Articles about Software

Acronis True Image is no more. Actually, that’s not strictly true. Acronis True Image has changed its name to one that more accurately reflects the features it offers in 2021. Please welcome on to the stage, Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office 26.0 for Windows and Mac.

As major unveilings go, it’s a bit of a damp squib. Aside from the name and bump up to version 26.0, there’s no major changes from its previous incarnation, Acronis True Image 2021. But what there is still impresses: a comprehensive backup suite augmented with extensive protection against a range of online threats from malware to ransomware.

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Berlin software developer O&O Software has released O&O Defrag 25 Professional, a major new release of its extremely configurable defrag tool.

The major new feature is built-in S.M.A.R.T. functionality, enabling the program to monitor the health of a system’s hard drives and provide alerts. It’s accompanied by a new drive activity display in the Windows taskbar, and a revamped user-interface design.

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Researchers at SophosLabs have uncovered malware being distributed by a network of websites acting as a 'dropper as a service', serving up a variety of other nasty packages.

These droppers for hire are delivering bundles of malicious and unwanted content to targets looking for cracked versions of popular business and consumer applications.

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Just about every computer in use around the world has a hard drive that contains at least some software that isn’t used or needed. You can, of course, remove apps you don't want by using the Apps & features section of Settings, but this is not guaranteed to get rid of every last trace of any given app.

And this is precisely why software unsinstallers like IObit Uninstaller 11 are so valuable. This tool monitors installations so it knows exactly which files have been added or changed, making it much easier to completely remove apps during uninstallation.

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When Microsoft removed the Start menu from Windows 8 -- believing we’d all prefer to prod at large tiles on touchscreens -- there was the inevitable backlash. Although the company did restore the Start menu in Windows 8.1, by then the damage was done. The OS flopped badly and that one ridiculous design decision was the main reason for it.

With Windows 11, Microsoft hasn’t been as bold/crazy to repeat history. There’s a still a Start menu, but it’s one that’s centered, which won’t be to everyone’s liking. When Windows 8 shipped without a Start menu, a number of third party developers quickly stepped in to right Microsoft's wrong. And now we’re starting to see similar such Start menus arrive that promise to 'fix' Windows 11.

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Virtualization software Parallels Desktop 17 for Mac is now available, and the latest update brings with it a host of important changes and additions. Among the highlights of the latest version is full support for not only Windows 11, but also macOS Monterey. Both of these operating systems have yet to be released, but Parallels is ready for them, meaning eager testers can get on and try them out.

Parallels Desktop 17 for Mac also boasts support for Apple's M1 chip as well as more traditional Intel-based platforms. The update also sees huge performance improvements with an improved gaming experience and better USB support.

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Parallels International GmbH has unveiled a major update to its eclectic toolkit for Windows and Mac users with the release of Parallels Toolbox 5.0. The latest new release adds five additional tools to its roster, along with a handful of improvements and other enhancements.

Version 5.0 opens by adding two new barcode tools. First, Barcode Generator can be used to generate 13 different types of barcodes including QR codes and EAN-8/EAN-13 codes. QR codes can be generated simply by typing (or pasting) the content to encode. The code can then be saved as PNG image or copied to the clipboard.

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Software supply chain attacks like that on SolarWinds have become more of a threat in recent months. But when it comes to defending against them businesses can't decide who is responsible according to a new report.

The study from machine identity management company Venafi is based on the opinions of over 1,000 information security professionals, developers and executives in the IT and software development industries.

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Security teams need to be able to understand their company’s software assets and properly test them. This means the team needs to be familiar with the threats to its technology and choose the services and solutions that work best for its unique circumstances.

Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) solution, Enso Security is launching its new industry initiative, the AppSec Map. This is designed as an industry collaboration initiative by former security leaders at Wix.com, and offers a live map of vendors and community projects related to application security.

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For years, millions of PC users have trusted CCleaner to keep their computers clean and running smoothly. Now Piriform has added a major new feature to the tool’s impressive roster with its latest release, CCleaner Professional 5.82.

That feature is a full driver updater tool, enabling users to check their computer for out-of-date drivers, plus apply updates quickly and easily.

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Service mesh, in case you're unfamiliar with it, is an infrastructure layer that facilitates service-to-service communications between services or microservices via the use of a proxy.

This offers a number of benefits including secure connections and visibility of communications. The two main competitors in the service mesh space are Istio and Linkerd, and the market has recently seen a shift towards the latter. We spoke to William Morgan, CEO of Buoyant and co-creator of Linkerd, to find out more about service mesh and why the shift is happening.

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Foxit Software has taken the opportunity to rebrand its popular PDF viewing and editing products with its latest major release. Foxit Reader is now Foxit PDF Reader 11.0, while PDF-editing tool Foxit PhantomPDF is reclassified Foxit PDF Editor 11.0.

Both newly renamed tools unveil revamped user interfaces with the promise of being leaner, simpler, and more intuitive to use. They both also gain support for more 3D functions and digital signature enhancements.

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HP is launching a newly integrated portfolio of secure by design PCs and printers, hardware-enforced endpoint security software, and endpoint security services to protect its customers from growing cyber threats.

The HP Wolf Security portfolio builds on the company's security research to offer a unified portfolio focused on delivering comprehensive endpoint protection and cyber-resiliency.

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You've almost certainly noticed that your once speedy computer is no longer the impressive beast it used to be. You could, of course, consider upgrading a few hardware components, or even invest in a new system altogether, but this is unnecessary expense. Turn to the newly released Ashampoo WinOptimizer 19, and you may find that all of your problems are solved.

This stalwart of the world of system optimization is back in an updated version that improves on existing tools, adds new options, and gives you everything you need to boost your computer. The focus is on improving speed and overall system performance, but Ashampoo WinOptimizer 19 will also help you to reclaim disk space, improve privacy settings and take control of telemetry.

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Despite the rise in cloud-based applications, on-premises software continues to show significant growth and demand from enterprise customers.

A new report from Dimensional Research sponsored by Replicated shows customer demand for on-premises software is equal to that for public cloud, and more than 90 percent of software companies surveyed say their on-premises sales continue to rise.

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