Windows 10 has quite a few red flags when it comes to its privacy settings, and given that the rewards are few and don’t outweigh the risk, it is often better to play it safe and disable these ‘features’. Amongst the most concerning of the settings is one that may or may not be a keylogger – “Send Microsoft info about how I write to help us improve typing and writing in the future”. You can access this setting by clicking on the “Privacy” menu in the Windows setting screen, illustrated below. Wh

Its array of picture-perfecting tools make it easy to boost colors, correct tones, erase unwanted objects, apply artistic effects and even animate your pictures. Why you need itEditing photos with GIMP can be as simple or involved as you like. Its convenient automatic picture-enhancing tools include automatic white balance adjustment to correct color casts caused by lighting conditions, saturation enhancement, sharpening, red-eye correction and noise removal. If you’re looking for a great photo

Apple’s iPhone 8 release date is expected to be six months from now, and we’re already 3D Touch deep into new rumors about its 2017 smartphone. The most immediate change may be to the phone’s name: iPhone 8, instead of iPhone 7S (also a possibility). We can even get more specific about the iPhone 8 release date: Apple held its iPhone 7 launch event on September 7, while the events for the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6 were both on September 9 of their respective launch years. A new rumor points to a de

Animated GIFs are a great way to share short, funny clips on social media – they work in any app or web browser, on any device, and are easy for other people to save and reuse. The format originally rose to prominence on short-form blogging site Tumblr, but is also ideal for Facebook and Twitter. The best examples can convey a huge amount of information in just a few silent seconds. If you have a video clip that would make a good GIF, VideoPad Free Video Editor is the perfect tool for optimizing

The LG G6 is the South Korean firm’s flagship smartphone for 2017, taking over from the innovative-but-unsuccessful G5. We’re expecting a March 9/10 LG G6 release date for the South Korean market, with Europe and the US following suit in early April. LG G6 priceAccording to LG, the G6 will have a similar price to the LG G5, so that means it’s likely coming in at $500-$600 (around £400-£490/AU$685-AU$820), but we’ve still not had official word on that just yet – we’ll update this piece when we do

How to install Kodi 17 Krypton in WindowsIf you’re running Kodi (or want to run Kodi) on a Windows machine, then head to the Kodi downloads page, and where it says ‘Current release: Kodi v17.0 “Krypton”’ click on the ‘Installer’ link, which downloads the .exe file that will take you through the process of installing Kodi 17. How to install Kodi 17 Krypton on a MacTo install Kodi 17 Krypton on a Mac, or update your existing Kodi installation, go to the Kodi downloads page and select the ‘Installe

Cyberghost VPNIn these dark times of hackers intercepting data, governments spying on their citizens’ perfectly legal activities and YouTube geo-blocking videos in some countries because of record companies’ nastygrams a virtual private networking app, or VPN for short, is increasingly important. There are many VPN apps out there, but very few that rhyme with toast. More importantly, CyberGhost VPN is really, really good. Sadly we think the need for VPNs for everyday browsing is just going to ke

To improve your landscape shots, you need to find visually compelling locations, and then you need to work out the right time of day and the right season to visit them, so they’re looking their absolute best. So, don’t let your landscape photography get stuck in a rut: read each of these laws and take your landscapes to the next level. Law 1: Don’t leave locations to chanceLearn everything you can about your landscape before you go there – from likely viewpoints to where to parkYou’re unlikely t

There’s plenty on your Facebook page just waiting to stab you in the back though. The Facebook world is a less innocent place. Surely not having your identity compromised is more important than your Facebook ‘friends’ knowing when to copy and paste their generic birthday wishes, right? When your friends tag you in photos of that day out at the beach when you called in sick, you’re going to get rumbled. Now, you’ll need to approve all posts you’re tagged in before they make it onto your timeline

BlueStacks App PlayerOne of the downsides of the mobile revolution is that some apps never make it across to Windows. BlueStacks App Player enables you to run hundreds of them on your PC (though not everything is compatible). BlueStacks App Player is also a really useful tool for trying out Android apps, and if you already have an Android device you can get BlueStacks to control the apps already installed on it. Download here: BlueStacks App PlayerPopular downloadsThe most popular software avail

Torch Web BrowserChrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox and Edge are all fine browsers, but to get the most out of them you have to spend time tracking down and installing extenesions to add extra features. Chrome-based Torch Web Browser helps you avoid that hassle with a set of great preinstalled plugins that are ready to use immediately. Torch Web Browser also lists suggestions, trending songs, and personalized playlists. Download here: Torch Web BrowserPopular downloadsThe most popular software a

Often overlooked, your Nikon DSLR has a wealth of settings tucked away in the menu that can sometimes be missed and forgotten about. With this trick though, you can sync your flash at any shutter speed right down to 1/8000 sec. Simply select Auto FP in the “flash sync speed” option under bracketing/flash in the custom setting menu. Press the zoom when you’re in picture control (in the shooting menu) and you’ll see a chart pop-up. Select your pre-set focus point for Multi Selector in the shooting

The lens that comes with your camera, often referred to as the ‘kit lens’, is a great way to get started with a new camera or when changing from one system to another. When buying a new camera, these lenses are often bundled with it for not much more than the body-only price, so for this reason alone it makes buying a kit lens a worthwhile investment. Armed with our expert tips and tricks, you’ll be able to achieve stunning shots with your humble kit lens. Shoot landscapes like a proLandscape ph

To help you get to the grips with your EOS camera and all the great technology therein, we’ve put together 49 essential Canon DSLR tips and tricks specifically for getting more efficient use from your Canon EOS camera. Here’s what you need to know about using your Canon DSLR. That’s why you should regularly check the latest ‘firmware’ available for your EOS DSLR. Use the Delete All command, or the Format menu option. Make sure you’re saving your shotsSet the ‘Shoot W/O Card’ option to Off.

But Shotcut has a different problem: when you Google it, the search engine automatically corrects it to shortcut and looks for something else. Download here: ShotcutPopular downloadsThe most popular software available to download from TechRadar right now:Windows Movie Maker: One of the best free video editors around. LibreOffice: An excellent alternative to Microsoft Office, with tools for making and editing text, presentations, spreadsheets, graphics, equations and charts. VLC Media Player: VLC

MediBang Paint ProIf you want an app to make creating comic books, graphic novels or comic-style illustrations, you really need to check out MediBang Paint Pro. The suffix ‘pro’ usually means the paid-for version of a product, or the most expensive version, but not here – MediBang Paint Pro is completely free. MediBang Paint Pro also comes with a range of pre-made tones and backgrounds to help you get started, as well as Photoshop-style layers for complex illustrations. Download here: MediBang P

Even with the best will in the world, they can easily eat up hours of your valuable time. That’s why you need WriteMonkey – a simple but very effective text editor that blocks out everything except the page you’re working on. WriteMonkey isn’t without its tricks though – all designed to help you work more efficiently. Give WriteMonkey a try – you’ll be amazed how productive you can be. Download here: WriteMonkey

From arcade showstoppers to new VR highs, the Force is strong with these, the very best Star Wars games. A squad-based shooter set during the prequels’ Clone Wars, it’s a solid game, often cited (in purely technical terms) as one of the best Star Wars games ever. Star Wars: Empire at WarPlatform: PCPC Developer: Petroglyph GamesPetroglyph Games Year of release: 2006There have been a fair few Star Wars RTS games – which totally makes sense. Of the numerous strategy games, Star Wars: Empire at War

AIMPAre you still using Windows Media Player or – gasp – iTunes on your PC? But you can stick AIMP on a USB drive to move it from one machine to another, which is really useful if you’re reliant on other people’s PCs. Download here: AIMPPopular downloadsThe most popular software available to download from TechRadar right now:Windows Movie Maker: One of the best free video editors around. VLC Media Player: VLC Media Player can handle pretty much any video or audio file without any additional code

For many of us, winter can seem like a pretty miserable time for photography. With Christmas though you’ve got all this time off from work and you just want to get out there and take pictures. However, with family visits and other commitments, it’s not always possible to disappear off to your favourite location with your camera kit. Photography though is like an itch for most of us, especially if you’ve got a new camera or accessory you want to try, so what do you do? Well, we’ve got 6 great Chr