Samsung’s been in the smartwatch game longer than most. The first Galaxy Gear hit the market way back in 2013, beating out the Apple Watch by 18 months. It doesn’t get nearly as much love (or market share) as Cupertino’s offering, but Samsung’s established a nice place for itself in the category, recently surpassing all of Android Wear’s market share. Read MoreA new piece of evidence has emerged to add weight to previous speculation that Microsoft is going to be selling hardware products (and not just apps) via the Microsoft Store (formerly known as the Windows Store).
The latest rumor comes courtesy of prolific Microsoft leaker WalkingCat, who posted a screenshot of a ‘Shop Surface’ section within the Microsoft Store selling the firm’s Surface devices and related accessories.
While this is far from a cast-iron guarantee that hardware will be sold in Windows 10’s built-in store, the appearance of an actual designed-and-implemented section of the shop certainly makes it seem like this is Microsoft’s eventual plan.
Particularly when you consider the earlier rumors we reported on last month, which include a tech site successfully making a hardware purchase within the store in a preview version of Windows (showing that the functionality is actually working at some underlying level, in testing).
While you can, of course, purchase Surface hybrids and other hardware online at Microsoft’s web store, being able to do so from directly within Windows 10 would add a new level of convenience, not to mention security (with integrated Windows Hello verification).
And obviously enough, for Microsoft, this is another potential avenue of sales, and a way to push its Surface line – which is picking up momentum according to the company’s latest fiscal report.
Via: Engadget
There are few things scarier than a sluggish, security-compromized PC, so Ashampoo is giving away a special Halloween version of WinOptimizer 14, exclusively for TechRadar readers.
With a single click. Ashampoo WinOptimizer scans your Windows system for issues including unecessary temporary files and other junk data. Not only that, it also checks for ways to optimize your PC’s performance, and identifies ways to protect your personal data in future.
Even more conveniently, Ashampoo WinOptimizer can tune up your system automatically, deleting temporary files when you close a program and optimizing processes on the fly. There’s even an optional Game Booster mode that terminates non-essential background services and applications to free up system resources for improved performance.
This special Halloween version of Ashampoo WinOptimizer 14 has a spooky look, but will keep your PC running smoothly long after the cobwebs have been cleared away.
Download Ashampoo WinOptimizer 14, and when you’re prompted to enter a license number, click ‘Get free activation key’. Enter an email address (it won’t be shared with any third parties), then either complete your user profile (handy if you install other Ashampoo software in the future) or select ‘Not now’. You can then copy and paste the key provided into the installer.
As an added bonus, TechRadar readers can upgrade to Ashampoo WinOptimizer 15 for just US$9.99/£8.74/AU$17.79 compared to the regular upgrade price of US$39.99/£34.99/AU$69.99. Look out for the offer when you launch the software.
Download Ashampoo WinOptimizer 14
Torrents are a brilliant way to download large files like movies, games, and TV shows. They turn your computer into part of a swarm where data is shared as it's downloaded, so while you're downloading something from other people you're also helping others download the bits you've already got. The result is a very reliable and often very fast way to get your hands on huge files.
Torrent files are incredibly useful, but to use them, you need the right software. Here are the best free torrent clients around.
Some torrent clients offer every conceivable function. Others keep things as simple as possible. qBittorrent sits right in the middle, aiming to "meet the needs of most users while using as little CPU and memory as possible".
It boasts an integrated torrent search engine, media player, encryption, prioritisation of torrents and the files within those torrents, IP filtering and torrent creation, and it's the closest open source, junk-free equivalent to uTorrent.
If you're looking for a cross-platform torrent client that covers the essentials without getting overly complicated, qBittorrent is great.
Deluge has been around forever, and it can be as simple or as powerful as you want it to be. That's because it's extendable via plug-ins, which effectively enable you to build your own personalised version of Deluge.
Fancy something that resembles uTorrent without the unwanted software? No problem. Want to add alphabetical downloading, move downloaded files to specific directories according to the file type, adjust speed according to network conditions, create pretty graphs, schedule everything, integrate with Chrome or Firefox, or batch-rename downloads? That's not a problem either.
uTorrent, also known as µTorrent, has been around since 2005 and it's the most widely used free torrent client outside China. It's attracted some criticism over the years, however: it's ad-supported and many users argue that the most recent versions are a little too heavy on the advertising and bundled software front. Make sure you read each step of the installer carefully and uncheck any software you don't want to install.
That aside, uTorrent is useful, effective and doesn't gobble up too much of your system's resources: the entire app is smaller than a digital photo. Although it isn't the official BitTorrent app, it's been maintained by BitTorrent for the last decade.
You might be wondering why BitTorrent has its own torrent client when it also maintains uTorrent – especially when the BitTorrent app is a rebranded version of uTorrent. Are you still following us?
However, while the apps are functionally identical there are a few key differences: BitTorrent offers web-based seeding, commenting and reviewing, and you may find that the BitTorrent client is welcomed by private trackers that don't like uTorrent.
Vuze (formerly Azureus) claims to be the most powerful BitTorrent client on Earth. We're not sure how it ranks on other planets. There are two flavours: the stripped-back Vuze Leap, and the fully fledged Vuze.
Both apps offer torrent download, media playback and support for magnet file links, but the main Vuze app also adds plugins, remote control via web or mobile, and video conversion.
If you want to learn the fundamentals of graphic design, there’s no need to splash out on costly premium software – there are some superb programs programs available to download completely free, many of which are comparable to their premium counterparts.
For seasoned professionals there’s no real substitute for Adobe’s Creative Cloud, but if you’re not ready to invest in a subscription yet, these free graphic design programs are ideal.
Whether it’s creating and editing vector graphics, illustrations or infographics, we’ve picked out the best free software for the job. All of these tools will help you achieve great results, and won't spoil your work with watermarks.
A powerful vector graphics tool that's free, even for commercial use
Open source vector editor Inkscape is widely known as the free counterpart to Adobe Illustrator – and for good reason. This free vector editor is a great choice for budding graphic designers thanks to its huge array of advanced tools and effects, including complex path operations, node editing, bitmap tracing and path-based text.
Like most free vector editing software, Inkscape’s chief format is SVG (scalable vector graphics) – an open source standard based around XML.
Inkscape is available for Windows, Mac and Linux, and is a great cornerstone of any amateur graphic designer’s toolkit.
Free software packed with advanced drawing aids, templates and tools
Krita was created by artists, for artists, with the belief that top-quality drawing software should be accessible to all graphic designers – regardless of income.
Krita is designed primarily for comic book artists, with a set of carefully designed tools including halftones and pre-made templates, but it’s also great for other forms of drawing. It offers a great set of drawing aids, including vanishing points, smooth shapes, layer masks and advanced selection functions.
If you’re venturing into illustration, Krita is amazing.
An incredible tool for any graphic designer who works with photographs
GIMP is the free photo editing and graphic design software we use most here at TechRadar, for one simple reason: it's brilliant.
Whether you're adjusting photos, creating a digital painting or compositing several different elements, GIMP is fantastic. It doesn't have all the tools you'll find in Photoshop, and the fact that it's produced by a huge team of volunteers from around the world means its interface can be a little inconsistent in places, but it's packed with advanced brushes, filters, layers and masks.
In the event that it doesn't provide everything you need, you can always expand it using a huge archive of extensions, or install Photoshop plugins.
The ultimate free tool for graphic designers creating 3D content
Blender is a 3D content creation suite that's completely free – even if you use your creations commercially. Whether it's modeling, rigging, rendering or animating, Blender has it covered.
Animators use Blender to create short films, TV shows, and even feature films, and its creators are constantly working to develop it further.
Its interface might look intimidating at first, but it's fully customizable and you can even create your own tools and extensions to suit the way you want to work.
Data visualization made easy with free templates and a clear interface
When you need to create an infographic, you can do it manually using a vector graphics suite like Inkscape, or you can reach for a dedicated tool like Easel.ly.
There's no shortage of web apps for visualizing data, but Easel.ly is one of the best. It offers a good selection of templates for you to experiment with, plus a wide selection of shapes and other tools for editing the existing designs or creating your own from scratch.
You can download your completed infographics in PDF or JPG format, with quality settings optimized for web and print use.
The basic tool is free and extra elements are available for a small fee, but unlike many free data visualization tools, Easel.ly won't watermark your work.
Money is literally no object here. In fact, it has no place at all as we trawl the net for the best apps in the world today. This desktop software is perfect for creating that magnum opus or floor-filling banger, and won’t cost you a penny.
Before we dive in and give you our top five best free music-making apps for Mac and PC, we'd better lay down a few ground rules.
Apps you won’t be seeing in this list are those bundled ‘lite’ editions purchased with such hardware as the humble audio interface. As great as they are, the initial outlay of buying the product means they aren't really free.
We’re also going to be sticking to just desktop software for macOS, Windows and in some places, Linux. There may be some crossover with the world of mobile music-making, but that’s a list for another day.
So, without further ado, read on for our shortlist of free digital audio workstations, softsynths and effects.
Compatibility: macOS 10.11 or later
Apple’s long-standing digital audio workstation has come a long way since we first saw it in 2004, and although it still lacks a couple of key features (such as MIDI export and the ability to control external hardware via MIDI), GarageBand offers more than enough to get you going.
Apple has done a very good job at creating the perfect gateway drug into music production, and a clear path to Logic Pro X (Apple’s fully-functional professional DAW) is plain to see.
Shared features include Drummer, the seriously easy to use groove-maker, which includes multiple genres styles, easy controls and a ton of pattern and fill variations. You’re also treated to content from the Apple Loops sound library. And to further ease the transition, a familiar interface to Logic.
Although limited to 255 tracks per song, GarageBand is an immensely powerful and easy to use DAW that seems to be getting better with age.
Compatibility: macOS/Windows/Linux (VST, AU and Linux VST)
The folks at Tracktion seem to have hit on a rather canny business model by releasing older versions of their DAW for free, with nothing taken out.
The convention seems to be to make the version two iterations before the current one available to download without charge. You might not get all the latest features, but you'll receive an update each time the company updates its flagship DAW, which it does almost yearly.
Despite being two years old, Tracktion T6 is still a feature-packed and relevant DAW designed with simplicity in mind. It’s a workspace that gives you everything you need in the main window, without the need to jump to different screens.
Every section is scalable, so you can adjust to suit your workflow and the bottom panel changes to to display whichever parameters you've selected elsewhere on the screen.
It has a different feel to the more established DAW workflow and certainly looks unique, but at its core Tracktion 6 does everything expected of it, including MIDI-out functionality (which GarageBand lacks).
Tracktion T6 features an unlimited number of audio and MIDI tracks, all depending on your hardware capabilities of course, and is able to host multiple plugin formats including VST and Audio Units.
Compatibility: macOS/Windows (64-bit only). Standalone app and plugin (AAX, VST and AU)
AmpliTube Custom Shop from IK Multimedia might be a cut-down version of AmpliTube 4, but it's still a fully functional guitar rig modelling application. This free version comes with 24 models including a digital chromatic tuner, nine stompboxes, four amps, five cabs, three mics and two rack effects.
There’s plenty to keep any guitarist happy when recording directly into their laptop – not least the fact IK Multimedia has secured official guitar amp models from such giants as Fender, Ampeg, Orange, Mesa Boogie and many more.
AmpliTube's tones are authentic and there's an impressive level of customization available (including choice of microphone and mic placement), but perhaps the biggest boon is the Custom Shop feature.
Okay, so at this point you're going to have to start shelling out some cash if you want to expand your collection of amp models, stompboxes and cab sims. However, the 'try before you buy' scheme is a welcome one.
Compatibility: macOS/Windows (VST and AU)
Klevgrand may not be a household name, but the Stockholm-based production company has certainly carved a name for itself with a slew of fine-sounding instruments featuring some rather esoteric interfaces.
SyndtSphere is no different, and is one of the more accessible software synthesizers out there. Loaded with over 70 presets, the big fun here is the way you can morph between sounds using a nifty sphere-like object at the centre of the app.
More seasoned producers needn’t be be put off by the beginner-friendly feel; SyndtSphere has an impressive array of sounds lurking within. The unique morphing function allows for some rock-solid sound design, but you may find yourself playing around with it for ages before getting anything done.
Compatibility: macOS/Windows (AAX, VST and AU)
Melda Production’s MDrummer Small is the smaller sibling of MDrummer Large (which retails for €249 – about £220, US$300, AU$380), and retains much of its big brother’s charm.
Inevitably a few features have been stripped out, but as far as free drum machines go, you're treated to a fair amount of bundled content.
Over 500MB is on offer comprising of 30+ drumsets, 400+ drumset components, 200+ samples, 50+ multisamples, 60+ rhythms, 200+ base-rhythms and 2500+ loops. Which include acoustic drums, electronic drums and percussion.
Where MDrummer Small differs from the Large edition is that it doesn’t included the multiple sound generation engines, what it does include are the Rhythm Editor and Rhythm Generator sections. Both of which give you more than enough onboard pattern programming and editing.
MDrummer Small is multi-platform compatible as a plugin, however, there is a standalone version, but this is available on Windows only.
