ashampoo

A decent system cleaner and optimizer can make a big difference in your PC's performance by tossing out junk files and tightening the Registry. A really good tool would also help you tune and tweak your system by disabling unnecessary features and settings. Ashampoo's WinOptimizer Free is one of the best such tools we've tried.

We started WinOptimizer with a Full Scan, which completed quickly. WinOptimizer made 15 recommendations over five categories, including three unnecessary startup entries in the StartUp-Tuner, seven superfluous system settings in the Tweaking tool, and 97MB of junk files flagged by the Drive … Read more

UPDATE July 26, 2011: This offer has now ended.

Got something to burn?

Ashampoo Burning Studio 10 is a must-have utility tool for all of your burning needs on CD, DVD, and Blu-ray disc in full HD. Rip, backup, restore, and easily create your own HD and full-HD Blu-ray videos. Most of all, save the hassle of installing multiple multimedia programs--burning has never been easier!

And four days only, Ashampoo and CNET have teamed up to bring you this special opportunity to save 84 percent and get Ashampoo Burning Studio 10 at its lowest price ever: $7.99 (originally $49.… Read more

Ashampoo, a German maker of Windows utilities and security software, warned this week that customer names and e-mail addresses were stolen and could be used in targeted malware attacks.

"Hackers gained access to one of our servers. We discovered the break-in and interrupted it instantly," Ashampoo Chief Executive Rolf Hilchner wrote in a message on the company Web site earlier this week.

Billing information, including credit card and bank account numbers, was not affected, he said, adding that German law enforcement is investigating but "unfortunately, the traces of the well-concealed hackers currently disperse abroad."

Attackers often … Read more

Have you checked out today's CNET Exclusives offer? For 24 hours only, Ashampoo WinOptimzer 7 can be yours at 95 percent off the MSRP price at just $2.49 (regularly $49.99). Rated 5 stars on CNET Download.com, Ashampoo WinOptimizer's all-in-one interface is designed for novice and advanced users alike for intuitive operation and efficient workflow, making it easy for you to clean and optimize your Windows system with just one click. As a bonus, you'll also receive a 60 percent discount offer if you choose to upgrade to version 8 (upgrade is not required).

Here … Read more

We've seen a lot of programs that, in one way or another, help users save and view Flash videos from Web sites like YouTube. Some of these programs simply save the Flash files, while others convert existing Flash files into other, more accessible formats. Rarely do we see a program that does both tasks and does them well. Ashampoo ClipFisher comes frustratingly close to being the consummate Flash video downloader, but in the end, it, too, disappoints.

At first glance, Ashampoo ClipFisher seemed to be exactly what we were looking for. We dragged and dropped the URL of a … Read more

Ashampoo Slideshow Studio HD is an intuitive program that allows users to create attractive, multimedia slideshows. Although nothing about it is particularly amazing, it's a good choice for users who want to create nice-looking slideshows without going to too much trouble.

The program's interface is intuitive, with several different easy-to-use sections. In one section users select the images they want to include in the slideshow, in another they can select a theme--birthday, breaking news, etc.--that will frame each image, in a third they can edit captions and other text, and in the fourth, a preview of the … Read more

Ashampoo Photo Optimizer Free is the perfect tool for fixing underexposed photos quickly and easily. Open one picture or a whole folder full of images, and it will lighten all of the files with a single click.

Ashampoo Photo Optimizer Free is a one-trick pony, but it does its one trick well. The program lightens photos that are too dark. You can also rotate your images left or right. When we tested this utility, we found it did a good job with underexposed files, but it doesn't improve overexposed files, reduce digital noise, or make any other adjustments. Clicking … Read more

Ashampoo Presentations 2008 provides all the necessary tools to create a PowerPoint-like slideshow. Its simple controls mimic the more popular program all the way down to its surprising feature.

Since we had previously created slideshows with Microsoft's PowerPoint, Ashampoo's interface felt instantly familiar. Most of the controls are in similar locations, and they perform every action that PowerPoint does. We quickly created a series of slides that incorporated text, images, sounds, and shapes, and we combined them in a customized slideshow in a matter of minutes. Ashampoo delivered a professional-looking multimedia presentation. Just like in PowerPoint, we were … Read more

With so many media players on the market, the bar has been set pretty high. Unfortunately, Ashampoo Media Player's faulty features barely make it off the ground.

The user interface looks like a prop from a sci-fi movie, which is fine on screen because those things don't have to actually work. In action, it wasn't as easy to use as other media players we've tried. The interface is skinnable and you can toggle between size modes (small, medium, large), but with each change, we had to learn how to navigate the interface all over again. The … Read more