Microsoft updates Remote Desktop app for Android with Virtual Desktop support
Microsoft has released a key update to its Remote Desktop app for Android. The app, which allows for the remote use of computers running Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise, Windows 8.1 and 8 Enterprise and Pro, Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate, and Windows Server versions newer, now features full support for Virtual Desktops.
The update also brings the Android app in line with the iOS and macOS version, so all three versions of the app now use the underlying RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) core engine. The latest version of the app also brings support for Android TV devices, but there's even more to look forward to.
Consolidate all your boot media on to a single flash drive with Ventoy
How many boot discs or flash drives do you own? It’s possible to build up quite a collection, from Linux live CDs and antivirus rescue discs to boot media for apps as diverse as drive imaging to data recovery.
Thanks to Ventoy 1.0.15, you can now consolidate all your boot media: instead of five, six or however many boot discs you need, everything is stored on a single flash drive. The larger the flash drive, the more boot media you can install on it.
Thunderbird 78 unveils major UI changes, restricts add-ons to MailExtension API only
Mozilla has released Thunderbird 78.0 for Windows, Mac and Linux. It’s the first major update of the popular open-source email client since August 2019, and is only available as a direct download -- existing users of the Thunderbird 68.x series are advised to wait for a future release that will provide an upgrade path.
A host of new and changed features have been implemented, although the long-heralded built-in support for OpenPGP encryption has been disabled by default for now due to some outstanding issues.
Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 8 promises much-improved 1-click photo fix
German software developer Ashampoo has unveiled Photo Optimizer 8.0, a major new release of its Windows photo-editing tool. The first major update since June 2018, version 8 builds further on the 1-click optimization tool introduced in version 7, plus offers additional manual fine-tuning tools alongside a new perspective correction feature.
Photo Optimizer 8 opens with what Ashampoo admits is a 'significantly improved' 1-click correction tool, designed to detect potential weaknesses in the original photo and provide improvements with no user involvement required. The improved algorithm has undergone two years of development and trial runs, with many thousands of setting combinations tested to help lift photos suffering from dull colors, poor lighting and a lack of contrast.
Firefox 78 and Firefox 78 ESR unveil new privacy protection features
Mozilla has released Firefox 78.0, the latest in a long line of major updates to the veteran browser. Available for Windows, macOS and Linux, the new release is joined by Firefox ESR 78.0, the first major update of the Extended Support Release browser since Firefox 68 last year.
The release sees the Privacy Protections screen renamed to Protections Dashboard. It also gains two new features: the ability to track the number of resolved breaches directly from the dashboard itself, plus an option to check to see if any saved passwords have been exposed in a data breach. Type about:protections to access the dashboard quickly.
Opera 69 expands its social media support with new Twitter sidebar tool
In the crowded web browser market, finding unique selling points can be hard. Opera 69 launches with one major headline feature: a new sidebar providing users with easy access to their Twitter accounts.
The new feature joins other recent additions designed to make Opera stand out -- from ad and tracker blockers to free browser VPN -- and follows on from recently added support for Instagram, which Opera claims allowed it to "reach a record number of users in March 2020".
Vivaldi 3.1 unveils new Notes Manager tool, customizable menus
Vivaldi Technologies has unveiled Vivaldi 3.1 for Windows, Mac and Linux. The release comes 48 hours after the first major update for Vivaldi for Android.
The desktop build unveils a major upgrade to its existing Notes feature in the form of a full-blown Notes Manager tool. The tool is now accessible via its own full-screen tab in the main browser window (click the link in the Start page or type vivaldi://notes/ into the browser’s address bar).
LibreOffice 7.0 Beta 1 arrives with ODF 1.3 document support
The Document Foundation has released the first public beta of its upcoming LibreOffice 7.0 office suite for Windows, Mac and Linux. Users are encouraged to download and test the software -- which installs alongside any existing production release -- ahead its final release, expected to be in August.
The new release doesn’t boast any major new features, but does update ODF support to 1.3, plus unveils improvements both major and minor to the suite’s major components -- in particular Writer.
Tor Browser 9.5 arrives with the option to automatically switch to more secure Onion versions of sites
Increasing numbers of internet users are becoming aware of the privacy and security implications of being online, and it is for this reason that secure browsers such as Tor are growing in popularity. Now, with the release of Tor Browser 9.5, the browser features an option that can automatically switch to the secure .onion version of a site if one is available.
In short this means that sites are able to actively promote the fact that they have a secure .onion site available. Publishers now can advertise their onion service to Tor users by adding an HTTP header, so if someone visits the regular version of a website, a notification will appear informing them of the more secure option.
How to boost your privacy and remove unwanted features from Windows 10
Windows 10 comes with lots of features that you might not need, or want. These include Cortana, Bing in Windows Search, and the Game Bar. In addition, Microsoft’s operating system spies on you in a number of ways.
Thankfully, disabling unwanted features and locking down your privacy just got way easier.
EssentialPIM 9.0 is here with added dark mode, new tagging options and additional mail rule options
A good personal information manager (PIM) is a great way to stay on top of the information you need on a daily basis, such as email, calendar, tasks and notes. EssentialPIM has long offered an approachable and powerful way to access such information, and now EssentialPIM 9.0 has been released with a range of new features.
From an aesthetic point of view, there's a new dark mode option, but this is a significant release which is about much more than just a new coat of paint. There are also new rules to help you manage an unruly inbox, bookmark-style anchors to make it easier to navigate notes, and a powerful tagging system that not only lets you organize a range of different data together, but also to quickly jump to it using keyboard shortcuts.
Cross-platform torrent client Transmission 3.00 arrives after two years of development
BitTorrent clients are plentiful, but many leave a lot to be desired. While numerous clients have fallen by the wayside, there are some names that have stuck around. One such client is Transmission, and after a two year wait, we're finally being treated to a new version.
Transmission 3.00 is a significant release, and there are numerous new options and features in the latest version of the open source, cross-platform client. Improvements have been made to the client across all platform -- Windows, macOS, Linux and the web -- including the option of allowing the RPC server to listen on an IPv6 address.
Free service simplifies encrypting and sharing confidential data
Distributed cloud service company Volterra is launching a new service to encrypt and share public data without the need for passwords and public keys.
VoltShare is available as downloadable software (or an API and SDK) that operates locally on a PC or mobile device to easily encrypt sensitive data for sharing with target recipients through email or via existing collaboration platforms such as Slack, Teams and Dropbox.
Slack for iOS unveils a radical new user interface -- once it's been switched on
Business communication tool Slack has just released a major new update to its iOS app for iPhone and iPad. Slack 20.05.10 sees the app get ready for more than a simple facelift, with a complete redesign that brings it into line with improvements unveiled back in March on the desktop.
Be warned though: the user interface is actually a server-side update, which means not all users will immediately feel the benefit of updating -- nevertheless, install the app now and when the new UI is switched on, you’ll be able to use it.
AOMEI makes its cloud management tool free for three months
We've seen lots of companies making their products available free during the current crisis. AOMEI has already made its backup tool available free for a year.
It's now added to that by making the full version of its cloud management tool MultCloud available free for three months.
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