Six best new downloads of 2008

On the first day of the new quarter, it's a good time to take a look back at the first three months of 2008 and expose some of the coolest software downloads that you might not know about. From innovative new games for your PC or mobile devices to creative accounting tools and invaluable utilities for Windows Vista 64-bit users, there's something in this list for all of you friendly PC users.

Onto the six best new downloads of 2008 ...

Wait For It

(Credit: dougww)

Tired of multiplayer first-person shooter games that reward 14-year-old punks with itchy trigger fingers? Put the ultimate gaming skill--patience--to the ultimate test with this unique multiplayer contest game from the creators of Don't Step There!

The object of the game is simply to wait more efficiently than your competitors (AI or human). If you're stuck alone, sitting around waiting for an errant friend at the movie theatre, quickly fire up Wait for It on your Palm device and start playing immediately with real people around the world. There's no skill necessary; just the ability to wait patiently for long periods of time.

P.S. Grandma, you're going DOWN next time!

AmoralXcel

(Credit: vrypan)

Have you ever been stuck with financial numbers that just don't add up ... or that you don't want to add up? This book-cooking spreadsheet add-on will help you cover up little mistakes or siphon off cash for that dream vacation you totally deserve.

AmoralXcel is compatible with Excel 2003/2007 and Office Calc 2.0+. The free version includes Petty Cash and No Red Flags. Registration gets you Take the Money and Run mode as well as Pure Evil.

Virtual Me

(Credit: mknowles)

Sure, World of Warcraft and Second Life are fun, but it's not like you're creating a gaming universe from the ground up. That's what you get with Virtual Me, a new 3D MMORPG that analyzes your DNA through fingerprints left on your mouse to create an exact 3D replica of yourself ... which of course you'll then completely destroy and build from the ground up, with bigger body parts, shapelier curves, and a fuller head of hair. Oh wait. That's just me.

The plot of the game? Why, that's completely up to you. As the game description promises "You will create and destroy at will. You will be God." Yikes!

Audaciousness 2.0

(Credit: Louise Docker)

This shareware sound-production tool manipulates digital recordings of your voice to create a final result that sounds just like the pop singers you hear on the radio and MTV. Put your digital recording through the Cher vocoder treatment, the Rihanna echo effect, or the NIN grinder.

Audacious is rumored to have been used by top pop stars like Britney Spears, John Mayer, and Ashlee Simpson. It's now available to everyone to buy for only $2,499. A generous trial, however, offers 3 minutes of use, but is unfortunately save-disabled. The latest 2.0 release adds vocal effects from Radiohead and Daft Punk.

SpywareRepulserOnlineandOff

(Credit: tanakawho)

Drive-by downloads, phishing scams, e-mail viruses, massive botnets, deadly rootkits waiting to strike...those might be some of your basic online threats, but real-life threats can be just as dangerous or even deadlier. Who knows if that crazy counterperson or waiter didn't write down your credit card number and identifying information when he or she went into the back room?

In order to ensure yourself from identify theft and real-world theft, simply enter all of your personal and financial information in this handy Web-based financial tool. It will add your information to a global "smartwise" database that will protect you and all of your accounts from unauthorized access. From time to time, SpywareRepulserOnlineandOff may scan your financial accounts and automatically withdraw a fair share to pay for its 24-hour protection.

Magic 64-Bit Vista Wonderland 1.0

(Credit: d4rr3ll)

If you're a 64-bit user of Window Vista, you've likely been frustrated with incompatibility issues for older software applications, or perhaps had trouble finding the correct drivers for your favorite devices. End your frustration and solve all your 64-bit Vista issues with Magic 64-Bit Vista Wonderland.

One little 11K download instantly resolves all of the compatibility and driver issues for 64-bit Vista owners. Don't ask how it works. your answer is right there in the title: It's magic!

What are your favorite new downloads of 2008? Tell me about it in the comments.