Freeware World

iPhone: The USA TODAY app for iPhone delivers the latest news, sports, weather and photos directly to your mobile phone. The free app condenses content from USA TODAY into an easy-to-access interface to help you stay ahead of current affairs on the go. You can check the latest headlines in six different categories (news, money, sports, life, tech and travel).

Windows: Need an app to manage, view and edit images? Look no further: Zoner Photo Studio Free is what you’ve been searching for. This great free app lets you manage photos with ease, fix and optimize them with a set of editing tools, view them in full screen and finally share them online on Facebook or Flickr.

Mac: Worried about what your kids are doing online? OnlineFamily.Norton gives parents the comfort to set their children free online while still keeping them safe and sound. Once it is setup, you will be able to see when your kids are online, what they’re looking it, who they are chatting with and even what they’re searching for.

Shouldn’t people have learned by now?

Maybe that sounds bit harsh, but I am beginning to think that if people fall for the latest Facebook scam - a brand-new dislike button - they only have themselves to blame. Luckily this time users who fell for the trick got nothing worse than an unwanted application that could be easily removed - oh, and a dose of public humiliation, since the fact they had fallen for the scam showed up in their friends’ news feed.

Even though we live in a technologically advanced world, there’s some pretty old-school advice that still works well - if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Free iPads? A dislike button? A hippo being eaten by a rabid mongoose? Keep dreaming!

Equally, if your Harvard-educated aunt (or indeed a scam-prone friend) suddenly starts posting things entitled “OMG WTF BBQ , watch dis seriously cool video!!” accompanied by a link, alarm bells should start to ring. The bottom line? If you want an iPad, start saving. If you want a dislike button, check out Social Plus! And if you want a rabid mongoose? Well, there’s not a whole lot OnSoftware can do for you. Sorry.

Image courtesy of Graham Cluley’s blog.

Plug your iPhone into iTunes today and you’ll be able to update your phone to iOS 4.02. The main purpose of the update is to fix a security flaw with PDF files - it had been discovered that downloading a PDF file in Safari could have allowed potentially malicious files access to your phone.

The secondary purpose is to stop jailbreaking. Jailbreakme offered one click iPhone jailbreaking that used the PDF security flaw. So upgrading to 4.02 will kill your jailbreak, but make the phone more secure.

Surprisingly, the update is over 500mb, a lot for an supposed security fix. I wonder if there are some stability fixes in there too, as iOS4 has definitely been more buggy than 3 (at least on my 3GS).

Check out Apple’s info on the update, where you can also see the iOS 3.2.2 update for the iPad that fixes the same problem.

As a recent convert to the joys of smartphones, I keep a close eye on the top Android news. I was pretty surprised to read two pieces of scary news in a single day recently. Over in the UK, veteran broadcasters the BBC have apparently created their own malicious smartphone app to see how easy it would be to track users and steal data. It was deliberately a very simple code masquerading as a game and, unfortunately for us, it worked pretty well.

Meanwhile on the other side of the old continent, Kaspersky Labs claims to have discovered the first Trojan specifically targeted at Android in Russia. The malicious code is apparently disguised as a media player and, once downloaded, sends text messages to a premium number without the owner’s knowledge.

Even though we always take virus warnings from anti-virus manufactures with a pinch of salt, the concept of new risks for smartphones isn’t surprising - if there’s a new device out there that hasn’t been infected with something nasty, it’s just a matter of time until it is. Even so, all you Android users out there need to be aware of two things in the midst of all this hysteria: firstly, anybody who was infected with the trojan installed the software willingly. Secondly- and most crucially -  they also had to give it explicit access to the features it misused.

Google, Android’s developer, reminds users that any software downloaded in their Market has built-in protection against this, in the form of a stopscreen that explains exactly what items an application from the Market will be able to access. Third-party apps don’t have that extra layer. Viruses suck, but I think that in this particular case, we can safely conclude that the infected users pretty much brought the problems on themselves. Rest easy, responsible Android users, you’re safe - and for what it’s worth, I won’t be installing an Android anti-virus anytime soon!

If you’re paranoid about Facebook and sick of being monitored by Google, you might be looking for a more anonymous way to surf the internet.

Why Firefox?

We love Firefox (although not wholeheartedly ) for two reasons - first, it’s open source, and second, it has a great selection of add-ons that make it easy to make surfing the web a much safer experience. Below, we’ve taken a look at 5 of the best to make sure that your surfing is as anonymous and confidential as possible.

Encrypt your data when possible.

This add-on encrypts your data by using HTTPS in place of HTTP where possible. The extra “S” refers to an extra level of security that protects your data as it travels between your browser and the server. HTTPS Everywhere works automatically, so it will use HTTPS by default when available, meaning you can get on with more important things while the add-on takes care of your security.

Block Flash Cookies.

BetterPrivacy allows you to get rid of even the most stubborn cookies, so-called “super cookies” that collect information about your surfing habits so that they can be used in advertising campaigns. These cookies were developed with the appearance of flash-based sites and webapps, and can’t be removed unless you delete their temporary folders. BetterPrivacy, however, automatically blocks them while browsing with Firefox, so you won’t have to worry about tracking all the trackers down.

Erase the Traces.

If you want to get rid of browsing history, temporary folders and cookies automatically, there are 2 ways: you can manually remove the traces once you have finished your session, or you can install Click & Clean, a Firefox add-on that automatically cleans up after you every time you close the browser. This means that you won’t even have to think about what is left behind, making it easy and safe.

Adieu, Malicious Scripts.

Meet NoScript, an add-on that deactivates JavaScript from unknown sources. This protects your confidentiality by blocking malicious scripts on the hunt for private data. The only real problem is that it can affect sites that need JavaScript to work properly - like Softonic - so you’ll need to add them to the whitelist so they will display properly. Download NoScript here.

Cover your tracks!

Tor is a tool that will disguise your IP address as you surf, hiding it behind a chain of servers known as “onion routers”. The tool protects you from websites that record what sites you visit, any external monitoring and even from the onion routers themselves. The downside? Tor really slows down your internet connection, so if you’re after speed, look elsewhere.

To use Tor, download it here. It works with all internet browsers, not just Firefox. Even so, if you do use the Mozilla browser, there’s a handy add-on called Torbutton that allows you to activate and deactivate Tor in a single click.

The tools

	Firefox: Open Source and with more add-ons than you can shake a stick at, Firefox is a safe bet when it comes to online security.
	Better Privacy: BetterPrivacy is an extension for Firefox that protects you from cookies and “super cookies” by automatically removing them as you surf.
	NoScript: Noscript is a Firefox add-on to prevent the execution of unwanted scripts, keeping your system safe and sound in the process.
	Tor: a reliable solution for anonymous surfing.

Microsoft is expected to rush-out a security patch later today that addresses a security hole caused by shortcuts or .lnk files. The security threat means that cyber-criminals or hackers could use shortcuts on your desktop or elsewhere on your PC to take over your machine.

The patch will be issued via Windows Live Update automatically, or you can download it directly from the Microsoft website. The Telegraph reports that Microsoft claim there has been a surge in hackers trying to exploit the vulnerability since mid July when it was initially discovered:

“We’re able to confirm that, in the past few days, we’ve seen an increase in attempts to exploit the vulnerability,” said Christopher Budd, a senior security response manager at Microsoft. “We firmly believe that releasing the update out-of-band is the best thing to do to help protect our customers.”

According the the BBC, the flaw allows hackers to embed malicious code into shortcuts which triggers the code when opened. Most worryingly, it seems hackers have been targeting power installation with it:

The first exploits of the flaw were seeded via infected USB drives and network connections. While exploitation of the flaw was limited initially, the tempo of attacks via the bug have escalated since it was discovered and publicised. Early attacks using the bug were aimed at the software control systems for critical infrastructure such as power stations.

Microsoft issued an alert about the problem on July 16 and have published a work around solution for those that want to take precautions before the patch is automatically applied.

Bynamite is a Chrome and Firefox extension that allows you to edit the information various advertising networks collect from your web browsing, like Google Ads, Yahoo and Lotame.

Until now, there only seemed to be two positions on web advertising - that you didn’t care, or hated it enough to use something like Adblocker. What’s interesting about Bynamite, apart from the odd name, is that it’s trying to offer a middle way.

Personally, I accept that most of the good free stuff I get on the web is payed for by advertising so I’ll put up with it. But sometimes it goes too far, and other times I’ll see the same terrible ad for something I really don’t want over and over again. Bynamite works by collecting together the info that advertisers collect in an attractive and easy to use interface where you can add and remove whatever you want.

So, theoretically you can alter what the advertisers think they know about you, and make the ads they serve more relevant to you.

I think Bynamite is a neat idea, although it does require you to put some work in to benefit properly. Also, after a couple of days testing it out, it’s hard to say how much of an effect it has on the ads I see. Still, I think it’s a good idea to give users back some power over how their browsing habits are used. Bynamite could be the beginning of a new dynamic relationship between advertisers and consumers.

Since its official launch in September 2009, Microsoft Security Essentials has become a popular choice among free antivirus tools, thanks to its quick scans, ease of use and lightness on system resources. Now Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0 Beta is ready to download and test, so let’s take a look at all the new features and improvements of this new version.

First of all, to grab hold of this beta you’ll need a Microsoft Connect account (you can use your Windows Live ID to create one). Security Essentials 2.0 Beta is available both for 32- and 64-bit systems, and can be downloaded via the Microsoft File Transfer Manager – though as the file is only 7.78 MB, you probably won’t need it.

The installation is quick and simple. You’re given the opportunity to join the customer experience improvement program, which is totally optional. Once installed on the computer, Microsoft Security Essentials updates its virus and spyware definitions database and performs a first system scan.

 So what’s new? At first sight, not much. You still get the same clear, tabbed interface with four main areas: Home, to check system status; Update, to download the latest definitions; History, to take a look at activity logs; and Settings, to configure the program.

Apparently the big changes are under the hood. Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0 features a new engine which provides faster performance and safer protection, an improved protection against network-based threats, a better integration with Windows Explorer and the Windows Firewall, and an enhanced protection against web-based exploits for anyone still using Internet Explorer.

Microsoft Security Essentials Beta is provided on a first-come, first-serve basis, so if you want to take a sneak peek at it head down to Microsoft Connect and download it while it’s hot. Then, you can share your impressions with us in comments!

Despite being a key element in online security, passwords are often taken too lightly. I know lots of people – friends, relatives – who still use weak passwords that can be easily cracked, and they don’t seem to worry about it at all! Today’s technology allows almost anyone to launch brute force attacks – a special procedure that tests all possible character combinations until it finally finds out your password. Hence the need to use stronger passwords that can resist the attacks of any hacker. Here are some tips that can help you create better passwords – while keeping them easy to remember!

Some basic rules regarding passwords

• Go for long passwords; eight characters should be your minimum.
• The more variety of characters your password has (lowercase, uppercase, numbers, letters, typographic signs) the harder it’ll be to crack.
• Avoid using words that appear on dictionaries, as well as obvious words like your name, your location, your family name or your pet’s name.
• Never write your password down on a sheet of paper. And of course, never leave that sheet besides your computer.
• Use a unique password for each website, social network or any other online service you subscribe to.

• Never give your password to anyone.

How to choose and remember a good password

This is the trickiest part: to come up with a good password that’s also easy to remember. We already gave you a few tricks to build strong passwords in the past, but here are a few more. An effective technique is to use a whole sentence, and then take only the first letter of each word:

We go from London to Oxford in 45 minutes – wgfLtOi45m
Going to Softonic by car takes me 20 minutes – gtSbctm20m

After creating your passwords, you can measure their strength with Passwordmeter.com

Where to store passwords?

The safest way to store your passwords (yes, even better than that ragged piece of paper in your wallet) is to use a password manager. There are many passwords managers to choose from, each one of them with their own characteristics, so don’t be afraid to try a few. In any case, you should use one that stores passwords locally, encrypts the database and uses a master password to prevent unauthorized access.

Some of the most popular password managers on Softonic are Keepass, LoginControl, RoboForm2Go and LastPass, which works together with your web browser. If you ask me, I’d recommend SplashID, the password manager I’ve been using for the past 7 months – and which has already saved my life a few times. It’s got clients for Windows, Mac and mobile devices, including iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Palm.

A radical solution: the PasswordCard

PasswordCard is a web service that creates a unique, credit card sized password generator every time you load the web page. Each one of these cards includes a bunch of randomly generated letters and numbers, organized in a table according to signs and colors:

PasswordCard works as an automatic password generator. To use it, you need to pick a standard passwords length, and then select a sign and a color that will be associated to the service you’re signing up for. So if I wanted 8-character long passwords, picked chose the euro (€) sign and the purple color, my password would be Ea6jw8tn

The problem with this method is that you have to remember the sign and color combination for each site, and that you must always carry the card with you – with the potential risk of losing it. In any case, each card has a unique identifier, generated every time you reload the page, which lets you create the same card again in case you need another copy.

[Via OnSoftware FR]

Everyday, while browsing the Web, you find dozens of online services you can sign up for. Creating an account is usually very easy, too easy I’d say. In fact, it’s so easy you may end up with user profiles in online communities you don’t even remember signing up for. However, turns out that deleting accounts and user profiles sometimes is not that easy. Social networks and other online services feed on users and they don’t make it easy for you to abandon them. Here’s a short tutorial on how to delete user accounts from the most popular online tools and services.

Gmail

I can’t think of any reason why you would want to give up Gmail (or many other Google’s services, for that matter) but hey, I won’t judge you if you want to. In order to remove your Gmail account, you need to visit this website and click the appropriate link.

You can remove individual accounts or close your entire Google account permanently.

Windows Live Messenger

Just like Gmail, if you want to remove your Windows Live Messenger account you need to visit a specific website.This page contains your Windows Live account information. Scroll down until you see the Other options area, and you’ll find an option to close your account there.

Bear in mind though that you won’t able to  close your account if it’s linked to other still active Live services, such as a Hotmail email address or an Xbox Live user account. You’ll need to disable those before closing your Live account.

Yahoo!

Deleting a Yahoo! account is surprisingly easy. All you need to do is login with your username and password, visit this website and confirm you really want to delete your profile. You’ll be asked to enter your password again, just in case, as ell as a security code.

Your Yahoo! account can still be recovered during the next three months after you disable it.

Twitter

Are you tired of being followed? Then it’s time to close your Twitter account. Killing your Twitter personality is as easy as going to your account settings, scrolling down to the bottom of the page and clicking the Deactivate my account link.

The page will display some tips about closing your account, along with a button to definitely delete your Twitter account. Your followers will have to look somewhere else!

Facebook

Yes: believe it or not, you can also remove your user profile from the most popular social network on the Web. It may be the only way out if you’re already too hooked on it! Simply visit this website while you’re logged in Facebook, and click the Submit button.

Facebook will display a confirmation dialog window where you have to enter your password and a couple of captchas. Once done, your account will be deleted over the following two weeks.