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Classics buffs will remember RealPlayer as the first major digital-media player to sweep the MP3 world. RealPlayer 10 (for Mac and Windows ) sees the legacy of managing your digital library and playing tunes, and ups the ante with added features for optimizing tunes and video. Yet information-choked tabs and constant promotions for premium service get real old, real fast--especially when other (truly) free services out there offer most of RealPlayer's features, minus the open, expectant palm.

Will RealPlayer 11 beta's live video streaming feature amp up the product's appeal? Check out a sneak peek of RealPlayer 11 … Read more

Nero has been hooking multimedia hounds for years with its powerful suite of audio and video tools. With a skinnable, intuitive interface, easily accessible user manuals, and a full-featured menu, Nero 7 Ultra Edition Enhanced is big, but doesn't disappoint. Take a peep at Nero's latest audio/video toolkit in the First Look video below.

As I'm commuting home yesterday afternoon, I fire up the old iPhone and decide to watch some video podcasts. After a little Geek Brief TV and Buzz Report, it's time for David Pogue. As host of my own vlog, The Queue, I often wonder if fellow vloggers ever watch my show. I wonder if Pogue, on his way into work, takes out his iPhone and checks out The Queue, or Top 5. I wonder if Kevin Pereira, at his G4 desk, quietly watches CNET Live.

Well, you can imagine my surprise, when exactly 52 seconds into Pogue's … Read more

Trillian's all-in-one instant messaging client made its name by offering chat-happy users a single account where they could connect with friends from all the major IM networks. While the popularity of some networks it supports has dwindled, Trillian has only improved.

Check out Trillian's moves in the First Look video below, or see how it stacks up to competing all-in-one IM clients in a CNET video with Neha Tiwari.

Of all the various file-sharing clients out there, DC++ is probably the most complex, requiring the most patience and skill to use. But is it really that difficult?

Watch this First Look video to see if you've got what it takes.

If you visit www.vivoleum.com today you'll find nothing, but last month the site was the home of the Yes Men's latest experiment in political theater and a protest against Exxon Mobil. Apparently Exxon Mobil was not amused, and as The Inquirer reports, the Yes Men soon found themselves without a Web site and their e-mail access severed. Broadview Networks, the group's Web host, refused to restore their e-mail until they had removed all mention of the oil company.

Sadly, the Yes Men's story is not unique, and Jimmy Atkinson of The Dedicated Hosting Guide … Read more

Spybot Search & Destroy has for years been a household standard in free antispyware protection. Originally winning respect for offering comprehensive malware-slashing features that competing software lacked, Spybot Search & Destroy has lost this advantage, as most reputable antivirus programs have added similar features. This First Look video takes you on a features tour, and hits upon the pros and cons that may have you standing by the sought-after program or searching for a spyware-busting alternative.

BitTorrent is the original torrent-downloading application, but it's been five years since it kicked file-sharing into high gear. In this First Look video, we'll show you how it works. See if it has kept up with the times, or if it's living life in the slow lane.

If you're a social creature, Camfrog is a megapopular internationally-trafficked chat site that seamlessly integrates video and text chat, the Web 2.0 version of the old "party lines" that people used to call in to.

The schmoozing features include regular quizzes, as well as guitar instruction and deaf-specific chats, among others. Watch this First Look at Camfrog video to see if it's your kind of party.