Rating: 5

Version tested: 1.8

Description: Jpeg Enhancer is a program that can restore or undo the damage to images resulting from low-quality Jpeg compression, including "jpeg artifacts" and the "blotchy look". It features a before and after dual pane interface and straightforward manipulation of the processing filter.

In a nutshell, this program will take a Jpeg image and attempt to make it less blotchy and/or pixellated, and more of an approximation of its original state. It purports to do this using a technology that doesn’t simply blur the image to "fix" it but actually restores them. The first question, of course, is…

Does it work?: and the answer is… it depends. To some extent it does work; or at least it is possible to arrive at a result that is better or more usable than the original. You can decide to (a) work at experimenting with the filter, or (b) just run the default processing settings, which can produce fairly decent results.

The user interface: Jpeg Enhancer features dual before and after panes that can be positioned horizontally or vertically or stacked up. You can zoom in and out of the image and move it freely (both panes will zoom or move in sync). There are 2 modes of filter manipulation; simple mode, which allows you to move a single "filter strength" gauge and experiment with the results, or advanced mode, which breaks the process down into 4 distinct filters that you can set individually: "Blotchy look removal", "Artifacts removal", "Sharpness", and "Crispness" filters. You can experiment with these and see the changes live on only a part of your image; for the actual processing you have to press the "process" button, which can be readily undone if you don’t like the result.
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Rating: 5 pick

Version tested: 2.44

[Note: this review was written by my friend Ala Diab from Amman, Jordran. Ala is primarily a musician but also does website design and has an avid interest in 3D graphics. He has performed his brand of computer-driven electronic music (and contemporary experimental Arabic/electronic music) in multiple venues across the Middle East and Europe.]

Description: Blender is an all-in-one 3d modeling, animation and special effects package, sporting a plethora of features comparable to packages roughly 3,000 times more expensive. It has a growing fan base estimated around 800,000 users (from download statistics). It has been used in the first full-feature 10 min 3d film made with free software featured here on Freewaregenius (Elephant’s Dream). Also, it has been used internally amongst the team working on Spiderman 2 as a pre-vis and cinematography aid tool. Not bad for a software package that is free!

Ok, here’s the thing: I kinda promised to review this for Samer (a.k.a the Freewaregenius) two scores and a fortnight ago (in any case a long time ago). I justified the delay as wanting to delve into the thing in order to "unearth the treasure trove of features". Sometimes I entertain self-aggrandizing visions of being a 3d pro user, but having since realized my illusions, I decided to cover only my humble journey and leave the readers to check out the resources listed below for further investigation.

First Things First: Blender is tiny. I downloaded the 8MB file and installed it. It’s also recommended to download and install the latest version of Python - the programming engine that blender runs on - to make use of some of the advanced plug-ins and built-in functions.

Breaking the ice: What I first noticed starting Blender was the interface. Coming from an engineering-style layout programs (four view ports corresponding to top, side, front, 3d) it was jarring, trying to find my way around the application. Three days and a couple of tutorials away, I learned that blender purports the UI philosophy of non-collapsing windows and vast customizability. Non of the panels are fixed or hard-wired into the interface. Almost everything can be combined with everything else according to functions and personal preferences. It’s also really fun once you get the hang of it.
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I’m always keeping an eye on free programs and resources and, of late, have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of free video resources that have been propping up everywhere. Here’s a list and descriptions of some of the more interesting programs and/or sites that I’ve been keeping notes on:

Joost: a “potentially revolutionary” freeware program from the original creators of Skype. It delivers original content alongside web broadcasts and promises to redefine the standards of video quality delivered online. Joost delivers more than a hundred channels (so far) that have signed up to be included on the service, including content from sources such as MTV and Warner Bros.

Much like Youtube, Joost aims to form video sharing community around the program, but it is also setting its sights on bringing its brand of free internet TV into consumer electronics (mobiles, handheld devices, etc.) At the time of this writing, Joost is still in pre-release beta, and requires an invitation to use (you can get an invite from any person who is currently a Joost tester)

Babelgum: very similar to Joost, but without the hype (and possibly without the same kind of content deals that Joost might snag, but that remains to be seen). Babelgum also places emphasis on full-screen, high quality video. It is also still in beta, but if you register on the Babelgum site they will send you the download link without further ado (oh yes, Babelgum also aims to create a video sharing community around itself).

Veoh: offers both a web based video sharing service as well as a downloadable client (Veoh.TV) that lets you watch and record videos. The major draw for using Veoh as opposed to other video sharing services seems to be (wait for it) that it includes copyrighted videos, including your favorite TV shows. I was not able to use the locally installable program before writing this posting (the website’s promise to send me an invite in return for my personal info did not materialize).

There seem to be 3 things worth mentioning about this one: (a) it appears that Veoh will learn the watch the programming you view in order to serve you shows that it thinks you might like, (b) for publishers, Veoh offers the option to upload videos to YouTube, MySpace and Google as well as to Veoh simultaneously, and (c) from screenshots that I have seen, aside from being a video viewing client the downloadable Veoh.TV client also wants to be a full-fledged widgets program, offering sticky notes, weather, RSS widgets, etc.

Chime TV: featuring a slick, web-based interface and a lot of AJAX-y wizardry. Chime TV aggregates content from several video-sharing sites into themed “channels”. It also offers a video search function that draws on all of these sources, all in one place: blip.tv, Break.com, DailyMotion, Google Videos, Kewego, MetaCafe, MySpace, Veoh.com, and YouTube. This makes it (a) an ideal place to partake in all of your video viewing needs, and (b) since some of the sources it taps into contain copyrighted material, Chime TVwill likely contain these as well. When you create an account with Chime TV it will allow you to create your own channels and to flag favorite videos.
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Here’s a quick description of how you can use “Unlocker“,one of my favorite freeware programs, in order to safely remove a USB or external drive whenever Windows refuses to do it.

One of the things that I find most annoying about Windows is when I use the “Safely Remove Hardware” function to disconnect a flash or external drive and it doesn’t work. What bugs me more is when I am in a hurry and that happens (e.g. I want to grab my USB drive and rush off to catch the bus in time, and Windows announces that “the device … cannot be stopped right now. Try stopping the device again later”).

I don’t know what other people’s experience is, but I would say for myself that I get this more than 50% of the time, which is why I decided that I would write a posting on how to use Unlocker to work around this issue. Here are the steps (assuming you tried the ’safely remove hardware’ dialog and it didn’t work).
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Rating: 5

Version tested: 0.7

Description: Media Converter SA is a free small program that can convert media files across many different formats. It also has a video downloading functionality from a number of video sharing sites such as YouTube, ifilm, Metacafe, and a handful of others.

It seems like a rare week that goes by these days without encountering yet another free video conversion software and, oh, perhaps 2 or 3 Youtube video downloading titles. And given that there are a number of comprehensive freeware media conversion titles out there such as MediaCoder and Super, I feel like I need to make a list of why I think this program is so interesting:

• Ease of use: Media Converter SA is one of the simplest video converters out there; there are only 4 settings that you have to decide on: video resolution, max file size, audio bitrate, and video bitrate (actually, there are 2 others: starting and ending positions, but this is an added functionality beyond the conversion process). Despite the simplicity, you get the sense that it provides all the control you need. Most of these settings have a “same as input” option which makes conversion really simple.
• Video downloading option: the sheer range of supported websites is enough to make this your video-downloading program of choice: blip.tv break.com dailymotion.com ifilm.com livevideo.com media.putfile.com metacafe.com myvideo.de video.google.com vidilife.com vids.myspace.com youtube.com zippyvideos.com 
• Online versions: the makers of this program provide both an online file converter and an online video downloader called Mediapirate.org. Read more »

Rating: 5 pick

Version tested: 1.5.7, Grab++ beta 3

Description: Orbit Downloader is a download manager and accelerator that can download files from any remote server via HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, RTSP, MMS and Metalink protocols. It will detect and download flash files (including FLV video files) from any site, including YouTube. Used with its Grab++ module, it can download streaming media of any kind, including MP3s from sites such as Pandora, Myspace, Imeem, or Hypemachine, etc.

Here is a quick summary of what this program can do for you:

• Accelerate download speeds: Speed increases will vary, depending on the source(s) from which you are downloading, your internet registry settings, and the program settings.
• Pause and resume downloads: this feature can be a godsend when you are downloading a large file or downloading from an unreliable source (or both).
• Detects and downloads flash video: simply mousing over a flash video or flash file (FLV or SWF) will display a small download button for instant video downloads. Really cool, but the button can be a bit of a nuisance if you don’t want to use it (although you can dismiss it fairly easily)
• Detects and downloads streaming media: the Grab++ module will scan for anything that is being played in your browser, whether it is an audio, video, or flash, and autodetect the download link (only caveat: Grab++ has to be run before the media file is played). This is (a) unbelievably cool, and (b) reason enough for me to switch from Flashget, hitherto my favorite downloader, to Orbit Downloader. Will download WMV and RM streaming video.
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Rating: 5

Description: This American Life is a weekly radio segment out of Chicago that is broadcast on National Public Radio in the US. This episode (#335) tells the story of a 19 year old Iraqi who was living in Iraq before and after the war. Haider Hamsa is a son of an Iraqi diplomat who was brought up all around the world. Fluent in English, he tells his story with candor and wit.

Ok, so this is not free software, but I promise that you will find this podcast very interesting (Click here to listen to the Podcast, or here to download the mp3). This episode, entitled “Big Wide World“, contains a number of stories, but to be honest the story that captivated me (and the reason I am posting this radio show on my blog) is that of the Iraqi young man (approx 6:15 mins into the audio file). The thing about this guy is that his life both before and after the war is very interesting. He has the perspective not just of an Iraqi but that of a citizen of the world, and his story is not just of Iraq and the war but of a young man trying to relate to a father that he loves but whose world view and life values seem to belong to a different world altogether than the one the son has to negotiate and live in.
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Rating: 5 pick

Version tested: 3.2.0.15

Description: DVD Shrink is a free program that can rip DVD’s into the hard drive and compress them, if needed, to fit on a standard 4.7-gig DVD. It will create a DVD image that can be burned into a DVD using a number of third party programs. It can also re-author DVDs to allow the creation of custom DVD program compilations.

An increasing number of the DVDs that you watch are stored on a so-called double density DVDs that can store up to twice the amount of data that a standard DVD. What makes this program unique is its ability to compress DVD data to the standard 4.7 gigs, which means you can use a standard DVD instead of having to buy expensive double-density blank DVDs. You will rarely, if ever, notice any decrease in video quality.

This review will include 3 sections: (a) ripping, (b) compression, (c) burning, and (d) re-authoring.
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Rating: 5

Version tested: 2.1

[Note: this review was submitted by reader “Littleloupi“ - The Freewaregenius]

Description: : The Filter is a small ’widget’-style application that works alongside your media player (currently Windows Media Player and iTunes) that works as a music recommendation engine. It can pick up on the mood specified within user inputs such as a number of user-specified songs, artists or music genres, in order to automatically build ’smart’ playlists at the click of a button. The software can also fill your MP3 player and recommend new music for you.

Have you ever been listening to your iTunes library on shuffle, one moment chilling out to Feist and then having the atmosphere aurally destroyed by Metallica’s “Hit The Lights”? It happens to all of us, but thankfully “The Filter” can save the day by creating instant thematical playlists at the click of a button.

The recommendations algorythm is based on scanning your music library and cross-referencing it with the AllMusic Guide music database as well as your own music playing history. The more complete your music tag information the better it will be able to do this. It will need to scan your library and synchronise your information with an online database, at least initially. You will also need to create an account with the “The Filter” website.
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Rating: 5

Version tested: 1.35

Description: Powerbullet can create animated flash presentations containing text, graphics, and sound. It features a drag and drop interface and a host of pre-packaged animation and transition effects. Results can be viewed in a browser or exported into a self-running executable playable on any computer.

The learning curve: spend some time experimenting with this software and you’ll figure out how to do most of the things you are interested in in very short order. Powerbullet has a very different feel to it from MS Powerpoint, though (using Powerbullet feels somewhat like working with a word processor).

The user interface: there are a number of toolbars with buttons stacked on top of the page; however, you can right click on an object to instantly edit its properties, set animation effects, create an HTML link, or even edit an object’s HTML. This makes interacting with objects extremely easy, and really makes a world of difference in the user-friendliness department.
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Rating: 5

Description: “Game, game, game and again game” is a flash platform game that looks like it is played inside somebody’s stream of consciousness or an artistic scrapbook of doodles, poetry, and philosophical musings.

Despite the name this one can more accurately be described as a toy rather than a game, as the its major draw, as far as I am concerned, is the show of images and words that unfolds as you progress through the various levels. In theory the objective is to progress through the various levels by making it to the exit; however, it is not clear what the various objects and creatures that you encounter are or what effect touching and/or interacting with these will have on your in-game sprite or the game environment. In truth, this hardly matters, as being a platform game in the traditional sense is not what this game is about.
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Rating: 5

Description: “The Phantom Inventory” is an animated short film created using puppet (stop motion) techniques and subsequently digitially retouched.

Following the massive success of my Elephant’s Dream posting (actually, it was more like a metaphoric collective shrug of indifference on part of my dear Freewaregenius audience), I wanted to post another animated short film. This time, its the unusually titled “Phantom Inventory”.

The storyline: a bailiff visits an old man in a wheelchair who collects old mementos (”souvenirs that no one wants”, says the old man). He discovers a vast attic full of curious objects and sets out to take inventory of all the treasures that are there.
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Rating: 5

Version tested: 2.0.4

Description: MoreTunes monitors your media player and downloads a range of relevant information relating to the track being played, including track and album details, album art, lyrics, and Amazon user reviews. Other tools includes a tag manager for on-the-fly tag editing and the ability to suggest tracks similar to the one being played.

Launch moreTunes concurrently with your media player in order to access its functions. Here are some notes on this program.

• Media players supported: Winamp, Windows Media Player, iTunes, Media Monkey, and QCD.
• The user interface: Moretunes has a nice, economical tabbed interface; if you just flip through the tabs, however, you might actually miss a whole bunch of functions that are accessible by clicking the “Menu ->” button on the main “Album” tab. Modify the preferences to make Moretunes reduce to the system tray when closed.
• Track & Album info: The main Album tab will display all the albums by the artist being played, with the albums containing that particular track highlighted in pink. It will also list all of the song titles on the album and highlight the current track.
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Rating: 5

Version tested: 2.0

Description: Amic Email Backup is a small, free program that can backup and restore the data associated with most major email clients, including identities, email and news messages, address book, accounts, message rules/filters, signatures, and even the blocked senders list. It works with a number of email clients including MS Outlook, MS Outlook Express, Eudora, Pegasus, The Bat, PocoMail, Netscape Messenger, Opera Mail, and Incredimail.

There are 3 things you can do with this program: backup data, restore data, or schedule a backup; what I like is that these are handled in a very simple and straightforward manner. Here are some notes on this program:

• You can use Amic Email Backup to sync your emails across multiple machines (you cannot, however, back up your email from one application and restore it into another; e.g. PocoMail to Outlook).
• The are 2 user-interface modes; standard mode and wizard mode. Both are self-explanatory and easy to use, although wizard mode looks way cooler.
• The Scheduler: this is a fairly sophisticated feature. You can tell it the date and time to start the backup, as well as what period to wait before executing subsequent backups (how many months or weeks or days or hours). The options tab allows you to specify weather you want to override your original backup when a new backup takes place, or you could choose to keep a number of the latest backups (say, keep only the latest 3 backups).
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Rating: 5

Version tested: 0.9 beta

Description: Space Time 3D is a web browser that displays multiple web pages simultaneously in a 3D space, allowing for the simultaneous browsing of multiple web pages and the navigation of web pages as objects in a 3D virtual space.

What is 3D web surfing, you ask? For Space Time it is essentially the ability to overlay multiple web pages in a 3D space such that the content is viewable (if not outright readable) simultaneously for multiple web pages. Your vantage point in relation to these 3D pages is dynamic and changeable; you can zoom in and out, above and below and all around. Depending on where you are and the proximity of the page or pages, the content on a web page is either readable or at least recognizable in some way to allow for a decision as to whether or not the content is relevant to what the user is looking for.

The 3D browsing experience: Space Time offers 4 types of pre-packaged browsing experiences: Search, Image Search, Ebay Search, and Tabbed browsing; although really I would say the first 3 are virtually identical in that Space Time will display the results of the search (whether an internet search, image search, or ebay search) in a handily browsable stack (limited to 10 pages of results at a time per stack; you can use a navigation bar to move to the next set of 10 results). Tabbed browsing is also similar, but different only insofar as any web page that you open is created in virtual space adjacent to the original page, and both are readily visible to the user. Read more »