New Year's downloads

Goodbye, 2008 and hello, 2009!

A new year means new calendars, new personal resolutions, and an end-of-year celebration to ring it in. Our collection of applications for your PC has bartending and DJ downloads for all that party planning, a calendar to keep you up to date, desktop sticky notes to remind yourself of those all-important resolutions, and screensavers to get you into the spirit of the season.

Fireworks Screensaver

This classic fireworks screensaver lets you get interactive with the spectacular display you shoot onto your desktop. Have fun choosing the number of rockets for a grand finale that sends 2008 off in style.

3D New Year's Countdown

How much longer until the New Year? You'll always know with this screensaver that counts down the days, hours, and minutes until the ball drops and the streamers pop. A few controls on the Settings menu let you tweak the tint and the types of goodies that fall from the sky.

3D Fireworks Extravaganza demo

If nothing but the most realistic fireworks will do to ring in 2009, this could be the screensaver for you. The colorful blasts look right, and we are sure they are even better in the full version. Like many of its screensaver cousins, the trial download unfortunately obscures the view with a nag screen.

3D Fireworks by the Bay

New York and London aren't the only places to celebrate the turning of the years! This jubilant screensaver shoots off rockets from San Francisco Bay that explode over the city's unique nighttime skyline. A deep blue sky punctuated by points of red light complete the mood.

Professional Bartender 2010

This desktop bartending application may look a little retro, but it's got the goods. Browse cocktail recipes, or search by name, alcohol, ingredients, glass type, or even by season. You'll be able to add, modify, and delete drinks, print recipes, and flag your favorite elixirs.

Mobile mixologists will also have their applications. iPhone and iPod Touch barkeeps should make a beeline to Drinks or Party Pro, while those with Java phones can turn to Drinkipedia. Even Google Android has its own bartending application, called simply, Bartender.

Media Monkey

If the New Years Eve party is at your place this year, you have to have a playlist plan; music makes the party. Look no further than Media Monkey, a solid freeware music application whose full features include a customizable interface and device-syncing support that doesn't devour resources. We're talking about top-notch library-management tools, skins, plug-ins, autotagging, track encoding, podcast catching, and more. It even includes a dedicated party mode to lock down your library while allowing song requests through.

Virtual DJ

Serious DJs who add scratch and mix effects to their 2009 countdowns will want professional software such as Virtual DJ. With beat-matching, looping, sampling, and cues, it brings the business to the party and vinyl sounds to a compact, wholly digital setup. Now all you need are the strobe lights.

Excel Calendar Template

Here's a great way to save some cash this holiday season--make your own 2009 calendar as a gift or for yourself. Choose the year 2009 from the ZIP file, and a calendar template opens in Microsoft Excel. One spreadsheet is accessible for each month of the year, and is already peppered with major U.S. holidays. Since the calendar is based on Excel, you'll be able to easily add and delete text and import clip art and photos. It loads instantly, and is good until 2012.

Post-it Digital Notes

Everyone needs extra help keeping New Year resolutions, especially the tricky ones that involve rigorously tended willpower. The iconic Post-it brand and its updated look can help. You can do a lot with this digital version of the classic sticky note--including setting alarms, making lists, and adding photos.