Chrome's outstanding features, like its download manager, incognito browsing mode and bookmark syncing, already make it a stand out app. In version 20, it adds a more new features, as well some tweaks that make it even more user-friendly.

New features

Being able to search directly from the address bar is one of the great things about Google Chrome. Now Omnibox, Google Chrome's address bar, will offer you various suggestions as you type. Depending on how accurate it thinks its results are, Chrome may even begin to pre-load a chosen page. Popular sites like Facebook and Twitter are now sure to load almost instantaneously.

You'll now also receive warnings when Google Chrome thinks a downloading file that might contain malware or something harmful to your PC. It does this by tracing the download's originating server and comparing it to sites on its blacklist. If you're concerned about privacy when it comes to Google looking at your downloads for potential malware, you can disable this feature within your browser preferences.

Updates and tweaks

Google Chrome introduces several smaller updates designed to improve the user experience. First, Google Chrome has improved page zooming to make it more consistent with other browsers - you can now zoom up to 500%. In addition, Print Preview no longer shows up in its own tab but rather appears in a highly-configurable modal window - this improves your workflow and makes printing even quicker. Google Chrome's History tab has also undergone a redesign. It now allows users to filter out or even remove specific domains you don't want showing up there.

There's also been an update to the V8 JavaScript engine and more than a dozen security fixes. In short, these changes make browsing even quicker - and using the internet even safer.

In addition, version 20 helps with vulnerability greatly, in that it covers patches for quite a few security-related bugs. Google Chrome's latest update will consequently help make your browsing experience even safer.

Chrome extensions

Last, but not least, there are also changes for extensions - not only can you now count on a range of Google Chrome extensions that rivals (and in many cases betters) Firefox's, but those of you with a more technical bent can take advantage of improved extension APIs, so if you've got an idea, it's even easier to make it into an extension yourself.

If you're considering making the switch from old favorites like Firefox or Internet Explorer, we'd wholeheartedly recommend Google Chrome as the browser of the future!

Google Chrome, Google's browser, mixes a clean, minimalist interface with a variety of powerful tools, making it a great browser.

Download Google Chrome 27.0.1453.93 in Softonic

Features

These days, it's an app that attempts to be all things to all people - play DVDs, organize music, catalog photos, convert video, interact with social networking sites, browse internet multimedia....there's no end to what RealPlayer offers to its users. Even so, it's not an out-and-out success...

Usability

For a start, installation of RealPlayer is annoying - it takes a while, requires lots of "nexts" and tries to install and enable several features that users don't really need. Finally, when it starts, you're offered a chance to upgrade to paid versions of RealPlayer before you have to register yourself with Real Networks. If all this messing around doesn't appeal, check out a slimline app like UMPlayer.

When you're up and running, RealPlayer features a wide interface where you will notice ads and videos recommended by Real Networks. This looks cluttered and messy, and it's hard to know what the app actually offers. In reality, RealPlayer is ideal for playing and sharing video with your friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter and it works easily with BlackBerry, iPod, iPhone and other game systems. The new video converter allows you to copy online video to your iPod, Xbox, PS3 and other devices. Unfortunately, you can't rip DVDs with RealPlayer, although this is available as a feature if you upgrade to RealPlayer Plus.

Most recently, RealPlayer has been updated with far better mobile and social networking integration. You can now copy your favorite videos to an iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry and dozens of other popular devices automatically. Downloading internet videos is faster, and for those of you with something to hide, RealPlayer offers a new Private folder. Social media has also been bumped up, with direct access to Facebook videos and usefully, a built-in feature to transfer videos to your mobile devices.

Quality

That said, RealPlayer isn't bad at all. It's comparable to Windows Media Player 12 as they both have some impressive ways of organizing your music. For me, the best feature is the CD burner which is something I've used from the early days of RealPlayer. The sheer quality of some of the media only available in Real formats makes RealPlayer an essential item in the toolkit of any fan of internet video and audio.

Conclusion

There's no shortage of media players theses days, and RealPlayer is by no means a bad option. It offers lots of features, good options and is a high-quality player that will do justice to your media. The only problem is that despite its modern features, it feels like a bit of a dinosaur. It's heavy and slow, looks chunky and takes an age to respond to clicks, and for many people - especially those who have experience of lighter options - it's just not the most comfortable player.

RealPlayer is a media player that, although powerful, has suffered from serious feature-creep over the years.

Download RealPlayer 16.0.2.232 in Softonic

Features

Mozilla Firefox 18 is the latest version of the popular web browser and brings with it a few key and welcome new features. First among them is the company's claim to a speedier, safer browsing experience. Tests reveal that this newest version of Mozilla Firefox is certainly quick to load even the most graphics intense pages.

Firefox 18 also now features secure connections when performing Google searches to improve privacy and there's an updated site identity indicator in the URL bar. Windows users also now get silent updates while Mac users on Lion or above can use Firefox in full-screen mode.

Mozilla Firefox's new tab layout itself is a pretty noticeable new feature. Quite similar to Google's Chrome browser, instead of seeing a blank page whenever a new tab is opened Firefox users will now be treated to icons that offer quick access to everything from bookmarks to most recently accessed and most frequently visited sites.

These icons are fully customizable in Mozilla Firefox as well. You can click and drag them to any spot you like on your name tab's page. If you're not a fan, you can also go to the grid icon on the upper right side of your browser and erase them entirely.

Something completely new to Mozilla Firefox is Facebook integration. Firefox now supports Facebook's social API so you can have dedicated buttons for Facebook in your browser. Mozilla Firefox supports Facebook's Messenger within Firefox, giving users desktop notifications as well as a persistent friends list and activity feed on the right. Conversations will open up as overlays on top of whatever website you're on so you can multitask while you chat.

Usability

Mozilla Firefox really changed the way people browse the web when it originally burst onto the scene. Today Firefox remains an incredibly powerful and customizable browser, although competition from Google Chrome has given it a definite run for its money.

Conclusion

Mozilla Firefox 20's interface isn't much different from previous versions, but the features it has added certainly make for a nicer, more enjoyable browsing experience overall.

What's new

For full release notes, please visit https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/20.0/releasenotes/

Download Mozilla Firefox 21 in Softonic

Adobe Flash Player (originally a Macromedia product) remains the standard platform for viewing a wide variety of web content, varying from navigation elements to every video you watch on YouTube.

Some of the main reasons to use Adobe Flash Player are:

-simple to use
-high performance
-small file size
-near-HD quality

Additions and Improvements

Adobe Flash Player 10 includes a wide range of interesting additions and improvements when compared to previous versions. Some of these great new features include the inclusion of support for the H.264 video codec and the HE-AAC audio codec, which together offer a much richer, higher-definition picture and crystal-clear sound. By introducing these capabilities and only slightly impacting performance, Adobe Flash Player is set to encourage another revolution in web video, since HD movies are becoming standard on YouTube. They also look and sound fantastic!

Adobe Flash Player 10 also irons out some of the problems that previous versions have suffered from. These include previous security and stability issues. This update also includes support for ActionScript 3.0 and makes fantastic 3D graphics possible. This means more dynamic and interesting navigation, games and interactivity on websites.

Adobe Flash Player 11 represents a leap forward in terms of quality, stability and security.

Download Adobe Flash Player (for IE) 11.8.800.42 in Softonic

Adobe Flash Player is an essential plugin for your browser that allows you to view everything from video to games and animation on the web.

Features

Adobe Flash Player 10 includes a range of interesting additions and improvements when compared to previous versions. Top of that list is the inclusion of support for the H.264 video codec and the HE-AAC audio codec, which together offer a much richer, higher-definition picture along with crystal-clear sound. Introducing these capabilities in Adobe Flash Player with only slightly reduced performance looks set to trigger another revolution in web video, as HD movies are already an important element on YouTube - and they look and sound great!

Quality

Adobe Flash Player 10 irons out some of the problems that previous versions have suffered from (like security and stability issues), as well including support for ActionScript 3.0. It also makes fantastic 3D graphics possible. This makes for more dynamic and interesting navigation, games and interactivity on websites.

Conclusion

Adobe Flash Player 10 represents a leap forward in terms of quality as well as stability and security. It's therefore a highly recommended download for all users.

Download Adobe Flash Player Firefox, Safari, Opera 11.8.800.42 (Firefox) in Softonic

CCleaner is a very efficient and easy to use utility that cleans and optimizes your PC to ensure best performance and freedom from malware.

The beauty of free download CCleaner is the speed at which it carries out the various scans and fixes. Its main purpose is to clean any unnecessary files from your hard-drive and on opening the program you see the various aspects of Windows that you can search through and clear. CCleaner will also detect your installed applications that may hold on to files which are no longer any use, such as Google Earth histories or Flash Player configurations. The uninstaller is probably more useful, and more powerful, than Windows own uninstaller although use it with care! If you don't know what an entry relates to in the program list, leave it alone to be on the safe side otherwise you could end-up removing vital components.

When you install CCleaner, it will prompt you whether you want to install Google Chrome as well and whether you want to use CCleaner to preserve cookies that you use regularly to log-onto websites, security checks etc.
The interface in CCleaner is very easy to navigate and before taking any action, you will always be asked to confirm that you are sure about what you want to do. There is a useful Registry Checker that will quickly check its integrity, and let you fix bad entries after making a backup. CCleaner's uninstall and startup tools are very handy to have overall and simply add to the usability of this very rounded little maintenance assistant.

The most recent release of CCleaner now comes with a Drive Wiper. Drive Wiper can be accessed in the Tools section of CCleaner and allows you to choose whether to scrub only free space or an entire drive using three levels of strength - Department of Defense-level three-pass option, a National Security Administration-level seven-pass cleaning or a 35-pass Gutmann-level deep scrub.

There's also improved support for cleaning files left behind by Google Chrome and Internet Explorer 9. Web Apps that use HTML5 database storage are also now included in CCleaner's cleaning process. Finally, a few more System directories have been targeted for cleaning and CCleaner now supports 64 bit machines.

CCleaner makes keeping your PC clean easy for beginners and experts alike. It's small, fast, comprehensive, and free to download - get cleaning now!

Download CCleaner 4.01.4093 in Softonic

Fresh modern-looking user interface, combines easy to use password generator, password checker that checks password as you type it and Google Chrome password recovery tools.

A person that bothered quality of his password or a person that needs Google Chrome password recovery.

Download SecurePassword Kit 4.2 in Softonic

RSS Subscription Extension is a Chrome extension that allows you to easily add RSS feeds to multiple readers. This extension is an independently developed version of the discontinued official RSS Subscription Extension by Google, replicating its look and functionality.

However, this identically named Chrome extension removes obsolete RSS readers like Google Reader and iGoogle by replacing them with current ones like Feedly, NewsBlur, and The Old Reader. RSS Subscription Extension will allow you retain easy address bar RSS subscribing even as Google removes official support.

What it does

By default the extension allows you to quickly add RSS feeds. You must also be signed up with each of these RSS services for RSS Subscription Extension to work. You can individually pick which service is used for each feed, or set a single service for all new feeds.

You can also add in other RRS services, although you must know the URL coding. If you don’t know the specifics for each service, RSS Subscription Extension won’t let you save your settings. This can be very confusing and intimidating for new users.

How it's used

When you visit a site with an RSS feed an icon will appear in the address bar, making it easy to access. The functionality depends on if you set a primary reader or not. If you have a primary reader, pressing the icon will automatically add the feed to your chosen reader.

Otherwise you will be presented with a banner allowing you to select which reader you want to use, or if you wish to add or edit them. It is much easier and faster to use one reader, but if you wish to change that one you have to enter the Chrome extension menu; there is no convenient button to switch readers.

Does it work?

RSS Subscription Extension doesn’t always work as expected and will often result in errors. This frequently occurs when trying to add RSS feeds into Feedly. Adding feeds to The Old Reader and Newsblur does not have this problem, making them much more reliable options.

It is possible to have errors when adding in a reader. Thankfully, there is a reset list button that will clear out all new readers and restore the initial three.

Final word

This independently developed extension retains the functionality of Google’s defunct RSS Subscription Extension. For those that used Google Reader in the past, this will be a welcome extension to seamlessly transition into Feedly, Newsblur, or The Old Reader.

While there are occasional issues connecting to Feedly, the extension works great with the other two services. You can even add additional RSS readers, provided you have their URLs. RSS Subscription Extension makes it easy to subscribe to RSS feeds right in the address bar.

Download RSS Subscription Extension 2.2.2 in Softonic

Overview

Opera 12 keeps the general design and functionality of the highly-praised Opera 11, but adds convenient improved features like themes, web cam access and hardware acceleration. As for the the interface, Opera 12 features a slightly cleaner GUI with a focus on webpages instead of buttons and menus. Overall, Opera 12 isn't a huge change compared to the last version, but it has been improved with some nice new features.

Innovations and speed

The big innovation in the last version of Opera was extensions and while the choice of browser enhancements is still fairly limited, when you install or uninstall add-ons, you don't have to restart your browser. They are also sandboxed, so if one crashes, your browser won't. Opera 12 runs just as quickly as Google Chrome (the developer claims it's even faster) and the rendering engine has been tweaked slightly to offer an even faster browsing experience.

Visual Tabs and Tab Stacking is useful if you often have too many open, and there are now visual mouse gestures. These are well implemented, and accessed by holding the right mouse button which brings up a translucent guide to mouse gestures. This is a great introduction for people who've never used gestures, and hopefully allows for greater use in the future.

There's still an integrated mail client, which continues Opera's move towards doing everything you need in one application. The newest features or improvements of note are themes and web cam access. The most notable improvement has been to Speed Dial which instead of simply giving easy access to your favorite sites, now allows you to embed your Speed Dial with dynamic information - in other words, web apps within Opera. Meanwhile Password Syncing allows you to sync passwords across machines and devices - just sign-up for an account and Opera does the rest. There have also been some HTML5 improvements for developers such as Session History, Navigation and the W3C File API.

Conclusions

Opera 12 is a definite improvement on Opera 11 although the changes aren't revolutionary. However, if you're looking for a new browser, this is probably the most innovative currently on the market and is well worth installing.

Download Opera 12.15 in Softonic

Overview

If you’ve had your PC for awhile, it’s not uncommon for it to get slower over time. Part of this has to do with accumulated clutter. You’ll want to use an application that optimizes your computer to get it back up to speed. TuneUp Utilities 2013 is a good option. The program helps remove browser traces and other file clutter to ensure your PC is running its quickest.

Streamlined and intuitive

When you launch TuneUp Utilities for the first time, the programs performs a system analysis and displays the 1-Click Maintenance window. This provides you with an overview of your computer's main problem areas, the specific problems it has found, and a "1-click" button to fix them.

TuneUp Utilities' main window is divided into several tabs, each one of them devoted to a different purpose: status & recommendations, gain disk space, customize Windows and more. The whole program exudes efficiency by only showing essential information unless you choose to look deeper into any one option. A complete list of TuneUp Utilities' functions - and there are many - is available under the Overview of all functions link in the top right corner of the program.

Loads of optimization tools

TuneUp Utilities 2013 includes tools to optimize system startup, defragment the hard drive, clean broken keys in the Windows Registry, restore accidentally deleted files, check your hard drive for errors, and modify hidden settings and customize Windows’ appearance, just to name a few. Other interesting utilities in TuneUp Utilities 2013 are a file shredder, a complete system report generator and the excellent 1-Click Maintenance tool, which lets you automatically and regularly scan for some of the most likely issues your computer might encounter.

Among some of TuneUp Utilities 2013's newest features are an Economy Mode - perfect for saving battery when you are on a laptop - and a flexible, automatic program deactivation option, ideal for when you need peak performance for certain tasks.

New in the 2013 version

On top of all those great features, TuneUp Utilities 2013 comes equipped with a myriad of new features. The TuneUp Disk Cleaner, for example, removes junk data from over 150 programs. It can clean chat logs, history lists, and cached files in one easy step. TuneUp Utilities 2013 also includes Live Optimization, which will stop resource-heavy applications from slowing down your PC, as well as a Browser Cleaner, which will clean various traces such as Flash cookies. Browser Cleaner is compatible with the Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, and Firefox browsers.

TuneUp Utilities 2013 gathers all the maintenance and optimization tools you need into one efficient, easy-to-use application. You couldn't ask for more.

Download TuneUp Utilities 2013 13.0.3020.7 in Softonic

Windows 8 launched with Internet Explorer 10 installed by default but Windows 7 users were still stuck with IE 9. With Internet Explorer 10 Preview, Windows 7 users can now enjoy some of the new features that Windows 8 already have.

While Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 8 lives a double life as a touch-based and desktop browser, Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 only presents the desktop version of IE 10. Still, there are plenty of interface and upgrades under the hood.

Interface

The interface of Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 has changed only a little. The forward and back buttons are integrated into the window, making the look of Internet Explorer 10 Preview more seamless. Tabs and the address bar share the same space. If you have a lot of tabs open, the interface can look a bit cluttered.

Menus have been simplified and the menu bar is still hidden by default. Users can get to all of the options from the little gear icon on the top right. The options menu is still there for the more technically inclined but it hasn't received any update.

Performance

Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 is the quickest version of the browser yet. Microsoft has included support for web standards like CSS animations, HTML5 spell checking, and improved JavaScript performance. The browser definitely feels a lot snappier than previous versions and puts it on par with competitors like Firefox and Chrome. Microsoft even partnered with Atari and Contre Jour to show off the power of Internet Explorer 10.

In our HTML5 benchmarks, Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 fell behind both Chrome and Opera but beat out Firefox. It is slightly faster than IE 9 and much faster than IE 8. Microsoft has done a great job of making Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 a speedy browser.

Security

IE has been very weak in the security department and Microsoft hopes to change this with Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7. The main security addition to Internet Explorer 10 Preview is "Enhanced Protected Mode," which will lock down parts of the Windows operating system, preventing the browser from accessing the OS. There will be specific pop-ups that will ask for permission to access part of the OS that a browser typically doesn't require. This will help prevent viruses or hackers from gaining access to your files, even if IE has been compromised.

Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 takes a page out of Google's play book and adds automatic updating. This way, users won't have to remember to update their browsers for the latest security and performance upgrades.

Do Not Track

It seems that just about every browser these days has a 'do not track' feature. This feature allows users to opt out of targeted advertising. With Google Chrome, you'll have to enable it yourself. Microsoft makes 'do not track' user friendly by having it be opt-out instead. This move by Microsoft has upset some companies with its do not track enabled by default. Some companies have announced that they will be ignoring Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7's do not track settings.

Integrated Flash

Like in Windows 8's version of Internet Explorer 10, Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 will feature integrated Adobe Flash support but only for selected sites. The Flash plugin isn't integrated into Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 yet but will be added in a future update for the browser.

Wrap-up

Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 offers a great look at the future of IE 10 but lacks the complete touch-focused redesigned of IE 10 for Windows 8. There are still interface elements in the Internet Explorer 10 Preview that look and feel antiquated. Unfortunately, its improvements aren't enough to sway users away from competitors like Firefox or Chrome.

Download Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 10.0.9200.16521 in Softonic

Windows 8 launched with Internet Explorer 10 installed by default but Windows 7 users were still stuck with IE 9. With Internet Explorer 10 Preview, Windows 7 users can now enjoy some of the new features that Windows 8 already have.

While Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 8 lives a double life as a touch-based and desktop browser, Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 only presents the desktop version of IE 10. Still, there are plenty of interface and upgrades under the hood.

Interface

The interface of Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 has changed only a little. The forward and back buttons are integrated into the window, making the look of Internet Explorer 10 Preview more seamless. Tabs and the address bar share the same space. If you have a lot of tabs open, the interface can look a bit cluttered.

Menus have been simplified and the menu bar is still hidden by default. Users can get to all of the options from the little gear icon on the top right. The options menu is still there for the more technically inclined but it hasn't received any update.

Performance

Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 is the quickest version of the browser yet. Microsoft has included support for web standards like CSS animations, HTML5 spell checking, and improved JavaScript performance. The browser definitely feels a lot snappier than previous versions and puts it on par with competitors like Firefox and Chrome. Microsoft even partnered with Atari and Contre Jour to show off the power of Internet Explorer 10.

In our HTML5 benchmarks, Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 fell behind both Chrome and Opera but beat out Firefox. It is slightly faster than IE 9 and much faster than IE 8. Microsoft has done a great job of making Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 a speedy browser.

Security

IE has been very weak in the security department and Microsoft hopes to change this with Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7. The main security addition to Internet Explorer 10 Preview is "Enhanced Protected Mode," which will lock down parts of the Windows operating system, preventing the browser from accessing the OS. There will be specific pop-ups that will ask for permission to access part of the OS that a browser typically doesn't require. This will help prevent viruses or hackers from gaining access to your files, even if IE has been compromised.

Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 takes a page out of Google's play book and adds automatic updating. This way, users won't have to remember to update their browsers for the latest security and performance upgrades.

Do Not Track

It seems that just about every browser these days has a 'do not track' feature. This feature allows users to opt out of targeted advertising. With Google Chrome, you'll have to enable it yourself. Microsoft makes 'do not track' user friendly by having it be opt-out instead. This move by Microsoft has upset some companies with its do not track enabled by default. Some companies have announced that they will be ignoring Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7's do not track settings.

Integrated Flash

Like in Windows 8's version of Internet Explorer 10, Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 will feature integrated Adobe Flash support but only for selected sites. The Flash plugin isn't integrated into Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 yet but will be added in a future update for the browser.

Wrap-up

Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 offers a great look at the future of IE 10 but lacks the complete touch-focused redesigned of IE 10 for Windows 8. There are still interface elements in the Internet Explorer 10 Preview that look and feel antiquated. Unfortunately, its improvements aren't enough to sway users away from competitors like Firefox or Chrome.

Download Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 10.0.9200.16521 64 bit in Softonic

With the official release of Windows 8 around the corner, Mozilla is scrambling to complete its version of Firefox Metro Preview. The interface is completely redesigned and has taken some designed cues from Google Chrome like its rounded tabs instead of Firefox's traditional squared off corners.

The first thing users will notice about this version of Firefox is its Windows 8 Modern UI inspired home page with your most frequently visited sites and bookmarks. The interface is intuitive and feels like it's part of the operating system.

Firefox Metro Preview also features a new tab bar at the top that shows live thumbnails of the sites you have open. This is impressive and goes with the Windows 8 'live tiles' feel. The tabs are also big enough to manipulate by touch without having to be too precise. Firefox Metro Preview feels like much more of a complete product than Google Chrome for the Modern UI.

Firefox Metro Preview's search is also integrated into Windows now so users can quickly bring up the search field by pressing Windows + F. This works for Google results so you get instant suggestions for completing search terms. Bookmarks also get a major overhaul. Bookmarks will no longer be stored in folders but in lists. No bookmark will go unsorted in Firefox Metro Preview!

To enter a URL in Firefox Metro Preview, access the address bar by swiping up from the bottom bezel. If you're using a mouse and keyboard, just right click the mouse. If you're sick of using the Modern UI version, you can use it as a normal desktop application, which will look exactly the same as Firefox 15.

Overall, Firefox Metro Preview is a solid build with many great touch friendly features. Once the bugs are hammered out, it'll be a great browser for Windows 8.

Download Firefox for Windows 8 21.0a1 Nightly Build in Softonic

Not everyone's a huge fan of the changes Facebook has introduced recently. Timeline is one of the latest alterations made to Facebook's user interface. It transforms all of your posts into an organized chronology based on the year posted. It also allows you to choose a large background picture to display at the top of your profile page and behind your profile picture.

If you're one of Facebook's users who isn't thrilled with this new change, give Timeline Remove a try. Once installed, this Chrome extension will restore the classic profile appearance for you. Timeline Remove is easy to install and a great way to get back to the look you prefer. Once you've downloaded the Timeline Remove file, an icon will appear on the right hand side of the Chrome address bar. From there, you can enable or disable the extension whenever you like.

Unfortunately, Timeline Remove only changes the appearance of profile pages for those who have the extension. That means your friends and family who haven't installed this extension will still be able to see your Timeline while you're enjoying the classic look on your end.

Say good-bye to Facebook's Timeline interface in seconds thanks to Timeline Remove for Chrome!

Download Timeline Remove 1.1.0 (Chrome) in Softonic

The biggest addition to the latest Google Chrome (Beta) is the inclusion of speech recognition for applications. The browser includes a new Web Speech API, which provides developers tools to integrate speech recognition within their web apps. There is some controversy over the security of such an API as apps will have permission to record and send audio.

Google Chrome (Beta) also adds some security enhancements, most importantly for extensions. Extensions that don't explicitly ask for permissions will be blocked automatically. This is great and will force extension developers to be more transparent.

If you want to check out what's on the horizon for Chrome, download and try the Google Chrome (Beta).

Download Google Chrome (Beta) 27.0.1453.65 in Softonic

Based on WebKit, the powerful engine that both Safari and Google Chrome also use, Dooble's main focus is security on the web. Dooble also incorporates RetroShare, an application that makes it possible for you to send emails and files with a sense of privacy. RetroShare also has a built-in chat program for those who want a complete web surfing experience without the need to open a stand-alone desktop application to chat with friends and family.

In addition, cookies and Javascript are disabled on this browser by default. Dooble also automatically removes the browser's history every time you close the program. You can make changes to the default settings with relative ease through the configuration menu. There are also several search engines included with the browser, tabbed browsing, and the ability to open bookmarks with the keypad numbers.

Unfortunately, Dooble's search engine automatically gives you search results in German, no matter what language you configured to be your primary option. Sometimes the browser's font size also automatically shrinks to an illegible level after you've changed unrelated settings, which can be annoying.

Dooble certainly doesn't break any new ground, but it's a competent and secure browser alternative.

Download Dooble 1.37 in Softonic

This very early developer version of Google Chrome gives us a glimpse into the future of a touch-friendly Chrome. To install this version, users will have to go to the developer channel and download Google Chrome from there. Make sure to check the box for "Make Google Chrome my default browser" to enable its Metro interface.

This developer version of Google Chrome for Metro will immediately be familiar. It looks almost identical to the desktop version of Google Chrome but simplifies things with a bigger menu button on the top right. From there, you can access all of the preferences and settings that you would get from the desktop version of Chrome. This is where Google Chrome for Metro begins to show its sloppiness. The settings buttons are bigger, but aren't as touch-friendly as Internet Explorer for Metro.

One of the best features of Google Chrome for Metro is full Adobe Flash support. As with all other variations of Google Chrome, Flash is baked right into the browser so no additional downloads are needed. Internet Explorer for Metro, on the other hand, features a watered-down version of Flash that only works on certain sites.

Google's developers have a long way to go to make Google Chrome for Metro feel like a native application. As it stands, this is a very early port of Chrome that hasn't put much thought into design.

Download Google Chrome for Windows 8 22.0.1229.96 in Softonic

Advertisers see a lot of information about your interests based on what's available publicly in social spaces like Facebook. If you think your information is secure, think again. Use Privacyfix to see just what's available for public viewing by advertisers.

Privacyfix is easy to install, and will immediately show you what bits of your information are viewable by third party advertisers, as well as let you tweak settings accordingly. It immediately checks accounts you're already logged into on Chrome. For more options, it will prompt you to log into your other various accounts.

Privacyfix can check Facebook (plus the various apps you have installed) and Google, as well as websites you frequently visit. By using a convenient web-based interface, you can toggle between options in the upper bar, then pick and choose what settings to fix in a righthand column below.

Generally, Privacyfix will send you into a new tab to change Facebook settings, and some users might notice a few bugs that need working out with the add-on. Most specifically, the add-on seems to confuse the custom post option on Facebook with the public posting option.

If you're concerned about your information's security online, Privacyfix is a great way to monitor and tweak it.

Download Privacyfix (for Chrome) 2.2.7 in Softonic

As opposed to manually opening Google Maps in another tab, you can highlight an address and Quick Maps will show the location in Google Maps through a pop-up. If you need, you can tell Quick Maps to open a new tab in Google Maps.

Using the add-on is easy and very helpful so you are not constantly opening new tabs for Google Maps and copy/pasting. The only issue currently is that Quick Maps adds a link to addresses in the United States, England, Germany, and Spain, but you can highlight an address and right click to manually search an address in other locations.

Quick Maps is a great add-on, giving you Google Maps on any site you're viewing.

Download Quick Maps Chrome 1.9 in Softonic

The similarities to Chrome are more obvious than the differences. There is the same combined search and address bar, and the general layout is the same.

When you open a new tab, however, a drop down panel of suggested or most-visited sited appears. This can be easily edited. When you type into Yandex.Browser's search bar, as well as suggested addresses, you can also choose from one of four search engines. Next to the search bar there is also a button that takes you to the Russian language Yandex home.

Overall, Yandex.Browser is fast and easy to use, but there is little reason to recommend it over Chrome or other Chromium based browsers unless you use Yandex's search and email services. If Yandex.Browser develops more of its own personality and features it could be a serious alternative browser.

As an official Yandex product, Yandex.Browser is guaranteed a some success. Outside of Russia, it would be improved if links to the Russian Yandex site were internationalized.

Built with Chromium, Yandex.Browser is a solid browser that looks modern and is easy to use. It's ideal for people who use Yandex services.

Download Yandex.Browser 1.0.1084.5402 in Softonic