Engine Updates

Jim Ablett Win/Linux builds
Mizar 3.0 JA (WB)
C source; Win32/64, Linux32/64
- Linux builds added
http://homepages.tesco.net/henry.ablett/jims.html

Prédateur 2.0 (UCI)
Win32
"It should be significantly stronger than Prédateur 0.1.5 (maybe +400 Elo? You tell me.)"
- ponder mode added
- Internal Iterative Deepening
- "Distance to mate" pruning
- Late Move Pruning
- "avoid null-move" in the hash table
- pawn-hash
- switched from verified null move to simple null move
- no more recapture nor pawnpush extensions
- Late Move Reduction finely tuned
- devided the search into a root and branchs ones
- much smarter output (Prédateur won't spam you anymore)
- improved time management
- passers and backward pawns recognition added to eval (still basic)
- LOTS of bugs suppressed here and there (especially in the hash tables management)
http://predateur-chess.blogspot.com/

Chess News

December 2010 Hiarcs opening book
commercial opening book
- Hiarcs book updated
http://www.hiarcs.com/

Down/Problem Chess Websites

Akiba homepage down for 13 days (404 error)
Aldebaran homepage down for 4 days (no response in 60 seconds)
ChessAlex homepage down for 25 days (404 error)
Frenzee homepage down for 126 days (webpage taken down until new engine release)
NSVChess homepage down for 82 days (403 error: forbidden)
Holger Schluckebier Mac builds homepage down for 62 days (internal server error)
Amyan homepage back up
Omar homepage back up

Wiki Changes
Nothing new today

Bonus Notifications (recent releases of free stuff)

Warnings:
- do not install unwanted toolbars, etc.
- alpha releases have new features; crashes and bugs are to be expected
- beta releases have new features; they may contain bugs or crash
- release candidate software may contain minor bugs; crashes are rare

Calibre 0.7.35
cross-platform open source ebook manager for all popular ebook readers with format conversion,
news feeds, and integrated e-book viewer
http://calibre-ebook.com/

CCleaner 3.02
free registry and file optimization/privacy/cleaning tool; thorough and effective: Recommended
http://www.ccleaner.com/
http://www.piriform.com/blog/2010/12/23/ccleaner-v302 (announcement)

Drupal 7.0 RC 3
open source PHP-based content management platform for websites
this is a *release candidate*
http://drupal.org/home
http://drupal.org/drupal-7.0-rc3 (announcement)
http://drupal.org/node/1005976 (release notes)

Visual Database Creator 3.3.0.0
free visual database creator; simple, easy-to-use with sophisticated layout designer
http://www.visualdatabasecreator.com/

Meaning of Colors

Red = New or Warning
Green = Updated
Gray = Info Only

Engine List: http://computer-chess.org/doku.php?id=computer_chess:wiki:lists:chess_engine_list
Chess News: http://computer-chess.org/doku.php?id=computer_chess:wiki:lists:chess_news_list

NOTE: If you want me to track a website for you, please email me and I will add it.