Mac

Windows

CardCheck is a credit card number verifier. Used mainly by small businesses who take orders over the Internet, it can instantly check that the number they have been given is is not false (by accident or design). CardCheck can check credit cards individually or in batches (by scanning a text file, for example).

Web link: www.xequte.com/cardchck.html

Yonc is an Internet connection tool that greatly enhances Windowsí Dial-Up Networking utility. Yonc dials out on a single click and then sits in your taskbar. It can monitor online time and cost (session, daily, monthly), line performance, multiple email accounts, CPU and RAM usage. It also watches Web info like stock quotes and weather pages. It does all the mundane tasks like redialing on busy and maintaining active connections during idle time.

Web link: www.emtec.com

If you're lucky enough to have a busy site then analysing the lines and lines of raw data in your site's log files can be a real chore. MozillaTracker is a log analysis tool that displays details about what browser and operating system visitors to your site are using. The program shows you the actual number of hits for each browser and OS and then displays those hits as a percentage of the total. You can then generate a report which can be saved as an HTML file and posted back to your site. A productive timesaver and it's free.

The small program is ready to run, so copy the software\windows\utils\moztrack folder to your hard drive and run mozillatracker.exe from there.

Web link: www.stefan-pettersson.nu/mozillatracker

Excellent link verification and site management tool, automating routine maintenance and testing. LinkBot checks internal and external HTTP and FTP links, creating a 'what's new' and 'what's old' page.

Works from your PC's local drive or a remote server on any platform. The results of Linkbot's analysis are summarized in a table that lists the status of each link along with many other useful statistics: link status, error number, link type, link file name, link base address, parent URL(s), link description, document title, last modified date, expiration date, author name, file size, content encoding, content type, server software type and HTTP protocol version.

WinZip
v6.3
(Win 3.x)
Evaluation version

NEW: Here's the latest Windows 9x/NT 4 version of WinZip as well as the current version for Windows 3.x. WinZip is an excellent archive file manager, handling ZIP and other compression formats, including many common on the Internet, such as TAR, BinHex, UUencode and MIME.

Version 7 includes many enhancements to the interface and general usability. To make use of one or two 'cosmetic' features, you may need an updated Windows system file – comctl32.dll version 4.71 or later – if you use Internet Explorer 4 or later or have Windows 98, you should already have this. If you need to update, there is an installation program on the CD. Access the Internet Magazine CD and open the SOFTWARE\WINDOWS\UPDATES\WIN9 folder; double-click the file 40COMUPD.EXE (you will need to restart Windows once the installation is complete).

Web link: www.winzip.com

An FTP client with features aimed at handling the upload and maintenance of Web pages.

Time limited demo

Try this FTP (File Transfer Protocol) program to organise your file downloading and uploading activities. There is an option to set it up to appear in Windows Explorer as if a network drive, where it stores the file and folder structure of the FTP sites you visit for easy offline reference. Supports drag-and-drop.

Web link: www.ipswitch.com/products/ws_ftp

FileHound is what you need if you often download files from the Internet. FileHound is invaluable, saving you lots of irritation and even making you more productive. The Hound's sole purpose in life is to look after your downloads.

You will no longer need to worry about your connection going dead, FTP sites timing out or getting overcrowded, forgetting where a file was after you've abandoned a futile download attempt. FileHound captures URLs copied to the Clipboard and can get to work automatically. Downloads that have begun can be paused or put on hold, you can even go offline mid-transfer and come back another day to continue where you left off. FileHound can kick in your anti-virus software to keep your system safe.

Web link: www.nexi.com/albinofrog

FPArchie seeks out the files you're after by trawling through the world's 'Archie' sites and then downloads them for you via FTP. Quick and effective and multiple instances can be run at once.

Web link: www.fpware.demon.nl

Latest version of multimedia extensions for Microsoft Windows, needed to run many applications. Now includes DirectMusic for high-quality synth sounds.

Now you will be able to read all that Acrobat format documentation used around the Internet.

Vbrun5
(Win 95)

Visual Basic runtime libraries for Windows. Some applications ship without these files, requiring you to install them.

Mac OS

NOTE: The Mac programs are mostly in archived 'HQX' (BinHex) files – they can be extracted with several applications, including Stuffit Expander (see below). Clicking on the links below should set the process in motion. You may receive a message that the file cannot be loaded into Simple Text — if so, start Stuffit and then open the HQX file you want from within Stuffit.

Apple's implementation of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), based on Sun Microsystems' Java 1.1.6 specification. MRJ allows you to run Java applications and applets.

MRJ 2.1 makes many improvements over Apple's previous JVM, including greatly increased performance, improved reliability, and support for AppleScript and Sun's JFC/Swing. MRJ 2.1 also runs more applications and applets than earlier versions.

Don't let dead links spoil the show.

WebbToys aims to help you accomplish a lot more when you're online. Control your online connection, check for email, search the Internet, launch applications, dial phone numbers, launch URLs, launch all Internet software, use channels and perform Internet-related diagnostics on your Mac.

You get a command line, from which phone numbers may be dialed, applications launched, URLs invoked, and more. It also features 'screen crawling', which allows it to stay offscreen until you want it – simply moving the cursor over to the left side of the screen will invoke it. It is OS 8.5 Appearance Manager-aware and features SuperCard-compatible plug-in architecture for easy enhancements.

Requires minimum OS 8.

Web link: www.webbtoys.com

Freeware

By scanning folders and applications you've selected based on filters you design, Version Master searches its database of over 41,000 titles then tells you what latest versions are available. Version Master can also notify you of software updates via email as they become available.

Freeware

If you like getting under the covers, here's a powertool to bring your Mac under control and keep it there... Compatible with Mac OS 8.1, you can check the data within your system file to determine whether or not your system is corrupted. TechTool checks almost every resource within your system file.

You can zap your entire PRAM chip; rebuilding the desktop is done more efficiently as instead of simply updating the existing desktop database, TechTool deletes the desktop and forces the Finder to create a new database; you get the option of saving file comments; TechTool can show you the date your computer was manufactured and how many hours of use it has had, as well as just about anything you need to know about your Mac, including a listing of all extensions and control panels.

Freeware

The latest version of FreePPP – the 'little brother' of GearBox, the full-featured connection tool from Rockstar Studios – includes connection throughput performance enhancements along with numerous bug fixes for compatibility with the multitude of modems and configurations in use today. Now also fully OS 8 compatible.

Recently updated

Anarchie is the most popular Mac FTP tool – probably. It has an interface that is easy to use on the whole, supports Drag & Drop and includes a comprehensive AppleGuide. Importantly, Anarchie allows you to search for and download files in one go, with one application. Version 2 adds many new features, for example 'Mac Searches' and transfer mode selection. It also has better window handling than previous versions and is faster.

Web link: www.stairways.com

Now you will be able to read all that Acrobat format documentation used around the Internet.

Download Deputy
v3.1
(68k)

Set up batch downloads of all that software you find on the Web. The Internet Magazine cover CD aims to save you some of that trouble, anyway...

(Recently updated versions.)

That well-known file retriever... good dog!