Windows software

Keeping a clean computer is akin to keeping a clean house. It takes a bit of elbow grease and time to tidy up. Having MaxiDisk from Uniblue (developer of PowerSuite) is like having a personal housekeeper for your PC. You may know what needs cleaning but it's always easier to have someone else do it for you. MaxiDisk helps save time by analyzing your hard drive for unnecessary junk files to be deleted, getting rid of outdated backups, and compressing large files to reclaim valuable storage space. If you're worried about what should and shouldn't be discarded, … Read more

The hilarious, new buddy movie "The Heat" stars Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy as Special Agent Sarah Ashburn and Det. Shannon Mullins, respectively -- two fiercely independent crime fighters who must first forge their own connection and learn to respect and trust each other's abilities if they are ever to connect the dots on a major case.

Download.com caught up with the film's director, Paul Feig -- best known for directing the Oscar-nominated "Bridesmaids," co-producing the TV series "Freaks and Geeks," and playing science teacher Mr. Eugene Pool on "Sabrina, … Read more

When an Apple rep initially contacted eBay about developing a proprietary app back in 2008, the latter hadn't even heard of the iPhone or Objective-C. But seeing the potential of mobile software, a number of eBay employees believed that developing a mobile app would profit the global commerce and payments leader in the long run. In early 2009, they began raising funds for the formation of a mobile-specific group and commissioned an outside company to build the first eBay app.

Many software releases later, the app has helped the largest online marketplace blast off into mobile commerce, as eBay'… Read more

When Yahoo acquired Tumblr for $1.1 billion ... was it because of the GIFs? In our media-saturated Internet landscape, the 5-second animated GIF may be the most essential entertainment currency. If a picture can paint a thousand words, the animated GIF can tell 10,000 stories in 10 frames or less. (Isn't Vine (for Android or iOS) mostly just video-based animated GIFs?)

Newbies who want to dip their toes in the GIF-creation waters no longer need fancy image-editing software like Adobe Photoshop--a freeware app called GifCam lets anyone easily produce animated GIFs from on-screen activity, i.e. streaming videos, … Read more

June may be here but it's still not too late to do some spring cleaning on your computer, especially if you've been meaning to but haven't yet found the time for it. Thankfully IObit is here to take the burden off your hands with its popular, all-in-one PC cleaner and optimizer, Advanced SystemCare Pro.

Nothing's worse than a slow computer to bog down your ability to work and play, effectively. Advanced SystemCare Pro can help solve these problems by cleaning out accumulated junk files, malware, and registry errors while boosting your PC's performance. Free up … Read more

Most of us think of computer solitaire as that simplistic card game available via Microsoft Windows' default games collection. But did you know that the game was packaged with the first release of Windows 3.0 back in 1990? The Windows game was based on a solitaire variation called "Klondike" and was included in the OS by Microsoft as a way to acquaint text-based DOS users with the newfangled graphical user interface (GUI), introducing now-ingrained behaviors like drag-and-drop and double-clicking.

Scads of Windows users still play the default Microsoft Solitaire game, but if you are looking to take … Read more

Skype (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)--the free VoIP app that lets you voice- or video-chat with other Skype users across the world--has become an ubiquitous tool for everyone from grandmas and grandkids to multinational corporations.

Now, the VoIP software ventures into the realm of interior design, with a "Cool My Couch" photo contest that promises the winner a free couch and Skype-enabled TV. To enter, simply submit a photo of your couch along with a caption explaining why you deserve to win. That's it.

The photo contest is open to all U.S. residents who are members … Read more

If a profile like Christian Rudder's turned up in an OKCupid user's search results, it would certainly merit a deeper look. As a Harvard graduate, who's helped launch and sell two successful companies (SparkNotes, in 1999, which sold to Barnes & Noble; OKCupid, in 2004, which sold to Match.com) and an indie musician who's appeared in the romcom, "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist," he'd be a catch by most standards.

Download.com caught up with Rudder, who's also OKCupid's General Manager and Editorial Director, to discuss his company's … Read more

From the weekend Picassos to the accomplished digital Michelangelos, Corel can get you inspired to make some gorgeous digital art with its Paint It and Painter Lite software.

Paint It gives you the ability to add personal touches to any photos. More than a basic filter, Paint It lets you control the creative process with a variety of tools including multiple painting styles, brushes, and realistic effects. Restore details, brighten colors, and add your own special signature. The result is a hand-painted portrait ready for the art gallery. (We can't guarantee this, but it will surely impress your friends … Read more