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May 2014
Watch Dogs Stuttering
31 May 2014
Most PC gamers seem to be talking about performance issues in the recently released Watch Dogs, in particular the fact that it's generally a stuttering mess. I thought I'd take a quick look at this issue, see what causes it, and how to reduce it. I've prepared a YouTube Video which does that along with providing plenty of sample gameplay. Warning: I also took the opportunity to do a voice commentary on the video. I swear I don't sound as monotonous and nasal in real life as I do in the video - I blame the crappy microphone and having to string together 23 minutes of unscripted chatter!
Java Runtime Environment 7.60
30 May 2014
Oracle has released an Update 60 to the Java Runtime Environment 7.
iTunes 11.2.2
29 May 2014
Apple has released a new Version 11.2.2 of the iTunes software. This update fixes a problem with podcast episodes and also provides several stability improvements.
AMD Catalyst 14.6 Beta
28 May 2014
AMD has released the Catalyst 14.6 Beta graphics driver for the HD 5000 series and above on Windows 7 and 8.1. This beta improves performance in Watch Dogs and Murdered Soul Suspect, provides Eyefinity enhancements and Mantle enhancements, and contains other improvements and fixes.
Nvidia GeForce 337.88 WHQL
27 May 2014
Nvidia has released the 337.88 WHQL certified graphics driver. This driver is for GeForce 8 and higher graphics cards under Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8. It is the recommended driver for Watch Dogs, also providing updated SLI and 3D Vision profiles along with bug fixes. The driver package incorporates the 9.13.1220 PhysX drivers and GeForce Experience 2.0.1.
CCleaner 4.14
23 May 2014
A new Version 4.14.4707 of the free CCleaner system cleaning utility has been released. Changes include improved cleaning for Firefox, Office 2010, Foxit Reader and AVG Antivirus, added WindowBlinds cleaning, improved OS detection, improved 64-bit Registry detection and cleaning, along with a range of minor improvements and bug fixes.
Realtek HD Audio 2.75
23 May 2014
Realtek has released Version 2.75 of its HD Audio drivers.
Chrome 35.0
21 May 2014
Google has released Version 35.0.1916.114 of the Chrome browser. Changes in this version include new JavaScript features, new apps/extension APIs, a range of stability and performance improvements, as well as security and bug fixes.
Site Update
19 May 2014
A note on the progress of the Firefox Tweak Guide update. It turns out the guide was in much greater need of an overhaul than I had imagined. Originally released 9 years ago, since then it has been repeatedly expanded and re-edited in a somewhat patchwork fashion. A lot of outdated material pervades the guide, so I'm taking the opportunity to steadily clean up, refine, and update everything so that it regains its original polish. That means at least another 1-2 weeks of work. I do of course have interface customization details for those who don't like the new look of Firefox, but the guide will not focus solely on that aspect. The simplification of the Firefox interface is regrettable, but inevitable given market pressures. Yes it does look like Chrome now, but in my testing that doesn't seem to impact on accessibility to key functionality, certainly not to the same extent as, say, the change from Windows 7 to 8. To be honest, I'm finding the new look more acceptable as time goes by, and it hasn't affected my ability to get the most out of Firefox. Firefox remains the most customizable browser by far, so in time, with some refinement and bug fixes, user outrage will diminish.
Update: A quick solution to try for those who experience the bug where the Firefox process doesn't terminate when you close the browser. I replicated this issue on a fresh install of Firefox 29.0.1 with no add-ons or tweaks. My solution was to untick the 'Clear history when Firefox closes' setting under Options>Privacy.
Nvidia GeForce 337.81 Beta
16 May 2014
Nvidia has released the 337.81 Beta graphics driver. This driver is for GeForce 8 and higher graphics cards under Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8. Note that Nvidia says that this driver is not intended for wide release, it is a game-ready driver for China for Guild Wars 2. The driver package incorporates the 9.13.1220 PhysX drivers and GeForce Experience 2.0.
iTunes 11.2
16 May 2014
Apple has released a new Version 11.2 of the iTunes software. This update improves podcast browsing, resolves a responsiveness issue when updating Genius, and contains performance and stability improvements.
Realtek HD Audio 2.74
15 May 2014
Realtek has released Version 2.74 of its HD Audio drivers.
Opera 21.0
14 May 2014
The Opera browser has been updated to Version 21.0.1432.67. The changes in this version include several bug fixes.
Chrome 34.0
14 May 2014
Google has released Version 34.0.1847.137 of the Chrome browser. This version contains a Flash Player update as well as security and bug fixes.
Autoruns 12.0
14 May 2014
Microsoft has released Autoruns 12.0, updating this free startup software identification utility. This version adds the reporting of the presence of batch file and executable image entries in the WMI database, a method used by some types of malware.
Microsoft Security Updates
14 May 2014
Microsoft has released its monthly set of Windows security updates which you can download individually from here or get through Windows Update.
Adobe Reader 11.0
14 May 2014
Adobe has released Version 11.0.07 of the Adobe Reader software for viewing PDF documents, now known as Adobe Reader XI. This update contains security fixes.
Flash Player 13.0
14 May 2014
Adobe has released Version 13.0.0.214 of the Flash Player plugin for browsers. Use Windows Update to update the built-in Flash Player in IE11 under Windows 8.
Skype 6.16
14 May 2014
A new Version 6.16.0.105 of the communications utility Skype has been released. This version contains several bug fixes.
Firefox 29.0.1
10 May 2014
Mozilla has released Version 29.0.1 of the Firefox browser. This version contains several bug fixes.
.NET Framework 4.5.2
7 May 2014
Microsoft has released Version 4.5.2 of the .NET Framework for Windows Vista, 7 and 8.
Opera 21.0
6 May 2014
The Opera browser has been updated to Version 21.0.1432.57. The changes in this version include the new Aura technology to hardware accelerate the entire browser, an option to show the full URL in the address box, a Chromium update, improved font scaling, as well as security and bug fixes.
Windows Updates
6 May 2014
Microsoft has released a Security Update for Windows 8.1. The KB article which describes what this update contains is currently unavailable, so it is unclear what issue this patch addresses. Here are the download links for 32-bit or 64-bit systems.
Update: The KB article is now available and shows that the update addresses a vulnerability in the Juniper VPN client.
Foxit Reader 6.2.0
5 May 2014
The free Foxit PDF Reader has been updated to Version 6.2.0.0429. The changes in this version include the addition of PDF/A file notification, Foxit Plugin Platform, automatic updates, along with a range of feature enhancements.
TweakGuides Tweaking Companion
3 May 2014
The TweakGuides Tweaking Companion for Windows 8 has been updated to Version 2.1, incorporating all of the changes resulting from the release of Windows 8.1 Update 1. I also took the opportunity to make a few other changes, adding some more tips and details, as well as fixing a range of grammatical and formatting errors that had crept into the guide over the past few revisions. The full change list is in the Version History section at the bottom of the main TGTC page. If you find the book useful, please spread the word.
Internet Explorer Security Update
2 May 2014
Microsoft has released a Security Update to address a critical vulnerability in all versions of Internet Explorer, on Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8. It is available via Windows Update.
Media Player Classic Home Cinema 1.7.5
2 May 2014
A new Version 1.7.5 of the free Media Player Classic Home Cinema player has been released. This update contains bug fixes.
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