Download BBC Radio Programs With Radio Downloader

If you cannot listen to the various BBC Radio channels directly, you may consider downloading your favorite shows to your computer to listen to them at a later time. Maybe you are on holiday and do not want to miss a show, or you are living in a country that has limited or no access to BBC Radio shows.

Radio Downloader offers a solution. The free program comes with two main features right now: It can be used to download BBC Radio shows, and it can also be used to download Podcasts. When you first start the program, you see both options displayed as icons in the program interface.

A click on BBC displays a genre, formats and A to Z listing in the interface. If you know the show’s name, you may want to use the A to Z listing to find it. If you are not sure or want to explore the various options, you can either click on a genre, like drama, children’s or music, or a format, like readings, reality or magazines & reviews.

A list of shows is displayed on the next page, and if you have selected a genre, sub-genres may be listed on the page as well. You can furthermore filter results at the top. This allows you to switch from the current show filter to a listing that is only highlighting shows that are available on the BBC iPlayer, or all shows.

All available shows are listed on the next page. You can now select a show and click on the download button in the toolbar to download it to your computer. Here it is also possible to subscribe to a show, which can be useful if you do not want to miss a single show.

You may want to click on Options > Provider Options > BBC Radio Provider Options first to configure the audio download rules. The program will convert AAC radio shows to mp3 by default, which you can change in the program options.

The podcast download works by adding the RSS feed of the Podcast to the program. There is no directory of podcasts included in the program, which makes it less appealing.

The program itself feels a bit clunky at times, for instance when you realize that going back or forward take their time even if the page had been loaded previously.

The downloading of BBC Radio programs does not seem to work for all users. A friend of mine had no issues whatsoever using the program, while I could not download a single show to my computer. The developer states on a help page that this is usually caused by a firewall, or by the router.

Radio Developer, if it is working properly, is a useful program for users who like to download BBC Radio shows to their PCs.

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About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Friday March 9, 2012 -
Tags:internet-radio, radio, windows software

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20+ Programs That You Should Run Regularly On Your PC

20+ Programs That You Should Run Regularly On Your PC .download-info .download-button {background-image: url(http://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/page-addon/downloadbutton.gif);}.download-info .more-button {background-image: url(http://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/page-addon/morebutton.gif);} HomeWindowsLinuxSoftwareInternet ExplorerFirefoxChromeOperaEmailContactAdvertise20+ Programs That You Should Run Regularly On Your PC

Many PC users do not think about maintenance as long as their system is running as intended. The issue here is that they might be able to resolve future issues, or mitigate them at least, if they would run a set of tools regularly on their PC. The following guide looks at some of the recommended programs – my recommendations – that should be run regularly on a PC. Not all are maintenance related though, you also find security and privacy programs in the list for instance.

1. Security

Windows PCs these days are better protected than they were ten years ago. Microsoft is for instance shipping additional security software with newer versions of the operating system, and providing free downloads of tools such as Microsoft Security Essentials. Most users run at least an antivirus software on their system, others may have added firewalls, anti-spyware tools or sandboxing programs to that list. That’s a solid setup, provided that the programs get updated regularly.

But even if your PC is Fort Knox, I’d suggest to run additional on-demand software to make sure the system has not been compromised.

Kaspersky TDSSKiller – Detects rootkits that other security software may have missed. Can disinfect a system when rootkits have been discovered in the scan.HiJackThis – Recently turned into an Open Source application. The program, that checks various system locations for adware and manipulation.Dr.Web CureIt! – A free on-demand scanner that can check your system directly and without installation.CurrPorts – Scans your system for open ports. Display process names that are responsible for the open ports. Ideal for closing down ports that do not need to be open.Process Explorer – Use the program to verify the processes that are running on your system. This way you may catch malicious or unwanted processes.Update Checker – Checks the system for software that needs updating. Alternative: PSIEaseUS Todo Backup – Backups are important, as they may be your only way to access your data if your system crashes, or your PC gets stolen or destroyed. Alternatives: Cobian Backup, Free Backup Software List

2. Privacy

Privacy is all about making sure that you do not leak information or data out in the open. On PCs, this usually comes back to removing temporary or deleted files.

CCleaner – It seems everyone knows the program. I suggest you install CCleaner Enhancer on your system to make it even more effective. It can delete your browsing history, cookies, information about files you have run or your web searches. Alternative: BleachbitEraser – This program overwrites the free space on your system so that deleted files and data cannot be recovered anymore with file recovery software. Keep in mind that this only works on platter-based hard drives, and not the newer Solid State Drives.

3. Maintenance

Maintenance ensures that your system runs as smoothly as it did on the first day of operation. Even if you are a light user, operations eventually will take their toll on your system.

Autoruns – Applications that are started automatically when the system boots, can slow down the PC. While it makes sense to keep some, the antivirus program for instance, you might not need the Office or Adobe Reader Quickstarter to be started with the PC, especially so if you are not using the programs regularly (or if you do not mind waiting a few seconds on first program start).Defraggler – Fragmentation basically happens when a file needs to be saved in different locations on the hard drive. This may slow down the time it takes to open it on the system. A tool like Defraggler defragments the hard drive to correct the situation. This is only necessary for platter-based hard drives and not for Solid State Drives. Alternative: MyDefragRevo Uninstaller Free – If you need to uninstall software, you should use a program like Revo Uninstaller and not the default Windows applet to do so. Revo scans the system for leftovers after the default uninstaller to make sure that all traces of the program have been removed from the hard drive and system registry.

4. Hardware

Some hardware related issues can be detected before it is to late. This includes hard drives that will likely stop working in the near future, or overheating issues of the built-in video card.

Speedfan – Displays hard drive temperatures and S.M.A.R.T. values among other things. Can be used to make sure that the system temperature is in acceptable levels, and that hard drives are not likely to die in the near future. Alternatives: Core Temp for processor temperature readings, Real Temp, CPU ID

Closing Words

It is not really necessary to run all the tools all the time. Others can be scheduled to run them completely on the system without user interaction.

Do you think an essential tool is missing? Post your favorite tools in the comments.

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About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand.You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Sunday March 4, 2012 -
Tags:pc maintenance, Security, windows software

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Responses so far:James Kelly says: March 4, 2012 at 3:25 pm

A nice concise and I hope to some illuminating article. I’ve got a few others I run on a regular basis. I run CCleaner every time before I close down the PCs and run Security essentials at least once a day, I keep Panda running in the background.

Of course the old adage is “If you’re unsure about something DON’T open it” which I’ve tried to instil into users I support. The majority don’t even know what a Spam filter is!

Oh well back to pushing water up a hill. Now where did I put that recovery USB…….

ReplyTom Shedd says: March 4, 2012 at 4:57 pm

I use all the ones you have pointed out plus I use Malwarebytes running the “Perform Full Scan” mode, every week, or as needed.

Superantispyware is another good one in my tool box.

Both of these are free, however I bought the real-time version of Malwarebytes, it’s well worth it to avoid going to websites that are malicious.

Also Speccy from Piriform to review your system specifications for drivers and some temps is good too.

Regards – Tom

ReplyFrank J says: March 4, 2012 at 5:34 pm

I think many of us who read your great newsletter are home users and browser history isn’t a huge issue but removing temps and cleaning up once a week is big. I do want to suggest 3 different programs. Soluto identifies start-up programs and browser add-ons and makes suggestions to speed up your system with a real clock to show your changes. Secunia PSI (personal software inspector) will keep you updated on all your programs & security patches. And one of my favorites… the never reviewed but often revered Rising Free anti virus and malware… self updating and thourough and a favorite of mine. All free.

ReplyMartin Brinkmann says: March 4, 2012 at 6:37 pm

I like the Soluto idea, but not that it will undo all changes once you uninstall the software again.

ReplyBear Bottoms says: March 4, 2012 at 6:50 pm

Soluto is a webapp now. I’m not sure how that affects what I agree was an issue before they changed their process.

https://www.soluto.com/

Martin Brinkmann says: March 4, 2012 at 10:04 pm

It is still the same unfortunately.

beware says: March 5, 2012 at 12:55 am

I don’t trust Chinese software

ReplyBear Bottoms says: March 4, 2012 at 6:17 pm

All very good tools and as usual, this is another great article from Ghacks.

I stopped listing Microsoft Security Essentials a while back. avast! and Comodo Internet Security are much better IMO. Also Emsisoft’s scanner could be mentioned as I find it detects more malware than any other…though it also lists more false positives, the trade off isn’t an option for me. I also recommended Todo Backup for a while, but I’ve had several images fail even after verification, therefore I went back to Macrium Reflect, though fewer features, is much more reliable…I’ve never had an image fail.

Here is a link to my two major plans I promote as something everyone should read and I freely share it. Years of research and continued monitoring for updates have been applied to these:

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING EVERY COMPUTER USER SHOULD DO
http://goo.gl/zy8Oy+

Comprehensive Security Plan
http://goo.gl/QKPHm+

ReplyJojo says: March 4, 2012 at 9:16 pm

Outside of system processes (which I have no control over), I’ve noticed that MSE (now in release 3.x) is the BIGGEST USER of CPU time on my system!

Are others seeing this?

ReplyDavid says: March 4, 2012 at 7:55 pm

The free “Absolute Uninstaller” will show and uninstall 32-bit apps that do not show up in the list provided by the free Revo Uninstaller or the default Windows uninstaller. These ‘hidden’ apps get installed along with other apps without informing the user. Check it out, you may be surprised by what you find. Search for info on what you find to decide if it is safe to remove them.

“HWiNFO” is a very good free utility for displaying hardware info. There is a 32-bit version and a 64-bit version.

“SUMO” is good for finding software updates. It detects apps more than “Update Checker” and “PSI”, but you have to go the websites and download them yourself.

ReplyJojo says: March 4, 2012 at 9:23 pm

The free version of Revo seems to have slowed down a lot these days. I just tested it again and it took 59 seconds to list 310 applications (this on an overclocked E6750 dual core CPU). That time seems excessive to me.

Does anyone suspect that Revo might be throttling the speed on the free version?

ReplyBear Bottoms says: March 4, 2012 at 9:52 pm

Don’t know about Revo slowing down, but Comodo Program manager is ten times better than Revo even if it were combined with ZSoft. It runs as a service…very light, and monitors all installs. Unlike Revo, but like ZSoft it records all of the entries and files made by the installation and uses the program uninstaller to uninstall, then deletes the files missed. Files that can’t be deleted will be deleted on reboot. It can do more even if it didn’t monitor an installation.

All other free uninstallers have been left behind.
http://www.comodo.com/home/support-maintenance/programs-manager.php

Bear Bottoms says: March 4, 2012 at 10:04 pm

One more thing about Comodo Program Manager. Another great feature of it is when you uninstall a program, you can choose to monitor and save the uninstall so if you wish to reinstall the program later, you can use the saved uninstall to do so. There are more features.

acr says: March 5, 2012 at 12:53 am

Nice list. I like to use Puran Defrag because it offers a boot defrag which seems to set apart from most other free defrag programs. Also for an on demand scanner I like to use Hitman Pro which scans for free using multiple cloud based antivirus programs. But removal of malware triggers a 30 day trial. I’ve been fortunate that it’s not found anything on my system.

One tweak to settings I always do is to set Java updates to check daily. If a person sets this through the control panel the settings will revert to the default update checking of every 30 days. So to make the daily check stick a person has to change the settings running as admin. To do this go the following path: Program Files>Java>jre7>bin>Right click javacpl.exe and Run as administrator. Once there the settings can be made to check daily. I have had mixed results as sometimes the settings will revert to every 30 days anyway, maybe that is after every actual java update…not sure. But with so many java exploits these days it’s nice to check for updates daily as opposed to monthly. Also, old versions of java should be removed, such as JRE6 and prior.

ReplyJojo says: March 5, 2012 at 9:42 am

Best Free Microsoft Downloads
Updated 2. March 2012 – 21:40 by IronPlatypus

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/best-free-microsoft-downloads.htm

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How Programs Trick You Into Installing Adware On Your Computer

Bundling software with third party offers to generate revenue is one of the ways that software development companies and developers make money. The system has its advantages if you look at it from a neutral point of view. Instead of going the commercial route, developers can offer their programs for free. That’s good for users who do not want to pay money for the application, and developers as they make money from the otherwise free program.

Developers obviously have the right to add third party offers to their programs, but they also have to live with the consequences of that action. There are users who won’t touch software that comes bundled with what they call “crapware”. Others may be infuriated if the third party offers tricked them into installing software that they do not need and did not want to install.

Tricking users into installing bundled applications can significantly increase the revenue that these offers generate for a developer since these offers pay per installation usually.

This guide looks at some of the most common forms of trickery that you will find in application installers. Before we start to look at specific cases, I’d like to point out general rules that should be followed:

Always check to see if the developer is offering an adware-free version of the software. This can be a portable version for instance that does not need to be installed.Always select custom installation to see if third party applications are installed with the program.Make sure you look at each installer screen carefully before you click on a button to continue. This way you will be able to spot all the hidden traps that may have made it into the installer.

Case Scenarios

Without doubt the most common way of bundling third party applications in software installations is to add them as options during the installation of the requested program.

Foxit Reader 5.1 for instance will install the Foxit PDF Toolbar, make Ask.com the default search provider and set Ask.com as the browser homepage if the options are not unchecked during installation.

If you do not want those extras to be installed, all you need to do is to uncheck the options.

Unlocker 1.9.1 uses a similar mechanism to distribute the Babylon Toolbar with the program. If you do not uncheck the options, you install the toolbar and change your browser’s search provider and homepage.

A sneakier version of this is for instance included in the PC Wizard 2010 installer which makes it look as if you are accepting the End User License Agreement and Privacy Policy of the software that you want to install, when in fact you accept the terms of the Ask Toolbar and would install it on your PC.

Some developers make third party application installations a tad trickier by adding a custom installation option to the setup. Users who just click next next next will install the adware without even knowing what hit them. Only those selecting the custom installation option will be able to block the installation of the additional programs.

Most installers display both the standard and custom installation on the same page, while some display the custom installation options on a second page so that users do not see directly what the program will install in addition to the requested program.

Then you got the programs that do not give you an option not to install a certain program or change on your system, but to accept or decline terms of service. If you accept in this case, you install Relevant Knowledge on your system.

Foxit Reader combined several of the strategies in a previous installer. Take a look at the following screenshot.

A previous JDownloader version included a tricky installer as well as you can see on the following screenshot. Users who were used to select custom during installation would still install the adware on their system, while only the skip option would not.

You sometimes also get offers to install additional software after the installation of the requested program has finished.

Closing Words

Paying close attention to every step of the installation process is the only way to make sure that you do not install unwanted software on your computer. Did you come across sneaky installers in the past? Tell us about your experience.

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Limit The Upload Bandwidth Of Windows Programs

I noticed yesterday that the popular live streaming software Sopcast was using all of my computer’s upload bandwidth. The program uses P2P technologies to distribute the live stream to all connected users, just like the newly announced Bittorrent Live does.

Using all of my computer’s upload speed, 10 Mbit in total, put a lot of strain on other programs that used the Internet connection (I discovered this with the help of Netspeed Monitor).
This can cause problems if you share the connection with other users, or run programs in the background that require a certain amount of upload speed to function properly and without lags. Maxing out your upload bandwidth can also cause problems with your ISP as they may limit your connection or ask you to upgrade to an account that is more expensive.

I first tried to find an option in Sopcast itself to limit the upload bandwidth, but there was none unfortunately. Research on the Internet revealed a handful of commercial programs, and solutions for Linux, to limit the upload bandwidth of a program. There seems to be only one free program for recent versions of Windows that can limit the upload of selected programs.

Netbalancer Free lets you limit the upload and download speed of all processes running on the system. You can read my previous review here: NetBalancer, Internet Traffic Monitoring, Controlling Software.

Here, I’m only describing how you can utilize the program to limit a program’s bandwidth use under Windows. NetBalancer displays a list of all processes running on the system on startup. Each process is listed with its name and the current download and upload rate. You can now limit the rate of a process by right-clicking it, and selecting one of the available options from the context menu.

You can select one of the pre-defined values (low, normal or high), block the program completely from sending data, or use the limit option to set a custom limit in Kilobytes per second. Once you have configured the upload limit, you will immediately notice that the program won’t go over that limit anymore when NetBalancer is running.

I configured Sopcast’s upload limit to 500 KB/s, which resolved all the underlying issues I had with the program before.

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UndoClose Reopens Closed Programs, Folders In Windows Explorer

I sometimes close applications accidentally, and every now and then forcefully, for instance when they are not responding anymore. To start them again, I have to click on their icon in the system tray, start menu or another location from where they can be started.

The free software Undoclose changes this, as it adds an undo feature to the Windows operating system that lets you reopen closed applications right away. This feature works in the same way as the undo close tab feature that web browsers use to let users reopen closed browser tabs.

It uses a first in last out system to determine which application to restart when the hotkey is invoked. This works extremely well if you want to restart the last application that has been terminated on the system, and with some juggling as well for previous apps that you want to restart.

The program keeps track of all closed applications and Windows Explorer folders when it is running. Each closed app and folder is listed in the program interface. Here you can restart them automatically with a double-click, which is the best option to restart an application or folder that has not been closed last.

The hotkeys that you can use to restore the windows are displayed here as well. Ctrl-Shift-f reopens Windows Explorer folders, while Ctrl-Shift-a the last closed application. Please note that you can run the commands several times to restore more than one folder or program on the system.

The hotkeys can be changed in the program interface. Just click in one of the fields and press the keys that you want to use for the new hotkey. They should appear instantly in the form. Click on the change button to change them, or do nothing to skip the change.

The recently closed folder part only works if you close the Windows Explorer window regularly. It won’t recognize if you switch folders or go back in the file manager.

UndoClose is a useful application for Windows users who wish the operating system had an option to restart programs or Windows Explorer automatically.

The program has been developed by our buddies from Addictive Tips. You can download the latest version from their website. UndoClose is only compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows 7. Keep also in mind that the program’s memory usage grows whenever you close apps or folders.

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Access Windows Folders Quickly About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Tuesday January 24, 2012 -
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anti spyware software - Keeping the Computer in Good Condition Using Free Spyware Adware Programs

Keeping the Computer in Good Condition Using Free Spyware Adware Programs

Ever downloaded something from the web and the next thing that happens, you notice something goes wrong with the computer? When something like this happens, there is a very big chance that the system has been infiltrated by a virus, spyware or adware.

Everyone surely knows how dangerous viruses can be. It can shutdown the entire computer that will cost the individual a lot of money just to have it repaired. But what about spyware and adware? How dangerous are these?

Spyware are programs designed to send certain information back to the programmer. This may include bank account numbers, credit card numbers and anything else important. Someone can use this to buy items without the owner really knowing until the bill comes which is already too late to do almost anything.

Adware on the other hand will show pop up ads that are really quite annoying even if the person did not log into that site. It might inform the user there is a virus in the computer even if there is none and those who click on it will get it thus causing more problems.

Given that this problem has happened in homes and in offices, software companies have come out with various versions of spyware and adware programs to help get rid of it. The program will first eliminate the existing ones in the computer and then create a firewall keeping future ones from entering.

The individual will notice that some of these are free while those made by the major corporations charge a certain fee. This can either be bought from the store or downloaded from the web, which usually comes with a free trial period that will surely impress and eventually make the customer buy it.

Having a software program that can fight against spyware and adware will help prevent damage from happening to the computer. In fact, since there are new threats everyday, the designers have even come up with updates that can be uploaded automatically keeping everything in check.

The person can choose to pay but given that it performs the same function, why not get the kind that is free?

One good example is Ewido designed by the Grisoft Group. It can handle spyware and adware as well as other threats such as Trojans, dialers, worms and keylogger.

Spybot Search and Destroy is another popular brand. This is compatible for windows based operating systems, which has been recommended for use by both PC Magazine and PCMag.com.

Adware is another known program. If the user will use this for personal things, then this can be downloaded for free. Those who use it for commercial purposes will have to pay a small fee.

Those who choose to download the spyware and adware program for free should be careful. This is because there are some that are bogus and when downloaded, can cause big problems to the computer. This can be prevented by doing some research first and then deciding what to do next.

Computer security should be everyone's concern. A simple slip up or ignoring this could be disastrous later on because the cost for repairing the unit could almost be the same as buying a new one.

With that, it is up to the individual whether to get one that is free or pay a little extra to be able to feel safe at all times.

A Complete guide on Best anti spyware virus removal -- All FREE! Best Anti Spyware Software free information! here.

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