The Download Blog

Killer Download: Top free CD/DVD burning apps

Just about every computer available these days comes with a CD/DVD burner as part of the package. Whether your primary use for this drive is to make mix CDs for the car, backup data, or burn DVD backups for your movies, you need a good program with the right type of features for the job. Though Windows offers some burning features, you're not going to get the options you'll find in a stand alone app.

There are many paid CD and DVD burning apps to choose from and some of the most popular in this category--like Nero … Read more

Ask the (music) editors...live!

Are you new to Download.com Music and don't yet know what to do or where to start? Or maybe you have a brand-new iPod (or other MP3 player), and you need some advice on (free) music to fill it up. Or perhaps you're simply a Download Music regular who just wants to chat. Whatever the case, join me on Thursday, Jan. 24 at 11 a.m. Pacific time (2 p.m. Eastern) for a live online Q-and-A session, where I'll do my best to answer any and all music- or site-related questions you might have.

To … Read more

IE7 coming at you (whether you like it or not)

With its February 12, 2008, Patch Tuesday release, Microsoft has decided, for security reasons, to push out Internet Explorer 7, even to businesses that have previously blocked the automatic upgrade.

According to this Microsoft knowledge base article the software giant will release the Windows Internet Explorer 7 Installation and Availability update to Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) marked as an Update Rollup package. Microsoft says for business customers who have "set WSUS to 'auto-approve' Update Rollup packages (this is not the default configuration), Windows Internet Explorer 7 will be automatically approved for installation." Microsoft introduced the delay feature … Read more

BullGuard releases a free spam filter

On Wednesday, the Danish security company BullGuard announced it will offer its spam filter product as a free download. The BullGuard Spamfilter (download) integrates with Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, and Mozilla Thunderbird e-mail clients. It runs on Windows 2000, XP, and Vista.

The BullGuard product relies upon fellow users to identify spam; once e-mail is marked as spam, all other Spamfilter users will no longer receive that e-mail in their in-boxes. It will be available within the spam folder instead.

According to Google's Postini, 2007 saw record spam levels, with as much as 90 percent of all … Read more

Crossfade TV: Best of 2007

Later this week we'll post a brand-new Crossfade TV episode, featuring three artists who are already making a big splash in 2008. In the meantime, and before '07 fades entirely into memory, have a look at our end-of-the-season video special highlighting faves from last year's crop, including Spoon, LCD Soundsystem, Kanye West, and Richard Hawley.

Free DJ Mix by Justice: "Rejected Fabric Mix"

Courtesy of Xavier de Rosnay, Gaspard Auge (aka Justice) and the whole Ed Banger crew, the DJ mix unofficially dubbed the "Rejected Fabric Mix" has found its way to the WWW as a freebie when the popular London dance label (and club) Fabric rejected it for their next FabricLive compilation DJ series.

Before being leaked to the public, Justice's new mix is easily one of the best of the year and has a scope well beyond the duo's own apocalyptic electro madness. Take a listen (or three... or five) and see for yourself.

Free Download: "The mix Fabric didn't want you to hear!"… Read more

Mozilla confirms low-risk Firefox flaw

There's a directory traversal vulnerability in the chrome protocol scheme within Firefox 2. Proof of concept code for this was first posted to the Internet on January 19, 2008. On Tuesday, Mozilla security chief Window Snyder confirmed that the flaw affects fully patched versions of the Firefox browser.

When a "flat" add-on is present, an extension which stores its information within Javascript files as opposed to .jar files, an attacker exploiting this flaw may be able to retrieve data or profile a compromised system. Extensions such as Greasemonkey and Download Statusbar may be affected.

On the Mozilla … Read more

First Look video: Yahoo Go 3.0 beta

If you've been thinking, "Wouldn't it be great if Yahoo updated its mobile app, and someone made a video to point out the main features?," you're in luck, because they did, and we did. Yahoo announced Yahoo Go 3.0 beta at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in mid-January, which stands out from its predecessor with an improved interface and new capabilities. Read the hands-on review or watch the First Look video below to see what they are.

>>See all First Look videos

Take control of your taskbar

Windows taskbars are notorious for being unfriendly, chaotic, and occasionally unresponsive. They also have poor social skills, but I'm not here to pass judgment. Instead, I'm going to show you three great freeware ways to lasso that unruly taskbar of yours and tame it right down, with Taskbar Shuffle, RocketDock, and Launchy.

… Read more