Jennifer's blog

What are the reasons that Limewire became so popular on the PC and on the Mac platform?

It is probably the most popular client for the Gnutella network. This file sharing network quickly replaced the famous old Napster after it has been shut down and is now more popular than ever..

The new cleaned up Java interface in version 4.1 of Limewire looks way better than earlier versions. You know it's made for the business of exchanging files and nothing distracts from that goal.

Because it is written in Java it can be used on any Operating System where java can be installed. That includes Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Unix and Solaris.

This has also disadvantages. It needs Java to run. That means you should take care that you always have the latest version of Java installed on your computer and it's quite "resource heavy".

Another reason for it's success might be, that it doesn't tackle you with ad-ware, nag-ware or hurting colors. It just convinces with a clear and transparent surface for searching, downloading, browsing and collecting files.

The various improvements regarding network performance and downloading from multiple sources, deliver considerably more search results and faster downloads.

Version 4.1 has some nice additions that help you getting the job done.

As Limewire is open source software, you can expect that it gets updated quite fast. The last version 4.1 is maybe not the fastest, but certainly a very stable and a good p2p file sharing program.


Plus:

* Clean interface
* No adware
* No spyware (at least it seems so)
* Downloads from multiple hosts (faster downloads)
* Good search and filtering functions
* You can customize most functions

Minus:

* Not enough protection against viruses because the Gnutella network is flooded with Junk. Especially watch out for files with the file size of 851,7, 69,4 or 0,00 Kb.
* Maybe a tick slower than Morpheus.
* May not run on Macs with the latest security updates.

PowerDVD 10 has just been released, and in this review, we look at what's new, what good and what's not so good.

That big thing for PowerDVD 9 was HD, and for PowerDVD 10, it is clearly 3D. PowerDVD 9's new TrueTheater HD can convert your SD content to HD, in realtime, and PowerDVD 10's TrueTheater 3D aims to the same for the realtime conversion of 2D content to 3D. But for those without 3D equipment, or simply don't care for it, is there anything for them? Read on to find out ...

You can read the archived review of PowerDVD 9 in the article titled: Power

DVD Review Archive. All PowerDVD reviews from PowerDVD 2.5 to PowerDVD 8 are located there.

Ahead Nero Express is developed by Ahead Software AG and is used by 124 users of Software Informer. The most popular version of this product among our users is 5.5. The names of program executable files are CoverDes.exe, Nero PhotoShow Express.exe, nero.exe, NeroExpress.exe and TaskLaunch.exe. Works with nrv, nrw, nrs, nrg, nhf, nr3, nra, nrb, nrc, nre, nrh, nri, nrm and nru file types. The product will soon be reviewed by our informers.

This week's music from Glee was quite the eclectic mix, but supplied the perfect soundtrack for the "Born This Way" episode.

Glee really brought it with the music this week. I truly enjoyed every track, but the absolute standout for me was the mash-up of West Side Story's "I'm Pretty" with TLC's "Unpretty," which was sung by Lea Michele (Rachel) and Dianna Agron (Quinn). GLEE: Lauren (Ashley Fink, L), Kurt

and Mike (Harry Shum, R) perform for Rachel (Leah Michele, third from L) in the super-sized 90 minute "Born This Way"

I usually am not a huge fan of Agron's vocals, but this mash-up really worked for her. "Unpretty" needs a soft and vulnerable vocal to make it work, and I thought she pulled it off well. I really enjoyed the contrast of her voice with Michele's and the interchanging "I feel pretty" lines. Both ladies sound fantastic, and it was nice to hear a duet from them.

Cory Monteith (Finn) took on Sammy Davis Jr.'s "I've Gotta Be Me." After listening to this track, I found this to be the best that Monteith has sounded vocally all season. It's a very clean vocal from him, and his personality is infused throughout the song. I was taken aback a little bit when I saw this song on the track listing this week, but after seeing the episode last night, I concluded that the song was a great choice for not only Monteith's voice, but the overall theme of the "Born This Way" episode.

One of my very favorite songs, "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane, was sung by Darren Criss (Blaine) and the Dalton Academy Warblers. Seriously, what can't this dude sing? Criss has a way of emotionally connecting to every song that he sings. With "Somewhere Only We Know," the listening audience gets to hear a very vulnerable and sincere vocal performance from him. I definitely think Glee did this song justice. And of course, shout out to the Tufts University Beelzebubs for the great backing vocals.

Chris Colfer (Kurt) returns to the solo spotlight with "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Broadway's Sunset Boulevard. Colfer's vocals on this track are just stunning. The track is truly just absolute ear candy. I am hoping since Colfer's character has now returned to the New Directions that we will be treated to a couple more solos before the season's end.

When I found out that Glee was planning on using Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" for this episode, I thought the song was just too new to utilize for the show. But, what do I know anyway, since this song fit this week's episode like a glove. With Colfer, Amber Riley (Mercedes), and Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina) on lead vocals, Gaga's "Born This Way" was hit with a dose of attitude and sass-Glee-style. I am all for uptempo group numbers, and "Born This Way" delivers in a big way.

I think this week's bundle of Glee music may just be the best of the season, or at least a close second after the music from the episode "Never Been Kissed." Hats off to Glee's music producers and music supervisors; the song choices and overall production were very much on point this week.

These days, the million-dollar question isn’t, "who is Bruno Mars?" it’s, what is Bruno Mars poised to do next? Yes, it’s great to be young Bruno Mars, the gifted, smooth, and soulful Hawaiian-born crooner/producer, who’s been enjoying a magical run in the pop world since listeners and critics fell for his honey-coated hooks on tracks by ascendant rapper B.O.B (“Nothin’ on You”) and bad-boy hip-hopper Travie McCoy (“Billionaire”).

But it appears that Mars’ shot at solo stardom, his real shining time, has finally arrived, what with the release of his keenly anticipated debut, Doo-Wops & Hooligans (Elektra/Asylum), a refreshing and appealing 10-track concoction of radio-ready and catchy pop tunes, flavoured with everything from reggae and blues to soul and funk. Throughout the record, Mars (25, born Peter Gene Hernandez) projects emotions that reel you in, as well as a boyish innocence, and a sensitivity that serves to ratchet up the effervescent energy and the authenticity of his lyrics.

Lead single “Just The Way You Are,” a piercing ode to unconditional love, is already a major Billboard hit, fresh on the tongues of both puppy-love schoolgirls and grown men. Then there’s the pulsating groove “Grenade,” steeped in the pleasure, passion and pain that regularly characterize intimate relationships.

But the real standouts on the disc that must be highlighted include the luminous mid-tempo smash “Liquor Store Blues,” a melodious boom-box joint that wonderfully, if humorously, explores addiction (“I take one shot for my pain, one drag for my sorrow/Get messed up today, I’ll be okay tomorrow”). You simply can’t get lyrics more droll or brainer than that. The track is made all the more alluring thanks to a great cameo from reggae superstar Damian ‘Junior Gong’ Marley.

The guest appearances continue with smart contributions from Cee-Lo Green (for whom Mars penned the new hit “F-ck You”) and B.O.B on the anthemic album closer “The Other Side.” Another favourite, the beautifully written “Talking to the Moon,” finds Mars waxing poetic about love and longing – a forte that the singer employs with great results in his work.

n short, there’s hardly anything to complain about on Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Bruno Mars has a bonafide hit album on his hands that fans and investors in good music will lovingly appreciate. The multi-talented Mars makes ample use of his gifts as writer and vocalist with remarkable results, blending an appealing outside-the-box approach with modern relevance and James Blunt-esque sensitivity.

That said, the singer has a promising future that appears set to capitalize on not just his deft songwriting but also his amazing singing talent. Delivering a playful sense of humour and terrific vocals, while repping for the females (‘doo-wop’ grooves) and the fellas (‘hooligan’ joints), Mars’ debut release is nothing if not an impressive success for the rising star.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-bruno-mars-doo-wops/#ixzz1LAFaJNT0

The latest update of Firefox 4 Beta is now available for download and testing in more than 30 languages, adding 10 new languages. This update includes multi-touch support for Windows 7 and new JavaScript values to experience faster and smoother graphics. We also have vital feedback from our testers that we will incorporate into future updates.

More details on the cool new features for Web developers in this Firefox 4 Beta update:

Multi-touch
Firefox 4 Beta now has multi-touch support for Windows 7 to enable people to
interact with Web content with their hands naturally. Developers can use multi-touch capabilities to leverage touch-enabled devices and provide people with an intuitive and fun browsing experience. For more details, see the blog posts by Paul Rouget and Felipe Gomes.

New JavaScript Values
Changes to the C++ representation of JavaScript enable Firefox to execute heavy, numeric code more efficiently. This sort of code is used to produce smooth, streamlined graphics in modern Web applications. For more details, see Rob Sayre’s blog post.

Firefox 4 Beta includes a Feedback Add-on with Mozilla Labs Test Pilot, which will ask you to take part in anonymous studies. You can choose to opt-out of any or all studies and manage your settings in the Feedback button. The feedback is used to help us improve future Firefox Beta releases. See Mike Beltzner’s blog post for more details.

The Feedback tool has been a great success, and our half-million testers submit approximately 3,500 pieces of feedback every day. Test Pilot recently conducted a survey of Firefox 4 Beta testers to help us better understand the dedicated testers who have been giving us this fantastic feedback. We discovered that our beta users are primarily men who use the Web between two and six hours each day, mostly for entertainment and communication. This doesn’t come as a surprise to us, but it also isn’t a great representation of Internet users. We need your help! If you’re enjoying using the Firefox 4 Beta, tell your friends, get them set up and don’t forget to point out the Feedback button.

Chasing Harry Winston
by Lauren Weisberger
Chasing Harry Winston

The bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada and Everyone Worth Knowing returns with the story of three best friends who vow to change their entire lives...and change them fast.

Emmy is newly single, and not by choice. She was this close to the ring and the baby she's wanted her whole life when her boyfriend left her for his twenty-three-year-old personal trainer — who
...more

The bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada and Everyone Worth Knowing returns with the story of three best friends who vow to change their entire lives...and change them fast.

Emmy is newly single, and not by choice. She was this close to the ring and the baby she's wanted her whole life when her boyfriend left her for his twenty-three-year-old personal trainer — whose fees are paid by Emmy. With her plans for the perfect white wedding in the trash, Emmy is now ordering takeout for one. Her friends insist an around-the-world sex-fueled adventure will solve all her problems — could they be right?

Leigh, a young star in the publishing business, is within striking distance of landing her dream job as senior editor and marrying her dream guy. And to top it all off, she has just purchased her dream apartment. Only when Leigh begins to edit the enfant terrible of the literary world, the brilliant and brooding Jesse Chapman, does she start to notice some cracks in her perfect life...

Adriana is the drop-dead-gorgeous daughter of a famous supermodel. She possesses the kind of feminine wiles made only in Brazil, and she never hesitates to use them. But she's about to turn thirty and — as her mother keeps reminding her — she won't have her pick of the men forever. Everyone knows beauty is ephemeral and there's always someone younger and prettier right around the corner. Suddenly she's wondering...does Mother know best?

These three very different girls have been best friends for a decade in the greatest city on earth. As they near thirty, they're looking toward their future...but despite all they've earned — first-class travel, career promotions, invites to all the right parties, and luxuries small and large — they're not quite sure they like what they see...

One Saturday night at the Waverly Inn, Adriana and Emmy make a pact: within a single year, each will drastically change her life. Leigh watches from the sidelines, not making any promises, but she'll soon discover she has the most to lose. Their friendship is forever, but everything else is on the table. Three best friends. Two resolutions. One year to pull it off.