Articles about Free Software

In the world of system optimization and clean-up utilities, there are lots of names vying for attention, but it is CCleaner that wins the popularity contest. It has been a while since the app received a significant update but that changes with the release of CCleaner 6.

There is a lot to talk about in this latest release, but the headline grabber is the new, unique and patented Performance Optimizer feature. While many performance optimization techniques found in other apps make only a subjective differences, the boost given by this new feature can be measured in benchmarks.

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Toronto developer AgileBits has unveiled 1Password 8.7.0 for Mac, almost six months after it released 1Password 8 for Windows.

The app is the first Mac build developed using the cross-platform Rust and Electron tools, which has resulted in a brand-new design language -- code-named Knox -- that aims to provide a consistent user experience across Mac, Linux and Windows.

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For some people, taking screen grabs is a simple matter of hitting Print Screen and pasting the contents of the clipboard into an image editor, while others with slightly greater needs may turn to Windows' Snipping Tool. While of these options are fine, they are both quite limited, and this is why the likes of Screenpresso remain important utilities.

For the uninitiated, Screenpresso is an advanced screen capture tool that makes it possible to take grabs of what you see on your screen -- but it includes a huge range of tools and options that make it stand out from the competition. The app can also be used to capture video footage, and with the release of Screenpresso 2.0.0 even more powerful special features help take your screen grabbing to the next level.

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As enterprises have moved to make their systems more accessible to hybrid working during the pandemic, they have increasingly been turning to cloud-based solutions.

But this rapid growth of cloud infrastructure leads to problems managing and optimizing cloud resources. Which is why cloud networking company Alkira is launching a free tool to expose shadow IT and recommend ways to secure, optimize, and boost cloud deployments.

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If you’re looking for an all-in-one image viewer, editor and batch converter for your Windows PC, then FastStone is the tool for you. And with the release of FastStone Image Viewer 7.6, this powerful freeware app just got a whole lot better.

Forget the point release -- 7.6 arrives more than two years after version 7.5 and could easily have been version 8.0 given the number of new and improved features. Highlights include a new database engine, rating system and pre-scan folders option.

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With this year's World Backup Day on March 31st approaching fast, AOMEI is giving BetaNews readers the chance to get their hands on $109.89 worth of software free of charge.

AOMEI Backupper Professional allows Windows PC users to backup and clone their drives. It's a handy tool if you’ve been putting off upgrading to Windows 11 because it allows you to roll back to an earlier OS if the update fails.

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While security apps may not be the software that everyone gets excited about, there is no getting away from their importance. Despite this, there are a couple of things that stop many people from investigating security solutions. Firstly, modern version of Windows include protective features, and secondly there is the concern about additional cost.

With the newly updated Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Windows, both of these concerns are rendered moot. Not only is the software completely free of charge, the features and options it offers go far beyond anything Microsoft has provided with Windows. This latest version is notable for various reasons, not least of which is the fact that it has been completely re-engineered and re-architectured.

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Microsoft has been working on a new security tool for a while now and today announces a preview build for Windows Insiders to try out, although there are some restrictions to be aware of.

The Microsoft Defender app, which is available for Windows, Android, and iOS, helps protect you and your family’s data and devices against online threats, such as malware and phishing attacks.

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Italian developer Incomedia has released its first major point release to the Website X5 2022 line.

Both Website X5 Pro 2022.1 Pro and its cut-down sibling Website X5 Pro 2022.1 Evo introduce a new personal branding tool for individuals and businesses as well as support for integrating PayPal’s Buy Now Pay Later feature into their websites’ ecommerce stores.

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Blue-screen errors can be the hardest ones of all for Windows users to troubleshoot. Usually there’s a low-lying problem -- kernel or driver corruption, or even hardware failure. But how do you go about diagnosing the problem and finding the cure?

WhoCrashed is a tool designed to help you interpret these crashes, and with the release of WhoCrashed 7.0 Home Edition, this powerful diagnostics tool just got a lot better.

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PowerToys was an essential tweaking tool for Windows 95 onwards. Microsoft brought it back as an open source release for Windows 10 three years ago, and has been bolting on additional tools ever since. If you use Windows 10 or Windows 11, then it’s definitely worth a download.

If you used the original PowerToys, then the chances are you used Tweak UI. In fact, that might have been the only tool of the suite you did use as it let you modify many of Windows’ lesser known settings without the need to hack the registry. Although today’s version of PowerToys is great, it doesn’t include a modern take on Tweak UI. In fact that tool hasn’t been seen since Windows XP.

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Just over two months after unveiling its landmark 5.0 release, Vivaldi 5.1 arrives on desktop and Android with more new features.

Version 5.1 highlights two major desktop improvements -- the introduction of horizontal tab scrolling using the mouse, plus a built-in Reading List feature. Android users benefit from better performance under heavy loads and more Theme color options.

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The Document Foundation has released LibreOffice 7.3, the third major point release for its open-source, cross-platform office suite. Accompanied by the tag line, "More performance, more compatibility", the release boasts several noteworthy new features.

The key focus of this new release is better interoperability with Microsoft Office documents.

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There is an updated version of CCleaner for Mac available, complete with some major improvements and additions which help to make this essential optimization tool even more useful. There are Free and Professional versions of the software to choose from, and both have undergone major developments.

Both editions of CCleaner for Mac 2 feature an updated tool for analyzing hard drives and determining which files and apps can be safely removed to free up space. There is also an enhanced browser cleaning option to help improve your privacy, and the Professional version includes amazing new tools for cleaning out poor quality and duplicate photos.

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Rambox LLC has started the New Year by relaunching its workspace consolidation tool with the release of Rambox 2.0. Available on Windows, macOS and Linux, the new app combines paid-for and free tiers within a single program for the first time.

Rambox originally launched in 2016 as an open-source beta under a 'Community Edition' banner. In 2018, a paid-for Pro version with additional functionality was added, and now Rambox has combined the two in a single program with both free and paid-for tiers.

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