Here are some new software tools you might use to freshen up your machine: one to speed up the loading of sites, one to do an Internet super search and another to make an extensive list of all the software and hardware on your computer. All the software reviewed here is free to download.

First up is Google's Web Accelerator, a tool designed to load sites faster into you browser, according to the search engine company. The tool is released as a beta, or test version, for those daring enough to run it through its paces.

Google Web Accelerator works by sending URL requests through the company's global network of servers designated specifically for speeding up the rendering of the browser page from a specific site. Google's network of computers store copies of the frequently accessed sites and automatically updates those pages. Individual web browsers need to process only updates to those sites when loading them. Test out whether the system works or not. You must use Windows XP or 2000 and at least version 5.5 of Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser or version 1.0 of Mozilla Foundation's Firefox browser. Download the software at Google Labs. Go to www.google.com, click on the “more” link and you will see the link to “Labs”. While there check out the amazing collection of tools Google is building in its bid to conquer the Internet. Some interesting tools include Desktop Search (creates an index of your files), Google Deskbar (search using Google without opening your browser) and Google Ride Finder (find a taxi, limousine or shuttle using real time position of vehicles in major US cities).

Next up, try super-searching the Internet the next time you need some information. Copernic Agent Basic queries up to 90 search engines all at once and groups the results into one package.

The aim is to bring back the most relevant results. Broaden your search if you seem to be stuck on using one search engine. The agent automatically removes duplicates of results and can be set up to remove broken links or search within results. Agent Basic also saves your search results for later use. The Agent is integrated into Internet Explorer's toolbar for access. While at Copernic (www.copernic.com) try out the company's free Desktop Search tool, which has received consistently high ratings from users compared to the Google version. Both tools work on Windows platforms from 98 and up.

Copernic's desktop tool also makes an index of your hard drive's contents, sorting the results according to file type and date. It will automatically detect external hard drives connected to your computer and index the contents as well. You can select what you want to index and restrict indexing to a particular hard drive partition or to specific mail folders within Outlook.

I saved the best for last. Everest Home Edition is one heck of a tool for computer tech types and for ordinary home users, who, like me, do not have a clue about how to find the model number of their computer's main board or what software they have running on their machine.

Everest, by Lavalys (www.lavalys.com), is one of my favourite tools and is indispensable if you want to upgrade your hardware and software or just understand what makes your computer tick. You get information about motherboard, CPU and BIOS, including chipset details, DMI enumeration, AGP configuration information, SPD memory modules list, DRAM timing information and CPU instruction set support. Makes sense? Weirdly enough, after reformatting my computer, it does to me.

Information on video adapter and monitor, all hard disk and optical disk drives, network adapters, multimedia, input devices and software is included. The software also diagnoses system and CPU temperature, fan status, CPU, AGP and DRAM voltage monitoring, S.M.A.R.T. disk health status and benchmarks memory read and write speed. My computer output a 106 page HTML document.

I found the best feature was the links supplied with every hardware or software reference. Click on a link, for example the BIOS, motherboard or chipset found on your system, and you are directed to the Internet page to download software updates for your particular model. Intel for example has made quite a number of free updates to the software needed for my motherboard since it was made four years ago. Getting the updates is an easy way to ensure your computer is working to its best ability. The Home Edition is free for personal use. Business, academic and government types will have to fork over about $30 a copy, a bargain for the amount of time and hassle it saves. Check www.SecureBermuda.com for security updates, including an important patch for Apple systems.

Contact Ahmed at ahmed.elamin@wanadoo.fr