Software : Opera brings totally free VPN service to Android smartphones

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• Opera brings totally free VPN service to Android smartphones
• Round up: The best free torrent client 2016
• Editor's pick: Discover Paint.NET - the best free software for retouching portrait photos
• Round up: The best free audio editor 2016

Opera brings totally free VPN service to Android smartphones Posted: Opera has certainly been pushing forward on the VPN front, and after bringing virtual private network functionality to its browser, and then to a standalone iOS app, it's now launched an app for Android. Opera Free VPN is, as the name tells you, a completely free Android app that performs the usual VPN tricks such as keeping your connection secure, and circumventing geographical restrictions on certain services by allowing you to appear to be located elsewhere (it offers a choice of up to five virtual locations you can select from: the USA, Canada, Germany, Singapore and the Netherlands ). The app contains an integrated ad tracker-blocker to prevent advertisers from tracking you online, and it offers unlimited usage in terms of data allowance, too. There's also a Wi-Fi security test tool which scans the network you're hooked up to, and if it finds any potential weaknesses it'll advise you to turn on the VPN. Keep it simple Opera Free VPN is designed to be dead easy to use, with a single switch to enable the VPN, and simple menus to access functionality such as changing your device's virtual location. The VPN service is provided by SurfEasy, an outfit that Opera acquired back in the spring of last year. As mentioned, the Opera browser got VPN functionality baked-in earlier this year, as well as integrated ad-blocking. Opera is definitely making big efforts to position itself as a more tempting alternative to the big-name browsers which dominate the market, and these mobile apps all help push its brand recognition forward. Check out our round-up of the best VPN services currently available

Round up: The best free torrent client 2016 Posted: The best and fastest BitTorrent clients The best and fastest free BitTorrent clients BitTorrent is brilliant: torrent files turn your computer into part of a swarm where data is shared as it's downloaded, so while you're downloading something from other people you're also helping others download the bits you've already got. The result is a very reliable and often very fast way to get your hands on huge files. What kind of files? Well, as every torrent user knows, torrents are used exclusively to download Linux installers, open source software and live jams by hippie bands who've expressly given permission for others to share their stuff. They're never ever used for anything dodgy like illegal copies of music, movies or other copyrighted content, no siree. Pirate Bay? Never heard of it. Cheap sarcasm aside, torrents can be very useful for fans of free, legal media and software - but you need the right apps to use them. Here are our ten favorites. 1. qBittorrent The perfect balance of features, speed and simplicity Some torrent apps offer every conceivable function. Others keep things as simple as possible. qBittorrent sits right in the middle, aiming to "meet the needs of most users while using as little CPU and memory as possible". It boasts an integrated torrent search engine, media player, encryption, prioritisation of torrents and the files within those torrents, IP filtering and torrent creation, and it's the closest open source, junk-free equivalent to uTorrent. If you're looking for a cross-platform torrent client that covers the essentials without getting overly complicated, qBittorrent is great. 2. Deluge A customizable client that can be as lean or powerful as you like Deluge has been around forever, and it can be as simple or as powerful as you want it to be. That's because it's extendable via plug-ins, which effectively enable you to build your own personalised version of Deluge. Fancy something that resembles uTorrent without the unwanted software? No problem. Want to add alphabetical downloading, move downloaded files to specific directories according to the file type, adjust speed according to network conditions, create pretty graphs, schedule everything, integrate with Chrome or Firefox or batch-rename downloads? That's not a problem either. 3. Transmission Remarkably fast and lightweight - our go-to client for use on a Mac We like Transmission (for Mac and Linux - read on for the Windows alternative) a lot. It's donationware rather than adware, so there aren't any bundled toolbars, invasive ads or greyed-out features that you need to pay to access. It's blazingly fast and with a tiny footprint, and while there are lots and lots of options for power users - speed limits, webseed support, magnet links, port forwarding, encryption and many, many more - it's simple enough for absolute beginners too. On a Mac, Transmission is our go-to torrent tool. 4. Transmission-Qt Win Don't be sad, Windows people! Transmission might not be available for your Windows PC, but that hasn't stopped some nice people from making a Windows port of it: Transmission-Qt Win, aka Transmission-Qt for Windows. It delivers all the features of the Mac/Linux Transmission app, and it's worth installing if you like a simple torrent app that still includes a decent selection of features. It isn't perfect, though: known issues include poor performance on really big torrents (terabytes rather than gigabytes, so not a problem for most of us) and a memory leak if it's left running for very long periods. 5. uTorrent uTorrent, also known as µTorrent, has been around since 2005 and it's the most widely used BitTorrent client outside China. It's attracted some criticism over the years, however: it's ad-supported and many users argue that the most recent versions are a little too heavy on the advertising and bundled software front. Nevertheless it's useful, effective and doesn't gobble up too much of your system's resources: the entire app is smaller than a digital photo. Although it isn't the official BitTorrent app, it's been maintained by BitTorrent for the last decade. 6. BitTorrent Free BitTorrent's own client, with web-based seeding, comments and reviewing You might be wondering why BitTorrent has its own BitTorrent app when it also maintains uTorrent, especially when the BitTorrent app is a rebranded version of uTorrent. However, while the apps are functionally identical there are a few key differences: BitTorrent offers web-based seeding, commenting and reviewing, and you may find that the BitTorrent client is welcomed by private trackers that don't like uTorrent. 7. Vuze An ambitious free client, but more like a taster for the premium version Vuze (formerly Azureus) claims to be the most powerful BitTorrent client on Earth. We're not sure how it ranks on other planets. There are two flavours: the stripped-back Vuze Leap, and the fully fledged Vuze. Both apps offer torrent download, media playback and support for magnet file links, but the main Vuze app also adds plugins, remote control via web or mobile and video conversion. Leap is free and ad-free, but the main app is ad-supported unless you buy the Vuze+ app. That's usually £22.99 (about US$30, AU$40), but at the time of writing Vuze is currently running a half-price offer. The ad-supported Vuze has attracted some criticisms of its bundled ads and software: be careful what you click if you're installing it. 8. BitComet An ad-free client that can handle any download you throw at it Why stick with torrents when you can also have HTTP and FTP downloads too? That's not as bloaty as it sounds, because BitComet is positioned as a download manager for any kind of file, not just torrents. It looks like Windows Explorer, doesn't try and install eleventy billion toolbars in your web browser and doesn't blast you with ads. It's not as pretty or as user-friendly as some other apps but there's lots here for power users to play with and it's a perfectly decent torrent downloader too. 9. BitLord Simplicity is king with this minimalist torrent client Torrents don't get much simpler than this. BitLord aims to be the simplest torrent app around, and as part of that it doesn't include any useless bundled software. It does include an integrated version of the excellent VLC Media Player, however, which means you can play pretty much any kind of media file ever invented, and it's very good at helping you find things to download. It might be a little stripped-back for experienced torrent fiends, but if you're new to torrents BitLord is a good place to start. 10. Tixati Another pared-back client with a frill-free interface "NO spyware. NO ads. NO nonsense", says the blurb, and that's a pretty good start - but there's not much point in having a nonsense-free experience if the app doesn't cover the essentials. Thankfully Tixati does, although its none-more-black interface might put you off: the main window makes it look like you're running something in MS-DOS. It's designed to be as lightweight as possible, boasts very great filtering options and lives up to the no-nonsense promise. If you're a more experienced downloader and have an old PC gathering dust in the garage, check out our guide to setting up your own torrent server.

Editor's pick: Discover Paint.NET - the best free software for retouching portrait photos Posted: Retouch photos free with Paint.NET Retouch photos for free Photo retouching is often referred to as 'Photoshopping', but you don't need to splash out on Adobe's premium software to make your portraits and selfies look stunning. Paint.NET is a completely free photo editor that's just as capable as many full-price programs.. It was originally created as an upgrade/replacement for Microsoft Paint, but has evolved from those humble beginnings into a powerful tool for editing images and creating your own artwork from scratch. Editing out blemishes is easy with the stamp tool - hold Ctrl and click a nearby area to take a sample, then click and drag to 'paint' over the flaw. Like all the tools in Paint.NET, the stamp is fully configurable and can be adjusted using the options at the top of the main window. For a natural look, enable antialiasing and reduce the hardness of the brush. You might need to take several samples and to make sure the colours line up with the contours of the face. The clone stamp is also very useful for editing out flyaway hair, or specks left by dust on the camera lens. Like Photoshop, Paint.NET supports plug-ins, some of which are specially created for retouching photos. Installing plugins is easy - just download the ZIP archive, then extract the DLL file to Program Files > Paint.net > Effects. One of the best for photo retouching is Liquify, which you can download from the Paint.NET forums. Just like the Photoshop tool of the same name, it lets you distort images by clicking and dragging, and you can use it to smooth out bumps, slim down noses and tighten jawlines. Keep your changes subtle, and bear in mind that the background will also be distorted by Liquify, so avoid using it near any lines or regular patterns. Like any photo editor worth its salt, Paint.NET includes a levels editor (under Adjustments), which you can use to adjust the contrast in your image. Tweaking the diagonal line into a gentle S shape will increase contrast and make your picture look more dramatic, but you might find decreasing the contrast yields a more flattering effect. For a more dramatic change, try the Soften Portrait tool (under Effects > Photo). This softens skintones in your picture and lightens colours to obscure imperfections (a little like deliberately over-exposing a photo). It also adds a flattering warm color cast. The default setting is a bit strong, so tweak the sliders until you're happy with the result. The Vignette effect (also in the Photo menu) is worth a try too - it adds an Instagram-style retro camera effect that draws attention to the subject. With so many dedicated functions and filters, plus user-created plugins that replicate the most popular features of premium retouching tools, Paint.NET is an essential program for tweaking everything from selfies to wedding portraits - and it's completely free.

Round up: The best free audio editor 2016 Posted: The best free audio editors The best free audio editors When you want to edit a sound file – whether it's to create a custom ringtone for your phone, make your own podcasts or record music – the prospect of choosing the right tool for the job can be a daunting one. The complexity of some audio-editing tools might be enough to scare you away, but it's more likely to be the price tag attached to such software that sends you running. Never fear, though – there are free options packed with professional-quality features. Whether you're looking for a tool to help create a soundtrack for your home movies, or you need something to help you convert your old record and cassette collection into MP3 format while removing background static, there's a free software download out there for you. Before you begin, it's worth noting that most audio editors use the LAME codec. It's probably already installed on your system, but if you receive a warning that you need to install it, you can download a free codec pack containing it. 1. Audacity The best free audio editor, Audacity has all the tools you could possibly need Available for any desktop platform you care to mention, Audacity is our first choice for audio editing. It has a huge following, and it's one that is entirely justified. It's a powerful tool that would put some paid-for product to shame, and although the interface might initially seem slightly intimidating, it's actually surprisingly approachable even for beginners. Audacity is equipped with an extensive suite of built-in tools, enabling you to edit pre-recorded files, capture sound through an attached microphone, or even stream music and podcasts. There's support for a wide range of audio formats for both importing and exporting, and the range of built-in effect is impressive. There's also a great selection of third-party plug-ins to make it even more versatile (one of our favourites is autotune add-on Gsnap, for that T-Pain effect), and a comprehensive manual is available to help you to get to grips with the more complicated aspects of the program. 2. Free Audio Editor Ideal for recording and editing your own songs and podcasts Free Audio Editor's name tells you everything you need to know here. You have to deselect a few checkboxes to avoid installing unwanted software, but the tool itself is worth the effort. It can be used to record audio via line-in, work with existing audio files, or to rip CDs. One thing that makes Free Audio Editor stand out from the competition is the way the interface has been designed. Rather than hiding option deep in confusing menus, everything you need to right at your fingertips. A neat effects sidebar makes it simple to get to the tools you need, and you can even bookmark those you use most to make your life even easier. You can get as hands on as you like, but many of the readymade filters such as breath reduction (particularly handy for podcasts) and background noise reduction mean that you'll be able to perform many audio clean-up tasks in just a few clicks. 3. Free MP3 Cutter and Editor If you don't want advanced functions, this little tool is just what you need Free MP3 Cutter and Editor is a simple program designed with a very specific type of audio editing in mind. Audacity would be a better choice if you want fine control of your tracks, but if you're looking for nothing more than a quick and dirty program for trimming the fat from your MP3s, this is perfect. Open your MP3 file and you can cut out unwanted sections, add a fade-in or fade-out, adjust the volume, and convert between stereo and mono. That's it. It might sound limited, but it's extremely good at what it does (for example, if you have saved a live recording as one large MP3 and then want to divide it up into a number of individual tracks). It's not the sort of task you would need a professional audio editor for, and Free MP3 Cutter and Editor fits the bill nicely. 4. WavePad Audio Editor Free Easy sound editing for Windows, Android and Apple devices The iPad has, over the years, become recognised as a value tool for music creation, but not so much for editing tracks. WavePad Audio Editor Free is an interesting app for a couple of reasons: not only is it a free audio editing app, but it's also available for iOS and Android as well as Windows. The mobile apps are surprisingly powerful - helped, perhaps, by the fact that the iOS and Android versions are designed like the desktop software. There are a number of filters and editing options available such as trimming, a high pass filter, normalization and merging files, and you can add more tools via in-app purchases. There are some nice extra touches too, including voice-activated recording, and an auto-trim editing function. 5. ocenaudio A good choice for small tasks, like creating ringtones Like Audacity, ocenaudio is available for multiple platforms (Windows, Linux and Mac). While not bursting with features, it's a great tool for everyday audio editing. Real-time effect previewing should help to speed up your work as there's no need to apply a change just to try it out, and a highly precise selection tool makes it easy to apply the same effect to multiple section of a files. You can work with locally stored files, or even open those hosted online. The somewhat sparse interface quickly becomes a joy to use, and if you spend a little time familiarising yourself with the keyboard shortcuts, you should fly through common tasks in next to no time. There's a decent range of effects to choose from, and there's even the option of exporting your creations as a ringtone for your iPhone. 6. mp3DirectCut Trim and normalize recorded audio files Despite its name, mp3DirectCut does more than just slicing up MP3s (although it does that very well). You can record directly into the program or work with existing audio files, and although there are no fancy options, all of the basics are covered. As well as simple track splitting, you'll also find tools for normalising audio, increasing the volume, and fading. Automatic pause detection is available to help make it easier to decided where to split a track, and if you have created cue files to automate file processing, there's support for those here. mp3DirectCut also features a batching processing option that can be used to quickly apply the same settings and effects to entire folders full of files, which is handy for normalising a series of tracks, or increasing the volume of a set that were recorded at the same time. 7. Acoustica Basic Edition A more advanced mastering tool, with effect layering Acoustica Basic Edition is a superb audio editor, and is particularly good at cleaning up old audio recordings from vinyl or cassettes by removing unwanted noise. Opting for the free version means missing out on options such as a multi-track editor and support for 7.1 surround sound, but you still get a lot to play with. It has a very professional look and feel, and the Effect Chain - an area where you can build up and play with a layered series of filters - is a particular highlight. There's support for DirectX and VST plug-ins, so you can easily expand the program's repertoire. If you want to get a taste for audio editing with the freedom to move beyond the basics when you feel ready, Acoustica Basic Edition is an excellent starting point. 8. Wavosaur A portable app for simple editing on any PC Wavosaur differs from the rest of the software we're looking at because it's a portable app. You can therefore save it to a USB stick, ready for use on any PC without installation. Despite its tiny size, Wavosaur packs a punch. It's designed with MP3 editing in mind, but supports other key formats as well. It also boasts features like pitch shifting and vocal removal (ideal for making DIY karaoke tracks, and as with Audacity, its feature set can be expanded with VST plug-ins. The basic program hasn't been updated in quite some time, but don't let that put you off - it's an absolute gem of an audio editor.

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