I may have included an earlier version of Pop Up Stopper, but those pesky pop-up ads are driving me bananas. It’s comforting to know that you can stop Netscape and Internet Explorer pop-up windows with the latest upgrade of this small tool, now with Windows XP support and full pop-up and pop-under control for Netscape 4.x, 6.x, and 7. Pop-Up Stopper does not use filters or block Web images. Pop-Up Stopper will not slow your browser. You can allow pop-up windows only when you want them. User settings allow various pop-up notifications, such as a flashing icon or new, fun sounds. Simply hold the Control (CTRL) or Shift key to allow selective pop-up windows, but most new links should now open automatically. Pop-Up Stopper is not advertising supported, nor does it require registration, and no information is collected from or about product users. It's complete with full install and uninstall, and a complete setup wizard and online help file, and free unlimited tech support. This latest version includes new pop-up control technology, an easier user interface and help file, and an option to report ads that are not blocked. 
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I hesitate to mention this next program, because it my understanding that it has been, and is, a commercial product. Still it is free to try and $49 to buy and I thought some of my readers might want to give it a shot. I’m talking about Ahead Software’s excellent CD-Rom burning software, Nero. Nero is a flexible, reliable, and easy-to-use application designed to write to both CD-R and CD-RW discs. It supports ISO 9660 images, as well as ISO mode 1 and XA mode 2, and allows for on-the-fly disc recording, in addition to overburning (if supported by hardware). Nero also supports multisession and mixed-mode recording; HFS, ISO/HFS hybrid, UDF, PSX, OFAS (optimal file access speed), track-at-once (TAO), and disc-at-once (DAO) writing; and digital audio extraction. In addition, Nero can dynamically disable automatic-insert notification, and it offers support for multiple languages and works with all major models of CD-R and CD-RW drives. Recent updates added a full-featured WAV editor with a range of audio processing options, real-time effects, a settings manager, an advanced cover designer, a drag-and-drop MPEG-1 video encoding feature, an audio plug-in interface for new audio formats, and a drive toolkit for bench marking and adjusting drive speed. Version 5.5.9.17 adds several new recorders; makes some improvements for multi session copy, improving the copying of Photo-CDs; and adds DVD-RAM support, and more enhancements and bug fixes. 
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Every time I think all computers users know about this program I am surprised by some poor soul who has never heard of Adobe Acrobat Reader. It’s a really cool application that allows you to view, navigate, browse, and print PDF (Portable Document Format) files that have been created by Adobe Acrobat. It also enables you to fill in visually rich, interactive PDF forms. An ActiveX control for Internet Explorer and a plug-in for Netscape Navigator are included and automatically installed in the browser of your choice.

This latest version includes a host of new features, such as the ability to save copies of files downloaded in Web browsers; drag-and-drop toolbar icons, dynamic thumbnails generation, and other usability improvements; improved access to Web-hosted applications and online services; support for Adobe Illustrator 9.0 graphics that contain transparency; compatibility with previous versions of Acrobat Reader; better display of text on LCD screens using Adobe CoolType technology; and more. Plus, you can download Asian font packs that enable you to view Adobe PDF files that contain Chinese, Japanese, and Korean fonts on nonnative systems using Acrobat Reader 5.0. For a complete listing of updates, please visit the developer's What's New page. Acrobat is a must-have for checking out elaborate documentation online. You can use it in your home or office to save paper and print out forms from the Web. 
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I’m not sure I’d pay twenty bucks for this product, but for those who can’t keep track of time through the day it just might be worth it. Say the Time 5.0 is an attractive timepiece that announces the date, time, or both, at specified intervals using a male or a female voice. Along with literally telling the time, Say the Time also lets you set multiple reminders, each of which can display a message, play a sound, or run a program. Reminders can be scheduled once, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or at Windows start-up. New features in this version include the ability to customize your taskbar's clock (by using a variety of colors, textures, and fonts); advanced reminder scheduling allows you to set the starting and ending dates of a recurring reminder; you can synchronize your computer's clock with an atomic clock server (either manually or on an automatic schedule); an advanced tool tip shows the current date, the moon phase, your upcoming reminders, and a calendar, all at a glance. 
$19.95
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Hawaii Screensaver 1.1 is the last offering this month. Feel the aloha spirit every day with this screensaver made up of 20 high-resolution pictures of the 50th state. 
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I’ll see you on the seashore.