.rar acrhive extraction
 

Picked this one up from a tip Leprechaun made.

Very simple but powerfull .rar archives extraction tool that can extract password encrypted .rar files.
You can start the extraction simply double clicking on the rar file or by dragging and dropping the .rar file on the program, also supports spanned archives.

RarZilla Free Unrar 2.52 (1.2MB)
Freeware
Runs on: Windows 9x/2000/ME/2003/XP/Vista
Download:
http://www.philipp-winterberg.com/so...free_unrar.php

Free RAR Extract Frog 1.00 (1.2MB)
Freeware
Runs on: Windows 9x/2000/ME/2003/XP/Vista
"Skinable" version of RarZilla Free Unrar see info how to on download page.
Download:
http://www.philipp-winterberg.com/so...tract_frog.php


Info about extracting .rar files and what you need to do can be found here. (use this link when the other fails).

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You could give Blaze Media Pro a try, granted it is not freeware but you get to use a fully functioning program during your trial period. I have been using this ultra cool prog for about 3 years now and I know once you try it you will wanna buy it. One of it's many audio/video editing featues is called decompile video which can break down a video into a jpeg screenshot of either every frame or you can select a start and stop point. You can also convert many audio/video formats and edit mp3s & videos.

http://www.blazemp.com/

i found a pretty good tool now
http://paul.glagla.free.fr/imagegrab_en.htm
it has more settings than "Image Grabber" and you don´t even need to install it
the only disadvantage is that it has no integrated pic joiner

I noticed no one has mentiond AVG anti virus http://free.grisoft.com/
At 12.45p mine kicks in and updates it's self.
Plus I've never had any problems and any nasties trying to get in get caught & what It can't heel it sends to the vault,
so when I close down the site i'm in. I goto the vault and get rid of it from there.

A programmer friend recomened it.

Another also free and recomende is (http://www.pctools.com/en/ Spyware Doctor is a top-rated malware & spyware removal utility that detects,
removes and protects your PC from thousands of potential spyware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, spybots and tracking threats. Now with AntiVirus!)

I use this after going into all those huge galliery site, Where you always get all sorts of crap.
So a quick INTELLI SCAN gets rid of most crap plus it's set to do a full scan every couple of days.
So both programs together work well for this XP user.

Be safe

RefControl (An Add-On for Firefox)
 

RefControl

Current Version: 0.8.9 (Firefox Versions 1.0 – 3.0b2)

Status: Complete

Homepage: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/953

Author: James Abbatiello

Size: 28 KB

Description: RefControl allows you to forge the referrer sent by a website...On a site that has a shitload of ImageShak pictures that has since been banned by ImageShak..? No problem...Install RefControl, and in the lower right hand corner of your Firefox Window, right click and choose 'RefControl Options for This Site'...It will pull up this window:

http://img206.imagevenue.com/loc408/..._122_408lo.jpg

Simply put the site you're visiting in the top location, choose your options like so, click OK, and then restart Firefox...

Now, when you click links from within that site, your referrer is masked and you can see images as normal...

Cheers..!

avi: Peck's Power Join (old, no longer updated) or Virtualdub (recent, still updated)
mpeg 1: Tmpgenc or Camel's mpeg joiner (old, no longer updated)
mpeg 2: Tmpgenc 12a, Mpg2cut2 (my favourite) or Vobmerge
Asf/Wmv: Asfbingui or Asftools

all freeware, most available on www.videohelp.com

MAC OS .rar acrhive extraction
 

UnRarX 2.2 (715 kB)

Drag and drop .rar extraction tool for MAC OS. Can handle password protected .rar files don't know if it can handle password encrypted ones.

Freeware
Download:
http://www.unrarx.com/

Anyone notice the flaw between the excellent wee program
Bulk Image Downloader 1.27 and VEF new image host.

http://image.pimpandhost.com/guest/285233_x.html

It doesn't grab there images, it just grabs non relaited wee thumb nails.
Anyone know of a way round this problem since more of us are using
pimpandhost now. Thanks

System Info Tool: EVEREST Home Edition
 

EVEREST Home Edition 2.20 is a freeware system information, system diagnostics and benchmarking solution for home PC users, based on the award-winning EVEREST Technology. It offers the world's most accurate system information and diagnostics capabilities, including online features, memory benchmarks, hardware monitoring, and low-level hardware information.

New features:
- Advanced hardware monitor with OSD panel and cooling fans monitoring
- Real-time alerting for hot-plug devices
- Portable Computer page to display mobile PC related information
- Bluetooth PAN support
- File Scanner filtering
- User benchmark results manager
- Sharpness test (Monitor Diagnostics)

Requires: Win All
Limitations: Lavalys has discontinued the free edition. This is unsupported.

Some entertaining Open Source games for Windows
 

http://img174.imagevenue.com/loc562/..._123_562lo.jpg
* At its lowest level, Scorched 3D is just an artillery game with two+ tanks taking turns to destroy opponents in an arena. Choose the angle, direction and power of each shot, launch your weapon, and try to blow up other tanks.
But Scorched 3D can be a lot more complex than that, if you want it to be. You can earn money from successful battles and use it to invest in additional weapons and accessories. You can play with up to twenty four other players at a time, mixing computer players with humans. There's a variety of changing environmental conditions and terrains to be dealt with. (Windows, Linux, Mac OS X)

http://img225.imagevenue.com/loc43/t...3_123_43lo.jpg
* C-evo is a freeware empire building game for Windows. With a time scope of several thousand years, it covers aspects of exploration and expansion, industry and agriculture, warfare and diplomacy, science and administration. C-evo follows the spirit of popular turn-based strategy games from the mid 90s, but with more emphasis on powerful AI and careful design of the rules, resulting in a true challenge. The game is based on Microprose's famous Sid Meier's Civilization.

* Another good Civilization-like is FreeCiv.

http://img125.imagevenue.com/loc1174...123_1174lo.jpg
* The Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based strategy game with a fantasy theme.

- Build up a formidable fighting force, starting from a single leader and a small amount of gold.
- Over 200 unit types in six major factions, all with distinctive abilities, weapons and spells.
- Experienced units gain powerful new abilities as they advance.
- Several multi-player options available, including internet play.
- Scores of different custom-designed maps, and unlimited random maps.
- Hundreds of campaign scenarios available for download via a simple in-game procedure.
- 'Fog of war' feature available for a true test of generalship.
- Sophisticated mark-up language lets advanced users make their own maps, factions or campaigns.
- Excellent language support – 35 different languages currently available.
- GNU/Linux, Windows, MacOSX, BeOS, Solaris, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, AmigaOS4, OS/2 & eComStation compatible.

http://img166.imagevenue.com/loc766/..._123_766lo.jpg
* Enigma is a puzzle game inspired by Oxyd on the Atari ST and Rock'n'Roll on the Amiga. The object of the game is to find uncover pairs of identically colored Oxyd stones. Simple? Yes. Easy? Certainly not! Hidden traps, vast mazes, laser beams, and, most of all, countless hairy puzzles usually block your direct way to the Oxyd stones.

- Non violent - a game for young and old.
- More than 1000 different levels guarantee longtime entertainment.
- Translated to many languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Hungarian.
- High-resolution 2D graphics.
- Realistic physics simulation.
- More than 500 different game objects.
- Available for all Windows versions, Mac OSX, most Linux distributions, many other Unix versions.

http://img197.imagevenue.com/loc370/..._123_370lo.jpg
* GNU Backgammon is for playing and analysing backgammon positions, games and matches. It's based on a neural network. In the past twelve months it has made enormous progress. It currently plays at about the level of a championship flight tournament player. (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux)

http://img40.imagevenue.com/loc823/t..._123_823lo.jpg
* Trackballs is a marble game inspired by the 80s Atari classic Marble Madness. By steering a marble ball through a labyrinth filled with sharp objecs, pools of acid, and other obstacles the player collects points. When the destination is reached you continue on to the next, more difficult level. - unless the time runs out. (Windows, Linux)

http://img240.imagevenue.com/loc239/..._123_239lo.jpg
* Daimonin is a free online role playing game (MMORPG). In the game you will meet many other people in our big, persistent virtual heroic fantasy world! Explore, fight, meet friends and enemies. Over 160 000 registered Members. (Windows, Linux)