Archive for the ‘Free Software’ Category

Free anti-theft software upgrades available for Central Texas Hyundai drivers – KEYE TV CBS Austin

Free anti-theft software upgrades available for Central Texas Hyundai drivers  KEYE TV CBS Austin

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How to get free help with income tax prep, or free software | Business | postandcourier.com – The Post and Courier

It's that time of year when many people think about getting their income tax returns filed, and once again there are several options for free preparation assistance and free software.

For those with uncomplicated returns, the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program stands out because it has no income limit for anyone in need of help.

Tax-Aide probably has locations near you, and it operates most of the federally sanctioned Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs. But it's not just for older taxpayers.

Tax-Aide volunteers can prepare your taxes in person or help you prepare them online.To find in-person hours and locations often in libraries, community centers and churches usethe site locator tool onlineat aarp.org or call 888-227-7669.

An Internal Revenue Service 2023 1040 tax form and instructions are shown on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. For many people filing U.S. tax returns especially those doing it for their first time it can seem like a daunting task.

Free software is also available for filers with an adjusted gross income of $79,000 or less.

Like many assistance sites staffed by trained volunteers, Tax-Aide said it may not be able to help with complicated returns, such as those involving businesses or rental property income.

The IRSVolunteer Income Tax Assistance program has a higher income limit for help with 2023 returns, up $4,000 from last year. It offers free basic tax return preparation for people who generally make $64,000 or less and for people with disabilities or limited English-speaking skills.

To find locations in or near your ZIP code, use the search tool online atirs.treasury.gov/freetaxprepor call 800-906-9887.

Before going to a site for in-person assistance, check on what forms and documents you'll need to bring so that you and the volunteers don't end up frustrated. Tax-Aide and other providers have lists online, but if you've ever prepared a tax return, you probably know what's involved.

Just want free software to prepare your own taxes? If your household's adjusted gross income is $79,000 or less (line 11 on last year's return), the IRS Free File Online program offers filing technology from eight different companies.

Four of those vendors 1040.com, TaxSlayer, ezTaxReturn and OLT/OnLine Taxes also offer free state income tax returns for South Carolina for users who qualify for the free federal filing. Note when choosing a software option that some providers have lower income limits than the $79,000 IRS cap.

Access these offers directly through the IRS at apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile. Otherwise, you could end up on the wrong website and be charged for the same or similar products.

In South Carolina, SC Thrive and Trident United Way are working together to help with advice and online tax filing. The income limit is $79,000, the same as for free filing software through the IRS, but the groups also offer free help from trained tax counselors.

Reach SC Thrive at scthrive.orgor 800-726-8774.

In the Charleston region, in-person tax clinics are also available. Most of them are part of the VITA program mentioned earlier, and ways to find locations include calling theTrident United Wayhelp line at 2-1-1, texting 211211 or clicking on the VITA tab at SC211.org.

The 2024 tax season officially started Jan. 29, when the IRS began accepting what's expected to be nearly 129 million individual tax returns for income last year. The deadline to file is April 15.

This year, the IRS said there will be increased help on its toll-free number 800-829-1040 which was notorious for long waits previously. A customer callback feature, it is hoped, will reduce wait times.

The agency also is experimenting with a free way to directly file federal returns, but South Carolina is not among the dozen test states forDirect File.

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Best encryption software of 2024 – TechRadar

The best encryption software makes it simple and easy to protect your data, files or folders, and keep them secret, safe, and private.

Best encryption software: quick menu

Encryption software has become increasingly important, as it's become easier than ever for hackers, rogue apps, and even media giants to be able to access your personal details, and even your data.

For personal users this can mean anything from your personal files to all of your photos being potentially exposed or even deleted by a malware attack, which could be devastating.

For businesses it's even more serious, as they have a legal duty to protect customer records, and if hacked the exposure of any sensitive or confidential information can result in steep fines, brand damage, and long-term financial loss.

While there are a number of security solutions available, everything from free anti-malware tools for home consumers and cloud anti-virus for business, even simple human error can undermine these attempts to secure data.

Encryption software is already deployed by some large corporations and government agencies to protect data, but it's also available and now accessible for a wider range of users.

Once properly setup, even if your security software fails, thieves/hackers/snoopers would still find it almost impossible to do anything with any encrypted data that might be exposed.

Below we list the best encryption software tools.

We've featured the best ransomware protection.

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure youre buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Keep your documents secured

Huge file storage

Choose files to encrypt

Office integration

Microsoft OneDrive may not be the first option that comes to people's minds when they think of encryption software, but what a lot of people don't realize is that it comes with its own secure and encrypted file storage area in the form of the Personal Vault.

You can choose which files and folders to include, and these will become locked and encrypted. However, while the default is for only you to be able to access them, there is the option to share specific files and folders with other users.

This is great because OneDrive works really well as a small business and personal cloud storage solution, so the ability to encrypt files is a great bonus.

Additionally, OneDrive is an excellent choice for anyone who is committed to using Microsoft's services, as it offers neat integration with Outlook.com, the company's popular email platform, for instance.OneDrive also ties in nicely with Windows and there is a selection of reasonable mobile apps to facilitate access on the move.

For personal use, pricing starts at around $7 / 6 / AU$10 per month or $70 / 65 / AU$100 yearly.+

Read our full Microsoft OneDrive review.

Effective encryption for individuals

Free to download basic version

Effective personal encryption

Although its important to protect assets on company computers, its also crucial to add protection to any device that stores critical data. For instance, most employees have access to their company emails and other accounts on their smartphones, and they need to be protected.

Folder Lock is a good option when it comes to adding encryption to your mobile devices. The app can protect your personal files, photos, videos, contacts, wallet cards, notes and audio recordings stored in your handset.

There are some other hidden security features, too. Not only is there encryption, but you can also set a decoy password, hacker deterrents, log unauthorized login attempts, back up all your passwords and get notified on potential brute-force attacks.

The basic app is free to download, with a pro version available for a one-time fee which opens up more advanced and useful security features for around $40 / 35 / AU$60.

Read our full Folder Lock review.

Encryption for small teams and individuals

Strong encryption for personal use

Free version available

While free software can be convenient for some, its not always as powerful as premium offerings, and AxCrypt is a good bet if you want something reliable. The software has been designed specifically for individuals and small teams within businesses.

It provides strong security, with files protected by either 128-bit or 256-bit AES encryption, which should thwart any intruders. There are also cloud storage capabilities thrown into the mix the software will automatically protect files saved on services such as Google Drive and Dropbox.

AxCrypt is fully multilingual, and it can work with languages such as Dutch, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish, Swedish, Russian and Portuguese with more support planned for the future. As well as this, theres passport management, and you can access your encrypted files through a smartphone app.

There is a free version but it's very limited and perhaps best thought of as a way to trial the software and help become used to the interface and basic functions.

Read our full AxCrypt encryption tool review.

Free encryption for everyone

Basic version is completely free

Provides effective encryption

Selective approach

Initial download is a bit confusing

VeraCrypt is one of the most popular security tools, providing you with enterprise-grade encryption for important data.

The system is quite easy to use, and all it really does is add encrypted passwords to your data and partitions. All you have to do is give the tool a few details about your data, such as volume size, location and specified hashing algorithms and then the program does its thing.

Whats also nifty about VeraCrypt is that its immune to brute-force attacks, so you never have to worry about hackers decrypting your passwords and other sensitive data. The basic version of the software is completely free, as well.

Read our full VeraCrypt review.

Encryption with compression

Strong encryption

Compresses files to make them easier to manage

Takes longer than other programs

Secure IT from Cypherix is a file encryption program that also compresses your files. This means that it may take a little longer than some other programs, but it does mean your files are potentially more manageable after.

Secure IT 2000 offers file and folder encryption, compression and file shredding all in one with command line processing and secure emails. It runs on all versions of Windows (32-bit as well as 64-bit).

A master password is required to access any files, which can be a little limiting if you'd prefer to have different passwords for different files, not least if you're looking to share some of them with family and/or friends.

Read our full Secure IT review.

Concealer is a file encryption program specifically for Apple Mac computers. Rather than encrypt all files on your harddrive, instead it provides an encrypted area for you to drag files into - which means you need to ensure you delete the original copy so as to avoid having both encrypted and non-encrypted versions on your harddrive. You can also choose your preferred encryption strength as 128 or 256-bit.

Renee File Protector is another piece of file encryption software for Windows, but this one allows you to have different passwords for different files or folders, effectively creating multiple security levels. Alternatively, you can just stick with a master password if required. And if you forget any of your passwords, Renee File Protector can provide prompts to allow you to recover them, which is handy.

SensiGuard doesn't just encrypt your files and folders, it also hides them so that they will remain hidden from unauthorized users, which is a potentially useful feature. Additionally, you can also securely shred files, which means that it's even harder for hackers to locate any sensitive files on your harddrive that you've already encrypted, or deleted.

We've featured the best business VPN.

When deciding which encryption software to use, first consider what your actual needs are, as budget software may only provide basic options, so if you need to use advanced tools you may find a more expensive platform is much more worthwhile. Additionally, higher-end software can usually cater for every need, so do ensure you have a good idea of which features you think you may require from your encryption software.

To test for the best encryption software we first set up an account with the relevant software platform, then we tested the service to see how the software could be used for different purposes and in different situations. The aim was to push each encryption software platform to see how useful its basic tools were and also how easy it was to get to grips with any more advanced tools.

Read more on how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.

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The best free VPN in 2024 – TechRadar

A virtual private network (VPN) is essential if you want to protect yourself from cybercriminals, hackers, and invasive snooping, and the best free VPN services are a great starting point. I've conducted over 150 VPN reviews over my four years in the industry, and there's no such thing as a genuinely free and unrestricted VPN servicethere's always a catch.

Any service that claims otherwise should immediately be treated with caution. It typically means the service will be turning a profit in some other way, usually with invasive advertising or by selling your data to third partiesdefeating the privacy purpose of a VPN.

Ultimately, this renders most of them useless for unblocking content and can give you a false sense of security. The best free services exist to give you a taste of the full product and often limit both your speed and the amount of data you can use.

Let's look at the pros and cons of a free vs premium VPN to help you pick the right VPN app for your needs. I'll show you speeds, server locations, unblocking capability, privacy, and security for free VPNs that you can actually trust.

Andreas Theodorou (MRes, BA)

As a digital privacy advocate and expert, he's spent the past four years leveraging his master's degree to research VPNs, cryptography, and other cybersecurity topics.

Paid VPNs offer so much more than their free counterparts. If you want to get the best VPN services for free, take advantage of money-back guarantees and see how they compare with the top free options.

My latest round of tests is now underway, so watch this space for the latest and greatest in all things VPN.

Let's deep-dive into my top free VPN picks for today.

The best free VPNit even unblocks Netflix and iPlayer

Available on: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux | Data limit: 10 GB at full speed, then unlimited via a single 1 Mbps location | Connections: 1 | Server locations: 13 | Countries: 10 | 24/7 live chat support: Website and email

Unblocks US Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer

10 GB full-speed data a month, plus unlimited low-speed traffic

Super-fast speeds

Plenty of customization

Easy-to-use apps

Some features are locked behind the premium service

Subscribe if:

You want a free Netflix VPN:PrivadoVPN is one of the only free providers that can reliably unblock Netflix.

You need a fast free VPN:WireGuard encryption is accessible on PrivadoVPN's free plan, which means you get fantastic speeds no matter what.

You want premium features:most services block features behind a paywall, but not PrivadoVPN. Split tunneling, auto-connect, and kill switch functionality are included as standard.

Don't subscribe if:

You need totally unlimited data:PrivadoVPN offers unparalleled performance, but only for 10 GB. After that, your speeds are seriously restricted.

You want a Linux app:Linux installations only operate a command-line interface. If you need a graphical user interface (GUI), I recommend ProtonVPN.

Bottom line

PrivadoVPN Free is an excellent service with unblocking capabilities that blow even some premium competition out of the water. Try it for yourself and see why it's my top free VPN in 2024.

Want to know more?

Check out our in-depth PrivadoVPN review for a closer look at the service, and see why it's my top free VPN pick for 2024.

PrivadoVPN Free has been nipping at Proton's heels for a long time, and with recent updates, it's finally de-throned the long-standing Swiss champion. With a dedicated geoblocking team, it's one of few VPNs that can reliably unblock popular streaming services like Netflix and BBC iPlayermost paid services can't say that.

I also love the fact that, contrary to many other freebies on the market, Privado's free option offers plenty of customization and security features. These include a kill switch and always-on VPN to protect your data at all times and cut your internet use if your VPN connection drops.

The free platform even offers split-tunneling, so you can access local services while streaming your favorite shows abroad. You can even control your encryption protocol, and switch to WireGuard for a faster, more secure VPN experience.

Try PrivadoVPN: the best free VPN

With its 865 Mbps download speeds, PrivadoVPN's free servers are just as fast as its paid-for ones. This knocks Proton VPN's free servers out of first place for the fastest free VPN with 740 Mbps. The higher server count also means that PrivadoVPN's servers are less likely to become congested, too.

However, if the data tap runs dry, you then get unlimited data via its "over-quota" mode, where you'll be placed on a speed-restricted server offering only 1 Mbps. While this might seem slow, it's still plenty for day-to-day internet use, and most users won't likely need more than 10 GB every month. In a recent discussion with Privado's engineers, they revealed the majority of its free subscribers only use around 4 GB of data per month.

PrivadoVPN is one of the only VPN providers to handle its own bandwidth and transit routes. This means you get fantastic speeds and almost no server congestionit's a free service with a truly premium feel.

Click to read more about PrivadoVPN

The choice of 13 locations over 10 countries beats most free services, including Proton VPN's free plan which only offers 3 countries. Here's a quick list of the free server locations:

The apps are easy to use and reliable, but the service has some issues and limits. PrivadoVPN Free only supports a single connection, so if you install it on your laptop and your phone, you can only use one at a time.

Overall, PrivadoVPN Free is an excellent service that blows the competition out of the water. Its streaming results are a standout feature, and if paying for a VPN just isn't an option, PrivadoVPN gives you a premium service without a premium costor any cost for that matter.

Unlimited data allowance and advocates for digital privacy

Available on: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux | Data limit: Unlimited | Connections: 1 | Countries: 3 | Support: Website, email

Unlimited data

Fast servers

Feature-packed open-sourced and audited apps

Reliable kill switch

Only three locations

Subscribe if:

You want an unlimited free VPN:unlike most free providers, Proton VPN doesn't cap data usage on its free plan.

You want a free open-source VPN:Proton VPN is proudly open-source, meaning anyone can audit and verify its claims.

You want a free Linux VPN:Proton VPN offers free installation on Linux and even comes with a graphical user interface (GUI).

Don't subscribe if:

You need a server in the UK:ProtonVPN only offers free servers in the US, Netherlands, and Japan. If you need servers elsewhere, I would recommend PrivadoVPN or Windscribe.

You want a free torrenting VPN:if you want access to Proton VPN's P2P servers, you'll need to upgrade to the premium version. We'd recommend PrivadoVPN instead.

Bottom line

Proton VPNis a well-known brand with a history of fighting for digital privacy and internet freedom. While it's recently been knocked off of its throne, it's still an absolutely fantastic service.

Want to know more?

Check out our in-depth Proton VPN review for a closer look at one of the most popular free VPNs in the industry.

Proton VPN Free used to top my free VPN charts, thanks to its mix of features, power, and app quality. While it may have lost its place, it's still a remarkable service that doesn't pile on the limits and restrictions to nag you into upgrading. This is a free VPN you could use long-term.

For starters, users can use their software as long as they want as Proton comes with no data limits. That's a big plus in a market where almost all other free VPNs might allow you 500MB to 10GB a month at most. This also ultimately translates into better privacy as you don't have to choose where you use the VPN when data's running low. If you feel there's a risk, or you're unsure, then just get connectedProton VPN Free is always available.

Proton hasn't punished free users by omitting key features, either. Some free providers drop the kill switch, WireGuard, and maybe even support, but Proton VPN Free has all the core privacy features you need to stay safe online.

Download this great VPN directly from the Proton website

There are still significant limits. You only get access to three locations, for instance: USA, the Netherlands, and Japan. Although you can install Proton VPN on as many devices as you like, you can only connect one at a time. There's no access to Proton VPN's specialist streaming servers, no P2P support, or bonus extras such as ad and malware-blockingto use them, you'll have to upgrade to a premium plan.

None of this prevents Proton VPN Free from doing its central job, though, and much better than most of the competition. Its well-engineered, open-source, and audited apps are easy to use, but also stuffed with useful tweaks, tools, and technologies.

The service previously topped my free VPN speed charts but has since been knocked off of its pillar by Privado. Speeds of 740 Mbps are nothing to scoff at, as some premium providers aren't that fast. However, the limited number of services comes with a high potential for congestion, so those speeds may not always be available.

Most of Proton's services come with free options, including its highly acclaimed ProtonMail service. So if you're looking for more than just a free VPN, Proton has a whole suite of tools available at absolutely no cost whatsoever.

To combat censorship around the world, Proton launched the VPN Observatory to monitor spikes in VPN usage. The Observatory will act like a canary in the coal mine, signaling to the world when sudden acts of censorship have taken place.

Proton VPN Free may not be quite right for everyone. If you absolutely must have a location in the UK, for instance, or some other country not on Proton's very short list, then PrivadoVPN and Windscribe have more than 10 countries to choose from.

For most users, Proton VPN Free delivers just about everywhere. It's fast, secure, has excellent features, and it's also effortless to use.

Powerful and secure with a generous data cap

Available on: Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS | Data limit: 10 GB | Connections: Unlimited | Server locations: 14 | Countries: 11 | Support: Website, email

Plenty of advanced features

Unlimited simultaneous connections

Unblocks UK Netflix, BBC iPlayer

Speeds can't match the best

Subscribe if:

You want unlimited simultaneous connections:Windscribe doesn't care how many devices you use, but it does give you a 10 GB data limit.

You want plenty of server locations:14 server locations is more than any other free VPN service I recommend.

Don't subscribe if:

You want a free VPN that's fast:Windscribe's speeds are decent, and more than enough for most tasks, but I saw much better speeds from the competition.

You need more than 10 GB of data:10 GB doesn't go as far as it used to, and if you use it to stream or torrent, it'll run out quickly. If you need a truly unlimited service, I would recommend Proton VPN instead.

Bottom line

Windscribeoffers plenty of server locations and reliable service, but lacks the speed and quality of PrivadoVPN and Proton VPN.

Windscribe Free VPN is a quality Canadian service whose appealing mix of features more than justifies its place in the top three.

The data allowance is a little more restricted than my two top VPNs, at a strict 10GB a month. That's enough to protect a lot of online activity, though, and Windscribe Free VPN has its own plus point as compensation. Yet, while most free plans restrict you to only one connection, Windscribe has no limits. This means you can install and use the software on as many devices simultaneously as you need.

The network is another highlight, with Windscribe Free VPN users able to choose from 14 locations across 11 countries. That beats PrivadoVPN Free (10 countries), Proton VPN (3 countries), and many others.

Put Windscribe to the test for free

Windscribe's premium service was one of the few VPNs that maxed out the speed testing line in my latest round of tests, and my previous testing has shown it's an above-average free service when it comes to performance, which is thoroughly commendable.

Recent revamps of the apps have made them a bit more simple in their design, but I dislike how cluttered they feel. Even still, it's a step in the right direction, and the new server location search function is incredibly helpful.

There are some surprising plus points, too. Although Windscribe Free VPN doesn't include the specialist Windflix dedicated streaming servers, I found the service still successfully unblocked UK Netflix and BBC iPlayer.I like that it doesn't disregard content unblocking for non-paying customers.

Put it all together, and while Windscribe Free VPN can't quite match Proton VPN and PrivadoVPN, it gets very close, and the service could well be the right choice for some people but when you consider that all of these services are free, why would you pick anything other than the best?

Speedy and secure with a big bonus for Macs

Available on: Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS | Data limit: 10 GB per month (2 GB per day for Mac) | Connections: 2 | Server locations: 3 | Countries: 2 | Support: Website, email

Relatively generous with data

Fast for a free VPN

Unblocks Disney Plus

Few features

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AI imaging software generates a gallery of stereotypes, says Univ. of … – GeekWire

An example of the photos created by the text-to-image generator Stable Diffusion when given the prompt from University of Washington researchers to illustrate a person from Europe (left) and a person from the USA. The people are typically male and light-skinned.

If youre asked to imagine a person from North America or a woman from Venezuela, what do they look like? If you give an AI-powered imaging program the same prompts, odds are the software will generate stereotypical responses.

A person will usually be male and light-skinned.

A woman from Latin American countries will more often be sexualized than European and Asian women.

People of nonbinary gender and Indigenous people will hardly exist.

Those are the latest findings from University of Washington researchers who will present their work next week at the 2023 Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing in Singapore.

The researchers used the open-source, AI image generator Stable Diffusion to run its tests. They gave the program verbal prompts asking it to create a front-facing photo of a person from six continents and 26 countries. The UW researchers also used different gender prompts including person, man, woman and nonbinary person.

The researchers compared continental with national images and scored their likenesses. For example, the prompt to create a photo of a person from Oceania, which includes Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, most often produced light-skinned people despite the fact that Papua New Guinea is the second-most populous country in the region and its population is predominantly Indigenous people.

The UW team investigated the sexualization of different nationalities almost by accident after the Stable Diffusion model started labeling its own images as not safe for work.

The team used an NSFW detector to score images from sexy to neutral. A woman from Venezuela, for example, received a sexy score of 0.77, while a woman from the U.S. was 0.32 and a woman from Japan ranked 0.13.

The image-generating model was trained on publicly available datasets of images paired with captions that were scraped from the internet.

Other researchers have shown that the AI tools often depict women as meek, powerless and in domestic roles while men are dominating, likeable and in professional careers. Journalists at the Washington Post found that Stable Diffusion even applied stereotypes to inanimate objects. Toys in Iraq were depicted as soldier figurines with guns while a home in India was a clay-built structure on a dusty road.

AI presents many opportunities, but it is moving so fast that we are not able to fix the problems in time and they keep growing rapidly and exponentially.

While researchers are able to repeatedly demonstrate stereotypes around race, nationality, gender, religion and income using text-to-image tools, the implications of and solutions to the problem are less straightforward.

We need to better understand the impact of social practices in creating and perpetuating such results, said Sourojit Ghosh, a UW doctoral student in the UWs department of Human Centered Design and Engineering, who worked on the research.

To say that better data can solve these issues misses a lot of nuance, he said in a release on the study. A lot of why Stable Diffusion continually associates person with man comes from the societal interchangeability of those terms over generations.

Users of DALL-E, a free image generator from ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, have also revealed similar biases in the software.

AI presents many opportunities, but it is moving so fast that we are not able to fix the problems in time and they keep growing rapidly and exponentially, said Aylin Caliskan, a UW assistant professor in the Information School.

Caliskan contributed to the research, which was funded by a National Institute of Standards and Technology award.

Governments, regulators and institutions are struggling to keep up with, let alone guide the technologys evolution.

Earlier this month, the City of Seattle released a policy governing the use of generative AI tools, building on President Bidens earlier executive order for AI. In August, Microsoft President Brad Smith testified before a U.S. Senate committee regarding AI regulations.

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