Although it's not due until tomorrow, you can now download the final version of Mozilla's Firefox 8.

Firefox 8, though not very different from Firefox 7 in terms of design, brings a bunch of subtle but useful improvements. The most notable changes in Firefox 8 are the ability to search Tweets and Twitter users from the URL bar. In addition, the way tabs reload after crashes has been improved. Instead of them all trying to load at once (which can really lock-up Firefox) they only load now when you click on them after a crash.

Third party add-ons have also been deactivated by default which will come as welcome news to all those that are sick of add-ons such as Skype reinstalling themselves with each new Firefox update. This means that when you update to Firefox 8, you can choose which add-ons update automatically.

The slight disadvantage of Firefox 8 is that many add-ons won't work from the start until the developers have upgraded them although the beta testing period for version 8 should have given them chance to do so.

The interface in Firefox 8 is pretty much the same as Firefox 7, with a minimalist toolbar and hidden buttons.

Other than this, Firefox 8 mainly introduces improvements to memory usage and performance when having many tabs open. Firefox 8 is slightly more responsive and has some significant improvements to the JavaScript handling as well as improved support for HTML5 canvas, SMIL, MathML, and XHR. As a result, Firefox 8 is a little faster when loading pages. There are also additional improvements to the anonymous browsing feature and an installation panel that facilitates the installation and management of add ons.

Note that although Firefox 8 has just been released, you can already download the Alpha version of Firefox 9. This is because Mozilla continues to follow the same strategy as Google does with Chrome, creating different development channels to release early versions of their browser as soon as they’re available and keep the final one updated as often as possible.

Download Firefox 8 for Windows or Mac and let us know your thoughts on Mozilla's latest browser.

If you’re hankering after a game of FIFA but can’t afford to purchase it outright, then check out FIFA Online 2.

A while ago we brought you news of FIFA Online, EA’s web-based version of its popular soccer sim. Unfortunately, the beta has now closed, and the game is no longer available to play. But the good news is that there is another web version of FIFA available to play for free.

Distributed by Asian games operator, IAH Games, FIFA Online 2 is a licensed version of the soccer game, based around the FIFA 07 engine. It’s a good reproduction of FIFA, with decent graphics, simple controls and loads of officially licensed players and teams. Read my full review of FIFA Online 2 for more.

In order to download and play the game you need to sign up for a Passport with IAH Games. It seems from the location selection option in the registration process that FIFA Online 2 is designed just for the South East Asian market. However, if you’re outside of this zone, simply select ‘Others’ when asked.

You can choose to download FIFA Online 2 using the IAH Games installer, or just the normal game client. We’d recommend you go for the latter, as it’s quicker and easier.

Just when you think you've found the perfect social network, another one crops up that seems even better and you just have to join. If this sounds like you, you've probably got your hand in half a dozen or more different social sites by now. Juggling then can get confusing pretty quickly!

Good thing there's Yoono. Similar in nature to HootSuite, in that it supports multiple social networking sites, and Echofon, in that it's a client that's available on a variety of different platforms, Yoono is a great organizational tool to keep track of all your friends feeds in one place.

Now the trailer's been released after a week of frenzied and often pretty funny speculation, what can we say for sure about GTA V?

Where?

Vinewood appears, meaning we're returning to San Andreas. Like GTA San Andreas, this looks to be another huge game, with multiple locations. It looks like there'll be the same mix of city and countryside, but we don't know if there will be more than one city. However, the jet plane at the end suggests there may somewhere else to fly to! It also looks to have a pretty contemporary setting from the cars we see, although it could be set any time in the last decade.

Who?

Our narrator sounds a little older than what we're used to, but his story sounds like one we've heard before: a bad guy trying to go straight, but of course, it doesn't go that way. There's no indication this middle-aged family man will be the only character. The trailer is cleverly ambiguous about that...

Changes?

With the depictions of homelessness mixed with the opulence of Vinewood, it's clear Rockstar isn't shying away from the grittiness that GTA IV introduced. But at the same time, there appear to be fighter jets and airplanes, so we may see more of the excess that made so many people fall in love with the original San Andreas.

Did the trailer live up to your expectations, or are you disappointed the rumor of a Detroit setting didn't come to pass? We'll be sure to keep you updated with whatever we hear about the game in coming months!

Cooperative multiplayer is no new concept, but indie game Way makes the experience totally fresh. It's an attractive platformer, where you play with an unknown partner, and have to communicate with each other using simple expressions and arm movements to explain where to go and when.

As an example, there are part where platforms for one player are only visible to the other. In this case it's most common to guide the player around by pointing. The sections where timing is necessary can be pretty tricky, but they really bond players, and by the end you'll have a great sense of shared achievement.

Graphically, Way reminds me of Little Big Planet (as does the rather floaty jumping), but the communication aspect makes it a really different game. It shouldn't take much over 30 minutes to complete, and believe me you'll be pleased you did. Check out my review here (also available on Mac).

Is there anything more boring than the progress bar? If you use a Windows PC, you're sure to see it on a fairly regular basis, whether you're copying, moving or deleting files. Moving files around can be a boring job, especially if they're big ones, but one enterprising developer - Ben Stone - has decided to add some fun to the process with two hilarious apps - Nyan Cat Progress Bar and Instant Elevator Music.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that when compared to other, more useful software, you might be thinking that these apps are a bit useless but, goddamit, they're fun! As you can see above, Nyan Cat Progress Bar replaces the normal, boring progress bar with Nyan Cat and its rainbow-colored space trail. It also plays Nyan Cat's signature Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya! song.

If that's all a bit psychedelic for you, try sister app Instant Elevator Music. This one's purely aural, playing tinkly elevator music whenever you're waiting for an app to open or a file to move. You can actually set Instant Elevator Music to play any music while you wait, but the bland, anodyne elevator tune is 90% of the fun! For two such seemingly trivial apps, they actually have a surprising amount of options, including an ignore list and, crucially, the ability to silence the music in one click.

Unfortunately, we don't think you'll want to use both apps at the same time. In fact, if you did, we'd be quite worried about you. Download them one at a time. and lengthy file operations will never be the same again!

Cloud gaming has been a huge buzz word for gaming both for PC, console, and in mobile.  The shine of excitement has dulled over the past year despite the rol-lout of the hyped up OnLive cloud gaming system.

On smaller fronts, cloud gaming is slowly growing.  As well as OnLive, there is Apple's iOS 5 introducing the iCloud, and Gaiaki bringing gaming into the cloud.  Their work has laid a lot of the foundation of how cloud gaming is slowly seeping into the mainstream in carefully planned steps.

Riot Games’ Brandon Beck moderated a panel with David Perry (Gaikai), Brian Prince (Microsoft), and David Wilson (GameStop); all of who are working with cloud in different ways.  Their opinions and ideas explain how cloud gaming is affecting the industry right now:

If you need to open an Excel document but don't have Microsoft Office installed, then don't fear - you can open them with Microsoft Excel Viewer.

Microsoft Excel Viewer is a simple application which allows you to open Excel sheets without Excel. Once installed, just double-click on the file you want to open and Microsoft Excel Viewer does the rest:

It's just like using the real thing but obviously, there's no editing of any kind allowed but it's ideal for just browsing or viewing Excel documents if you don't have Office or your Excel isn't working.

If you need to edit Excel, you can opt for OpenOffice which is completely free to use and allows you to both open and edit Excel, PowerPoint, Word and many other formats although it's much heavier and requires a longer installation process than Microsoft Excel Viewer. There's also LibreOffice which you can read more about here.

Download Microsoft Excel Viewer.

It's been over a decade since Diablo II was released, and it is testament to that game's popularity that there is so much excitement about the Diablo III closed beta and upcoming release in 2012.

Diablo III beta impressions

I played the beta recently, and I think Blizzard has made something that will please fans and newcomers alike. Diablo fans will be right at home with the controls right from the start because there are no big changes. The graphic style is what you would expect from Blizzard, with well defined cartoon-like graphics that are full of detail. It's very atmospheric, and the environment looks great, with some nice touches like crows flying up out trees as you pass.

The beta isn't massively long, but it gives you a taste of how the game has been improved. The general feeling I got was one of smoothness - Diablo III is really slick, and everything just seems to work as it should. The sound is excellent, and visually it manages to be dark enough while keeping everything clear.

Once you've created your Hero, from the usual character classes, you are dropped right into New Tristram, a town that has just suffered a meteor strike that has resulted in the dead rising and attacking. This sets you up on a mission to find Deckhard Cain, who is trapped in the Cathedral.

How to get a Diablo III beta key

If you want to apply for Diablo III beta testing, while nothing is guaranteed, you can sign up for a free Battle.net account, and then follow the instructions here on the official Diablo III site.

If you ever find yourself distracted or annoyed by ads in your web browser, there's a way to fix the issue. OverApps is a handy little tool that will replace ads with interesting content.

The program works in a simple but creative way - it lets you cover up the ads you see on websites with an app of your choice. Want to keep up with your friends' status updates on Facebook? Now you can no matter what webpage you're on. The same goes for Twitter and Flickr. If you're more news-oriented, there's an app that will stream live headlines from CNN. On the other hand if you just want to look at something cute, there are apps that display pictures of puppies and kittens.

Those are just a few of the many app options you get with OverApps. The great news is that the service is currently free in beta version. For Windows XP or higher, OverApps supports Firefox, Internet Explorer and Chrome. For Macs, there's currently support for Firefox.

Here's how it works:

1. Whenever an ad appears on a website, you'll initially see the ad itself (until you program OverApps to override it) and a top drop-down menu from OverApps.

Ace of Spades is a free beta game that Call of Duty-style multiplayer shooting with Minecraft visuals and features. Currently in beta at version 0.60, despite missing a proper game interface, Ace of Spades is a surprisingly playable PC game.

To play quickly, simply download and install the game, then go to the Ace of Spades/play page, choose a server and the game should launch. You can only change your user name by opening the game's folder (click Windows Start button, then All Programs, then Ace of Spades), opening the Configuration file, then replacing the word 'DEUCE' with your chosen word and saving. There are a ton of other hints, tips and importantly controls at the Ace of Spades Wiki.

Environments vary, from randomly spawned worlds, to ones designed by players. All can be mined and built on during battle, which makes for some interesting ideas. The map I played above was two bases separated by an enormous plateau, that had tunnels and chasms carved through it, with fighting taking place all over the place. It's really compelling and I highly recommend it. You'll be hard pushed to find something this good for free!

Most users use the Android Market to download and install their applications.  But what if you have an .apk file you want to install manually via Windows XP?

The Android Application Package File (apk) is the native file format to Android.  It is the package of installer and program files rolled into one simple format.

I recently had this problem with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G LTE tablet that I use here at Softonic in San Francisco.  My HTC Thunderbolt is recognized by Windows XP and I can use Windows Explorer to control my music (though now with Music WithMe, I sync wirelessly from iTunes).

The problem that arose was the Galaxy Tab is not recognized as a removable device in Windows XP.  It’s recognized through the Android SDK, but not in Windows OS.  So what happens when you need to install an apk, but the device is not recognized by Windows XP?

The other big annual face off has started with EA's Battlefield 3 landing the first punch against Activision's Modern Warfare 3. Today PC gamers can download and play the open beta for Battlefield 3, which features the map 'Operation Métro' and game mode 'Rush'. It's 16 versus 16 online multiplayer, and you will certainly need a powerful machine to get the most out of the game. You have to use EA's downloader Origin, and it's a hefty 3.9 gigabytes.

We'll post our full reflections soon, but my first impressions are excellent. The graphics are simply stunning, movement is more realistic than ever before and the sound is excellent and dynamic. As is always the case with Battlefield, it seems well balanced, but takes some time to get into.

Newbies will be bewildered, and probably get shot a lot. You have to invest time in learning the map, which is pretty big, and until you do, other players will punish you for popping your head out in the wrong place! Take a look at our preview here. Do you think Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be able to match this?

FIFA 12 comes out this Friday, so it’s time to start thinking about which soccer game you’ll be investing in this season. That means only one thing - it's time for our annual post comparing FIFA with Pro Evolution Soccer!

Since PES 2012 isn’t released until October 14 in some places, the temptation will be to splash out on EA’s title this week and not bother with Pro Evo, or just to stick it on your holiday gift list. But what if EA has tweaked the excellent FIFA 11 too much and ruined it? What if PES 2012 makes the leap and recaptures the magic of those enchanting previous generation versions?

My advice is to go and download the demo versions of both FIFA 12 and PES 2012 before you make any purchasing decisions. Give each a few hours workout and draw your own conclusions. That’s what I did, and here’s my verdict:

Gameplay

Pro Evolution Soccer 2012

Pro Evo has been accused of losing its way in recent versions - a pal of mine now calls it “No Evo”! It’s fair to say that PES has struggled to make the jump to the next generation of consoles, while FIFA positively embraced the new possibilities.

PES 2012, however, as with the previous version, sees the magic of the glory days (I’m talking Pro Evo 3 through to 7) slowly returning. PES 2012 is fast, fluid and fun to play. The game engine gives you a real sense of freedom: there are always plenty of options when attacking, passes can be weighted to perfection, and shooting is a joy to behold.

Pro Evo 2012 adds a new off-the-ball control system, which allows you to unlock even more new attacking opportunities. A run down the wing is now a journey into a world of possibilities, as you can take control of any other attacker, drifting into space to receive a pass or pulling a defender out of position to create space for the player on the ball. Granted, controlling players off the ball (done using the second analog stick) is disorientating at first, but you’ll soon start to love it.

The final version of Firefox 7 is now available for download on both Windows and Mac. Early reports are that many users are finding it much lighter on memory and that for once, most add-ons seem to work with from the start.

This is encouraging news as our early beta tests didn't find much improvement in memory usage although since then, Mozilla claim they've made "drastic" improvements to it.

Is it enough to win-back disgruntled Firefox users that have switched to Chrome? Let us know your thoughts on the new version.

Download Firefox 7 for Windows and Mac.