sincity

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/reviews/aTube%20Catcher/atubecatchermain-470-75.jpgFree download review - aTube CatcherSpecificationsDeveloper: Diego Uscanga Licence: Freeware System requirements: Operating system: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10Processor: Any x86 or compatibleRAM: 1GBDisk space: 17MBhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg What does it do?aTube Catcher is one of a growing number of tools that download videos from the likes of YouTube, Dailymotion and Metacafe. While it's often easy to browse the web on your phone will you travel, there are times when there's no connection available - this is when it pays to have downloaded videos in advance! The videos you download can be converted to a number of popular formats, suitable for playback on a variety of devices. So whether you're looking for the best possible quality to view on a high resolution monitor, or the emphasis is on smaller file size to fit on your smartphone, aTube Catcher can do the job for you. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgThere's also a screen recorder which can be used to capture video from your screen, and a disc burning option. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/reviews/aTube%20Catcher/atubecatcher1-420-90.jpg User experienceAs with many free tools these days, you need to take care during the installation process to ensure that you aren't accidentally duped into also installing a browser toolbar. Thankfully, this is not selected by default, but it's worth keeping an eye out for. After firing up the program, a neat splash screen provides an inviting introduction to what aTube Catcher has to offer. Rather than forcing you to hunt through endless menus to find what you're looking for, a series of clear buttons provide instant access so you can get to work without delay. The initial interface is pleasingly unintimidating, and downloading videos from any of the supported sites – of which there are many – is a simple matter of copying and pasting the URL, choosing the format you'd like to save the video in, and clicking 'Download'. There are several formats to choose from, and in many cases there's a variety of preset resolutions to choose from. The screen recorder feature is a very nice, and can be used in a number of ways. You could use it to record whatever you're doing on your computer, but it is also possible to use to capture live streaming video that you would not otherwise be able to download. Just draw a selection box around the video you want and you're good to go. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/reviews/aTube%20Catcher/atubecatcher2-420-90.jpg ProsYou might not expect it from what many people would not consider 'serious' software, but aTube Catcher includes an automatic updater that ensures you're always using the most recent, most secure, and most feature-packed version of the program. For hardcore users, there is the option of batch processing files so you can download multiple videos at once. This is a somewhat hands-on task that requires the creation of a text files to tell the software what to do. It's a little inelegant and long-winded, but it works. It's nice to see the option to not only convert videos between formats, but also to create VCDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs from the content you record or download. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/reviews/aTube%20Catcher/atubecatcher3-420-90.jpg ConsThe bundled browser toolbar is a little off-putting, but as long as you (slightly confusingly, perhaps) click 'Cancel' when it presents itself, it won't be installed. The program interface, while approachable, does hide the fact that this is a very powerful program. There are lots of extra options and settings - such as the ability to create time-saving video profiles - that are no immediately apparent, and anyone who doesn't investigate the menu system could miss out on valuable tools. ConclusionaTube Catcher has so many bases covered, it's hard to consider it anything other than essential. Even if you're not a prodigious video downloader and converter, this is a great piece of software to hand installed for when you will inevitably need it. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg You might also likeFreemake Video DownloaderFree YouTube DownloadClipGrabhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg NoteYou should only download videos when you have the copyright owner's permission to do so. YouTube's terms of service prohibit unauthorised downloading. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/uNMDtc7DR0w

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/Software/Linux/Linux%20distro%20update/distro-fedora-470-75.jpgA new level of collaboration just kicked off in the world of Linux, with Ubuntu's 'snaps' now being supported across multiple distros. A snap allows for the delivery of an app to a Linux machine, with the software sitting separately alongside the base OS and not interfering with it, therefore dodging the risk of a system-wrecking calamity from the app's installation. And now the likes of Arch, Debian and Fedora support snaps natively, with more distros in the pipeline (such as Gentoo, Mint and OpenSUSE). The system is smart because it's easy to create a snap, and with snap packages becoming universal, pushing apps out to Linux systems will be a great deal easier, regardless of the distro in question – plus there are added security benefits. Secure snapsSnaps are isolated from each other and the operating system, and are designed with security in mind, only receiving the permissions they need to work. Updating is simple too, with updates to snaps delivered automatically (equally, it's also easy to roll them back to a previous version). Everything is commendably seamless, in other words. Those security and management benefits will make this innovation of particular interest to developers in the Internet of Things sphere. Snaps also make it possible to maintain a stable release and beta versions, the latter of which can be easily previewed by curious users. There's a great deal of flexibility on offer here. Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Canonical, commented: "Most vendors target Ubuntu because of its popularity. Snaps bring those apps to every Linux desktop, server, device or cloud machine, giving users freedom to choose any Linux distribution while retaining access to the best apps." The best Linux distros: six versions of Linux we recommendhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/_cSW1S7V31E

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010%20on%20Dell/Start-470-75.JPGThe Windows 10 upgrade controversy explainedThere's been plenty of outrage on the Internet over Microsoft's free Windows 10 upgrade initiative. From bothersome prompts to seemingly unsolicited installs, the Windows 10 hate has reached a fever pitch and some are even taking it upon themselves to start petitions and investigations against Microsoft. Windows 10 is getting a bad rap, but is all of this user outrage rightfully deserved and where did it even come from? Here we'll take a look back and explain just why some are hating on Microsoft's latest operating system. Ever since its release last July, Windows 10's reception has been bittersweet. Though we were excited to see Microsoft return to its roots with a desktop-focused OS, the reintroduction of the beloved Start button and truly Universal apps, the insistent free upgrade offers have become aggravating for many vocal customers. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/How%20tos/Install%20Windows%2010/hero-420-100.jpg To most of us, this deal was a no-brainer. The first-ever free upgrade to a new version of Windows? Count us in. As with each new generation of software, though, there were some users who had already grown comfortable with, and accustomed to, previous editions – namely Windows 7. For many in that select crowd, seeing the "Get Windows 10" (GXW) recommendation dialogs has been deeply irritating. Beyond small annoyances, the reminders have become a meme. In one instance a live weather broadcast in Iowa was interrupted by the GXW notification, hilariously replacing the green screen weather map with a blown up version of Windows. Viral fun aside, the disdain for Microsoft's practices has escalated in concert. Unfortunately, Microsoft's string of muddled messaging hasn't helped its case, and an angry mob of petitioners has risen against Microsoft, sans the pitchforks and torches. The problemThe controversy over Windows 10's upgrade system stems from miscommunication from a number of different sources, including Microsoft, the press and even a handful of Windows users. The latest arc of this whole saga started out subtlely, with an automatic upgrade being triggered only if you've 1) neglected to disable "recommended updates" in your Windows Update settings and 2) ignored every warning sign from Microsoft that, yes, an upgrade has already been scheduled for your convenience. In other words, users would have to make an effort to cancel their upgrades rather install them. Microsoft's' messaging around Windows 10 changed from reserve your optional upgrade to schedule the recommended upgrade, forcing users to opt out rather than opt in. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/software/Windows/Windows%2010/new-gwx-no-x-420-90.jpg The only way to cancel or reschedule the recommended Windows 10 upgrade was following a tiny link to an outside web page. This was arguably a means for Microsoft to shore up the slowing Windows 10 adoption back in April. For that reason, it wasn't as unexpected for Microsoft to encourage upgrades in such a brazen manner as it was disappointing to see the company take such aggressive action towards its devoted following of Windows 7 and 8 users. And, as a result, many customers opted to fire back. The responseUsers were understandably outraged over Microsoft's increasingly forward practices, to the point that Redmond itself refined the process due to "customer feedback," adding a supplementary notification and thereby another chance for users to cancel or reschedule their upgrades. While it wasn't a complete reversal in policy, responding favorably to audience dismay was clearly a step forward for Microsoft. However, the exasperation did not end there. In fact, rage over the infamous "Get Windows 10" (GWX) app only grew more severe with time, compounded by some unfortunate misinformation circulated throughout the media. It started with a report from UK IT news outlet The Register, whose headline implied that the option to close out of the GWX scheduler had been removed completely, denying users a choice in whether they wished to upgrade. Numerous websites, perhaps prematurely, cited the story in published works of their own, though it was ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley who investigated the situation further. Deeming the report a "false alarm," Foley confirmed that the only way to see the notification that The Register's Gavin Clarke had written about was by going into Windows Update, approving the Windows 10 install and agreeing to the terms of Microsoft's EULA. Obviously, there was more to the story than some outlets may have been privy to. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/software/Windows/Windows%2010%20upgrade/should%20you%20upgrade-420-100.jpg Microsoft, on the other hand, responded to The Register's report more harshly, condemning the website for its inaccuracies. "The Windows 10 upgrade is a choice – designed to help people take advantage of the most secure, and most productive Windows," the company's statement reads. "People receive multiple notifications to accept the upgrade, and can reschedule or cancel the upgrade if they wish." Nevertheless, like a bad game of telephone, word spread like wildfire that Windows 10 was automatically being installed on computers with users having no say in the matter. This, of course, inspired organizer Todd Kleinpaste to petition the Electronic Frontier Foundation, asking it to investigate the legalities of Microsoft's upgrade practices. Calling the actions "malicious," the petition sparked even more negative press. In fact, Computerworld's Preston Gralla went as far as to boldly regard Windows 10 as "malware". Being compared to a virus – no matter whether you think that's fair – isn't good for Microsoft's biggest money maker, especially considering users still had a choice in the matter, despite the elusiveness. What's next for Windows 10?While Windows 10 is undeniably an improvement over Windows 8, its reputation is faltering due to less-than-transparent methods of spurring installs. Fortunately, as we approach the release of the major Windows 10 Anniversary Update, there's hope we'll see favorable changes arrive just in time for the operating system's first birthday. Furthermore, with the free upgrade offer about to expire, concerns over pesky marketing techniques will inevitably be put to rest. Because, after all, this isn't to be compared to the challenges Microsoft faced with Windows 8. Rather, Windows 10 was released as a largely sound platform that delivered on the same fronts as Windows 7 six years prior. Once users embrace the free upgrade instead of rejecting it based on Microsoft's aggressive upgrade techniques, who knows, maybe they'll come to enjoy it as much as gamers seem to. 575b2e59fc117159528c6b94http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/O3KijvFgd2w

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/internet/Best%20web%20design/Weebly-470-75.jpgIntroductionhttp://cdn0.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/How%20tos/create%20a%20website%20with%20google%20sites/hero-420-100.jpg Note: Our top 10 web design packages round-up has been fully updated. This feature was first published in August 2012. Whether you're a sole trader or a multinational corporation, just about every business needs a website. Even if you don't sell products online a site can help people find you, learn more about your skills and services, and provide a way share your details with other potential customers. Getting started can be very easy. Cloud-based website builders can help you build anything from a simple single-page site to a professional web store, even if you've no design or HTML experience at all. More experienced users can customise and fine-tune the design to suit their own needs, or perhaps install a more traditional web design package that allows them to build the perfect site from scratch. There are free options, but these often have major restrictions, including limits on the size of the site and the lack of any option to use your own domain. Fortunately, the commercial options are very reasonably priced, from around £5/$5 to £10/$10 a month, with hosting included. To help you decide which option is best for your needs here are – in no particular order – techradar pro's top 10 web design tools for small business. 10 things you need to know to build a small business websiteWeeblyhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/internet/Best%20web%20design/Weebly-420-90.jpg Price: Free to £17 per month Creating your first business website can seem like an intimidating task, especially if you're a web design novice, but online site builders like Weebly provide a very easy way to get started. The service offers hundreds of professionally-designed web templates, covering just about any site type. Choose whatever catches your eye, then use the drag-and-drop editor to add text blocks, images, galleries, videos, maps and whatever else you need. Experienced users can go even further, taking full HTML and CSS control to customise every aspect of the site. Weebly's free service allows you to get a basic idea of how this works, but has some major issues: a 500MB storage limit, no custom domain support (yoursite.weebly.com instead of yoursite.com), Weebly branding on the footer, and no e-commerce support at all. The £8 per month Pro package removes all those restrictions, and adds important extras like HD video and audio players, site search, password protected pages and more. If you're going to sell online then spending £17 per month on the Pro package also gets you full and unrestricted e-commerce features, including a shopping cart on your domain, shipping and tax calculators, coupon codes and more. Jimdohttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/internet/Best%20web%20design/jimdo-420-90.jpg Price: Free to £180 per year Jimdo's web-based site creator is priced much the same as Weebly, but it's important to read the small print, especially for the free account – it's better than you think. A standard list of limitations includes ads, a 500MB storage limit, no custom domain, and very limited SEO. But there are also a few features you won't get in other free plans, like a password protected area, and there's also very basic e-commerce support for up to 5 products. Site building isn't as impressive as with some of the competition. There aren't as many templates, you can't add quite as many functions or features, and the modules you do get aren't as configurable. Still, the templates are more than adequate for most purposes (and you can switch them whenever you like), the editor isn't difficult to use, and there's support for all the content you'd expect (text, images, galleries, maps, videos, downloads, and forms). If you'd like to experiment with a simple web store without spending anything, Jimdo should be on your shortlist. Wixhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/internet/Best%20web%20design/Wix-420-90.jpg Price: Free to £10.10 per month Wix is a popular online website creator, similar to Weebly, which offers a range of plans and products. The free version has Wix branding, limited storage space and bandwidth, but the Unlimited plan (£7.76 per month) removes those restrictions and includes a free domain, while the e-commerce plan adds an online store for a reasonable £10.10 per month. An excellent collection of 500 plus templates gets the design process off to a quick start. The drag-and-drop editor gives you all kinds of tools and features to explore – the image editor, video backgrounds, password protected pages, social buttons, an integrated site blog – and just about everything can be tweaked, tuned and restyled. Wix can't quite match Weebly in a couple of areas. You don't get the same low-level HTML and CSS control, and there's no way to switch templates after you've customised a site; you can only start again. But if you're a web-building novice, Wix's great templates and design flexibility makes it a good first choice. Squarespacehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/internet/Best%20web%20design/Squarespace-420-90.jpg Price: $60/£41 per year to $480/£330 per year While most online site builders offer a simple, free account, Squarespace's most basic plan costs $5 a month (billed annually, so that's $60 per year, or £41), and the prices climb steeply from there. But don't be put off, you can start a trial without using a credit card, and there's better value here than you might expect. Squarespace's $60 per year Cover Page account may only get you a single-page site, but that could be enough for some businesses, and there are none of the restrictions you get with other companies: no ads, no bandwidth or storage limits, plus you even get a free domain. There isn't the choice of templates you'll get with Wix, but Squarespace's designs generally look better to us. The editor offers lots of modules to customise them further: galleries, social networking integration, forms, charts, e-commerce, integrated blogging, a comments system, and more. You're able to make changes at the CSS/HTML level, or switch templates at any time if you change your mind. Squarespace isn't the best choice for beginners, but the single-page sites are good value and there's a lot of expert-level functionality. Just check the complete feature list to see for yourself. Shopifyhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/internet/Best%20web%20design/shopify-420-90.jpg Price: $29/£20 per month to $299/£205 per month As you'll probably guess from the name, Shopify is a specialist website builder which focuses on building professional, feature-packed online stores. The design process seems to be much like other tools: choose from 100 plus templates, adjust and tweak the colours, style and layout, then add your own content. But the e-commerce features are so much better, with a great-looking and supremely configurable product catalogue, a comprehensive shopping cart (allowing for the acceptance of credit cards, and offering free shipping, along with automatic tax handling for many countries), advanced store management, and lots of marketing tools (social media integration, discount codes and coupons, customer product reviews, and more). Shopify is also reasonable value, with even the basic $29 per month account supporting custom domains, unlimited products and storage, and there's a free SSL certificate. But if your budget is tiny, check out the separate $9 (just over £6) per month Shopify Lite product which allows selling from Facebook. WebEasy Professional 10http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/internet/Best%20web%20design/Webeasy-420-90.jpg Price: £81.70 Cloud-based site builders are perfect for design newbies or anyone in a hurry, but they can also be very inflexible, and may not provide the control you need. WebEasy Professional 10 is a Windows package which you install locally, and use offline. You get complete control over the site code – you can edit it manually, and use other software to inspect or amend it, if you like – and the results can be uploaded to WebEasy's own hosting service (there's a year bundled for free) or your preferred provider. This doesn't mean the program is any more complex, in fact it's simpler than some online designers. There are hundreds of templates to choose from, a drag-and-drop editor, various content types (text, images, Google Maps, YouTube videos, social media integration, and more) along with support for building an online store. The downside with WebEasy is it hasn't been updated since 2014, and as a result the templates are looking tired, they're not responsive, and there simply isn't the same level of functionality you'll get with Wix or Squarespace. But if you need simplicity and an offline designer, this product may still appeal. CoffeeCup HTML Editor 15.3http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/internet/Best%20web%20design/CoffeeCup-420-90.jpg Price: $69/£48 CoffeeCup HTML Editor is a powerful coding tool for more experienced web developers, which gives complete control over every aspect of your site. While that sounds intimidating – and beginners should definitely look elsewhere – CoffeeCup is much easier to use than many similar packages. There are 13 Responsive Themes to help you get started, for instance. You can view the code to see how it works, tweak and change it as required, and immediately see the results in a preview pane. The Components Library is a great timesaver. Use it to store reusable objects like menus or headers, edit them in the library, and they'll immediately be updated right across your site. Elsewhere, smart code completion automatically suggests appropriate tags as you type, a comprehensive Tag Reference is available, a built-in validation tool checks your code for references, and you can open your site in up to 10 browsers from within the program. Factor in the low price – which won't even cover you for a year on some basic online builder plans – and CoffeeCup HTML Editor is a good pick for more knowledgeable users. Mobirise Web Builder 2.11.1http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/internet/Best%20web%20design/Mobirise-420-90.jpg Price: Free Mobirise Web Builder is a free tool which brings some of the simplicity and content of online web designers to the Windows desktop. It's certainly easy to use. After you launch the program, a default theme appears, and you can customise text, images and site behaviour with a click. There are also a few good-looking content blocks – images, text, videos, carousels, sliders, social network buttons, contact forms, PayPal shopping cart, Twitter feed, plus Facebook comments – and adding them only takes a drag and a drop. Your proto-site automatically rearranges itself to fit your tablet, phone or desktop's screen. You can check this at any time, preview the results in your browser as a final confirmation, then publish it locally, to Google Drive or FTP. This is all very basic. There's a grand total of two free themes, only a fraction of the content types available on sites like Wix, and with far less configurability and control. But what you do get looks good and works well, and if your needs are simple, and your budget non-existent, Mobirise deserves a closer look. ToWeb 6.12http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/internet/Best%20web%20design/ToWeb-420-90.jpg Price: Free to £155 Many desktop applications have tried to match the abilities of the online site builders, but ToWebprobably gets closest. You'll find more than 100 templates to start your site; the quality is average but you're sure to spot something you like. A wizard creates a few initial pages for you, and these can be customised with text, images, galleries, videos, maps, polls, forms, even a complete online store with your own shopping cart if you buy the E-Commerce or Studio versions (£78 or £155 respectively). Advanced features include password protection for as many pages as you need (no limits), an integrated site search engine, image editor, watermarking, Captcha verification for forms, and a complete CSS editor to customise every element of the page. Creating pages isn't as straightforward as some of the competition, and the help isn't immediately helpful, either. But explore the menus and dialogs and you'll soon have a good-looking site, ready to publish locally or to any FTP server. Xara Web Designer Premiumhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/internet/Best%20web%20design/Xara-420-90.jpg Price: £69.99 Xara Web Designer Premium is an excellent website builder, easy to use but with plenty of options, and enough supporting extras to get you up and running quickly. The package includes a host of stylish templates, both general and themed around specific businesses. Each one has common pages included by default, speeding up the development process, and the results are immediately impressive. (Don't take our word for it – browse through those templates here). As usual, you can customise each page with videos, maps, forms, social networking buttons, and so on. But Xara Web Designer Premium also has plenty of more business-oriented features, including interactive charts, graphs, and a tool for building web-based presentations, complete with animated transitions. E-commerce features are relatively limited (there's a PayPal widget), but there's still a lot here for your money, especially as the package includes 2GB of hosting space, free for a year. If you don't need a big web store, give it a try. How to improve your website's Google rankinghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/uSe5GQAm0HQ

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/Features/Install%20Windows%2010%20today/Windows%2010%20Spectre%20x360-6-470-75.jpgMicrosoft has implemented a new website which lists all the business apps that are available for its newest OS. Not every business has made the move to Windows 10, not by a long shot – upgrading is a more complex matter for a company compared to an individual, of course – and a considerable part of any concerns might revolve around whether existing apps are compatible with the operating system. So in the interests of making it crystal clear what is supported in terms of business apps, the new Ready For Windows website lists the lot for those mulling a move to Windows 10, and indeed for those who are merely curious or looking to source solutions for the OS. Convenient categoriesThe site breaks the apps down into separate categories for convenience, with those categories including: communication, education, finance, health, manufacturing, media, public sector, along with retail and consumer goods. Big names already listed include the likes of Citrix, Sage, Cisco, Salesforce, Autodesk, Oracle, Symantec, Intel Education and more. Of course, this is all part of Redmond's major offensive to push Windows 10 onto as many PCs as possible, in both the business and consumer spheres. As Microsoft notes, Windows 10 is the fastest adopted OS in Redmond's history, although a good deal of adoption has been driven due to the fact that the operating system has been a free upgrade for the first year (a freebie which runs out at the end of July). Via: ZDNet Also check out: Should you upgrade to Windows 10?http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/CPYnskRH-CQ

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010%20Lenovo/Embargoed%20until%209PM%20PDT%20on%2028%20JULY/Cortana-470-75.JPGMicrosoft has released another preview version of Windows 10 to Insiders testing on the Fast Ring, with the big Anniversary Update just around the corner. So what's new with build 14361? Naturally enough, there's a load of bug fixes, as squashing bugs is a priority right now to smooth things over for said Anniversary Update (with a June 'bug bash' kicking off next week). But the new features are doubtless what you want to hear about, and Microsoft has introduced another fresh extension for the Edge web browser, this one being security related: you can now download LastPass, an extension for the popular password manager. That brings the total number of extensions live in the preview version of Windows 10 to a nice round 10, appropriately enough. Windows 10 now also supports Hyper-V Containers, allowing developers to create and run containers which use the Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview 5 Nano Server container OS image. Ink improvementsThere are also improvements to both Windows Ink and the Settings app. In the case of the former, that includes various bug fixes and tweaks such as making sure the Windows Ink ruler is now long enough to span the diagonal of the display when running on Microsoft's Surface Book, and improving the Sketch Pad UI. With the Settings app, again interface tweaks have been made, such as adjusting the text size to be more readable and adding a splash of colour to highlight which Settings tab you've selected. Some Windows 10 icons have also been changed (for the better, hopefully) and Redmond has implemented some important minor fixes, including smoothing over a problem which caused sites like YouTube to fall over in both Edge and Internet Explorer. For the full list of bug fixes – be warned, it's a long one – check out Microsoft's blog post on the new preview version. Microsoft engages in more firefighting over Windows 10 upgrade angerhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/TsuKEbMLSSk

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/YouTube%20to%20MP3/BestYouTubeMP3-470-75.jpgDownload the best free YouTube to MP3 convertersConvert YouTube videos to MP3YouTube is a great site, packed with amazing content, and it's easy to spend hours just browsing from one video to another. But sometimes, when you're out and about, driving, maybe running, that's just not possible. The solution? Download your favourite videos, maybe convert them to MP3, then burn them to CD or listen to them anywhere with your favourite music app. There are websites that can help you do this, but they're often slow, packed with ads, and only able to download one file at a time. Specialist YouTube to MP3 converters deliver much better results. They're easy to use, just paste your file URL and it's usually downloaded and converted with a single click. The top programs add support for other video and music-sharing sites, and can download complete playlists as well as individual files, yet still won't cost you anything at all. Isn't freeware great? http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/YouTube%20to%20MP3/YouTube.Song.Downloader-420-90.jpg 1. YouTube Song Downloader 2016Download, convert and listen to music from YouTube with just one program http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/badgesmaller-111-100.jpgDespite the name, YouTube Song Downloader isn't just another simple converter. It's a complete YouTube client with everything you need to find, hear and download your favourite tunes. Smart search tool helps track down the songs you need, both individual tracks and entire albums. If you're not sure whether you've found the right version, no problem - a built-in player means you can watch the video right now. Once you're ready, single tracks can be downloaded with a click, or you can select multiple files and grab them all at once. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgAnd if you're still not convinced, YouTube Song Downloader 2016 has another big advantage over most of the competition: it can download the source video, as well as a converted MP3. The free edition does have ads, and a nag screen when you close the program, but they're not annoying, and upgrading for around £8 (about US$12, AU$16) will get you a version free of both. Read on to discover four more of our favourite YouTube to MP3 converters. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/YouTube%20to%20MP3/Free.YouTube.to.MP3.Converter-420-90.jpg 2. Free YouTube to MP3 ConverterDownload music from YouTube quickly and easily, complete with artwork Video conversion tools can be complex, but Free YouTube to MP3 Converter shows they don't have to be that way. The program really couldn't be much easier to use. Copy your source YouTube link to the clipboard, click 'Paste', and the video name, quality and a tiny thumbnail appear to confirm your choice. Choose a different quality setting if you prefer, otherwise simply click 'Download' and wait as the video is downloaded and converted. A progress bar keeps you up to date with what's happening, and once it's finished, there are buttons to play the MP3 or open its folder in Explorer. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgThe file even has its YouTube frame embedded as sort of 'cover art', which means you'll see it in Explorer's Preview pane, or when viewing a folder as icons. All this is entirely free, but a US$29 per year (about £20, AU$40) premium subscription extends the package with playlist downloads, improved speed and quality, and no ads at all. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/YouTube%20to%20MP3/MediaHuman.YouTube.to.MP3.Converter-420-90.jpg 3. MediaHuman YouTube to MP3 ConverterNot just YouTube - this downloader works with Vevo, Vimeo and more At first glance, MediaHuman YouTube to MP3 Converter seems a little basic, limited, too short on features to be really useful. But start to explore and you might be surprised. Choosing a file can be as easy as dragging and dropping the URL, for instance, or pasting it from the clipboard. The program doesn't just fetch YouTube files: it also works with Vevo.com, Vimeo, DailyMotion, Soundcloud, Bandcamp & Hype Machine. MP3 tag support enables entering the correct artist and album name from within the program, and you can start the download with a click. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgThat's good, but the real highlights are hidden away in a tiny toolbar. MediaHuman YouTube to MP3 Converter can also download entire playlists, use a 'speed limit' mode to prevent it hogging your bandwidth, add music to iTunes, or - for really big jobs - automatically sleep or shut down your PC when the downloads have finished. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/YouTube%20to%20MP3/4K.YouTube.to.MP3-420-90.jpg 4. 4K YouTube to MP3Stress-free MP3 downloading from whole YouTube playlists or channels4K YouTube to MP3 is a straightforward converter which aims to download your chosen music with the absolute minimum of hassle. The program works with individual videos, full YouTube playlists or channels (up to 25 videos in the free version), and accepts links from other sites including SoundCloud, Vimeo, Flickr and DailyMotion. It's all very simple to use. Paste in a link and you don't have to consider options, or click a separate 'Download' button, as with some of the competition. 4K YouTube to MP3 just downloads and converts your files immediately. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgBut there's also real power here, when you need it. You're able to download files using multiple threads, for example, use your preferred quality settings, and choose from several output formats (MP3, M4A, OGG). And if you're downloading a complete YouTube playlist, good news: M3U file generation means you can use that playlist in most media players immediately, no extra steps required. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/YouTube%20to%20MP3/Lacey-420-90.jpg 5. LaceySearch dozens of video sites to find exactly what you want If you're tired of adware-infested 'freeware' then Lacey should appeal right away. There's no registration, no sneaky setup program, in fact no installer at all: just unzip the download and run Lacey.exe. The program opens with a simple search box. Type the name of your favourite artist, a song, album, whatever you like, and matches are displayed in seconds. Other tools do something similar, but Lacey stands out because it's not restricted to YouTube. If you can't find your track there, it's also able to search Baidu, BandCamp, MP3Fusion, VEVO, Vimeo, SoundCloud, XMusic.Me, and a lengthy list of other sites. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgThere's no detailed preview of your search results, and often all you'll see is the title, artist and duration. But if the program locates songs that others miss then you probably won't care much, and Lacey can download whatever you like in a couple of clicks. Have we missed your favorite YouTube to MP3 converter? Let us know in the comments below. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/BeCExGS1xKo

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/other/Onetimers/App%20Store%20apps-470-75.jpgWe've been anticipating big changes for Apple's iOS App Store for some time, and now the Cupertino company is set to reveal all at its WWDC event next week. In an interview with The Verge, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller discussed how Apple will be opening its App Store subscription model, currently implemented in news and magazine apps, to all product categories. "And that includes games, which is a huge category," said Schiller. The company's plans for the App Store's future also include a new revenue-sharing model, which will keep the current 70/30 split, but will see Apple's 30 percent cut drop down to just 15 percent once a developer has had a customer subscribed for longer than a year. Apple adds App Store adsDisplay ads will also be making their way into App Store search results, which will provide prominent placement for app developers that are willing to front the cash. Schiller stated that the system will be "fair to developers and fair for indie developers, too." The App Review process is also getting faster. Apple claims that 50 percent of apps submitted are now reviewed within the first 24 hours, with that number reaching 90 percent by the 48 hour mark. Share functionality will also be built into every app's 3D Touch menu, allowing users to shoot off a link to their recommended app on social media channels. What about me?Subscription models in iOS games and apps will surely please developers, who'll now have the option of using a brand new, recurring revenue stream to bring in the big bucks. As for the consumer, they may be left with tough decisions on which apps they're willing to pay a monthly fee for. Juggling multiple app subscriptions could also be a headache, as being charged for several different subscriptions each month will start to add up. Consumers may need to become more selective about the apps they invest their time and money in. That said, this could also lead to the cream rising to the top, forcing developers to up their game when it comes to putting out a product that's actually worth sticking with. If the latter holds true, that can only be good news for consumers. If implemented well, it could act as a way to resuscitate waning interest in many apps — it may even inspire users to properly commit to apps rather than abandon them after a few days. We're less enthused about display ads appearing in search results. However, we're willing to wait until see some examples before completely writing them off — they could make it easier for customers to get their eyes on apps and games they may have missed otherwise. We'll find out more next week at WWDC 2016. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/wtxdUqleRWw

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Features%202/best%20audio%20software/Audacity-470-75.jpgThe best free audio editorsThe best free audio editorsWhen you want to edit a sound file – whether it's to create a custom ringtone for your phone, make your own podcasts or record songs – the prospect of choosing the right tool for the job can be a daunting one. The complexity of some audio-editing tools might be enough to scare you away, but it's more likely to be the price tag attached to such software that sends you running. Never fear, though – there are free options packed with professional-quality features. Whether you're looking for a tool to help create a soundtrack for your home movies, or you need something to help you convert your old record and cassette collection into MP3 format while removing background static, there's a free software download out there for you. Before you begin, it's worth noting that most audio editors use the LAME codec. It's probably already installed on your system, but if you receive a warning that you need to install it, you can download a package containing it. This download contains no adware or malware. Audacityhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Audio%20editors/Audacity-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/badgesmaller-111-100.jpgAvailable for any desktop platform you care to mention, Audacity is our first choice for audio editing. It has a huge following, and it's one that is entirely justified. It's a powerful tool that would put some paid-for product to shame, and although the interface might initially seem slightly intimidating, it's actually surprisingly approachable even for beginners. Audacity is equipped with an extensive suite of built-in tools, enabling you to edit pre-recorded files, capture sound through an attached microphone, or even stream audio. There's support for a wide range of audio formats for both importing and exporting, and the range of built-in effect is impressive. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgThere's also a great selection of third-party plug-ins to make it even more versatile (one of our favourites is autotune add-on Gsnap, for that T-Pain effect), and a comprehensive manual is available to help you to get to grips with the more complicated aspects of the program. Read on to discover seven more fantastic tools for fine-tuning your sound files. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Audio%20editors/FreeAudioEditor-420-90.jpg Free Audio EditorFree Audio Editor's name tells you everything you need to know here. You have to deselect a few checkboxes to avoid installing unwanted software, but the tool itself is worth the effort. It can be used to record audio via line-in, work with existing audio files, or to rip CDs. One thing that makes Free Audio Editor stand out from the competition is the way the interface has been designed. Rather than hiding option deep in confusing menus, everything you need to right at your fingertips. A neat effects sidebar makes it simple to get to the tools you need, and you can even bookmark those you use most to make your life even easier. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpg You can get as hands on as you like, but many of the readymade filters such as breath reduction (particularly handy for podcasts) and background noise reduction mean that you'll be able to perform many audio clean-up tasks in just a few clicks. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg Free MP3 Cutter and EditorFree MP3 Cutter and Editor is a simple program designed with a very specific type of audio editing in mind. Audacity would be a better choice if you want fine control of your tracks, but if you're looking for nothing more than a quick and dirty program for trimming the fat from your MP3s, this is perfect. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Audio%20editors/FreeMP3Cutter-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgOpen your MP3 file and you can cut out unwanted sections, add a fade-in or fade-out, adjust the volume, and convert between stereo and mono. That's it. It might sound limited, but it's extremely good at what it does (for example, if you have saved a live recording as one large MP3 and then want to divide it up into a number of individual tracks). It's not the sort of task you would need a professional audio editor for, but Free MP3 Cutter and Editor fits the bill nicely. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Audio%20editors/Wavepad-420-90.jpg WavePad Audio Editor FreeThe iPad has, over the years, become recognised as a value tool for music creation, but not so much for editing tracks. WavePad Audio Editor Free is an interesting app for a couple of reasons: not only is it a free, mobile audio editing app, but it's also available for both iOS and Android. Despite being a mobile app, it's surprisingly powerful - helped, perhaps, by the fact that it is designed rather like a desktop program. There are a number of filters and editing options available such as trimming, a high pass filter, normalisation and merging files, but additional features can be added via in-app purchases. There are some nice extra touches such as voice-activated recording, and an auto-trim editing function. There's also a version of WavePad designed for PCs, which you can download free here. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Audio%20editors/Ocenaudio-420-90.jpg ocenaudioLike Audacity, ocenaudio is available for multiple platforms (Windows, Linux and Mac). While not bursting with features, it's a great tool for everyday audio editing. Real-time effect previewing should help to speed up your work as there's no need to apply a change just to try it out, and a highly precise selection tool makes it easy to apply the same effect to multiple section of a files. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgYou can work with locally stored files, or even open those hosted online. The somewhat sparse interface quickly becomes a joy to use, and if you spend a little time familiarising yourself with the keyboard shortcuts, you should fly through common tasks in next to no time. There's a decent range of effects to choose from, and there's even the option of exporting your creations as a ringtone for you iPhone. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Audio%20editors/mp3DirectCut-420-90.jpg mp3DirectCutDespite its name, mp3DirectCut does more than just slicing up MP3s (although it does that very well). You can record directly into the program or work with existing audio files, and although there are no fancy options, all of the basics are covered. As well as simple track splitting, you'll also find tools for normalising audio, increasing the volume, and fading. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgAutomatic pause detection is available to help make it easier to decided where to split a track, and if you have created cue files to automate file processing, there's support for those here. mp3DirectCut also features a batching processing option that can be used to quickly apply the same settings and effects to entire folders full of files, which is handy for normalising a series of tracks, or increasing the volume of a set that were recorded at the same time. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Audio%20editors/Acoustica-420-90.jpg Acoustica Basic EditionAcoustica Basic Edition is a superb audio editor, and is particularly good at cleaning up old audio recordings from vinyl or cassettes by removing unwanted noise. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgOpting for the free version means missing out on options such as a multi-track editor and support for 7.1 surround sound, but you still get a lot to play with. It has a very professional look and feel, and the Effect Chain - an area where you can build up and play with a layered series of filters - is a particular highlight. There's support for DirectX and VST plug-ins, so you can easily expand the program's repertoire. If you want to get a taste for audio editing with the freedom to move beyond the basics when you feel ready, Acoustica Basic Edition is an excellent starting point. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Audio%20editors/Wavosaur-420-90.jpg WavosaurWavosaur differs from the rest of the software we're looking at because it's a portable app. You can therefore save it to a USB stick, ready for use on any PC without installation. Despite its tiny size, Wavosaur packs a punch. It's designed with MP3 editing in mind, but supports other key formats as well. It also boasts features like pitch shifting and vocal removal (ideal for making DIY karaoke tracks, and as with Audacity, its feature set can be expanded with VST plug-ins. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgThe basic program hasn't been updated in quite some time, but don't let that put you off - it's an absolute gem of an audio editor. When downloading Wavosaur, take care not to accidentally click one of the many other 'Download' buttons on the site – the English-language 32-bit and 64-bit links are located halfway down the page, next to American flag icons. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/vmaWfsk8_P8

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/internet/Best%20browsers/Firefox%20browser-470-75.jpgWith the next version of Firefox, Mozilla is planning to introduce a feature that should make the browser run much more smoothly, and it's a move the company is calling the biggest change ever made to Firefox. It's called Electrolysis (E10S for short) and the feature, which has been in beta testing since December last year, effectively splits Firefox into a UI process and content process. With these two elements being separated, if a web page (the content process) happens to be eating up your CPU resources or crashing, the interface – all the various buttons and your other tabs which are open – will still remain responsive and fully usable. That's a pretty major boon to say the least, and will save a lot of frustration – there's nothing worse than staring at your browser for 30 seconds solid with it being frozen and everything greyed out as some website churns away. Stepping things upRecently, the scale of beta testing Electrolysis has been stepped up, and over the last six weeks it has involved half of the testing population. And in terms of stability as well as the key issue of resource usage, things are apparently looking good. Firefox 48 (with Electrolysis) will be unleashed to the general surfing population at the beginning of August, or at least that's the plan, but there will be a staged rollout. Mozilla's Asa Dotzler wrote: "This is a huge change for Firefox, the largest we've ever shipped. But don't worry. The Electrolysis team at Mozilla has a release roll-out plan that ensures we're going slowly, measuring as we go and that we can throttle up as well as down depending on what we see." Apparently only 1% of users will receive Firefox 48 initially so Mozilla can test the waters and make sure everything is okay, before gradually rolling the release out to the rest of the user base. Via: The Register Best Firefox security add-ons 2016http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/DNzZN3aXBmo

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Office/office%202016%20vs%20office%20365/office%202016%20features-470-75.jpgIt probably won't surprise you to hear that some new research has discovered that when it comes to finding new staff members, proficiency with Microsoft Office has become a vital element in terms of the most prized skills employers look for. Highlighting their Microsoft Office skills is one of the most important things job hunters can do according to the IDC study, which put Office at number four in the top 20 most required skills across all occupations (not just the tech industry). The three skills which beat out Office were oral and written communication skills – which was number one by a long way – followed by problem-solving, and then integrity (not so much a skill as a trait, but never mind). The latter two were only slightly ahead of familiarity with Microsoft's productivity suite; that's how important and all-pervading the software has become these days. Thorough researchThe IDC study encompassed some 76 million job postings over in the US, so it's a pretty thorough piece of research to say the least. As well as the Office suite at number four, Microsoft's PowerPoint presentation software came in at number 16 on its own. IDC further noted that almost one in eight (12%) of what the firm calls 'high-opportunity positions' (the best jobs going in terms of predicted growth and wages) ask for Microsoft Office-related skills. When you combine that number with the high-opportunity jobs that require Office, this figure grows to almost 20%. Anthony Salcito, Vice President of Worldwide Education at Microsoft, commented: "While over the past three years we've seen the breadth of needed skills for jobs increase by 68%, we've also seen that communication skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office and PowerPoint, remain vitally important for success in the workplace." Via: Win Beta The best free Microsoft Office alternatives 2016http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/1eTJZ_rMG20

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/portable_speakers/Amazon/Echo/review/amazon-echo-hero-470-75.jpgEver since the Amazon Echo first appeared, developers have been adding new abilities to Alexa, the voice-controlled AI service that runs on it. Now Amazon has confirmed Alexa has reached the milestone of 1,000 third-party "skills". Amazon's announcement is designed to get even more developers jumping on board with Alexa plug-ins of their own, but the roster of current talent is impressive: Domino's, Fitbit and Uber are three of the well-known services you can access through Alexa. That means if you've got an Echo installed at home, it's possible to call up a pizza, your fitness statistics or a taxi using the power of your voice. Amazon has developed many different Alexa features itself, from web searches to weather forecasts. Speaker of the house"Today, we have a vibrant community of tens of thousands of developers who are learning about the service, bringing useful and innovative skills to every aspect of Alexa customers' lives, and introducing their own users to the magic and simplicity of hands-free, voice-driven interactions," enthused Amazon's Rob Pulciani via a press release. Alexa is spreading beyond the Echo too - it's now also available through the Amazon Fire TV and was recently added to Pebble's new Core fitness tracker. What's more, the idea of the Amazon Echo tube has proved so popular that Google has copied it and Apple is rumoured to be planning to. With all the major tech players now having smart digital assistant platforms of their own, third-party integrations are going to be one of the ways that users can distinguish between them - it's like the app store wars all over again. Head-to-head: Google Home vs. Amazon EchoCheck out our video review of Computex 2016: " width="420">YouTube :

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Connected%20home/Loxone/Loxone%20Hero-470-75.jpgIn recent years we've seen an explosion in connected home technology. Philips has released and subsequently iterated on its connected lighting range, Google has continued to iterate on its line of Nest smart thermostats, and even Samsung has got in on the action with its SmartThings line. Now a company in the UK called Loxone has created a single connected home system that covers everything from lighting, to security, to heating, and even your music player and window blinds. It doesn't cover appliances such as fridges or ovens like some other connected home technologies, nor does it sync with your smart television like Samsung's recent releases. But it covers an impressive range of devices all the same. The advantage with going with a single company is simplicity. Rather than having to configure your Nest to work with your smart lighting for example, Loxone will instead set up your entire system, leaving you to enjoy your connected home rather than having to tweak it to your liking. A single systemThis addresses a major concern with smart home technologies, which is that it can be a struggle to get them to work together successfully. Each system has its own app and its own control system, which isn't exactly the most seamless user experience. Progress in the area is being made, such as with Google's 'Works with Nest' initiative to bring smart devices into a shared ecosystem, but for the most part the automated home remains a bit of a mess. Meanwhile with Loxone, everything is controlled through a single app, allowing you to for example sync your lighting with your security system to set the lights to automatically turn off when you leave the house and lock the front door. The result is an experience which is theoretically much more seamless than sewing together systems from various different providers. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Connected%20home/Loxone/Loxone%20wall%20switch-420-90.jpg One example given by Omid Nikroo, Loxone UK's Project Development Manager is a unified routine which activates when you get home. A sensor by the front door could recognise your arrival, leading to both the lighting and the heating coming on, as well as a certain playlist being played over the speakers. Another example is a morning routine. The system can recognise when you're coming downstairs for breakfast, and can then raise the blinds in your kitchen as well as turning on the lights and putting on the radio. All of these features are controlled through Loxone's app, which is more or less ok at dealing with the sheer quantity of tasks the system involves. House features can be viewed by either room or system category, keeping everything where you need it. The app seemed fairly intuitive when I got my hands on it, but it was a little unresponsive at times. In particular the long-press function, which is used to bring up additional options, would occasionally fail to activate, leaving me with no option than to navigate round the menus the long way. Room by room heatingWe were impressed with Nest when we reviewed it a couple of years ago, but the system's downside is that it is based around the idea of controlling your whole house with a single thermostat. If your house is anything like mine then your thermostat is probably in a central hallway, which is likely to be one of the warmer parts of the house. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Connected%20home/Loxone/Loxone%20Multi-room%20heating-420-90.jpg The result is that the thermostat might not realise that a room upstairs is much colder, and might subsequently not turn the heat on. Loxone's system solves this problem firstly by having temperature sensors in each room, (they're hidden in the smart light-switches) and secondly by taking remote control of each of your radiator's valves individually using a small remote control. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Connected%20home/Loxone/Loxone%20Radiator%20Valve-420-90.jpg This means that Loxone's system is capable of only heating up the rooms that you're currently using, rather than wasting energy by heating up your whole home uniformly. Not for tweakersThe result might be an advanced system with separate parts that works well together, but it's also one that's not meant for you to tinker with yourself. This reflects Loxone's desire to provide a finished product to its consumers, which it will then tweak itself post-installation to make sure you're getting the most out of it. That's a shame as far are we're concerned. Part of the fun of having a smart system is in endlessly tweaking the way everything works and working out the most efficient way to have it run your home. You're not going to spend Sunday afternoons tweaking. Loxone wants you to forget about its system, and let it become an invisible part of your home. But if we've just spent thousands on a smart home system, there's a part of us that wants to have a little fun with it. Should you do it?All this out of the box functionality doesn't come cheap. Loxone's website lists the price of a typical three bedroom home installation including the core lighting, security and heating as costing around £2,000. For that price it certainly covers a lot, but with companies like Samsung moving into connected white goods, you might soon find Loxone's system might not cover as much of your home as you might like. There's also the issue of the app. Loxone's software seems functional, but the couple of bugs I experienced made us think it might not be able to match up to the reliability of the software provided from a player such as Google. Given that the show home we used the Loxone system in is meant to be a best-case scenario, I would worry that in a home that hasn't received the full installation it might be less responsive still. Nevertheless, at this price, and with this features, the Loxone system is pretty unique in the market. Gathering this many different smart home functions within a single app is impressive and it leads to an experience which is much more seamless than many of its cheaper competitors. Check out our review of Google's Nest Smart Thermostat

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/features/nest/tony_fadell-470-75.jpgTony Fadell, founder of Nest, is no longer CEO of the smart home firm. "I have decided that the time is right to 'leave the Nest,'" Fadell wrote in a blog post announcing his departure. While the news may strike some as sudden, Fadell noted the leadership transition has been underway since late last year. He won't be gone entirely from Alphabet, which owns Nest, and will take on an advisor role to the company and Larry Page, Google co-founder and Alphabet CEO. The new role will allow Fadell to stay involved with Nest, though not in its day-to-day operations. Fadell, a tech maverick who's also credited as the "father of the iPod," plans to take his industry-disrupting credo outside the smart home walls: "This will give me the time and flexibility to pursue new opportunities to create and disrupt other industries - and to support others who want to do the same - just as we've done at Nest." A new NestMarwan Fawaz, a former Motorola exec who ran its Motorola Home division, is now Nest's CEO. Fadell founded Nest in 2011, and almost immediately its impact on the smart home space was felt. Google swooped in to buy it two years ago in a $3.2 billion blockbuster deal. It was Google's third-largest acquisition ever, and many viewed it as a match made in tech heaven. Nest would eventually be shuffled into Alphabet, Google's new parent company. Fadell was also put in charge of Google Glass, a device with well-documented struggles. Though Fadell says Nest revenue has grown in excess of 50% year-over-year, the company has had its share of problems, too, including a quasi-recalled smoke and carbon monoxide detector and slow product release cycle. Scrutiny also began to fall on Fadell earlier this year as reports of his difficult management style surfaced. In March, Dropcam Founder Greg Duffy wrote a defense of his company that was damning of Fadell and other Nest leaders. Despite its struggles, Nest has grown from its beginnings as a smart thermostat company to encompass a number of smart home products, software and services. There's also the Works with Nest ecosystem that allows third-party devices to sync up with Nest products. Losing Fadell is a major blow to Nest, but the company also seems poised to embrace a new future and reach the heights we've expected it to all along. With Google making fresh moves into the smart home with Google Home, we think Nest will be an even more integral part of Alphabet's efforts to grow its empire. Update: Larry Page and Tony Fadell have issued statements on Fadell's departure. Page said: "Under Tony's leadership, Nest has catapulted the connected home into the mainstream, secured leadership positions for each of its products, and grown its revenue in excess of 50% year-over-year since they began shipping products. He's a true visionary and I look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role as advisor to Alphabet. I'm delighted that Marwan will be the new Nest CEO and am confident in his ability to deepen Nest's partnerships, expand within enterprise channels, and bring Nest products to even more homes." It's interesting to note he points out enterprise as an area of growth for Nest. Fadell also highlighted the growth Nest has experienced, and included a reassurance that the company is working to execute a definitive two-year product roadmap: "Last year, I began discussions with members of my team about my next endeavor. After six years of working on Nest, leading it through 4.5 years of double-digit growth and consistently high marks from customers, I leave Nest in the hands of a strong and experienced leadership team, with Marwan at the helm and a well-defined, two-year product roadmap in place. I'm looking forward to my new role as an advisor to Alphabet and Larry, which will give me more time and flexibility to pursue new opportunities to create and disrupt other industries - and to support others who want to do the same - just as we've done at Nest." Which is better for your home: Google Home vs Amazon Echo?

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Apr/Antispyware/MalwareMain-470-75.jpgThe best anti-spyware and anti-malware softwareThe best free protection for your PCUsing an internet-connected PC without anti-spyware and anti-malware protection is rather like walking through the bad bit of town covered in bling, waving big wads of notes around and shouting "I am very bad at fighting!" Luckily you don't need to have big wads of notes to ensure that you don't get ripped off through your router or mugged via modem: as we'll discover in our feature, there are plenty of seriously good PC protection apps that you can get for absolutely nothing. As with any free software, pay close attention to the installers: some apps really want you to install bundled software, and they often do so by making installer screens really misleading in the hope that you'll just merrily click okay to everything. Given that the whole point of these apps is to remove unwanted software from your system, trying to stuff unwanted apps into your PC is a bit off. For more information, see our guide to avoiding potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). Have we missed an anti-spyware program that's saved your system? Let us know in the comments below. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Apr/Antispyware/bitdefender-420-90.jpg 1. BitDefender Antivirus Free EditionDiscreet protection from malware, spyware and online security threats http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/badgesmaller-111-100.jpgBitDefender is the strong, silent type. It doesn't even ask questions when you install it. What it does instead is use a range of tactics to identify bad things. It has B-Have, which looks for apps behaving badly; link scanning to identify cons; proactive virus scanning that can detect threats nobody has encountered before; and boot scanning every time you start your PC. Ad-free, nag-free and hassle-free, it's a great product that runs quickly and silently while you get on with something more interesting. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgIts comprehensive suite of tools to protect your PC makes BitDefender our top pick. Read on to discover nine more of the best free anti-spyware and anti-malware programs. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Apr/Antispyware/panda-420-90.jpg 2. Panda Free Anti-Virus 2016Cloud-based security that takes the pressure off your PC We're big fans of Panda's security products, and Panda Free Anti-Virus 2016 is smarter than ever before. It's cloud-based, with all the heavy lifting happening on Panda's servers - so the load on your PC is lessened considerably. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgAs ever there are paid products that offer more features - Wi-Fi scanning, password management, encryption, parental controls and so on - but it offers excellent real-time protection and it's ridiculously simple to use. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Apr/Antispyware/avg-420-90.jpg 3. AVG Anti-Virus Free 2016A simple interface and effective scanning with remote activation If you prefer software that keeps quiet, AVG Anti-Virus Free 2016 might not be the app for you: it's quite vocal with its notifications, and irks us from time to time with irrelevant pop-ups telling us we've done something fantastic. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgAs a security app, though, it's very good. The dashboard is user-friendly, there's protection not just from downloadable threats, but from dodgy links too, and you can use your mobile to scan your PC remotely, which is pretty clever. The paid-for Pro model has more security options - it has more robust download protection, offers data encryption includes a firewall - but the free version offers decent protection for most PC users. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Apr/Antispyware/adaware-420-90.jpg 4. Ad-Aware Free Anti-Virus+All the anti-malware essentials, but lacks phishing protection Like many security software firms, Lavasoft offers its Ad-Aware Free Anti-Virus software in a free version in the hope you'll upgrade to its paid-for products - so it doesn't have some of the more advanced features you'd pay money for, such as phishing protection, parental controls and a digital file shredder. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgWhat it does have, however, more than covers the essentials: it scans downloads, checks for spyware, offers safe browsing via a list of known malicious websites and has a game mode so security notifications don't interrupt your frag-fests. Not bad for no money. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Apr/Antispyware/malwarebytes-420-90.jpg 5. MalwareBytes Anti-MalwareAn excellent tool, but the free edition lacks real-time protection You can use MalwareBytes Anti-Malware free for as long as you like, but there's an important caveat: real-time protection, the fast 'hyper scan' mode and malicious website blocking features all expire after 14 days - and that means you're missing out on some of the program's best features. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgMalwareBytes has a deserved reputation for destroying malware that other programs miss, and its chameleon technology - which once again expires after a fortnight in the free version - means it's less susceptible to attacks that deliberately target security software. Think of the free version as a short-term savior or a test drive; the Premium version costs £19.95 (about US$29.15, AU$38.32) per year. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Apr/Antispyware/spybot-420-90.jpg 6. SpyBot Search and DestroyA security stalwart that's ideal for diagnosing existing infections SpyBot Search and Destroy is a veteran of the malware wars, dating back to the first adware in 2000, and while it doesn't scan for viruses - that's in the Home version, which is $13.99 (about £9.58, AU$18.39) - the free version does a decent job of finding and fixing adware, malware and spyware. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgIt's more of a system repair tool than a system protection tool, however, and you need to be careful where you get it from: there are fake versions in circulation which are designed to cause damage, not fix it. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Apr/Antispyware/avast-420-90.jpg 7. Avast Free Anti-Virus 2016A comprehensive package with built-in password management Avast is another old-timer, and has been protecting Windows since PCs were made of wood. Avast Free Anti-Virus 2016 is the lightest, fastest version the company has ever shipped (the bad old days of security software slowing your PC to a crawl are thankfully long gone) and it supplements the anti-malware protection with a nifty password manager and home network monitoring, which can identify weak points in your Wi-Fi. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgAs with most free products, not all the goodies are available for nothing, so for example if you want anti-phishing protection or spam filtering you'll need the paid-for version, but the free edition is still a very comprehensive security package. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Apr/Antispyware/emsisoft-420-90.jpg 8. Emsisoft Emergency KitA lifesaver if your PC is already infected, but not a preventative tool Most security software tries to stop malware and spyware getting onto your system. Emsisoft Emergency Kit doesn't: it's the 911 call of security software, the app you use when your PC's been poked by something unpleasant. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgIt's designed to be portable, an app you carry around with you on a USB stick, and its system requirements are tiny: just 200MB of RAM, so it'll run quite happily on any PC with 1GB or more system memory. With 2 million malware signatures, Emisoft Emergency Kit can restore almost any infected PC to rude health. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Apr/Antispyware/hijackthis-420-90.jpg 9. Hijack ThisFor experts only - get detailed reports on a misbehaving PC Originally developed by Trend Micro and now available via SourceForge, Hijack This isn't an app for the faint of heart or tech-phobic: it generates an exceptionally detailed report on your system, enabling you to spot potential problems and malicious software. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgIt's very fast and very thorough, but it's about malware methods rather than specific products. It tells you what's going on and it's your job to interpret it and take action. In the wrong hands, that power could be disastrous. This is one for experienced users only. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Apr/Antispyware/superantispyware-420-90.jpg 10. SUPERAntiSpyware Free EditionAn outdated interface belies a solid manual malware scanner Not just anti-spyware - SUPER anti-spyware. Does it live up to the name? Yes and no. SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition lacks real-time protection and scheduled scanning, so it's a tool you need to remember to run manually, and the interface appears to have been designed in the dark by maniacs. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgThe core product is a solid one though, with lots of scanning options, registry repair, behavioural scanning and daily threat updates. It's not super, but it's pretty good. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/AVokK3NIeog

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Jun/File%20compression/CompressionMain-470-75.JPGThe best free file compression softwareWhy use file compression software?The most common use of file compression is to reduce the size of files before sending them as a single attachment (via email or a tool like WeTransfer). Compression also lets you save drive space by reducing the size of files you only use occasionally, and enables you to encrypt or password-protect many files at once Compression tools use a variety of methods to reduce file size. Some file types, such as JPG and MPG, are already compressed, so adding them to an archive won't reduce their size much - if at all. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Jun/File%20compression/WindowsCompress-220-100.JPGWindows (from XP onwards) has a built-in compression tool, accessed by right-clicking one or more folders/files, and selecting 'Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder'. This is fine for very occasional use, but is very limited. It can only read and create ZIP files (there are dozens of other formats), it doesn't let you create multiple volumes of a particular size, can't repair damaged archives, and can't encrypt files. In fact, if you use it to compress an encrypted file, it will be decrypted when extracted. It's therefore a good idea to have a third-party compression tool on hand, and with some available completely free and weighing in at just a few megabytes, there's no reason not to. These are our recommendations. Have we missed your preferred tool? Let us know in the comments below. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Jun/File%20compression/7-Zip-420-90.JPG 1. 7-ZipThe ultimate lightweight compression tool - no frills and no strings attached http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/badgesmaller-111-100.jpg7-Zip is open source, meaning it's completely free, even for commercial use. It's only 1MB in size, and is available as a portable version that can be run directly from a USB stick. 7-Zip isn't the most attractive program around, but it's so well designed that you won't miss the slick interfaces of its paid-for equivalents. You can locate files to be archived using a simple Explorer-style file tree, or drag and drop them into the main window. It can pack and unpack 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP and WIM archives, and unpack AR, ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, CramFS, DMG, EXT, FAT, GPT, HFS, IHEX, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MBR, MSI, NSIS, NTFS, QCOW2, RAR, RPM, SquashFS, UDF, UEFI, VDI, VHD, VMDK, WIM, XAR and Z. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgIts own 7z format is designed for high compression, and is supported by almost all file achiving tools - both paid-for and free - making it an ideal choice for sharing. You can apply password protection to packaged archives and split them into volumes, which is handy for sharing particularly large archives. The only key feature it's missing is the ability to repair damaged archives. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Jun/File%20compression/Peazip-420-90.JPG 2. PeaZipAnother excellent open source archiver. Larger than 7-Zip, but with more features PeaZip is another open source file compressor, but with a few more features in a considerably larger package (around 10MB compared to 7-Zip's 1MB). PeaZip's standard installation will make file associations and add context menu options automatically, which you might not want if you're trying it for the first time. Select 'Custom' if you want to make your own choices. Alternatively, you can use the 1.8MB portable version, which runs without being installed and won't make changes to your PC. PeaZip can pack and unpack to 7z, ARC/WRC, SFX, BZ2, GZ, PAQ/LPAQ/ZPAQ, PEA, QUAD/BALZ/BCM, SPLIT, TAR, UPX, WIM and ZIP. It can also unpack ACE, ARJ, CAB, CHM, compound files (eg MSI, DOC, PPT, XLS), CPIO, DEB, EAR, ISO, JAR, LZMA, LZH, NSIS installers, OpenOffice's OpenDocument, PET/PUP, PAK/PK3/PK4, RAR, RPM, SMZIP, U3P, WAR, XPI, Z and ZIPX. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgPEA, its own format, prioritises security over compression, with optional integrity check and authenticated encryption. Unlike 7-Zip, it can repair damaged archives. Its handy extra features include the ability to convert archive formats and test archives for errors. It can't batch compress or watermark images as some of the other tools here can, but can rotate and crop them for you. A portable version of PeaZip is also available. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Jun/File%20compression/Zipware-420-90.JPG 3. Zipware Incredibly user-friendly. An excellent choice if you're new to file compression Zipware is wonderfully simple to use - simply choose 'New' or 'Open', choose your source file or archive, tweak a few optional settings and you're done. It's free to use, but if you decide to stick with it, the website invites you to make a donation to support its development. The software itself doesn't nag you for money. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgIts standout feature is integrated virus-scanning: if an archive is under 32GB, you can check it for threats with VirusTotal. This is unlikely to be of interest to power users, but is a helpful addition for anyone who's unsure about extracting downloaded archives (or who knows someone with a tendency to accidentally open such things). Zipware can read ZIP, ZIPX, 7Z, RAR, RAR5, ISO, VHD, MSI, GZIP, BZIP2, TAR, CPIO, DEB, DMG, LZH, LZMA, LZMA2, PPMd, NSIS, RPM, UDF, WIM, XAR, XPI, CBR, CBZ, XZ and Z archives. It can create ZIP, 7Z and EXE archives. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Jun/File%20compression/Ashampoo-420-90.JPG 4. Ashampoo Zip FreeOptimized for touchscreens, but promotion of paid-for features can be overbearing Before you can install Ashampoo Zip Free (or any of the company's software), you must register for a free account using your email address. You'll be sent a free activation key, then prompted to create a profile including your name and date of birth, but you can skip this step. Watch out for potentially unwanted programs when running the installer; we ended up with an unwanted price comparison tool on our test PC, which wasn't picked up by Unchecky. Ashampoo Zip Free's main features are presented as Windows-style tiles, but here the free program's limitations start to show, with paid-for features like encryption and archive format conversion (which are included with open source tools) locked out until you open your wallet. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgAshampoo Zip Free redeems itself with a very clear interface, which has an optional touch mode with larger, tap-friendly icons. All of the key features are immediately obvious rather than hidden behind ribbons and menus. Interestingly, it also gives previews of files before you extract an archive. This happens automatically, so don't be alarmed if a music file begins playing on mouseover. You aren't given many choices when creating archives; most of the interesting features come into play when you're unpacking and sharing. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Jun/File%20compression/Winzip-420-90.JPG 5. WinZip (trial)The original file compressor - updated for the Windows 10 generation WinZip has been around since 1991, and although it isn't free after the 21-day trial period (and therefore isn't ranked here) its ubiquity in the early days of file archiving - before the feature was incorporated into Windows itself - make it worth including in the interest of comparison. The full standard version of Winzip costs £31.14 (US$35.95, AU$47.94), with automatic upgrades available for an additional fee. It supports ZIP, TAR, GZIP, Compress, CAB, RAR, BZ2, LHA/LZH, 7Z, IMG, ISO, XZ, VHD and VMDK. The interface is a clear drag-and-drop affair, with additional options including encryption, PDF conversion and image resizing. The latter is labelled 'image compression', but doesn't perform the same job as specialist tools like JPEGmini or PNGOptimizer. Once you've set your preferences, you can save them as a preset for future use. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgThe latest version of WinZip includes social media and cloud integration, making it a great choice if you often need to share multiple files. Mobile apps are also available for iOS and Android. WinZip is a classic that's evolved with the times, but unless file-sharing forms part of your everyday work, open source alternatives PeaZip and 7-Zip provide all the functionality you need minus the price tag. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-Jun/File%20compression/WinRAR-420-90.JPG 6. WinRAR (trial)The only way to create RAR archives, WinRAR is designed for power users WinRAR is another premium tool with a history extending back to the early 90s, making it a useful point of comparison for today's free alternatives. After the 40-day free trial period, a single-user WinRAR licence costs €29.95 (about £23.24, US$33.54, AU$46.52). The proprietary RAR format can only be created using WinRAR, but can be extracted by almost any other program. As with 7z, this makes it a good choice for file-sharing. RAR archives are also typically smaller than their ZIP equivalents. WInRAR can unpack CAB, ARJ, LZH, TAR, GZ/TAR.GZ, BZ2/TAR.BZ2, ACE, UUE, JAR, ISO, 7Z, XZ and Z archives, and compress in RAR and ZIP formats. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgWinRAR's appearance has remained largely unchanged over the years, with command line and simple graphical interfaces (custom themes are available, with an equally old-school feel). That doesn't matter though; this is a tool designed for power users. Its efficiency is particularly apparent when faced with larger tasks, which it handles with aplomb. You can even set it to turn off your PC once it's finished creating mammoth archives (or dozens of smaller ones). http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/8XVlSNSxd9E

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/laptops/Microsoft/Surface%20Book/Review/Surface-Book-hero-470-75.jpgIf you're an Insider testing out a Redstone preview build of Windows 10 on your Surface Book or Surface Pro 4, you might have hit some glitches with your device – but there may be a cure to hand as Redmond has just rolled out a fresh driver update. According to a source who contacted Windows Central, the update – which is a driver update for the Intel CSI2 Host Controller – helps to fix problems occurring to Surface devices having trouble firing back up from sleep mode. The site further notes that having applied the fix, Windows Hello issues have also been smoothed over, and it's much more reliable than before. That makes sense as the Intel driver in question pertains to the webcam on the Surface Book and Pro 4. So if you're having any sort of issues with the Windows 10 preview and your device resuming from sleep or suffering at the hands of Windows Hello, you should find the new improved driver under Windows Update now. Check for that updateTo check, go to Settings (in the Start menu), then click Update & Security, Windows Update – and then select Check for Updates. Microsoft's newest Surface devices have certainly had their fair share of bugs, and were veritably plagued with problems when they first emerged, with a number of issues still ongoing. Indeed, some folks online have suggested that this issue, or similar ones, still affect some users of the release version of Windows 10, too – although Microsoft has already released several patches in April and May to address these problems. It may be the case that there are still a couple of gremlins running around deep inside somewhere. Of course, if you're running preview builds of Windows, you can expect to encounter oddities and problems as par for the course. Surface Book 2 release date, news and rumorshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/1M3yCQ2SymE

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20business%20AV/Webroot-470-75.jpgIntroductionhttp://cdn1.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/internet/Cables/Virus_synapse-420-100.jpg Note: Our best business antivirus round-up has been fully updated. This feature was first published in August 2013. If you're looking to protect your company PCs from malware then you could just equip each one with your preferred free antivirus package. You'll get a reasonable level of protection, and it might well seem like you're keeping costs to a minimum. Of course you'll have to manually install each copy. And train every user in its operation. And rely on them to let you know if there are any problems. And hope they won't turn off particular functions – or remove the whole package if they think it's getting in their way. The software may be free, but it could still have some major costs attached. If you have plenty of systems to protect – 10 or more, say – it could make more sense to choose a business security solution. These can often be remotely installed over the network, and offer a central management console to monitor devices, and create fine-tuned security policies to enforce your preferred settings. Best of all, the price per installation can sometimes be cheaper than even our recommended best home antivirus packages. So, what's on offer? We checked out eight of the best business antivirus tools around to find out. Most offer discounts if you buy a two or three-year package, so where possible we ordered them by their 10 PC, two-year package prices to make things fair. You can of course choose whichever package suits your needs best when buying. Also check out: Bring Your Own Security: Protecting business data on every deviceAvast Endpoint Protection Advancedhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20business%20AV/avast-420-90.jpg If Avast Endpoint Protection looks cheap, that's because it's the most basic business product the company offers – there's core antivirus, browsing protection and remote management for PCs only. That may well be enough, though, and even if it isn't, jumping up to the Endpoint Plus edition will get you a firewall, spam filter and server protection while still remaining good value. The web-based management console covers the basics only: remote installations, updates, plus there's a scheduler for automatic scanning, real-time security alerts, and so on. The antivirus protection you get is generally rated as good by independent testing, with AV-Comparatives placing Avast's engine sixth out of 19 contenders in its April 2016 Real-World Protection report. If value for money and simplicity is key, Avast Endpoint Protection could be a sensible choice. Costs: £370/ $534/ AU$740, 10 PCs, 2 years Score: 3.5/5 Symantec Endpoint Protectionhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20business%20AV/Symantec-420-90.jpg Symantec Endpoint Protection's first benefit is the company's Insight file reputation technology, an effective way to detect and block even the very latest undiscovered threats. Other layers of protection include antivirus, behaviour monitoring, intrusion protection, a firewall, and the 'Power Eraser' to remove stubborn threats and repair your system. VM optimisation keeps performance high in virtual environments. Symantec's security policy options are the real highlight. You can set application blacklists or whitelists, control file and Registry access, restrict and control access to external media, and more, then monitor systems and enforce policies from a central console. Symantec Endpoint Protection isn't cheap, but if you need its high-end features and policy control options then it still looks like a good deal to us. Costs: £578/ $467/ AU$770, 10 PCs, 2 years Score: 4/5 Bitdefender GravityZone Business Securityhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20business%20AV/Bitdefender-420-90.jpg If reliable protection is a top priority, Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security needs to be on your shortlist. Bitdefender products are loved by the independent testing labs, highly rated for malware detection, removal, performance and usability. Most of the features work automatically – antimalware, firewall, web advisor, URL filtering – but you can also customise the product to control user actions. You're able to restrict access to certain websites and applications, block the transmission of sensitive information, remotely deploy the product to unprotected systems, and allow or deny users the ability to modify their security settings. All this is managed from a central console where you can control and monitor remote users, create and apply custom security policies by user, location (the product adapts when users are outside the company), and more. Costs: £340/ $490/ AU$850, 10 PCs, 2 years Score: 4.5/5 Avira Antivirus for Endpointhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20business%20AV/Avira-420-90.jpg Avira Antivirus for Endpoint is the company's main small business product. It takes all the core features you'd expect – antivirus, baseline network protection, web filtering – and extends them with file server protection and optimisation, along with application whitelisting and blacklisting. Avira's Online Essentials web console lets you manage your devices. This is simpler than some of the high-end competition, but that's not necessarily a disadvantage, and there's some useful functionality here: drive partition reports, licence management, remote deployment, and assorted mobile phone tools (antitheft, phone finder, and more). Avira Antivirus for Endpoint doesn't have the longest of feature lists, but it's easy to use, and offers excellent protection, regularly matching competitors like Bitdefender and Kaspersky in AV-Comparative's Real World tests. Costs: £411/ $600/ AU$830, 10 PCs, 2 years Score: 3.5/5 Kaspersky Lab Small Office Security 4http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20business%20AV/Kaspersky-420-90.jpg Small Office Security 4 may be Kaspersky's baseline business product, but that doesn't mean it's short on features. There's antivirus, web filtering, antispam, banking protection, online backup, a password manager, file encryption and more. The antivirus feature alone is worth a great deal, as Kaspersky regularly receives top ratings from independent testing labs for its detection and repair abilities. There isn't quite the functionality you'll sometimes find elsewhere. You don't get application or device controls, there's no mobile device or application management (although you do get some Android tools), the remote management console is more limited than some of the competition, and there's no Linux build. Kaspersky Lab Small Office Security is good value, though, and if you only need the remote management basics then it could serve you well. Costs: £245/ $360/ AU$499, 10 PCs, 2 years Score: 4/5 Webroot SecureAnywhere Business Endpoint Protection http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20business%20AV/Webroot-420-90.jpg Webroot SecureAnywhere products stand out immediately for being incredibly lightweight: they're tiny (2MB disk space), install so quickly you'll barely notice (from 5 seconds), and consume the absolute minimum of system resources. Scans are fast, too, and because just about everything is done in the cloud, there are no bulky updates or definitions to download – you're always up-to-date. Other features include behaviour monitoring, an outbound firewall, along with identity and privacy protection. These don't always have the power and options of other tools, but they're implemented with real intelligence, and generally cope well with day-to-day tasks. A cloud-based console enables tracking all your installations, and the package runs on just about any Windows or OS X system. Factor in the price and Webroot looks very appealing to us, but it really is a product you need to try for yourself to understand the benefits. If you're interested, grab a copy of the trial and see what it can do for you. Costs: £148.50/ $230/ $AU258.60, 10 PCs, 1 year Score: 4.5/5 F-Secure Client Security Standardhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20business%20AV/F-Secure-420-90.jpg F-Secure Client Security Standard is a popular endpoint protection tool, highly rated for protection by the independent testing labs. Antivirus is just the start. There's also a firewall, intrusion detection, web filtering, online banking protection and device control. If you need more, the Premium edition adds a software updater to scan for missing patches, and an option to restrict user's web access by category. Whatever version you buy may be deployed and managed from a simple central console. There are some issues here. In particular, F-Secure's engine is more likely than most to flag legitimate software as malicious. But overall F-Secure Client Security Standard offers good protection for a reasonable price, and it's certainly a product worth thinking about. Costs: £411/ $600/ AU$830, 10 PCs, 2 years Score: 3.5/5 Sophos Endpoint Protection Advanced 10.6http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20business%20AV/Sophos-420-90.jpg Sophos Endpoint Protection Advanced is a powerful tool which uses many technologies to keep you safe. It blocks dangerous URLs, and is capable of detecting and removing exploit code, analysing behaviour to uncover even the very newest threats, and identifying endpoint connections with malicious servers to find compromised systems. The results can be impressive, particularly when facing zero-day threats. AV-Test's March/ April 2016 report found the Sophos engine blocked 100% of these attacks (the industry average is 97%). There's a price to pay for this kind of safety. Sophos Endpoint Protection's background activities can noticeably reduce your PC's performance. Fortunately, there are plenty of business-friendly features to compensate, including device and application control, DLP, and antispam and antimalware for Microsoft Exchange. Costs: £480/ $690/ AU$955, 10 PCs, 2 years Score: 4/5 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/-2A_gpjOT6s

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Recovery/RecoveryMain-470-75.jpgIntroductionData recovery can be an expensive business, which is why it's no substitute for backing up your key documents, photos and other data on a regular basis. But that's of little comfort to anyone – even those with good backup regimens – who suddenly find themselves confronted by the stomach-churning feeling of data loss. As soon as you've become aware of data loss, it's critical you stop using the drive affected immediately. Whether the drive itself is failing or you've simply deleted a file accidentally, this is the golden moment when you may be able to get your data back without an expensive purchase or trip to a data recovery specialist. We've cherry-picked five of the best free data recovery tools in the business. Just pick the one closest to your requirements and with a bit of luck (and no small measure of help from the app involved), you could yet save your files. DMDE Free Editionhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Recovery/recovery_dmde-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/badgesmaller-111-100.jpgOur favourite free data recovery tool is often overlooked. DMDE Free Edition scores major points because it's capable of recovering data from a wide array of drives, including 2TB+ drives rescued from a fried external drive enclosure with proprietary formatting (it's a long story). DMDE may not be the simplest tool to use, but it's one of the most effective, and our step-by-step file recovery guide will help you with the basics. DMDE works by letting you select a drive and then identifies all mountable partitions, with the most obvious choices highlighted. If successful, you're then shown a File Explorer-like view to browse the drive and recover what data you need from it. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgThere are restrictions on the way you can recover data from the free version, but there's no limit to how much you recover – if you want a simpler and faster recovery process, just upgrade to the Express or Standard edition. Read on to discover four more of our favourite tools for recovering lost data in an emergency. Have we missed a program that's saved your skin in a near-disaster? Let us know in the comments below! RecuvaRecuva is purely concerned with helping you get accidentally deleted files back, but to this end it makes things as easy and stress-free as possible. It opens by default to a wizard, which advanced users can subsequently skip: from here, choose the type of file you're trying to recover (picture, documents, compressed, emails and all files are among those on offer) and it'll focus its search accordingly. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Recovery/recovery_recuva-420-90.jpg You can target your search to a specific location or search all your drives, and you can opt to choose a quick or deep scan. The latter takes much longer, but flushes out more results. Then click 'Start' and wait for the scan to complete. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgOnce done, your results are presented, with each recovered file given a rating depending on its condition. You can recover files direct from here or switch to Advanced Mode for a frankly better view, offering file preview, information and a peek at the file's header. PhotoRecDon't be fooled by the name, PhotoRec recovers far more than just photos. It works with a wide range of file systems and media, from hard drives to CD/DVD, USB flash drives and memory cards, and there are builds for Mac and Linux, giving you flexibility to recover data from a different computer if necessary. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Recovery/recover_photorec-420-90.jpg It also has deep knowledge of over 200 file formats, which helps with reconstructing lost files, and comes as part of TestDisk, which can be used to recover partitions. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgThe main complication is the user interface – it's a command line affair, with no mouse support. At first glance this appears complicated, but the program steps you through the process via a series of menu screens, and because it mounts the target drive in read-only mode, there's no danger of data being lost if you take a wrong turn – you can't write data to the drive you're recovering from, for example. MiniTool Partition Recovery FreeOne of the most frightening data loss experiences is when an entire drive or partition goes missing. Often this can be traced to an accidentally deleted partition or one where the partition header has corrupted. If the issue is this simple, getting the partition back can be done quickly and easily without leaving Windows using MiniTool Partition Recovery Free. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Recovery/recovery_partition-420-90.jpg Just fire it up, select the drive containing your lost partition, then choose whether to scan the entire disk or just a portion of it (say the part where your missing partition should be). Choose between full and quick scans, then sit back and let the program do its work. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgDon't panic if it appears to become non-responsive, just be patient and eventually it'll list all detected partitions on the drive. Select all of them – including your missing partition – and click 'Finish' to restore it. You can also double-click a partition to view its file contents – perfect for verifying it's the one you're after. Paragon Rescue Kit 14 Free EditionAll of the recovery tools we've covered so far assume you're able to boot into Windows to use them. But what happens if Windows won't boot at all? This is where Paragon Rescue Kit comes into play. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Recovery/recovery_paragon-420-90.jpg The best time to install it is now while your PC is running, otherwise you'll need to do so on a working Windows PC. Once done, you'll need a blank CD/DVD or flash drive (512MB or larger – if you're planning to recover data to this drive, go for the biggest drive you can) – the setup wizard does the hard work. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgNow insert the disc or flash media into your non-booting PC and restart, selecting said media from the boot menu. You'll find yourself at a menu offering a multitude of options from recovering lost partitions, fixing boot issues and – crucially – a file-transfer wizard for getting data off a target drive. If all else fails, this could be a lifesaver. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/L5GUuT8thGI

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/av_accessories/Apple/Apple%20TV/Apple%20TV%20improvement%20feature/siri-470-75.jpgThe Amazon Echo's reputation and prowess just keeps on growing, so much so that Google has copied it and Apple is about to (or so the rumours suggest). Now we've got a few more details about what we can expect from the 'Apple Echo'. Sources speaking to CNET say the device (which may or may not be an overhauled Apple TV) is going to have face recognition technology that spots you as soon as you walk in the door. Apple itself has made no comment at all on its plans, as usual. Such a feature could be used to automatically disable an alarm, for example, or to set up separate profiles for different members of the family. It could also be used to start up some music or set the lighting to match a personalised list of preferences. Is it me you're looking for?Facial recognition would also help Apple's upcoming kit distinguish itself from both the Amazon Echo and Google Home. However, CNET's sources say these plans aren't set in stone, and could change before the device finally appears at some point in 2017. That pours cold water on the idea that we'll be seeing something at WWDC 2016 in a couple of weeks, though Apple might offer up an early preview of the device ahead of its actual launch (as it did with the Apple Watch). If such a device does exist, no doubt Apple's existing Siri and HomeKit technologies will play a major role, and it'll obviously have AirPlay too, we would have thought. We'll be covering the news as it happens from WWDC in California, which starts on 13 June. We put Google Home up against the Amazon EchoWill 2016 be the year of the connected home? " width="420">YouTube :

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/Miscellaneous/Post%20app/1-470-75.jpgIntroduction and blame the browserWhat would a 'world beyond apps' be like? It's hard to imagine using a smartphone that doesn't have any apps, and yet there has been talk of the 'post-app era' for some time. Cue futuristic ways of interacting with computers and data, with virtual assistants and natural language processing at the forefront. However, few think that apps are going to disappear completely, only that the way we interact with them will change. "In the near-term we will see a demise of individual apps at the front-end, with instant messaging and social media interfaces used as a gateway into technologies," says Claus Jepsen, Chief Architect at business software company Unit4. So will we still be physically opening apps in a few years? Probably not, but that trend started when push notifications appeared on our phones long ago. Since then, apps have added always-on functionality, background monitoring, interactive notifications, integration with wearables, and automatic updates. Now get ready to watch as apps are consumed within contextually-aware virtual assistants like Siri – and almost completely disappear. Apps on the rise… and fallEver since the creation of the smartphone, the App Store has been a battleground between Apple and Android. So who won? Although apps in Apple's App Store make the most money, they accounted for just 15% of all apps downloaded in 2015. IDC reports that Apple's share fell 8% from the previous year – quite a tumble, and largely down to the massive volume of Android-based phones being sold around the globe. "While IDC forecasts that mobile app installs and direct revenues will continue to grow over the coming years, it also expects that growth to slow considerably," says Michael Allen, Solutions VP at application performance management software company Dynatrace. "For businesses, this offers a wake-up call that the mobile race is starting to reach its climax – consumers are reaching app saturation, and they're now looking for quality over quantity." That's borne out by Dynatrace's own research, which found that nearly half (47%) of people will only give an app three seconds to load before they give up and go elsewhere, while nearly a third (32%) will never try it again if it doesn't work the first time. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Miscellaneous/Post%20app/3-420-90.jpg Blame the browser? It's not always the apps' fault – some apps lose their shine over time. Remember that flashlight app on your phone? Now it's built into the phone itself. There are speciality camera apps, polished email apps and countless pointless brand apps, but few of them add much to what your phone can already do. Besides, the mobile web is getting more app-like every day. "It really depends on what we mean by an app," says Jamie Turner, CEO of address verification and data quality services company PCA Predict. "Many apps are little more than website bookmarks pointing to a mini-site that looks and feels like something that's native." Turner thinks that we only have native apps because they operate without the performance and security limitations of a browser. "This is changing fast with significant work being placed into newer browser technology that feels as fast as native apps and more sensible security models," he adds. However, even slick mobile websites can't get round the inherent problem with apps; their scope is very limited. Spotify aside (its 30 million tracks make this service the de facto web-based music library), how many apps do anything other than give you access to a walled garden of content? Nobody wants to use the Uber or Lyft apps specifically, they want to get a ride. It's the same with Netflix. Rather than go hunting for a particular movie and failing to find it, wouldn't it be easier if your phone just told you where to find that movie? http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Miscellaneous/Post%20app/4-420-90.jpg Goodbye apps, hello smart agentsWe've fallen out of love with apps, and that's not going to change. Gartner predicts that by 2020, smart agents will facilitate 40% of mobile interactions, and that 'post-app era' will begin to dominate. For 'smart agent', read virtual private assistants like Google Now, Cortana, Siri and Alexa, each stuffed with so-called 'learning algorithms' and artificial intelligence. These agents will be the principal way that we navigate information. "No longer will you have to load a specific application," says Gartner. "The algorithms on the systems that you touch will understand your needs and serve you the correct data in context." The future is algorithms, not apps. App aggregation and the post-app futureApp aggregationThe services that apps offer are already being consumed en masse by virtual private assistants. "Siri is already an example of aggregation‎ as it enables the user to perform multiple tasks such as checking the weather, searching online, sending an email, scheduling a meeting, and many other things," says Magnus Jern, President of mobile enterprise tech firm DMI International, who thinks we're on the cusp of sophisticated aggregation services. "Facebook will do it with Messenger and new third-party services' APIs for chatbots etc, and WeChat and Line already do this," he says of instant messaging apps that are fast becoming 'smart agent' platforms themselves. But will aggregation services actually replace apps? "Not in the short-term, because depending on the use case, apps will still provide a better experience for a lot of our daily tasks," says Jern. "Instead the aggregation services will integrate with the standalone apps." However, that does suggest that the most popular, wealthy and ambitious apps – such as Facebook and WeChat – are at least as well positioned as OS developers Apple and Google to create the dominant new virtual assistant platforms. The spoken wordHow we interact with the services currently offered by apps will change, too. The smart money is on voice. "Interaction models are changing," says Frank Palermo, Executive VP for Global Digital Solutions at IT services company VirtusaPolaris, who thinks that with advances in AI-powered virtual assistants, voice will soon be at the centre of the user experience. A supercharged, more conversational Siri (and other assistants) will effectively make individual apps redundant. "You no longer need to click on your phone and open an app," adds Palermo, "it is a much more immersive experience where you are interacting with your device in a more conversational way – it literally becomes your pocket PA." Is natural language good enough?Not quite yet. Siri is getting cleverer, certainly, but doesn't understand everything it's told. Ditto Nuance's Dragon Dictation; every year it gets less muddled and more accurate. "We are very close to having natural language being the primary means of interacting with the software," thinks Jepsen, who predicts a 'conversational experience'. "Rather than navigate screens, tools and clunky interfaces, employees will be able to type or say 'show me my payslip' or 'complete my expenses'," says Jepsen, whose Unit4 company has created a digital assistant for workplaces called Wanda that inserts itself into existing apps. "We don't need to build our own screens or apps to accommodate this, we can use somebody else's, like Skype for Business, Twitter, or Facebook," he adds. "Everything will become easier, it will become natural." http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Miscellaneous/Post%20app/6-420-90.jpg The post-app futureApps are on the watch-list, and are already being phased out. That's no surprise to some, who think they're inherently unnatural. "Clicking through buttons is not natural human behaviour," says Palermo, who believes we're moving towards a more immersive and ambient world, where it's possible for people to have a natural discussion with their surroundings. "We won't need to type, we will just speak and our device will present the information we need in a visual way – perhaps by combining with virtual reality to help us visualise our answers," adds Palermo. Either way, the era where smartphone users launched apps individually is soon going to seem archaic. Check out 10 technologies that could change your life in 2016http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Xg9Vz3EKpq8

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/How%20tos/master%20File%20Explorer%20in%20Windows%2010/fileexplorerhero-470-75.jpgMicrosoft has backtracked on the recent move it made to push through more Windows 10 upgrades, whereby clicking on the cross icon to close the 'Get Windows 10' pop-up was considered as consent for the OS upgrade. Of course, you'd think that clicking that cross would simply be dismissing the pop-up, not agreeing to a scheduled upgrade (which was the case for those with their PCs set to accept recommended updates – with Windows 10 being 'recommended'), so predictably enough this caused quite the PR storm. However, according to a BBC report, Redmond has now changed things based on "customer feedback" (read: being shouted at) so users now have the chance to cancel the scheduled upgrade. Microsoft told the Beeb: "We've added another notification that confirms the time of the scheduled upgrade and provides the customer an additional opportunity for cancelling or rescheduling the upgrade." Definite noThat's obviously an improvement to having a surprise upgrade fire up on your PC after dismissing a nag screen, but as others are pointing out, there should be a simple dismissal where you can say no to Windows 10 and never be bothered by the spectre of it again, if you've firmly decided you don't want to upgrade from Windows 7 or 8.1. It's not really that much to ask, is it? Sadly, Microsoft seems hell-bent on attempting to cajole as many folks as possible into upgrading to the new OS, somewhat understandably given the failure of Windows 8 before it. But if doing so loses the collective goodwill of Windows users, regardless of whether Windows 10 is seen as a good operating system or not, it's going to be a public relations failure. There may be very good reasons why people don't want to upgrade, and one of those was revealed yesterday, with the announcement that 32-bit Windows 10 is doubling up the minimum amount of system memory required to 2GB with the release of the Anniversary Update this summer. That could be a massive problem for those running devices with 1GB of memory who have had an upgrade pushed onto them. Windows 10 is a step closer to big anniversary releasehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/hsHXcecOf1M

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Portable%20tookit/toolkitmain-470-75.jpgIntroductionPortable apps are incredibly convenient – particularly security tools. They don't have to be installed, and are optimized for use from a USB stick, portable hard drive or cloud storage service. This means you can use your chosen security and privacy programs on any PC, at any time. Portable apps don't leave any files behind after you've closed them down, and won't conflict with software already installed. Another benefit is that portable apps are usually supplied in a simple ZIP archive, not bundled with any potentially unwanted programs (if such an app has an 'installer', it will only extract the executable file and let you choose where to save it). Here, we've gathered our favorite portable apps for keeping your data secure and your privacy intact. As with any security software, make sure the programs in your portable toolkit are kept up to date. Most should update themselves automatically when run on an internet-connected PC, but also keep an eye out for the developer's release notes. KeePass Professional PortableOne of the cornerstones of security is a strong password, but remembering multiple passwords, each one containing letters, numbers and special characters, is a real challenge - especially if you update them as often as you should. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Portable%20tookit/toolkitkeepass-420-90.jpg KeePass Professional Portable (also known as KeePass 2) offers an alternative by enabling you to store all of your passwords in one secure, encrypted database - you need only remember one master password. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgOnce you have the program running in the background, you can use a keyboard shortcut to fill in username and password fields on websites and in programs automatically. There's no need to even open the app to copy the relevant password - KeePass can do it all for you automatically. This is reason enough to recommend it, but extras such as a powerful password generator make it indispensable. Read on for the rest of our portable security toolkit recommendations. Local Area Security Audit ToolLocal Area Security Audit Tool can scan not only single computers for security issues, but multiple networked machines as well. It's designed with advanced security testing in mind, but is also useful for home users who want to identify weaknesses in their setup. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Portable%20tookit/toolkitlocal-420-90.jpg Unlike many of the tools in this kit, which are designed for use in an emergency once a PC is already infected, Local Area Security Audit Tool is a prophylactic measure. It won't fix security issues, but its in-depth scan will reveal what sensitive information on your PC or network could be accessed by malware. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgThese include stored passwords, address book entries, wrong security configurations, browser history, cookies and much more. The results can be eye-opening; you'll see just how many passwords your browser is storing, and be warned if you're going about your daily business with an Admin account. The issues it finds are almost always easy to solve, and doing so could save you serious hassle further down the road. We recommend only running Local Area Security Audit Tool on your home LAN; you might attract the ire of your company IT department if you begin scanning their corporate network. Norton Power EraserNorton Power Eraser is a free rescue tool developed to remove malware that your regular antivirus program may miss. It specialises in 'scamware' - fraudulent programs that claim to have discovered a critical problem with your PC that can only be resolved by downloading something nasty, or by paying a fee. If you're suddenly seeing popups or notifications from a program you don't recognise, open your toolkit and set Power Eraser to work. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Portable%20tookit/toolkitnorton-420-90.jpg Power Eraser can also scan for more benign (but nevertheless irritating) potentially unwanted programs, which are easy to download accidentally alongside legitimate free software. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgFor a more targeted diagnosis, the advanced options let you perform a Reputation Scan on a file or folder you suspect may be harboring malware. This scan aims to detect new threats as soon as they arise using data from thousands of other Norton users. If you have more than one bootable operating system on your PC, you can also specify which one to scan (though this only works with multiple instances of Windows). Read on for more essential portable security downloads for your toolkit. McAfee StingerMcAfee Stinger is another excellent portable rescue tool, and is ideal if you think that you might be dealing with a virus or rootkit. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Portable%20tookit/toolkitstinger-420-90.jpg Before performing a scan with Stinger, you'll be prompted to close all other running applications on your system, so make sure you save any work before proceeding. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgStinger now includes a real-time scanner that looks for new infections, but this is still in beta and shouldn't be relied on to keep your system safe. We recommend installing a tool like Avira Free Antivirus or Avast Free Antivirus for real-time protection, and keeping Stinger on a portable device for emergencies. Comodo Cleaning EssentialsComodo Cleaning Essentials contains an excellent malware scanner, but its real attraction is Killswitch (which you'll find as a separate application in the same ZIP archive) which can identify and terminate unsafe processes running on an infected PC. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/2016-May/Portable%20tookit/toolkitkillswitch-420-90.jpg Killswitch scans all the processes currently running on your PC, and flags any that might be malicious. It can also check the programs running and show you their resource usage (ideal if your PC has suddenly slowed to a crawl for no apparent reason), and let you manage the applications that start at the same time as Windows. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgIf you appreciate its extra functionality, you can set Killswitch to replace the usual Windows Task Manager that appears when you press [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Delete]. Bear in mind that stopping Windows Explorer will leave you without a desktop until it restarts, and terminating drivers will cause the associated hardware to stop working. Other toolsSome other free portable security apps to consider adding to your tookit: CCleaner Portable - Clear your search history and cookies to protect your privacy and free up system resources. Tor Browser - Not a security app as such, but if you need to use a PC that's not your own, this self-contained browser will keep your activities private and leave no trace once you've finished. Omziff - File encryption, secure deletion and random password generation, all in one tiny portable package. Can you suggest any other software for a portable security toolkit, or good alternatives for the ones we've suggested? Let us know in the comments below. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/VNgXilVnOOA

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Microsoft/Lumia%20950/review/lumia-950-review-microsoft-470-75.jpgMicrosoft is to cull 1,850 jobs as it massively cuts down on its smartphone hardware business. It's no secret that Microsoft is struggling to compete against iOS and Android. In fact, in the first quarter of 2016 Windows Phone's market share dropped below 1%. That news in itself was no surprise, having followed weak quarterly results and the sale of its feature phone business. Now, in an internal memo obtained by The Verge, Terry Myerson, Microsoft's head of Windows and devices, confirmed that the company would be cutting up to 1850 jobs worldwide, 1350 of which would be in Finland and likely mostly made up of those who worked for Nokia Devices. It's starting to sound like Microsoft could be preparing for a complete exit of the mobile space, but Myerson suggests it's not quite dead yet. In the memo he says that the company is "streamlining" its smartphone hardware business, but that it will continue to "develop great new devices". Down but maybe not outHe doesn't get too specific, but notably he says that "I used the words 'be more focused' above. This in fact describes what we are doing (we're scaling back, but we're not out!)" That's at odds with claims from an unnamed source speaking to Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, who according to Reuters said that Microsoft will stop designing and manufacturing mobile phones altogether. With it being the one major company currently invested in the Windows Phone platform, that would surely leave Windows 10 Mobile with little to no future. But if we believe the memo, and we're inclined to when the alternative is an anonymous source, Microsoft isn't giving up on the smartphone game just yet. It sounds like we may see fewer devices, but with exciting ones like the Surface Phone on the horizon there's still some small hope for the platform. It might be struggling, but Windows 10 Mobile is a solid operating systemhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Fg0qbcDoNRs

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/Features/Install%20Windows%2010%20today/Windows%2010%20Spectre%20x360-6-470-75.jpgMicrosoft may be causing more harm than good to Windows with its latest change to the "Get Windows 10" programme. Now, in another twist, PC World discovered that trying to close the newly redesigned pop-up for the programme – by clicking on the red cross icon on the upper right hand side of the box - is considered as consent for the Windows 10 upgrade. The download is now categorised as a "recommended update" by Microsoft which means that PCs configured to accept recommended updates by default will have it installed even if the box is closed. The pop up does have a clear link though should users want to change the upgrade schedule or cancel the scheduled upgrade. An upgrade too far?This has understandably caused frustration and confusion amongst Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users with even the staunchest Windows fans finding it hard to defend Microsoft's latest move. The company has been accused of forcing Windows 10 in order to boost its numbers. Its CEO, Satya Nadella, has committed to get one billion devices running the OS by April 2018 and given the current state of Windows 10 Mobile, such tactics may help Microsoft achieve that target. Microsoft has since issued the following statement: "As we shared in October, Microsoft has been helping customers who received the Windows 10 upgrade as an 'Optional' (and now 'Recommended') update, to schedule their upgrade. The scheduling UI that customers are seeing began on February 1st 2016, and has evolved over time based on customer feedback. Once a customer's upgrade is scheduled, they will receive a notification that states the time their upgrade is scheduled for, with options to reschedule or cancel if they wish. If the customer wishes to continue with their upgrade at the designated time, they can click 'OK' or close the notification with no further action needed." Check out our review of Windows 10http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/VZrXvdf9PXI