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The Boxing Day sales have turned into a special event to finish off the year in style for all those last-minute bargains. But with so many stores shouting about new deals it can all turn into a bit of a blur, or maybe that's the eggnog and excessive amounts of turkey lulling us into a slumber. The short version: you've got better things to be doing on the Christmas break than checking all the usual retailers and shifting through deals. So let us do it for you and roundup the finest ones right here! Update: actually, we're seeing load of fantastic deals already, so we've included the highlights for you in-case you've got a bit of last-minute shopping left to do. When do the Boxing Day sales start?Not a silly question at all. We actually saw lots of retailers push the button (probably with gravy on their fingers) quite early on Christmas Day. But it's not unusual to see some stores unleash new deals a few days earlier too. With so many super fast delivery options available now, or in-store pickup, retailers are keen to keep the deals going right until the last possible moment before Christmas Day. And a good thing too given how many of us tend to buy late - we'll start soon, honest. Maybe next week. If just before Christmas is the time to scramble for last-minute gifts, anytime from the day itself onwards is the chance to treat yourself or use those gift vouchers to make a great deal a truly spectacular bargain. Let's do this! When do the January sales start?Expect an early start here too. Although if we're going off the last few years, the January sales haven't been particularly special. It's been all about the Boxing Day deals really, although we're pleased to report some of the better ones stayed online a good few days into January. January sales are more of a continuation of the Boxing Day sales so you can probably expect to see many stores simply rebrand the sales to 'January' ones from the day after Boxing Day on December 27th. Given many workplaces are off until around January 2nd, retailers are keen to show you the best deals as soon as possible while you've got time off at home rather than try to push deals on you while you're heading back to work or nursing that New Year's Eve hangover. What deals can I get right now before the Boxing Day sales?Some of you really have turned up early for the Boxing Day deals and January Sales. Well, here are some highlights of the hottest discounts on the latest tech deals you can get in the UK right now. Back to the top ^Check out our full guide to the best cheap TV sales and dealsBack to the top ^Check out our full guide to the best cheap laptop dealsNintendo Switch Boxing Day dealsPS4 Boxing Day salesXbox One Boxing Day salesBack to the top ^Don't miss the full list of Nintendo Switch prices and bundle dealsCheck out even more PS4 prices and PS4 Pro dealsCheck out the full list of Xbox One deals and Xbox One X pricesBack to the top ^We've also rounded up the other Fire TV deals and Amazon Echo pricesBack to the top ^ Back to top ^We've rounded up some extra Fitbit sale prices and cheap smartwatchesBack to the top ^So who's having a Boxing Day sale?All the big stores get stuck in. With so many keen shoppers going online over the Christmas period in recent years, it's just too good a chance for them to finish 2018 off with some extra money in the bank. Let's take a look at the big hitters below and what you can nab from each. Boxing Day sales retailer quick linksMore a fan of browsing through the sales for your own special deals? Well, let us give you a head start. The links below will take you through to a wide range of retailers we're used to seeing get stuck into the Boxing Day and January sales spirit. AmazonArgosAO.comJohn LewisCurrysZavviMobiles.co.ukCarphone WarehouseBoohooNextLovehoneyThe best Boxing Day sales January sales from last yearWant a little taste of what to expect in the upcoming Boxing Day sales? Directly below you'll find a selection of some of the best deals we saw last year. Naturally, these prices expired a long time ago, but they they could be even cheaper now too! We'd certainly keep our fingers crossed for lower prices each year too. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/x3GAqrbCDmA

The holidays are an expensive time, so we’re bringing you a special treat: a full, free Windows program to download every day until Christmas. Behind the 21st door on our free downloads advent calendar, you'll find Abelssoft SyncManager 2018 – a powerful tool for syncing essential files including music, movies and photos to an external hard drive with a single click. Get Abelssoft SyncManager 2018Abelssoft describes SyncManager 2018 as "your personal data butler". It runs in the background, monitoring your system for changes and performing sync tasks automatically when a particular event occurs (when a certain USB device is plugged in, for example). It's entirely up to you how and when your files are synced, so it'll never happen at an inconvenient time. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mq4YfvpcJxEtMskGjfdNX6.png You can also take your pick from four different types of synchronization – continuous, manual, daily or weekly – depending on how much control you want. If you prefer to sync your files yourself, Abelssoft SyncManager makes it as easy as clicking a button. Alternatively, if you prefer a hands-off approach, you can simply set the software up once and forget it. Download Abelssoft SyncManager free today and make sure your files are protected. Download provided by AbelssoftIn case you missed it...Day one: Ashampoo Burning Studio 2018Day two: Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2018Day three: Ashampoo Uninstaller 6Day four: Ashampoo Photo Commander 15Day five: Ashampoo Snap 9Day six: Ashampoo Backup 2018Day seven: Ashampoo UndeleterDay eight: Ashampoo Music Studio 2018Day nine: Ashampoo Disk-Space-ExplorerDay 10: Ashampoo Snap 2018Day 11: Ashampoo Photo RecoveryDay 12: Ashampoo Photo OptimizerDay 13: Steganos Safe 19Day 14: Steganos Password Manager 19Day 15: mySteganos Online Shield VPNDay 16: Incomedia WebAnimator GODay 17: Incomedia WebSite X5 Start 17Day 18: Digiarty VideoProcDay 19: Abelssoft MovieCut 2019Day 20: Abelssoft ScreenVideo 2018http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/sV4J15HgzXc

TV shows, movies, and games are often distributed online, and a great download manager will slash the amount of time you spend waiting for them to appear on your hard drive. The best managers can speed up downloads by breaking files into manageable blocks, let you pause and resume whenever you want, and even compensate for flaky internet connections by picking up where they left off after it breaks unexpectedly. Some download managers will even convert media file formats automatically, saving you the hassle of re-encoding them yourself, and others will let you begin playing an audio or video file before it's finished downloading. Here's our pick of the very best free download managers for Windows. Once you've tried one, you'll wonder how you ever managed without it. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9d8b11b635025b4f8ea1de3d26c578ec.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/00ccf24bda4db27996d0eebd7cc3ffc3.jpg With Ninja Download Manager, you can begin listening to an audio file while it's still downloadingNinja Download Manager is a relative newcomer to the downloading party, and it looks considerably more contemporary than its, er, contemporaries. Its interface is simple and modern (if a little dark), and its accelerator can help you get your files 10 times faster. It does this by splitting each file into chunks, then downloading each one using a different server connection, making downloads not only faster, but also more reliable. If you're into music and movies you'll be delighted by its sequential setting, which lets you begin playing a file while it's still downloading. There's also a built-in video downloader with support for YouTube and Vimeo, and a video converter that changes the file format automatically once it's finished downloading. There are lots of fantastic options around, but if you love music, films and TV then Ninja Download Manager is the tool for you. Note that the link to download the free version of Ninja Download Manager is at the very bottom of the developer's homepage. Ninja Download Manager reviewDownload Ninja Download Managerhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9d8b11b635025b4f8ea1de3d26c578ec.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/458a74a1efbe9df4f19045e6d6c32d11.jpg Free Download Manager gives you full control over your downloads, including the ability to select which parts of a compressed ZIP archive you want to saveFree Download Manager aims to be all things to all people – and succeeds. It's a download accelerator, a BitTorrent client, an audio and video previewer and a traffic management tool, and because it's open source, it's completely free and receives regular updates from its community of developers. It includes powerful scheduling features and a very handy remote control that means you can leave your downloads running and check on their progress from any internet-connected device. It can spider sites to download specific kinds of files, and you can choose to download only the bits of a ZIP file you actually want. It's an exceptional program, and it was tough to choose between this and Ninja Internet Download Manager for the top spot. Free Download Manager ReviewDownload Free Download Managerhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9d8b11b635025b4f8ea1de3d26c578ec.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2e4e916ae7ccdd6ccbc09995709da4a6.jpg With Download Accelerator Plus, you can preview videos while they're being downloadedThe free version of Download Accelerator Plus is a pared-back version of the premium edition, but it's much more than just a demo and contains all the essential features you need for quick, reliable downloads. The free version lacks the DAP Premium's privacy protection, but it does include a link checker, video previewing, file conversion, safe downloading and multiple connections to boost the speed of your downloads. Download Accelerator Plus is clearly designed for media fans, and can help you avoid irritations such as slow servers and internet congestion. Download Download Accelerator Plushttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9d8b11b635025b4f8ea1de3d26c578ec.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/00aa0df278dc952be3601cf1d899870e.jpg JDownloader is a powerful tool that's available for all platformsJDownloader is a free, open source download manager with a massive developer community, and it's available for Windows, Linux and Mac. It's really one for power users, with support for over 300 decryption plugins, automatic RAR extraction, password list searching and OCR to complete some of the captcha 'I'm not a robot' checks you encounter on download sites. You'll need the Java Runtime Environment to run it, and you'll have to be careful when installing it: the installer contains adware, which will be bundled in with the download manager if you don't specifically deselect it. Also beware fake 'download' buttons on the site; the actual download link is a line of text. JDownloader reviewDownload JDownloaderhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9d8b11b635025b4f8ea1de3d26c578ec.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JsVJCs5i3ZAs4FigGrutwC.jpg EagleGet is feature-packed, but so well designed you'll master it in secondsEagleGet is a smart, modern download manager that makes downloading all kinds of media files a piece of cake. It boasts accelerated downloads, automatic malware checking, automatic and batch downloads, and lots more features besides. EagleGet's browser extension works with Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Internet Explorer, identifying downloadable content on pages and letting you grab it with a couple of clicks. Any open browser windows will be closed when you install EagleGet, so make sure you've saved any works in progress before you begin. EagleGet reviewDownload EagleGetKeep your files secure with the best free backup softwarehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/QTg8Da6sTjE

The holidays are an expensive time, so we’re bringing you a special treat: a full, free Windows program to download every day until Christmas. Behind the 20th door on our free downloads advent calendar, you'll find Abelssoft ScreenVideo 2018, a premium screen recorder that will capture all the action from your Windows desktop in resolutions up to 4K. Get Abelssoft ScreenVideo 2018With Abelssoft ScreenVideo 2018, you can capture your entire screen or just a part, and even record picture-in-picture video from your webcam (ideal for making let's play videos, tutorials and presentations). The software includes a full set of annotation tools to help you explain what's happening on your screen, plus a cropping tool and special slow-motion effect. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QBP2ecsEj7RiGtUj8wMoSJ.png Once you've finished adjusting your recording, you can export the video in any of the most popular file formats. Download it free today and see what it can do. Download provided by AbelssoftIn case you missed it...Day one: Ashampoo Burning Studio 2018Day two: Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2018Day three: Ashampoo Uninstaller 6Day four: Ashampoo Photo Commander 15Day five: Ashampoo Snap 9Day six: Ashampoo Backup 2018Day seven: Ashampoo UndeleterDay eight: Ashampoo Music Studio 2018Day nine: Ashampoo Disk-Space-ExplorerDay 10: Ashampoo Snap 2018Day 11: Ashampoo Photo RecoveryDay 12: Ashampoo Photo OptimizerDay 13: Steganos Safe 19Day 14: Steganos Password Manager 19Day 15: mySteganos Online Shield VPNDay 16: Incomedia WebAnimator GODay 17: Incomedia WebSite X5 Start 17Day 18: Digiarty VideoProcDay 19: Abelssoft MovieCut 2019http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/l2Fs13eWDho

Microsoft has pushed out a new preview build of Windows 10. It will be the last one of the year, and it’s a biggie, containing a host of new features including a revamped Start menu, not to mention the introduction of fresh security measures like Windows Sandbox. Build 18305 (19H1 – meaning this is the update that will land in the first half of next year) is now available to Fast Ring testers. One of the main changes is that Windows Sandbox has arrived for testing. Sandbox allows you to fire up a temporary isolated environment, in which you can run a potentially dodgy app, protecting your system from any of its possible malicious effects. And you can do this quickly and conveniently, without having to go to the trouble of implementing a virtual machine for the same task. For more details on Sandbox, check out the full post we wrote on it yesterday. Unsurprisingly, at this early stage of testing, there are some compatibility issues with the feature, and it may well run sluggishly at times by the sound of things. Another big change has come to the Start menu, which has been graced with a simplified default layout boasting a one-column design – meaning the menu doesn’t extend as far out into the desktop in terms of width – and a reduced number of top-level tiles. Microsoft is clearly hoping for a neater-looking, more compact menu, but whether you like the new design will be a matter of personal taste (we’re still undecided). The company notes that this is part of ongoing work to enhance the Start menu. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gZdEsFroiVTMWPWyS2hwbC.jpg Shoring up securityAlso on the security front, a neat new feature is the ability to set up or sign in to Windows 10 via your phone rather than having to type in a password. This requires you to link your Microsoft account to your phone, setting up a ‘password-less phone number account’, the instructions for which are provided in Microsoft’s blog post. Once that’s all set up, you can forget about using passwords for signing into Windows, and instead employ either Windows Hello facial or fingerprint recognition, or a PIN, depending on the exact capabilities of your mobile device. Protection History (in the Windows Security app) has been overhauled with various tweaks, the most important being that it now shows you not just what Windows Defender Antivirus has detected, but also gives you more detailed information concerning any threats, and actions that can be taken against them. Speaking of Windows Defender, this also gets a new feature: Tamper Protection. If you turn this on, it provides additional defenses against potential tampering with Windows 10’s main security features, and it limits changes which aren’t made directly via the Windows Security app (thereby hopefully keeping a lid on potentially malicious activity). http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/epGcMdxfzJrfjeqsd6XpRn.jpg Office hubAnother interesting move is the introduction of a new Office app that acts as a starting point to access Office files or applications. So for example, it will use the relevant clients (Word, Excel, and so forth) if they are installed on your machine, or rather, fire up the web apps if you don’t have the Office suite on your computer. Note that this fresh Office app, or hub if you will, is based on the redesigned Office.com website. In other minor changes, Clipboard History – which lists the items you’ve loaded into the clipboard – has been given a smarter look, and you can now choose a default tab to be active when you open Task Manager (if you’d prefer something other than Processes). Cortana and Microsoft To-Do have also been brought closer together, so lists and reminders will be shared across both. In other words, if you ask Cortana to add an item to your shopping list, it will also automatically show up on your relevant Microsoft To-Do lists. Indeed, there are a ton more changes in this build, and if you want to check out the full and exhaustive list, complete with known issues, head over to Microsoft’s blog post as ever. Some of our best laptops run Windows 10http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Zc1qEDQT6yQ

TechRadar has teamed up with six premium software vendors to give one lucky reader a huge software package with a combined retail price of over $700/£570. The prize contains full versions of 13 premium Windows programs, including PC optimization, multimedia, office and security tools: Ashampoo Backup Pro 12 – protect all your most important files with simple, scheduled backups and easy recovery. Ashampoo Burning Studio 20 – everything you need to burn CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays, with smart backup plans, and an intuitive editor for covers and inlays. Ashampoo Music Studio 7 – a powerful app for organizing, editing, ripping and burning music. Ashampoo Photo Commander 16 – one-click photo optimization, tagging, editing, custom collages, slideshows, photo cards and panoramas. Ashampoo Snap 10 – a premium screen recorder to capture all the action from your desktop as videos or still grabs in resolutions up to 4K. Ashampoo Uninstaller 8 – remove every trace of unwanted software, including the files and registry entries other uninstallers leave behind. Ashampoo Video Optimizer Pro – crop videos, clip, remove shake, sharpen and apply special effects, then upload them directly to YouTube. Ashampoo WinOptimizer 16 – one-click optimization that resolves common problems and removes junk files that accumulate with normal Windows use. SoftMaker Office Standard 2018 for Windows – a complete office suite, including premium word processing, spreadsheet and presentation apps. Audials One 2019 – record music from thousands of online radio stations, consolidate your streaming services, and watch live TV from around the world. Incomedia Website X5 Evolution 17 – a drag-and-drop website builder for creating your first site, complete with a year’s free hosting and domain registration. Abelssoft CleverPrint – a suite of smart tools designed to save you ink and paper by optimizing print jobs. Steganos Privacy Suite – a digital safe to protect your sensitive files, and a comprehensive password manager to keep all your online accounts secure. To enter, just fill in the form below and answer the simple question. The competition ends January 10, 2019. Best of luck! Software provided by Steganos, Abelssoft, Incomedia, Audials, SoftMaker and Ashampoo. Check out our guide to the best laptops money can buyhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/_eO16RMVVeA

Cyber security software can be expensive but your laptop getting a virus and shutting down is even more costly. Okay, maybe we're being a tad dramatic but it is still crucial these days and there isn't really any excuse when you can get antivirus software for as cheap as this McAfee deal. For just £26.99 you can get an entire year of McAfee Total Protection. That effectively works out at £2.24 a month, a real bargain overall. Complete protection for up to 10 devices, encrypted storage for your important files and a password manager so you can keep track of all those long complicated passwords you've now made so you won't get hacked. Sound like something you would be interested in? Well you can see the deal in full below but act fast - it's only around until December 27. But if you were hoping for something a little different, check out our best antivirus guide to see who else we would recommend. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg Check out our best antivirus guide to see what other options there are out therehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/8CORU2xPl30

Perhaps inspired by the festive season, Apple has updated its App Store Review Guidelines to give developers the option of allowing in-app purchases to be gifted to other iOS users, as reported by MacRumors. Under the revised guidelines, "Apps may enable gifting of items that are eligible for in-app purchase to others," further stating that "such gifts may only be refunded to the original purchaser and may not be exchanged". That's quite a difference from the previous version of the guidelines, which specifically stated that "apps should not directly or indirectly enable gifting of in-app purchase content, features, or consumable items to others". It may seem like a small change, but just think of how popular the feature will likely be this holiday season – we imagine many kids would rather receive Fortnite V-Bucks over the usual socks and sweaters this Christmas. At present, it's unknown just how the gifting of in-app purchases will work, though it's likely to be similar to the current system for gifting paid apps, which can be done directly from the App Store. Top Christmas gifts for iPhone and iPad fanshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Z5tT1xySmD4

Windows 10 is to get a new feature which will allow users to run potentially suspicious apps in a sandbox environment to protect their system from any possible malicious side-effects. Windows Sandbox represents a convenient way to fire up a desktop environment which is completely isolated from the rest of your system, where you can run an executable which you’re concerned about without any fear of collateral damage. The sandbox is a temporary environment, and gives you security without having to go to the trouble of setting up a virtual machine. When the Windows Sandbox is shut down, any software and related files inside are completely deleted. Pro plusNote that this feature is only coming to Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise, so it’s mainly aimed at businesses and professional users. However, there’s no telling if Microsoft might decide to slip it into other versions of Windows 10, like Home – or at least a similar temporary sandbox feature – in the future. Windows Sandbox also requires virtualization to be enabled in BIOS, and Microsoft is apparently set to roll out the feature to testers with build 18305, which should hit the fast ring soon. And that means it should go live for Windows 10 Pro users in the next big update set to land in the first half of next year. Some of the best laptops of 2018 run Windows 10Via Betanews http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/FSBLK3BzhTg

The holidays are an expensive time, so we’re bringing you a special treat: a full, free Windows program to download every day until Christmas. Look behind door 19 on our free downloads calendar to discover Abelssoft MovieCut 2019 – a complete video tuning suite that will help you get your clips ready to share with the world. You don't need any prior experience; everything is clear and well designed for complete beginners. Get Abelssoft MovieCut 2019Abelssoft MovieCut makes it easy to crop and trim your video, keeping only the most interesting parts. You can also adjust the brightness sharpen the image and reduce camera shake – all with just a couple of clicks. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RUMJLtnM9yHFBeH3KswWon.jpg It's also possible to add music to bring your video to life, and once you've finished, you can export your creation in any of the most popular file formats, or export it directly to YouTube. Even if you've never used a video editor before Abelssoft MovieCut makes optimizing your clips simplicity itself. Download it free and try it for yourself. Download provided by AbelssoftIn case you missed it...Day one: Ashampoo Burning Studio 2018Day two: Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2018Day three: Ashampoo Uninstaller 6Day four: Ashampoo Photo Commander 15Day five: Ashampoo Snap 9Day six: Ashampoo Backup 2018Day seven: Ashampoo UndeleterDay eight: Ashampoo Music Studio 2018Day nine: Ashampoo Disk-Space-ExplorerDay 10: Ashampoo Snap 2018Day 11: Ashampoo Photo RecoveryDay 12: Ashampoo Photo OptimizerDay 13: Steganos Safe 19Day 14: Steganos Password Manager 19Day 15: mySteganos Online Shield VPNDay 16: Incomedia WebAnimator GODay 17: Incomedia WebSite X5 Start 17Day 18: Digiarty VideoProchttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/34DHRAH7SGA

2019 is the year of the original Bladerunner; the setting for the Ridley Scott movie in which Harrison Ford pursues renegade androids, drives flying cars and skypes Rachel, a synthetic secretary embarrassed by her artificial intelligence. Released in 1982 when Casio digital watches pioneered fashion-tech, 2019 seemed fittingly distant for a futuristic dystopia of aging infrastructure and malevolent technology. But now that 2019 has arrived, how much of Philip K Dick’s original text, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep written in 1968, has come true? The strongest connection between Bladerunner’s 2019 and today is artificial intelligence, and our attitudes towards it. In the film, AI mimics biology to the extent that we cannot tell the difference. Today, superficially, that line is being blurred. In November China state-run Xinuha News agency launched an AI anchor, able to learn from live videos. Yet AI remains constrained within the boundaries of software, and (at the time of writing) ultimately dependent on other man-made structures. Next year, AI will increasingly inform digitisation and smarten business. At Xero we have already announced new machine learning features for small businesses including a more intuitive invoicing experience that uses machine learning to make it easier to invoice customers and speed up time to pay and Xero email-to-bills which will extract and automatically populate details from any email PDF bill into Xero. All these developments help business owners and their advisers to automate and increase profits as a result. From fulfilling basic HR functions to informing investment decisions, expect 2019 to be the year when businesses start to consider AI as just another asset, much like they once did the fax machine. But aside from AI, what else will 2019 have in store for business? Digital transformation will spell the beginning of the end for paper processesThe adoption of HMRC’s initiative Making Tax Digital (MTD) by 1.1m small businesses from April 2019 will be a huge step towards fully digital management as the HMRC does away with the traditional tax submission process and digital record keeping begins. Highlighting this need for change, Xero’s own research has found that 1 in 5 accountants still use paper ledgers, and this shift is expected to spell the end of paper management across a huge number of businesses as the legislation encourages businesses to move to cloud-based financial management software. The widespread adoption of 5GNext year we’ll see the gradual roll-out of 5G, the next-level of super-fast connectivity and data storage. With 5G being tested throughout 2018 and with Samsung, LG, Sony HTC and other phone manufactures working with chip manufacturer Qualcomm to bring out 5G-ready devices in 2019, 5G’s infancy has begun. 5G networks are predicted to eventually connect tens of billions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, enabling driverless cars and smart structures. Connected clouds As 5G and cloud adoption gathers pace, computer companies will be able to focus on a hybrid cloud approach in which public and private clouds are used together by one business. More businesses will choose to run different workloads in different clouds, yet the experience will remain secure and streamlined. We are already seeing the impact of standard cloud tech in accountancy, in which cloud-based platforms enable seamless connections between clients and customers. Hybrid Cloud will bring further versatility to a cloud platform, allowing greater data analysis, insights and collaboration as a result. IoT and edge computingEdge computing occurs at the functional, business-end of a network or a device. Imagine a robotic arm having its own brain able to make decisions without having to wait from instructions from a remote server, or even a human operator. That’s why edge computing and the IoT are so closely aligned and why, informed by AI, they are so disruptive. Next year we’ll see neural networking (edge computing) play a greater role in data storage, with AI driven predictive used maintenance to head-off hardware crashes such as we saw with Visa in June when a server fault affected 1.7 million cardholders. Server outages can damage even established businesses, so I predict that 2019 will see businesses toughen up with smart, predictive data storage and AI driven cyber security. As this exciting technology develops, it is the world of work that is humanising the face of AI, and as technology helps to advance us as people, our role in its development will be ever more important. In the future, anything that can’t be digitised or automated will become far more valuable, including compassion, intuition and empathy. Core skills of industries will be disrupted and replaced with ‘human’ skills – critical thinking, creativity, complex problem-solving. So while business and cutting-edge technology look set to become even more entwined in 2019, what’s for certain is that staying ‘human’ will remain at the heart of its development. Damon Anderson is director of partner and product at Xero What is the IoT? Everything you need to knowhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/5reZ10afjow

Windows 10 October 2018 Update's long, protracted release is finally over. Today, Microsoft began allowing any and every PC or laptop to download the release. Microsoft has finally worked out the last few remaining bugs that prevented users from installing the Windows 10 October 2018 update on certain systems. Unlike most automatic updates, users will actually have to initiate a search and the download process for Windows 10 version 1809 in Windows Updates. This is technically the fourth (and hopefully final) rollout of the October 2018 update which resolves issues with incompatible software or hardware drivers that kept some systems from upgrading. Just some of these ‘blocking bugs’ that prevented machines from installing the latest version of Windows 10 included breaking Apple’s iCloud software, certain VPN clients not playing nice and incompatibilities with Trend Micro’s security software. Almost all issues have been resolved, but it might be best to also refer to this page, which fully catalogs every October 2018 Update Microsoft has fixed, before you download the update. Here are the best free Windows 10 apps Via The Verge http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/iFxWGgUMUUo

The holidays are an expensive time, so we’re bringing you a special treat: a full, free Windows program to download every day until Christmas. Behind door number 18 on our free downloads advent calendar you'll find Digiarty VideoProc: powerful video editing software for editing, converting, resizing and adjusting 4K videos, DVDs and music with full hardware acceleration. Get Digiarty VideoProc freeVideoProc can convert files to over 400 output formats, cut videos to remove unwanted sections and rearrange parts of footage, crop to eliminate black bars or zoom in on the action, add subtitles, apply special visual effects, rotate and flip clips, and merge several video fragments in different formats together into one MKV file. It's a particularly good choice for editing video recorded using action cams and drones, because it can stabilize and de-noise footage, remove fisheye distortion. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5uMkDAmce2jbZUkJtcGNUG.jpg VideoProc is also capable of recording footage from your desktop or a webcam, and can download videos and playlists from over 1,000 sites. Download it free and try it for yourself. Download provided by Digiarty SoftwareIn case you missed it...Day one: Ashampoo Burning Studio 2018Day two: Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2018Day three: Ashampoo Uninstaller 6Day four: Ashampoo Photo Commander 15Day five: Ashampoo Snap 9Day six: Ashampoo Backup 2018Day seven: Ashampoo UndeleterDay eight: Ashampoo Music Studio 2018Day nine: Ashampoo Disk-Space-ExplorerDay 10: Ashampoo Snap 2018Day 11: Ashampoo Photo RecoveryDay 12: Ashampoo Photo OptimizerDay 13: Steganos Safe 19Day 14: Steganos Password Manager 19Day 15: mySteganos Online Shield VPNDay 16: Incomedia WebAnimator GODay 17: Incomedia WebSite X5 Start 17http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/F6hwNElGIbM

Microsoft dominated Spiceworks’ recent report that looked at how businesses communicate within small and large businesses. While Skype for Business still remains the undisputed leader of the pack, Microsoft Teams emerged as an interesting alternative and managed to grab a sizable share of the market. We asked Peter Tsai, senior technology analyst at Spiceworks, some questions about that report including why we haven’t seen a WordPress for Business chat yet and why we didn’t see Amazon Chime and other competitors emerge in the report. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Wqo3bGUwBYwPMadnCmBoET.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eJkXTh8exE58SvDTc2EFjY.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JK4q6GR27VYbd668x9vpPk.jpg Peter Tsai, Senior Technology Analyst at Spiceworks We've also highlighted the best online collaboration toolshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/1knXpfukpOI

We might just witness a future where a Windows 10 user could replace the operating system’s integrated voice assistant, Cortana, with another digital helper of their choice. Take Amazon's Alexa, for example, which Microsoft has already brought on board with some notebooks and desktop PCs through its Microsoft Store. This is the latest from the rumor mill, as spotted by Engadget, with Albacore and WalkingCat (the latter a prolific Microsoft leaker) highlighting evidence and application programming interfaces (APIs) pointing to this possibility on Twitter. Albacore spotted fresh options in testing potentially related to voice assistants, whereby you’ll be able to specify voice keywords, such as ‘Alexa’, to fire up Amazon’s assistant via its app (the Alexa app is already on Windows 10, after all, with the assistant being baked into a number of laptops carrying Microsoft’s latest OS). Preview builds of Windows 10 have already seen some testing of splitting up Cortana and core search functionality into two separate entities on the taskbar – for a limited set of Windows Insiders – as highlighted by another denizen of Twitter. So, coupled with the other aforementioned evidence, the overarching theory is that Microsoft could eventually let users effectively replace Cortana with another third-party assistant. Very early daysThis is, of course, just pieces of speculation based on titbits in the test versions of Windows 10 right now, so we certainly shouldn’t get carried away with this idea. It would be a huge move for Microsoft to allow for a wholesale replacement of Cortana, for sure. That said, the winds of change seem to be very much blowing through Windows 10 at the moment – just look at what’s just happened with Edge abandoning its own proprietary browser engine and switching to Chromium. So maybe – just maybe – all this talk of allowing users to effectively give Cortana the elbow isn’t so far-fetched, after all. These are the best laptops we’ve tested to datehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/NrHgQbrPN30

The holidays are an expensive time, so we’re bringing you a special treat: a full, free Windows program to download every day until Christmas. Peel back door number 17 on our free downloads advent calendar to find Incomedia WebSite X5 Start 17 – a drag-and-drop website builder that will help you get your first site up and running before Christmas. Download Incomedia WebSite X5 Start 17, and install the software. If you're prompted for a license key, click 'Register' (at the top right) on the WebSite X5 Help Center, validate your email address and enter the following address to receive your license key: http://www.websitex5.com/magazine/trstart17en. Incomedia WebSite X5 Start 17 comes with a set of great-looking templates. Just pick the design you want (or choose a blank one), enter some basic information like your site title and category, then create your site map. Once that's done, you're ready to start building your pages using Incomedia WebSite X5 Start 17's straightforward site builder. Just drag an element (a text box, picture, HTML5 animation, media file or HTML snippet), then click the ‘Content’ button to edit it. Incomedia WebSite X5 Start 17 includes a rich text editor, plus a photo editing tool that lets you flip, rotate and apply filters to your images without leaving the program. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tXAeK8m6o4A5vN3qEg4Lx5.jpg When you've finished, you can upload your site to the web via an FTP connection, save it to disk, or save the project file so you can edit it later. Don’t have your own web hosting? Don’t worry – there are free options available from services like 000webhost.com and x10Hosting. Download provided by IncomediaIn case you missed it...Day one: Ashampoo Burning Studio 2018Day two: Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2018Day three: Ashampoo Uninstaller 6Day four: Ashampoo Photo Commander 15Day five: Ashampoo Snap 9Day six: Ashampoo Backup 2018Day seven: Ashampoo UndeleterDay eight: Ashampoo Music Studio 2018Day nine: Ashampoo Disk-Space-ExplorerDay 10: Ashampoo Snap 2018Day 11: Ashampoo Photo RecoveryDay 12: Ashampoo Photo OptimizerDay 13: Steganos Safe 19Day 14: Steganos Password Manager 19Day 15: mySteganos Online Shield VPNDay 16: Incomedia WebAnimator GOhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/804LYXllKJw

There are many ways to order take out in Dubai. Whether it’s Uber Eats, Zomato, Talabat or Deliveroo, folks here have their pick of the litter. And as of today, they have another food app for their phones. Ride-hailing app, Careem joins the mix with a new app for Android and iOS called Careem NOW which replaces the RoundMenu app it has purchased some time back. The app has launched in Dubai and Jeddah for now with plans to get going in Egypt and Pakistan soon after. Careem has backed their food delivery venture with $150 million and believes despite a decent amount of alternatives, the food delivery market largely remains under served. Careem NOW will operate seven days a week, in line with restaurant operating hours and will charge a small delivery fee on each order. The selection of restaurants is what you found on RoundMenu which is a decently sized catalogue. The app will also offer real time order tracking and access to a customer service team. It currently operates in the following zones with plans to expand soon: Dubai: Business Bay, Jumeirah 1, JLT, Marina, Tecom, Al Quoz, Diera, Garhoud, Motor City, Sports City. Jeddah: Al Rawdha, Al Salamah, Al Naeem,Al Hamra, Al Andalus, Al Khalidiya, Al Safa, Al Zahraa. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/G0yuuONtpHw

If you're the kind of person who can't resist a spot of air-conducting whenever you hear a piece of classical music (and there's nobody there to judge you), Google's latest AI experiment is made for you. Semi-Conductor is an AI that tracks your movements as if you were waving your hands in front of a live orchestra, creating a piece of music in real time. To give it a try, launch Semi-Conductor in Google Chrome, give it permission to access your webcam, and step back until your outstretched arms fit inside the frame, then start conducting. You don't necessarily have to use conventional gestures, but the experiment gives you suggestions to help you along the way. No baton neededSemi-Conductor is the latest in a long line of machine learning experiments. Past examples have included AI Duet (which invites you to play a virtual piano in your web browser and provides a virtual accompaniment), and AutoDraw (which interprets your rough doodles and turns them into neat clipart). It works using PoseNet – a machine-learning model that allows for estimation of human poses within your browser. PoseNet detects human figures in images and videos without any specialized hardware or software. Best of all, because all the processing happens within your browser, no data is sent to Google or anyone else, so there'll be no evidence of your embarrassing flailing. Via Android Police The future of work in the age of AIhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/qmTJknwmlcY

The holidays are an expensive time, so we’re bringing you a special treat: a full, free Windows program to download every day until Christmas. Take a look behind door number 16 on our free downloads advent calendar to find Incomedia WebAnimator GO – an amazing tool that makes it easy for complete beginners to make stunning HTML5 animations ready to use online. Download Incomedia WebAnimator GO, click the 'Register' link on the bottom left and enter your name, email address and the license key WEBANIMATORGO-TECHRADAR-DEC18. You will receive an email with a verification link; click this to activate the full version of the software. With WebAnimator GO, you can make HTML5 animations in just three steps: choose one of the stylish templates, add images and text, and export it. You can add the resulting animation to your own website, or share it on social media. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sh5zDhqtTENBMJTHVVNbzn.png The resulting smooth animations will look amazing in any modern web browser, whether it's on a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone. Follow the instructions above to get Incomedia WebAnimator GO free and get started today. Download provided by IncomediaIn case you missed it...Day one: Ashampoo Burning Studio 2018Day two: Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2018Day three: Ashampoo Uninstaller 6Day four: Ashampoo Photo Commander 15Day five: Ashampoo Snap 9Day six: Ashampoo Backup 2018Day seven: Ashampoo UndeleterDay eight: Ashampoo Music Studio 2018Day nine: Ashampoo Disk-Space-ExplorerDay 10: Ashampoo Snap 2018Day 11: Ashampoo Photo RecoveryDay 12: Ashampoo Photo OptimizerDay 13: Steganos Safe 19Day 14: Steganos Password Manager 19Day 15: mySteganos Online Shield VPNhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/GjXq_ydkuzY

The holidays are an expensive time, so we’re bringing you a special treat: a full, free Windows program to download every day until Christmas. Behind the 14th door on our downloads advent calendar you'll find a special edition of mySteganos Online Shield VPN with 2GB data transfer per month. The license is valid for one year, and you can use it on up to three devices. Download mySteganos Online Shield VPN then request your serial numberVPNs (virtual private networks) work by re-routing internet traffic via a remote server, hiding your real IP address and location. The connection is encrypted to prevent your data being intercepted. This has two main benefits: protecting your privacy and helping circumvent censorship. mySteganos Online Shield VPN is incredibly easy to use – just download and install the client software, enter your free serial number and adjust the simple set of sliders to choose your level of protection. In addition to an excellent VPN, mySteganos Online Shield also includes an ad-blocker, protection from tracking by social networks, and automatic cookie detection. It also displays devices on your network that might pose a threat to your security. This special edition of mySteganos Online Shield will protect up to three devices for a whole year, so grab it today and stay protected until next December without paying a penny. Download provided by SteganosIn case you missed it...Day one: Ashampoo Burning Studio 2018Day two: Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2018Day three: Ashampoo Uninstaller 6Day four: Ashampoo Photo Commander 15Day five: Ashampoo Snap 9Day six: Ashampoo Backup 2018Day seven: Ashampoo UndeleterDay eight: Ashampoo Music Studio 2018Day nine: Ashampoo Disk-Space-ExplorerDay 10: Ashampoo Snap 2018Day 11: Ashampoo Photo RecoveryDay 12: Ashampoo Photo OptimizerDay 13: Steganos Safe 19Day 14: Steganos Password Manager 19http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/MHJlMlLtYoI

Ransomware may not make the headlines quite as often as it did in the past, but it hasn’t gone away. In December 2018, for instance, a new threat apparently created by a single hacker managed to infect at least 100,000 computers in China, encrypting files, stealing passwords and generally trashing users’ systems. Antivirus companies like to claim they'll keep you safe, with vague but impressive sounding talk about 'multi-layered protection', 'sophisticated behavior monitoring' and the new big thing: 'machine learning'. But do they really deliver? The easiest way to get an idea is to check the latest reports from the independent testing labs. AV-Comparatives Real-World Protection Tests and AV-Test's reports are an invaluable way to compare the accuracy and reliability of the top antivirus engines, for instance. The problem is that the test reports only give you a very general indicator of performance with malware as a whole. They won't tell you how an engine performs specifically with ransomware, how quickly it can respond, how many files you might lose before a threat is stopped, and other nuances. That's exactly the sort of information we really want to know, and that's why we've devised our own anti-ransomware test. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GSMAdUByHWjNXfLFZva3r8.jpg Ransomware simulatorIt's possible to test anti-ransomware software by pitting it against known real-world threats, but the results aren't often very useful. Typically, the antivirus will detect the threat by its file signature, ensuring it never reaches any specialist anti-ransomware layer. What we decided to do, instead, was write our own custom ransomware simulator. This would act very much like regular ransomware, spidering through a folder tree, detecting common user files and documents and encrypting them. But because we had developed it, we could be sure that any given antivirus package wouldn't be able to detect our simulator from the file alone. We would be testing its behavior monitoring only. There are weaknesses with this concept. Most obviously, using our own simple, unsophisticated code would never provide as effective or reliable an indicator as using real undiscovered ransomware samples for each review. But there are plus points, too. Using different real-world ransomware for one-off reviews means some anti-ransomware packages might be faced with very simple and basic threats, while others got truly dangerous and stealthy examples, depending on what we could find at review time. Running our own simulator means every anti-ransomware engine would be measured against the same code, giving every package a fair and equal chance of success. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gw8QE9kngEpMfKdFvARJ73.jpg What we look forOur test procedure is simple. Once we've set up the test environment (copying the user documents to their various folders), we check the anti-ransomware package is working, minimize it, launch the simulator, and wait. That's where it begins to get interesting, because this isn't just a pass/fail situation. These are the issues we consider when weighing up how successful an anti-ransomware package has been. The first and most fundamental step is that the ransomware simulator must have its process killed, limiting the number of files that will be damaged. Detection must happen quickly, because the longer the delay, the more files will be lost. We count the number of encrypted files to assess effectiveness. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZYtdoQxxMcAnSq5CNYJEDC.jpg The best anti-ransomware packages will recover at least some, and usually all damaged files, ensuring you don't lose any data at all. If this happens, we compare the recovered files with the originals to confirm they're fully restored. The ransomware simulator should have its executable deleted, quarantined, or otherwise locked away from user access. (Sounds obvious, but not every package does this). The user should ideally be informed that a threat has been detected and dealt with, allowing them to inspect the damage. Finally, an anti-ransomware product can earn bonus points for any extra clean-up steps it takes (deleting ransomware notes, say), and any further help it can give the user, for example offering to initiate a deep antivirus scan to help try and find any associated dangers. Our ransomware simulator may appear to be a simple test, then, but by revealing how individual packages react, it tells us a great deal about their effectiveness, and how useful they're likely to be. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TW2yV4zcSW6m5c7NwergEL.jpg Interpreting the test resultsAlthough many anti-ransomware packages successfully block our simulator, many don't. A test fail can seem like a disaster, but it needs to be interpreted with care. If a package can't detect our simulator, for instance, that doesn't necessarily mean it won't block undiscovered real-world ransomware. AV-Comparatives, AV-Test and other labs regularly show that most vendors can detect the huge majority of undiscovered threats from their behavior alone. The packages we are testing are proven to work very well, and our simple test doesn't change that. It's worth keeping in mind that anti-ransomware (and all antivirus software) is forever walking a fine line between blocking all genuine threats, while never touching legitimate software. There are archiving and security applications which might work their way through a folder tree, processing and apparently encrypting files, and it's possible a 'failed' anti-ransomware package has recognized our simulator, weighed up many factors and decided it isn't a threat. For example, the anti-ransomware software might look for files which have been downloaded recently, have a recent date, are packed executables (compressed, making it harder to view the contents), aren't signed, have dubious URLs or Bitcoin references embedded, and that look for various antivirus packages, along with other suspect signs. Perhaps the anti-ransomware is scoring our simulator so low on this threat index that it assumes it's legitimate and allows the test to run, even though its actions are very ransomware-like. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mpXHt9MYAbLMqUfPBgHLDG.jpg Without knowing the precise reason for an anti-ransomware's failure to detect our simulator, we can't condemn it outright. It's taking a risk by allowing the simulator to run, but this isn't strong evidence that the software can't detect real-world threats. We don't read anything major into it, and neither should you. The real value of our simulator test comes almost entirely from looking at the passes. If an anti-ransomware package detects our test threat, that first tell us it's more cautious about what it allows to run. But what's most important is how well it handles that threat, and protects your data. If an anti-ransomware package misses our simulator, then, we could say that's a very small black mark (or maybe a light gray mark). But detecting and blocking the simulator is a big plus, and doing that in a way which prevents any data loss – recovering encrypted files, for instance – while keeping you up-to-date with informative alerts, indicates top-of-the-range technology which should also protect you well against real-world threats. Check out our list of the best antivirushttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/fs0fWR5nfq8

After ignoring a bug report from Google's Project Zero security team, Logitech has finally released a security patch for one of its apps after waiting three months. The vulnerability was discovered in the company's Options app that allows users to customise the functionality and behaviour of the buttons on their mice, keyboards and trackpads. Google security researcher Tavis Ormandy first discovered that the app was opening a WebSocket server on user's machines back in September. The server in question featured support for a number of intrusive commands and used a registry key to auto-start on each system boot. Keystroke injection attacksOrmandy offered further details on how the bug he discovered in Logitech's software could be used to take control of a user's system in a bug report, saying: "The only 'authentication' is that you have to provide a PID [process ID] of a process owned by your user but you get unlimited guesses so you can bruteforce it in microseconds. After that, you can send commands and options, configure the 'crown' to send arbitrary keystrokes, etc, etc.," Ormandy informed Logitech about the issue in September and while the team acknowledged the bug report, it never released a patch to rectify the issue. If a company has not issued a patch for a security issue after 90 days, Project Zero's policy is to publicly disclose the vulnerability which Ormandy did this week. The bug report gained attention amongst security researchers on Twitter and Logitech has since released a new version of Options to address the issue. Via ZDNet We've also highlighted the best mouse and best keyboardshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/hPvyd-yqebU

The holidays are an expensive time, so we’re bringing you a special treat: a full, free Windows program to download every day until Christmas. Peel back the 14th door on our free downloads advent calendar to reveal Steganos Password-Manager 19 – a feature-packed tool to protect all your account logins and generate super-secure passwords. Download Steganos Password Manager 19 then request your free serial numberSteganos Password Manager 18 not only protects your email, social media and other everyday accounts, it also includes secure storage for bank account and credit card details, plus space for your own notes. It includes a password generator, plus support for PicPass picture passwords and an on-screen keyboard to stop keyloggers intercepting your keystrokes as you type. You can also carry your passwords safely with you on your iPhone, iPad or Android smartphone. Download and install Steganos Password Manager 19, then request your free serial number and start protecting your accounts today. Download provided by SteganosIn case you missed it...Day one: Ashampoo Burning Studio 2018Day two: Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2018Day three: Ashampoo Uninstaller 6Day four: Ashampoo Photo Commander 15Day five: Ashampoo Snap 9Day six: Ashampoo Backup 2018Day seven: Ashampoo UndeleterDay eight: Ashampoo Music Studio 2018Day nine: Ashampoo Disk-Space-ExplorerDay 10: Ashampoo Snap 2018Day 11: Ashampoo Photo RecoveryDay 12: Ashampoo Photo OptimizerDay 13: Steganos Safe 19http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/yht90Aa3zB0

In the era of digital transformation, businesses are adopting all kinds of digital tools and services to increase productivity and improve their workflows. In fact, some organisations have started using artificial intelligence to help automate repetitive tasks. Human resources may be a department that deals primarily with people but even it too has considered using AI to help in the recruitment process. TechRadar Pro spoke with Thomsons Online Benefits' Director of Product Management James Akers to learn how the role of the HR department is changing in today’s increasingly digital world. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xVk2uWmdoPoTHUWARK4JoQ.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LrstCAnun6N69BxwmEtn4k.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cCB9yTise4XrmdeAoKnej.jpg James Akers, Director of Product Management at Thomsons Online Benefits We've also highlighted the best HR softwarehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/DrbtsHuVNcQ

If you want to make your everyday video editing tasks like cutting, trimming, combining and applying filters to clips as simple as possible, then installing one of the best video editors is a no-brainer. Downloading inferior software will lead only to frustration and a less impressive finished product, and so the tools we've picked out for you in this guide are the very best in their class. We've got lists of both the best premium and free video editing software. So if you're ready for something advanced, opting for a paid product will get you high-end extras like 360-degree video support, motion tracking and multi-cam editing, but that's just the start. The extra resources available to commercial projects help to refine the entire package, often bringing more accurate and configurable effects, an enhanced interface and a faster rendering engine. And if you're a beginner, there are free video editors that will make the whole process as easy as can be and don't cost a penny. These user-friendly editors offer a gentle introduction to video editing, so you'll learn the basics and be able to make the step up to a more advanced premium program when you're ready. Keep reading to get the best of both worlds, with Adobe Premiere Pro leading the way as our #1 favourite Jump straight to: The overall best video editors The best free video editors http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg The overall best video editing softwarehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BScc6Bmzp9PfQAunBf54W4.jpg Adobe Premiere Pro is an industry-standard video editor and getting the most from it will require an investment of time as well as cash, but if you’re serious about video then it’s well worth the effort. There's a vast assortment of stackable audio and video filters, support for 360-degree and VR video, native support for a huge number of raw file formats, and the ability to work collaboratively with others. You can even start editing your videos before they've finished importing. This kind of power doesn't come cheap and the monthly or annual subscription fee adds up, but the lack of a large initial outlay makes Premiere Pro surprisingly accessible. It's worth downloading a trial of the other video editors here before making a decision, but Premiere Pro is extremely versatile and the cloud-based model means you won't have to pay for upgrades as they're released. Read our full review: Adobe Premiere Pro CC http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gGXH93rgTkcFts7YkqcuG.jpg This is a video editor aimed squarely at the professional end of the market, but it's not needlessly complicated. Its interface is a little different to most, and is built around a 'trackless' timeline that encourages you to organize elements into specific 'roles', such as voiceover, music and titles. If you're looking for a video editor to pair with your drone, Final Cut Pro is an excellent choice. It supports raw video from all the major makes and models, and is regularly updated with additional profiles. It also supports 360-degree video editing (fast becoming mandatory for premium video editing software) and HDR, with advanced color grading. Rather than adopt a subscription model like Adobe, Apple has chosen to make Final Cut Pro available for a one-off flat fee. It's relatively expensive, but includes all major updates and will work out cheaper than Premiere Pro if you keep using it over a couple of years. If you own a Mac and are torn between Apple and Adobe, we recommend taking the free trials of both for a spin before making up your mind. Read our full review: Apple Final Cut Pro X http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YZSdbT5QAg7mtdUTKqzBnm.jpg If Adobe Premiere Elements and Apple Final Cut Pro X are overkill for your video editing projects, take a look at CyberLink PowerDirector. Although PowerDirector is a premium, feature-packed video editor, it's also very forgiving, and offers a gentle introduction to post production that won't faze complete beginners. The Magic Movie Wizard is the ultimate example, paring the task of combining and optimizing videos down to a few clicks. You'll achieve better results by spending a while in the timeline editor, but for anyone who just wants to quickly piece something together to publish on Facebook, it's ideal. That's not to say that CyberLink PowerDirector is dumbed down, though; far from it. The software also offers a standard post production interface based around control panels and a timeline. It sometimes takes a little while to drill down to the finer controls, but every filter and option is extremely flexible once you start exploring. Perhaps most impressive of all, CyberLink PowerDirector makes video editing fun. Read our full review: CyberLink PowerDirector http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GLeDn9qXrPD73UufgPqjYd.jpg HitFilm Pro is a premium video editor that's a firm favourite with fanfilm makers - and with good reason. It's packed with tools for creating stunning special effects, but is accessible enough for home users. One of HitFilm Pro's biggest selling points is the ability to tackle pretty much every aspect of video post-production within the editor. Animations, titles, audio editing and color grading are all accessible with a couple of clicks, but the interface is intuitively designed and never feels cluttered. Unlike the other video editors in this roundup, HitFilm Pro supports importing and animating of custom 3D models, complete with simulated 3D cameras, custom shadows and dynamic lighting. There are also impressive particle effects, and superb chroma-keying to minimize annoying spill. Read our full review: HitFilm Pro http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Qjr7dUEFgCXpUYkTjpZ3rc.jpg Of all the premium video editors in this roundup, Adobe Premiere Elements is the most beginner-oriented. It's designed to make video editing as easy as possible, and even its Expert interface is extremely straightforward. Unlike Adobe's premium software (like Premiere Pro), Premiere Elements is only available as a one-off purchase, so you aren't committed to paying a monthly fee to keep using it. It's also one of the most affordable video editors around, which is impressive for a huge name like Adobe. Some video editors assume a certain degree of familiarity before you begin, but Premiere Elements is ideal even for total beginners. Its interface features large buttons, clearly labelled. There are also some excellent tutorials included to help bridge the gap between creating a video using wizards and using the more traditional multi-track timeline. Read our full review: Adobe Premiere Elements http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg The best free video editorshttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JcGwbV4SywccfMxWdiRwAg.jpg Lightworks is an incredible tool that's published free with the noble aim of making professional quality video editing software available to everyone. As you would expect for such a powerful video editor, you won't be able to master it overnight, but that's certainly not something you could hold against it. If you've tried other free video editors you'll probably find that the interface is a little different to anything you're used to, but you can arrange the various controls and windows to create something that suits your way of working. There's a paid version, Lightworks Pro, which adds the ability to export in formats other than MPEG, publish 4K video directly to YouTube, and export 3D videos, but the free edition of the software includes everything else you need to make impressive videos. Read our full review: Lightworks http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5ZpfTc9ra6E5CHTo6W6irF.jpg Hitfilm Express is another video editor that promises pro-level features for free – and it delivers. The basic editor is very impressive, with advanced cutting tools, a great set of audio and video filters, layers and masking, compositing options, and chroma keying for creating green screen effects. Additional tools are available for a fee, starting at £8.85 (about US$10, AU$15) for a pack featuring color-correction, exposure adjustment, split screen masking, and various creative filters. The downside of all this power is that Hitfilm Express is much more demanding than either Lightworks or Shotcut, which is the main reason it's dropped to third place. Make sure you check the technical requirements before downloading it to avoid disappointment. Read our full review: Hitfilm Express http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hpkdAQaQexxWEdyY7WhfVM.jpg DaVinci Resolve is a free version of a premium video editing suite, but as with Lightworks, it's so feature-packed you probably won't miss the few tools it lacks. DaVinci Resolve is a professional-grade video editor, with intuitive interfaces for editing, color correction, audio mastering and exporting. Color correction is one of DaVinci Resolve's standout features, whether you want to adjust a whole video or just a selected part. There's HDR support, and you can work on raw files directly from your camera. A few of the filters are exclusive to the premium DaVinci Resolve Studio, and there's a maximum export resolution of 3,840 x 2,160, but those are the only limitations. It's overkill if you just want to trim a video and upload it to YouTube, but for bigger projects DaVinci Resolve is hard to beat. Full review coming soon http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gF9VEUDw5h4BZffi5R7QF8.png Shotcut is another professional-feeling free video editor that requires a little patience if you are achieve the results it is so capable of delivering. The slightly unusual interface can be put down to the fact that this started life as a Linux application, and little has changed in its conversion to Windows. To start with, the interface may seem a little stark. You will need to not only load a video, but also choose which editing mode you would like to work in and which tools you'd like to use. There's no getting away from the fact that Shotcut has a steep learning curve. It's possible to achieve some impressive results by simply applying one of its many filters to your video, but the real rewards will only be reaped by those willing to invest the time and energy in fully getting to grips with what's on offer. Read our full review: Shotcut http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pTNGU4GnoofUnCdP6LSUfg.png VSDC Free Video Editor is highly capable, and can yield superb results. As a non-linear editor, it works in rather a different way to many other similar tools, letting you position clips and other elements on the timeline wherever you like and edit them there. With the ability to not only work with multiple scenes and transitions, but also to add sprites and text to videos, you can create a professional-quality movie if you're willing to stick with VSDC's slightly odd way of working and unusual interface. The latest version of VSDC adds extra artistic effects, including smoke. There's also a dedicated Instagram export profile and automatic image stabilization. It's noticeably faster, too. An excellent choice for creative video projects. Read our full review: VSDC Free Video Editor The best laptops for video editing in 2018http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/wak2JXqntu4