Software : Digital comic books and Kindle are Amazon's newest dynamic duo

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• Digital comic books and Kindle are Amazon's newest dynamic duo
• Google's new stealth initiative will constantly check your phone for rogue Android apps
• Updated: Best free antivirus software 2014
• Dropbox announces collaborative features for Microsoft Office
• Dropbox dons business attire as it brings harmony to Microsoft Office
• Facebook apps to kill chat, throw users into standalone Messenger's arms
• Facebook's right-side ads are getting bigger, but there will be fewer of them
• Dropbox reveals extra-swipey Mailbox for Android and desktop
• Dropbox launches Carousel app for organizing all your photos and videos

Digital comic books and Kindle are Amazon's newest dynamic duo Posted: The graphic novel reading experience on Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets could be in line for a superhero-sized upgrade after the company announced the purchase of digital comics platform Comixology. Amazon has shelled out an undisclosed fee for the popular Comics by Comixology mobile apps, with a Comixology rep hinting one goal would be improve how the service and Kindle devices work together. Amazon has not discussed its plans for Comixology, which is already the equivalent of a Kindle Store for comic books. However, it certainly adds another string to Amazon's ever-growing digital content bow. Whether Amazon will fold Comixology titles into the Kindle Store and perhaps even the Kindle Lending Library initiative remains to be seen. Amazon could also look to expand on Comixology's recently launched self-publishing platform, a medium budding authors have come to rely on with the Kindle Store Guided View Comixology has been credited with reinventing comic books thanks largely to its Guided View reading mechanism that offers dynamic shifts between panes. The Comics app sells titles from Marvel, DC and over 75 smaller publishing houses will remain in service in its current form, with Amazon planning to chuck in cash to help the company grow further. While all Comixology readers with Kindles will probably benefit the most from this acquisition, it'll be interesting to see how much work goes into improving the Amazon and iOS apps from here on in. Peruse this year's 50 best apps for Android

Google's new stealth initiative will constantly check your phone for rogue Android apps Posted: Security risks are no longer limited to desktop and laptop computers, a sad fact of life Google has acknowledged with the unveiling of new countermeasures to keep Android mobile devices safe from harm. The Official Android Blog detailed a new stealth initiative aimed at keeping smartphone and tablet owners secure from potentially harmful applications, even though few users have ever dealt with such a problem. This enhancement is built on top of Verify apps, a security measure implemented on versions of Android 2.3 Gingerbread and higher with Google Play installed, which requires verification before a potentially harmful app can be installed. Google introduced Verify apps in late February as part of a Google Play service update, but the latest iteration will now "continually check devices to make sure that all apps are behaving in a safe manner, even after installation," explained Android Security Engineer Rich Cannings. Continual protection Google claimed the underlying foundation of its Verify apps feature has been used more than four billion times over the last year, but it was strictly limited to checking apps at the time of installation. Thanks to a new app scanning system developed jointly by the Android security and Safe Browsing teams, Verify apps will now constantly monitor devices and offer a warning if and when anything potentially harmful crops up. According to Google, fewer than 0.18% of Android apps over the past year were found to have gone rogue after installation, a risk the search giant calls "minuscule" but is addressing anyway in an apparent effort to bolster user confidence in the platform. While the majority of Android smartphone and tablet users are unlikely to ever see a Verify apps prompt except at the time of installation, Google does expect "a small number of people" to see such warnings now that it has enabled constant on-device monitoring. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is almost upon us - get caught up with our full review!

Updated: Best free antivirus software 2014 Posted: Our best free antivirus round-up has been fully updated. Anyone who has been following the news about the Heartbleed Bug – a vulnerability in OpenSSL that enables hackers to gain access to the memory of web servers – understands just how dangerous the web can be. In addition to security flaws like Heartbleed, viruses, spyware and phishing sites make it possible for hackers to expose crucial data. To ensure better protection, every PC owner needs effective, reliable antivirus software. Unfortunately, this can be expensive, especially given the cost of annual updates. However, there are plenty of free antivirus software solutions on the market, many of which are just as capable as their commercial cousins. So if you're tired of annual subscriptions, read on - we've picked out nine of the best free internet security tools to deliver great security at no cost. 1. Avast Free Antivirus You don't have to spend long with Avast Free Antivirus to realize why it's one of the most popular security tools around. The program is simple to install; a straightforward interface makes it easy to use; a quick first scan should identify any potential threats on your PC, and this all has minimal impact on your system performance. These aren't just subjective opinions, either. Independent testing by AV-Test has found the program to be a good all-rounder, and it was one of AV-Comparative's "Products of 2012." Avast Free has some useful extras, too. A Software Updater alerts you to program updates you've missed, for instance, while its Browser Cleanup tool provides a simple way to remove unwanted add-ons from your browsers. Avast recently added a "Grime Fighter," which the company says supports 12 additional languages and offers an advanced console for more user control. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Small and simple, Panda Cloud Antivirus is a lightweight tool which provides free real-time antivirus protection, and can be used alongside many other security tools without problems. It's the free version of a commercial product, and so has a few missing features. The Pro edition helps to protect you at public wifi networks, for instance, while its "USB Vaccine" function reduces the risk of malware infecting a USB drive. The core antivirus protection remains the same, though. And while that doesn't deliver the top detection rates, independent testing shows it's very capable, with the program winning certification in AV-Test's latest report. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall We have one or two concerns about ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall, notably that its antivirus database is only updated daily (hourly updates are reserved for the commercial version), which leaves you more exposed to the very latest threats, The program does provide plenty of functionality, though, with a capable, AV-Test-certified antivirus engine, an easy-to-use firewall and some browsing protection. It does its best to keep things simple. Open the Preferences dialog, say, and you'll find only 10 buttons and settings (and most of those you'll never need to use). The database update means it wouldn't be our first choice, but if you're a fan of ZoneAlarm, or just want a firewall and antivirus tool from the same company, this could be a good choice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Avira Free Antivirus Avira Free Antivirus provides two main areas of protection. A strong antivirus engine (rated highly by independent labs for its file detection rates) constantly monitors your PC, looking for and eliminating threats. If you choose to install the Avira toolbar then you also get some web tools (an antiphishing tool, ad blocker, social networking protection), although this also replaces your default search engine with an Avira page. Problems? The interface can seem a little complex, just at first. And the program has more impact on your PC's performance than some other tools. Still, on balance Avira Free Antivirus remains a capable and effective security package. Avira recently made available the Avira Protection Cloud (APC), which will be used to detect and thwart zero-day attacks, according to the company. The technology will be available to all users of the free software by the end of May. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition Bitdefender's antivirus engine is one of the best around, and a favourite of the independent testing labs, so getting a free version sounds very appealing indeed. The program is ultra-compact, downloading and installing in less than a minute on our test PC (although it does demand removal of any incompatible products first). A very basic interface then provides effective on-demand and automatic scanning, real-time antivirus and antiphishing protection. There are very few manual controls here: no settings, no options, no scan types, no scheduling, nothing at all, perhaps an issue if you like to fine tune your security. But if you prefer simplicity then Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is an excellent choice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. AVG Free Antivirus AVG Free Antivirus is a solid package with a good range of features: an antivirus engine, email scanner, identity theft protection, and LinkScanner Surf-Shield to keep you safe online. At first glance this makes the program seem more complex, as there are lots of tiles, buttons and menu entries. Smart interface design means you can carry out most common actions in a click or two, though, so you'll soon feel at home. AVG Free Antivirus gets mixed reviews on its effectiveness: AV-Comparatives rate it as average, AV-Test say it's better than some commercial suites. Our view: it's a capable, feature-packed tool, and one of the stronger free antivirus packages. To boost its offering, AVG recently released the AVG Zen tool, which the company claims is designed to help provide added protection across desktops and mobile devices. Why isn't Microsoft Security Essentials in the list? It's small, simple, and won't slow your system down - but it's also just not reliable enough to justify inclusion in our best free antivirus software round-up. When Security Essentials was last included in an AV Comparatives File Detection test, the program managed a file detection rate of 94.9%, placing it 13th out of 15. AV-Test's opinion was even lower. In its analysis of 2012 products for Home Users, Microsoft Security Essentials delivered the lowest "average protection score" of all, putting it bottom in a list of 20. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Emsisoft Emergency Kit No antivirus program comes with a guaranteed 100% detection rate, and malware might occasionally slip through your defences. You should always have a second tool available, then, just in case - and Emsisoft Emergency Kit (EEK) is a great choice. The program runs without requiring installation, reducing the chance of any conflicts with your existing antivirus package. Its straightforward system scanner uses a dual-scan-engine, rated highly by Virus Bulletin (and which did actually achieve a 100% detection rate in a recent AV-Comparatives test). And experienced users will appreciate tools like HiJackFree and BlitzBlank, which can help you manually detect and clean up malware. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. FortiNet FortiClient While they're best known in the corporate world of network security appliances, FortiNet also produce a capable antivirus tool, FortiClient, which is free for home users. The program can be installed in two modes. The standard option provides a good range of tools: an antivirus engine, simple parental controls, an application firewall, vulnerability scanning and more. But you can also run FortiClient without its real-time protection, perfect if you need to run it alongside an existing antivirus tool without conflicts. Our tests suggest it's not the best antivirus engine around, but is still worth having. AV-Test and AV-Comparatives confirm that it's a good mid-range contender, and FortiClient could be particularly helpful if you want a second-line tool to run alongside an existing antivirus engine. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. 360 Internet Security 2013 Qihoo is a Chinese software company which has had enormous success in its home market (it claims 450 million users), but now it's branching out with its first international release, 360 Internet Security 2013. Despite its name, this isn't a full internet security suite - there's no spam filter, firewall or parental controls - but installing the program does get you no less than three antivirus engines: BitDefender, its own QVM II, and Cloud 360. These delivered accurate results for us, and the independent testing labs have also reported positive results for Qihoo products in the past year (AV Comparatives has certified it as "Windows 8 approved", for instance). 360 Internet Security does a reasonable job of blocking access to malicious websites, too, and on balance it's an effective entry to the free antivirus world. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Dropbox announces collaborative features for Microsoft Office Posted: Dropbox has announced a new set of collaboration features for Microsoft Office under the banner "Project Harmony", according to a number of outlets. The announcement was reportedly made at a press event yesterday with further details expected tomorrow. Project Harmony will be rolled out later this year and will provide Dropbox users with a means of working together on Office documents including Word, Excel and Powerpoint. The features will mean that users can avoid making duplicates of the same document when co-authoring. Techcrunch suggests that the new collaboration features may prove particularly appealing to businesses, given that they can, "work when two people are working on separate operating systems and on different versions of Microsoft Office or Dropbox." "More to come" Project Harmony's collaboration applications will also apparently work with more than just Microsoft Office. A Dropbox representative was reported as saying, "We've designed this to work with any application so there is a lot more to come." In addition to Project Harmony, Dropbox has also announced a new gallery for viewing photos and videos on mobile devices called Carousel, a version of its Mailbox email client for Android and the ability for users to link their personal and business accounts. How cloud storage can help your business

Dropbox dons business attire as it brings harmony to Microsoft Office Posted: Dropbox's Mailbox app arriving on Android and desktop and Carousel weren't the only big updates from the company file sharing company today as it also announced Dropbox for Business - for everyone - and something called Project Harmony. Dropbox for Business provides users with two different online storage compartments: one for personal use, and one for professional. For the first time, Dropbox for Business is available to all users beginning today. "We did this to give admins more visibility and control over their company's data," Ilya Fushman, Dropbox Head of Product, Business and Mobile, wrote in an official blog post. Living in harmony A number of Dropbox features enhance the Dropbox for Business experience, Fushman noted: "Remote wipe helps protect confidential information, account transfer helps you maintain business continuity, and sharing audit logs let you track how your Dropbox for Business information is being accessed." But it's not all about corporate security and "business continuity" at Dropbox today, as the company also announced Project Harmony. It may sound like an ill-fated hippie commune, but it's actually a set of collaboration tools that will let users interact with one another in Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel as if they're using Google Docs. Thanks to Project Harmony, documents will sync to the Dropbox cloud, where those with access can edit, chat and collaborate. Basically it brings Microsoft Office to the cloud, though Dropbox has plans to add other applications later, CNET reported. Unfortunately, there's no word on availability for Project Harmony. Best cloud storage: Dropbox vs Google Drive vs iCloud and more

Facebook apps to kill chat, throw users into standalone Messenger's arms Posted: Facebook has begun alerting some users that it will soon force them to use the company's standalone Messenger app if they want to chat on mobile. The move isn't an isolated trial run. "Today we are starting to notify people that messages are moving out of the Facebook app and over to the Messenger app," a Facebook spokesperson wrote in an email to TechRadar. "To continue sending messages on mobile, people will need to install the Messenger app." Referred to as an "update," the change will affect those with an iOS or Android device. Currently, users in a handful of European countries are being notified of the switch, and Facebook declined to offer details on a further roll out. However, according to TechCrunch, all Facebook mobile users will eventually be forced to move to Messenger. European users receiving notifications reportedly have about two weeks before they can no longer chat within mobile Facebook's apps. One is better than two Facebook's mobile offerings have, for as long as we can remember, included a integrated tab to chit-chat with friends. However, Facebook recently made it so those who had the Messenger app installed were shuttled there when they hit the inner-app messaging tab. Even so, users didn't have to download Messenger if they wanted to. That choice is now being taken out of their hands, though with Facebook's vagueness we don't know when it will reach all users (if at all). Although the move is sure to anger some, it shouldn't come as a surprise. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in November 2013 Facebook was planning to take messaging out of the main Facebook app. Zuckerberg went on to lay out the central reason given today by Facebook's spokespeople; the company can now focus on making Messenger as good a service as possible without having to deal with two separate messaging experiences. Users will receive multiple notices before the changes go into effect, Facebook informed us. Guess what's new with Facebook's ads?

Facebook's right-side ads are getting bigger, but there will be fewer of them Posted: Like most Facebook users you've probably learned to ignore whatever is in the site's right-hand column. You know, the space with usually creepy ads targeted at random snippets from your profile or Google searches. But Facebook is hoping users will start paying attention again when it revamps those ads to be bigger. Facebook says the new ads will be more in line with the ads that now appear in users' news feeds, with larger images. At least there will be fewer of them now, the site said. Advertisers are people too "For advertisers, this offers a simpler way to create ads and an enhanced creative canvas on the right-hand column of Facebook," the social network wrote in a blog post. It continues, "Because the updated ads mirror the overall shape of desktop News Feed ads, marketers will no longer have to choose separate images for News Feed and right-hand column placements." Facebook also says the new ads will provide "a better experience for people." Apparently early tests have shown up to three times as much engagement with the larger ads, though whether that's really better for people - or just for advertisers - is a subjective matter. The new Facebook ads will roll out to users "in the coming months." Some advertisers will get the option in April, while others will need to wait until later in 2014. Facebook video ads are finally coming to your news feed

Dropbox reveals extra-swipey Mailbox for Android and desktop Posted: Dropbox has announced two new versions of Mailbox: one for Android, available now, and one for desktop that's currently in beta. It's been over a year since Dropbox purchased Mailbox, a previously iOS-exclusive app that is meant to make sorting through emails intuitive and simple. At the time Dropbox said it would leave Mailbox alone, opting to let it stand on its own and help it grow rather than folding it into Dropbox. With Mailbox's launch on Android and its impending release on desktop, Dropbox is looking to keep that promise. Auto-swipe your spam away In addition to throwing away, saving and organizing your email into lists, the app includes a new feature called auto-swipe that lets it automatically archive certain types of emails, like spam or marketing messages. The app's official site says it "learns from your swipes and snoozes to automate common actions," essentially figuring out what kind of mail you read and what you save and trash over time. The need to expand to Android and desktop seems a logical step for an app that Dropbox claimed has 275 million users. For its time-saving prowess, the app isn't fully featured yet. According to its Google Play description, Mailbox for Android currently only works for Gmail and iCloud accounts. Dropbox made the announcements at a presser in San Francisco, where it also revealed a new cloud collaboration service called Project Harmony that will make Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint more like Google Docs as well as the Carousel photo and video app. Mailbox uses intuitive gestures on iOS and now Android to help users deal with emails quickly. On desktop it employs similar gestures for users with a trackpad. You can sign up for the Mailbox desktop beta on the app's official site or download the Android app now. Facebook cans its email service because no one was using it

Dropbox launches Carousel app for organizing all your photos and videos Posted: Dropbox is unloading a number of additional services today, and one on its docket follows the photos-focused trend sweeping the tech world. Carousel is a new app anchored on storing, organizing and sharing photos and videos. It's available in the Apple App Store and Google Play right now. "The gallery for Dropbox" automatically stores and organizes pictures and vids from your phone's camera. Images are arranged by day, month and year, so photos from the hike you went on Dec. 17, 2013 are kept separate from a video of you blowing out your birthday candles on March 1, 2014. A wheel on the bottom lets you swipe through the illustrated timeline of your life. Once photos and videos are captured, they are automatically backed up on Dropbox. TechRadar's own test found users will need a Dropbox account to access the app, which is none too surprising. Somewhat annoyingly, those you share your images with will need the app to view them fully or do anything with them as well. Swipe to share Users can share photos privately with friends by swiping up on a single image. Armed with a name, email or phone number, users can send one or more photos their friends' ways. There's also an option to share an entire event by tapping on the share icon in the top right-hand corner of a collection of snapshots. For items that are sent to you, there's an option to keep them in your own Carousel. While the app is sleek and could pose a formidable rivals like Instagram Direct, how receptive consumers are to yet another way to organize and share their precious memories remains to be seen. Was Dropbox affected by the Heartbleed bug?

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