Bookmash is a program that allows you to view, download and store films, mp3s and pictures from some of the web’s favourite sources. This program is similar to others reviewed here on Crenk such as Vuze only it supports song and pictures as well.
The program allows you to browse pictures on Flickr, videos on YouTube and a host of other websites such as Metacafe and Last fm. You can then choose to download these songs onto your computer using the easy interface and controls.
It beats using outdated programs whereby entering every specific URL and details were required. Now, Bookmash does all the work for you.
It can also be synced with your existing preferences such as Downloading RSS feeds like podcasts or news and can be linked in with Digg, the popular bookmarking tool.
Upon getting the program myself for the purpose of this review, I was downloading videos and pictures that were all optimised in the search results to meet my demands, unlike other similar programs that just throw dozens of results at you 1% related to your search-phrase
However, there are some draw backs. At first, there is a learning curve that one needs to overcome. This is mainly due to the amount of options you have which is a blessing in disguise.
Version 0.21 added a welcome page which is handy for getting the ball rolling, but more intriguingly it introduced Bookmash to the world stage by giving the user the ability to choose from 13 different international languages.
All in all a good piece of kit that allows you to have everything in the one place. Not essential but useful for those who enjoy organisation to the extreme.
Vuze is a handy piece of kit that lets you stream or download videos from the internet. Similar to services already available such as MegaVideo, only now you have the added functionality of a media player, library and subscription services for podcasts and specific genres.
You download Vuze here (less than 10Mb) and install it in under five minutes. No need to restart your PC or do any complicated set up, so already it was in my good books. Upon opening the program for the first time I was greeted by a fairly simple interface that the average computer user could navigate. Search Bar, Library, Current Downloads and even a helpful ‘Getting Started’ section to guide you through the stages (although you really shouldn’t need it).
One thing that caught my eye was HD. Lucky for me, my new laptop was indeed HD compatible so I decided to search for a HD clip. I typed in ‘Public Enemies’ into the search bar and up popped a load of results. I could either watch the whole movie or simply a trailer. The HD quality was outstanding which surprised me as the download took less than a minute. Sound and playback quality was also top notch. No jumpy movies like you get with browser players.
Another section is ‘Devices’. Now, Vuze is fully compatible with a host of portable devices such as your iPod, iPhone, laptop, and other portables. It also works a treat on the PS3 and XBOX 360.
If you’re a videographer you can also publish your content on the Vuze network. This is great for publicizing your stuff to a large audience and also for Podcasts looking to branch out. It’s really easy to upload etc.. There are also special packages available for those uploading load of content to give them priority and good exposure on the Vuze Network.
One area I think that Vuze could improve is with the extra content. There should be a minimal browser built in to allow you to view the community pages without having to kick-start Firefox. This would give it a seamless affect and just be handy in general.
All things considered however, this is a spectacular piece of software and one I’ll be using a lot from now on. I think web based video torrents are having their final farewells. 9/10
