DriverBackup2 Copies Your System Drivers [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: DriverBackup2 is a lightweight driver-backup tool. The application is portable with a caveat: you'll need administrative privileges for full use. You can opt to backup one or all of your drivers, the backed up files are dumped into a tree structure based on driver name. DriverBackup2 also allows you to restore and delete unnecessary drivers. If you ever hunted for obscure drivers online, when installing legacy or obscure hardware for instance, DriverBackup2 will save you the hassle of searching them out again. For other driver viewing and backup solutions check out DoubleDriver and DriverView. DriverBackup2 is freeware, Windows only.
AnVir Task Manager (Full) Free Today Only [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: AnVir Task Manager, a veritable Leatherman multi-tool of a system utility, is available in its full edition today through the Giveaway of the Day web site. The app, available until 3 a.m. EST on Dec. 6, features all of the abilities and tools that Adam dug about the free version, but adds a few unique features, most noticably "improved memory usage" and a built-in database of Windows processes and what they do, along with on-the-spot, up-to-date virus checking. Even if you only run once to fine-tune your newly-installed system, AnVir is worth the slim download. AnVir Task Manager is for Windows systems only; the Giveaway protocol requires downloading, installing, and activating the software before the offer expiration.
Vista SP2 Beta Available for Download [Featured Early Adopter Download]
A beta edition of Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista is now available for anyone willing to put pre-release system fixes on their desktop. Vista SP2, previously available only to certified testers and due out in final form in April 2009, aims to put the wrench to numerous areas of user complaint, such as toning down the resources needed by the Sidebar, a smarter wireless connection dialog, baked-in Blu-Ray support, and others. We're loading SP2 on our Vista box at the moment at Lifehacker HQ, but it's taking some time to both download and install. If you're taking the plunge, tell us what you notice that's improved (or newly broken) in the comments.
Phoenix Offers Powerful Image Editing in Your Browser [Image Editing]
Flash-based webapp Aviary Phoenix is the most impressive image editing tool I've ever seen running in a browser. Free to try, you can do some amazing things with the features on offer, from photo compositing to retouching—the video demonstration embedded above and plenty of tutorials should give you an idea. While not an Adobe Photoshop replacement, if you're stuck with a machine that doesn't have anything better than MS Paint installed, it can be a lifesaver. For beginners, it's a great introduction to the kind of skills and tools available in almost any modern image editor, but with no download necessary. The founders created image editing contest site Worth1000, so you know the tools Aviary is developing will live up to pretty high standards.
Puredyne Turns Any Computer into a Multimedia Powerhouse [Featured Download]
If you're looking to get some more use out of an old machine, or just play around with multimedia programs but not interested in shelling out hundreds or thousands of dollars, download Puredyne. Based on Debian Linux, the downloadable disk image fits on a standard CD-R and will boot on almost any machine — you can even run it on your current system without having to partition any drives or re-install your operating system. The distribution includes all the software a multimedia maker might need, including Kino and Cinelerra for video editing; Audacity and Pure Data for audio; and GIMP and Inkscape for images, along with other fantastic open-source tools ranging from software synthesizers and drum machines to BitTorrent clients and encoding tools. Since all the software is free, it's perfect for educators as well as starving artists and enthusiastic hackers. It's a great introduction to Linux for creative types scared of anything besides Mac OS X — the interface is familiar enough to any casual computer user that you should be able to start watching videos from accross your network with media player VLC in no time.
Wordpad 2009 Offers Windows 7-Like Ribbon Interface [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: Lots of folks rave about Microsoft Office 2007's ribbon interface, but now you can have it for free in Microsoft Word's younger sibling, WordPad. A developer over at deviantART—not Microsoft, mind you—has released "Wordpad 2009," which offers multiple documents in tabs, Windows 7 icons, and yes, the ribbon interface. While this is yet another way you can get Windows 7 features for free right now, Wordpad 2009 doesn't look exactly like Windows 7's WordPad. Check out the difference.
Here's a screenshot of WordPad in the Windows 7 preview. Notice that the ribbon here is laid out to match Microsoft's authentic ribbon, but Wordpad 2009 has one thing that Win7 WordPad does not: the ability to edit multiple documents in tabs.
Wordpad 2009 is a free download for Windows only. See also previously mentioned Notepad 2008.
Best Media Center Applications? [Hive Five Call For Contenders]
Now that the majority of our media has made its way to the digital realm, we've seen a proliferation of media center applications designed to integrate all of that media into one central, easy to use application you can control from both your computer and your TV. Between the various spinoffs of Xbox Media Center, Vista's DVR-sporting Media Center, and various other excellent solutions, you've got more choices than ever for managing and accessing your digital media. For this week's Hive Five, we want to hear about the media center you love best. Keep reading for voting details, then nominate the application you favor in the comments.
Hive Five nominations take place in the comments, where you post your favorite tool for the job. We get hundreds of comments, so to make your nomination clear, please include it at the top of your comment like so: VOTE: Media Center Application Goes Here. NEW RULE: Please don't include your vote in a reply to another commenter. Instead, make your vote and reply separate comments. If you don't follow this format, we may not count your vote. To prevent tampering with the results, votes from first-time commenters may not be counted. After you've made your nomination, let us know what makes it stand out from the competition.
About the Hive Five: The Hive Five feature series asks readers to answer the most frequently asked question we get—"Which tool is the best?" Once a week we'll put out a call for contenders looking for the best solution to a certain problem, then YOU tell us your favorite tools to get the job done. Every weekend, we'll report back with the top five recommendations and give you a chance to vote on which is best. For an example, check out last week's Hive Five Best CD and DVD Burning Tools.
Sandy Closure Pushed to December 19th [Closures]
Last week we reported that productivity webapp Sandy was shutting down on December 8th, but users asked for more time to move to a new service, and that's just what they're getting: the Sandy and Stikkit shutdown has been pushed back to December 19th so you have more time to export your data and move to a new service. If you're a Sandy user sad about losing her, check out this thread on Sandy alternatives.
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