What's New

Google launched the updated version of Google Keyboard for Android, now called Gboard, recently introducing new features such as search directly from within the keyboard interface.

I'm not a huge fan of the new functionality as I don't require it at all. Unfortunately, there is no option to disable it completely in the application's settings. While browsing through the preferences the app makes available, I noticed quite a few that are privacy related.

Snap Link Plus is a long standing Firefox add-on that enables you to draw rectangles around links and other content to activate actions.

You can draw a rectangle --using the mouse-- around links for instance to open them all at once in the browser. Very handy as you don't have to click on each link separately to do so.

The process works well on any site: on Google search result pages, on forums, image board, blogs, file hosting sites, torrent sites and any other site where multiple links are provided that you may want to open some or all of.

RansomFree is a new free program for the Microsoft Windows operating system to protect your PC against ransomware attacks.

The program is fully compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and newer, as well as  Windows server operating systems.

RansomFree needs to be installed on the target machine. The protection that it adds to the system is interesting, as it creates a number of files on the system that it monitors for changes.

Microsoft has begun to move desktop themes for Windows 10 to the Windows Store. The company announced some time ago that it would make available themes in the Store, and the move marks the first step in that direction.

Windows Store features apps and game downloads, Edge extensions, and also music, movies & TV content right now. Microsoft wants this to be the one-stop shop for all things Windows. One thing that you may never see in the Store however are legacy Windows programs.

If you are using the official Google Keyboard application on Android, now called Gboard, then you may have noticed that it features a new G-button at the top of the keyboard.

Mysplash-photography&wallpaper, what a mouthful, is a well designed and lightweight Android client for Unsplash.com, a "do whatever you want" photography site.

Fix Windows Update errors is a troubleshooting page on Microsoft's Support website that aims to help Windows users resolve update related errors.

Windows 10 Update Switch is a free portable program for Windows 10 devices designed to set any network connection to metered to block the automatic download of Windows updates on the machine.

Microsoft is determined to push Windows updates to all Windows 10 machines. While there are some options that you have to block updates or delay them, those require usually some Registry hacking or Group Policy access.

Adobe has just released the first final Adobe Flash Player stable release, Flash Player 24, for GNU/Linux in years.

The company announced back in September 2016 that it would bring back Flash for Linux from the dead. This came as a surprise as it had ignored Linux for the most part when it comes to Flash.

Adobe promised back then that it would provide a Linux version of Adobe Flash Player that would be in sync with the company's regular Windows and Mac releases of Flash Player.

Adblock Pro is very popular ad-blocking extension for the Google Chrome browser with over 2.7 million users and 12500 mostly positive ratings on the Google Chrome Web Store.

The public folder was one of those features that set the file sync and management service Dropbox apart from other services of its kind.

The company stopped the creation of public folders for new users in 2012, and converted the public folder for new users to a private one in March 2016 for all free Dropbox users.

Dropbox disabled the option to share links to render HTML content in a web browser furthermore for free users on October 3, 2016.

AOMEI Backupper 4.0 is the latest version of the popular free backup program for devices running the Microsoft Windows operating system.

The new version of the backup program is still offered as a free version -- called standard -- and two commercial versions called professional and server.

Main limitations of the free version are that it cannot be used in business environments, that it lacks the OS migration feature, event triggered backups, real-time network path syncing, and command line support.

Avira Password Manager is a new security product by German company Avira which is probably best known for its antivirus offerings.

The password manager niche is crowded, and if you want to conquer it with a new product, you better make sure it is offering something unique.

Avira's reputation may certainly help the company acquire customers for its password manager.

If you happen to have a bank account at the German bank Sparkasse Soest, you may be paying for any click you make on the bank's online banking site.

What would you say if your bank asked you to pay 1 cent -- that is 0,01 Euro -- for any click you make on its online banking site regardless of what you do there actually?

This is what is happening in the German town of Soest, and for customers of the local Sparkasse. Not all customers are asked to pay, but those with an online account are.

Microsoft plans to improve the built-in system reset options of the Windows 10 operating system with the release of the Creators Update.

System reset is a feature of Windows 10 that users may invoke from Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC, during Advanced Startup, and by running the command systemreset -cleanpc directly.