Download of the Week

AMD has identified and fixed two scaling bottlenecks in HandBrake that were limiting performance on high-core-count CPUs. Starting with version 1.11, these improvements significantly boost transcoding speeds on Ryzen Threadripper and Threadripper Pro processors, with gains of up to 215% reported in some workloads.

Minecraft Java Edition 26.2 introduces the new Sulfur Caves biome, complete with sulfur and cinnabar block sets, geysers, and the quirky Sulfur Cube mob. The update also adds a Friends List system, experimental Vulkan graphics support, and new building and gameplay possibilities powered by the Sulfur Cube's unique physics-based interactions.

AB Download Manager is an open-source download accelerator and manager, like IDM but without the price tag. Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, it supports download acceleration, queue management, and pause/resume support through a clean interface. It can also detect and download videos, audio, and non-encrypted HLS streams from supported websites.

Google Chrome remains the default browser for billions of users. Latest release 149.0.7827.156 is largely a security update, but a significant one, fixing 33 vulnerabilities including seven rated critical and numerous high-severity flaws tied to memory corruption, WebRTC, extensions, passwords, and authentication systems.

Firefox 152 introduces new tab management options and a refreshed Settings page designed to make browser preferences easier to navigate. The update also adds optional JPEG XL support, improves zoom controls, and includes a range of fixes and security updates.

Google Earth has brought its flight simulator to the web, originally an Easter egg in the desktop app. No download required anymore: just open Google Earth, hit Explore Earth, then Tools > Flight Simulator. You get two aircraft: the F-16 for speed or the Cirrus SR22 for sightseeing. The experience works best at slower speeds, as the app needs time to stream terrain and satellite imagery in real time.

Files is an open-source File Explorer replacement for Windows. It supports tabbed browsing, dual-pane layouts, file tagging and preview, cloud integration, and deep customization. The latest version adds on-demand folder size calculation to avoid unnecessary background scans, and preserves file selections when changing layouts.

GPU-Z delivers a clean, no-install snapshot at key GPU information, including clocks, memory, sensors, BIOS, and driver data. It supports Nvidia, AMD, and Intel GPUs, making it a handy tool for verifying specs, monitoring behavior, or troubleshooting a system without extra bloat.

CPU-Z 2.20.2 expands compatibility with upcoming Intel and AMD processors, including Panther Lake, Wildcat Lake, Bartlett Lake, Ryzen AI Max, and Ryzen Pro. The release also adds support for Intel Arc Pro B-series GPUs and new HUDIMM and HSODIMM memory.

elementary OS is a polished Linux distribution built on Ubuntu LTS that emphasizes thoughtful design, simplicity, and a distraction-free desktop experience. Version 8.1 makes the Wayland-based Secure Session the default, improving security, touchpad gestures, and display handling. The update also introduces multitasking enhancements, refinements to the software store, improved hardware compatibility, and more.

FanControl lets you create detailed fan curves, monitor temperatures, and fine-tune cooling behavior across a wide range of supported PC hardware. The latest release issues various fixes and limits the app to a single service client connection for improved stability.

Nvidia has retired its long-running Control Panel software for GeForce users, ending more than two decades of one of PC gaming's most recognizable utilities. Future Game Ready and Studio driver updates will now focus entirely on the newer Nvidia App, which combines driver and graphics settings, recording tools, and game optimizations into a single interface.

Trdo is an internet radio player focused on simplicity. Despite its early beta status, Trdo already feels polished, offering a native experience for streaming radio stations from around the world.

Vivaldi 8 introduces a refreshed desktop interface focused on faster navigation and deeper customization, while continuing the browser's power-user approach to tab management and productivity.

CrystalDiskInfo 9.9.0 adds a new feature to help users spot counterfeit Samsung SSDs, an increasingly common problem as fake high-end drives are becoming more convincing. The utility can flag suspicious drives by checking hardware identifiers and firmware data.

Discord just flipped on end-to-end encryption for every voice and video call across DMs, group chats, voice channels and streams. It's one of the platform's biggest privacy upgrades yet.

Discord is now more Linux friendly than ever before, having rolled out major improvements for the OS, including official packages for Fedora and Arch distros. A new self-updater brings Linux closer to the Windows experience, and better support for the Steam Deck. The update also adds hardware video acceleration for AMD, Intel, and Nvidia GPUs.

VMware Workstation Pro 26H1 adds broader Linux support, full 64-bit Windows components, and direct connections to remote ESXi Arm hosts. The update also introduces several quality-of-life fixes requested since Broadcom made Workstation free. For developers, tinkerers, and anyone juggling Linux distros or Windows test environments, Workstation Pro remains one of the easiest ways to run reliable virtual machines on a PC.

Android Studio is Google's official IDE for Android development, designed for creating apps across phones, tablets, TVs, and Wear OS devices. The new Panda 4 release introduces AI upgrades like Planning Mode, which lets Gemini generate and review implementation plans before writing code, alongside a new Gemini API starter template.

Inspired by the early days of CCleaner, FluentCleaner is a cleanup utility that focuses on removing temporary files, browser cache, logs, and leftover clutter without aggressive registry cleaning or scareware tactics. The app also supports community-maintained cleaning databases and optional extensions.

ForkLift is one our favorite SFTP/SSH file manager for macOS, alongside WinSCP on Windows. ForkLift 4.6.2 improves Finder integration, checksum tool with CSV export support, and fixes for icon preview glitches on macOS Sequoia.

Winhanced gives Windows gaming PCs a cleaner, more console-like experience by combining launchers, controller navigation, and system tools into one streamlined interface. Originally built for handhelds, it's also gaining traction on desktop and living room setups as an alternative to juggling Steam Big Picture, Xbox, and multiple launchers.

ValiDrive is a free utility that checks whether USB drives, memory cards, SSDs, and other storage actually provide their advertised capacity. Designed to spot counterfeit or faulty drives with inflated storage claims, it can also identify potential read/write problems and give a quick look at transfer performance.

Bazzite 44 is a big one. Built on Fedora 44, this gaming-focused Linux distro lands with KDE Plasma 6.6 and Gnome 50, the OGC kernel 6.19, and Mesa 26.0.5 for better GPU support across Vulkan and OpenGL titles. The release also strengthens security with signed ISOs and updates bundled tools.

3DMark is a widely used benchmarking tool that measures GPU and CPU performance using a range of graphics tests, including modern ray tracing workloads, making it useful for everything from quick system checks to in-depth performance comparisons across different hardware configurations.