http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ Updates and information on software for Windows, applications for Mac OS X, and solutions for Linux. en-us jake@iowageek.com 2009-08-18T15:13:14-08:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/000238_best_mac_fax_application.phtml "What's the best fax application for Mac OS X?" If you need a fax application to send the occasional fax with your Mac, I wouldn't use an application at all. For the very occasional use, I recommend free fax site FaxZero. It allows you to upload a file to fax and choose a recipient for your fax without spending any money. If you need to receive faxes or want to send many faxes every month, there are some other suggestions I would make instead.... 238@http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ Communication 2009-08-18T15:13:14-08:00 http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/000235_recover_missing_outlook_express_email.phtml When your computer crashes and you lose your Outlook Express data file, there's a good chance panic sets in and you're wondering how you're ever going to recover all those important emails. The Outlook Express .DBX file is volatile under the best of conditions, so having the data file missing is a frightening prospect. In many cases, you can still get your Outlook Express email back, but the solution won't be a free one.... 235@http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ Communication 2009-08-14T10:37:26-08:00 http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/000192_convert_vinyl_to_mp3_with_better_ion_turntable_software.phtml If you've got one of those Ion USB Turntables, you've probably recorded a few albums using either Audacity or ez Vinyl Converter. While both of these software solutions will work for recording your music collection and converting it to CD or MP3, they are both incredibly frustrating. There's a more automated way to record albums from your Ion Turntable, but you'll need to download some additional software to make it work. The software upgrade recommended for getting more from your Ion Turntable: Download Spin It Again. The software fixes pops and clicks from old records automatically. It records the full side of an album and divides it into individual tracks. Spin It Again also looks up album information, adds your tracks to iTunes, and handles CD burning all from one convenient location. Using Spin It Again you no longer have to sit and mark a new track the way ez Vinyl Converter works, and the number of clicks required to make an album makes conversion a snap. Download Spin It Again and start getting better MP3 recordings from your old vinyl records and cassettes.... 192@http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ Audio and Multimedia 2009-08-07T16:39:59-08:00 http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/000191_best_educational_program_or_game_2009_sic_peoples_choice_awards.phtml AceReader Pro by StepWare, Inc. AceReader Pro is a genuinely awesome application! If you want to improve reading comprehension and read faster for any reason, you should download this app right now. The drills and training, coupled with the Online Reader feature dramatically improve your reading and comprehension with just a few minutes of time invested each day. The payoff is you get those minutes back in the form of less time spent reading later. I have personally used AceReader Pro to boost my reading speed by an additional 100wpm and seen my comprehension go up too. [Windows XP/Vista Mac OS X $49.95]... 191@http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ Educational 2009-07-24T11:31:52-08:00 http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/000190_best_business_application_or_utility_2009_sic_peoples_choice_awards.phtml PayWindow by ZPAY Payroll Systems, Inc. I don't have a payroll to process, so I'm taking the people's word for this one. I did take a look at the app and it seems to do everything I'd need if I had any payroll to process (and it's less confusing to my mind than QuickBooks). Manage pay periods, salaried and hourly workers, contract employees, and commissioned sales people for payrolls ranging from the simple to the complex. Cut checks for payroll, pay 941 payroll taxes, and generate 1099-MISC and W2 statements at tax time. Built-in backup means you won't lose your payroll data (as long as you use it). [Windows XP/Vista $69.95]... 190@http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ Business 2009-07-24T11:30:38-08:00 http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/000189_best_graphics_program_or_utility_2009_sic_peoples_choice_awards.phtml Paint Shop Pro by Corel Corporation Paint Shop Pro kind of fell off my radar when it went from being developed by JASC to being part of the software acquiring Corel Corporation. It's always been a solid independent contender against the Adobe Photoshop empire, with the advantage of also supporting Photoshop plug-ins. From the image editing basics, to custom masking and image enhancements, there is very little you can't accomplish using Paint Shop Pro. The interface is fairly intuitive, eliminating some of the poking around to figure out how stuff works I have found in many of the free image editing solutions. If you're into High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography, PSP is among the easiest tools I've seen for building HDR images. One of the strongest features of the X2 Ultimate version is it's background removal, which allows you to creatively replace the background on almost any image. [Windows XP/Vista $79.00 or $99.00]... 189@http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ Image Editing 2009-07-24T11:24:28-08:00 http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/000188_best_application_2009_sic_peoples_choice_awards.phtml TuneUp Utilities 2009 by TuneUp Distribution GmbH TuneUp is one of those Swiss Army Knife software apps, with many features under one roof. Its Disk Doctor performs error checking and repair on your drives. A file viewer allows you to take quick inventory of your hard drive. Many Windows tweaks are exposed for convenient configuration. Start-up application management effectively speeds up boot time, so you spend less time waiting for your computer to load. Tweaking the Windows logon and start screens is a standard feature. And most importantly, TuneUp includes software to recover deleted files and also software designed to permanently delete files beyond recovery. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I could spend all day listing the features in TuneUp, or you could simply download it and try it out for yourself. The registered license is good for up to 3 computers. [Windows XP/Vista $49.95]... 188@http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ System Utilities 2009-07-24T11:22:37-08:00 http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/000187_best_overall_utility_2009_sic_peoples_choice_awards.phtml WinZip by WinZip International, LLC. With great free zip utilities like 7-zip it's hard to get excited about a file compression utility that costs money, but WinZip went way beyond just doing file compression years ago. If you download WinZip Pro, there are a ton of automation features that make it a handy solution for file management. Being able to run a scheduled zip job on your files and then automatically upload those files to an FTP site for backup is among the handiest of the WinZip features. Built-in DVD burning allows you to put your zip files on DVD. If you want to quickly dump your photos from SD card to a Netbook, WinZip also helps with some routine image processing tasks, without creating a massive footprint the way an image editor would. I'm still a big fan of WinRAR, but WinZip certainly has it's place too. [Windows XP/Vista $29.95 or $49.95]... 187@http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ File Compression 2009-07-24T11:19:35-08:00 http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/000185_defender_of_the_crown_game.phtml Defender of the Crown is a game full of cunning and strength as you contest for the crown against 5 Lords. Build your own army full of knights and archers. Raid and pillage, save princesses, and lay siege with catapults and Greek Fire! If your play your cards right, you can win the British Crown! Play Defender of the Crown Now... 185@http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ Games 2009-02-23T10:51:11-08:00 http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/000184_bob_the_builder_can_do_zoo.phtml The animals for the Bobland Bay Zoo have arrived, but the zoo hasn't been built yet! Bob and the Can Do crew need your help to get the zoo built. Earn stickers by completing certain tasks and use those stickers to make your own scenes in the bonus sticker book mode. Fun and educational for children! Play Bob the Builder: Can Do Zoo Now... 184@http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ Games 2009-02-19T19:57:58-08:00 http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/000183_the_wizards_pen_game.phtml The Wizard's Pen will take you on a magic adventure to find the missing Wizard. The only clue you have to his whereabouts is his workbook. But the pages are all blank! You must use the Wizard's magic pen to uncover the images on each page. Find the hidden objects, unlock secret games and earn potions on your mystical journey to find the Wizard. Play The Wizard's Pen Now... 183@http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ Games 2009-02-19T16:05:37-08:00 http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/000182_farm_frenzy_pizza_party_game.phtml Get your overalls on and head back to the farm for the new Farm Frenzy: Pizza Party. You start on a small farm growing grass and feeding chickens, but soon you'll be buying new buildings, upgrading your vehicles and even fending off those crazy bears! All for the manufacturing of pizza that soon, the world will enjoy. Play Farm Frenzy: Pizza Party Now... 182@http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ Games 2009-02-19T13:51:05-08:00 http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/000181_jojos_fashion_show_game.phtml Jojo Cruz was the hottest name in fashion 20 years ago. Now, with her daughter Rosalind, she's out to prove to the world that she still has what it takes. Join Jojo as she puts on fashion shows in the hottest cities in the world. You will be mixing and matching tops, bottoms, shoes and gowns into stylish outfits to help Jojo keep her nickname, Mistress of Mix. Play Jojo's Fashion Show Now... 181@http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ Games 2009-02-18T18:18:03-08:00 http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/000180_poker_superstars_ii_game.phtml Think you can play with the Superstars of Poker? Poker Superstars 2 has a 'first of its kind' AI system that has learned to win by playing millions of simulated tournaments. You're going to need to bring your best game to beat the 15 best players, each with interactive photos. Upload your own photo and join the ranks of the Superstars. Play Superstars of Poker II Now... 180@http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ Games 2009-02-18T15:58:40-08:00 http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/000179_airport_mania_first_flight_game.phtml Take charge of 8 busy airports in this cute time management game. Land the planes, load them up with passengers or cargo, keep them in good repair and buy upgrades to keep everything running smoothly and on time. Pack your bags for a challenging and fun trip in the skies. Play Airport Mania Now... 179@http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/software-update/ Games 2009-02-18T15:17:45-08:00