The Download Dispatch

Opera browser users will be pleased to know that the beta released two weeks ago, Opera 10.6, is coming your way in full force in a general release this Thursday. Version 10.6 incorporates an anti-malware detection system powered by AVG, more HTML5 capabilities, and improved performance overall.

In other upgrade news, Trillian (current version), the all-in-one instant messaging program, will soon be replacing what we think is a jarring, outmoded interface with a sleeker, more modern skin. The upcoming Trillian 5 is optimized for Windows 7 and will also include mobile-syncing features and an array of new social-networking … Read more

Although Apple has famously denounced Adobe's Flash technology as being obsolete, Google's actions suggest it begs to differ. The Google Chrome Web browser now offers a "flashier" Web experience by incorporating Adobe Flash into its arsenal of features.

On the Mozilla side of things, the app-maker most known for Firefox has just released Thunderbird 3.1. It's a minor update, but it is still an important one that fixes multiple bugs and adds features like a quick filter and migration assistant that imports your profile from Mozilla or Netscape automatically. This new version of the … Read more

Hello, Download Dispatchers! This is Polina Polishchuk, CNET Download.com's summer intern (nice to meet you). This summer I'll be guiding you through some of the week's notable posts and awesome downloads. So, without further ado...

It's good to remember that very often, safety comes in numbers. At least that's Immunet's approach in the free Immunet Protect antivirus software that was just released last week. The community-based cloud detection system, called "Collective Immunity," is meant to be used concurrently with other security software to bolster your computer's protection. The collectivity doesn'… Read more

You think you know what a minefield is, but define it as Mozilla does. Each night, the Firefox team produces a series of tweaks that may one day become the next version of its popular Firefox browser. Numerous tiny iterations, even daily adjustments, aren't anything surprising in the software development world, until you remember that Firefox is an open-source Web browser which has daily progress anyone can track, and which nightly builds anyone can download.

Considering Firefox's now-widespread use, there is enough risk with instability that for even the die-hard enthusiasts in the Firefox development community, there's … Read more

Your eyes may be glued to the iPhone 4 headlines coming out of Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, but Apple isn't the only company with news to share.

At Microsoft's TechEd conference in New Orleans, Microsoft estimated it would have a public beta for the first service pack update to Windows 7 ready by July. Though the updates will be minor, if you're using Windows 7, keep your peepers open.

In May we reported that analysts predicted the demise of popular peer-to-peer service LimeWire. Sure enough, last Friday the RIAA asked the courts to pull the plug. … Read more

All you owners of 64-bit Windows computers will be pleased to know that Mozilla is finally throwing your Windows PC a bone. On Friday, Mozilla announced an early-stage version of a Firefox browser compatible with 64-bit processors. The experimental build is available to anyone brave enough to test an unstable, in-development browser, though we recommend taking caution if you do. Otherwise, patience should get you a stable version of Firefox 4 with support for 64-bit PCs around November.

It's been a long time since we've seen significant change to ZoneAlarm's Firewall, but a new version of the … Read more

In late 2008, Firefox-maker Mozilla hatched a brand-new add-on from its Labs division. Known as Weave Sync, the extension, like the popular Xmarks (known then as Foxmarks), would synchronize open browser tabs, bookmarks, history, and preferences across all Firefox browsers--including mobile versions like Firefox for Nokia's Maemo platform and in-development versions for other mobile platforms.

Since then, the beta version of Weave Sync has received a stream of updates. The latest version gets a new identity, Firefox Sync. The product name change indicates that although the syncing add-on remains in beta, Mozilla's engineers think that its tool is … Read more

Photoshop Creative Suite 5 roared out of Adobe's coding lab with a slew of feature changes that spell out actual improvements (unlike the last release's mostly visual overhaul) in this decades-old premium powerhouse of an image processor.

Features that automatically correct your lens and improve the way the editor processes high dynamic range (HDR) are two significant additions. Enhanced 3D image tools and a more effective algorithm for filling in image holes with information taken from neighboring parts of the photo are two others that help make this version of Photoshop a must-have for serious image-manipulators. Get a … Read more

We all have reasons for craving our privacy, some more socially questionable than others. No matter. As a computer user, it's within your power (and your rights, darnit!) to keep your browsing from others' eyes, be they actively prying or innocently perusing.

Here's the good news. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Opera all contain a private browsing mode that won't leave tracks as you intrepidly explore the Web. That's excellent if you're trying to keep your activities under wraps, but unfortunate if you accidentally forget to switch back and forth as you transition from your … Read more