Free Software

Chrome apps are sometimes criticized as being strictly internet-only, virtually useless if you need to work offline.

There’s some truth in that, but it’s not always the case. Ra is a Chrome-based text editor which not only works with local text files, but can double as a simple file manager.

If you regularly work on other people’s PCs then it can be wise to bring along some software of your own.

Add portable Firefox and GIMP to a USB stick, say, and you won’t need to rely on the host PC’s browser or graphics editor any more. Your favorite applications will be available wherever you are, with your own settings, and a relatively private history (it won’t be as easy for the PC owner to see the sites you’ve accessed).

Windows power plans seem simple, at least in theory. Launch the Power Options applet, then select "High performance" on desktops for maximum CPU speed, "Power saver" on mobile systems to optimise for energy use, or "Balanced" for somewhere in between.

That’s most how it works, too, but Windows also has a hidden setting which can fine tune the results, maybe saving more energy or further improving system speeds.

Microsoft’s decision to drop the Start Menu in Windows 8 persuaded many developers to produce their own alternatives, and there’s no shortage of free options to explore (Classic Shell is probably still the best)

Finding yet another example in the new Labrys didn’t exactly fill us with excitement, then, but despite several flaws it’s different enough to be interesting.

LastPass has released LastPass for Mac 3.2.0, a desktop version of its popular password-management tool. The app, also available as a series of browser extensions for Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Opera, now sits at the heart of the user desktop.

Once installed and launched, LastPass for Mac places an icon into the menu bar. It also creates a new Quick Search tool for speedily accessing, viewing and editing stored passwords and other notes.

Whether you’re typing up an entire interview, or just trying to note a few song lyrics, the endless clicking of Play/ Pause/ Rewind means it’s usually a very tedious process.

PmTrans is an easy-to-use Java-based application which can help in various ways. There’s no installation, the program is a single JAR file which you can download and run right away.

IObit Malware Fighter Free has been updated to version 3 with a range of new features and enhancements.

The "Browser Protect" module provides real-time protection for your home and search pages, blocks some malicious sites, eliminates malicious toolbars, and prevents malware modifying your system DNS settings.

Screen Reader is a compact free tool which reads on-screen text out loud, as you point at it.

If you’re thinking this sounds a lot like Windows’ built-in Narrator, then you’re right -- Screen Reader even uses the same core Microsoft speech engine to do its work. But the program also has a few advantages which might justify its download.

Anvisoft has released Anvi Ultimate Defrag 1.2, and announced that the program -- once an eye-watering $29.98 -- is now free.

Unsurprisingly, that does introduce some other issues. Setup now installs another Anvisoft product by default (you can avoid this with a click), and Ultimate Defrag’s interface is now spoiled by an "Anvi Slim Toolbar PRO" ad (this can be hidden, but returns when you next launch the program).

There are many technical tools which can help you identify and understand malware, and we used a few of these very recently while investigating Easy Disk Drive Repair.

You don’t have to master all of these to pick out potential threats, though. The compact and portable PeStudio can help you identify suspect programs in seconds.

MiniTool has unveiled a major new update to its partition management software for Windows with the release of MiniTool Partition Wizard Free 9.0, which is free for personal use.

The new build -- also available in bootable form -- adds a new wizard for migrating the OS to a new hard drive as well as extending full support to Windows 8, 8.1 and the Windows 10 Technical Preview.

Converting regular 2D images to 3D can be a very effective way to give them some extra impact, and it’s simpler than you might think.

PhotoAnim is a formerly commercial, now free application which helps you edit, morph, transform and animate 2D objects, then share the results online, in videos and various 3D formats.

NirSoft has announced the release of WirelessConnectionInfo, a free tool which displays detailed stats on the active Wi-Fi connection under Windows Vista and later.

The WirelessConnectionInfo report displays 90 items, including network SSID, PHY Type (802.11n, say), signal quality, security algorithm, channel and more.

If you’d like to share a set of images then you could email them to a few recipients, maybe upload them to Facebook or Twitter.

But if you need more professional results then you might be interested in Arclab Thumb Studio, a powerful freeware tool for building HTML galleries, slideshows and more.

Scrabble is a classic word game, every bit as engrossing today as when it first appeared back in 1938.

That’s our view, anyway. But if you’re tired of the regular game, would like to mix it up a little, then you might be interested in the open source Scrabble3D.