Samsung worries about your child. Are they sleeping well? Do they miss you when you’re away on business? Can they put on a VR headset without their parents’ help? That last one is pretty important. Because Samsung wants your kids to experience the joy of VR just before bed instead of a regular bedtime story even though why would you do that. Read More
How long is a piece of string? Not long enough to wrap itself around all of the add-ons available for Firefox, we'll warrant. Trying to choose the top five extensions is next to impossible if you don't set yourself some parameters, so for this roundup we've decided to focus on those plugins that will help boost your privacy and security in some way or other.
Whether it's blocking intrusive cookies, putting a cap on the number of intrusive ads that overwhelm your browser or making sure you have a secure place to store all your online passwords, we've got you covered.
Make sure you explore Firefox's built-in security and privacy tools too – visit 'Options > Privacy' to ask sites not to track you, then switch to 'Security' to verify that Firefox is set to alert you whenever a site attempts to install an add-on, and to block dodgy websites. Once done, your browsing experience will be that little bit safer.
Everyone needs a secure password manager, and that password manager needs to be portable and easily shifted from place to place. Despite last year's much-publicised hack, LastPass remains one of the safest cloud-based managers out there, and remains our favorite Firefox extension.
You can install it on either desktop or mobile for free. You then pay US$12 (about £8.20, AU$15.74) per year if you want access across all your devices - a small price for the added convenience. Let it generate strong, random passwords for all your sites, leaving you the simple task of setting up (and remembering) a strong master password. The stronger this is, the harder it is for hackers to get at your passwords, even if LastPass itself is compromised.
Read on to discover more of our favourite Firefox browser extensions for staying safe and secure online. Have we missed one of your favourites? Let us know in the comments below.
One way to secure your browsing is to encrypt your connection to the web, which is done through the HTTPS protocol. Although an increasing number of websites allow you to browse using this secure connection, they usually hide the feature away and links on each page default to the unencrypted HTTP connection.
Once done, keep an eye on the plugins icon in your browser toolbar to see which sites have been switched to a secure connection and browse the HTTPS Everywhere Atlas to see which domains are supported by the plug-in. You can then go back to browsing, secure in the knowledge that when possible you'll be using the safest route to your chosen website.
There's a fine line when it comes to web site advertising. On one hand, many sites (including TechRadar) rely on advertising to survive, but on the other there are some shocking examples of how not to implement advertising on a site, with ads falling over each other to block the site's own content, making the site itself all but unusable.
AdBlock Plus also provides switches to block known malware domains, social media buttons (often used to track users) and tracking cookies that keep tabs on your online activities.
It's imperative you keep an eye on your Firefox add-ons, staying abreast of any outdated, insecure or otherwise unwanted ones that might slow down your browser or compromise your safety. All-in-One Sidebar provides a handy summary of these, as well as other key parts of Firefox, including bookmarks, downloads, history and current site stats (including its security and permissions).
One bonus feature we love is the Multi-Panel option, which allows you to browse a specific site in its own window alongside the main browser. It's a good way to view sites side-by-side without having to open separate browser windows. It also provides easy access to Firefox's various 'about' configuration pages.
All-in-One Sidebar is a great way to put key Firefox stats right at your fingertips.
Once upon a time, cookies were relatively harmless, interested only in helping you navigate a website more easily by storing your preferences for that site. Nowadays, they are more routinely used to track your behaviour – and not just by the site you visit either. Third-party cookies can be placed on your computer simply by visiting a site containing an ad from that third party.
You retain control over the process (you can whitelist or blacklist entire sites with just one click) and the end result is a browsing experience that's not just quicker, but more private too.
Microsoft has been commended on the speed with which it managed to patch up a huge security flaw in Office 365.
The major vulnerability was discovered by a pair of security researchers, Ioannis Kakavas and Klemen Bratec, who reported it to Redmond on January 5. Microsoft fixed the problem the very same day, which is indeed impressive, but then a swift response was required given the gravity of the issue – and the organisations which were affected.
Redmond sealed up the vulnerability inside seven hours, and "handled the disclosure process admirably" according to Kakavas.
The hole was in the SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) authentication system and potentially allowed a malicious party exploiting it to access the victim's Office 365 account and everything tied into it such as emails and OneDrive.
Initially the pair believed that this issue only affected Office 365 accounts using SAML 2.0 for cross domain web single sign-on, which was a very limited number of users, but with further probing the researchers found they could crack into the account of any user that had configured their domains as federated (except those with multi-factor authentication enabled).
And those vulnerable Office 365 accounts included BT, Vodafone, British Airways, Intel, IBM, Cisco and the Daily Mail to name a few.
The researchers have only just been given clearance to publish details of the affair, and the pair received a bug bounty reward which was reportedly close to the maximum Microsoft gives out ($15,000 – which is around £10,300, or AU$19,700).
A recent report from Okta showed that Office 365 was the most-used business web app, followed by Salesforce.com, Box, Google Apps for Work, and Amazon Web Services.
Via: Betanews
Windows 10 is free for anyone who wants to upgrade an existing PC or laptop from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. Simply download from the Microsoft site and off you go!
However, if you're building a brand new system or want to install Windows 10 on a device that doesn't already have Windows 7 or 8.1 already installed, you're going to need to buy a copy. Don't worry though, because we check the prices of Windows 10 every day to make sure you get the best deals. Deals below are for DVD copies windows 10 - no dodgy third party codes here!
The perfect version of Windows for home users
Windows 10 Home is the version that most people will need. It's for home use and includes game streaming from Xbox One and other consumer features like Cortana, as well as Windows Hello for logging into your PC via a fingerprint scanner or your face. If Windows 8 was the steepest learning curve imaginable, Windows 10 is like meeting a great friend you once knew again - it's just that they've bought some new clothes of which you really do approve.
Go Pro if you think it's worth paying more for the Pro features
Windows 10 Pro comes with security and management improvements over the Home version above. It includes Hyper-V for virtualisation, BitLocker whole disk encryption, enterprise mode IE, Remote Desktop, a version of the Windows Store for your own business and assigned access (which locks a PC to running only one modern application, to use like a kiosk). Network admins can also schedule updates so they don't happen at important times.
Buy Windows 7 for cheap and upgrade to Windows 10 for free!
What's this? Windows 7 deals on a page that advertises Windows 10? This is probably the cheapest way to get Windows 10 on your system right now. Remember, anyone with Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 can upgrade to Windows 10 for free. So if you can pick up a cheapo copy of Windows 7, you can then upgrade to Windows 10 without paying more. It will be slightly more hassle, but that's the fun right?
The Microsoft Store provides Windows 10 users with an alternative way of installing and managing apps on their PC. The days of Microsoft thinking it would eventually replace desktop apps has long passed, but there's still potential to be found in there among the masses of apps that prove disappointing, whether it's because they simply present content you can easily find on the web or turn out to be cut-down versions of their desktop cousins.
We've focused on apps that will prove useful, whether it's bringing out your artistic side, taking the stress out of booking flights or simply helping you manage your day-to-day business better. You'll also find apps for learning new languages and telling great stories through the web. If you thought the Microsoft Store was a dud, these apps – and others out there – will hopefully make you think again.
Want to tell a story that will captivate your audience from start to finish? Looking for a way to share a professional looking presentation online without sending your boss or client to sleep? You need Microsoft Sway, a free tool that brings together text, images, video and other interactive elements in a way that will wow your audience.
Sway has been touted as a possible long-term replacement for PowerPoint – it's labelled as part of the Office family – but it's basically just a great storytelling tool for the masses. Everything's handled in a user-friendly way – put together the building blocks of your story, choose how to everything fits together, tweak your presentation settings and then watch as Sway does the hard work of blending everything together in a way that flows naturally and keeps your audience watching. Once complete, you can share your finished stories with selected individuals or make it available to the whole internet.
DuoLingo divides its lessons into modules, and if you're already semi-proficient you can prove your level by skipping straight to its end-of-module tests until you reach the perfect spot. You're then taught how to read, write and listen through a series of steps for each module, and DuoLingo can be configured to remind you learn at whatever pace suits you. Check out our step-by-step guide for more details.
Discover your hidden artist with Fresh Paint - a clever virtual painting app from Microsoft. You're handed a virtual set of pencils, pens, crayons, brushes and paint (both water and oil), and given free rein to draw using your mouse, touchscreen or stylus. You can mix and match colours, make use of an eraser for those inevitable mistakes (this one magically erases paint as well as pencil) and switch between paper and canvas, with six different types of each available.
If the thought of painting on a blank canvas is daunting, don't worry – the app comes with a number of partially coloured sketches, allowing you to paint to a template and hone your nascent skills. You can also import your own images to paint over. Everything is synced with your OneDrive account, and there are a number of add-on packs – some free, but most costing a small fee – that provide with additional templates.
These days, flying can be a stressful experience, so anything that makes the booking process easier and more intuitive has to be worth a closer look. What we love about SkyScanner is that it's far more than a simple extension of the parent website for comparing prices and booking airfares, it's revolutionises the way you book flights.
If you already know where and when you want to go, then simply input the details and use SkyScanner's tools to compare prices and complete the booking. But if you're more of a free spirit, simply set your home destination and then browse possible destinations, ordered by country and sorted by price. Click one, choose your destination and then browse a handy bar chart revealing when the best prices can be had. Select your dates, review times, airlines and other useful info and then select the deal you want to make before completing your booking. Too easy.
Wunderlist is a powerful cross-platform task management tool, and the Windows Store app offers the best way to access your plans and projects from your PC. One of Wunderlist's many strengths is its versatility – you can use it to remind yourself of simple tasks like stopping off for groceries on the way home, or manage full-blown projects that require multiple steps that involve different people.
Everything's organised using folders, lists and to-do items, each of which can be assigned a deadline, notes, file attachments and subtasks too. Get others to sign up for their own free Wunderlist accounts, and you can sync projects between all participants, allowing you to assign specific tasks to specific people.
The Windows app puts all this functionality at your fingertips, making it easy to create, update and generally manage your busy life. You'll never have to think for yourself again (or rely on your faulty memory).
Communication startup Mast Mobile is launching on Android — specifically the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge. The news is part of a broader partnership with Samsung, which has made a minority investment of undisclosed size in the company. In addition, Mast said it’s launching the first commercial integration with the Samsung Knox Cloud SDK, which… Read More
After its announcement at the iPhone SE launchMarch, Apple has today launched CareKit, which aims to make it easier for patients to monitor and manage their conditions.
CareKit is an open source software platform, which helps developers create healthcare apps with tracking and sharing capabilities built right in.
Four initial modules make it easy for apps to allow people to track their care plans, record their symptoms, get insight into how treatments are working and share information with doctors, care teams and family members.
CareKit is the latest in a line of new 'frameworks' from Apple that aim to improve the services around the iPhone and iPad ecosystem to increase the amount of use these devices bring.
It follows on from HealthKit, which allows apps to gather health and fitness data, and ResearchKit, which allows participants to take part in studies using their phone,
As CareKit is open source developers are free to build on and improve it, so the four new modules could be just the beginning.
Of the new apps, first up are Glow Nurture and Glow Baby, which are used to keep a health log and track the likes of doctor's appointments and feeds during pregnancy and a baby's first year.
With the help of CareKit they also allow you to send details of your progress and any issues to your doctor or anyone else you might want to share the information with. This is sent (securely) via PDF, so there's no need to go in for an appointment or even call them.
Then there's Start, which helps people monitor depression, including pill reminders, symptoms, goals and progress reports. Thanks to CareKit those reports can be sent on to your doctor, but the integration of CareKit also allows the app to inform patients of the effects their medication should be having, so they have a better idea of whether it's working for them.
Finally, there's One Drop, which is a diabetes tracking app that uses CareKit for tracking everything from pain, hunger and dizziness to glucose levels and then allows users to easily share the information with doctors or other caregivers.
Many of these functions could have been built into an app without CareKit, but CareKit provides a framework, which makes it a lot easier to do.
Other app developers are already working on building in CareKit features, including apps for monitoring chronic conditions and those who've recently undergone surgery. With any luck far more apps will start taking advantage of it soon, allowing people with all kinds of conditions to better monitor, track and share them.
Worldwide sales of smartphones declined year over year, from Q1 2015 to Q1 2016, according to figures from analyst Strategy Analytics, which it says is the first time in the history of what it dubs the “modern smartphone market” that this has occurred. Read More
Using an internet-connected PC without anti-spyware and anti-malware protection is rather like walking through the bad bit of town covered in bling, waving big wads of notes around and shouting "I am very bad at fighting!" Luckily you don't need to have big wads of notes to ensure that you don't get ripped off through your router or mugged via modem: as we'll discover in our feature, there are plenty of seriously good PC protection apps that you can get for absolutely nothing.
As with any free software, pay close attention to the installers: some apps really want you to install bundled software, and they often do so by making installer screens really misleading in the hope that you'll just merrily click okay to everything. Given that the whole point of these apps is to remove unwanted software from your system, trying to stuff unwanted apps into your PC is a bit off.
Ad-free, nag-free and hassle free, it's a great product that runs quickly and silently while you get on with something more interesting.
Download BitDefender Anti-Virus Free Edition
Its comprehensive suite of tools to protect your PC makes BitDefender our top pick. Read on to discover nine more of the best free anti-spyware and anti-malware programs.
Like many security software firms, Lavasoft offers its Ad-Aware Free Anti-Virus+ software in a free version in the hope you'll upgrade to its paid-for products - so it doesn't have some of the more advanced features you'd pay money for, such as phishing protection, parental controls and a digital file shredder.
What it does have, however, more than covers the essentials: it scans downloads, checks for spyware, offers safe browsing via a list of known malicious websites and has a game mode so security notifications don't interrupt your frag-fests. Not bad for no money.
Download Ad-Aware Free Anti-Virus+
Avast is another old-timer, and has been protecting Windows since PCs were made of wood. Avast Free Anti-Virus 2016 is the lightest, fastest version the company has ever shipped (the bad old days of security software slowing your PC to a crawl are thankfully long gone) and it supplements the anti-malware protection with a nifty password manager and home network monitoring, which can identify weak points in your Wi-Fi.
As with most free products, not all the goodies are available for nothing, so for example if you want anti-phishing protection or spam filtering you'll need the paid-for version, but the free edition is still a very comprehensive security package.
Download Avast Free Anti-Virus 2016
If you prefer security software that keeps quiet, AVG Anti-Virus Free 2016 might not be the app for you: it's quite vocal with its notifications, and annoys us from time to time with irrelevant pop-ups telling us we've done something fantastic.
As a security app, though, it's very good. The dashboard is user-friendly, there's protection not just from downloadable threats, but from dodgy links too, and you can use your mobile to scan your PC remotely, which is pretty clever. The paid-for Pro model has more security options - it has more robust download protection, offers data encryption includes a firewall - but the free version offers decent protection for most PC users.
Download AVG Anti-Virus Free 2016
Most security software tries to stop malware and spyware getting onto your system. Emsisoft Emergency Kit doesn't: it's the 911 call of security software, the app you use when your PC's been poked by something unpleasant.
It's designed to be portable, an app you carry around with you on a USB stick, and its system requirements are tiny: just 200MB of RAM, so it'll run quite happily on any PC with 1GB or more system memory. With 2 million malware signatures, Emisoft Emergency Kit can restore almost any infected PC to rude health.
Download Emsisoft Emergency Kit
Originally developed by Trend Micro and now available via SourceForge, Hijack This isn't an app for the faint of heart or tech-phobic: it generates an exceptionally detailed report on your system, enabling you to spot potential problems and malicious software.
It's very fast and very thorough, but it's about malware methods rather than specific products. It tells you what's going on and it's your job to interpret it and take action. In the wrong hands, that power could be disastrous. This is one for experienced users only.
You can use MalwareBytes Anti-malware free for as long as you like, but there's an important caveat: real-time protection, the fast "hyper scan" mode and malicious website blocking features all expire after 14 days - and that means you're missing out on some of the program's best features.
MalwareBytes has a deserved reputation for destroying malware that other programs miss, and its chameleon technology - which once again expires after a fortnight in the free version - means it's less susceptible to attacks that deliberately target security software. Think of the free version as a short-term saviour or a test drive; the best version of the app costs £19.95 (about US$29.15, AU$38.32) per year.
Download MalwareBytes Anti-malware
We're big fans of Panda's security products, and Panda Free Anti-Virus 2016 is smarter than ever before. It's cloud-based, with all the heavy lifting happening on Panda's servers - so the load on your PC is lessened considerably. As ever there are paid products that offer more features - Wi-Fi scanning, password management, encryption, parental controls and so on - but it offers excellent real-time protection and it's ridiculously simple to use.
Download Panda Free Anti-Virus 2016
SpyBot Search and Destroy is a veteran of the malware wars, dating back to the first adware in 2000, and while it doesn't scan for viruses - that's in the Home version, which is $13.99 (about £9.58, AU$18.39) - the free version does a decent job of finding and fixing adware, malware and spyware.
It's more of a system repair tool than a system protection tool, however, and you need to be careful where you get it from: there are fake versions in circulation which are designed to cause damage, not fix it.
Download SpyBot Search and Destroy
Not just anti-spyware - SUPER anti-spyware. Does it live up to the name? Yes and no. SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition lacks real-time protection and scheduled scanning, so it's a tool you need to remember to run manually, and the interface appears to have been designed in the dark by maniacs.
The core product is a good one though, with lots of scanning options, registry repair, behavioural scanning and daily threat updates. It's not super, but it's pretty good.
Download SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition
Have we missed any of your favourite anti-spyware programs? Let us know in the comments below.
YouTube's streaming is superb, offering the best quality for your current connection. But what happens if you're going somewhere where connectivity is weak or non-existent? Have no fear; with the right YouTube downloader you can save streams for offline viewing.
Before we proceed it's important to note that you should only download videos for criticism, review or when you have the copyright owner's permission to do so. YouTube's terms of service explicitly prohibit unauthorised downloading.
It's also important to note that many of these programs will install bundled software toolbars, default search engines and so on if you're not careful with their installers' 'Next' and 'Accept' buttons. None of these apps currently include malware or non-removable adware, but many of their rivals do. Be careful out there.
Freemake is much more than a simple YouTube downloader. It supports more than 500 audio and video formats, which helps explain why it has so many users: 93 million and counting. The formats are organised in profiles for specific devices, so for example you can tell the app that you're making a clip for your Xbox 360 or for a PSP and it'll pick the appropriate format.
It burns to DVD and Blu-ray too if you've got the appropriate hardware. If you're looking for a do-everything video app, this should definitely be on your shortlist.
This flexibility makes Freemake our top YouTube downloader. Read on to discover nine more of our favourite programs for saving videos to your PC, smartphone or other devices.
Any Video Converter aims to be a kind of Swiss Army Knife for video: not only does it download videos, but it can burn DVDs and record video, convert audio and video to and from more than 60 different file formats and even add effects.
It isn't the fastest converter around (the free version isn't optimised for multi-core processors) but as a downloader it's fast enough, although if you don't pony up £37 for the Pro version you're limited to one download at a time. It's a useful program for getting YouTube clips onto devices such as PSPs and smartphones.
Download Any Video Converter now
Like Any Video Converter, aTube Catcher can do lots of things: in addition to video downloading it can create and convert all kinds of video, find clips you've watched from your internet history and merge multiple files together. There's even a screen recorder which can grab video as it's playing, which is handy for making screencasts.
It's very quick and offers a huge range of output options, and it's nice to have parallel downloading and multi-core processing in a freeware program. Not only that, but its requirements are modest: the system requirements go back as far as Windows 98.
Clip Converter is a website rather than an app. Simply paste your URL, choose the format - MP4 / 3GP / AVI / MOV for video, or MP3 / M4A / AAC for audio - and then choose the quality. For YouTube, you can download HD up to 1080p and 4K if it's available, and the process couldn't be simpler.
File conversion can be slow at times, so the email notification option is a nice thing to have; it pings you when the conversion is complete and ready for download. If you're simply looking for a quick, clean, single-video downloader Clip Converter is one to bookmark.
The installer is a little too keen on adding bundled software, but Free YouTube Download is very good and completely free. Its focus is on the downloading rather than converting files from one format to another, so you get a good multi-stream download manager for grabbing several clips simultaneously.
It can download files of up to 8K resolution (in MKV) and convert to AVI and MP4. If you're in a hurry, there's also an online YouTube to MP3/MP4 converter on the developer's website.
Download Free YouTube Download now
Downloading YouTube videos doesn't get much simpler than SaveFromNet. Copy your clip's address, paste it into the box and choose your download format. And that's pretty much it. It's nice to see the option to include subtitles (where available), and you can download in MP4, WebM, FLV, 3GP and audio.
If you like the service there's a browser helper extension that adds a SaveFromNet download button to YouTube itself for even easier downloading. The helper extension also works for Facebook video and various international video sites.
Ummy Video Downloader is designed to do just one thing, and that's download YouTube videos and save them as video or audio files. The interface is clean and good-looking, and in a nice touch it grabs the video's main image to use as a backdrop while the clip downloads. It can save as FLV, MKV, MOV, AVI, MP3 and MPG, it doesn't gobble up system resources and it's completely free.
It doesn't have the extensive file conversion options of some other YouTube download apps, but it covers the basics perfectly well.
Download Ummy VIdeo Downloader now
YTD Video Downloader comes in two flavours: Basic, which is free, and Pro, which is £18.90 (about AU$36, US$28) per year. Basic doesn't get multiple simultaneous downloads, download acceleration or an ad-free interface but it does cover the basics: it downloads from YouTube and more than 60 other video sites, it can convert to WMV, AVI, MP3 and iPhone, and it can resume failed downloads if your connection drops mid-download.
The free version's installer is very keen on giving you bundled software you almost certainly don't want, but the app itself isn't too ad-heavy.
Download YTD Video Downloader now
Sometimes you don't want too many options; you just want to paste and go. That's clearly the thinking behind VideoGrabby, which gives you just two options: download video or download music.
The downloads are MP4 for video and MP3 for music, and if there's a high quality version of the clip an extra HQ button will appear at the bottom of the page.It works with other sites too, such as Vimeo and Soundcloud, and it's very, very fast. If you don't go for the HQ option, your download appears almost instantly.
Another online YouTube downloader, KeepVid is both very good and very bad: good in that it offers a decent range of download options (MP4, 3GP, WebM, audio) and bad because it has those ads with fake download buttons in the centre of the screen in what looks like a deliberate attempt to get you to click on them. We're not anti-advertising - developers have to eat - but that's rather deceptive.
Ignore the fake buttons, however, and you've got a fast and friendly YouTube downloader that's useful for grabbing things quickly.
Have we missed any of your favourite YouTube downloaders? Let us know in the comments below.
Samsung Electronics delivered strong results for the first quarter of 2016, thanks to sales of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, its flagship smartphones. 
