To secure your internet connection, Hotspot Shield Elite creates a Virtual Private Network (a secure connection, usually abbreviated to VPN) between your computer and the Hotspot Shield Elite developer's website, Anchorfree, based in the USA.

Everything is done in an extra tab open in your browser so there's no need to configure anything. A green and red shield in your system tray indicates when Hotspot Shield is and is not connected. The VPN is encrypted with 128 bit SSL encryption so that you can surf safely without worrying about others intercepting your data.

The major reason why users are flocking to Hotspot Shield Elite though is because it allows you to view sites in the USA that are usually restricted to outside users. This is particularly useful for video sites such as Hulu or restricted videos on YouTube. The advantage over the free version is that streaming is much more stable. You can also view your purchase history for Hotspot Shield Elite in your browser.

Hotspot Shield Elite works very well and you don't have to put up with an ad banner at the top of your browser like in the free version. In addition, it tries to install a toolbar at the beginning although you can opt out of this. If you've got Expat Shield installed, you'll also need to remove that first before installing. Also, surfing with Hotspot Shield is noticeably slower than normal but it's fine for streaming video from video sites such as Hulu.

Hotspot Shield now includes malware protection meaning that while using it, you shouldn't get infected by anything that may damage your system.

Hotspot Shield Elite is an easy-to-install and use way of accessing sites that are blocked in your region.

Download Hotspot Shield Elite 2.88 in Softonic

What can you do with HotSpot Shield?

To secure your internet connection, Hotspot Shield creates a Virtual Private Network (a secure connection, usually abbreviated to VPN) between your computer and the Hotspot Shield developer's website, Anchorfree, based in the USA. This connection makes websites think that you are based in the US.

The major reason why users are flocking to Hotspot Shield is because it allows you to view US websites that are usually restricted to people who don't live there. This is particularly useful for video sites such as Hulu or region-restricted restricted videos on YouTube.

Hotspot Shield now includes malware protection meaning that while using it, you shouldn't get infected by anything that may damage your system.

Is it easy to use?

Everything is done in an extra tab open in your browser, so there's no need to configure anything. A green and red shield in your system tray indicates when Hotspot Shield is or is not connected. The VPN is encrypted with 128 bit SSL encryption so you can surf safely without worrying about others intercepting your data.

Does it work?

Hotspot Shield generally works very well. It is ad-supported, however, and be warned that it tries to install a toolbar, although you can opt out of this. If you've got Expat Shield installed, you'll also need to remove it before installing Hotspot Shield. Bear in mind that surfing with Hotspot Shield is noticeably slower than normal, but it's fine for streaming video from video sites such as Hulu.

If you'd like an app that allows you to access other types of blocked and banned sites, check out the rest of our VPNs and access apps here.

Conclusion

Hotspot Shield is easy to install and a useful way of accessing sites and protecting your privacy.

Download Hotspot Shield 2.88 in Softonic

System Surveillance Pro will automatically monitor a computer 24 hours a day, but may be set to deactivate and reactivate at specific hours. You can also add keywords and phrases that will send alerts when they are encountered on a website, instant message, or simply typed. If you can’t think of a keyword yourself System Surveillance Pro includes an internal list of keywords to protect minors against adult-related material. When an offending keyword is detected you can also opt to send an e-mail alert, take a snapshot, or close and block a website.

System Surveillance Pro includes a screenshot viewer that lets you easily browse problematic snapshots taken by the program. The screenshots will be sorted by dated timestamps on the left, a large image preview on the right, and viewing controls on the bottom. You can browse through screenshots as a slideshow, zoom in or out, and launch them in Window’s external viewer.

The demo version of System Surveillance Pro lacks an instant stealth mode, but can be fully hidden through multiple option selections across several menus. However, you can quickly enable password protection and “viewer lockout” which blocks logins for five minutes after three failed attempts. You can also use System Surveillance Pro to disable access to Windows Task Manger and system clock.

One unfortunate aspect is that you will need your password handy and log directly into System Surveillance Pro whenever you wish to uninstall, update, or otherwise change the program. This can be problematic in the rare cases when the keylogger crashes or will not open. These minor oversights and delays are not enough to overlook System Surveillance Pro’s array of monitoring options.

System Surveillance Pro is a complete package to monitor a single PC or large network of computers. The trial contains everything the retail version has to offer.

Download System Surveillance Pro 7.2 in Softonic

MediaMonkey automatically scans your PC for all types of music formats. If you have playlists from other programs, it’s good to know that MediaMonkey also adds m3u files, sparing you the pain of having to recreate them. The file explorer view on the left lets you easily navigate your music collection by categories like artist, genre or rating. You can convert tracks in MediaMonkey into any format you wish, depending on what size or quality of sound you’re looking for. MediaMonkey also lets you analyze and adjust the volume of tracks to increase your listening experience.

MediaMonkey has made its reputation on its advanced tagging management feature. Every time a track is added, the program will verify its tags. You can automatically fill in missing details with info from Amazon or Filename. The program can clean up your tags, move information into the correct categories and synchronize tags for selected tracks. You can also rename and move multiple files thanks to the auto-organize function. MediaMonkey also supports Winamp plugins and visualizations plus skins can be applied to spice up the interface.

If you want to make your own mix CDs, you’ll be happy to know that MediaMonkey rips and burns CDs and DVDs. Create a virtual CD of your favorite tracks and let MediaMonkey do its job. Budding DJs will enjoy the auto-DJ mode, which mixes tracks for you and the Party Mode, which blocks your configuration but lets anybody play their favorite tune. MediaMonkey’s versatility doesn’t stop there. The music manager also lets you synchronize with your portable music devices like your iPod or iRiver.

If you feel like completing your library with a couple of fresh albums you can browse sites like Amazon, Barnes and Noble or AllPosters and purchase tracks. However, unlike Songbird, where you can type in a URL, browse and save your favorite music blogs and sites, MediaMonkey only allows you to browse their selection of online stores.

We were disappointed with the web radio selection, which only features Shoutcast and Icecast, and were surprised to see no sign of podcasts anywhere in the application. However version 3.0 is planning on incorporating this to the application.

Despite these drawbacks, we recommend MediaMonkey to anybody looking for a solid alternative to iTunes or Winamp. This original music manager is more than capable of organizing a very large music library and offers advanced tagging management rarely seen in other music applications. While the browser and web radio are fairly limited, MediaMonkey allows you to rip your custom CDs and connects to most portable music devices. If you really take a liking to MediaMonkey, cough up a few bucks and upgrade to the Gold version, which will open up all of the program’s functionalities like finding missing tracks or creating auto (smart) playlists.

Download MediaMonkey Free 4.0.7.1511 in Softonic

By default, Adblock Plus doesn't block pop-ups that are opened on certain mouse clicks or other user events. Adblock Plus Pop-up Addon complements Adblock Plus with the pop-up blocking functionality. However, you'll need to add the pop-up URL to Adblock Plus Pop-up Addon's filters for it to work properly. This will only block the individual pop-up though. Alternatively, you can create a site rule in the addon preferences for the opener site which will block all popups. To do either, simply right clicking (or Ctrl-clicking) on the pop-up window and selecting "Block this window".

Adblock Plus Pop-up Addon is a useful add-on to extend the capabilities of the excellent Adblock Plus.

Download Adblock Plus Pop-up Addon for Firefox 1.1 in Softonic

Installation and overview

Installing BitDefender Antivirus Plus 2013 is a long, somewhat arduous process that requires the removal of other security apps. Once you get over this, BitDefender Antivirus Plus 2013 updates the database and performs an immediate check of your system for viruses, worms, Trojan horses and spyware. The program also features anti-phishing protection to stop you getting sucked in by malicious sites.

Features

Two strong points in BitDefender Antivirus are its special Game and Laptop modes. Game mode opens the firewall to prevent connection issues and disables any resource-intensive processes, while maintaining a safe, fun gaming experience. Laptop mode temporarily tweaks security settings to prevent the antivirus from draining your computer's battery.

Besides BitDefender Antivirus Plus 2013's functionality, the app also features a nicely designed interface with three different views (Basic, Intermediate and Expert) so that you can make the most of it no matter what your level of expertise is.

BitDefender Antivirus Plus 2013 is a complete antivirus system that's constantly updated and features handy modes for gamers and laptop users.

Download BitDefender Antivirus Plus 2013 16.18.0 in Softonic

Download Accelerator
With Avant Browser's built-in multi-threaded downloader, it's much faster to download files from webpage or your email box, and much easier to manage download files.

RSS Reader
With Avant Browser, you can easily switch RSS view in Outlook headline mode or full-expended mode. You can also choose to be informed whenever there is an update to the RSS.

Mouse Gestures
Got a big screen and tired of accurate clicks? With Mouse Gesture feature, you can control Avant Browser by “drawing” the command on the screen.
Mouse Gestures
Got a big screen and tired of accurate clicks? With Mouse Gesture feature, you can control Avant Browser by “drawing” the command on the screen.

Video Sniffer
Avant Browser can detect the videos in the web page you are browsing, and let you download them with just one click.

Mouse Gestures
Got a big screen and tired of accurate clicks? With Mouse Gesture feature, you can control Avant Browser by “drawing” the command on the screen.

RSS Reader
With Avant Browser, you can easily switch RSS view in Outlook headline mode or full-expended mode. You can also choose to be informed whenever there is an update to the RSS.
Avant is a multi-processing browser featured with Private Browsing, Anti-Freezing, Low CPU Usage, No Memory Leak, Web Form Auto-Filler, Online Bookmarks, Mouse Gestures, AD/Popup Blocker, Full Screen/Desktop Mode, Flash Filter, RSS Reader... Auto-Filler will memorize/protect passwords for you. You can fill web forms with Auto-Filler by a single click. Online Bookmarks allow users access their Bookmarks anywhere, office, home or an Internet cafe.
Avant is a multi-processing browser featured with Private Browsing, Anti-Freezing, Low CPU Usage, No Memory Leak, Web Form Auto-Filler, Online Bookmarks, Mouse Gestures, AD/Popup Blocker, Full Screen/Desktop Mode, Flash Filter, RSS Reader...

Download Avant Browser 2013 build 23 in Softonic

Download EditPad Pro 7.1.2 in Softonic

It's no secret that sites around the web, like Facebook, track your browsing habits to better serve targeted ads to you but there hasn't been a simple solution to stop them from tracking you. Thankfully, Facebook Disconnect is an easy to install cross platform extension that stops Facebook from tracking you.

Facebook Disconnect is super simple to install. Just click install and you're done. You may need to restart the browser if you're using Firefox. After that, there are no options to configure. Facebook Disconnect just stops Facebook from sucking up your private and personal data.

Facebook Disconnect is and open source project so you can look at the code yourself and contribute to the project if you like. There is also the extension the blocks Facebook, Twitter, and Google from tracking your private browsing data if you want to take care of all three services at once.

Overall, Facebook Disconnect is a dead simple way to block Facebook from tracking your private internet browsing habits and data.

Download Facebook Disconnect 2.1.1 in Softonic

If you’ve ever had to publish, send or receive particularly large files sizes, you’ll know that it can throw up all kinds of problems – crashed servers, blocked inboxes and transfers that suddenly just hang-up. Pando aims to take the pain out of this process and according to the developers, 3 million people agree that it does exactly that.

Pando is based on a P2P network that enables you to send files of up to 1GB in size by e-mail or by publishing it to the web. It supports all multimedia file types including video, audio and photos meaning it’s great for people who deal with audio-visual files regularly.

For most users, the major benefit will be with e-mail attachments and the good news is, there's no need to change your existing e-mail client. Pando works by creating a torrent-like link file which you can then send in the body of your e-mail for the recipient to click on. There’s no need to be online when the recipient downloads the file and there’s no compression, FTP or dodgy web uploading applets to deal with. The reason you don’'t need to be online is because Pando sends files to its "super-node" servers, which means that there's always at least one "seeder" online at any given time. This seed is guaranteed for 14 days so even if you log off, your recipient can still view it. Obviously, the more people that share it too, the faster the download.

For those unfamiliar with FTP, Pando is fantastic since it works on the same principle as a Bittorrent client. Once the small interface is opened, you can drag and drop or select “add-file” to create a ".pando” file which you can then e-mail to whoever you want once it is uploaded.

The main drawback is that the recipient has to have Pando installed to receive the file. If you transfer files to someone regularly, this is not a problem but if it’'s just the odd file you want to send, then it could be a nuisance to ask someone to install it just to see your file. Be warned also that Pando cannot guarantee security although the developers assure that Pando has 256bit AES end-to-end encryption built in making it technically one of the most secure ways to transfers files online today. The only way that someone could realistically compromise your security however is by hacking into your e-mail account.

Whilst Pando is obviously open to abuse by sharing illegal files, most people go to the major Torrent sites to do that, meaning Pando is refreshingly free of any copyrighted material flying around and causing problems. Overall, it’'s a great solution for those unfamiliar with FTP who need to send big files regularly.

Download Pando 2.5.1.9 in Softonic

CS-Cart shopping cart software comes with 100% open code and is identical to the full commercial version of CS-Cart Professional. You will have a ready storefront and checkout system.

You just have to do the basic setup, populate your store with products, enter your account details with your payment system and then go live.

There is an intuitive administration panel and a web-based administration panel to give full control over every aspect of your e-commerce website.

The panel manages your product catalog, orders, customers, shipping methods, payments, designs and any settings with just a few mouse clicks.

There is one-page checkout, an AJAX-based web interface, visual block manager and many other features available with this tool. With CS-Cart you can get table-less and W3C compliant layouts, friendly URLs and can define meta-tags as well as generate Google sitemaps.

It provides a built-in content management engine that enables you to create, edit and publish supplementary content that makes the store complete.

Download CS-Cart Shopping Cart Engine 2.0 in Softonic

Are you seeking for a better way to help you protect your children or families from undesirable web pages? EWatcher; is just for special you and guarantee you a satisfying experience with Internet Explorer.

Enjoy the surprising functions IEWatcherprovides for you, enjoy your surfing completely! Intelligent popup ad killer + Flash and Gif ad killer + Flash movie log and download + IE browse log + Web site visit control.

Main features:Popup Ad killer Intelligently block popup Ad windows from Internet Explorer plus a detailed log of it. Save your internet bandwidth, the unverified popup will not be opened at all.

White list function allow you to specify some verified address you don`t want to block popup. You may add it from your VisitLog and BlockLog. Hotkey feature to temporarily pause popup block function.

And the Hotkey can be selected. You can set a notification when a popup window is blocked via displaying a message in the IE status bar and/or playing a wave sound.

Show/hide Flash and GifDefine a key to toggle the show/hide mode all the Flash and/or Gif in a web page easily and instantly. You may just set one key to get rid off all the ad animations.

Log and download Flash filesAutomatically log the Flash loaded in web pages. Preview the Flash in IEWatcher and save it to your directories freely.

IE browse logAutomatically record the history of the web page you visited with detailed date and time in it. The log is protected by your password and you can delete the selected log items freely.

Forbidden site controlBuild a site list to ban the visiting of some web sites. OthersAll the functions will start after you installed IEWatcher no mater if ;IEWatcher; is running or not.

Password protected for your log. Automatic online update. This function help you check the latest version online and update easily. Searching in the message log with some search condition.

Download IEWatcher 1.21 in Softonic

This allows you to open pages faster and minimize bandwidth allocation for browsing so that you can download files, stream videos and do more things on the Internet at a faster rate.

VG Banner Shooter has its own built-in list of banners and ads to be blocked, so you automatically have decreased bandwidth usage once the program is running.

You can also customize the list of blocked banners by adding banners not yet in the list or removing banners from the list. You can also block Flash on web pages.

Not only that, VG Banner Shooter is also capable of blocking pop-up ads that show up on most web pages. Overall, this software is a reliable program to block banners when you browse web sites, and can increase internet surfing speeds.

Download VG Banner Shooter 2.6 in Softonic

Alertsyou whenever you are about to view a scam site. Based on anupdated list of phishing sites and using an advanced detection algorithm,ID AntiPhishing detects insecure sites andprevents your from viewing them.

Enablesor disables the possibility of popup windows to appear on yourscreen. By simply changing this option, you can have all pop-upsremoved, or you can decide which ones to open.

Automaticallyremoves popup windows it has encountered before. It tracks all ofthe pop-ups it has blocked before, and memorizes them to make of thisinformation next time.

Filtersand scans in search for scam websites. Using various searchengines, ID AntiPhishing searches for anypotentially dangerous popup window that can harm your computer.

IDAntiPhishing can be operated by the use of a single button. Onclick is enough to decide whether you want protection usingphishing monitoring, or not.

Blockingpopup windows, ID AntiPhishing protects yourcomputer against some pop-ups hacker attacks, by preventing them fromdisplaying on your computer`s system.

Takeslittle space on your disk, runs fast and efficiently, and has a simple,easy to use graphic interface, making it comfortable for you to manageit.

Download ID AntiPhishing 1.2 in Softonic

Once you turn off Setup Mode, only popups from sites you have specifically allowed will be shown. Unique "Setup Mode" notifies you when a site tries to open a popup and lets you choose whether to allow or permanently block popups from that site.

Press Win+Z to allow the next popup. Can sense when your mouse is over a link and allow popups that are the results of clicking a link that opens in a new window.

Play a sound whenever a popup is blocked. Can be set to run at startup. Minimizes to the System Tray and blocks popups without interfering with your browsing.

Click the System Tray icon to make the program visible, allow the next popup, or exit the program. Can be added to Internet Explorer\s "Tools" menu for quick and easy access!

Does not Contain any Adware, Spyware, or other Third Party Software. A brandable (a. k. a. Private Label) version of this software, with full resell rights, is available at www.

Download Mister Popper Stopper 2.1 in Softonic

It is like standing behind them and watching what they are doing without them knowing. iMonitorPC Home with Remote Monitoring is able to record all actions done on a computer, including windows opened, accessed sites, opened browsers, chat room activities, and social networking sites opened.

This software is also capable of blocking actions and restricting access to selected sites, generating activity reports, taking screen shots, activity warnings and more.

This software is easy to configure with flexible settings to suit your needs and requirements. Also, this software is capable of defining and enforcing usage restrictions on other users according to your definition.

Activity reports can be sent to you via email or viewed online. Overall, iMonitorPC Home with Remote Monitoring is a powerful software capable of activity restriction and monitoring for both home and office use.

Download iMonitorPC Home with Remote Monitoring 4.3 in Softonic

It is like standing behind them and watching what they are doing without them knowing. iMonitorPC Home with Remote Monitoring is able to record all actions done on a computer, including windows opened, accessed sites, opened browsers, chat room activities, and social networking sites opened.

This software is also capable of blocking actions and restricting access to selected sites, generating activity reports, taking screen shots, activity warnings and more.

This software is easy to configure with flexible settings to suit your needs and requirements. Also, this software is capable of defining and enforcing usage restrictions on other users according to your definition.

Activity reports can be sent to you via email or viewed online. Overall, iMonitorPC Home with Remote Monitoring is a powerful software capable of activity restriction and monitoring for both home and office use.

Download iMonitorPC Home with Online Monitoring 4.3 in Softonic

You can monitor all the computers in your workplace using 007 Spy Software. It goes undetected as it runs in stealth mode, and no one will notice that you are monitoring what they are doing on their computers.

It monitors everything that happens on a computer, windows opened, web sites browsed, emails sent and received, IM conversations, even keys pressed including passwords and log-in/usernames to all kinds of sites and programs.

Other features include spyware detection disability, lockdown and monitoring scheduling, built-in log encryption, send activity logs via email or ftp, and block unwanted sites, programs, and detection of games on the computer.

It also allows keystroke monitoring, application activity logging, screen shot capturing, files printed logging, disk activity logging and user active and idle times logging.

Download 007 Spy Software 3.92 in Softonic

Unique "Setup Mode" notifies you whenever a site tries to send a popup, and lets you block it or allow it with the click of a button.

Once you turn off Setup Mode, only popups from sites you have specifically allowed will be shown. Unique "Setup Mode" notifies you when a site tries to open a popup and lets you choose whether to allow or permanently block popups from that site.

Press Win+Z to allow the next popup. Can sense when your mouse is over a link and allow popups that are the results of clicking a link that opens in a new window.

Play a sound whenever a popup is blocked. Can be set to run at startup. Minimizes to the System Tray and blocks popups without interfering with your browsing.

Click the System Tray icon to make the program visible, allow the next popup, or exit the program. Can be added to Internet Explorer's "Tools" menu for quick and easy access!

Download Private Label Popup Blocker 2.1 in Softonic

The big advantage of Translate.net is that it scans multiple translation sites for languages that you need to translate to and from. The good thing here is that you don't have to go online and tediously surf the net for translators and by using translators from different sources, you can much more accurate and better translations. The annoying thing however is that the program displays advertisements within the program based on the translation texts that you are searching on. However, the developers assure that Translate.Net does not collect any personal data or use any aggressive advertising techniques on it's users. One thing worth mentioning however is that this program is completely open source which means that the advertising feature may be possible to remove, or at least block, if you have some C++ programming knowledge.

A great solution for those that translate regularly although be prepared to be bombarded with adverts.

Download Translate.Net 0.1.3493.4408 in Softonic