Today's professionals need to have access to their e-mail any time, no matter where they are, and Syncing.net can be very useful in these cases.

With Syncing.net you can synchronize all your Outlook data (that is, folders, contacts, tasks and calendar) on your PC with other computers, in a totally safe network you can create by yourself in just a few easy steps.

Syncing.net is therefore a perfect alternative to Exchange for synchronizing Outlook between computers, and it's especially helpful if you usually work with a desktop and laptop computers.

Syncing.net works not only with Outlook, but also with regular files. Simply select the folders you want to share in your own private network and then choose who you want to share this information with. It's as easy as sending them a message from within the program, though the invitation email can't be customized and their recipients will have to install Syncing.net as well before being able to access your network.

If you need to have your files and Outlook data permanently synchronized between different computers then this app is for you.

Download Syncing.net 2.3 Professional Edition in Softonic

If you need to share files more often than not, and you're tired of large email attachments and uncomfortable USB devices, this program is for you.

GBridge lets you easily share files by extending Google's IM service Gtalk to a virtual private network where you can share data, backup files online, sync content between different computers and even chat with your Gtalk contacts on a safe, encrypted environment.

The program is really easy to use and doesn't require any configuration to start working. Simply select the folders you want to share from your hard drive, choose those people from your contact list who will have access to that content and send them a notification. Notice that they'll also need to have GBridge installed to see and download any shared content. Security and network freaks though have a settings menu where they can tweak connection settings, limit bandwidth usage and fiddle with other options.

GBridge works fine and it's a very decent solution to share file without getting involved in complicated configurations or expensive software.

With GBridge, sharing files with your friends and creating online backup copies is easy as pie!

Download GBridge 1.0.0.1130 in Softonic

Security is one of the main concerns among computer users. This is why it's important to count on reliable applications that can protect our system and data from potential dangers. Sometimes free security apps are regarded as being less safe but you might change your mind after testing AVG Antivirus.

AVG is one of the handiest antivirus systems I've seen so far (and believe me, I've tested a few). Being a smaller application, AVG may not feature such a wide range of tools or utilities as the other antivirus programs do. However, it makes up for it by offering a neat, effective protection which stays silently minimized in your system tray and only activates when needed.

This is precisely one of the best things about AVG. It works completely in the background, without the need of half the system resources and of course, without constantly bothering you with warning windows or update messages. You can just go on with your work and you won't even notice you have an antivirus application up and running. Being the free version of a complete program, AVG shows the odd nagging notification encouraging you to buy AVG Professional which may annoy the more sensitive users.

AVG features real time system protection, an email scanner (which doesn't prevent spam from coming into your mailbox though – spam filter is a Pro-only feature) and as new features in AVG 8, an anti-spyware tool and the so called LinkScanner technology to protect your web browsing. The whole package should be enough to ensure you're not infected with any virus. Also, it integrates seamlessly with Windows Explorer, thus allowing you to scan files from their context menus. AVG's virus database is automatically updated on a daily basis, so you're always protected even from the most recently discovered threats. The program supports scheduled scans as well.

AVG Antivirus remains a perfect security solution for the average computer user, providing quite a powerful weapon against viruses.

Download AVG Anti-Virus System Free Edition 8.0.173 in Softonic

VoptXP is an effective utility to defragment your disk drives with no need to use the tool incorporated in your operating system. The defragmenting of a hard disk is a slow process and VoptXP does not perform miracles but it is certainly quicker than Windows own defrag tool.

It works by re-alligning the data that is totally safe and making a new copy of it before doing so in case of any interruption during the process that could ruin it. In addition, you can program it so that it acts once a week or moves archives bigger than a certain amount or to even exclude smaller files. A smarter way to defrag your drive.

Download VoptXP 9.05 in Softonic

ID-sized photos tend to be something that you never have enough of and, given that it can be a pain to go to the closest mall and get some new ones taken, you could just take a recent photo and make multiple copies of it from the comfort of your PC. IDPhotoStudio is a program that will create and print passport sized photos for you in a snap.

Featuring only the bare necessities, IDPhotoStudio, will handle the job in seconds, allowing you to drag and drop your picture onto the interface. You can then select between three ID Photo sizes: US, Canada or France. Because you often need a certain number of photos printed out, IDPhotoStudio has a little drag meter to let you select how many photos you’ll need, from 1 to 15. Click on the print button to get the paper copies of your photo.

IDPhotoStudio is an original idea, and it’s good to see someone come up with a program to quickly print out ID photos. However, the application left us disappointed for a number of reasons. First of all, it doesn’t respect the aspect ratio of photos, so if you drag a large image there’s a risk it’ll appear distorted. Also, when it comes to editing functions, IDPhotoStudio only includes the option to apply sepia or monochrome color filters. We would have preferred if it included tools like a red-eye remover, cropping or contrasting, which are much more useful for improving the quality of pictures. The program doesn't even include an undo feature, meaning that if you accidentally set your image to greyscale when you'd prefer it in color, you'll need to start over.

If you have a good mug shot of yourself and want to quickly print out a set of passport sized photos, IDPhotoStudio will probably suit you. However, the lack of advanced editing features means you’ll never really be guaranteed with a high quality image of yourself. In all, if you want to be on the safe side, use a proper photo editing application like Photoshop or Photofiltre to edit and print good ID sized photos.

Download IDPhotoStudio 2.5.0.17 in Softonic

Registry errors are one of the main reasons for the slow operation of your PC or frequent crashes. Baku can ensure that if your registry does have malicious entries, they can be removed safely. Baku also deletes empty folders, 'History' folder contents, 'Recent documents' folder contents, 'Temp' folder contents and temporary internet files. It can also search Windows log files, shortcuts to missing files and folders and user specified file types. The registry scan itself aims to remove unused and obsolete keys, including ActiveX, Application Paths, Fonts, Help files, Icon files and pesky uninstallers.

Like all such programs, it backs up your registry in case of any wrongful changes although I found that this wasn't exactly easy to restore. Probably the most useful function is the registry compacting facility which does seem to make a notable difference to the running speed of your PC. The developers claim the program uniquely works by recreating each registry hive "from scratch", thus removing any slack space that may be left from previously modified or deleted keys. Note that this function does NOT change the contents of the registry in any way, nor does it physically defrag the registry files on the drive. Be warned though that it takes a little longer than programs such as CCleaner and you'll have to wait more than few minutes for the registry backup to be made.

Download Baku 3.6.3.3194 in Softonic

The torrent phenomenon is one of the most hyped about in the world of technology among Peer to Peer (P2P) users. It consists of sharing large files, like movies, software, or games anonymously and quickly with other peers. The file you want to download is cut up into small segments shared by users, creating what is called a swarm, and does not go through a central server, significantly reducing the bulk of file transfers, The Bittorrent client is actually the first P2P application to use this technology and became immensely popular when it was released. Torrents are considered by online users as a great way to download recently released movies or tv shows.

Thanks to a straightforward, uncluttered interface Bittorrent appears as a friendly torrent client that beginners will feel comfortable with. We particularly appreciated the integrated search box to look for files on the bittorrent website. Once you’ve found the torrent you want, download it to your PC, open it up inside Bittorrent and let the client do its job. The speed at which you download will depend on the number of seeds, that is people who have the complete file and are sharing it. The more seeds there are the quicker files will download.

You can set multiple torrent downloads and the downloading speed is fairly quick. It’s easy to configure the client and we suggest choosing the right port and setting upload and download rate limits to avoid hogging your bandwidth. It’s also good to set your downloads by priority to monitor more precisely how your torrents are doing.

Compared to the exhaustive Azureus, Bittorrent is very simplistic. It doesn’t provide half as many statistics and doesn’t let you customize the interface. Integrating a search box is a great idea, but it limits searches to the bittorrent website, not considered the most thorough source by torrent aficionados.

If you’re a newbie to the torrent world, Bittorrent is a good bet. It’s safe, stable and sharp. Associated with the huge database of legal torrents that is the bittorrent website, it makes for a very rich P2P experience. Advanced users will probably frown upon its lack of options but others should give it a try.

Download BitTorrent 6.1.1 in Softonic

The Windows Registry is one of the key system elements of the OS, meaning you should always try to keep it in perfect shape with tools like Argente Registry Cleaner.

Argente Registry Cleaner analyzes the whole Registry in just a few seconds and finds all the invalid entries that programs usually leave behind after an incomplete uninstallation process. These entries can end up collapsing the Windows Registry and causing serious performance issues, but with Argente Registry Cleaner you have nothing to fear: the program will scan all the Registry areas, create a list with all found errors and provide you with the necessary tools to erase them. And for those of you who don't like messing up with the Registry, Argente Registry Cleaner also includes a backup option to be on the safe side.

Argente Registry Cleaner includes some interesting configuration options with which you can select which areas in the Windows Registry you want to scan, but unfortunately there's no option to set automatic scans according to a user defined schedule.

With Argente Registry Cleaner you can keep the Windows Registry fully clean, optimized and functional in just a couple of clicks.

Download Argente Registry Cleaner 1.5.0.2 in Softonic

GetDataBack will recover your data if the hard drive's partition table, boot record, FAT/MTF or root directory are lost or damaged, data lost due to a virus attack, the drive was formatted, fdisk has been run, a power failure has caused a system crash, files were lost due to a software failure, files were accidentally deleted.

GetDataBack can even recover your data when the drive is no longer recognized by Windows. It can likewise be used even if all directory information - not just the root directory- is missing.

The software enables the regular user to conduct his own data recovery by guiding him through five easy to understand steps, thus gives the advanced user the possibility to interfere with the recovery and improve the results, by examining the scan log, the file system details, file and directory information, by selecting the sector range to be scanned, by choosing excessive search for file systems or search for lost files, by calling Runtime's DiskExplorer.

Download GetDataBack for FAT 3.63 in Softonic

We're not always as careful as we should be with out secret data. Some people even have the bad habit of jotting down usernames, passwords, PIN numbers and other sensitive data on a post-it note that they just leave lying around.

If this sounds like you, you'd better take a look at LockCrypt right away. This app can handle all your private data and keep it safe and sound in an encrypted database, either based on a TXT file or a MySQL document (which makes it suitable for both the beginner and the advanced user).

LockCrypt features a bunch of different categories for your information: credit card numbers, login data for websites, email accounts, doctor's prescriptions, etc. What's more, you can easily create your own categories and thus tailor the program to suit your needs. It also lets you export information to several different formats, as well as sync the database with and Windows Mobile and Java-enabled handheld devices.

As you can see, LockCrypt is not just a password manager; in fact its password management feature seems quite basic when compared to other similar tools. But the program makes up for it by offering you an additional Firefox add-on that enables LockCrypt to work better with the browser.

LockCrypt is a safe vault for any kind of confidential data. Plus you can manage your passwords in Firefox, and sync data with your mobile device.

Download LockCrypt 1.83 in Softonic

As mobile phones become ever smarter, more and more of us are using our devices as mini computers. But how easy do you find it to share data from your Windows machine with your mobile? Not very, I reckon.

Until now, only Windows Mobile users have really had any kind of standardized platform for transferring files and synchronizing contacts between a PC and a handheld device: using Microsoft ActiveSync. Not any more though, because Microsoft Phone Data Manger enables data sharing between Windows and a wide variety of different phones and PDAs.

Microsoft Phone Data Manger is specifically designed to transfer contacts, photos, music and video from your device to your PC, and to synchronize your phone's contacts with your Windows Live contacts. This is great for users of the service, as it ensures you have access to your phone book when you don't have it to hand, and means that your contacts are kept safe in the vent of you losing your mobile. Of course, this is only good if you use Windows Live, because Microsoft Phone Data Manager doesn't support GMail, Yahoo! or any other webmail provider.

The key to Microsoft Phone Data Manager lies in its simplicity. The application detects any device connected, provided it supports the SyncML standard - check the Microsoft website to see if your device does. You'll need to connect via Bluetooth or USB cable in order to perform syncs. Syncing in Phone Data Manager is a real breeze. You simply double-click on the device you wish to hook up to, then choose whether you want to sync your contacts or back up your files. Enter your Windows Live (or Hotmail) ID and the program will automatically share your contacts between your phone and the email service.

Microsoft Phone Data Manager is still in beta, so it isn't perfect. There are a few interface glitches, such as the screwy Live ID entry screen, and the fact that there aren't any advanced features like a proper file explorer.

On the whole, however, Microsoft Phone Data Manager provides a fast and reliable way of syncing contacts and backing up files.

Download Microsoft Phone Data Manager Beta in Softonic

CCleaner is a small utility that will take care of a few of the important maintenance tasks that every computer user should carry out as regularly as possible to keep their systems in top shape. Fast, reliable and easy to use - CCleaner it's one of the best cleaning systems out there.

For me, the beauty of 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 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 uninstall and startup tools are handy to have and simply add to the usability of this very rounded little maintenance assistant.

The most recent release of CCleaner now works on Vista with Admin permissions where available and features various bug fixes and improvements to the translated versions.

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

Download CCleaner 2.12.660 in Softonic

The little known programming language Logo isn't know for its power but it can actually produce some pretty decent 3D models - and it's a hell of a lot easier to learn than most languages.

Elica is specially designed for Logo programmers who want to creating impressive 3D animations, object-oriented programming, visualization and mathematical games for educational purposes. Elica features all the standard things you expect in a programming environment such as syntax coloring, comprehensive help file and in this particular environment, a very powerful graphics engine to handle 3D modeling.

From the developer's website, it mainly seems that Elica has been used by Logo programmers to create simulations of artificial life to mathematical games like Tangram and Towers of Hanoi. You can take a look for yourself in the Elica Online Museum exactly what the program is capable of and it's safe to say you'll probably be amazed by some of the results.

If you're a Logo programmer or have been thinking about 3D modelling or design, you should definitely get to know Elica.

Download Elica 5.6 in Softonic

Game Jackal has been designed to enhance your gaming experience in a number of subtle and not so subtle ways.

The most useful application of it for most gamers will be to avoid having to insert a CD-ROM when you are playing a game. You can create profiles on your desktop for separate games with "One-click" profile creation option. This involves right clicking on any game icon and selecting "Convert to Game Jackal Profile". The wizard them takes you through a process that means that the next time you start your game, you won't have to do so much clicking and exchanging of CD-ROM discs. This obviously saves time and wear and tear on your disks. You can use Game Jackal to launch all your games if you want using this option which is a nice way to tie them all together and see what you've got installed on your system. For parents however, the most useful aspect of Game Jackal is that you can prevent adult games from reaching young eyes. "Guardian Control" allows you to place limits on who can and can't use certain games and with games such as Grand Theft Auto 4 featuring some of the most explicit language and gaming yet, this is no bad thing.

For serious gamers or concerned parents, there's something for everyone in Game Jackal that will enhance your gaming experience or at least, set your mind at ease.

Download Game Jackal Pro 3.1.1.2 in Softonic

The P2P protocol is frequently used to exchange files and other data between users, but some people regard it as quite an insecure method.

If you too are worried about security when it comes to online transfers, use Hamachi instead. This handy tool lets you connect two computers via Internet by creating your own private network and protecting it with industry-standard encryption algorithms. This means that your communications will be safe from prying eyes at all times, creating a private channel between both computers.

Hamachi features a simple step-by step tutorial that launches the first time you use the program, showing you how to use the main functions. At first sight, it all looks very easy to use. Complications arise later on when trying to share files between computers: you'll need to have a user account with enough privileges in the target PC, or so it seemed in our testing, during which we were unable to share files due to right issues. Oh well, at least we could have a chat – a very safe one, of course.

Hamachi is a great solution to establish safe, private P2P connections between two computers; unfortunately it's not as easy to use as it seems at first sight.

Download Hamachi 1.0.3.0 in Softonic

High speed Internet connections are quite common now but that doesn’t mean we don’t sometimes need some help when it comes to downloading game demos, videos, MP3 collections and other big files. So, even if you’re enjoying the fastest router in the neighborhood, take a look at Internet Download Manager, because it really has a lot to offer.

This excellent app will take care of all your downloads from the moment you install it on your PC. You can add new download tasks from the program’s interface but the usual thing is to let it capture the links. This means that every time you click on a certain file type (which can be specified through configuration options), IDM will handle the download for itself rather than letting the browser do the job. It’s a really handy option because everything is automatic: no changing from one app to another, no copying and pasting links, just no hassle at all. Also, it works with all major web browsers, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera.

Once IDM captures the link, you can either start to download the file right away or add it to a download list for later, which can be a good alternative if you need all of your bandwidth for the moment and plan to leave the computer on during the night. Downloads can be classified into custom categories right before starting them and can also be resumed if the connection is lost or broken for some reason.

As regards download speeds, Internet Download Manager does meet expectations, although it all depends on your Internet access. That is, don’t expect to download at the speed of light if you’re still using one of those old-fashioned 56K modems. Anyhow, IDM achieves quite satisfying download rates as a result of establishing multiple thread connections to servers. Also, it displays a small window with some interesting information about the download process: transfer rate, data downloaded so far, time left and a neat progress bar for each thread.

The program’s configuration menu displays a wide range of functions and tools devoted to handling your downloads, such as checking files for viruses directly from IDM with your own antivirus system or limiting the amount of bandwidth used by the program. There’s also support for server authentication and proxy, FTP and HTTPS servers.

The fact of the matter is, we couldn’t really find anything wrong with Internet Download Manager. It does its job and does it pretty well, so even if your Internet connection speed is far beyond the usual limits, you should definitely give it a try.

Download Internet Download Manager 5.14.5 in Softonic

HDCleaner is the easiest and most comprehensive way to keep your PC running smooth and error free. There may be many junk files in your hard disk when your computer is running. They would make the computer system work slowly and astatically. HDCleaner uses a highly intelligent engine to scan your hard disk & improve PC performance!

You needn't know about the system and file types. Only click your mouse, it will clean all the junk files quickly and safely. It safely removes Web cookies, Web history, recent documents history, any hidden user traces and more with just a click. Registry Cleaner and Optimizer: Enhanced regclean or regcleaner in short. It cleans the Windows Database Registry for invalid information such Invalid Fonts, shortcuts to files.....HDCleaner implements the US Department of Defense and NSA clearing and sanitizing standard. HDCleaner also identifies garbage files on the HDD of the network computers.

Download HDCleaner 3.152 Beta in Softonic

Though Windows has a quite high degree of customization, there are certain features that are way too hidden for the average user. This is when a tool like TweakNow WinSecret comes in really handy.

With this Windows tweaker you'll be able to access even the most remotely customizable option in Windows XP or Windows Vista, changing not only visual elements that modify the system's appearance, but also its behavior and level of security. All tweaks are conveniently categorized in an easy-to-browse interface that lets you find any of them in just a couple of clicks.

On the one hand, I liked some of the options offered by the program a lot, like the security tweaks that allow you to restrict access to certain system's functions and tools. On the other hand, to be honest, I was disappointed with some categories, such the Applications one for only enabling me to tweak Internet Explorer and Outlook Express or some other tweaks that are easily accessible without using this program - even for a novice user. Nevertheless the overall impression is a very positive one, as TweakNow WinSecret can really make a difference in your daily work with Windows.

TweakNow WinSecret features many varied tweaks, some of them quite obvious, some of them not, with which you can fully customize the system's appearance and behavior.

Download TweakNow WinSecret Professional 1.5.3 beta in Softonic

While most security packages employ 128-bit encryption, Data Guardian goes a lot further with a staggering 448-bit level of protection.

The Blowfish protection system is enough to stop all but the most determined hackers. The program basically allows you to create multiple databases based on different themes e.g. an address book, customer database, journal, password manager, or even notepad. With 448-bit encryption employed on each of these however, you can be sure that they'll be pretty safe even if they're not stored locally.

The program prides itself on customizability - i.e. you can create just about any kind of database you require with any category or colour coding of your choice. The program also employs what it calls "Keychain integration" which basically autofills passwords. Although Firefox and IE also do this now, you're probably much safer using Data Guardian because of the encrytion protection that surrounds your data.

It also offers a few other useful shortcuts such as one click calling based on auto recognition of phone numbers, instant access to your e-mail client via auto recognition of e-mail addresses and generation of secure passwords.

A well designed a super secure database/productivity enhancement application, Data Guardian gives you more than one less thing to worry about.

Download Data Guardian 1.5.2 in Softonic

Sometimes I prefer watching movies and TV series on the computer rather than doing it on the couch. The image quality in my PC monitor is better and I can handle more formats than just DVD.

Of course, I need a good video player in order to enjoy my favorite movies at their most, and my choice is no other than BSPlayer. This great video player features anything you need to watch movies or any other kind of video on your PC. It supports all popular video formats (and audio as well, in case you were wondering) and though its basic interface is not really the nicest one I've seen, you can easily customize it with skins.

BSPlayer supports video subtitles, takes screenshots of movie currently playing, lets you create bookmarks and chapters to move along videos more easily and has also support for plug-ins. I especially liked the way you can control playback, either by using keyboard shortcuts or simply your mouse: one click to stop the video, two clicks to go full screen, mouse wheel to raise or low the volume…

The only thing I didn't like was the fact that, being a free version, you're obliged to install an adware element on your PC that displays ads from time to time while you're browsing the way. It's a safe app that doesn't compromise your privacy, but still it's not my cup of tea. I guess it's just the price you have to pay for having such a great video player for free.

BSPlayer lets you enjoy your favorite movies on the PC with a wide range of features (subtitles, screenshots, bookmarks and more) provided you're willing to accept some ads on your desktop.

Download BS.Player Free 2.31.974 in Softonic