Shareware Dispatch The weekly newsletter from CNET's SHAREWARE.COM Vol. 2, No. 11 Wednesday, September 4, 1996 http://www.shareware.com/ 160,000+ subscribers *********************** CONTENTS: 1. News and hot releases. 2. What's hot this week: our top 10 downloads. 3. Featured applications for the PC. 4. Get on. How to subscribe/unsubscribe to our mailing list. *********************** 1. NEWS AND HOT RELEASES NAVIGATOR TIPS AND TWEAKS After you've downloaded the latest version of Netscape Navigator, be sure to check out CNET's 15 new tips for Navigator 3.0 and the 60 tips that work with both 2.0 and 3.0. Navigator can be optimized for your own personal style of surfing, and a little browser tweaking will ensure maximum performance and functionality. CNET has compiled this collection of tips on everything from maximizing screen space to speeding performance. Whether you use Navigator on a Mac or a PC, whether you're a neophyte or a pro, you'll find plenty of ways to enhance your browsing experience. To maximize your Web viewing pleasure, point your browser to: http://www.cnet.com/Content/Features/Howto/Netscape/ *********************** 2. TOP 10 DOWNLOADS FROM SHAREWARE.COM: #1 Netscape Navigator 3.0 Premiere for Windows 95 --> 22,051 downloads #2 Quake --> 20,399 downloads #3 Netscape Navigator 3.0 Premiere for Windows 3.1 --> 12,578 downloads #4 QuickTime for Windows --> 11,843 downloads #5 McAfee's Virus Scanner for Windows 95 --> 11,809 downloads #6 Extreme Pinball --> 11,800 downloads #7 VRAMDIR for Windows 95 --> 11,777 downloads #8 Norton AntiVirus Add-On (Hare Virus) --> 10,310 downloads #9 WinZip for Windows 95 --> 10,114 downloads #10 Oil Change --> 9,445 downloads For more information on SHAREWARE.COM's most popular files, check out: http://www.shareware.com/top/index-noframe.html *********************** 3. FEATURED APPLICATIONS FOR THE PC: A GNAT WITH A MISSION Bug, a popular Sega cartridge title, has been ported to the PC, making terrific use of the Windows 95 DirectDraw and Direct3D graphics modules. The animated 3D action game stars a multilegged hero who must save his insect friends before they're consumed by the evil widow Queen Cadavra. The demo offers a glimpse of some incredible Silicon Graphics- rendered 3D imagery, and the play mechanics are simply superb. The challenging full version of this family-oriented title includes six different Island Kingdoms with 18 infested levels each. CAUTION: a fear of spiders and other creepy creatures could be hazardous to successful gameplay. FACT FILE: Program name: Bug Version: 0.13 Size: 3,500K Download time: approx. 56 minutes with 14.4 modem Developed by: Beam Software Int'l (for Sega Entertainment) License: Commercial Playable Demo Requirements: Pentium PC, DirectX Drivers, Windows 95 To view the world from an insect's perspective, point your browser to: SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND Infoseek Quickseek adds instant search capabilities to Netscape's Navigator Web browser. The add-on places a live search box next to the Navigator directory buttons, enabling you to type a request and then see the results of your query in the browser window. This new feature is certainly a retort to Microsoft's built-in search utility, recently incorporated into the Internet Explorer 3.0 final version interface. Quickseek also allows you to right mouse click on the Infoseek button, displaying a wide range of search options and related services. Options include a standard Web search, a Usenet newsgroup search, and an Infoseek Select Site search. FACT FILE: Program name: Infoseek Quickseek Version: 1.0beta2a Size: 720K Download time: approx. 12 minutes with 14.4 modem Developed by: Teknema, Inc. License: Freeware Requirements: Netscape Navigator 2.0 32-bit, Windows 95 To add search capabilities to Netscape Navigator, check out: LEAVE A MESSAGE AT THE BEEP Internet VoiceMail/Paging System acts like a global voice messaging service, allowing you to leave voice messages for friends and associates via the Internet. The system consists of the client on your end and the servers on Pierro Computer Technology's end. Using the software, you can leave voice mail for someone by recording a message, entering their email address, and clicking on the Send button. The message is then sent over the Internet into their voice mailbox, located on dedicated servers for them to retrieve when they want. If the person happens to be connected when a voice message is left in their mailbox, an innovative pager pops up on their screen, informing them of the new voice mail. The unique pager utility enables you to quickly send (and receive) alphanumeric messages directly to another user's desktop, possibly to see if they are currently online and available for a Web phone call. FACT FILE: Program name: Internet VoiceMail/Paging System Version: 1.02 Size: 2,100K Download time: approx. 34 minutes with 14.4 modem Developed by: Pierro Computer Technology License: Shareware ($29.95 for 2 licenses) Requirements: microphone, sound card, speakers, Windows 95 To obtain your own voice mail box on the Net, check out: PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE FOR YOUR PC SafetyScan performs regularly scheduled scans of your hard drive, searching for various error-producing files and then optionally deleting them for you. The application targets files that commonly used disk utilities such as Uninstall, Scandisk, and Sweep often miss. You can select specific types of files to scan for and delete, allowing you to prevent lost Internet connections, freezing up, damaged data, unexplainable General Protection Faults, and mysterious reboots. Another feature of SafetyScan is its inherent ability to recover lost disk space from your system. The program is unobtrusive and quite simple to use. FACT FILE: Program name: SafetyScan Version: 1.0 Size: 170K Download time: approx. 3 minutes with 14.4 modem Developed by: Unisyn Corp. License: Shareware ($29.95) Requirements: Windows 95 To check your system for undesirables, point your browser to: SAY WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND Voice Note It provides an innovative way to keep yourself organized and your desk free of Post-It-style notes. The program allows you to store voice-based notes or reminders (WAV files) on your hard drive. Using Voice Note It is no different from using a standard digital recorder, offering you the ability to erase unwanted notes or add on to previously recorded messages. You can store as many notes as your hard disk will allow, but there is a daily limit of 35 messages. The program also provides an option for typing brief comments about your recordings, reducing the time required to sift through a lengthy list of WAV files. Practical uses include daily to-do lists, descriptions of downloaded files, and reminders to get some fresh air after hours of shareware evaluation. FACT FILE: Program name: Voice Note It 95 Version: 1.0 Size: 230K Download time: approx. 4 minutes with 14.4 modem Developed by: Visual Solutions Group, Inc. License: Shareware ($9.95) Requirements: microphone, sound card, speakers, Windows 95, To create audible reminders, point your browser to: *********************** 4. 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