Mozilla has unveiled one of the biggest updates to Firefox yet with its release of Firefox 55.0 for Windows, Mac and Linux. Firefox for Android 55.0 is also due imminently.

Firefox 55’s many highlights include instant restoration of browsing sessions with a large number of tabs, the ability to reposition the sidebar and a feature for grabbing screenshots of web pages direct from the browser itself.

Continue reading →

How often do you hear "it won’t happen to me", which is the primary reason many of us do not bother to backup our data. Sure, like us you can store some of your most important files in the cloud, but that has storage limitations and none of us wants to spend time trying to salvage our computer when we’re pressed for time.

The rise of ransomware means your computer is vulnerable, even if you have the latest security software. Once your files are encrypted, short of paying the ransom, there’s little else you can do.

Continue reading →

A password manager should be an essential tool. Unless you’re prepared to use the same password across many sites (which is a huge security hazard) or have a memory like Einstein, trying to remember all your passwords is nearly impossible.

One solution would be to write your passwords on paper, which you keep at home. We know people that do this and there’s nothing wrong with a hard copy, provided it's kept super-safe. Problem is, if you need to access a website when you holiday or on the road, you don’t have your passwords to hand.

Continue reading →

The Document Foundation has unveiled LibreOffice 5.4 64-bit and LibreOffice 5.4 32-bit. Again, it’s on time, arriving six months after the release of LibreOffice 5.3.

LibreOffice 5.4 is "the last major release of the LibreOffice 5.x family", and like other point releases is a major one, adding features across all components and incrementally improving compatibility with Microsoft Office document formats.

Continue reading →

In recent days, there has been a great deal of interest in the supposed loss of Paint, followed by the bizarre, inexplicable delight people felt when it transpired the app will live on in the Windows Store. The (subjectively) brilliant Paint.NET was originally built as a successor to Paint, and the developer recently said that it too will be coming to the Windows Store.

He also made reference to a portable mode that would be coming to Paint.NET, and this caused ripples of excitement through the app's userbase. Well, Paint.NET 4.0.17 is out, and portability is an option -- you just need to do a little work. So, here's how to enable portable mode in Paint.NET.

Continue reading →

Kaspersky has been in the news quite a lot recently, primarily because of US concerns over links to the Russian government. The security company also hit the headlines when it filed an antitrust case against Microsoft because Windows 10 disabled Kaspersky antivirus software.

But now there's a new reason to be in the news -- and this time it's a good one. The Russian company is launching Kaspersky Free, a free antivirus tool available globally. Company founder Eugene Kaspersky announced that the US, Canada and numerous Asia Pacific countries have access to the software immediately, and the global rollout will continue over the coming months (although it already seems to be downloadable in the UK).

Continue reading →

Among the list of features set to be removed or deprecated in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is Microsoft Paint, a fixture of Windows since the operating system’s first release back in 1985.

Microsoft doesn’t give any explanation as to why it’s being removed. Indeed, in the list of features being dropped it simply says "Microsoft Paint." Everything else in the list, including Outlook Express, has at least a one-line explanation. What a sad, inglorious ending.

Continue reading →

If you have been visiting BetaNews for a while, you surely have discovered some wonderful Windows freeware from the great FileForum. Over the years, I have downloaded countless pieces of quality software there, including Avast Antivirus and Piriform CCleaner -- two essential programs.

Today, those two programs are joined together in a financial matrimony. You see, Avast announces that it has acquired Piriform. Not only does the acquired company make CCleaner, but many other solid programs too. In fact, the rest of Piriform's library -- Recuva, Speccy, and Defraggler -- are staples of the Windows freeware community.

Continue reading →

Malwarebytes has released AdwCleaner 7.0, a major new version of its portable Windows tool for removing adware, unwanted toolbars, PUPs and browser hijackers. It’s the first major update since Malwarebytes acquired AdwCleaner back in October 2016.

AdwCleaner 7.0 arrives as a completely rewritten piece of software, complete with brand new user interface, database system and the promise of more effective removal and faster scan times.

Continue reading →

Correct spelling and grammar is something of a dying art these days. Rather than embark on a rant, however, let us gently direct you towards a superb online tool for helping to bring your language skills up to scratch with the minimum of fuss.

Grammarly 1.5 takes this online spellchecker and grammar correction tool on to your Windows PC or Mac -- now you can keep on top of all your documents.

Continue reading →

Accessing your data is becoming tougher with two-way authentication, multiple password entry options and having to answer 'secret' questions where you can’t always remember the answer.

The most obvious answer is to write down your information, passwords and other login information. Problem is, this is no good if you’re using your laptop on the road or working away from home.

Continue reading →

HamMultiPlayer is an interesting media player with some unusual features, including the ability to preview and work with multiple videos simultaneously.

The program doesn’t require any installation, and it doesn’t even arrive in an archive. It’s just a single executable you can download and run right away. The interface is initially confusing with rows of tiny buttons and boxes, and the most important features aren’t clearly highlighted. A "getting started" page explains the next steps, though, and they’re not difficult: choose your video folder, click Scan > Go and wait as the previews are prepared.

Continue reading →

Recently, the developer of Paint.NET mentioned that the app would be making its way to the Windows Store. He went as far as saying, "it's at the top of my list" of things to do.

Rick Brewster has now followed up on his "innocent little comment," confirming that the free image editor -- it was originally developed as simple replacement for Windows Paint, but has grown into something much bigger -- will indeed appear in the Windows Store as of version 4.0.17.

Continue reading →

Piriform has released Speccy 1.31 and Speccy Portable 1.31, an updated version of its system information tool for Windows PCs. Version 1.31 comes with the promised of improved compatibility with the recent Creators Update release of Windows 10, and provides users with the ability to get detailed stats about their computer for diagnostic or sharing purposes.

Speccy 1.31 also improves the 32-build version’s architecture and comes with updated GPU information and sensor tracking along with the usual minor tweaks: improved localization and languages support, minor GUI improvements and minor bug fixes.

Continue reading →

BPing is a tiny console-based ping tool with an unusual extra: sound. Why? It gives you instant feedback on what’s happening without any need to watch the console window.

Double-click the program and by default it pings Google.com, playing a sound every time a reply arrives. That’s useful all on its own as a very obvious "my internet connection is up and the device is responding" message. If your connection goes down or the device doesn’t respond, the pings will stop.

Continue reading →