Take an overpowered Windows cleaning utility and wed it to the crowd, and you've got the free SlimCleaner 1.6 (download). The cleaning utility can do just about anything you can think of, from deleting browsing tracks to uninstalling programs to cleaning up the assorted file detritus that daily use of your computer creates. What makes this particular program interesting is that, like Soluto, it draws on anonymously contributed data from its users to help keep your system running like a well-oiled machine. Unlike Soluto, SlimCleaner is really for advanced users, people comfortable mucking around in Windows system settings.

Although the collection of tools here is robust, and the scans are surprisingly fast, the crowdsourced utility is what makes SlimCleaner interesting. The program uses an in-house process called "authoritative ranking" to evaluate each user's ranking submissions. A user's ranking is rated against that person's previous levels of accuracy, and then weighed against other users who are known to have highly accurate rankings. Evaluations that are too far outside the mean get flagged.

The program is divided into six sections: Cleaner, Optimize, Uninstaller, Shredder, Hijack Log, and Windows Tools. Most people will be concerned with the first four components. The Hijack Log provides an interactive list of running components on your computer. This includes toolbars, services, start-up entries, ActiveX components, drivers, and codecs. The list is useful, but it's a diagnostic tool that only advanced users will be able to parse without assistance.

The Cleaner is also the program's main landing page. The tool is designed to delete data that gets automatically stored on your computer, such as temporary files and browsing tracks, and so the first thing you see is a bulleted list of categories that you can clean. Although the program launches into a list, you can toggle cleaning each one individually via a radio button next to the listing. There are also three categories that can be cleaned: Windows system, Browser, and Applications.

SlimCleaner has a robust selection of tools, yet there isn't a lot of obvious guidance for newcomers. The phenomenal selection is made up of options that are easy to use if you know what they mean or don't mind looking them up. Unfortunately, most people will find the program obtuse and confusing, and that makes it hard to navigate because it's not readily apparent where you are or what you're doing.

While the Cleaner is for removing tracks, SlimCleaner's Optimize feature is where the Startup and Services managers live. From here, you can toggle which programs and services run on start-up. Conveniently, there's a Restore list as well, so items you disable can easily be re-enabled. This is also where you'll see the community ratings first come into play, as each item has a color-coded community rating and a More Info button. As micromanaging Windows functions can be complicated even for people with experience, the additional resources are an excellent idea.

The Optimize and Uninstaller sections have nearly identical layouts, which makes sense given that their functions are similar. There are two RAM and CPU usage gauges on the top, followed by the list of items to toggle or uninstall, the aforementioned community rating, and more info buttons. There's also a search feature so you can easily sift through long lists.

Like other free file shredders, SlimCleaner's Shredder gives you four levels of file deletion. You can choose from a single overpass for basic deletion, a three-pass option, a seven-pass option, and the Guttman 35-pass level.

All these features combine to make for a robust Windows cleaning utility that just lacks a better layout and more on-the-fly explanations of what some of the options do. While the crowdsourcing aspect is innovative, SlimCleaner faces an uphill battle in getting users to care enough to spend time rating utilities when there are far more interesting things going on in the world.

Then again, maybe what the Windows utility world lacks is an alternate reality game for system tools.

It's been a long time since CNET's first collection of Google Chrome tips, so we've got a new batch of tricks to help you get the most out of Google's browser. We've split our advice this time around into three categories: using Incognito, powering up with the "about:" commands, and keeping your hands on the keyboard with a list of 30 hot keys. You can download Google Chrome for Windows, Mac, or Linux.

Tip one: Keep your browsing private with Incognito.
Incognito mode is a private browsing mode that turns off the regular in-browser tracking such as your history and cookies. While it lends itself well to "porn mode" jokes, it's actually a useful tool for a heightened level of privacy, such as when conducting online banking. It's so useful that Chrome OS uses Incognito for its Guest account log-ins, so you can share your Chromebooks with friends and not have to worry about having your tabs accidentally deleted, for example.

The keyboard shortcut to launch a new Incognito window is Ctrl+Shift+N. In Windows 7, you can launch an Incognito window directly from the desktop taskbar by right-clicking on the pinned Chrome icon and choosing "New Incognito window" from Tasks. You can also open a link directly into Incognito from a regular session of Chrome by right-clicking on the link and choosing "Open link in Incognito window".

You can start Chrome in Incognito mode by default, too. Create a Chrome shortcut on your desktop, then right-click it and choose Properties. In the Target field, go to the end of the line and type " --incognito" (space, dash, dash, incognito, no quotes), then hit the OK button. That shortcut will always launch Chrome in Incognito, and it won't conflict with another, regular shortcut.

Another essential Incognito tip is that you can toggle your installed extensions to run while in Incognito mode. Go to the Wrench icon (or Preferences on a Mac) and choose Tools, then Extensions. Enabled extensions that can run in Incognito mode will have a check box that you can tick to allow them to run. This is not the safest way to use Incognito, however, because it's possible that the extensions will record browsing tracks that the browser won't. Still, it's appropriate for each user to make the decision about which extensions ought to work while the rest of the browser's tracking methods have gone silent.

Tip two: It's all about the "about:"
Chrome has a different set of about: functions than Firefox, and it's a good idea to memorize some of the basic ones that you can type into the location bar. One of the most important is about:flags, which provides access to experimental features. The list is constantly changing, as Chrome engineers develop new features that they want power users to play with, but that might decrease the stability of the browser as a trade-off.

Currently, some of the best options in about:flags include Side Tabs, for moving tabs from the top of the browser to the side, great for wide monitors; Grouping, which adds a grouping option to the tab context menu to keep related tabs together; Better Omnibox history matching, which gives a kick in the pants to the location bar's search feature; and the various GPU-related choices. These will likely decrease your browser's stability, but you will also see dramatic gains in browser speed, especially on Windows XP or older machines, as these flags toggle the more experimental aspects of hardware-accelerated browsing.

Another smart "about" to remember is about:memory. This shows you not only the memory that Chrome is using, both in its entirety and broken down into individual tab processes, but also the memory usage of any other browser you're running at the moment. (I used it for gauging memory usage during the most recent CNET browser benchmark battle.)

Chrome doesn't yet have a hot key to jump you directly to the Extension manager, but it does have about:plugins, which will take you there.

Many of the rest of the about: features get deep into browser management and reveal important browser data to developers. You can always check out the full list of 18 standard about: pages, and the list of seven additional ones that will force different kinds of crashes for developers, by typing in about:about.

Tip three: Use the keyboard, Luke.
Hot key combinations not only improve finger strength and dexterity they also help you navigate faster. Chrome and the coming Chrome OS have an extensive list of hot keys, and the list of 30 hot keys below includes both basics and some of the more esoteric options.

Hot key combo	What it does
F1	Loads the Google Chrome Help center URL
Ctrl+J	View Downloads window
Ctrl+H	View History window
Ctrl+D	Bookmark page
Ctrl+F	Opens/Closes search box
Ctrl+P	Opens Print window
Ctrl+T	Opens a new tab
Ctrl+W	Closes current tab
Ctrl++	Zooms in
Ctrl+-	Zooms out
Ctrl+0	Returns page to default size
Ctrl+Shift+T	Re-opens most recently closed tab
Ctrl+N	Opens a new window
Ctrl+Shift+N	Opens a new Incognito window
Ctrl+Tab	Cycles tabs, left to right
Ctrl+Shift+Tab	Cycles tabs, right to left
Ctrl+1-8	Jumps to tab. 1 = first tab, 2 = second tab
Ctrl+9	Jumps to last tab
Ctrl+Shift+Del	Opens Clear Browsing Data window
Ctrl+Shift+B	Shows/Hides Bookmarks bar
Shift+Esc	Opens Chrome's internal task manager
Alt+Home	Opens home page in current tab
Alt+D/Ctrl+L	Highlights text in location bar
Ctrl+Enter	Adds www. and .com to text in URL bar
Ctrl+Shift+V	Pastes from the clipboard without formatting
Shift+Alt+T	Moves focus to first tool in toolbar
Tab (after Shift+Alt+T)	Cycles through tools on toolbar
Space or Enter (after Shift+Alt+T)	Activates selected tool
Shift+F10 (after Shift+Alt+T)	Reveals context menu for selected tool
Esc (after Shift+Alt+T)	Returns focus to page

Google has also made a full list of keyboard shortcuts you can read.

More hints

There are, of course, many other hints, tips, and tricks you can use to maximize your Google Chrome experience. One is the ability to click and drag tabs off the tab bar to create new windows, and to drag them back to re-integrate them into one window. Another that's currently only available to Chrome dev users is the return of the ability to create desktop shortcuts for Web apps and Web sites, like Gmail or Flickr. If you've got a favorite hint, tip, or trick for Chrome that wasn't mentioned here, let me know what it is in the comments below.

It doesn't seem that long ago when we would have to lug around a VHS camera to capture video of family events, vacations, and other memories we could relive later by inserting the VHS tape and hitting the play button on our VCRs. While it was a workable solution for capturing memories in motion, lugging around a video camera everywhere we went wasn't exactly practical.

Fortunately these days, there is no longer the need for fresh VHS tapes or making sure to pack the digital video camera because we have the ability to shoot reasonably good video right on our smartphones. With the iPhone 4's front- and rear-facing cameras, we have even more options for shooting videos, and with hundreds of cool video apps in the App Store, we have tons of interesting (and sometimes strange) options.

This week's collection of apps gives you some options for shooting good-looking videos. The first app lets you film the action from before you hit the record button, the second makes retro-looking videos using effects you control, and the last app gives you some professional options for shooting more-serious movies.

Mogo Video (99 cents) lets you shoot videos on your iPhone, but offers a unique twist. With Mogo Video, you can actually record action that happened before you hit record. As long as the app is on, Mogo is recording, but not saving what you see through your iPhone camera. So, maybe you think your child might take his first steps, for example. With Mogo Video turned on you can point your iPhone at your son, and when he does successfully walk on his own, you can hit the record button to capture what happened a designated number of seconds before you hit record.

Mogo seems like it might come in handy for many things beyond the above example and you get a few options to make it work better for the action at hand. Say you're watching a basketball game, as another example. You can set Mogo Video to record 10 seconds in the past so you can capture the play that leads up to a rip-roaring dunk. No longer will you need to be lucky to capture an amazing moment because the app doesn't limit the amount of time it will record in the past. But, obviously, the app won't be able to record what happened before launching the app. Along with the ability to edit the amount of time, you also can turn the flash on and off on the iPhone 4 and you can switch between the front- and rear-facing cameras.

Overall, Mogo video is an interesting concept that will come in handy in specific action-oriented situations. If you want to catch the big play, or witness a first moment with your kids without having to endlessly record the action, Mogo is a fun and effective way to capture life's exciting moments.

The 8mm Vintage Camera ($1.99) app lets you make old-timey videos with some cool feature variations and effects. Right when we launched this app we were reminded of popular camera app Hipstamatic, because 8mm Vintage Camera offers a vaguely similar feature set, but is instead used for making stylized videos.

Start your project by flicking the wheel in the bottom right of the screen to choose from five different video effects like the black-and-white 1920s setting or the grainy '70s setting. Then, you can swipe the viewfinder in the upper right to choose from film effects like a shaky border (like old films) or a burning effect that makes the outer edges of the film seem to melt as you shoot. Different lens and film combinations give you several options for how your video will turn out.

Unlike Hipstamatic, 8mm Vintage Camera lets you adjust all your settings on one main screen. In addition to the film and lens choices, you have the option to use the iPhone 4 flash for brighter scenes; there's a button that gives your film a frame jitter effect; and you can switch between the iPhone 4's front- or rear-facing cameras.

When you're finished, you can hit the My Reels button to browse through your shot videos, and touching a specific project gives you options for saving your video to your photo library, sending via e-mail, or uploading directly to YouTube.

Overall, 8mm Vintage Camera is one of the best apps I've found for making old-timey movies in the iTunes App Store, with just enough lens and film variations to give you plenty to experiment with. Anyone who likes old 8mm films should definitely check out this app.

Filmic Pro ($2.99) gives your iPhone camera a new front-end for shooting higher-quality video, with professional tools for controlling exposure, focal point, and more. As we know, the hardware and HD capabilities behind the iPhone's video camera are impressive on their own--but its built-in controls for shooting video are frustratingly primitive for more-experienced filmmakers, and the iPhone isn't always smart about handling factors like exposure and white balance.

Filmic Pro offers an interface that is clean and simple, and all of its controls run along the bottom of screen, making it perfect for keeping a steady thumb grip on your camera. On the left side of the screen, you have buttons for locking and unlocking focus, exposure, and white balance, and turning on your LED torch. On the top, in the main window, you have two reticles (or optionally one, for run-and-gun scenarios) which you can drag around to set focus, exposure, and white balance wherever you want in the shot. On the right side, you have a record button, clip library, info (a quick-start guide to the interface), and settings, which includes a ton of extras such as controls for resolution, variable frames per second, color bars, and a customizable slate with automatic advancing for each take.

Overall, Filmic Pro is a great value and worthwhile download whether you're a budding cinematographer or a filmmaking vet. This app can vastly increase the quality of your videos, letting you get much more out of your iPhone camera without adding any extra gear.

I can't remember the last time I looked forward to a game as much as I'm looking forward to Duke Nukem Forever. I've always loved first-person shooters, but they're all so dark and serious these days. I'm ready for some old-school fun; to kick some ass and chew some gum--and I'm all outta gum.

For whatever reason, that infamous Duke quip doesn't appear in the new Duke Nukem Forever Soundboard app for iOS. Fortunately, the app delivers more than two dozen other hilariously juvenile Duke-isms, including "Tonight you dine in hell" and "Hail to the king, baby."

Many of the others aren't suitable for reprint in a family blog, and indeed the app is rated 12+ for its mild profanity and crude humor.

Ultimately, the app is little more than a scrolling list of sound clips. But it's a fun little teaser to whet your appetite for the game, which ships in about two weeks. And it's free.

Alas, no word yet on whether we'll ever see a proper Duke Nukem Forever game for iOS. For now, you'll have to settle for Duke Nukem 3D, a port of the original PC classic.

Originally posted at iPhone Atlas

The World Wide Web Consortium has reached an important point in the long journey to standardize HTML5, the next version of the Hypertext Markup Language used to describe Web pages.

HTML5 officially reached "last call" status this week, which means the W3C believes it's got a version of the specification mature enough for organizations to decide whether to express support. But changes still could come: "In practice, last call announcements generate comments that sometimes result in substantive changes to a document," the W3C said in announcing that HTML5 reached last call.

Hypertext Markup Language is a key plank of the World Wide Web technology created by Tim Berners-Lee, who remains involved as the W3C director. "We now invite new voices to let us know whether these specifications address a broad set of needs," he said in a statement.

But HTML5 also is a sore point for the group. HTML has steadily gained in importance as the Web grew far beyond its early roots. But the W3C largely abandoned HTML after releasing version 4.0.1 in 1999.

The W3C focused instead on an incompatible technology called XHML 2.0. That project didn't catch on among Web developers and browser makers, though; the latter formed their own group called the Web Hypertext Applications Technology Working Group (WHATWG) to advance HTML outside the W3C.

The W3C's work formed the foundation of HTML5 and some other related HTML specifications, and the W3C ultimately rejoined the effort. There's still a philosophical tension between the W3C and WHATWG, though: the W3C is working methodically to standardize HTML5 in 2014, but the WHATWG has abandoned HTML version numbers altogether in a shift to a more fluid, constant development process. The projects are still closely linked, though; the same person, a Google employee named Ian Hickson, is editor of both specifications.

HTML5 itself brings a number of changes.

One high-profile feature is an attempt to promote video and audio to the first-class status graphics enjoy rather than relying on plug-ins such as Adobe Systems' Flash Player. HTML5 video is conflicted, though, when it comes to the encoding technology used to actually stream video over the Web: browser makers Mozilla, Opera, and Google are fans of a Google project called WebM, which Google has released as royalty-free and open-source software. Apple and Microsoft, however, prefer the more mature and accepted but patent-encumbered H.264 encoding technology.

Another major feature of HTML5 is Canvas, a receptacle for a range of 2D graphics that can handle everything from computer-generated bar charts to an online game playing field.

HTML5 also tackles some thorny issues at the heart of browser makers' lives: how to digest, or parse, Web page code. HTML5's parser technology is based on a very broad examination of how HTML is used in practice on the Web, and the effort is intended to ensure that Web pages will look the same with different browsers. Accompanying the effort is a consistent way of handling errors in Web page coding, so those pages look the same, too.

The new standard also gets a range of new tags to label sections of a document more descriptively: section, header, and article, for example. That effort grew out of the recognition that many programmers had to resort to more laborious procedures to handle the same document structures over and over.

HTML5 promotes another piece of plumbing, the DOM (Document Object Model), to an official status. Ordinary people shouldn't have to care about the DOM, but they will care about what it's involved with--JavaScript programs that use the DOM to interact with Web page elements, for example. That's key to the much more sophisticated, dynamic Web pages often called Web apps.

HTML5 isn't the only HTML standardization work under way. Other HTML standards include geolocation, offline data storage, background processing, and a direct browser-server communication conduit called WebSockets.

On top of that, HTML5 often refers to a much broader collection of new Web features--WebGL for 3D graphics, Cascading Style Sheets for formatting and now animation, and fast JavaScript for more advanced Web app programming, for example. The W3C, while enthusiastic about much of that new work, generally sticks to the strict, narrow definition of HTML5.

For a look at what comes next in standardization, the W3C has released a schedule of upcoming steps in handling feedback, bugs that are filed, and moving on to the next stage.

For example, the W3C hopes to address all HTML5 objections by January 31, 2012.

In addition, with HTML5 reaching last call status, the W3C now plans to turn more attention to future features it calls HTML.next.

A final, important point: although the HTML5 standardization process is very drawn out, it's not charting some future ideas. More often, it's codifying the present, settling down practices already supported in browsers and used on the Web. So in many regards, HTML5 is already here.

Originally posted at Deep Tech