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As we return from the long holiday weekend, presumably sunburned and slightly plumper, let's take a look at some of the biggest stories to hit the Download shores over the past week.

Office 365, Microsoft's answer to Google Docs, hit the market, and professionals and small businesses can use it to work from anywhere using familiar-feeling Web-enabled applications. Sure, we all like the idea of cloud-enabled collaboration, but are the subscription pricing tiers just a tad too high? You tell us.

In other news, Mozilla Thunderbird, Firefox's open-source e-mail sibling and Outlook alternative, jumped up to version 5, … Read more

Evernote for Mac is just one part of an excellent, access-from-anywhere note-taking system. In addition to the Evernote desktop client, you can create and get to your notes from a variety of mobile devices (including apps for the iPhone and iPad) and any Web browser on any computer. A free Evernote account links all your notes together. This means that whether you're taking notes or saving images and other media, you'll be able to access them from any device.

Also this week, we have the latest beta version of GraphicConverter, the low-cost image editor that lets you convert … Read more

Over the past week or so, CNET's own Seth Rosenblatt has been traveling the globe, relaying to us in-depth coverage of some of the most popular security software companies out there. At his first stop in Brno, Czech Republic, Seth took us into AVG's virus lab and showed us a bit about how these good guys fight the malware. Next, he hopped over to Prague where he visited AVG's rival, Avast and got the scoop on some big news. Needless to say, it takes a lot to keep the PCs of ordinary folks like us secure. We … Read more

Default Folder X is a system preference pane that can save you a lot of time finding and flipping through folders, especially when opening and saving files. The primary interface pops up with every Open and Save dialog box, across all your applications, giving you faster access to multiple folders and commands. This latest version fixes minor issues to give you a smoother overall experience.

Also this week we have the latest version of Skitch, the tool that lets you quickly convey your ideas with screen grabs, using arrows and other useful graphics to highlight specific areas. Our game this … Read more

Don't get too comfortable with Firefox 4, folks, because Mozilla recently upgraded its eventual successor, Firefox 5, from beta to "release candidate" status. Memory management, JavaScript rendering, canvas, and networking performance have all been enhanced, and background tabs will load faster.

Not to be outdone, Google also gave us a browser bump this past week, as it pushed Chrome 14 to Google's dev channel. It comes with improved secure HTTP support thanks to an updated V8 JavaScript engine, and tightened security when installing Web apps from the Chrome Web Store.

Meanwhile, it's been confirmed that … Read more

This week, we saw a major update in browsing as Google pushed Chrome 12 out to its stable browser channel. While Chrome 12 doesn't contain any surprises from its beta release a month ago, it does bring more hardware acceleration support and better browsing security. It also marks the end of public support for Google Gears, the offline Web app tool.

If you like your digital life in the browser, then the Chrome OS could be a clarion siren that's hard to resist. It's fast, it's geared for an Internet tether yet able to function on … Read more

You'll find plenty of keyboard-shortcut launchers floating around for Mac OS X, but Quicksilver's stylish interface, small footprint, and many customization options set it ahead of the pack. You activate this open-source program via a user-assignable hot key that spawns a small text field for entering abbreviations to locate applications, documents, or anything else. Want to get to files and folders quickly? Quicksilver is the answer.

Also this week we have the latest version of OnyX, a handy utility for conducting routine maintenance and tweaking the interface on your Mac. Our game this week is Lux Delux, a … Read more

The successor to Windows 7 debuted this past week at the D9 conference, and so far it appears to be Windows Phone 7's interface and tile-style app management bolted on top of Windows 7. Code-named "Windows 8" by Microsoft, the next-generation OS is also expected to be a touch-friendly environment that works seamlessly on tablets, desktops, and laptops.

This week, we also learned that Microsoft is now restricting the number of Windows Phone apps that it will approve from a single developer to 20 per day. Microsoft says the new restriction is aimed at cutting down on &… Read more

On Monday, Steve Jobs opened the 2011 World Wide Developer Conference with his keynote speech unveiling Apple's plans for Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5, and the new iCloud service. If you missed the latest news from Apple, we were there in the audience at the keynote, live blogging the event as it happened. Check out our live blog of the keynote here.

Of course, even with all the exciting Apple news, other developers were still turning out software updates today. This week, we have the latest version of VLC Media Player, adding important fixes for security issues and … Read more