free

No matter how robust a data plan you have on your phone, it's still probably limited and slower than Wi-Fi. It pays to do most of your downloading on your home's connection or on free hot spots. WiFi Free will help you find dozens of free places to connect, but it's nowhere near as seamless as other apps. It takes too long to set up and has a very simple layout.

When you install this supposedly free app, you'll be stuck either paying 99 cents or connecting it with your Foursquare account. If you don't … Read more

Being able to read, e-mail, and share documents created in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint on your Android device brings great advantages. Kingsoft Office Reader for Android Free makes these tasks fast and easy.

After a quick installation, this app loaded quickly on our device. It is pretty light on the resources and bug-free. The user interface is clean and simple to use. It worked well identifying and opening e-mail attachments and other Office document types we tried. Kingsoft Office Reader for Android Free is appropriate for all skill levels, and most users will find it handy. Even though it works … Read more

Public WiFi hotspots are great, but did you know that you are the prime target for hackers in public WiFi networks if you are not equipped with the right safety tools? With the cyber crime rates on the rise, it is better to take the extra precaution to keep your personal information safe from predators, who are looking to intercept your connection to steal your identity. Don't let this happen to you.

I've had my share of identity theft and I can tell you it's the most annoying thing you'll have to go through to clean … Read more

If the events surrounding Instagram over the last few days have made you want to close your account and start using a different service such as Flickr, we understand. But before you go and delete your Instagram account, wouldn't it be nice to have all of your photos imported to Flickr for you?

Check out @freethephotos to automagically migrate @instagram pics to @flickr bit.ly/VQ5wQs

As you can see from the tweet above, it's possible and the process is simple.

Freethephotos is a new Web site created during the … Read more

Talk about good timing!

From now through Dec. 31, you can get a free 1-year membership to ShopRunner -- the service that affords, among other things, free 2-day shipping from dozens of big-name stores. (Use offer code runner when filling out the registration form.) That may come in awfully handy for you last-minute gift shoppers.

Before I go any further, and to help prevent another SiriusXM Internet Radio-style debacle, I must point out that this offer is ostensibly for American Express Platinum Card members only. Consequently, it could disappear at any time, and it's even possible that ShopRunner will … Read more

Happy Free Shipping Day, fellow cheapskates. Nearly 1,700 online merchants are offering "free delivery by Christmas Eve," so today might be the ideal day to finish up your holiday shopping.

That said, lots of stores offer free shipping every day, and I have no doubt we'll see lots of other "free shipping in time for Christmas" offers in the days to come, so don't fret too much if you miss FSD.

Today I couldn't decide on a single deal, so instead I rounded up a bunch of good stuff -- a little … Read more

news analysis When the history of early 21st century Internet politicking is written, the meltdown of a United Nations summit last week will mark the date a virtual Cold War began.

In retrospect, the implosion of the Dubai summit was all but foreordained: it pitted nations with little tolerance for human rights against Western democracies which, at least in theory, uphold those principles. And it capped nearly a decade of behind-the-scenes jockeying by a U.N. agency called the International Telecommunication Union, created in 1865 to coordinate telegraph connectivity, to gain more authority over how the Internet is managed.

It … Read more

Is your Android device vulnerable to viruses and malware? Short answer: Yes. While threats to Android aren't yet on a par with Windows malware, it's a growth market, so it only makes sense to take steps to protect yourself and your device. Downloading apps only from the Play Store is probably the easiest way to keep your Android device safe from malware, but AVG Anti Virus Free for Android offers extra protection. This free app from one of the most trusted names in antivirus protection scans your Android smartphone or device for vulnerabilities such as unsecured settings and … Read more

A United Nations summit suddenly ran aground today after China, Algeria, and Iran objected to a U.S.-backed proposal that would include a mention of "human rights obligations" in a proposed telecommunications treaty.

Algeria's delegate warned at the U.N. summit in Dubai that there were many other nations -- calling them "silent member states" -- that also opposed the human rights language and forced a temporary adjournment of the proceedings.

China criticized the human rights language as well, saying "we also have a very serious question about the necessity of the existence … Read more