Comodo Group Inc has released new versions of its backup tools for Windows users. COMODO Backup 4.1.2 introduces a number of new features, including an automatic option for creating WinPE-based rescue discs, while Comodo Cloud 2.1.6 is a maintenance release offering a number of minor bug fixes.

COMODO Backup 4.1.2 allows users to back up selected files and entire drive images to just about any location, including external drives, optical discs, network, FTP and – of course – Comodo’s own cloud-storage servers, with 5GB of online storage provided free of charge. Comodo Cloud 2.1.6 is Comodo’s standlone client for exclusively connecting to your Comodo cloud-based backup space via Windows – a mobile app is also available for iOS and Android users.

Read rest of the story to COMODO Backup 4.1.2 released with comprehensive backup solution for Windows users

You don’t have to have something to hide to have something to hide. Whether you share your computer with others, or your machine is situated somewhere that other people may be able to access it, there’s a high chance that it has files stored on it that you would like to keep private. Documents relating to personal and financial issues are the sorts of files that should be kept away from unauthorized eyes, and Wise Folder Hider Beta is a free tool that makes it easy to do just that.

There are various ways in which you can make sensitive files more difficult to access, but this handy security tool helps to make things as simple as possible. Protecting the files you would rather other people were not able to see take little more than signing into the program account you have created and then dragging and dropping the relevant files and folders onto the program interface – this can be done on an individual basis, or you can choose to hide a whole bunch in one go.

Read rest of the story to Wise Folder Hider Beta released: keep your private files safe

Stalwart of the file compression world WinZip has received a major upgrade that sees the introduction of a number of new features along with other enhancements and performance improvements. WinZip 16.5 has a strong focus on performance with a completely upgraded 64-bit engine as well as improved performance when used in conjunction with AMD processors.

The performance increases for AMD users will be noticed by anyone with AMD Fusion processors and AMD Radeon GPUs, but the overall performance of the app as a whole feels snappier. There is also a new look for the program, and the facelift helps to breathe new life into an archiving tool that many people have been using for a decade or more. The ribbon-style toolbar takes inspiration from the likes of Microsoft Office and gives a more streamlined feel while providing access to a huge range of features and options.

Read rest of the story to WinZip 16.5 released with new features

As standard, Windows gives you very little control over windows that you may have open. The title bar is usually home to just three buttons that can be used to close, maximize and minimize the current window, but eXtra Buttons is a great fee tool that can be used to add a host more controls. This affords you a far greater level of power when it comes to managing your windows and enables you to perform a number of handy options with just a click of the mouse.

Unlike other similar tools that provide you with extra title bar buttons for programs and windows, eXtra Buttons feels likes natural part of Windows. In fact you’re likely to find that when you have been using the app for a little while, moving to a computer that does not have it installed will feel like something is missing. In total there are thirteen different buttons that you can add to your title bars, and you can pick and choose which you would like to have active.

Read rest of the story to Add a host more controls with eXtra Buttons

Richard Wang has released Beta 2 of FluffyApp 2.0, his free Windows client for accessing the CloudApp file-sharing service. CloudApp allows Mac users to quickly and easily share files via free and paid-for cloud-based storage, and FluffyApp brings this functionality to Windows users.

Version 2.0’s main improvement is in its user interface, introducing a flyout for displaying drop history as well as providing tabs for uploading files and publishing text and shortened links. Other changes include a consolidated area for options and Hotkeys using the standard Windows mechanism.

CloudApp allows users to sign up for free storage – capped at a maximum of 10 files (max size 25MB each) per day – or pay $5/month for unlimited uploads capped at 250MB per file. The CloudApp app is Mac-only, but FluffyApp was developed by Wang to provide Windows users with access to the service too.

Read rest of the story to FluffyApp 2.0b2 released with desktop access to CloudApp

Sophos has released a free on-demand Virus Removal Tool. The program has previously been offered to the company’s larger customers to help them clean up infected PCs, but now it’s available for anyone to download.

The Virus Removal Tool is extremely easy to use, with no settings to configure, no scan modes to figure out: it’s purely about on-demand full system scans. But this simplicity does mean you should be able to install the program and run it alongside just about any other security suite, as there’s no real-time access component to cause conflicts.

How does it behave? On our first look, scanning felt slow. Very slow. Of course that might just mean it’s being thorough, but you’ll need to be patient.

Read rest of the story to Sophos Virus Removal Tool released

NovaStor has released NovaBACKUP 13, the latest edition of its flagship backup suite. And the big news this time comes in some major additions to the program’s Disaster Recovery abilities.

NovaBACKUP now supports full, incremental and differential drive imaging, for instance, which should deliver significant performance improvements for most people.

The program now allows you to access individual files and folders within an image, as well as restoring the entire backup.

The Windows PE-based boot disc provides a familiar environment to recover your system, should disaster strike.

Read rest of the story to NovaBACKUP 13 released with faster, more flexible disc imaging

Facebook, the biggest social- networking service, is buying the Instagram mobile photo-sharing application for about $1 billion in cash and stock, using its biggest acquisition yet to attract users of mobile devices.

The transaction is expected to close later this quarter, Menlo Park, Calif.-based Facebook said today in a statement on its site. Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg also announced the deal on his Facebook profile page.

Instagram, owned by San Francisco-based Burbn, boasts more than 30 million users and the most popular free photo- sharing application on Apple’s App Store. The deal may help Facebook win handset users and advertisers who target them, said Rebecca Lieb, an analyst at Altimeter Group LLC.

Read rest of the story to Facebook buys Instagram

Anyone with more than a passing interest in tweaking the look and feel of Windows is likely to be aware of the existence of WindowBlinds. This highly impressive customization tool from Stardock has been updated with added support for transparent scrollbars in Explorer windows in Windows 7 as well as updates to the Start button and changes to higher DPI settings. WindowBlinds 7.4 also includes a number of fixes for bugs and problems that have been discovered.

Support for a number of specific programs has been improved so if you have noticed issues with Yahoo! Messenger, you’ll be pleased to find that the correct theme is now used on frames while a problem with black menu bars in Total Commander has also been addressed. Other program-specific changes that have been made include a number of fixes for Internet Explorer 9 related problems such as better styling for groupboxes and scrollbars.

Read rest of the story to WindowBlinds 7.4 released with new support for transparent scrollbars

Analysing file structures can be a complicated business, and definitely isn’t for the technically faint of heart. It can be useful for troubleshooting or security analysis purposes, though, or even when trying to identify a mystery file you’ve found somewhere on your PC. And whatever it is you’re trying to do, FileScanner is an interesting Java-based tool which just might be able to help.

The analysis process starts simply enough. Click File > Open File, or just drag and drop the target file onto FileScanner and it’ll automatically check the contents, before giving you a detailed report.

Is an image not displaying, for instance? Drag and drop a PNG, JPG or BMP file onto FileScanner and it’ll display the signature, headers, data blocks and other relevant information. If you understand the structure of that particular format then you may be able to spot what’s wrong. But even if you’re technically clueless about such things, you can still click the Image Data section to try and view the file contents, and perhaps click Edit > Export to save what’s left of the image in a new file.

Read rest of the story to FileScanner: analyze executable, archive and image file structures