Security dominates mid-May's 27 software downloads

Halfway through May and the software release schedule shows no sign of abating, and beta releases stand out over the past week. Some of the biggest releases come from security experts Norton, which updated 2013 public betas. Norton AntiVirus 2013 v20.0.0.106 beta, Norton Internet Security 2013 v20.0.0.106 beta and Norton 360 2013 v20.0.0.106 beta provide an early look at what to expect from the upcoming security line, and all of these tools are free during the beta testing period.

But Norton is far from the only name in the security world, and ESET Smart Security 6 Beta (32-bit) includes not only antivirus protection but a firewall and interesting anti-theft features for laptop users; there’s also a 64-bit version of the program available -- ESET Smart Security 6 Beta (64-bit).

From the same company also comes ESET NOD32 Antivirus 6 Beta (32-bit), which focuses on the key security areas of checking for viruses, malware and rootkits. Again, there are anti-theft features built in and there is a 64-bit version of the program available -- ESET NOD32 Antivirus 6 Beta (64-bit).

For computers that are already infected with viruses or malware, Emsisoft Emergency Kit 2.0 Beta is a great tool to have in your software collection, and the latest version of the program is faster than ever at cleaning up machines.EraserDrop Portable 2.1.1 is a different type of security tool that enables you to securely delete files so that they cannot be recovered, all using a program that runs from a USB drive.

Cloudfogger 1.1.1349 is a free tool that enables you to encrypt your data including both local files and those held in cloud storage accounts such as Dropbox.

As well as security tools, a number of interesting utilities released this week. Auslogics Disk Defrag 3.4.3.0 is a fantastic free way to keep your hard drive in great shape, while Auslogics BoostSpeed 5 is a low-cost tool that helps to boost the performance of almost any computer in a few easy steps. Cloud System Booster 1.0.0 FINAL takes something of a different approach to system optimization, using shared, cloud-based information to provide fixes and tweaks for any situation.

Life online would be difficult without a web browser, and Google Chrome 19 was one of the biggest releases last week. The latest version of the browser to reach the stable channel features new synchronization options that can be used to sync tabs, extensions and more between computers -- there is also a USB drive friendly version available in the form of Google Chrome Portable 19.

If you’re looking to improve your security online, HTTPS Everywhere for Firefox and HTTPS Everywhere for Chrome are tools that will ensure that you use the secure HTTPS version of a web site whenever one is available. If you are happy to take a hands-on approach to security and want a quick and easy way to change your DNS settings, DNS Jumper 1.0.4 could be just what you’ve been looking for.

Moving onto the selection of new creative releases: Xara Photo and Graphic Designer MX 8.1 is your one-stop-shop for photo editing, desktop publishing, illustration, web graphics and much more, while Xara Designer Pro X 8.1 builds on this theme with the added ability to create web sites. Any Video Converter Free 3.3.8 is a useful tool to have installed whether you are preparing video for use online, or just want to ensure that videos can be viewed on any given device, enabling you to convert between formats quickly, easily and for free.

Three others are a bit of a mixed bag. Toolwiz FlipBook 1.4.0.0 continues the creative theme to some degree by enabling you to convert any text file into a self-executing, three dimensional ebook. For programmer, web developer, or anyone just looking for a more advanced text editor than Windows’ Notepad, PilotEdit Lite 5.6.0 is well worth a look, while Producteev 1.0.1.0 is a great little task management tool that is available for a variety of platforms so you can keep on top of your to-do list from a range of devices.

That’s it for this week. Join us in another seven days to catch up on the latest software releases.

Photo Credit: Kheng Guan Toh/Shutterstock