Posted 08/17/09 at 03:00:00 PM by David Murphy

Sometimes, private just isn't private enough.

I'm speaking, of course, of the privacy features that come native to the Windows operating system. Sure, you can tuck your special documents away in a private user folder, but that doesn't mean that your files have been secreted away forever. An industrious user with physical access to your machine can wreak havoc on your personal files, regardless of how much Windows tells you that they're safe from external abuse.

Change that. Beyond the cut of this week's freeware update are five applications that will enhance your ability to secret away that-which-you-don't-want-anyone-else-seeing. Does that involve encryption? Yes. But that's not the end-all be-all technique for hiding things on your computer. Depending on the amount of privacy you need, there are faster and easier solutions than merely locking down your entire drive using a 128-bit cipher.

Grab your Sherlock Holmes pipe. It's time to get cryptic.

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Posted 10/06/08 at 04:00:00 PM by David Murphy

Welcome to Monday!  In honor of the start of the work week, we're going to take a look at some of the top open-source and freeware office applications.  We're not just talking about suites, though.  Like our previous three features, we're going to run through programs that cover a wide range of activities you might encounter during a typical, nine-to-five day.  Hey, maybe you'll even be able to convince your friendly IT person of choice to install these finds across a batch of computers!  You'll be a hero!  You'll save your company millions in licensing fees!  Promotions will be thrown at your cubicle like butter on bread!

Open-source and freeware applications are just that exciting.  But don't take our word for it.  Check out the full list of applications after the jump!

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