Here is a software that is very useful for classrooms and network groups.

AB Tutor Control was designed in response to requests from teachers and trainers who need to interact effortlessly with their students on an individual, group or full classroom basis using a very simple and reliable user interface.

The fact that no prior experience of computer-based training or networking is required makes this software very easy to use. The software enables a tutor or network administrator to control a number of student workstations in a computer training room – or remote location – from a tutor workstation. Classroom groups can be created by network managers to maintain security on large networks.

This software is also very useful for network administrators and help support staff. Want to try it out; It’s a shareware with a 30 day time out trial version.

CLICK HERE for more info and trial download.

In need of a software that can help you create pictures in form of texts and small images? Then you might want to check out Image Constructor.

Image Constructor helps you to create pictures in form of texts and small images over some background with picture or gradient fill and import them to graphical files. This software is really useful in making web graphics; structural diagrams; flow-charts; presentation materials; beautiful pictures etc.

I love the fact that Image Constructor is built with simplicity in mind. So there are no special requirements for this software, this means you should be able to enjoy it fully no matter what kind of system you are using.

Check it out: http://www.easyanimationtools.com/products/imageconstructor/

Here is a nice software that comes highly recommended; GB-PVR.

GB-PVR is a Personal Video Recorder (PVR) allowing you to schedule TV recordings, view and pause live TV. The cool thing about GB-PVR is that it’s more than a PVR; it also acts as a media center allowing you to watch movies, listen to music, view pictures and listen to FM radio. It also supports multiple tuners, allowing you to record multiple channels at one time.

The recent version, GB-PVR 0.99.5 has these changes incorporated into it,

• Improvements to scheduling logic for multi-tuner setups
• Added support for Maltese plugins. If enabled in config app, then it’ll load MultiDec plugins from MDPlugins directory
• Improvements to the start up time for timeshift mode, and the time to change channels. (PC improvements, not relevent to MVP) To take full advantage of this, you’ll probably want to set you ‘LiveTV Pre-play delay’ to ‘0’
• Added support for Vista, though I’d recommend doing a clean install if you decide to upgrade a machine to vista that was previous running an earlier version of windows with GB-PVR
• Fixed a bug that could occur with badly behaved BDA devices that continue send a small amount of data from frequencies they were previously tuned to (for example, Compro devices)
• Fixed a couple of bugs with the DVB EPG (now supports PSI pointer_field used in some countries to squeeze more data in)
• Improvements to H.264 support (BBC HDTV trial etc). You’ll need to have an H.264 decoder installed. For playback of recordings, you’ll also need HDTV Pump installed: http://dvbportal.dyn1.de/download.ph…etup-1.0.7.zip

And lots more.

Check it out; http://www.gbpvr.com/

This is a really cool software. And what makes it really cool? Well it allows you to create your own games easily. Yeah it does!

Quest Pro allows you to make text adventure games, also known as interactive fiction, quickly and easily and without needing to learn any programming. With this software it is so simple to create your own interactive world or interactive story you won’t believe it, and editing your game is made easy with the included editor, QDK. It has the power to let you make exciting adventure games, complete with graphics and sounds.

With this cool software [Quest Pro] you can make text adventures, role-playing games, training materials, simulations, interactive fiction, online multiplayer environments and lots more.

Want to see what it’s all about? Go to http://www.axeuk.com/quest/

Bluebottle Freemail is the free version of the paid service, but you still get a lot of the cool features. You get a Spam Free Email, what they call “Trusted Delivery Anti-Spoofing” which filters out spam, access via webmail, POP3, and smtp, around 250Mb of storage and up to 10 Mb worth of attachments.

For a mere $9.95 you can sign up for virus checking and bigger limits, and for $24.95 you can go top of the line with 1Gb of storage, phone support and 30Mb file sizes. All sounds very nice, and I love the interface. Try the free opne for a while and see how you go.

Check it out at Bluebottle.com

A new updated version of D3DGear, D3DGear 1.80 has just been released recently, on the 16^th of January to be precise. Just in case you don’t know what D3DGear is, let me tell you about it.

D3DGear is an advanced utility for Windows DirectX & OpenGL games. It automatically measures a 3D game’s frame rate and displays it on screen; user can customize font color, size and position of the frame rate display.

The nice thing about it is that D3DGear can capture 3D game screenshots with the press of a hotkey, and automatically save screenshots into a file. You can define the screenshot hotkey, save file format and save file directory. But that’s not all this is what really makes it cool! D3DGear also can record 3D games to movie.

The latest version has these new features added to it:

• Added new feature: PerfGraph
• Added new feature: PunkBuster Compatible mode
• Added new feature: FPS hotkey

It’s a shareware with a trial version that has a 15-day timeout. Want to check it out? CLICK HERE

Genie Soft has a great program which solves a problem I’ve had many times in my tech support career: how to back up Outlook Express. Yes, you can search the folders for where the files are hidden and copy them to another computer. But that’s a pain.

This super little program supports backing up the data of all the identities in Microsoft Outlook Express in the same backup file. You can even backup as a self-executable EXE file that can be run on any machine even if the main Genie Backup Manager isn’t running or installed. That’s very cool.

Unlike other backup methods you can copy Multiple Identities, Message Rules, and All accounts and Preferences, as well as Signatures, Stationery, your Address Book. It’s a marvel.

Take the high road to Genie Soft for more…

Based on the excellent Ewido Anti-Malware package, this new AVG offering is a do-it-all solution against viruses, worms, trojans, spyware and adware.

The software is active for 30 days, so you can try out all the features before you buy, and buy is what you will probably do. It’s not wildly expensive and as far as I can see is very effective against keeping spyware threats at bay. Some of the threats I tested it on, like Spy Sheriff and Brave Sentry were not completely removed, but I think more needs to be done to free your machine of those nasty bugs.

Head over to Grisoft for more…

Here is a good software for you to use in making cool and unique web buttons in a matter of minutes with relative ease. Agama web buttons enables you to create professional quality, unique web buttons in a matter of minutes.

The cool thing about this software is that you can use it to create a variety of 2D and 3D glassy, metallic, plastic and even XP style buttons from predefined templates. You will love the fact that base installation of Agama Web Buttons contains 50 packages with more than 500 button templates available for instant use.

What really separates this software from the pack is that, unlike other software, you can download more new packages with attractive button templates from their website for free. Ain’t that Cool!

The latest updated version, Agama Web Buttons 2.62 released a couple of days ago has these changes:

• local menu in the list of packages
• packages can be tagged as favorite or new
• new button templates

GO CHECK IT OUT: http://www.agamabuttons.com/

RootkitRevealer is an advanced rootkit detection utility.A rootkit is an advanced method used by some types of viruses,trojans and spyware. It’s much harder to detect, as it hides itself deep within places most scanners usually don’t look. Rootkits can also help hackers gain greater control of an already-compromised computer.

Rootkits are more common in the world of Linux and UNIX-based computers. So called because they help a hacker gain or maintain root access (the highest level of administrative privileges) to a computer, several Windows-specific rootkits have appeared online in the past couple of years. They tend to be bundled with the most dangerous kinds of malware, such as keystroke-logging tools that steal passwords.

Although RootKit Revealer is powerful software, it is sure to generate false positives,it isn’t easy to use, so you really have to know what you’re doing, don’t delete anything without first seeking a second opinion and looking it up online, you have been warned. But for the truly paranoid/ extremely techy computer types, this could be an interesting addition to your computer defense kit! Remember, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you!

Download RootKitRevealer here and read more detailed information.