hide

Your IP address gives advertisers, your ISP, and even the police tons of information about you. If you want to hide your surfing behavior, Easy-Hide-IP can issue you a new IP address whenever you want a change. It helps you stay anonymous on the Web, but isn't a totally comprehensive solution like a VPN or more powerful proxy.

Despite the touted easy setup, the download takes longer than most because of registration. You have to give up your e-mail address and then wait for a product key before you can start using the program. Then, if you want more … Read more

Changing your computer's IP address not only hides your location from marketers but also worse threats. Fast Hide IP makes it easy to mask your IP by routing your traffic through a network of secure servers that are impossible to trace. Fast Hide IP is not only easy to use but also lets you choose which country's address to use. To Internet snoops, it'll look like you're in that country instead of your own. You can also access Web content limited by geographical location, such as TV networks. The trial version is fully functional, but it'… Read more

NQ Mobile Vault is the simplest application I've seen for keeping text messages, call history, contacts, photos, and videos private on your mobile device. Celebrities, pay attention.

Basically, Vault creates an encrypted, password-protected space on your device, in which you can store photos, videos, text messages, and call history. It's easy to move items into and out of the space, and you can even permanently delete them, if you'd like.

Once you create your password, there are a few ways to start using Vault. First, within the app, you can pull up all of your messages and … Read more

Cursors are necessary and useful, but every now and then they can get in the way. You might find them blocking the text you're typing in a word-processing document, hovering over the forehead of someone in a video you're watching, or presenting a distraction during a slideshow. This is a problem that can be easily solved with AutoHideMouseCursor. This simple utility can automatically hide your cursor after a specified period of time, keeping it out of the way until you need it again.

The program's interface is straightforward; there are check boxes to disable the program, have … Read more

Window Hide Tool is a freeware "boss key" app. They go by many names, but the object is always the same: to instantly hide an open window that you don't want someone else (like the boss) to see, simultaneously preserving both the illusion of productivity and whatever it was you had going on that would shatter it. The best boss keys let you program hot keys that quickly and unobtrusively drop the target window while you type or click. Window Hide Tool is one of the best we've tried. You can program basic commands such as … Read more

If you like to use fun or attractive images as your desktop wallpaper but hate the way they look when they're cluttered with desktop icons, try AutoHideDesktopIcons. This simple utility easily displays your desktop icons when needed and keeps them hidden the rest of the time.

AutoHideDesktopIcons minimizes to the system tray when not in use, and clicking its icon brings up a simple interface with a series of check boxes and radio buttons. Users can specify whether they want the program to start with Windows, always start minimized, always be on top, or to hide the taskbar; this … Read more

With iCloud, you can restore previously deleted apps right from the App Store on your iDevice. If you open up the App Store app, tap Updates in the lower-right corner, and then tap the Purchased line above the list of apps in need of updating, you can browse a list of all of your purchased apps or those not currently on your phone. These lists are useful for reinstalling deleted apps, but they can be difficult to manage if you are a frequent App Store shopper and the lists grow from dozens into the hundreds.

Thankfully, if you simply swipe … Read more

Most apps in the Mac App Store tend to lend themselves to being downloaded for either the sheer novelty of the app, or to fill a one-time need.

The long list of purchased apps (free or paid) you have uninstalled from your Mac and never intend on using again do nothing more than clutter your purchased list. The good news is you can hide these types of apps from your purchased list with the click of a mouse.

While viewing your purchased items in the Mac App Store, as your mouse moves down the list you will see an X … Read more

If CNET UK readers play Citroen's version of hide and seek well enough, they could win a car.

The French automaker is using a new smartphone app and online game to promote the DS4, the second car introduced in its new luxury line. Using their smartphones and portable PCs, players both hide and hunt for virtual Citroen DS4s using Google Maps and Google Street View. The more users play and the better they get at hiding and unveiling DS4s, the more points they earn. Each point gains an entry into a lottery to win a DS4. Users also need to "Like" Citroen on Facebook to play.

The game is similar to other "car themed" app hunts put together by automakers like BMW. Clearly, the idea is to get people looking for and thinking about the DS4.

The car has been well-received by car writers and design critics alike, but American car enthusiasts (and Yankee lovers of hide and seek) really can't partake in the fun in any meaningful way since Citroen is one popular European automaker that hasn't made a dent in the U.S. market. You can get Citroen cars on U.S. soil, but it's a rare, niche import buy. The company seems happy selling predominantly in the U.K., France, Germany, and Italy.… Read more