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As some of you probably have seen, Firefox is auto-updating, this following the critical rating reports for the fairly dangerous flow which was occurring when combining the browser with Quicktime.

The latest version of QuickTime contains a flow in the Media Link function enabling the parsing of up to 60 different file types with a compatible extension, and by failing to sanitize the XML content, the malicious code is passed into media files and executed in JavaScript form.
Until the issue is removed, Firefox users were advised to disable the QuickTime plug-in.

Those that haven’t updated it yet, you can get the latest version from here, compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Portable media players have become very popular today and they require in most cases specialized formats for audio files and video files. That puts you into the situation of having to search for one of those of all-in-one conversion software tools that can help you obtain your favorite files in the required format by the player.

  

The Ultra DVD to MP4 Converter is one of the many converters that can help you achieve such goals. With an intuitive interface and a rather simple menu, this conversion tool can transcode the DVD movies into smaller and high-quality videos, at a very fast ripping speed.

  

What is interesting about the Ultra Converter is that it can rip DVDs with protection like CSS, Region, Macrovision, Sony Arccos. If you create copies of the DVDs – you can take them with you on your laptop or pocket PC during long trips, at school, at work – without having to take the actual discs with you.

It is highly convenient for beginner users as they can just leave the settings at default values and still be satisfied with the results. You can also play around with the advanced output settings so it is useful for professionals as well.

 

Among some of the most important features is that it takes full advantage of the new CPU dual-core processing power (Intel Dual-Core and AMD Athlon™ 64 X2) – that is one of the reasons why the DVD ripping is fast. It can also remove all the restrictions of the DVD (like the region limitation setting). You can adjust the output volume value – just in case your DVD doesn’t sound loud enough.

Applicability:
 The Ultra Converter can turn DVDs into the following types of files: avi (DivX), avi (Xvid), wmv (Windows Media Video), asf (Advanced Streaming Format), MP4 (mpeg 4 video), iPod mp4 video, iPod Video2 mp4, PSP MPEG-4 format, 3gp (3rd Generation Partnership Project), Archos AV500 avi, Archos AV700 avi, Creative Zen Vision avi, iRiver PMP-100 avi,  Apple TV MPEG-4 mp4, Xbox360 wmv, Xbox360 MPEG-2 PS Format mpg, mp3 audio, wma (Windows Media Audio) and M4A (MPEG-4 Audio).

Pro(s): The codecs are embedded into the application and so you just need to install it and run the conversion tool without installing other software. Like I said above, the converter does benefit from the power of the dual-core CPU – so it will take much less time to rip DVDs when compared to other similar pieces of software out there.

Con(s): Although it offers very good results, the quality of the converted files could use some improvements and optimizations. The price should lower down a bit.

Official website

Buy: $34.95

Download trial

Google invites us to use Google Web Accelerator 0.2.93.116, Google Lab’s product, which is meant to speed up downloading of web pages, using the power of Google's global computer network.

It’s an easy to use application which requires only downloading and installation but it is intended only for broadband connections at the moment.

How does Google Web Accelerator accomplish this?
It starts by sending the page requests through Google machines dedicated to handling Google Web Accelerator traffic and stores copies of frequently looked at pages in order to make them quickly accessible.
It then downloads only the updates of a page which has changed slightly since the last viewing, and prefetches certain pages onto your computer in advance.
By managing the Internet connection, it reduces delays.
It uses data compression before sending it to your computer.

The new Nokia E series business smartphone, the E51, released today, comes with a more attractive design than E50, its predecessor.
Nokia E51 is characterized by its slim and elegant design, greater simplicity and faster access to key applications.
Suited for both personal and business use, the E51 offers reliable and real-time access to business and people and maintains the features specific to the E series.

The features that makes from E51 perfect for personal use are the FM radio, the 2 MP camera, the Nokia browser and the Download! application.

According to the senior vice president, Mobile Devices Unit, Enterprise Solutions, Nokia, Antti Vasara, "Business users increasingly need one device that they can count on to work productively and which offers them the level of efficiency that brings more freedom and balance to their personal lives." "With the new Nokia E51 device, we are responding to this need with a business smartphone that combines the latest advances in business mobility and a classic, stainless steel design, at a price that makes it perfect for company-wide deployments."

What we can expect from Nokia E1 are a home screen with user-selected icons to the most used applications; One Touch keys with one-click access to key functionalities including email, contacts, calendar and the home screen; set-up wizards offering step-by-step guidance for setting up email accounts, configuring Internet calling and accessing wireless local area networks; integration with a wide range of business email solutions, including Nokia Intellisync Wireless Email and Mail for Exchange to communicate with Microsoft Exchange Server, and consumer email; streamlined email reading experience with easy access to attachments; dedicated Email key on the front cover, indicator light for new email, and a preview window to the latest email on the home screen to help keep up with email when on the move.

Nokia Mobile Unified Communications brings solutions like Nokia Intellisync Call Connect for Cisco and Nokia Intellisync Call Connect for Alcatel, managing this way to deliver desk phone calling features like extension dialing, hold, transfer and conferencing, to a single device.

The global director of mobility at BT Global Services, Rakesh Mahajan declared that "Nokia and BT share a vision that business mobility adoption will thrive when our collective customers and their respective end users, derive productivity improvements from mobile enabled applications," and "For the BT Corporate Fusion solution, we chose the Nokia E51 for its classic Nokia business smartphone features and design, its ease of integration into our solution, and its affordability, making it more appealing for widespread use within companies of all sizes."

The Nokia E51 will be available during the fourth quarter of 2007 for a retail price of approximately 350 EUR.

Working in a team has advantages and disantvantages, and one of the greatest problems faced by teams everywhere is to have a well done schedule and synchronize the tasks performed by various members as a part of a project. While having notes all over your desk is still an option for some people, the best thing to do these days is to use a computer, especially since team work is very important for companies working in the programming, design or the Web field.

The program I have for you today is called Simple Project ToDo, and I guess its name says it all. Even if you're not a part of a team, this application may be useful to you, so don't go away and read on!


Setup

Simple Project ToDo is a fresh application, since its current version is only 1.26. Igor Ješe, the author of this program, released it earlier this month, and the trial version is limited to 30 days, but has no missing features, compared to the full application. Well, you'll have to face a nag screen each time you start Simple Project ToDo, but I can't say I wasn't expecting this...

The setup package of this $50 program has 5.7MB in size, so downloading and installing it shouldn't be one of your worries now. What worries me is the price required to register it, but we'll talk about that later. After all, we have to see first what we get for our money, right?


Interface

I wish I could say "this program looks great, having a modern interface with excellent graphics", but the truth is a bit different. As you can see in the screenshot to the left, the tabs from the main window have graphics that are huge when compared to the main menu, and the font used is also too large. The toolbar also has icons that seem too big, and the main menu has only three items containing options that could have been incorporated into the toolbar, to save space. Anyway, the good part is that Simple Project ToDo is easy to use and you can't get lost while using it.


Features

If you want to know what you get from this program, checking the Quick Start screen, accessible from the Help menu, is the best thing to do. Considering the price asked for this program, I must confess I was deeply disappointed, but let's see how can you manage your tasks with Simple Project ToDo...

The tasks you are adding to the task pane can be placed into 3 priority categories - Now, Later and Much Later. Each time you add a new task, you can edit only the basic information, such as Summary and Notes, and there are only 3 task categories available - Problem, Improvement and Other.

Additional features allow you to perform searches inside the tasks located in the currently open project, and merge project files from more than just one use to create a project file for the entire team. Since I didn't bump into any special problems while using the program, that's all, folks! Let's draw the conclusions now, shall we?


The Good

Simple Project ToDo is a reliable program that's very easy to use and has pretty low system requirements. The built in tutorial can help beginners get started in no time, although its layout is not as good as I expected.

The Bad

The only format that can be used to save projects is TODO, and there is no export feature. This program can't work with more than just one project at a time, and there's no real-time collaborative work (merging TODO files is not an approach up to a $50 application, really!). At last, considering the above, Simple Project ToDo is severely overpriced.

Conclusion

Since trying is free, I guess you should click the download link below and give Simple Project ToDo a try, although I can't say I am crazy about it. In the end, it's your money, and your needs, so if this program fulfills all your dreams, why not purchase it?

Developer: Igor Ješe
Price: $49.95
Trial Link: Download