full screen HTML5 videos, better Javascript performance, the latest Gecko engine and seamless integration with Personas.

iPhone: Exchanging contact details with someone is a notoriously annoying process. It normally involves rummaging around for business cards or frantically trying to remember your own phone number. Thanks to Bump these days could soon be behind us. This innovative app (which, incidentally was the billionth app downloaded from the App Store) allows you to exchange contact information simply by bumping into another iPhone.

Mac: Virtual DJ is a complete music mixing application for your desktop, allowing you to dump your vinyl turntables for a laptop. Looking like a classic DJ set-up, with a mixer and two decks, Virtual DJ will be instantly accessible to DJs and newcomers alike. There’s a BPM counter to help you judge transitions between tracks, and the visual wave display also helps to cue up your music so that you sound like a pro.

Windows: Some years ago ICQ used to be the world’s most famous IM client… until MSN Messenger arrived. Today ICQ is still a popular app that keeps on launching new releases. The latest version, ICQ 7, features a redesigned interface with tabs, works faster, is lighter on system resources and supports integration with social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

iPhone: Touch DJ is the first serious mixing app for the iPhone. It makes excellent use of the touchscreen to create a DJ-ing tool unlike any other. As there is only one stereo output on the iPhone, Touch DJ uses a novel way of beat-matching called visual mixing. This means the wave display flashes in time to the bass drum when you’re playing a track, and using this you can alter the pitch so two tracks have the same pitch.

Mac: While most video recording tools are limited to the major video sites such as YouTube or DailyMotion, iTube Grabber promises to capture almost any audio and/or video stream. iTube Grabber also instantly converts from standard FLV formats used by sites such as YouTube to several formats of your choosing such as iPod, iPhone, MP4, MPEG and even Matroska.