Herramientas para la Red - Mercado de Software en Ingles

Chrome 19 introduces Tab Syncing

Chrome 19 - version 19.0.1084.46, to be precise - was released this week, bringing with it one major addition: tab syncing. This nice addition means that you can access your current tab session across multiple devices. That means, for instance, that if you're researching hotels in Barcelona at home, you can access the same selection of tabs from your Android device or tablet while you're traveling. It's a really handy feature and a welcome addition to Google's star browser.

To use tab syncing, you need to be logged into your Google Account and have syncing enabled. Go to the spanner menu, and, under Settings > Advanced Sync Settings, and make sure Open Tabs is enabled. To access the synced tabs, open a new one and, in the bottom right corner, open Other Devices and click the tab you want.

Why I left my iPhone

In June of 2010, the iPhone bug bit me hard. I remember reading the live blogs of the keynote, staring at one of the most beautiful pieces of technology I had ever seen. I had to have it. Unfortunately, Apple's site was flooded by people trying to pre-order the phone and I was too late. To get my iPhone, I waited in line for 17 hours on launch day, almost losing my sanity. Never again. The iPhone 4 wasn't my first smartphone. I was replacing my then ancient T-Mobile G1. I left Android because it just wasn't polished as iOS and the hardware was uninspired. Today, though, Android has caught up to iOS's stability and hardware design, which is why I left my iPhone 4 for a Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Here's why.

Direct from Google

One of the biggest reasons why I went for the Galaxy Nexus is because it is available off contract, unlocked, running the latest Android OS (4.0 or "Ice Cream Sandwich") and direct from Google. I have been an AT&T customer since 2001 and never knew how much I despised the carrier until I got my iPhone. Calls dropped, connections were spotty, speeds were a hit or miss. With an unlocked phone, I can now move to another carrier or use it overseas without being tied to a contract. Moving to a MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) saves a bunch of money in the long run and gives me the flexibility to move to another carrier at any time.

Google services

I am a huge fan of Google's services including Gmail, Calendar, and especially Google Voice. Most people are probably interested in Google Voice to dodge hefty text messaging rates, but Google Voice is so much more than that. Users get a new phone number that they can take to any carrier. It also transcribes voice mails (terribly and hilariously) and offers an easy way to manage your call history, texts, and voicemails. Although there is a Google Voice app for the iPhone, it doesn't integrate into the operating system and is extremely buggy. Speaking of things that irk me in iOS, there is no ability for 3rd party apps to integrate with the operating system. Want to use another browser? Sure, but links from Mail will open Safari anyway. Want to use Sparrow Mail as a default to send email? Too bad. You're stuck with Mail. Want to open up an address in Waze instead of Google Maps. Nope, you can't do that. While iOS repeatedly tells me, "No, you can't do that," Android asks me, "How would you like to do that?"

I'm a tinkerer

One of the things I like most about Android 4.0 is that you can figure out what's going on with your phone. You get a task manager that shows memory and disk usage as well as data about your battery use. On the iPhone, if your battery life is suffering, there is no way to understand what's impacting the battery life. With Android, users are given a graph of usage over time with data about which apps, services, and hardware is sucking up the most juice. One of the things I missed most about Android after I got my iPhone was the lack of automation. Locale is a favorite app of mine for automating things like toggling Wi-Fi at a certain location, changing the screen brightness when plugged in, and much more. When I received my Galaxy Nexus one of the first things I did was download Tasker. I now have settings for being at home and work so I will never have to toggle Wi-Fi or my ringer again. Tasker can automate just about ANYTHING on Android. Android's flexibility and customization options are what attracted the tinkerer in me.

No more jailbreaking/rooting

To me, the iPhone was unusable without being jailbroken. Jailbreaking allowed me to access custom lock screens, settings toggles, gestures, tethering apps, and various interface tweaks, which made living in Apple's closed ecosystem bearable. With Android, I no longer need to jailbreak or root to do everything I want to do on my phone. Not rooting means that I no longer have to play a game of cat and mouse with updating and re-rooting. Jailbreaking my iPhone meant waiting weeks or months for someone to find an exploit for the updated operating system. Now I can update as soon as an update comes out without having to wait to enjoy new features.

My iPad

One of the biggest motivations for going back to Android was the fact that I already had an iPad. I can still have my iOS fix when needed. I can still tether my iPad to my Galaxy Nexus on the go. It is nice to have both operating systems to be able to use applications exclusive to each platform. Now that I've switched to Android, do I hate the iPhone? No, not at all. Quite the contrary. I still love the iPhone and iOS. In terms of stability, intuitiveness, and getting the phone to work right out of the box, the iPhone is still king. Android, on the other hand, gives its users freedom, for better or worse. There is no more hand holding and you had better know what you're doing if you're going to be using Android. I am glad that Google and Apple are slugging it out. Having more competition leads to innovation, which benefits the consumer in the end. Farewell, iPhone for you have severed me loyally but it's time for me to get back to my tinkering roots. (Read Tom's counterpoint about leaving Android for iOS)

Moving to Mac Guide: Part 2 - How to Install Apps

A new Mac comes with a bunch of useful pre-installed programs, but you might want to install some additional software like an alternative browser (such as Chrome, Firefox or Opera.), an instant messenger client (like Adium or MSN) and, of course, some games! This raises the question: How do I install software on a Mac? Is installation of Mac software similar to Windows?

Installing is easy

You can get Mac software on a CD/DVD, download it from the web (such as from Softonic) or use the Apple Mac App Store. When you insert a CD/DVD into your optical drive, it mounts automatically and the icon appears on your desktop and in the left column in Finder. You just need to click the drive icon and you’ll find the program in it. If you want to install the app, drag its icon to your application folder. Programs downloaded from the internet are normally in .DMG format. It is a virtual drive that can be mounted on your desktop by double clicking it. It acts just like an average CD/DVD. To install the software you need, just drag the program icon to your applications folder and you're done!

The easiest way to install Mac software is by getting apps from the Mac App Store. In order to use it, you must have an Apple ID with a connected credit card. When you choose an app you want to buy or download, you just click the corresponding button and it automatically downloads to your computer. It appears in your Applications folder or, if you are using Lion, in your Launcher.

Uninstalling isn’t that easy

Theoretically, uninstalling an app is as easy as installing it. You should just drag the app from your Applications folder into the Trash. This generally works, but sometimes not all the files related to the program are removed. If you regularly install a lot of software, you’ll need a better solution. I use AppCleaner, which looks for all files related to the app you're deleting. If anything is found, you can decide whether to keep it or delete it.

It’s an easy solution, but there are others which do pretty much the same job such as AppZapper or AppDelete.

Tricky preference panes

Sometimes extensions or other add-ons install as a Preference panes and reside in the Preferences window - Perian and Growl are two examples.

Installing them is really easy. Just double click the file and it installs automatically. However, you can’t drag preference panes into the trash to remove them. To uninstall a preference pane, just right-click on it and choose Delete the preference pane. Part 1 of Moving to Mac [This series was produced in association with OnSoftware ES and IT]

4 Alternatives to Microsoft Publisher

Microsoft Publisher is often peoples’ go-to program when they want to create brochures and other printed presentations. Unfortunately, many users feel as though its usability could be greatly improved, particularly for beginner designers. If you find creating printed material with Publisher a little too complex, there are alternatives available that might make your creation process a little easier. Here are four great alternatives to Microsoft Publisher for people looking to make the switch.

PagePlus Starter Edition

PagePlus is a great tool that lets you create dynamic marketing materials like stationary, posters, brochures, flyers, newsletters and business cards, to name a few. With a handy pop-up that lets you pick and choose what you want to create appearing right upon the program's launch, PagePlus is also pretty intuitive for beginners. The program comes with a good variety of ready-made templates as well, if you either don’t want to start from scratch or need some ideas to get your own creativity flowing. Even better, PagePlus supports a drag and drop design method, making it a breeze to move around different content quickly during the creation process. The Starter Edition of PagePlus is free upon registration on Serif’s website. After registering you will be sent a product registration key via email.

Scribus

If you’re looking for an open source alternative to Microsoft Publisher, Scribus is one good option. Scribus is a free desktop publishing tool that works cross-platform, which makes it convenient for people who like to hop between multiple computers and operating systems. Scribus offers a lot of great features, such as the ability to export and import PDF documents, as well as drag and drop designs. Formatting can be a little tricky in some instances though, and some scripting knowledge is required to access a few of the features. Scribus is also available for Mac.

Apache OpenOffice

Formerly known as OpenOffice.org, Apache OpenOffice is another open source alternative to Publisher. Instead of one program to make your creations with though, OpenOffice comes with five. You can create content within the format of text documents, a presentation app, or even a drawing program. For people who like variety, OpenOffice is a really great way to explore how more than one app within an office suite can create customizable content exactly to your specifications.

Adobe InDesign

If you want every option known to man and one of the most professional publishing tools available to you, Adobe InDesign is unquestionably the program to go with. It comes with extensive tutorials and documentation, as well as great integration with other Adobe products. If you’re familiar with other Adobe apps, InDesign has a similar interface and should be relatively easy to navigate. If this is your first time using an Adobe product though, InDesign might present a rather steep learning curve for you. Since it’s a professional publishing platform, it also comes with a price tag attached. Adobe InDesign is also available for Mac. Now that you’ve seen some of our picks for alternatives to Microsoft Publisher, we’re interested to hear about some of yours. Do you prefer a different program? If so, tell us why you like it in the comments below!

Video: What is Diablo III?

Are you wondering what all the fuss is about Diablo III? It's a huge release, but coming 12 years after Diablo II, it wouldn't surprise me if there were lots of people with little idea of what it actually is. It looks like Blizzard are aware of this and they've released a video, which you can see below, called 'What is Diablo III?'. The game is released on May 15th on Windows and Mac, and boxed editions come with Guest Passes inside, which you can give to your friends so they can also try the game. So, What is Diablo III? As you can see it's an isometric action game set in the dark world of Sanctuary, which is being invaded by demonic hordes. You choose a character from one of five classes, each with different attributes. As you complete quests and gain experience you'll be able to heavily customize and upgrade your hero, into something powerful enough and worthy of sending all the creatures of hell back where they belong.

The gameplay is a mix of arcade speed, and role playing, which is really addictive blend. Diablo III lets you play online cooperatively in teams of up to four heroes, and also in player-versus-player gladiatorial battle. The free 'Starter Edition' demo will be available to everyone 30 days after Diablo III's release.

Windows Minimum System Requirements

Windows® XP/Vista/7 Intel Pentium® D 2.8 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4400+ 1 GB RAM (XP), 1.5 GB (Vista/7) 12 GB available HD space Direct X 9.0c Broadband Internet connection

Windows Recommended Requirements

Windows® Vista/7 Intel® Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 5600+ 2.8 GHz 2 GB RAM NVIDIA® GeForce® 260 or ATI Radeon™ HD 4870 or better

Mac Minimum System Requirements

Mac® OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.x or newer Intel® Core 2 Duo NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT or ATI Radeon™ HD 2600 or better 2 GB RAM 12 GB available HD space Broadband Internet connection

Mac Recommended System Requirements

Mac® OS X 10.7.x or newer 2 GB RAM NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M or ATI Radeon™ HD 4670 or better Check out this gameplay video from the Beta version of Diablo III, released last year.

Top new apps: what to download this week

Here’s a round-up of the best mobile apps we tested on Softonic this week. Check them out now!

N.O.V.A 3

The latest version in the N.O.V.A series of games proves to be one of the best first-person-shooters on the iOS platform to date. It boasts shiny 3D graphics, smart controls, surprisingly good voice acting, and, most of all, lots and lots of alien scum to blast. If you’ve got the latest iPad this will blow you away and you’d be forgiven for thinking you were playing Halo on an Xbox. iOS

Flipboard Flipboard has been a huge success on iPad and iPhone and now the news and social media reading app has hit the Android platform. Strictly speaking, it hasn’t officially been released, since it will be released as a timed exclusive for the Samsung Galaxy III. However, an early leaked build of Flipboard for Android has been released into the wild by XDA developers and it’s possible to test drive the gorgeous-looking app. Android

Twitpic

If you’re a Twitter fan then you’ll be aware of the photo sharing service, Twitpic, already. Now the service arrives on iPhone, allowing you to quickly show off photos and videos to your Twitter followers. There’s a bunch of filters and editing tools, and you can browse your Twitter photo timeline effortlessly through the simple user interface. iOS

Viber

Android and iOS users have been able to enjoy free calls with Viber for some time, and this week, a BlackBerry version of the app was released. Disappointingly, Viber for BlackBerry doesn’t yet support calling (which is the best thing about the other versions!), but you can use it to send free text messages and share pictures with other Viber users over 3G or WiFi. BlackBerry

TU Me

One app released this week that does allow free voice calling is TU Me. Besides allowing you to make free calls on your iPhone, TU Me lets you share photos and location and share audio messages with your buddies. While audio call quality is excellent over WiFi, TU Me isn’t as good for messaging as the more feature-filled WhatsApp. Also unlike WhatsApp, TU Me is not available for multiple mobile platforms. iOS

Office Zombies

Banks may be having a tough time of it these days, but at least they’re not being overrun by zombies. Not unless you’re playing Office Zombies that is. This is a mobile game for Java phones where you need to shoot zombies inside a bank. You’ll need to be quick on the trigger to stop the undead pursuing their capitalist dreams in this 16-bit style game that's a whole lot of fun to play. Java

Star Wars

The Force will be with you at all times if you install this Star Wars app on your Windows Phone. The free application includes a bunch of Star Wars goodies, including wallpapers and sound bites from the movies. You can listen to lots of famous quotes from Star Wars and save them as ringtones, which is good fun. The app also gives you quick access to the official Star Wars Twitter. Windows Phone

Head to head: CCleaner vs Mz 7 Optimizer

CCleaner has been one of my favorite tools to maintain PCs. It is simple to use and offers powerful tools. It has a small footprint and it can be installed on a USB drive to clean up PCs on the go. CCleaner can clean up files that are left behind from uninstalled apps, fix the registry, and uninstall apps but it is by no means the last word in PC maintenance. There's no defragmentation or optimization option within CCleaner. Enter Mz 7 Optimizer, an app specifically designed to tune up your Windows 7 PC. Can it replace CCleaner as our PC maintenance app of choice? Let's find out.

Ease of use

CCleaner features a clean, simple interface. The main window shows a list of things that CCleaner will look for and clean. The user can analyze and remove these files quickly, usually under 10 seconds. It also features a quick scanning registry scanner and back up. Beyond those two major features, CCleaner also has a tools tab for uninstalling apps, deleteing/disabling startup processes, a system restore feature, and a drive wiper. Mz 7 Optimizer on the other hand is intimidating at first glance. You are greeted with a billion options and it can be intimidating to use if you do not know what each tweak does. While Mz 7 Optimizer's main purpose is to maintain a PC, it also features interface tweaks that are hidden by windows. This is great for power users but confusing for the casual user. CCleaner wins on the ease of use as its menus and items are clearly laid out and its developer Piriform keeps the application simple. Power users may appreciate the flexibility and features of Mz 7 Optimizer but it definitely isn't for newbies.

Features

While CCleaner is good at what it does, it cannot match the sheer number of features that Mz 7 Optimizer packs into its program. Mz 7 Optimizer allows you to tweak your CPU, HDD, Memory, change network settings, clean your registry, defragment your drive, schedule backups, and change security settings. The amount of things Mz 7 Optimizer can do will make your head spin. Luckily, Mz 7 Cleaner has an automated optimization mode which simplifies maintenance on your machine. There are a handful of options you can check and Mz 7 Optimizer will perform those tasks in bulk.

Performance

CCleaner has always been one of my favorite maintenance tools because of its stellar performance. Scans and cleaning take just a few seconds. The application launches quickly but does require authentication to run as an administrative process. Mz 7 Optimizer is not the quickest of apps but it also isn't the slowest. Performance on the whole was average for most tasks but I found its defragmentation to take a while longer than defrag apps like Auslogics Disk Defrag and Smart Defrag. I also want to note that Mz 7 Optimizer's tweaks often require a reboot. It is recommended that you run this program without any other programs open, which will prevent conflicts.

Conclusion

So is there a clear winner? No. These are both great applications but serve different purposes. CCleaner is a fast, portable file and registry optimizer. Mz 7 Optimizer aims to perform ALL maintenance tasks on your machine. If your Windows 7 PC is running smoothly for the most part, you can maintain it with CCleaner. On the other hand, if your PC is long overdue for maintenance, Mz 7 Optimizer is a better choice for breathing new life into your PC.

Play Wolfenstein 3D for free online

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of Wolfenstein, Bethesda Software has released Wolfenstein 3D free to play online. The browser version is the full Wolfenstein 3D in which you play the part of an American soldier in World War 2 trying to escape Nazi Germany's Castle Wolfenstein. In addition, iOS users can also download Wolfenstein 3D free for a limited period to celebrate the anniversary. Play Wolfenstein 3D for free here.

Epic Games celebrates 20 year anniversary with free music

Epic Games has a long history in game development. The company has a wide variety of games on a host of platforms. Starting with PC and moving into consoles and iOS, Epic Games has been on the front of development tools with its Unreal Engine and illustrating the ability of fostering talented developers. Since Epic Games is a development studio with games and also creates game development tools, they have had impressive insight about how to make games for a variety of hardware. Celebrating their 20 year anniversary, Epic Games released a free soundtrack with music from their games over that span of time. Jazz Jackrabbit 2 (1998) illustrates the company's beginnings while Infinity Blade II (2011) really shows how far Epic Games has come, as well as their open mind to new possibilities. You can download the free soundtrack here.

Games you should play

Unreal Tournament 3

The multiplayer action of Unreal Tournament 3 still exists today. It continues to be a popular multiplayer game available with lots of community mod support. When it released in 2007 with the then-new Unreal Engine 3, it showed that PC gaming still had the power for amazing graphics and gameplay. Unreal Tournament 3 still has a very dedicated base of players who are using mods to keep the game fresh while decimating each other. Even when many players moved to console for their multiplayer experiences, Unreal Tournament 3 is still one of the best on its PC platform. Even though Unreal Tournament 3 isn't as widely played anymore, there is still an active community who keep fresh content alive. One mod that impressed me was the Nyan Cat mod, turning a rocket launcher into a Nyan Cat launcher.

Infinity Blade and Infinity Blade II

Using the Unreal Engine 3, Chair Entertainment showed that the iPad could produce amazing visuals with Infinity Blade. While the cost was a shorter battery life, the careful development behind the game showed off close-to-console graphics on a portable device. The swipe gesture controls focused the action and allowed for a directed gameplay experience, leaving the distracting on-screen control scheme that other developers used. Chair Entertainment only improved with Infinity Blade II. They were able to push more graphic power through the iPad 2, while still allowing iPad users to have a similar experience. There hasn't been a game that has truly met the amazing visual style of Infinity Blade II, although other developers using the Unreal Engine 3 are getting closer. Unfortunately, Infinity Blade II also proved to eat battery life at the expense of impressive graphics. Epic Games has branched out with their games and the soundtrack plays an impressive history. The company made an impact on PC with Unreal Tournament, created a brand with the Gears of War series on Xbox 360, and showed that a mobile device could produce amazing visuals with Infinity Blade. Epic Games' 20 year anniversary is well deserved, and they are sure to impress in the future.

How to: manage cookies in Internet Explorer 8

Internet Explorer 9 is a big improvement over its predecessor. Unfortunately, the newest version of Microsoft’s popular browser isn’t compatible with Windows XP. For that, you’ll need to use Internet Explorer 8, which is still a solid browser by anyone’s estimation. Cookies are pieces of information stored on your computer that personalize your experience every time you visit a website. If cookies are disabled on IE 8, you will often encounter problems such as being unable to complete an online purchase, among other important actions. Fortunately, managing cookies in IE 8 is a relatively simple process. I’ll show you how to enable, disable and even delete your cookies entirely in a few simple steps!

Enabling cookies

1. Locate the Tools menu in the upper right corner of your browser. It’s in the same bar that loads your various website tabs.

2. Select Internet Options in the Tools menu.

3. A new window will appear. Click on the Privacy tab up top. It’s the third option from the left.

4. Beneath the Settings section, move the slider on the left to a Medium setting or below.

Every time you move the slider, new text will appear on the right-hand side that explains what the new setting will and will not allow in terms of cookies. Read this over to gain a better understanding of what you’re allowing or restricting at each different setting. 5. Once you've found the setting you want, click Apply at bottom, then OK.

Disabling cookies

In the same vein as enabling cookies, you can disable certain types of cookies by moving the slider in the Internet Options dialog box up to a higher setting. Just follow the steps for enabling cookies above, and move the slider up instead of down to block cookies you don’t want to have enabled.

Deleting cookies

In some instances, you might want to delete cookies entirely. This might be a good idea if you’re on a shared computer and don’t want someone to be able to log into things like your email account. Deleting cookies is also a simple 5 step process: 1. Return to the Tools menu, just as you did when you wanted to enable or disable cookies. 2. Click Internet Options and wait for the new window to appear. 3. This time, you want to click on the General tab in the upper left instead of Privacy.

4. In the middle of the window, under the Browsing history section, click the Delete… button.

A new dialog box entitled Delete Browsing History will appear. 5. In this new dialog box, check the Cookies option, which is the third choice from the top. From there, click the Delete button at the bottom right.

This action will delete cookies that store your online preferences like login information. There you have it – three easy ways to manage cookies on IE 8!

How to: set a password with Winrar

Setting a password on a .RAR file couldn't be easier, and it's a great way to keep almost any type of file safe from prying eyes. Here's how: 1. Open Winrar and browse to the files you want. If they're saved all over the place, it might be an idea to move them all to one folder, and compress that. Give the folder an informative name so you can easily identify it later. 2. Right click and choose Add files to archive. A new window will open.

3. The Winrar options for creating a new file can look a bit complex, but don't worry. You can modify lots of options, but you don't have to. Just make sure to choose where the new, locked file will be saved, and what it will be called. 4. Of course, the most important step is to apply the password. To do this, hit the Advanced tab > Set password. An Enter password dialog will appear - it needs to be secure, so pick a good one!

5. Once Winrar creates your locked RAR, it will look like any other. You can email, save, move and share it as normal, but when someone tries to open any of the files it contains, it will ask them for a password. One thing to bear in mind - even though someone will need to enter a password before they can open the files, if they open the RAR with Winrar or an app like Peazip, they'll be able to see the file names without actually opening them. You might want to bear that in mind when you call that photo Crazyparty2012.jpg, ok?!

TU Me - disappointing new voice and messages app

Do we really need another app for staying in touch with friends and family? Telefónica certainly seems to think so. Today, it launched TU Me, which bundles free messaging, voice calls, photo sharing, and more together in a simple-ish iPhone app. TU Me's main advantage over similar WhatsApp is its voice calling, apparently based on Jajah which Telefónica bought in 2010. Photo sharing, location sharing, audio messages - these all feature in both apps. But WhatsApp also offers video sharing, contact sharing and it's multi-platform.

TU Me - friends list TU Me - contacts

TU Me unfortunately has more serious problems. It doesn't appear to have functioning push notifications, meaning you've got to have the app open to know you're receiving a call or message. Additionally, it doesn't play well with Siri when Siri is set to start when you raise the phone to your head. Image download seems slow when you receive a message and messages cannot currently be deleted. These flaws will probably be ironed out in the next release while WhatsApp now probably needs to add voice calling as soon as it can. Oddly, TU Me lacks any social element, making it a purely one-to-one solution. When it works, though, TU Me works really well. Audio quality for voice calls over WiFi is excellent... when they connect properly. Location sharing is quick but uses a different engine to Maps and put me over a block away from my actual location. Sending audio messages is quick and easy, but who does that very often?

TU Me - image sharing TU Me - settings

Telefónica has shown over the last few years that it sees at least a chunk of its future business in proprietary software. Unfortunately, like social network Tuenti before it, TU Me doesn't quite get it right. When calling worked, it sounded great. But with so many other annoyances plaguing it, TU Me is going to have to improve before it becomes my favorite app for reaching out.

Klout is FarmVille for grown-ups

Klout is a social app that aggregates your social media/network data and gives you a score based on your activity. You can connect with your Twitter or Facebook account, and then link other networks to your account. The higher your score, the more 'influential' you are. In June 2011 I was re-tweeted once by @Wired - my Klout score rocketed as my account was exposed to all the people who follow Wired on Twitter, and I got some follow on re-tweets. I was famous! Well, not quite, but this boost was short-lived, and a month later my Klout score had dive-bombed back to normal levels, leaving a gaping hole in my ego. Silly competition with friends and coworkers has seen me increase my score steadily - but the cost has been my online life turning into a giant game of FarmVille. Klout says it exists to measure your influence online, and in some ways it achieves this. But its real success is rather that it turns your online life into a frantic competition; one where you are rewarded for posting popular things on social networks, and punished for time off or talking about niche interests. Be consistently popular or your score will drop! Klout also makes deals with companies who offer perks to Klout users with higher scores (the higher the score, the better the perk), so your popularity can get you stuff. Like Farmville, Klout needs constant attention, and requires you to use your social contacts to succeed.

How Klout can change you

Social networks are pretty flexible things, and you can make of them what you want. Maybe you just use Facebook to keep up with friends and family, or maybe you are more into it, creating events and posting your thoughts, photos, videos and everything else the platform offers. Similarly for Twitter - there are various ways to use it, and doing so passively can be as valuable for some people as being a heavy tweeter is for others. I've been on Klout for a while now, and I've noticed it can turn your Facebook and Twitter activity pretty cynical, pretty quickly. Your Klout score increases when more people comment on your Facebook posts, give you 'likes', retweet and mention you, or give you Google +1s. Join Klout, and you may find you start fishing for these: Instead of doing whatever you want on social networks, you'll design your interactions with Klout in mind: be controversial, comment more, do things you know will get you interactions from friends and followers. Nothing going on? Stick an Instagram picture on Facebook, and watch as your poor friends inadvertently feed your addiction and boost your Klout score. Yes, I have done that. We should use social networks how and when we want. Attaching a score to them and rewarding the 'winners' turns something useful into a competition. It's quite natural that if you grade someone, they will compare themselves with others and want to improve. This doesn't really help you make meaningful use of social networks, unless you think trolling your connections for interaction is meaningful.

Celebrities: influential by default

Celebrities on Klout are invariably experts on topics as fascinating as themselves (seriously), and while they are certainly popular no one could credibly say Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber are posting anything particularly original or insightful. But to Klout, by sheer popularity alone, they are ranked highest. Now I'm not saying I would expect a score that high, but there are people out there who are much better on social media platforms than top ranking celebrities. Just like Twitter's trending topics and Google+'s Explore, the biggest Klout scorers are pretty vapid and dull. The top ten Klout scores are all celebrities with lots of fans - not necessarily people who post interesting, original or influential things. Klout is fun, I'll admit that, but as Wired noted recently, people are starting to take it seriously. Having a high Klout score shouldn't mean hotels treat you differently for fear of your influence on Facebook, and employers shouldn't be taking it seriously when hiring. Also, I should not be thinking about getting a puppy for all the cute and popular photos I would be able to put on Facebook to boost my Klout score. What do you think about Klout?

GIMP updates to version 2.8

gimp icon GIMP has been one of my favorite image editing tools for years because of its price (free) and powerful feature set. Still, GIMP drew plenty of criticism for having a confusing interface. The developers of GIMP are well aware of these issues and have targeted this issue in the latest release of GIMP. Besides some interface tweaks, GIMP also comes with slew of technical improvements. Let's take a look at some of the major changes in version 2.8 of GIMP.

Single-window mode

One of the biggest criticisms of GIMP in the past was that its floating window interface made it a pain to organize and use its tools. While GIMP 2.8 still defaults to this windowed mode, users can choose to select the new "single-window mode" where all the tools and image canvas are unified in a single window. This dramatically cleans up the interface and makes looking at multiple projects a breeze with its tabbed interface. Unfortunately, users cannot view two projects side by side.

On canvas text editing

GIMP has improved text editing dramatically. Before, a little window popped up to enter text but you had to go under the tools section to make any edits to the text formatting. GIMP 2.8 has improved this process by moving all of the options for text editing to show up on canvas. Editing the font, text size, and color are all options available in the on canvas popup menu.

Separation of save and export

Previous versions of GIMP allowed users to save their images into a number of different formats, but GIMP 2.8 changes this by only allowing users to save projects as XCF. This makes sense as XCF is the only format in which GIMP saves all the different layers and individual modifications. Saving to another format in previous versions of GIMP would flatten the image. Users can still get images in different formats like JPEG and PNG, but will have to export them instead of saving them.

Nested layers

GIMP 2.8 introduces nested layers, which helps to keep your layers organized. Having layers organized in a tree structure ensures you know which sublayer belongs to which layer. Layer groups are scriptable by using GIMP's API.

Better multi-monitor support

Users with multiple monitors will enjoy this update as it allows the grouping of docked windows to be placed in columns. The advantage of this is that one monitor can be dedicated to the canvas while the other is dedicated to tools and dock window. GIMP GEGL

Generic Graphics Library (GEGL)

While this feature isn't new, GIMP 2.8 is the first stable, consumer version of GIMP to include the ability to use the GEGL. The advantage of using GEGL is "high bit-depth and non-destructive editing," according to its developers. This means that image processing supports "32bit floating point linear light RGBA" but the old 8bit processing is still available in the program. Version 2.8 of GIMP is a long awaited updated that was three years in the making. It shows that GIMP's developers are dedicated and serious about improving the user experience of their application and pushing technical boundaries. GIMP has a bright future ahead of it. Personally, I cannot wait to see what its developers come up with next.

How to delete your browsing history in UC Browser

If you’re a user of UC Browser 8, you might be wondering how to delete the history of the sites you’ve visited. This process has changed from version 7 of the popular Android web browser, so it might be confusing if you’ve just upgraded from the previous release. Actually, it’s very easy to remove your history in UC Browser. Besides deleting your browsing history in UC Browser, you can remove cookies, clear form data, and wipe the cache (or a combination of all of these). Here’s how: 1. Click on the Settings icon in the UC Browser toolbar and choose ‘Advanced Settings’. 2. Now tap ‘Clear Data’. 3. You’re now given the option to clear Cookies, Form, History, and Cache. Make sure ‘History’ is ticked and hit the Clear button. After a couple of seconds your history will be removed from UC Browser.

DiRT Showdown is Destruction Derby for a new generation

Codemaster's have excellent pedigree for racing games, and with DiRT Showdown, they've resurrected the ghost of 1995's classic Destruction Derby. You can play the demo now on Windows via Steam, which features one race and a multiplayer arena event. DiRT Showdown comes out 24th May and as well as the derby events featuring fictional old bangers, there will be Gymkhana events like those seen in DiRT 3. I'm not sure if these will fit with the rough and tumble of the derby events, but we already know how much fun they are. Check out some gameplay from the multiplayer mode 'Rampage' after the break below - it's a demo and still need some polishing, but you'll see how much fun it is. I think DiRT Showdown could be the multiplayer racing game of the year:

What is Twitter?

New to Twitter? Wondering what all the fuss is about? Never fear! Our simple guide will explain all the Twitter basics so you get started with the popular social network.

So what is Twitter?

Twitter is an online network that lets you post news, updates, links and pictures. You can use it on the web in your browser and you can use it as an app on your phone, PC or Mac. Each time you share an item it's called a Tweet or an update. Twitter is social because it lets you interact with other users. If you like another user's Tweets, you can subscribe to their feed. This is called following. When someone posts a great Tweet, you can share it with your followers. This is retweeting. Or you can just strike up a conversation with one or several other users. Tweets are limited to 140 characters and while that sounds quite limiting, it actually lets you say quite a lot while staying brief. It's the perfect length for bite-sized bits of information.

What makes Twitter different from Facebook?

Twitter terms explained

Tweet - any update shared to Twitter
Follow - subscribe to someone's Tweets
@ - public Tweet to another user
Retweet - post another user's Tweet to your feed
Direct message (DM) - a private message between 2 followers
Hashtag (#) - tag assigned to one topic
Trending topic - popular discussion

Facebook's great for staying in touch with friends and family. Twitter is more for following your interests and sharing news. For example, you might like to share your views with other Twitter users while watching a live TV event or a sports game. Likewise, you may have just read an interesting article or blog post and want to quickly share it with your followers. News stories breaking at home and around the world can be tracked on Twitter.

I've heard it's all about celebrities/people's sandwiches/other dull trivia

Selecting who you follow on Twitter is important. For best results, pick some experts in fields that interest you, like Softonic for software news and tips. Lots of TV stations, newspapers, journalists and writers now use Twitter to share news updates so you're bound to find local updates that interest you. And yes, you can follow Kim Kardashian too, if you really want. No one's judging.

How do I get started?

It's simple. Just sign up for a Twitter account and get tweeting! Don't forget to follow Softonic to stay up to date with all our software news, reviews and tips. If you're using Twitter on your phone, there are apps for all the major platforms. You can also get TweetDeck, the official Twitter app for Windows and Mac.

Does Adobe Flash even matter on mobile?

When the first iPhone released, the lack of support for Adobe Flash was a big deal. Desktop versions of website wouldn't be able to display all the content available and the experience would be "incomplete." Android announced the operating system would support Flash, it was originally seen as an attack against Apple's closed operating system and how Android was a "step-up" against iOS. Now with iOS at version 5.1 and Android 4.0 in the wild, does having Adobe Flash even matter? As a frequent user of both iOS and Android, there are pros and cons. Tom left Android for iOS, and while I understand his reasoning, adding a new OS to aged hardware (as he did) wasn't the best idea in my opinion.

Adobe Flash was king

Adobe Flash was very important for desktop websites for showing dynamic graphics and video content. YouTube is one of the biggest sites that use Flash support. Many of Google's own services use Flash (from the occasional crash messages that flow through all the open services I use). A lot of the biggest sites that offer video are loaded through Adobe Flash. At the same time, the introduction of HTML5 has changed necessity of Flash support for many websites. Facebook's iOS and Android apps use HTML5.

How mobile has changed websites

Sites also have developed mobile-specific versions of their desktop sites, offering the same content in a streamlined interface. Sometimes it's a little more difficult to navigate, but the top stories are usually easy to find. The other option sites have taken to is developing their own apps. While they may just be shortcut links to the mobile-version of the site, they are optimized for mobile devices. Even though YouTube has its own app, you can always browse through web browser by adding "http://m.youtube.com". Flash has had some impact on mobile gaming, but I've only ever experienced an app absolutely needing Adobe Flash once. Many developers are using Unity or some other development platform. HTML5 theoretically makes it simpler to deal with the differences in iOS and Android, but I haven't seen many game apps that use this yet. Since most video sites are the most common users of Flash content, I tested some of the sites that I regularly visit. iOS does have apps that support Flash content like Skyfire on iOS, but this is through the default browsers for both operating systems.

Incredibox

Nick mentioned this site before and I was quickly sucked into the fun of crafting songs. Using the default web browser on Ice Cream Sandwich, Incredibox loads the site and allows the same functionality as the desktop browser. The only main difference between accessing the site through the phone and desktop browser is the mobile browser has some function delay. The site still functions identically, it just takes longer to perform the same options due to touchscreen control. Incredibox on Safari will not load. The site even has a nice message saying that "it is not available for iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad yet." Incredibox relies on Adobe Flash for its entire functionality, but the site is best experienced through a desktop browser.

Funny or Die

I was curious to know how Funny or Die worked outside of its iOS and Android apps. Going to the site through Safari or Android browser loads the mobile web version. Both sites have identical functions and it is easy to browse through the different videos. Playing videos is also identical, with both browsers loading the video without any issues. In this case native Flash support isn't even necessary. Where the Funny of Die mobile site has an "one up" on the dedicated app is that it's easier to browse for videos through the mobile site where the app only shows the newest or most popular videos.

Gametrailers

Whenever I miss some video game related video, I usually head to Gametrailers. But I always go to Gametrailers through a desktop browser. Looking at the site through a mobile browser again loads a mobile-centric view of the site. Strangely, while Safari loaded the Call of Duty Black Ops 2 trailer in the same browser, ICS's browser opened the video through the video player. But both videos played without any problems. It's apparent that Gametrailers knew that they had to adjust for their viewers who use mobile browsers to look at their site. The massive amount of video content the site contains could have caused Gametrailers to lose a huge share of traffic and they were intelligent to develop for mobile browsers quickly.

Overall

Even though Adobe Flash appeared to be a make-or-break utility for mobile devices originally, it didn't have the tsunami effect of breaking the ability to view video content like some people originally thought. Development of mobile web sites bypassed the original video content issue, dedicated apps also work around this, and the growth of HTML5 as the primary development tool for the mobile web is quickly making Flash an obsolete problem. Adobe Flash may have been an initial hurdle for developers, but time has already shown that Flash's dominance is quickly waning and doesn't even matter on mobile anymore. It's an interesting footnote, but the problem has quickly fallen in importance to other issues.

ZoneAlarm aims to be your default security program

ZoneAlarm has long been a household name for great firewall protection but they have never been known for antivirus. ZoneAlarm's first foray into antivirus was its ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2012 and now they have bundled their antivirus functionality into ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall (rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?). Since Microsoft introduced Microsoft Security Essentials, security firms have been worried that consumers would no longer look for third party security programs. Can ZoneAlarm win over consumers' hearts and minds with their new, free program? Let's find out (and be sure to read our full review here). ZoneAlarm's aggressive toolbar installer Right from the beginning I was skeptical about ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall. The installer greets you with a toolbar, which is pretty standard, but ZoneAlarm wanted to change my default search engine and homepage to "search.zonealarm.com." No thanks. The installer also picked up that we had Microsoft Security Essentials installed and helped us install it to avoid conflicts. ZoneAlarm quick scans "Quick scans" were indeed very quick, only taking about 2 minutes on our test machine. Full scans on the other hand almost took up an hour. Of course, scanning will depend on your machine and how many files you have. While free, ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall still offers real time protection against infections. Definitions are only updated once every 24 hours. Paid versions will update as soon as new virus definitions are available. If you have an infected machine and wish to rid it of viruses, you'll want to look elsewhere. ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall will have a difficult time being installed on infected PCs. Your best bet will probably be a portable antivirus scanner like ClamWin. ZoneAlarm will work as a good preventative measure against infections so make sure to install ZoneAlarm on a clean machine. ZoneAlarm made its name with its great firewall and it still exists in this version. Users who have never used ZoneAlarm firewalls before may be annoyed that every application requests access to the internet but the firewall will learn which programs are OK to access the internet or not. While it's interesting to see what programs and services are pinging the internet, firewall popups can become annoying. Luickly, ZoneAlarm has thought to include a "Game Mode," which turns off pop up notifications while you're in game. Users can also choose to disable all security features while in a game. ZoneAlarm web and identity protection Interestingly, ZoneAlarm includes up to 5 GB of space for cloud backups when you sign up. You can also opt into their identity theft and credit monitoring services for free if you so wish. While having 5GB of cloud storage is nice, there are competing services like Dropbox, Box, and the newly released Google Drive that make ZoneAlarm's service irrelevant. ZoneAlarm has set its sights on big name security programs from Norton, McAfee, and Microsoft. Its ease of use and feature set are great for the casual user but there are better antivirus programs that are better at removing viruses. Still, we can recommend ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall for more casual users looking to protect themselves from infections.

What is Ultrasurf?

Ultrasurf is a freeware program designed to evade internet censorship that exists in some countries. In this post I'll explain how it works, and what Ultrasurf can and can't do. It's a standalone .exe file - so you can run it from a USB stick without installation. When it's running, you access sites through Ultrasurf's own servers. This can make browsing slower, but this seems to be the price to pay for avoiding online censorship and filtering. With Ultrasurf you can bypass firewalls and access blocked sites. Websites will not be aware of your IP address, but because all traffic goes through the Ultrasurf, the company itself does collect data. Ultrasurf say they only keep traffic logs for short periods and to monitor performance, but basically you just have to trust their organization with your information! Ultrasurf has been used extensively in China and during the Arab Spring uprisings. It's main use is evading web censorship, firewalls and blocked sites. In terms of 'private browsing', while it offers more anonymity than normal browsing, this has never been Ultrasurf's primary concern. The biggest criticisms of Ultrasurf came this year in a post called 'Ultrasurf: the definitive review' on the Tor blog. In this extensive report the author criticized many aspects of Ultrasurf, but from a journalistic point of view it's a report that is hard to swallow. Tor is a competing product to Ultrasurf, and both clearly have different ideologies about internet privacy: Tor is better suited to someone who just wants anonymity (although Tor isn't 100% safe either), whereas Ultrasurf is more about evading censorship, and actually getting access to restricted sites. Utrasurf is great at what it does, and if you need to get around firewalls, it's probably your best option, even if it's not the anonymity haven that some people want it to be.