Secret ‘bursts into flames’ feature may be behind Samsung’s Note 7 delays

 The Galaxy Note 7 seems like a pretty decent phone if you like phones literally the size of the galaxy (Brian does) — but be aware that Samsung’s curvy-screened flagship device may be prone to, well, exploding. Fear not, however: Samsung is looking into it. Read More

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Secret ‘bursts into flames’ feature may be behind Samsung’s Note 7 delays

 The Galaxy Note 7 seems like a pretty decent phone if you like phones literally the size of the galaxy (Brian does) — but be aware that Samsung’s curvy-screened flagship device may be prone to, well, exploding. Fear not, however: Samsung is looking into it. Read More

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Relive Samsung’s incredibly awkward Gear S3 press conference

 Samsung knows how to through a party. A really, really weird party. The electronics giant has put on some of the more bizarre events over the past decade, including, memorably, one at IFA 2012 that featured a real-life magician hired by the company to demonstrate just how magical the company’s new phablet really was. This year’s event, focused solely on its new wearable, the Gear… Read More

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Updated: The best Linux distros: seven versions of Linux we recommend

Feel the power of the penguin

Long-time Windows and Mac users might rejoice at the thought that Linux is no longer exclusive to developers who wince at the sight of software that isn't open-source. Nowadays, Linux is for everyone. Yes, you can put down your pitchforks, Windows and Mac users, as developers aren't the only ones who can wince at the sight of software that isn't open-source.

In fact, with hundreds of Linux distributions (distros) to choose from, it doesn't matter whether you're working with a hardy desktop rig or – as of recently – even a Surface tablet. There's bound to be something out there that appeals to you.

See, Linux is just the heart, the kernel, of any Linux-based system. It's the distribution that determines the rest – the user interface design, the installation process and application support are all up to the distro's creator. Android and Chrome OS, for instance, are both based on the Linux kernel.

The only problem is, with such a wide array of customizable Linux variations out on the market, the decision itself might be enough to send you in Microsoft's direction. Thankfully, we've put together this quintessential guide to all of the best Linux flavors that both enthusiasts and newbies alike can enjoy.

As always, if you have a suggestion of your own, let us know in the comments below.

Shashank Sharma, Nick Peers and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article

Ubuntu

Even people who wouldn't know where to start with a command line interface have probably heard of Ubuntu, and it's not hard to see why. Here we're greeted by the friendly, familiar face of Debian (a larger distro that predates Ubuntu by a decade), with new releases every six months rather than every six and a half seconds, leaving it much more stable and, in most cases, actually usable.

It's probably the best place to start if you're new to Linux, designed specifically for the person who doesn't know Gnome from Bash. Many of its essential apps comes pre-installed, negating the need to deploy package installers over a command line, and the easy-to-handle install repositories library makes it very easy to get ahold of more.

Lots of Linux users wind up using Ubuntu as a starting point, even if they may end up looking down their noses at it a year or two down the line. In reality, though, they'll owe it thanks for offering a helping hand in the world's most customizable operating system.

There are, however, a few legitimately controversial things about Ubuntu. Over the last few years, its parent company Canonical has tried to develop Ubuntu into its own "brand", most notably by introducing its own desktop environment known as Unity. This interface bridges Ubuntu for phones and tablets with classic desktop Ubuntu.

Unity is less like Windows than most other desktop environments, and not everyone likes it. However, it recently became a lot more flexible and smoother in the latest release. It's not all that hard to switch to another desktop UI, either.

You can get started with Ubuntu here

Solus

Though every Linux distro is based on the Linux kernel, most are also based on existing distros as well, with Debian and Ubuntu comprising the vast majority. Solus, however, differs by introducing an entirely new computing experience.

Built with ease of use in mind, Solus boasts an appearance that's as modern as – or dare we say more modern than – Chrome OS.

The newness of the OS also helps. While a quick bit of research might lead you to discover its initial release took place in 2012, Solus is actually even fresher than that. That's because, beginning in 2014, Solus was recreated from the ground up and re-released as Solus 1.0 as recent as December 2015.

Its desktop UI is called Budgie, which is largely responsible for Solus' distinct focus on aesthetics and "elegance", as its developer puts it, than most other Linux interfaces.

The issue in siding with Solus is that, while promising, it has much less of an active community at the moment than the more renowned names. This could be offputting for those who don't already know Linux inside and out.

As a youngling, Solus is also remarkably less stable than something like Ubuntu – at least for the foreseeable future. It's worth trying out Solus nonetheless, though, especially considering how distinct it is from the rest of the pack.

You can get started with Solus here

Linux Mint Cinnamon

If you want a Microsoft-less Windows 10, this one's for you hotshot! Linux Mint Cinnamon has a much more familiar interface than Ubuntu. It even has a Start menu of sorts, making it dead easy to transition from Windows if you've just had enough of Redmond's corporate hogwash.

There are no major sacrifices either. Mint Cinnamon uses very similar repositories to Ubuntu, being based on it and everything.

Cinnamon has a relatively glitzy interface, so if you're planning on running Linux on a dodgy old machine that can no longer keep up with the latest Windows installment, you are best off trying Cinnamon's brother. It's called Mate, and it has a more spartan UI that's a bit less demanding.

(To dig a level deeper, Cinnamon's look is based on Gnome 3, Mate's on Gnome 2. Gnome, of course, being a graphical desktop environment designed to work with Linux distros primarily.)

We picked Cinnamon for a reason, though.

Like Ubuntu, Mint Cinnamon is also a good beginner Linux distro. It features an office suite, media player apps, a browser and more right from the start. And, like Ubuntu, it's not updated all the time. It's updated even more sparingly than Ubuntu, actually, with major revisions happening roughly once a year.

That said, Linux Mint Cinnamon is one of the first distros you should try if you're new to Linux.

You can get started with Mint Cinnamon here

Ubuntu Studio

Out of the hundreds of Linux distros you'll find, loads of them are based on Ubuntu. One of the most interesting Linux-inspired distros is Ubuntu Studio.

Tailored to creative types: musicians, artists, sound engineers and designers, Ubuntu Studio is a great place to head if, for example, you want to try making your own podcast or homebrew album but don't want to dish out thousands on fancy software. Ubuntu Studio has been around since 2007, and now features a small mountain of built-in apps that push it close to the 3GB mark.

Among the most interesting is Ardour, a digital, multi-track recorder-slash-sequencer app. Better-known Windows alternatives, like Sonar, Reason and Cubase demand hundreds of dollars for comparable functions.

Ardour can communicate with the preinstalled synthesizer and guitar effects apps using JACK, another piece of software that lets you route audio between apps. It won't lure Kanye West away from Pro Tools any time soon, but it's also an awful lot cheaper.

Ubuntu Studio is a little less strong on the graphics/video side, but does offer a couple of video editing programs and Blender, a 3D modeling app. While not many full-time graphics and audio professionals are going to use Studio as their main piece of software, it's a fine way to dabble in creative software somewhat like the tear-inducingly expensive Windows packages, without paying a cent.

You can get started with Ubuntu Studio here

Arch Linux

Here's one for the pros. While most of our picks are suitable for those who barely know anything about Linux, Arch Linux expects you to know what you're doing – at least a little bit.

There's no super-easy install wizard, and even when you have the system up and running, Arch Linux doesn't come with a whole giant package of applications already put into place. That's not the idea.

To use Arch Linux's own motto, the concept behind this distro is KISS, the "keep it simple, stupid" philosophy. It offers a minimalist Linux framework, letting you turn a system into whatever you need without making you prune away the bits you don't want.

For the gamers out there, it's a bit like the Wretched class of the Dark Souls games: looks awful to some eyes, but is the only choice for others.

Consistent with its enthusiast leanings, Arch Linux has a rolling release pattern, with new versions available every month rather than just every six months or every year. There's also a lot of good documentation floating about for Arch. So, while it may not be friendly, those with enough knowledge and patience should get by just fine.

You can get started with Arch Linux here

Chrome OS

While not typically perceived as a rendition of the Linux kernel, the cloud-based operating system Chrome OS, or Chromium OS, consistently exceeds expectations for just how large an install base a Linux kernel can achieve.

Without being much more than a desktop browser repurposed as an entire user environment, accessibility is Chrome OS' main draw – not to mention there's no high-end processor or storage requirement required for it to run.

If you don't need much more than the expansive catalog of Google Apps, Chrome OS is undoubtedly the way to go. And, let's be honest, most of us are strictly browser bound anyway. Even historically x86 applications like Photoshop are hitting the worldwide web. Plus, with a wide range of Android apps available by way of the Google Play Store, the open-source Chrome OS is about to become even more enticing.

Aside from Android itself, Chrome OS is perhaps the most widely used Linux distro to date. In fact, in terms of sheer market share it's rapidly catching up to its closed-source competition with Chromebooks recently outpacing the Mac, at least commercially.

On the downside, Chrome OS is pretty limited in comparison to other Linux-based operating systems. Since all tasks are expected to be completed online and stored in the cloud, there isn't much wiggle room for offline usage. So unless you're always connected to a network, taking your work on the go won't be as practical as it would with, say, Ubuntu or Solus.

Another desirable factor, however, is that many of the PCs Chrome OS comes installed on are extremely affordable, with even some of the better ones keeping under the $250 mark. And, though Chrome OS is designed for Google's Chromebook line of laptops, it can easily be installed on virtually any PC in just a few simple steps.

You can get started with Chrome OS here

elementary OS

Not all Linux distros are about being different; elementary OS in particular is more about thinking different. As one of the best-looking distributions around, elementary OS bears a striking resemblance to Apple's macOS. In fact, its developer calls elementary OS a "fast and open replacement for Windows and OS X."

Unlike Windows in particular, elementary OS isn't funded by ad revenue nor does the developer have access to any personal information – or so it claims. Instead, it's funded by an optional donation of five, ten or even 25 dollars per download (although you can opt to donate a custom amount if you're so inclined, even the nominal contribution of $0 is rendered acceptable).

Elementary OS even comes with a handful of pre-installed apps such as Photos, Music, Videos and a custom web browser called Midori that's supposed to be easier on the battery than, say, the infamous Google Chrome power drainer. Whether it's more conservative than Microsoft Edge, though, remains to be seen.

While it's not as jam-packed with features as macOS or Windows, elementary OS serves its purpose well. It's a minimalistic alternative to the spyware and adware that often come pre-installed and unable to be removed with the bigger name desktop operating systems.

For those seeking the painless experience of navigating an Apple interface without compromising your personal data, elementary OS might very well be your perfect match.

You can get started with elementary OS here

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Samsung shows off its latest smartwatch, the Gear S3

 Last year’s Gear S2 was, without question, one of the best looking smartwatches around. After a few generations of unwieldy wearables, the company took it down a few notches with a device that was smaller and decidedly more minimalist. Where other companies have looked to bling it up, the electronics giant stayed subtle. Announced this week at IFA, the S3 isn’t that. The company… Read More

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Editor's pick: Beat procrastination with free website blocker Cold Turkey

Beat procrastination with Cold Turkey

Beat procrastination with Cold Turkey

Tabbed browsers are both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, you can keep multiple sources open simultaneously for cross-referencing, and on the other, you can easily keep your social media feeds alongside your work, with numbers in the tab titles steadily climbing as fresh content appears in your feed.

It's the same with emails; if you're honest with yourself, how many of the messages you receive throughout the day truly require an immediate response? And how often do you check your inbox?

When you have to knuckle down to some serious work, it can take real grit to resist the lure of those little numbers. That's when you need Cold Turkey – a superb free app for Windows that acts as a high-dose willpower supplement.

Cold Turkey is the most effective distraction-blocker around, working as a firewall to deny access to specific websites in all browsers. It comes equipped with a preset list of notorious time-thieves, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and BuzzFeed, which you can customize with your personal procrastination destinations. Cold Turkey also lets you create new blocklists, which can be activated individually.

To start blocking, just select 'Timer', enter a time and date for the block to end, and switch it on. Forking out US$19 (about £15, AU$25) for the premium edition lets you block sites on a schedule and add break periods, but the free version of Cold Turkey (as its name implies) is a cruel all-or-nothing affair.

Once you've set the blocker, it's very hard to get around it. You can't uninstall Cold Turkey when you've frozen yourself out, or sidestep it using desktop clients or Windows apps.

The only way we've found to thaw the Turkey is to access the forbidden sites via a proxy server - but forget we told you that. Provided you can find the self-discipline to avoid pretending you're accessing Facebook from Greenland, you won't find a more effective procrastination-blocker.

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Editor's pick: Download mindmapping app FreeMind to plan the ultimate road trip

Plan a road trip with FreeMind

Plan the ultimate road trip with FreeMind

Road trips take a lot of organization - as well as planning the major waypoints on your journey, you also need to consider driving times, places to stay, activities, what to bring and (perhaps most importantly) how to allocate your budget.

Rather than writing everything out as a series of disconnected lists, creating a mindmap or spider diagram will help you think laterally, link ideas and get a lot of information in a small space. Superb free mindmapping software FreeMind will help you get everything on one page, without the hassle of pens and paper.

Every mindmap in FreeMind begins as a blank page, with a single central label. Each label that branches off this one is called a node, and these are arranged in a hierarchy: parent, sibling and child. You can add new child nodes by tapping 'Insert' and create new sibling nodes by tapping 'Enter'.

Start by listing the places you're planning to visit on your trip as child nodes from the central point, then create child nodes for each location for activities and places you're interested in. You can then use Freemind's options to prioritize the activities for each location. You could also create nodes between locations showing how long it'll take to drive from one to the other, and add costs to each activity.

Things might start to look confusing as your map grows, but FreeMind lets you temporarily collapse branches by clicking a parent node. Double-click the node to expand it again. You can also make things clearer by applying formatting - putting each node inside a bubble, applying colors or attaching icons from the menu on the left. Hold Shift and left-click to format nodes as a batch.

Now create a new child node for the essentials that you need to pack, and any preparation required to get them ready. Once you've completed each of these tasks, you can mark with with a tick, chosen from the menu on the left. If you decide to reorganise your list, you can move nodes between branches, and even move branches to a more logical place by dragging and dropping. Other nodes will shift to make room. If two nodes are very similar, select both and link them via FreeMind's Tools menu.

You might also find it useful to make a list of background reading before you embark on your trip. Add a hyperlink using the Insert menu, then type a descriptive label for it. These could be links to maps, tourist information guides, hotel booking sites or anything else you think will come in handy.

You can link to files on your PC in the same way - though you'll need to save your mindmap first. The MM file format can only be opened by FreeMind, so if you're planning to share your map consider installing PDF24 Creator, which can convert it to PDF format via FreeMind's Print menu.

Mindmaps can be useful for all sorts of other projects, including weddings and house moves, as well as essays and even novels. Download FreeMind and give it a try before hitting the road.

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Round up: The best free uninstaller 2016

The best free software uninstallers

The best free uninstaller

Software installers are rarely tidy - they spread files throughout your system, and their built-in uninstallers don't always clear it all away afterwards. Sometimes you'll be informed that "some elements could not be removed" as the uninstaller effectively shrugs its shoulders and leaves the mess behind - whether it's temporary files, old shortcuts or broken registry entries.

All this detritus builds up over time, and can slow down your system or cause conflicts further down the line - particularly in the case of security software, which won't run properly if it detects files associated with another tool.

Third-party uninstallers can clear up the mess in moments. If you're already having trouble with a program you thought you'd removed, the tool can scan your drives for files and broken links left over. If you want to uninstall a program thoroughly, the tool will run the program's own uninstaller, then perform a cleanup scan immediately afterwards. More advanced tools will monitor what happens when you install a new program - what files are created and changed - so it can rapidly reverse those changes when you want to remove it.

1. IObit Uninstaller

Thorough and thoughtfully designed - as good as many premium alternatives

IObit Uninstaller gets right down to business, scanning your system for installed software the moment it starts. Its smart, clear interface displays a list of all your installed software, with extra tabs if you're only interested in the newest programs (if you've tried something new and don't like it), and the biggest ones (which will have the greatest impact on system performance). There's a batch processing option for removing multiple programs at once.

If you've already uninstalled a program but suspect it's left mucky footprints across your drive, IObit's deep scanner can hunt down junk including broken shortcuts and caches created when installing software updates.

IObit Uninstaller also takes a look at your web browsers to identify any plugins that could be uninstalled to speed up your surfing. It currently supports Firefox and Internet Explorer, but not Chrome or Edge. Each extension is accompanied by a user rating to help you decide whether to keep it.

There's a file shredder thrown in too, which doesn't really fit with the premise of an uninstaller, but all the other tools are relevant and useful. IObit Uninstaller is the best free uninstaller you can download, and its thorough scanning makes it the equal of many premium programs.

2. Wise Program Uninstaller

Light as a feather, but less thorough than IObit

Wise Program Uninstaller is a portable app, so you don't have to worry about it leaving mess of its own, though it offers you a free trial of a product called Spyhunter that you might prefer to decline.

It's a very quick and lean little uninstaller that scans your system for already installed programs and displays ratings to show you how other users feel about them. You probably already know what you want to erase, but it's a thoughtful touch.

Your choices for each program are Safe and Forced uninstall (some also have a Repair option, but only if it's part of the software in the first place). Safe uninstall is simply a way to access the program's own uninstaller, whereas Forced performs a deep scan to track down scrap files and broken registry entries. It shows you everything it's identified before deleting them, but this doesn't serve much purpose; you're unlikely to be able to pick out an individual Registry entry and say "Hang on, I need that!"

The main downside of its small size is that it can't log new programs as you install them, but as a program uninstaller it's well designed and not bulked out with unecessary system tools.

3. GeekUninstaller

A streamlined little app to mop up messy software

GeekUninstaller is another free portable uninstaller, weighing in at just 2.5MB. Although a 'Pro' version is advertised on developer's site, this is actually a completely different program called Uninstall Tool - GeekUninstaller is completely free,

It performs a speedy system scan and provides the usual options: regular or forced uninstall. If you don't recognize something, GeekUninstaller will Google it for you - a simple but welcome addition that saves you loading up a browser.

That's pretty much it - there's no deep scan for remnants of previously uninstalled programs, and no monitoring for new installations, but if you're simply after something to clean up as you go, uninstallers don't come smaller and simpler than this. It comes in over 30 languages too, which is undoubtedly a bonus.

4. Ashampoo Uninstaller (trial)

A premium trial to give your system a thorough scouring

This is a time-limited trial of Ashampoo Uninstaller rather than the full program, but is well worth considering if you need to purge your PC of one particularly stubborn piece of software, or want to give it a thorough spring clean. The basic trial lasts 10 days, but you can extend for an extra month by signing up for an account (a standard requirement with Ashampoo's free software).

The uninstaller itself is impressive, as you'd expect from a premium product - it can remove existing applications, and log new ones as you add them. You can set it to start automatically at the same time as Windows, though your startup time might take a knock as a result.

There are also system optimization tools like a file shredder, file restorer, disk defragmenter and even a font manager, but Ashampoo Uninstaller is an excellent tool without these - they are just padding.

5. Revo Uninstaller Free

Effective, but bloated with strange and unnecessary extras

Revo Uninstaller Free's icon-strewn interface is colorful but cluttered, and includes tools like a startup program manager, plus links to Windows' own system tools (including defrag and on-screen keyboard). These really aren't necessary, and just distract from an otherwise solid free uninstaller.

There are four uninstall options: built-in, safe (built-in with additional registry scanning), moderate (with extra scanning of common locations for leftover files) and advanced (moderate mode, followed by a thorough scanning of your whole system). There's also a strange 'Hunter Mode', which lets you uninstall programs by dragging their icons onto a crosshair on your desktop. It's much more work than selecting the program from a list - a metaphor gone rogue.

Unlike some uninstallers, Revo begins by creating a system restore point, which is reassuring. It can't log new installations, though - if you want that, you might like to give Revo's Pro version a whirl for 30 days. It's worlds away from the free edition's late-90s styling, and will give your drives a good scrubbing.

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Intel's latest CPUs will only support Windows 10

Following Intel's official unveiling of its new Kaby Lake (seventh-generation) processors, and a rash of incoming notebooks set to use the CPUs, Microsoft has confirmed what it announced earlier this year – that only Windows 10 will support this new processor.

And it's not just Kaby Lake either, but all future processors such as rival AMD's incoming Zen.

Back at the start of the year, Microsoft said that: "Windows 10 will be the only supported Windows platform on Intel's upcoming 'Kaby Lake' silicon, Qualcomm's upcoming '8996' silicon, and AMD's upcoming 'Bristol Ridge' silicon."

When PC World asked Microsoft to confirm that this was still the case, a company spokeswoman replied: "As new silicon generations are introduced, they will require the latest Windows platform at that time for support."

"This enables us to focus on deep integration between Windows and the silicon, while maintaining maximum reliability and compatibility with previous generations of platform and silicon," she added, restating what Terry Myerson said at the beginning of this year.

Intel and AMD on board

Both Intel and AMD representatives who were contacted also confirmed that the policy was in place for future processors like Kaby Lake and Zen.

AMD said its CPU roadmap was "fully aligned with Microsoft's software strategy", and Intel clarified: "No, Intel will not be updating Win 7/8 drivers for 7th Gen Intel Core [Kaby Lake] per Microsoft's support policy change."

So it's most definitely Windows 10 or bust if you want your PC to have a cutting-edge CPU.

However, you may recall that Microsoft did have a rethink on withdrawing extended support for those running Skylake (sixth-generation) processors with Windows 7/8.1 (meaning only critical security patches would be provided).

Originally, Microsoft was looking to cajole those on Skylake hardware to move to Windows 10 by ceasing extended support for Windows 7/8.1 in July 2017, but following much complaining, that deadline was first pushed back to July 2018 – and then earlier this month things changed again with full support for Skylake being extended to end-of-life (January 2020 for Windows 7, and January 2023 for Windows 8.1).

• Read our full review of Windows 10

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Round up: The best free photo-editor 2016

Best free photo editing software

The best free photo editor

With phone cameras now ubiquitous, we're taking and sharing more photos than ever. But even the best phone camera is likely to produce a dud or two, and even the best shot could stand to be better.

Photo editing, then, shouldn't be the sole reserve of those who can afford to stump up the cash for a subscription to Adobe's Creative Cloud. And no, Microsoft Paint or Apple Preview won't cut it: you deserve more than mere cropping or a few sliders to tweak.

So we've overhauled our list for 2016, and selected the 10 best free photo editors you can download, ranging from fully-featured Photoshop clones to simple, easy to use ways to add filters and effects to your favourite snaps. These are by no means the only free options, though; if we've missed one of your favourites, let us know in the comments below.

1. GIMP

Silly name, exceptional photo-editing software

The elder statesperson of free photo editing, GIMP is the most full-featured cross-platform Photoshop competitor going, and gets our vote as the best free photo editor.

It's not without its crashes and glitches – that's the too-many-cooks open source development philosophy in action – and it lacks the polish of its commercial rivals. Some of the filters, in particular, seem as if they haven't been touched since it was first released 20 years ago.

That said, if you're looking for a desktop photo editor ready for just about any task, GIMP is it. Its interface will be immediately familiar to Photoshop users, particularly if you switch on the highly recommended single window mode, and it's still in active development, so new features and filters are regularly added.

There's also a plug-in repository to extend Gimp's range (although it's not been updated for a while). We'd recommend grabbing the stable version, but don't overlook the development build if you want to try some new features.

2. Paint.NET

Basic photo editing with layers, filters and plug-ins

Sometimes it pays not to be overloaded with bells and whistles. Paint.NET's simplicity is one of its key features; it leaves it a fast, easy to operate free photo editor that's perfect for those little tasks that don't need the sheer power of GIMP.

Don't be fooled by the name, though. This isn't just a clone of Microsoft's ultra-basic Paint – though it was originally intended to replace it. It's a proper photo editor, just one that lands on the basic side of the curve.

Interface-wise it's reminiscent of its namesake, but as it's grown Paint.NET has added essential editing tools like layers, an undo history, a raft of filters, numerous community-created plugins, and a 3D rotate/zoom function that's useful for recompositing images. Yes, it's lacking in certain areas, but if your machine is lacking in power or RAM we can't think of a better choice.

3. PhotoScape

A simple, unusual editor that can handle more than just photos

PhotoScape is, ostensibly, a rather simple free photo editor. But one glance at its main menu reveals a wealth of features: RAW conversion, photo splitting and merging, animated GIF creation, and even a rather odd (but useful) function with which you can print lined, graph or sheet music paper.

The meat, of course, is in the photo editing. PhotoScape's interface is among the most esoteric of all the apps we've looked at here, with tools grouped into pages in odd configurations. It certainly doesn't attempt to ape Photoshop, and includes fewer features.

We'd definitely point this towards the beginner, but that doesn't mean you can't get some solid results. PhotoScape's filters are functional and not at all beginner-like, so it's if good choice if you need to quickly level, sharpen or add mild filtering to pictures in a snap. Steer clear of the rest of the tools, though: you'll find better elsewhere.

4. Google Nik Collection

A professional-level filter selection, now made free

Google's unending determination to corner just about every market sometimes pays dividends for the pincher of pennies. Take its purchase of German developer Nik in 2012, for example - its Nik Collection photo manipulation plugin range retailed for $500 at the time, and in early 2016 Google decided to do away with the price tag and release the powerful collection for free.

We suspect support and updates might be somewhat limited going forward, but this does enable you to bag seven quality photo-editing tools as-is: lens and film emulator Analog Efex; colour corrector Color Efex; monochrome converter Silver Efex; noise reducer Dfine; selective colour tweaker Viveza; and Sharpener and HDR Efex, which speak for themselves.

These are perfect free plugins if you're already using Photoshop, and you can add them to compatible host applications when you install them, but they can also be run as standalone applications if you hunt down their executable files.

5. Pixlr

High-end photo editing – and quick filtering – in your browser

An ad-supported online photo editor, Pixlr comes in two flavours: Editor, the more equipped package; and Express, perfect for applying quick fixes without the bloat of the bigger package. It's actually the online editor we tend to gravitate towards, both because of its clean, modern dark interface and because of its efficiency even on systems without much processor muscle.

Some of Pixlr Editor's tools, particularly the filters, can be a bit tricky to use because you're not given a proper preview, but the results – when you do eventually get the sliders right – are almost always satisfactory.

With support for layers, masks, and a fullscreen mode which means it might as well be a full-on desktop app, Editor (pictured) is a consistently pleasant tool to use. And don't discount Express; a bit of low-effort clicking can really make a huge difference to your photos.

6. Fotor

Overall photo enhancement in an easy-to-use package

Fotor is a photo enhancer first and foremost, more than it is a photo editor; if there's specific area of retouching you need doing with, say, the clone brush or healing tool, you're out of luck. But it includes a stack of high-end filters that really do shine.

There's a foolproof tilt-shift tool, for example, and a raft of vintage and vibrant colour tweaks, all easily accessed through Fotor's clever menu system. You can manually alter your own curves and levels, too, but without the complexity of high-end tools.

Fotor's most brilliant function, and one that's sorely lacking in many photo editing packages, is its batch processing tool – feed it a pile of pics and it'll filter the lot of them in one go, perfect if you have a memory card full of holiday snaps and need to cover up the results of a dodgy camera or shaky hand.

7. Vintager

Give your photos a quick, classic film look

Instagram, eh? Not only has it been an inexplicable social media hit, it's created a love of fancy photo filters the world over. For that classic vintage look on Windows you can't do much better than free photo editor Vintager, a haven of filters, borders, layers and lens-glint bokehs to make your hastily-fired shots seem like they were meant to look that way.

It looks simple on the surface, with a straightforward interface which gives you quick access to filters and overlays, but there's a bit more muscle in here. You can adjust highlights and shadows, muck about with the colour balance of your shots, and even dive into curves and levels. There's also a very handy photo collage mode in which you can compile up to five individually tweaked shots into a single whole.

Vintager is probably not going to be your primary photo-processing tool – there are others which do all this and more besides – but for a dead simple way to add flair to photos before uploading them there's not much better.

8. Sumo Paint

Powerful in-browser editing, but fewer tools than we'd like

Sumo Paint is powerful, no doubt about it. It's a full-featured photo editor that sits in your browser, with various artistic tools and paintbrushes thrown in for good measure. Perhaps its range of polygonal shapes and symmetry tools won't suit being plastered over your photographs, but it's high on the list of options if you're looking more on the creative end of things.

There are sacrifices to be made, though. Notably the appropriately sumo wrestler-sized ads that eat up your screen space, and the slight performance hit you'll get from running it in-browser. If you want to get rid of the ads or run it on your desktop, stump up for a US$4 (about £3, AU$5.) subscription.

We struggle to recommend it too highly on this basis – while Sumo Paint does have a few tricks up its sleeve, the real magic can be found in plenty of other free apps.

9. IrfanView

An image-viewer with added batch editing and conversion

Tiny, speedy and relatively unique, IrfanView does things that others don't. Utterly free in the classic, non-laden-with-adverts sense, it's predominantly an image viewer. Given its compact size it's perfect in that role, launching quickly and unfussily and making it easy to flick through a stack of snaps quickly. But it's not limited just to showing you your pictures. IrfanView does batch processing and format conversion very well – we keep it around for that reason alone.

It's also useful for screen capturing, and includes support for Adobe Photoshop filters. That means you can use it as a host for, for example, Google's Nik Collection, or any other free filters you might find. Its direct editing tools are reasonably limited and the internal filters aren't particularly stellar or exciting, but give it a try and we're sure you'll find your own reason to keep IrfanView installed.

10. On1 Effects 10 Free

Selective filtering for advanced photo effects

The 'free' suffix offers some indication of what you're getting here: On1 Effects 10 Free is a cut-down version of On1 Effects 10 proper, pulling out just a limited selection of its filters. But we're still happy to recommend it, mainly because of its methodology.

Instead of being forced to apply an effect to a full image, you can use On1's Perfect Brush tool to smear that effect on the areas you're interested in enhancing, which is a great way to create a unique look. Its quick mask and refine brush tools also make masking off areas of your image particularly easy, so you can make elements pop.

Essentially this is an taster for the full version, but its diminished filter range – HDR, vignette, vintage, glow etc – is still useful and worth trying if you're after vibrant effects; you'll have to try another program for sharpening, blurring and noise reduction, so On1 Effects Free isn't great if you want to preserve the honesty of your photos.

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