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No, we’re not donning mawashi and putting buns in our hair (though Dave does favor that ensemble on casual Fridays). This Sumo stands for Software Update Monitor, and boy does it ever monitor your software.

Install this freeware, and it will scan your system for installed applications and notify you whether updates are available, be they minor, major, or current. Sumo displays your version and the available update, and will even link to the site where the update is available.

The initial scan can take a few minutes, especially if you have many applications installed, as we do. You then decide whether you want to download and install the update–depending on your system specifications, you might neither need nor want the latest update.

If, for some reason, Sumo doesn’t list the application you want to check, you can drag and drop the executable. Sumo will check for any updates. We were surprised to see that updates were available for some of our applications; the process is also useful for applications you don’t use often. You can also tell Sumo to add, remove, or ignore checking for some programs’ updates.

Don’t wrestle with checking for individual updates. Run this, and your system will graduate Sumo Cum Laude.

Where to Get it: http://www.kcsoftwares.com/
Price: Free
Requirements: Any PC running Windows; Internet connection required.

Bill Dubie and Dave Sciuto are industry columnists. They recommend
strongly that you read the end-user license agreement on any software you download, as the program could contain spyware or other utilities you don’t want on your computer.

Tags: applications