From its start as a post-Napster clone to its leading role as the quintessential Gnutella client, LimeWire has been one of the highest-profile P2P applications for Mac. The latest version further ups the ante with a combination of new features, an updated interface, and better all-around performance.

On the surface, the refined and zippier Java interface houses some snazzy new icons and a few new features, including a connection-quality meter and a button matrix for zeroing in on specific file types. The search interface now sports a progress bar, and file information–such as artist and album–is more clearly displayed. The improved network performance gave us considerably more search results than previous versions and a more reliable downloading experience (for a P2P client, that is). This latest version also feels more nimble despite its inherently resource-heavy Java-based foundation. We like the What’s New feature, which lists files recently added to the network. The check box to filter out adult content also is a nice touch.

The new features and overall functionality make this by far the most mature version of LimeWire to date. Despite the typical performance flaws found in all file-sharing clients, this latest version continues to offer solid performance and good looks across the board.

Flash Player Mobile enables you to play Flash Movies in your Pocket PC device outside both in full screen mode and in landscape mode. Landscape mode also supported WM2003. VGA and Square Screen Aware. WM5/WM6 Compatible. Full screen and Landscape playback. Zoom 100% to 150%.

Version 1.5 improves landscape mode, adds zoom, and redesigns UI for WM5/6.

Chrome is blazingly fast and is easily the quickest browser available. Based on Webkit, the same open-source engine that powers Apple Safari, Google’s Android mobile platform, and several other Web-browsing tools, Chrome’s interface is a drastic departure from other browsers. Instead of the traditional toolbar, Chrome puts its tabs on top. Moreover, the tabs are detachable: “tabs” and “windows” are interchangeable here. Detached tabs can be dragged and dropped into the browser, and tabs can be rearranged at any time. By isolating each tab’s processes, when one site crashes, the other tabs do not.

Click here to download

Firefox 3 is full-featured, lightning fast, and an able foe for both the big-dog competitor Internet Explorer and competitors nipping at its heels. Firefox’s killer add-ons remain strong, and the latest update makes version 3.5 about two times faster than version 3. However, competition is strong and it can no longer be said that Firefox is the fastest browser available.

Several notable improvements in the latest revamp keep Firefox abreast of current browsing tech. Along with Mozilla’s new TraceMonkey JavaScript engine that renders Web applications faster on Firefox than ever before, there have also been improvements to the layout engine Gecko for faster page rendering. The new Private Browsing brings a feature to Firefox that competitors have had for a while: the capability to turn off cookie and history logs. Users also have more granular control over cookies, history, and bookmarks in version 3.5 via the redone Clear Recent History option under Tools. Geolocation courtesy of Google has been activated by default in Firefox, so that generic searches such as “city hall” will come closer to pegging the government offices nearest you.

Web developers should be excited about expanded support for HTML5 local storage, downloadable fonts, and native support for OGG-formatted embedded video. ICC profiles, SVG transforms, CSS media queries, native JSON support, and Web worker threads also get lots of love from v3.5. There’s no doubt that Firefox 3.5 is a must-have, but it’s an update that’s more about keeping the browser current rather than blazing new trails.

Click here to download

Enjoy hours of fun playing with your new best friend! Choose from a delightful Dalmatian, a boisterous Beagle, a loveable Labrador or a mischievous Mutt. Puppy Luv is the perfect pet, no need to take him outside in the rain.

You can name your puppy and choose the sex, your pet will grow in real-time. Play with your puppy in the backyard, at the park or in 4 other locations. Teach your puppy more than 10 tricks and enter him in competitions, as well!

Puppy Luv features real-time attributes that change depending on the dog’s mood. There are many unlockable items that you can buy for your pet to keep him happy, healthy and full of love. It’s the perfect pet for the entire family!

Click here to download

AVG Free provides the bare necessities when it comes to security, but that should be enough for savvy Windows users. You’ll get a combined antivirus and antimalware engine, LinkScanner, and e-mail scanning. AVG Free 9 introduces a few new features, with improvements focused on performance, including claims of faster scan and boot times. One new feature is the Identity Theft Recovery Unit. Only for users in the United States, ITRU is a business partnership with Identity Guard which provides “consumer identity theft solutions,” accessible only from the AVG toolbar in Firefox and Internet Explorer.

The interface is nearly unchanged from the last version, and generally it’s easy to use. From the main window, though, you must double-click to get further information on any feature, whether virus scanning, LinkScanner settings, or updating. Streamlining this to one click would be helpful. A scheduling utility automates both scans and updates, while the upgrade ad at the screen’s bottom can be easily hidden using the Hide Notification button. When starting a scan, a slider makes it easy to jump between Slow, Automatic, and Fast scans: the faster the scan, the less comprehensive it is, so users should take advantage of the scan optimization that is recommended during installation to speed up that first scan. A progress meter for regular scans would’ve been useful, though. Should a virus create serious problems, AVG creates a rescue disk to scan your computer in MS-DOS mode.

The LinkScanner feature protects you from third-party code exploits before they load in your browser and for ranking search results. Annoyingly, when you install its optional toolbar, it commandeers your new-tab page, decidedly inappropriate behavior. The program doesn’t obviously tax your system when scanning or when running in the background, although CNET Labs determined that it will significantly slow down your system’s boot time, and slightly delay shutting down. AVG also detected some image files as threats, when two other scans decided they weren’t–we decided these were false positives. AVG might not be the fastest or the most effective free security option, but it still gets the job done and you’re better off with it.

Download