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Downloading videos from sites like YouTube, Dailymotion, and other Flash video providers should be easy, but we've encountered all too many downloaders that make this task needlessly complicated. SpeedBit Video Downloader delighted us with its ease of use; there was no trial and error, no need to consult the Help file, no guessing about how to proceed. We simply clicked a few buttons to download and convert our desired content. If you use Firefox or Internet Explorer, downloading Flash videos doesn't get much easier than this.

Once installed, SpeedBit Video Downloader appeared as a toolbar at the top … Read more

Web browsers and bandwidth feel the pinch as online video formats get better and better (and bigger and bigger, too). SpeedBit's Free Video Accelerator for YouTube is designed to work with your Web browser to improve how it downloads and plays online video, especially high-quality formats streamed over broadband connections. It buffers and smooths audio and video playback and reduces or eliminates freezing, crashing, dropouts, and distortion. It's freeware, though a premium upgrade adds HD playback, iTunes acceleration, and automatic setup.

SpeedBit's setup wizard lets you choose between installing the freeware and the shareware version, which includes … Read more

Bitcoin exchange BitFloor has shut down operations while it investigates the theft of nearly a quarter million dollars' worth of the virtual currency.

The heist occurred last night when an attacker accessed an unencrypted backup of wallet keys and made off with 24,000 BTC. This led BitFloor founder Roman Shtylman to suspend the exchange's operations. As of this writing, a Bitcoin is worth $10.40, making the heist's haul worth $249,600, according to Bitcoin converter Preev.

Shtylman revealed the break-in today in a Bitcoin Forum post that pleaded for Bitcoin users' help in resurrecting the exchange: … Read more

VNC stands for Virtual Network Computing. Based on a simple, robust protocol, VNC connections let you remotely view and control one computer from another using the Internet or a private network. UltraVNC lets anyone create VNC connections between two or more PCs running its software. Freeware, actually: UltraVNC is free but powerful enough to provide customer support and remote administration. It's easy to use, as VNC packages go, but it's not really for beginners. For example, you must install the client (Viewer) on one system and the Server on another, and both PCs must allow remote access. The … Read more

Mixxx is a free music studio suite suitable for pros, semi-pros, and advanced amateurs. No flash in the pan, Mixxx has been evolving since 2001, and today it not only has the proven DJ tools you'll find on most studio software but also more than a few unique features, options, and capabilities. You'll have to spend a little time with Mixxx to learn what it can do, though we were also impressed with how easy the program is to navigate and use. Mixxx can be had in dedicated versions for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows; we sampled the 64-bit … Read more

Bitcoin, the peer-to-peer currency that's been gaining in popularity, appears to be getting ready to take the leap from the digital world to the real world.

Exchange service BitInstant is creating a Bitcoin-funded card that would function as a standard debit/credit card and would be honored where ever MasterCard is accepted, according to the transcript of an interview allegedly conducted wth BitInstant co-founder Charlie Shrem. During the interview, published by Coding in My Sleep, Shrem says the card might launch within the next six to eight weeks.

The cards would be issued by a "major international bank&… Read more

If you're in the market for a capable antivirus, firewall, and Internet security solution for Windows, would you consider one that consistently ranks at or near the top in tests against the big names in antivirus protection? A lightweight app that's frugal with system resources? One that offers timely, automatic updates, an effective firewall that integrates with Windows, and user-friendly operation that's mostly in the background? Suppose we added the fact that it's free and that you might even have it already, and if not, it's a few clicks away? Sounds great! What is it? … Read more

Most Windows users will probably agree that it's frustrating when you can't close a malfunctioning application or process, even with the Task Manager. ProcessKO from Nenad Hrg is a free tool that can terminate nearly any running process or app, forcibly if necessary. Because it's often the same culprit that causes trouble, you can create Favorite KOs to target specific processes quickly. ProcessKO is for experienced users like developers and admins. It's easy to use, even for beginners, but that's the problem: if you're not sure what you're doing, you can kill the … Read more