ARCHIVED NEWS
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August 2010
Game Patches
31 August 2010
VLC Media Player 1.1.4
28 August 2010
The free VLC Media Player has been updated to Version 1.1.4. This version contains two bug fixes.
Game Patches
28 August 2010
DivX 8.1.1
27 August 2010
The DivX video software has been updated to Version 8.1.1.
Game Patches
27 August 2010
ATI Catalyst 10.8
26 August 2010
ATI has released the official Catalyst 10.8 graphics driver for the HD 2000 series and above. This WHQL certified driver adds OpenGL ES 2.0 support, enhances the Video Quality default options, has performance enhancements for Eyefinity Quad ATI CrossFireX configurations, adds Antialiasing support for StarCraft 2, provides performance enhancements in Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead 2 and Stormrise, as well as a range of bug fixes.
Game Patches
26 August 2010
CCleaner 2.35.1219
25 August 2010
A new Version 2.35.1219 of the free CCleaner system cleaning utility has been released. This version improves browser cleaning support, adds cleaning for new applications, and has several other minor improvements and bug fixes.
Windows Updates
25 August 2010
Microsoft has released non-critical updates for Windows which you can get through Windows Update. Alternatively you can view and download them individually from here - click the 'Released' column header once to sort by date.
Shockwave 11.5.8.612
25 August 2010
Adobe has released a new Version 11.5.8.612 of the Shockwave player plugin for browsers.
Game Patches
25 August 2010
Windows Update
24 August 2010
Microsoft has released a non-critical Update for all versions of Windows which helps protect against DLL preloading vulnerabilities in applications.
Game Patches
24 August 2010
Chrome 5.0.375.127
21 August 2010
Google has released Version 5.0.375.127 of the Chrome browser. This version has several security and bug fixes.
Game Patches
21 August 2010
Adobe Reader 9.3.4
20 August 2010
Adobe has released Version 9.3.4 of the Adobe Reader software for viewing PDF documents. This update addresses a critical security vulnerability.
Game Patches
20 August 2010
GPU-Z 0.4.5
20 August 2010
GPU-Z, a free graphics card information utility, has reached Version 0.4.5. Changes include support for new chipsets, the ability to automatically launch GPU-Z upon Windows startup, as well as a range of bug fixes.
VLC Media Player 1.1.3
20 August 2010
The free VLC Media Player has been updated to Version 1.1.3. This version contains a range of bug fixes.
Game Patches
19 August 2010
Windows Live Essentials 2011 Beta
18 August 2010
Microsoft has released a new Beta of the next version of the Windows Live Essentials suite of applications. Details of the changes in this beta are provided here.
Game Patches
18 August 2010
Word 2003 Update
14 August 2010
Microsoft has released an Update for Word 2003 which contains stability and performance improvements.
Game Patches
14 August 2010
QuickTime 7.6.7
13 August 2010
Apple has released a new Version 7.6.7 of the QuickTime media player. This version has security fixes.
Game Patches
13 August 2010
Opera 10.61
12 August 2010
The Opera browser has been updated to Version 10.61. This version renames 'Fraud Protection' to 'Fraud and Malware Protection', and has a range of stability, bug and security fixes.
Game Patches
12 August 2010
Chrome 5.0.375.126
12 August 2010
Google has released Version 5.0.375.126 of the Chrome browser. The only change is an updated Flash plugin.
Nvidia PhysX 9.10.0513
11 August 2010
Nvidia has released the 9.10.0513 PhysX drivers for Nvidia PhysX-capable GPUs. Note that this version is newer than the 9.10.0512 PhysX drivers included in the Mafia 2 Demo.
Mafia 2 Demo
11 August 2010
Further to my earlier post on the recently-released Mafia 2 Demo, it appears that the PhysX requirements aren't quite as steep as first thought. Reinstalling Mafia 2's PhysX driver and also configuring your PhysX settings in the Nvidia Control Panel as detailed in threads like this one will result in PhysX correctly running on the GPU rather than the CPU on systems with an Nvidia card. In my case, this was sufficient to make the game playable at maximum settings and with Maximum PhysX (i.e. around 30FPS average) on a GTX 285. I've uploaded a new HD YouTube Video at maximum settings including PhysX set to Maximum. The main impact of PhysX is that explosions, shattered glass and smoke contain more particles/fragments, and clothing moves around more realistically. PhysX is not vital to enjoying the game, however it is the only true PC-exclusive aspect of Mafia 2, giving people with appropriate hardware the option to have enhanced visuals and physics.
Update: You can also use this PhysX tweak to remove cloth-based effects on NPCs, further improving performance.
Flash Player 10.1.82.76
11 August 2010
Adobe has released Version 10.1.82.76 of the Flash Player plugin for browsers.
Game Patches
11 August 2010
Microsoft Security Updates
11 August 2010
Microsoft has released its monthly set of Windows security updates which you can get through Windows Update. Alternatively you can view and download them individually from here - click the 'Released' column header once to sort by date.
Nvidia Forceware 259.31
11 August 2010
Nvidia has released the official Forceware 259.31 driver for Windows XP, Vista and 7. These drivers are a special release intended primarily for developers, providing support for OpenGL 4.1 and GLSL 4.10. Note that the new features of OpenGL 4.1 and GLSL 4.10 require a GeForce GTX 400 series or Quadro 4000, 5000, 6000, or 7000 series card in order to function.
Mafia 2 Demo
10 August 2010
2K Games has released a Free Demo for Mafia 2, weighing in at 1.1GB, and only available via Steam. This is one of the most anticipated games of 2010, certainly one I've been looking forward to for many years. The full version of the game will be available on 24 August 2010 and will also require Steam to play.
Update: Mafia 2 appears to be a great 1950s GTA IV-style game. I've uploaded an HD YouTube Video showing some exploration of the game world and its features at maximum graphics settings, however PhysX is Off. In Mafia 2, PhysX only affects the realism of clothing movement and particle effects, such as smoke, explosions and shattered glass. However it requires a second GPU to act as a dedicated PhysX card to maintain good performance even on high-end systems.
Game Patches
10 August 2010
ATI Catalyst OpenCL 10.7
7 August 2010
ATI has released a new Catalyst 10.7 graphics driver specifically designed to provide OpenCL 1.1 support for the HD 4000 series and above, as well as selected FirePro and Embedded GPUs.
Game Patches
7 August 2010
Game Patches
6 August 2010
Internet Explorer 9 Preview 4
5 August 2010
Microsoft has released a new Internet Explorer 9 Preview 4, which is the fourth and final alpha build of IE9 designed primarily for developer feedback purposes. The first beta build of IE9 is due in September.
Game Patches
5 August 2010
Realtek HD Audio 2.51
4 August 2010
Realtek has released Version 2.51 of its HD Audio drivers. Note if you have problems with the link, click the 'High Definition Audio Codecs' link at the top of the page and select 'Software'.
Game Patches
4 August 2010
Foxit Reader 4.1
3 August 2010
The free Foxit PDF Reader has been updated to Version 4.1.0.0726. This version optimizes the reading engine, prompts users to set the default PDF reader when installed, and contains a range of bug fixes.
Game Patches
3 August 2010
Windows Update
3 August 2010
Microsoft has released a Security Update addressing a critical security vulnerability in all versions of Windows. The update is available from the link above or via Windows Update.
Game Patches
1 August 2010
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