Benchmarking data storage or transfer speeds can seem straightforward, at least in theory. Assemble a group of test files on your PC; store, copy, upload or download them, and measure how long this all takes. Easy, right?

Well, not necessarily. Compression could be an issue. You might measure how long it takes to save a bunch of files to an SSD, for instance, but if the drive uses compression -- as many do -- then the speed you see will vary according to your test data.

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Lurch is an open source math word processor which allows you to create documents, insert a full mathematical argument, and validate it, too.

This isn’t just a matter of checking that "2+2=4", either. The program also supports and "understands" algebra, calculus and proofs.

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REG files can be a very convenient way to import Registry data. Double-click them, Regedit launches, reads their contents and adds them to your Registry, all in just a few seconds.

There can still be problems, though. Your system may have blocked REG files for security reasons. You might want to import the data as part of an unattended installation, or maybe you just need more control of the import process.

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It's difficult to deny Microsoft at least some of the limelight this week as the Build developer conference generated some interesting news. Bringing Windows version numbers in line with each other, Windows Phone 8.1 was finally revealed, complete with a notification center and Siri-like Cortana. The highly anticipated Windows 8.1 Update (which you may have heard something about) was official unveiled and given a launch date of April 8. Wayne, for one, liked what he saw.

Microsoft came over all open source, making the Roslyn compiler as well as WinJS freely available. Brian was pleased with the tech giant's latest moves, proclaiming Microsoft is now back. Build also gave us a sneaky glimpse of an upcoming, but as yet unnamed, version of Windows that features the return of the Start menu -- all of this chopping and changing is getting confusing. Maybe next on the list of things to do with Windows will be getting rid of those apps and features that should have been killed some time ago.

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Drag-and-drop file mamagement tool DropIt 7.0 has been released. The open-source tool, also available in portable form, includes a raft of improvements, new features and a handful of bug fixes.

DropIt, which sits as a floating icon on the desktop when installed, allows users to process folders and files quickly via drag-and-drop, with up to 15 different actions (including move, copy, send by mail and upload) supported.

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LightShot is a simple free tool which makes it very easy to take, edit and share your screengrabs online.

The program doesn’t force you to learn new hotkeys, for instance. To launch it you’ll just press PrtSc, as usual.

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Moving a few files around your system is simple, and you’ll probably just do it yourself: drag/ drop, copy/ paste, whatever it might be.

When you regularly need to process a lot of files, though, it might be quicker to automate the task with LimagitoX FileMover Lite.

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Homedale is a straightforward portable tool which detects local wireless networks and tells you more about them: name, channel, MAC address, encryption type and so on. It’s great for troubleshooting various wireless conflicts, or just finding out more about what’s going on around you.

The Homedale interface is, well, basic -- just a single tabbed dialog box. Click "Access Points" first and you’ll see a table with details on all your network neighbors, including their name, MAC address, vendor, signal strength, encryption, country ID, mode, frequency, band, first and last seen times, supported bitrates, model and adapter.

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Baidu PC Faster is a free suite of tools to clean, optimize and maintain your PC. Yes, we know: we’ve heard this before, too. But PC Faster could be different, not least because it comes from Baidu, the company behind China’s largest search engine. Will this extra corporate power ensure it really delivers? We took a look.

Setup was easy, a small downloader fetching and installing the rest of the program. It’s also a little more intrusive than most of the competition, though, leaving two new services and some extra processes running permanently in the background.

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IObit Systems has released IObit PCtransfer 1.0, a freeware tool for migrating data and a limited selection of settings from one PC to another. The tool offers a simple, fuss-free user interface that will appeal to novices, but lacks advanced functionality, such as the ability to move entire programs or a more comprehensive array of supported program settings.

The program is packaged as a self-contained portable executable, so once launched, it’s a case of first selecting which items to include in the backup.

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Downloading a file is usually very simple -- just point your browser at the appropriate URL, and wait -- so it’s hard to imagine why you might want to use a command line tool, instead.

Take a look at the open source aria2, though, and you might change your mind.

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O&O Software has announced a major update for Syspectr, its remote PC monitoring and management service.

A new email notification system makes it much easier to define which events you’d like to track. A panel lists the event categories ("Security", "Updates", "Software", more), and you can choose whether you’d like to be informed of problems, warnings or "information" alerts with a click.

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As you’ll guess from its name, Advanced IP Scanner is a network scanner for Windows, which checks your network for connected devices and tells you more about them.

That doesn’t sound particularly interesting, especially as there are already so many similar tools around. But wait -- Advanced IP Scanner does have some advantages which help it stand out from the crowd.

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Utilities developer Tweaking.com has announced the availability of Hardware Identify, a tool which attempts to list the various devices on your PC -- even if Device Manager (or other system information tools) currently show them as "unknown".

Download, unzip and launch the program, and within a few seconds it displays a table listing all your hardware. Details include the device name, manufacturer, error code (if there’s currently a problem), class (USB, System, Port, Mouse and so on), driver version and hardware IDs. Clicking any column header sorts the list by that field.

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Shunting music files between PC, Apple and Android is nothing new, but it can be a fiddly process if done manually, or expensive if you try to find a suitable third-party app to do the hard work for you. With the release of KiwiG PhonTunes 2.5, you can now enjoy quick and easy music transfer -- including directly between Android and Apple -- for free.

Version 2.5 has just been launched with a completely redesigned user interface, support for local music management and a built-in music player.

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