When online you will encounter video which have been encoded using a variety of codecs. If you frequently watch different types of video you will generally have to have numerous different programs installed, each catering for different types of video - this can be an annoyance when you encounter a video for which you do not already have the required program or codec. Rather than waiting until the last minute, install the K-Lite Mega Codec Pack which includes a wide range of popular codecs for a number of different video formats.

As well as well known formats such as XviD, MPEG2 and DivX, the pack also includes audio codecs and a selection of alternative media players. Used in conjunction with each other, it is unlikely that you will encounter a video you are unable to play, and by using the alternative tools - such as Real Alternative - you can benefit from improved performance.

The codecs included in the pack can also be used when encoding your own videos and there are a number of handy tools which may well come in useful - such as a bitrate calculator, subtitling tool, video splitters and much more. The pack includes such a large number of tools and codecs, there is simply not space to cover them all in any details. Thankfully, it is not necessary to install all of the codecs at once if you do not need to - you can pick and choose the ones you need, adding others at a later date if necessary. There are a limited number of software installations that can be described as being essential, but this is one of them.

Note that this is an update pack for K-Lite Codec Pack that upgrades version 14.8 of the codec pack to version 14.8.56

When online you will encounter video which have been encoded using a variety of codecs. If you frequently watch different types of video you will generally have to have numerous different programs installed, each catering for different types of video - this can be an annoyance when you encounter a video for which you do not already have the required program or codec. Rather than waiting until the last minute, install the K-Lite Mega Codec Pack which includes a wide range of popular codecs for a number of different video formats.

As well as well known formats such as XviD, MPEG2 and DivX, the pack also includes audio codecs and a selection of alternative media players. Used in conjunction with each other, it is unlikely that you will encounter a video you are unable to play, and by using the alternative tools - such as Real Alternative - you can benefit from improved performance.

The codecs included in the pack can also be used when encoding your own videos and there are a number of handy tools which may well come in useful - such as a bitrate calculator, subtitling tool, video splitters and much more. The pack includes such a large number of tools and codecs, there is simply not space to cover them all in any details. Thankfully, it is not necessary to install all of the codecs at once if you do not need to - you can pick and choose the ones you need, adding others at a later date if necessary. There are a limited number of software installations that can be described as being essential, but this is one of them.

Note that this is an update pack for K-Lite Codec Pack that upgrades version 14.8 of the codec pack to version 14.8.56

The K-Lite Codec Tweak Tool is a portable utility that can detect and fix a lengthy list of PC video problems.

By default it will detect and remove (with your permission) broken codecs, small programs that are used for encoding or decoding audio or video streams. If your PC used to play a particular video file type, but doesn't any more, then this may help.

The program can also help you reset default codec settings, or configure them in more detail. Having problems with Xvid videos, say? Check "DirectShow filter configuration", click Next, and, if it's present, click the Xvid Decoder button. Here you can set values like Brightness or Aspect Ratio that will affect how all Xvid videos will be rendered in future.

You're able to apply similar configuration tweaks for other filters. It's easy to list all your installed codecs and filters, which could be useful if, say, a video plays on one of your PCs but not another (run the tweak tool on both, look at the installed filters and note any differences). And you can also back up your codec and filter settings for easy restoration later.

And the Tweak Tool can even access some little known Windows Explorer settings. Would you like Explorer to generate thumbnails for all the videos you can play, for instance? Check "Thumbnail settings for Windows Explorer", select the appropriate file changes and you should be able to see the change right away.

ImageMagick is a collection of mostly command-line based tools that allow you to view, convert and edit graphics files.

At the simplest you might just use a command like "convert image.jpg image.png" to convert an image from one format to another.

But the program can also manipulate images (resize, rotate, crop or flip) add shapes or text, apply special effects, create animated GIFs from a sequence of images, create composite images, montages, and much more.

If you're used to regular Windows photo editors then the idea of working with images from the command line will seem a little odd, but the technique does have its advantages. Once you have the command to carry out some complex operation, like, say, convert a flat 2D label into a 3D object with the texture and colour that you need, then you can repeat it whenever you like on other images and achieve the same results, almost instantly.

Or, if you're a programmer, then you can call ImageMagick from your projects to create and modify images as and when you require. The program works just about anywhere, thanks to a host of interfaces that may be used via .NET, C++, PHP, Perl, Ruby, Java, COM+ and more. And ImageMagick is an open source project, so you're free to use, copy, modify or distribute it with your own software, however you like.

Version 7.0.8-34 changes include (see changelog for more):

- Fix SVG conversion infinite loop 
- Initialize primitive drawing structure after resizing.

How many times have you been browsing the web on your mobile or tablet and stumbled across and article that you would like to read but don’t have the time immediately? You could simply bookmark the sites that you want to read at some point in the future, but it is all too easy for such bookmark lists to become unwieldy and there is often no way to search for an article using keywords or other criteria.

One possible solution exists in the form of Pocket – which many people may have already used in in previous incarnation of Read It Later. This browser extension acts as a filing system for content you don’t have time to read, and everything you choose to ‘pocket’ is quickly synched so that it is made available on other devices. The extension is available for Firefox and Chrome and there is a toolbar button as well as context menu support.

Anyone who has used the likes of Instapaper will be familiar with the way in which Pocket works, but this app has a much more refined interface. Seemingly taking inspiration from the likes of Flipboard, the UI is clean and uncluttered and benefits from a lovely layout. There are a variety of views to choose from and content you have saved can be filtered by type so you can quickly jump to images you have saved or videos.

In addition to the extensions there is also an app available for iOS and Android, so you can make use the service no matter which platform you happen to be using. Whatever device you use to ‘pocket’ online content, it will all be made available through your online account that you can access using a computer, mobile or tablet – whatever suits you best at the time.

Many people are happy to stick with the default browser set up when they fire up their computer for the first time, which means Internet Explorer if you’re a Windows user and Safari if you’re on an Apple Mac. Both browsers have improved massively in recent years, but part of that improvement is down to the growth in rival browsers like Google’s open-source alternative.

Chrome is no longer the young upstart it once was, and its pioneering spirit is often forgotten in the mists of time. It was Chrome’s sleek tab-driven interface with minimal real estate that was adopted by Firefox and the recent IE9. Chrome was the first to provide a resource-friendly browser that loaded quickly and didn’t suck the life out of your system, although again the competition has now caught up – and in some cases – surpassed its achievements.

Oh, Chrome was also the first to adopt a rapid release cycle, so if you’re fed up with a new browser number appearing in the About menu every few months, you can thank Google for that too.

Chrome may no longer look like the dazzling young starlet, but it more than holds its own against the competition. It’s still quick to load, quick to perform and easy to use. It bundles the Flash plug-in so you don’t have to download it separately and the browser sync function makes it easy to back up and sync your settings across multiple computers.

While the competition has definitely caught up, Chrome has enough going for it to keep existing users happy supporting the browser that has led to so many improvements in the way we view and access the web.

Chrome Portable 73 is now in the Stable channel.