IT News Head Lines (TechSpot) 17/01/2013

Irrational Games: BioShock Infinite will have proper PC support With BioShock Infinite due on March 26, developer Irrational Games is working the hype machine by gradually releasing more information, including the fact that the company's latest project will have proper PC support. In an interview with PC Gamer, technical director Christopher Kline acknowledged that Irrational's PC-specific features were lacking... Read More ...

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How Apple maintains prices virtually everywhere Say what you will about Apple and why its products deserve (or don't deserve) their respective price tags, but here's an interesting, tangential query: how exactly does Apple maintain such consistent pricing across so many vendors? Macworld believes they have the answer -- a multi-faceted strategy called price maintenance. In short,... Read More ...

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Netflix to deliver Adult Swim, Cartoon Network content in March Netflix has signed new licensing deals with Turner Broadcasting and Warner Bros. Television Group that will provide the streaming video service with a wealth of new content for its paid subscribers. New programming is schedule to arrive on March 30 as part of what looks to be a busy year... Read More ...

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7Gbps wireless on the way, WiGig (802.11ad) adopted by IEEE A new wireless standard promising blazing speeds over short distances was recently adopted by the IEEE. Known as 802.11ad. The ratified standard will deliver 7Gbps speeds over 60GHz frequencies and should appear in consumer electronics as soon as next year. And in case you're wondering, WiGig is the consumer-friendly marketing name which... Read More ...

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Facebook goes into search, Graph Search debuts in beta Facebook being Facebook, it's no surprise we hear a variety of rumors regarding the company's future plans, especially more so since it became a public company last year. Two in particular: Facebook competing directly against Google in search and the Facebook smartphone have been a constant for quite some time,... Read More ...

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Sony executive hints the PlayStation 4 may surface before E3 Sony’s vice president of home entertainment has revealed that we could see the introduction of the PlayStation 4 sooner rather than later. Hiroshi Sakamoto recently told Chilean website Emol that Sony is hard at work on the next generation PlayStation and that they are focused on E3 in June or... Read More ...

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Tuesday tech deals: 27" Vizio AIO $700, Phenom II X6 1045T kit $180 Vizio Ivy Bridge Core i5 27" 1080p All-in-One PC for $700 + free shipping Read More ...

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New Myspace goes live, focuses on social music After several months in beta, Myspace has once again opened its doors to the public. Formerly the most prolific name in social networking, stakeholders are hoping the site's daring revamp, Justin Timberlake's involvement and its newly found focus on music will bring Myspace back into relevancy once more. Read More ...

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Apple's shares tumble below $500 amidst continued investor concern There have been very few times in the last several years that owning Apple stock hasn’t been a financially rewarding endeavor. Those who were lucky enough to buy in before 2010 have enjoyed a tremendous return on their investment but as the saying goes, what goes up must come down. ... Read More ...

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Belgian group to sue Apple over misleading warranty information A Belgian consumer group has decided to take court action against Apple over its allegedly 'misleading' and 'illegal' AppleCare warranty policies. The group, Test-Aankoop/Test-Achats, claims that even though under European law consumers are entitled to a free two-year warranty with any consumer electronics purchase, Apple fails to properly inform consumers... Read More ...

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Lenovo may be preparing several Chromebooks for May release Rumor has it that one of the largest computer manufacturers in the world is preparing to release a Chromebook in just a few short months. It’s widely known that Acer and Samsung have similar machines based on Google’s popular OS but now according to TheStreet, we can also add Lenovo’s... Read More ...

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AMD takes 28nm Kabini, Temash APU production to TSMC Despite starting up as a joint venture in 2009, GlobalFoundries and AMD haven't had the best of relationships over the years, with the latter blaming 32nm manufacturing issues for lower-than-expected revenue in 2011. As problems persisted towards the end of that year news broke that AMD had cancelled two upcoming... Read More ...

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Could the $119 Archos 70 Titanium tablet be the next budget king? Archos has unveiled a new budget Android tablet that looks rather impressive considering the asking price. The Archos 70 Titanium will ship with a 7-inch, 1,024 x 600 IPS display and a copy of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for a full $40 cheaper than Amazon’s first generation Kindle Fire –... Read More ...

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RIM: 15,000 BlackBerry 10 app submissions in two days Research in Motion hasn't had much luck getting hordes of app developers interested in their platform, despite claims that App World is the second most profitable mobile application store behind Apple's. But the company is hoping to change that with the upcoming release of BlackBerry 10, offering incentives such as... Read More ...

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Microsoft Surface sold fewer than 1 million units in Q4 2012 It appears sales of Microsoft's Surface RT tablet may have only performed half as well as analysts expected during Q4 2012. Industry researcher Brent Thill of UBS said that Microsoft only sold about one million units -- that's one million short of the firm's earlier forecast. Another analyst is estimating... Read More ...

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Dell reportedly in talks to take company private Dell’s stock price shot up more than 15% a few hours ago after a report by Bloomberg claimed the company was in buyout talks with at least two private equity firms. Citing "two people with knowledge of the matter", the report says Dell has already contacted a number of large... Read More ...

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Kaspersky uncovers five-year cyber espionage campaign, Red October Kaspersky has uncovered an advanced cyber espionage network that rivals the sophistication of last year's infamous Flame malware but is perhaps more devious, as each attack is handcrafted for its victim to help ensure its success. Referred to as Operation Red October (abbreviated as "Rocra"), the campaign has been ongoing... Read More ...

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First all-digital library in the U.S. will look like an Apple Store A library in Bexar County, Texas will soon be the first in the country to open without a single physical book. The fully digital public library system will be called BiblioTech and is being led by Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff who got the idea for an all-digital library while... Read More ...

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Xi3 unveils palm-sized Z3ro Pro PC with dual-core x86 chip for $399 Although most of the attention Xi3 received during CES came courtesy of its Valve-funded Piston PC, the company also unveiled a nifty palm-sized computer late last week that's only just now cropping up in the enthusiast press. The Z3ro Pro is said to be the company's smallest offering to date,... Read More ...

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New screenshots from Half-life 2: Return to Ravenholm surface online New images from a planned Half-Life 2 episode known as Return to Ravenholm recently surfaced online. The game was being developed by Arkane Studios in 2006 and 2007 but was ultimately cancelled, much to the dismay of fans of the series. Read More ...

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Anonymous overtakes MIT websites in memory of Aaron Swartz Hackers claiming ties to Anonymous were able to overtake MIT’s website earlier this morning in memory of Aaron Swartz, the Internet activist that committed suicide last Friday in the midst of federal charges under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The group also called for an overhaul of computer crime... Read More ...

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Microsoft to fix critical Internet Explorer vulnerability today Microsoft will be releasing an out-of band patch later today to fix a critical zero-day flaw affecting Internet Explorer versions 6,7 and 8. The vulnerability allows hackers to execute code remotely in the event that a user visits an infected website. Read More ...

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Rumor: Exynos 5 Octa to ship with current-gen PowerVR GPU Samsung showcased their upcoming eight-core Exynos 5 Octa processor last week during the Consumer Electronics Show. The Korean electronics giant didn’t delve deeply into specifications like the GPU, leaving many enthusiasts to make educated guesses as to exactly what the package will contain. Read More ...

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Gartner: PC shipments decline as market shifts to personal tablets, shared PCs IDC reported similar findings on Friday, and now Gartner has chimed in with its own figures suggesting the PC industry continues to decline in the face of smaller, cheaper, and more portable computing devices. The research firm says worldwide PC shipments for Q4 2012 totaled 90.3 million units, a decline... Read More ...

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Apple iPhone demand may be slowing, mixed reports on the matter The iconic handset remains a favorite among consumers, let alone Apple fans, but according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Apple may have overestimated demand for the device and is currently reducing orders of iPhone parts. WSJ cites unnamed sources saying that some component orders are being cut... Read More ...

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Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 Case Review

Cooler Master recently launched the updated Scout 2 chasis priced at just $90 -- slightly less than the venerable HAF 922. Despite its relatively low price, the Scout 2 has plenty to offer, including ergonomic steel-reinforced carrying handles and room for up to two SSDs, nine fans and any graphics card. Read More ...

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The Year in Tech: 2012 Top Tech Stories

This year we have divided stories in 12 heavily packed categories, with nearly 500 hand-picked headlines total. Feel free to jump around between your favored topics, but try not to miss the tech culture section where we revisit some of the most entertaining stories we covered this year. HereÂ’s our take on 2012Â… Read More ...

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Nokia Lumia 920 Review

In the Nokia Lumia 920, Windows Phone 8 has a worthy competitor to iOS and Android. It also features brand new software that is faster and more robust than its predecessor. Will a winning hardware foundation and vastly improved software secure the Lumia 920 a place among the elite? Read More ...

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The Best Gaming GIFs of 2012

Video games and gaming in general had its highs and lows during 2012, but more importantly, we've all turned those highs and lows into animated GIFs for the rest of the internet to behold. Read More ...

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Best Gadgets and Tech Products of 2012

Before we move on to the latest and greatest devices of 2013, we figure it's worth revisiting some of 2012's most popular devices as suggested by our Product Finder, which includes reviews by hundreds of seasoned specialists across the Web. We've included 59 products across 14 categories along with their aggregate review score and a brief commentary that explains why they're special. Read More ...

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Lenovo Yoga 13 Review

Lenovo is looking to capitalize early and often with the do-it-all Yoga 13. Priced from $999, this system was one of the first portable systems to launch alongside Windows 8. Without jumping right to the conclusion from the get-go, I will let you know that it's a very capable all-around system that doesn't compromise on that it is first and foremost: a notebook. Lenovo Yoga 13 Review. Read More ...

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The Fear is Gone: My PC is my Next-Gen Console

In September, I got myself a gaming laptop (yes, yes, I know, but it's a powerful one). I installed Steam and started downloading games. These games started updating themselves, snatching whatever files they needed, installing DirectX and god knows what else. I was trusting Steam and it was making my return to PC gaming a cinch. Read More ...

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Western Digital Black 4TB Hard Drive Review

The Black 4TB has a 7200RPM spindle speed with an average access time of 4.2ms. WD says it has a drive to drive throughput of 154MB/s, making it the fastest Black hard drive yet. This in addition to dual-actuator technology, 64MB of cache, 6Gb/s SATA support and a Marvell dual-core controller. Read More ...

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Acer C7 Chromebook Review

A $200 laptop is a difficult thing to assess. On one hand, the Acer C7 Chromebook has that shockingly low price tag, on the other, there is weak build quality and a netbook-grade processor. The trade-offs are not trivial and thatÂ’s before we acknowledge that the Acer C7 runs Chrome OS. Read More ...

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The Best PC Game Mods of 2012

This year was a big one for PC mods, with two - DayZ and Black Mesa - rivalling commercial products for public awareness and, perhaps more importantly, quality. Here's a shortlist of the best mods released during 2012. Read More ...

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Corsair Vengeance C70 Military Green vs. Thermaltake Level 10 GT Battle Edition Review

Despite the prevalence of military-themed motherboards, enthusiasts haven't had a whole lot of stock options for matching cases. Hoping to fill that void, Corsair updated its Vengeance gaming lineup with the C70 series in Military Green while Thermaltake launched the Level 10 GT Battle Edition. Read More ...

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Adobe's Flash Updater: Bloated, Confusing & Shady

Being one of the most prolific sources of security vulnerabilities in Windows and other platforms, Adobe Flash Player needs no introduction. In spite of that reputation, and the fact that the rest of the industry is moving away from Flash, it'd just seem Adobe is making all possible efforts to make its software more bloated and less attractive to all consumers alike. Read More ...

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Far Cry 3 Performance Test: Graphics & CPU

Like the original game, Far Cry 3 is set on a tropical island found somewhere at the intersection of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. We'll be testing FC3's open world environment using 29 DirectX 11 graphics cards from AMD and Nvidia. Read More ...

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Far Cry 3 Review

Far Cry 3 is an open-world shooter through and through. The setup is simple: You're set loose on a massive island in the south pacific and tasked with gradually conquering it. Here's a gun. Have fun. It's an exhilarating and empowering adventure that combines player freedom with shiny technical polish. Read More ...

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Apple iPad Keyboard Folio Round-up

Modern tablets were designed primarily as media consumption devices. But more recently, units like the Microsoft Surface are challenging this idea with optional keyboards for tablets. Unsurprisingly, accessory makers have come up with a few units for the iPad as well. We checked out three of them. Read More ...

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Hitman: Absolution GPU/CPU Performance Review

Hitman: Absolution is the first game to be developed using the new Glacier 2 engine, specifically built to have a strong emphasis on enabling very dense crowds and allowing players to not only interact with characters but also to influence their behavior. The engine is said to be able to handle up to crowds of 1200 characters, which makes Absolution unlike any other game. Read More ...

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Hitman: Absolution Review

Absolution picks up the Hitman story where the last game in the series, 2006's Blood Money, left off. Yes, the last Hitman game was released more than half a decade ago. That's a long time between sequels, even in the relatively slow-moving video game world. But that extended time in development likely accounts for a lot of what makes Hitman such a sprawling, interesting game. Read More ...

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OCZ Vector 256GB SSD Review

OCZ is finally ready to unveil its first truly in-house SSD controller. It's been three years since Indilinx released a brand new controller and they are doing so today with the Barefoot 3, which is to be featured in OCZÂ’s latest SSD series known as Vector. Read More ...

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The Best Graphics Cards: Nvidia vs. AMD Current-Gen Comparison

With updated pricing, drivers, and performance across the board, we are revisiting today's AMD and Nvidia graphics card offerings to see where you should spend your hard-earned cash this holiday season and into early next year. Read More ...

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Sony Xperia TL Review

Each iteration of Sony's flagship device has improved and been better than the previous version, but no single attempt has been just right. The Xperia TL, available now on AT&T, is as close as the company has come to finding the smartphone sweet spot, but is that good enough? Read More ...

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The Rise and Fall of AMD

AMD has long been subject of polarizing debate among technology enthusiasts. Considering that it was once considered equal to Intel, many wonder why AMD is failing. However, it's probably fairer to ask how the company has survived so for long -- a question we intend to explore as we revisit the company's past, examine its present and gaze into its future. Read More ...

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TechSpot Holiday Gift Guide 2012

Although you're working against the clock, the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales make this a fairly sensible time to dive in and ensure your loved ones are sufficiently showered in silicon-laced trinkets and baubles on the morning of December 25. As it happens, we have a soft spot for said gadgets and we've compiled a list of over two dozen things spanning all budgets that we'd love to find under the tree this year. Read More ...

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Is There a Touchable Windows 8 Laptop For You?

While manufacturers havenÂ’t exactly flooded the market with touch-enabled laptops, there are some good options out there already. Expect a crush of touchable Windows 8 machines at CES early next year, but for those shopping this holiday, we have cherry picked the best touch-enabled, Windows 8 laptops. Read More ...

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Nintendo Wii U Review

The Wii U meets the standards of modern console gaming, while also supporting Wii Remotes and therefore serving as an HD version of the Wii. It does all of these things and introduces some well-realized new features to modern console gaming. Read More ...

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Wise Care 365 2.1.8.169 Wise Care 365 is an all-in-one PC tune-up utility. It will keep your Windows secure, clean and fast. Read More ...

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Adobe Audition 3.0 Adobe Audition software offers high-performance, intuitive tools for audio editing, mixing, restoration, and effects. Powerful new features such as real-time clip stretching, automatic speech alignment, and control surface support help you deliver projects faster than ever. Read More ...

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ESET NOD32 Antivirus 6.0 Safeguard your online life with the best proactive solution that will not slow you down. Read More ...

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Code Lobster PHP Edition 4.4 Codelobster PHP Edition streamlines and simplifies php development process. Read More ...

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Adobe InCopy CS2 Free Adobe InCopy CS2 software is a professional writing and editing program that integrates tightly with Adobe InDesign(R) CS2 to deliver a complete solution for collaborative editorial workflow Read More ...

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Adobe InDesign CS2 Free Adobe InDesign CS2 can be used to create works such as posters, flyers, brochures, magazines, newspapers and books. Read More ...

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Undelete 360 2.15.24 Undelete 360 is one of the best programs to use for restoring accidentally or unintentionally deleted files from your computer, regardless of storage medium. Read More ...

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Advanced SystemCare Free 6.1.9.215 One-Click and All-In-One solution for PC maintenance and protection. Read More ...

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CoolNovo (formerly ChromePlus) 2.0.5.21 CoolNovo has all the functionalities that Google Chrome has. More, CoolNovo added some useful features such as Mouse gesture, Super drag, IE tab, etc. Read More ...

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PDFCreator 1.6.2 Easily creates PDFs from any Windows program. Read More ...

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Dropbox 1.6.14 Dropbox allows you to sync your files online and across your computers automatically. Read More ...

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Ashampoo Photo Commander 10.2.1 Ashampoo Photo Commander is a perfect example of a new generation of programs that are genuinely intuitive easy to use. Read More ...

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PrivaZer 1.6.1 PrivaZer is a privacy cleaner that scans your computer and provides you with a complete report of all computer and Internet traces that can be found on your PC. Read More ...

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Combofix 1-15-13 Scan your computer for known malware, and clean these infections automatically. Read More ...

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VideoGet 2012 6.0.2.66 Download and convert YouTube, Yahoo Video and many more videos with few click Read More ...

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Dropbox 1.6.14 for Mac OS X Dropbox is the easiest way to store, sync and share your files online and between multiple computers. Read More ...

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Winclone 3.7 for Mac OS X Winclone allows you to easily image your bootcamp partition on your Mac. Read More ...

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A Better Finder Rename 9.17 for Mac OS X A Better Finder Rename allows users to quickly rename multiple files. Read More ...

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Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition Free antivirus that works simply and beautifully. Read More ...

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Kingsoft Office Suite Free 5.3.1 for Android Kingsoft Office Suite Free 2012 is a completely free office productivity suite, which includes three programs that reflect the different purposes and tasks required in any working/personal environment. Read More ...

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KTorrent 4.3.1 KTorrent is a BitTorrent client written in C++ for KDE using the Qt user interface toolkit. Read More ...

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Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 Free Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 sets new standards for digital filmmaking, offering a format-independent plug-andedit solution that provides the tightest integration with Adobe After Effects and Adobe Photoshop. Read More ...

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Adobe Acrobat Pro 8 Free Adobe Acrobat 8 helps you communicate and collaborate more easily and securely using PDF. Read More ...

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SoulseekQT 2013.01.12 Soulseek(R) is a unique ad-free, spyware free, and just plain free file sharing application. Read More ...

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kMule 2013.01.12 A really small ed2k client without bloat - downloading at its best! Read More ...

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AMD Mobility Catalyst Display Driver 12.4 for Windows Vista/7 64-bit Driver Date: 4/25/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7 64-bit Read More ...

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AMD Mobility Catalyst Display Driver 12.4 for Windows Vista/7 32-bit Driver Date: 4/25/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7 Read More ...

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AMD Catalyst Display Driver 12.4 for Windows Vista/7 64-bit Driver Date: 4/25/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7 64-bit Read More ...

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AMD Catalyst Display Driver 12.4 for Windows Vista/7 32-bit Driver Date: 4/25/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7 Read More ...

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AMD Catalyst Display Driver 12.4 for Windows XP 64-bit Driver Date: 4/25/2012 OS Support: Windows XP 64-bit Read More ...

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AMD Catalyst Display Driver 12.4 for Windows XP Driver Date: 4/25/2012 OS Support: Windows XP Read More ...

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Realtek 10/100M Fast Ethernet PCI Express Driver 7.053 for Windows 7 Driver Date: 3/22/2012 OS Support: Windows 7 Read More ...

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Realtek 10/100/100M Gigabit Ethernet PCI Driver 5.719 for Windows XP Driver Date: 3/22/2012 OS Support: Windows 2000/XP Read More ...

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Realtek Wireless LAN ICs IEEE 802.11b/g/n RTL8188SU Driver 1086.48 Driver Date: 4/19/2012 OS Support: Windows XP/Vista/7 Read More ...

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Realtek Wireless LAN ICs IEEE 802.11b/g/n RTL8192SU Driver 1086.48 Driver Date: 4/19/2012 OS Support: Windows XP/Vista/7 Read More ...

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Realtek Wireless LAN ICs IEEE 802.11b/g/n RTL8191SU Driver 1086.48 Driver Date: 4/19/2012 OS Support: Windows XP/Vista/7 Read More ...

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Cisco Linksys E1500 Firmware 1.0.04 Driver Date: 3/28/2012 OS Support: Windows XP/Vista/7 Read More ...

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Nvidia GeForce Graphics Driver 301.24 Beta for Windows 7 32-bit Driver Date: 4/10/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7 Read More ...

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Nvidia GeForce Graphics Driver 301.24 Beta for Windows XP 64-bit Driver Date: 4/10/2012 OS Support: Windows XP 64-bit Read More ...

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Nvidia GeForce Notebook Graphics Driver 301.24 Beta for Windows Vista/7 32-bit Driver Date: 4/10/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7 Read More ...

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Nvidia GeForce Graphics Driver 301.24 Beta for Windows 7 64-bit Driver Date: 4/10/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7 64-bit Read More ...

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Nvidia GeForce Graphics Driver 301.24 Beta for Windows XP 32-bit Driver Date: 4/10/2012 OS Support: Windows XP Read More ...

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Nvidia GeForce Notebook Graphics Driver 301.24 Beta for Windows Vista/7 64-bit Driver Date: 4/10/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7 64-bit Read More ...

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Cisco Linksys E2500 Firmware 1.0.04 Driver Date: 4/9/2012 OS Support: Windows (all) Read More ...

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Realtek PCIe FE GBE Family Controller Series Driver 6.250 for Windows Vista Driver Date: 4/3/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista Read More ...

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Realtek PCIe FE GBE Family Controller Series Driver 7.053 for Windows 7 Driver Date: 4/3/2012 OS Support: Windows 7 Read More ...

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Realtek PCIe FE GBE Family Controller Series Driver 5.794 for Windows 2000/XP Driver Date: 4/3/2012 OS Support: Windows 2000/XP Read More ...

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Realtek HD ALC 880 Audio CODECs R2.68 for Windows Vista/7 64-bit Driver Date: 4/2/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7 64-bit Read More ...

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Realtek HD ALC 880 Audio CODECs R2.68 for Windows Vista/7 32-bit Driver Date: 4/2/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7 Read More ...

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Realtek HD ALC 880 Audio CODECs R2.68 for Windows 2000/XP (32/64 bits) Driver Date: 4/2/2012 OS Support: Windows 2000/XP Read More ...

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