Nick Peers

More and more of us are working from home these days, and whether you're in the service of The Company or working for yourself, your computer will play a vital part in your day-to-day routine. As with all tasks, there are tools out there that can transform the way you work and free up your time so you're more productive (or able to devote more hours to Freeciv).

As established freelance homeworkers ourselves, we've built up a catalog of useful free software that can help you when working from home, too -- from the obvious (office suites and collaborative tools) to the less obvious (want to avoid RSI? Create a secure network over the internet? Access your computer while out and about?). Read on, then, for our choice of apps for those working from home.

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Mozilla has released a major update to its all-in-one application suite, SeaMonkey. Comprising browser, email client, IRC chat client and webpage editor, SeaMonkey 2.1 is major new release, adding support for browser sync, personas (lightweight themes), drag-and-drop downloads and optional search bar.

In addition to this, SeaMonkey also features a reworked bookmarks system, Add-Ons Manager, Data Manager as well as a host of other minor feature and performance improvements, including support for Jump Lists in Windows 7. Support has been extended to 64-bit versions of Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard), but SeaMonkey no longer supports OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or PowerPC-based Macs.

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Dropbox is a versatile tool: it's used for backing up, syncing and file-sharing, but it's not without its drawbacks. Like any other folder on your Mac, you only know something has changed when you manually check it. That might not be a problem if your Dropbox folder is kept for personal use, but if you're using it as folder repository for the purposes of collaboration or work, you might wish you were more in the loop with any new or updated files that arrive from other sources.

What you need is some kind of notification, alerting you to any updates to your Dropbox folder. And guess what? We have just the solution -- if you're a Mac user at any rate -- in the form of the small, but perfectly formed DropIn. It offers an elegant and highly configurable means of keeping you fully informed. And at just $1.99, it won't break the bank either.

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The more popular and sophisticated a smartphone becomes, the more susceptible it is to malware, fraud and other personal attacks. Android is no exception, and two respected security vendors have dipped their toes in the market with two new betas offering protection for Android-based devices.

Both BitDefender Mobile Security and ESET Mobile Security are currently available for free testing as public betas through the Android marketplace. Both currently offer anti-malware protection and a Security Audit tool, which allows the user to quickly see what permissions have been granted to applications, making it possible to quickly highlight potential privacy concerns.

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Berlin-based O&O Software GmbH has released O&O Defrag 14.5. Available as a free update to version 14 users, O&O Defrag 14.5, which is also available as a separate 64-bit build, offers a powerful and fast alternative to the basic Windows defragmentation tool, promising to keep hard drive performance running at optimum by keeping fragmentation at bay.

Version 14.5 includes four major new and enhanced functions. There's improved support for using TRIM commands to optimize SSD drives for both better performance and reduced read-write cycles, thus lengthening its life. The program also now automatically analyzes each drive whenever the program is run, while work has been done to improve three core defragmentation methods: stealth, space and complete. A new alternative Speed Zone setting is provided in this release, and the program is now configured to automatically interrupt the defrag process when a portable computer switches from mains to battery power.

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Google has updated its popular open-source browser Chrome to version 12, introducing a number of notable features. Of most importance is a new extension to the Safe Browsing feature, which now screens downloaded files for known malware in addition to warning against potentially malicious or phishing websites.

Privacy has been bolstered ,too, with Chrome now able to manage and delete Flash Player's equivalent of cookies (Local Stored Objects) directly within the browser itself. LSOs are now listed alongside cookies when clicking the Content Settings button followed by All cookies and site data in the Privacy section of Chrome's Options dialog.

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BitSum Technologies has updated its process automation and optimization utility, Process Lasso, to version 5.0.0.25. Available in 32-bit and 64-bit builds, Process Lasso uses ProBalance technology to balance the competing demands of applications and system processes, ensuring no single process can cause sluggish performance or temporary freezes through excessive use of available resources. Although designed to be fine-tuned by experts, Process Lasso is also configured by default to run in fully automated mode for less experienced users too.

Version 5, which is available in free and paid-for versions, introduces a number of new features. Support for setting I/O priorities for processes in Vista and Windows 7, plus a new option to automatically install updates as and when they become available, are present in all versions, but a new default power scheme, replacing the old High Performance Option, is only found in the Pro version.

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The Document Foundation has announced the release of LibreOffice 3.4.0, the second major update of the cross-platform, open-source office application since it was launched as a spin-off from OpenOffice back in September 2010.

LibreOffice 3.4.0 includes major updates for its spreadsheet application, Calc, plus a revamped interface across the entire suite. Despite being a stable release, TDF has stressed that version 3.4.0 is aimed at power users and LibreOffice community members, urging other environments, including the corporate sector, to hold off installing version 3.4 until 3.4.1 is released later this year.

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Genie9 Corporation, the company behind the Genie Timeline backup tool, has introduced a new cloud-based backup for businesses and families. Timeline Cloud features the usual cloud-based backup tools, plus adds in some unique features that could prove invaluable for businesses and families.

The most notable feature offered is Cloud Disaster Recovery, which makes it possible to restore a computer to working order via the Internet or network. Timeline Cloud is also designed to be administered from the web, allowing one person to set up and manage backup policies for employees or other family members. Genie9 claims that configuring backup plans takes just five minutes.

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EASEUS has decided to give away the commercial Home edition of its EASEUS Todo Backup for free, replacing the previous function-limited free edition with a fully featured backup tool.

EASEUS Todo Backup Free now provides both file- and image-based backup functionality in one program, allowing users to back up selected files and file types alongside entire partitions and hard drives. It also includes partition and drive-cloning tools for upgrading hard drives, as well as a WinPE-based rescue disc for access to the program outside of Windows.

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We love to report about betas here at Betanews. Opera has released Opera Next 11.50, codenamed "Swordfish." Opera Next, which is the beta version of the renowned Opera browser, installs alongside Opera, allowing users to road test new features without affecting their main Opera installation.

Opera Next 11.50 introduces two major new features: support for (secure) password synchronization through Opera Link, and support for Speed Dial extensions. These changes are accompanied by numerous minor feature updates and standards improvements, such as enhanced support for HTML5 and CSS.

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Just how fast does your hard drive appear to be filling up these days? It doesn't matter if you purchase the latest terabyte monster or are running a more humble 80GB drive, it's amazing how quickly all that space can quickly disappear.

If you're the kind of person who finds himself or herself making multiple copies of files for whatever reason, a lot of that space can be reclaimed simply by searching for, and deleting, those redundant files. But it can be a risky business. What if you delete the wrong file? That's where Auslogics Duplicate File Finder comes in, bounding to the rescue. Version 2.1 of the program, released May 27, promises improved stability, an end to memory leaks and better memory optimization.

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These days, an increasing number of browsers, including Chrome and Firefox 4, make it easy to access the latest version of your bookmarks from any computer you own thanks to built-in sync. The problem is that these proprietary sync technologies will only work with the browser they're designed for.

If you're wanting to switch from one browser to another, or you don't want to tie yourself to a single browser, you'll need a third-party solution in order to keep your bookmarks in sync across all machines and browsers. That solution comes in the form of a free add-in called Xmarks, which is available for various browsers, including Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Internet Explorer.

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Foxit Software has released version 5 of its popular, lightweight PDF viewer, Foxit Reader. Version 5.0 now boasts XFA electronic form-filling capability, the ability to fit a document to the width of the page and split the screen into two or four panes, and a redesigned interface that includes an option to mimic the ribbon used in Office and Windows 7.

Other highlights include the ability to view thumbnail previews of PDFs in Internet Explorer and previews of PDF file attachments in Microsoft Outlook. Foxit Reader 5.0 also includes additional customization tools, including the ability to skin the application, plus an enhanced search tool.

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