Editor's pick: Why GIMP is the best free app for editing summer holiday photos

Download GIMP - the best free image editor

GIMP - the best free image editor

GIMP (the GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free image-editing tool that's powerful enough to rival paid-for software like Photoshop - and it's surprisingly easy to use. Its array of picture-perfecting tools make it easy to boost colors, correct tones and erase blemishes before sharing them on Facebook.

GIMP supports all the most popular image formats, including TIFF, JPG, GIF, PNG and PSD, so you should be able to open up your photos and start editing them immediately. If your snaps are in a format not supported by default, GIMP's users have created a set of free plugins to help. UFRaw is particularly useful if your camera shoots in RAW format.

Make flat photos shine

It only takes a few small changes to turn ordinary holiday snaps into something special. One of the most useful tools for this is Curves, (select 'Colors > Color Curves'), which is a great way to boost flat-looking images.

The left-hand side of the Curves window controls the shadow tones in your images and the right-hand side controls the highlights. Tweaking the diagonal line into a gentle 'S' shape will increase the contrast in your image - as subtly or dramatically as you like.

Remove color casts

Another extremely handy tool for quick photo-editing is White Balance. Most modern compact cameras do a good job of adjusting for different lighting conditions, but the same can't be said for phone cameras. Warm indoor lighting in restaurants and bars often results in pictures with an odd-looking yellow cast. There are a couple of ways to correct this.

Select 'Colours > Auto > White Balance' and GIMP will attempt to gauge the temperature of the colours and compensate accordingly. This usually works well, but if you'd rather correct tones manually select 'Colours > Levels' and adjust the levels of red, green and blue yourself.

Clone out flaws

If something small is spoiling an otherwise brilliant shot - a lamp post in the background for example, or a speck of dirt on your camera lens - the Stamp (or Clone) tool is a convenient way to paint it out. Move the tool over a part of the image, hold [Ctrl] and click to take a sample from an area, then click and drag the brush over the unwanted object to cover it up. This also works for small blemishes.

GIMP's automatic options also make it easy to correct red-eye, crop your pictures to improve composition, resize them if they're too large to upload to your preferred social media platform, and export them in a more convenient format.

Once your holiday pictures look perfect, select 'File > Export' and choose a name, format and location for the edited image. Your original photo won't be altered or overwritten unless you explicitly tell GIMP to do so.

Then just upload your polished snaps to Facebook and become the envy of your friends and family. Easy!

from blogger-2 http://ift.tt/2983SeL
via IFTTT

Microsoft's Windows 10 Anniversary Update is landing on August 2

Though it comes as no surprise thanks to a leaked blog post, Microsoft has officially announced that its Windows 10 Anniversary Update will land on computers on August 2.

Packed to the rafters with added functionality, the free update stuffs in more new features and tweaks than you can count on one hand. Not that you'll be using your fleshy digits, as you'll be too busy talking to your PC and buying online goods by gazing into your webcam.

Those updates, then

So, what's new? Microsoft's Cortana personal assistant can now access the lock screen, and she'll even offer to hail an Uber or order your dinner if you're staying late in the office. Handy.

The software giant recently claimed that its Edge browser, ahem, edges the competition when it comes to extending your computer's battery life, and the Anniversary Update introduces a host of power-saving improvements. They include the ability to use fewer CPU cycles and consume less memory while minimising the impact of draining content such as Flash ads.

Moreover, Edge has finally caught up with Firefox and Google's Chrome browser by introducing Extensions, with Pinterest's Pin it Button and Amazon's Assistant being two of the first to hit the Windows Store.

Security measures

There's also updates to security for both consumers and businesses in the form of enhancements to Windows Hello, and Windows Defender. So long as you're using Edge, the former now lets you log into certain websites using your face with enterprise-grade security.

Defender, on the other hand, introduces new anti-malware measures that automatically schedules snappy scans of your machine to identify and eliminate nasties lurking under the hood.

Other improvements include tighter integration between Windows 10 devices and Xbox One when gaming, with Xbox Play Anywhere allowing you to buy a game once and play it on either platform.

And finally, Windows Ink has been tweaked to allow integration with Office, Edge, Maps and other applications where using a digital pen to scribble over your screen would come in handy.

Windows 7 and Windows 8 users have until July 29 to grab Windows 10 before it turns from a free to a paid upgrade, so you'll have to get a move on if that includes you.

• Click here to find out more about the Windows 10 Anniversary Update

from blogger-2 http://ift.tt/290v8ru
via IFTTT

Updated: iOS 10 release date, news and features

Oops! Windows 10 Anniversary Update release date accidentally revealed

A slip up at Microsoft means the release date for the Windows 10 Anniversary Update was accidentally revealed. Microsoft promised to release the update by late summer, and the leaked August 2 date makes good on that promise, assuming the update will be ready by that time. We've reached out to Microsoft for comment about the release date.

So why should you care about the Windows 10 Anniversary update? Well, it's going to be a huge package of upgrades that Microsoft created after listening to feedback from users. For example, the Start menu will have an improved all apps list and tablets will finally have a full-screen apps list again.

Cortana, Microsoft's virtual assistant will also get an upgrade and will proactively make your life easier. For example, Cortana will offer to hail an Uber or order you dinner if you're staying late at the office.

Microsoft's Edge browser is also getting a huge upgrade in the form of extension support. The browser is speedy and sips battery, but its lack of extension support has stopped it from being a true alternative for competitors like Chrome and Firefox.

Best of all, the Anniversary Update will be free. Let's just hope Microsoft will be less forceful with this update. For an in-depth breakdown, be sure to check out our write up about everything coming in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

• Surface Pro 5 release date, news and rumors

from blogger-2 http://ift.tt/292trfl
via IFTTT

Round up: The best free PDF readers 2016

Download the best free PDF readers

The best free PDF readers

When you need to open a PDF, you'll usually opt for one of two options: the Reader app for Windows 8 and 10 (often pre-installed with the operating system, or available from the Windows Store), or trusty stalwart Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Both are solid options, but there are many other free options, each with its own advantages. If you want to merge documents, convert them to a different format or extract images, there's a free tool that will make it straightforward.

If you're short on drive space, there are also ultra-lightweight viewers available that will occupy under 2MB (compared to Adobe Acrobat Reader, which takes up 148MB), plus portable apps that run directly from a USB stick.

After installation, each of these programs will ask if you want to make it your default PDF reader. We recommend leaving your settings as they are until you've had a chance to try the new software and see if it's right for you. If you're satisfied with its performance, you can make it your go-to program for PDFs by right-clicking one and selecting 'Open with'. Browse to the EXE file for your new PDF reader, check 'Always use the selected program to open this kind of file', then click 'OK'.

Most programs will also ask you to install their corresponding browser extensions. Again, we recommend skipping this until you've had a chance to get used to the new software. You can always install the extensions through your browser's store at a later date.

1. Foxit Reader

A clear interface and all the tools you remember from Adobe Acrobat Reader

Foxit Reader is perhaps the best known alternative to Adobe Reader, and it's easy to see why. Its ribbon-based interface takes inspiration from Microsoft Office, so you'll instinctively know where to find its impressive array of tools.

The tabbed interface makes it easy to work with multiple PDFs at the same time, and there are some nice extra touches such as form filling and PDF annotation.

The ubiquity of the PDF format makes it a popular target for malware and virus developers, so Foxit Reader offers a Safe Reading mode that provides control over things such as internal links and Javascript integration.

Downloadable add-ons are available to convert PDFs to other formats (and vice versa) and to combine multiple PDFs into a single file. File conversion is incredibly simple thanks to the inclusion of an entry in Windows' context menu.

It's very easy to see why Foxit Reader is so popular. Read on to discover four more of our recommended PDF readers. Have we missed your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.

2. Nitro PDF Reader

A great PDF reader for collaboration, with tracked changes and sticky notes

Like Foxit Reader, Nitro PDF Reader bears more than a passing resemblance to Microsoft Office applications - and this is no bad thing. Right from the start this feels like a highly accomplished piece of software and there are plenty of document viewing options to choose from.

But this program is about more than just viewing. As well as including an annotation and highlighting option, Nitro PDF also lets you add sticky notes to the documents you open.

You can use Nitro PDF Reader to convert text documents to PDF format, and vice versa. You can also extract all of the images from a PDFs in one fell swoop, digitally sign electronic documents with an e-signature. This is without doubt one of the most polished PDF tools out there, and it would be easy to forget that it's completely free to use.

3. PDF-XChange Editor

A classic PDF reader, overhauled for the Windows 10 generation

PDF-XChange Editor replaces the now discontinued (but still superb) PDF-XChange Viewer.

The free edition contains handy features such as tracked comments and the ability to insert or extract pages, but those marked 'Pro' in the menu are only available in the paid-for version. The free edition's killer feature is OCR (optical character recognition). You can scan printed documents, have the text converted into searchable format, and save the resulting document as a PDF.

During installation, we recommend selecting the 'Custom' option rather than 'Complete', then deselecting the components you don't want to install. They are presented as an expandable tree, so make sure you click all the '+' icons to discover what's hidden there.

PDF-XChange Viewer is also available as a portable app for your mobile toolkit.

4. SlimPDF Reader

A frill-free PDF reader that barely makes a dent in your disk space

SlimPDF Reader is by far the smallest download in this roundup, occupying just 1.43MB of space, and makes a virtue of its frill-free approach.

This really is little more than a viewer, but that's no bad thing. Controls and navigations are simple and self-explanatory, and the program benefits from being lightning-fast.

Search, print and rotate are the most advanced features you'll find, although you are invited to try a free trial of the PDF to Office converter.

If you're looking for a PDF reader without the bloat, SlimPDF Reader could be the ideal choice. The only real drawback is the inability to view two pages side-by-side as a spread.

5. Icecream Ebook Reader

Not just for ebooks - Icecream's tool is great for PDFs as well

As the name suggests, Icecream Ebook Reader is designed primarily for viewing EPUB and MOBI documents, but it doubles as a simple PDF reader.

As this is an ebook reader, you are encouraged to organise all of your books into a library, sortable by type and fully searchable - but there's nothing to stop you from just opening individual PDFs.

The program has a slightly unusual look, but it is a joy to use. Navigation of PDFs is wonderfully simple, and there are a number of viewing modes to choose from, including an eye-friendly night mode. You can quickly add bookmarks and create notes, which are accessed through the fly-out Contents pane.

If you have a Word document or ebook that you'd to convert to PDF format, or vice versa, you might like Icecream PDF Converter, from the same developer.

from blogger-2 http://ift.tt/1U0UKoB
via IFTTT

Round up: The best free web design software for desktop and mobile 2016

Download the best free website builders

Build your own website

Web design software transformed web building: if you were a keen coder, software could speed up your coding with auto-completion and macros; if you preferred to design visually, your software would turn your designs into code and stick them online.

Although more and more web building platforms are online and based around fairly inflexible templates, web design software still has a key role to play - especially if you like to get things done when you're far from a data connection. So which web design apps are the best? Let's find out.

1. CoffeeCup Free HTML Editor

Make your own professional-standard website in minutes

CoffeeCup's paid-for products are excellent, and CoffeeCup Free HTML Editor is great too. It combines coding and WYSIWYG design in an app that runs quickly, is easy to learn and can produce some stellar sites.

It lacks some of the features of its paid-for siblings - features such as the useful Color Schemer and built-in FTP uploading are reserved for the paid products - but unlike some rivals it's in continual development to keep it current.

If you're looking for a do-everything app on Windows then look no further.

2. PSPad

A powerful text-based editor packed with extra tools for web developers

PSPad might not be pretty, but it's pretty good. Inside the defiantly old-school Windows interface is a powerful programmer's editor that includes an FTP client for on-server editing, templates for common languages such as HTML, PHP, VBScript and many others, multiple document editing and macros that you can use to create and trigger commonly used code.

It's not an app for people who prefer a WYSIWYG interface that's more like desktop publishing or word processing, but if you're a keen coder it's an excellent tool.

3. Google Web Designer

Create stunning HTML5 animations for your own site

Google Web Designer's name is a little misleading, because it's really an advert and animation designer: it's best suited to people who need to create animated, cross-platform elements that they'll then use in another program (or add to their otherwise hand-coded sites). But if you're one of those people there's lots to like including Google Drive integration, 3D objects, layers and events.

As Google's showcase of animations created using Web Designer demonstrates, the app is capable of creating some really impressive results.

4. KompoZer

An older website builder, but still a favorite

We have a soft spot for KompoZer, which is a spin-off from the same Mozilla that created Firefox - but where Firefox has been in constant development from day one, KompoZer hasn't been updated since 2010.

That's a problem, because the languages used on the Web haven't stood still: while it's still possible to create sites in KompoZer, we think there are much better and easier ways to do it - such as the BlueGriffon app, which is based on Firefox and offers a more modern approach. Unlike KompoZer, however, BlueGriffon requires a paid licence for its most useful features.

5. SynWrite

A text-based editor for more experienced web developers

It's overkill for beginners, but if you're a keen coder then SynWrite is well worth a look, and not just because it's small enough to carry around on a modest USB flash drive.

It's a fully featured code editor with macro recording, plugins, clipboard history, text clips, stacks of coding helpers, colour pickers and previews, search and replace across multiple files and code templates too. It's been designed for every kind of web work from layout to coding, and it's a good choice for expert users.

6. Mobirise Website Builder

Create responsive websites that look great on desktop and mobile devices

You've got to love an app whose sales blurb says "creating well-designed websites is a real fun" (sic), especially when it actually is. Mobirise can create good looking, responsive websites with the minimum of fuss.

It's all about blocks: you choose the type of block you want, drag it to where you want it and change the default content to suit your own requirements. It's easy to see how your design will work on desktop, smartphone and tablet, and you don't have to use the pre-defined styles if you don't want to.

7. TOWeb

Another responsive design tool, but keep its limitations in mind

The free version of TOWeb is there to promote the more powerful paid-for versions, so as you'd expect, its features are limited: you can only create one website, the size is limited to 10MB and TOWeb will put ads in the website. It's simple, based on customisable and generally good looking templates, supports multiple languages and enables you to publish automatically to a wide range of web hosts.

The results are responsive too, which means they should work just fine on mobiles and tablets. If you can live with the limits TOWeb's free app is a decent option for simpler sites.

8. Weebly Free

A simple drag-and-drop editor that's ideal for making your first site

We've steered clear of online-only services in our round-up as they tend to be template-based web builders rather than web designers, but Weebly is a little bit different as it enables you to design the content of your pages by dragging and dropping.

You get free hosting and unlimited pages, and while you can't remove Weebly's branding - that's £5 per month for the Starter package, which enables you to use your own domain name - it's a great starting point if you want to make something that looks good without taking forever to build.

9. openElement

A web-based site builder that's very capable, but intimidating for beginners

The dark, dense interface might be a little off-putting for absolute beginners and it isn't as easy to use as some rivals, but there's no doubt that openElement offers a lot of power for more confident designers.

It does much more than most other WYSIWYG apps, and in the right hands it's capable of great things, but we think the interface is a little confusing compared to similarly useful apps like CoffeeCup Free.

10. Webflow

A stylish online web builder if you don't mind the ads and limited page views

Like Weebly, Webflow is an online app that's part of a suite of paid-for services - and like Weebly, that means there are limits on what you can do with it. The free edition won't let you export HTML/CSS code for use outside Weblfow's own hosting, your site will include ads, there's no tech support other than a discussion forum and you're limited to 1,000 page views per month. If those limitations don't bother you, Webflow is a great web app for designing pages that pop.

Have we missed your preferred web design software? Share your recommendations in the comments below.

from blogger-2 http://ift.tt/2981aYJ
via IFTTT