Regardless whether you are a hardcore gamer or just a casual user who likes to play video games every once in awhile, you have surely heard about the popular game called Watchdogs. In case you haven’t, the game revolves around a revenge-seeking hacker named Aiden Pearce who uses his advanced hacking skills to avenge the death of his niece. The game is rather unique as it incorporates some interesting mechanics allowing the player to hack different technology around the city of Chicago and use it to advance with the game. For instance, you can hijack cars, remotely control streetlights or hack into security systems to achieve your goal. Overall, it is an action-oriented game but it also requires some thinking and planning if you are to have success at completing it.

Overall, the game had good reception and most players and critics gave it positive reviews. However, there have also been certain complaints regarding glitches within the game as well as certain graphics-related issues. Nonetheless, if you are into third-person, action-adventure games but also want to experience something different, then this game might be the right for you and there’s no better moment to give it a try than now.

Watchdogs Free Licence

The game’s developers, Ubisoft, announced that they would make a giveaway of Watchdogs licenses. Normally, the game costs 29.99 USD. However, from 7th to 13th November, Watchdogs will be available for free for anyone who wants to download it and play it. The only thing that is required in order to get Watchdogs free is to use Ubisoft Uplay. In order to get the game for free, you’d need to go to this page on Ubisoft’s site and register – you will get a free license for the game that you’d later be able to use while playing it through Uplay. After you have completed the registration, the game will get added to your Uplay library. With all that said, if you feel like trying it out, we advise you to hurry up and get the game while the Watchdogs free giveaway still lasts as it will be over in a week.

Requirements

For those of you who are wondering whether their PC could run Watchdogs, here are the system requirements for the game:

Minimum system requirements

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 @ 2.66Ghz or AMD Phenom II X4 940 @ 3.0Ghz
• Virtual Memory: 6 GB
• Operating System: Windows Vista (SP2), Windows 7 (SP1) or Windows 8 (64 bit only)
• Graphics Card: DirectX 11 graphics card with 1 GB Video RAM – Nvidia Geforce GTX 460 or AMD Radeon HD 5770 / Intel Iris Pro HD 5200
• Sound Card: Yes
• Free HDD Space: 25 GB

Recommended system requirements

• Processor: Core i7 3770 @ 3.5Ghz or AMD FX-8350 @ 4.0Ghz
• Virtual Memory: 8 GB
• Operating System: Windows Vista (SP2), Windows 7 (SP1) or Windows 8 (64 bit only)
• Graphics Card: DirectX 11 graphics card with 2 GB Video RAM – Nvidia Geforce GTX 560 ti or AMD Radeon HD 7850
• Sound Card: Yes
• Free HDD Space: 25 GB

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Introduction

KMPlayer is a heavy-duty program and it comes packed with all sorts of options and settings that would require quite some time until you can actually say that you have explored most of them. This is actually one issue that some users might have with this program – it isn’t as simple and as straightforward as other similar and more popular applications. The fact that there seems to be no user manual in English doesn’t help either. All of this leads to the need for a certain period of getting used to the program but once you are past that, you are going to realize its full potential. It certainly isn’t a simple tool in any way and if you are looking for a more regular player, you should probably go for something else like, for example MPC or VLC. However, if you value versatility and being able to choose from many different options and have access to a wide variety of features, then you might enjoy working with KMP.

Interface

The Interface of KMP is nothing special, yet it looks slick and stylish. There is also a lot of customization to be had there as you can download different skins and modify the outlook of the program to your liking (even if this means making the player unrecognizable). There are two main menus that come with different options. The first one gets displayed when you left-click on the KMP logo located at the top-right corner of its window and the settings in there are focused on file navigation such as opening new media files, loading subtitles, disk management, etc. The other menu, which is the main one, can be accessed by right-clicking anywhere within the program’s window. Here, you will find that most of the buttons inside this menu are sub-menus of their own. A bit of exploring should be enough to recognize just how vast this player is and how much you can get out of it. However, as said earlier, it takes some time to get used to all that so bear that in mind – many options aren’t self explanatory and as there’s no user’s manual, it would require for you to manually explore the player on your own.

Compatibility

Even though it is good to be provided a lot of extra features by a media player, the main criteria which determines how useful the software is would be, in our opinion, its ability to play different media files. KMP does this well as it supports a lot of file formats so you are unlikely to come across a media file that the program cannot open. That said, there are better software tools in this regard out there – you can read about two such players here and here. Still, though, there is no denying that KMPlayer is good at what it does and is a solid choice for anyone who needs a reliable player with extra features.

Overview of main features

We simply cannot go over everything that KMP has to offer because, as we stated above, it is really a vast and big player. However, just to give you a general idea of what it can do, here are several examples:

• Extensive screen control menu allowing the user to modify the screen ratios in a variety of ways as well as a number of other options related to the way movies are displayed.
• Many settings related to the playback of a video including audio syncing, repeating sections, skipping sections, and a lot more.
• A wide range of filters for when playing videos. There are two separate Video sub-menus, one is labeled Basic which still offers quite a lot of options and the other one Advanced, which is obviously made for geeks and people who know what they are doing and/or enjoy tweaking around.
• 3D and VR support and settings related to that.
• Extensive subtitle management.
• Audio and video capturing.

…and much more…

Advertisement

One thing that we did not like about KMP is its ads. During installation, there were no hidden or misleading clauses and the program did not try to change any of our browser settings (as many other free applications often try to do) but after the installation was over, we were asked whether we want to install Avast Antivirus. Some might see this as an useful addition but we believe that it is rather on the intrusive side and is unnecessary. Another irritating thing is the advertisement materials that get displayed within the player’s window. There are even ads a the side of the player when a movie is being played if the screen isn’t maximized. Back in the day, when there were no ads on KMP, the player looked much better but currently, all the irritating advertisements you see kind of ruin the whole outlook of the program. This, in our opinion, is a serious drawback and makes the program less desirable than some less intrusive options out there that still come with nearly the same level of functionality. Still, readers shouldn’t get the impression that KMP is unusable due to the ads – nothing like that! As long as you remember not to click on them and as long as you don’t mind seeing them, the player is still a very good tool that is certainly worth it.

Conclusion

KMP is certainly not for everyone. If you want a more regular, easier to use program that doesn’t have any ads and a less steep learning curve, then KMP might not be the program for you. However, if you truly want to experience what is likely the media player with the most customization options and extra features (that is available for free), the you must definitely give this one a try. One article is absolutely not enough to cover all the things that this program can do and the only way to truly get to know this media player is to download it and see for yourself.

The post KMPlayer Review – a media player that has it all appeared first on Malware Complaints.

Introduction

Developed by Kingsoft, the WPS Office package is a kit of several software programs that provide the user with all the main office tools that one might need. There is a writer program, one for creating spreadsheets, one for presentations and even a PDF reader that can convert files from PDF to .doc/.docx and vice versa. As we already mentioned, the office suite is free, but there are also two paid version: premium and professional – each suited for the specific needs of the user.

Interface

The interface of WPS Office programs is similar to this of Microsoft Office – the same ribbon-based interface is implemented, where the toolbars are placed in different tabs. Anyone who is familiar with Word, PowerPoint or Excel should have no issue navigating and using the WPS programs.

Compatibility

As you might expect, WPS programs work with all the standard document formats so that compatibility isn’t an issue. As far as Operating Systems are concerned, the WPS Office suite is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android.

Features

While WPS programs may not have as many different features as their Microsoft counterparts might, there’s certainly a good variety of options to choose from as well as a couple of neat additions which some of the users might enjoy.

WPS supports a small cloud storage (1GB) which users can use to save and backup their files and alter access them from other devices. Of course, 1GB is nothing to be overly excited about but then again, considering the fact that most document files hardly ever go above 1 Mb, one gigabyte should prove to be more than enough for casual document backups.

Another thing that you might notice as soon as you open the WPS Writer is that there is a wide variety of templates to choose from (and they are free). While they aren’t automatically available and must first be downloaded, the process takes no more than a couple of seconds so it doesn’t really affect your working process.

There is also a neat backup feature that saves unfinished files in the WPS folder even if you haven’t manually saved them before closing the program. This is extremely useful in instances where your device suddenly shuts down for whatever reason and you did not have the chance to save the file that you were working on. So far, this feature has proven to be invaluable and a nice addition to the WPS programs. Of course, this is not to say that WPS is the only office software kit that has this backup feature, yet we had to mention that it works properly and is highly effective.

Spell Check

Something we noticed while using the WPS writer is that its spell-checker wasn’t all that good. While it worked fine, the word database seemed to lack a lot of words that are technically correct and so the program was marking them as incorrect. Additionally, when a we right-clicked on an incorrect word in order to replace it with a correct one using the automatic suggestions, we found out that the list of suggestions is rather ineffective as most suggested words had totally different meaning from the one word that the original was supposed to be. This makes it somewhat confusing and oftentimes ineffective to use the suggestions which is why most of the time we were forced to manually correct the word instead of using the supposedly faster option of using the predetermined list of word suggestions from the Writer.

Ads

One big negative in our opinion with WPS applications is their frequent and oftentimes rather intrusive pop-up ads. While the program does not mess with your browser and does not fill it with advertising materials (as many other free programs tend to do) it still generates irritating content when you try to use any of the offices tools. Furthermore, in a couple of instances, we noticed that even when none of the WPS programs were opened, a pop-up ad appeared at the bottom-right corner of the computer’s screen. Of course, the ads appear only on the free version and most of the time, the object of the advertisement is the paid versions of the Office suite. Regardless, we find the ads to be highly irritating at times, especially as of late. Currently, once we try to use the WPS Writer, there is a banner-ad that can be skipped only after a period of 5 seconds has passed – it might not seem like much but it can become quite annoying with time.

Conclusion

WPS is a fine choice for an office package that offers its users all the necessary tools for creating and editing document files. Apart from the free version, you can buy either one of the two paid ones to gain access to additional options as well as stop the ads that the free version comes with. As far as functionality is concerned, the office applications are adequate and have a couple of neat additions and features that can improve your working experience. To sum up – if you are looking for an adequate Office package alternative that is free and you don’t mind occasional ads displayed on your screen, then you might might want to give WPS Office a try.

Pros

• Free for use
• Cloud Storage
• Variety of templates
• Good backup feature

Cons

• Ads
• Ineffective spell-checker (WPS Writer)
• Ineffective suggested correct words list (WPS Writer)

The post WPS Office (Office package) review appeared first on Malware Complaints.

Today, we will introduce you to an alternative set of office tools developed by The Document Foundation group that goes under the name of LibreOffice. It is a kit of programs similar to those provided by Microsoft Office, that are distributed and available for free.

Characteristics

As we already established, the goal of the LibreOffice project is to provide its users with all the necessary office software tools. The following applications are the main programs that this office kit provides: Writer (for writing, similar to Word), Impress (presentations, similar to PowerPoint) , Math (for mathematical formulas), Draw (for creating graphics), Calc (spreadsheets, like Excel), Base (for creating databases).

File Format and OS Compatibility

Probably the most important aspect regarding all of the aforementioned LibreOffice programs is the fact that they work with all the standard file formats meaning that, for example, the Libre Office Writer can open and save well known and widely-used formats such as .doc (Microsoft Word 2003) or .docx (Microsoft Word 2007). This means that if you are sharing a project with a co-worker who uses the Microsoft Office package, there would be no difficulty for either of you when it comes to accessing shared files. Also, if you have been using Microsoft Office but decide to switch to Libre, you’d still be able to open your old documents. Of course, this format compatibility is to be expected by any office program developer who wants to create a desirable product.

As far as OS compatibility is concerned, LibreOffice is available for Windows (XP to 10), Mac OS and Linux. There is also a version for Android.

Interface

There is a visible difference between the interface of LibreOffice programs when compared to the Microsoft counterpart. Instead of using the common ribbon-based interface, Libre has gone for a more old school one where instead of showing the menus in different tabs, the menus are shown in toolbars and icons. This could make it easier to navigate the different tools of the programs using the keyboard. The different interface is neither a good nor a bad thing and it all depends on the user’s preference.

Features

One thing that you might notice about LibreOffice programs is that they seem to lack the variety of templates and options that you could have with Microsoft. However, if the user wishes to expand the capabilities of the office programs, they can download a wide array of free add-ons and plug-ins to boost the functionality of LibreOffice. While some might find it annoying that in order to get something additional, you’d need to manually download it, others could see this as a positive since you can only choose the tools you need, keeping the programs clean of anything that might not be needed or necessary. Again, it’s a matter of personal perspective. One thing that Libre lacks is a Cloud Storage but you always can install a Dropbox desktop tool to make up for that.

Other notes

One thing that many free programs are known for is the tendency for generating intrusive ads as a way to either earn money for their developers or to persuade the user into buying the paid version of the product so that the ads would go away. However, this is not the case with LibreOffice – there is only one version and it is free for use, deprived of any sort of irritating content, vaguely disclosed optional installs in the setup wizard or potential unwanted changes such as a new default browser search engine or starting page. This is rather important as it is a rarity to see a free program that doesn’t have intrusive tendencies and doesn’t try to push a paid version of itself or other products that the user might not want.

Conclusion

While many would still go with the classic and choose Microsoft Office over potential alternatives, one should still bear in mind that LibreOffice is an absolutely competent and functional option that offers a satisfying amount of options and tools without demanding anything in return. Therefore, if you are seeking a free software office kit option that still gives you all the needed functionality for both regular and professional use, you might want to check this one out.

Summary

Pros

• Free
• No ads
• Full set of office tools and options
• Versatile compatibility for file formats and Operating Systems

Cons

• Additional templates require manual installation
• No cloud storage

The post LibreOffice (Office package) review appeared first on Malware Complaints.

Iris

On the official website of Iris, one can find a lengthy introduction to the program and a thorough explanation of how it works and why it is beneficial for you. Here, we will try to keep it nice and short, only pointing out the main characteristics of the tool.

Versions

Iris currently has three main versions for Windows and there is a version for Linux. The first and most popular one is Iris and it comes with the most features. There is also a Pro version of the main program which users can purchase in order to gain access to the advanced settings of the tool.

*Advanced Settings*

Otherwise, Iris is a free program that doesn’t display any intrusive ads and that doesn’t try to persuade you into buying the Pro version.

The other two versions are Iris Mini and Iris Micro. Iris Mini is a minimalistic version of the main program which has three of the most important options that the full software offers – it is small in size (10 Mb) and really simple to use. There is no interface to it and in order to use it you must click on its Taskbar icon and choose either of the three available options. Iris Micro is a command line tool and has only a handful of options to choose from – basically another small version of Iris which might be appreciated by computer geeks.

Health

Regardless of what version of the program you use, there’s always going to be the base feature of the tool – the Health feature. This is basically the core function of the program and its purpose is to alter the flicker of your screen as well as reduce the blue light coming out of it – both of those are factors which put strain on your eyes during prolonged exposure to the monitor (you can see a detailed explanation of why and how this is harmful by the creator of Iris in this video). There are also three modes under which the Health future could work: Automatic, Manual and Paused. The automatic mode changes the color of your screen according to the time of the day. For example, if it is morning or noon, the blue light reduction would be minimal but if you are using your PC at night, your screen will appear tinted in light red due to greater reduction of the blue color. The manual mode is used to directly set the color of your screen as if it were night and the pause mode is self-explanatory.

Other settings

There is a rather big set of different settings for the program that one can use in order to change the colors and lighting of the screen depending on what the user needs their PC for. Some of them are Reading, Programming, Movie, etc. We won’t go into detail regarding what they do and how they do it – you can find this information on Iris’ website. As we already mentioned, the main setting of the tool is Health and this is what we will be focusing on down below.

Functionality

Downloading, installing and using Iris is very easy, simple and self-explanatory. The only thing that one might want to read more about is what the different types of settings actually can be used for. Descriptions on those are provided within the official website of the program.

When we first tried this software application and used the Health setting, everything seemed rather odd since our screen became somewhat reddish and at first it seemed as if the lights were dimmed. This is especially apparent if it is night or if you are using the Manual mode for the Health setting. We won’t lie to you, for sometime all this felt a bit uncomfortable and unpleasant for our eyes. However, after a day of using the computer with Iris enabled, it quickly started becoming more bearable and soon it was pretty much unnoticeable that the screen color has been altered. After about week of using Iris, we decided to turn it off and see how that feels. Once the program was paused and the blue light coming from the screen came back to its regular levels, we realized just how strain it actually put on our eyes as it felt way too bright and irritating. Of course, there is no doubt that one can easily get once again used to working on their PC without Iris, but this wouldn’t mean that the strain on the eyes won’t be there.

Conclusion

Even though we cannot say for sure whether or not Iris makes the screen less harmful for the eyes, there sure was a lot of work and research put into Iris and certain benefits can be noticed just a day after enabling it. Only time will tell whether or not the software lives up to its promise but up until then, if you are looking for a tool which could potentially make your monitor less harmful for your eyes, you could give Iris a try.

The post Iris – an eye protection software tool appeared first on Malware Complaints.

Introduction

EaseUS has been around for quite some time and while it had first started as a freeware tool, it has eventually grown into a paid product with several different versions to suit the needs of both regular users and people who need such a program for professional use. The application is compatible with Windows and Mac and there are three different options for each Operating System that the customer can choose from depending on what they need the program for. The first, and likely most popular version of the program provides pretty much everything that the user might need with the exception of the ability to recover data when the PC/Mac won’t start. The second version is the one which has this option and the third one is dedicated for professionals and technicians, having Technician license (rather than Single License) providing the user with the option to offer technical services to their clients. Note that the Technician version does not come with the data recovery option when the system cannot boot.

Functionality and use

We downloaded the program and tried it ourselves in order to give you our own opinion on how it operates and how useful it is. The first thing we noticed is that that the installation wizard is simple to use and does not come with any unwanted and irritating extra clauses such as optional installs. There is only one added clause at the end of the installation which asks you whether you’d like to help improve the program by offering feedback to the developers but you can always opt out of that.

After launching the tool and choosing a hard-disk partition, the program immediately and automatically starts to scan your system without wasting any time. The scanning has two stages – the first one is a Quick scan of the partition which, as one would expect, does not give very thorough results (as this is not its purpose). Once the Quick scan is over, the tool directly goes on to carry out a Deep Scan which takes significantly more time but also detects much more data available for recovery. Of course, the speed of the scanning would also depend on your system’s characteristics as well as how much data you currently have and also have previously had on the selected partition. That said, EaseUS works relatively quickly and isn’t too heavy on the computer – it doesn’t use too much RAM and requires almost no CPU time. However, we noticed that our machine experienced some slight slow-down during the scanning process, yet this is to be expected.

Evaluation

Pros

The recovery tool is lightweight as it takes very little space on your HDD and also does not consume overly-high amounts of CPU and RAM. It also has an interface that is easy to use and navigate. In addition, in terms of the most important and essential aspect of this program – its ability to restore lost data, EaseUS delivers satisfying results. The tool manages to restore most forms of lost documents with few exceptions in instances where the data has been reformatted (rather than deleted) as EaseUS could not recover excel files that have been reformatted. Apart from that, the program really does provide high effectiveness and is sure to restore most forms of lost computer documents.

Cons

The downsides of the program aren’t that many, yet we should still mention them. One thing we noticed is the lack of customization when using the program. One does not have the option to customize any settings regarding the Deep Scan which some more experienced users might find irritating.The other thing worth mentioning here is that the Free Trial version of the program does not enable the user to recover anything. The Trial version can only scan the computer and detect data available for recovery but all that it enables you to do after that is preview the targeted file without the option to restore it. Therefore, in order to experience the actual functionality of EaseUs, one would need to actually buy it.

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