Nick Peers

Open-source system-cleaning tool BleachBit 5.0 has been released for Windows and Linux users. The tool, which is used to clean up drive space and shred sensitive data, provides a way for users to remove unwanted and unused data from their machines.

Version 5.0 comes with the promise of new and improved cleaners alongside numerous other updates and security fixes.

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Canadian developer FastStone Software has released Faststone Image Viewer 8.0, a major new release of its powerful -- and free for personal and non-commercial use -- image toolkit for Windows PCs.

Despite the name, FastStone Image Viewer is more than just a simple tool for viewing images. Users can view multiple files courtesy of its two-pane File Explorer interface, with the ability to view a folder full of images as a slideshow, complete with access to detailed file properties (including EXIF data).

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Berlin-based O&O Software GmbH has unveiled a major new release -- and edition -- of its backup software for Windows. O&O DiskImage 21 Premium is a new entry into the DiskImage family, aimed firmly at home users.

The application, which can back up everything from individual files to entire drives, is relaunched with a brand new interface as well as several new features. As with previous releases, the app is sold with a lifetime license as opposed to a time-limited subscription.

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German software developer SoftMaker GmbH has released FreePDF 2025, a free PDF editor for Windows PCs. It’s a cut-down version of SoftMaker’s commercial FlexiPDF editing tool that contains a subset of the basic editing features found in the developer’s $100 product.

FreePDF 2025 unveils improvements first seen in FlexiPDF late last year, including support for multiple documents through tabs, an improved dark mode setting and a new multi-page overview.

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If you’re in dire need of quickly transferring a file between devices -- whether desktop to desktop, mobile to mobile or desktop to/from mobile -- then you’ll know the usual routine often involves transferring through an intermediary like a cloud or network folder or resorting to emailing or messaging yourself with the file as an attachment. Fiddly, time-consuming and often frustrating.

Apple’s AirDrop makes it easy to transfer files between Apple devices simply by bringing them into the same network, and now Flying Carpet 9.0 offers similar functionality across all major mobile and desktop platforms.

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Looking for a way to protect your PC from the dreaded specter of data loss or system corruption? The most effective strategy involves backing up both data and your Windows system, and the best free tool for the job is Hasleo Backup Suite 5.2 Free.

Windows’ own backup tools aren’t really fit for purpose, while our previous backup tool of choice -- Macrium Reflect -- dropped its free tier a few years ago. That was forgivable, but we draw the line at switching to a subscription model. Thankfully, Hasleo Backup Suite offers a comprehensive -- and completely free -- alternative.

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Are you frustrated by Mozilla’s recent leanings towards putting revenue ahead of privacy? Fans of Firefox who are looking to take their privacy to the next level (and beyond any potential compromises Mozilla might make going forward) should take a look at LibreWolf, available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

LibreWolf is a direct fork from the latest version of Firefox with a raft of additional privacy measures added to make your browsing experience even more private.

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Just how many web browsers does the world need? Norwegian browser specialist Opera thinks the more the merrier. It’s just launched Opera Air Stable 116.0 for macOS and Windows, designed to improve user focus and well-being.

The new release sits alongside the browser’s other offerings, its main Opera browser, and the infinitely customizable Opera GX, aimed at the gamer community.

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Auslogics has unveiled its first major release of BoostSpeed for over two years with the release of Auslogics BoostSpeed 14.0. The Windows optimization suite -- available as a free cut-down version alongside a fully featured Pro version, which you can have for just $19.95 -- gains eye-catching new features, optimizations and a major revamp of its user interface.

Existing users will notice the difference immediately on launching the new program. BoostSpeed 14.0 ditches the multi-Dashboard approach by consolidating Basic and Advanced dashboards into a single interface.

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AbstractSpoon Software has unveiled a New Year’s gift for fans of its portable Windows to-do manager with the release of ToDoList 9.0.

ToDoList, which provides a range of tools and views for managing to-do lists, is designed to be run from a USB drive allowing access from any Windows PC. It unveils two major new features with this release, along with a host of additions to existing tools.

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Jealous of macOS’s Spotlight feature? Want a more accessible -- never mind powerful and customizable -- alternative to Windows’ own dated search and app launching tools? Then Flow Launcher could be just the tool you’re looking for.

Flow Launcher, or “Flow” for short, lets you search for and open apps, files, system settings, and web pages from a single, easily accessible search bar. Triggered by a custom hotkey of your choice, it provides a seamless way to navigate your system. However, its modular design is what truly sets it apart.

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Berlin developer O&O Software has rolled out O&O DiskImage 20 Pro, offering Windows users imaging and file backup in a single application. While version 20 is a relatively minor release, it does at least continue O&O’s commitment to providing lifetime licenses for its products.

While rival backup products -- including Acronis and now Macrium -- have switched to a subscription-based model, forcing users to continue paying in order to not just back up their data but restore it in the event of an emergency, O&O Software is keen to highlight that O&O DiskImage 20 Pro, like every release before it, comes with a pay-once, use-forever lifetime license.

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It’s possibly one of the longest gestation periods in computing history, but after more than two decades of development, FreeCAD 1.0 finally gets its first official, stable release.

The open-source tool for product designers and mechanical engineers has long been used in production despite its lack of official release status, but the resolution of two outstanding issues cleared the way for it to officially reach the 1.0 milestone, complete with brand new logo.

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Rick Brewster and dotPDN LLC has released Paint.NET 5.1, the first major point release in the Paint.NET 5.x series. It comes just under two years after Paint.NET 5.0 first saw the light of day.

The major highlight is support for color management -- ensuring images with embedded color profiles can now be displayed correctly in Paint.NET. The feature is effectively automatic -- when an image containing an embedded color profile is loaded into Paint.NET 5.1, it’ll display according to the embedded profile. Users can then switch to different ICC color profiles via the new Image > Color Profile… dialog.

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The Tor Project has announced the release of Tor Browser 14.0 for Windows (both 32-bit and 64-bit), Mac, Linux, and Android. The browser offers increased privacy to users by redirecting their internet traffic through the open Tor network.

Tor Browser 14.0 updates the browser’s underlying code to the latest Firefox ESR release -- 128 -- while also introducing new improvements that allow its fingerprinting protections to work with several new features introduced in Firefox’s latest ESR release.

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