Audacity is a really popular open source audio editor used by many people to make podcasts, create ringtones, remove vocals, and pretty much anything else you want to do with sound files. Indeed, we're big fans of the project here at OStatic, so we're glad to hear its development team say this week's release of Audacity 1.3.10 beta, "brings us very close to our goal of a new 2.0 Release."

Audacity's new release contains several bug fixes and improvements, and is strongly recommended for Windows 7 users as a replacement for the stable 1.2.6 version. Important changes in the beta version include:

There's a lot going on in the world of open source software development, including some early looks at updates to several popular applications. Remember: beta versions of software are fun to play with and crucial for getting final versions out the door, but aren't stable enough for everyday use.

AbiWord 2.7.10 Beta - Open source word processor, AbiWord, mainly fixes bugs associated with plugins but there are also a handful of fixes for some cross-platform issues. You'll also want to check out this beta version if you've been having issues with importing and exporting Open Office XML docs.

Audacity, the free, open source sound editor, is on the top of everyone's list of podcasting and audio apps here at OStatic, so we're always thrilled when there's an update. If you love Audacity, too, and can't wait for the next stable version to be released, you can get in on the beta action right now. Audacity 1.3.8 Beta is available now for a sneak peek at some new features and improvements that will be in the app's next stable version.