Though you only get a few extra useful features, WhatsApp Messenger is an excellent choice for sending free texts across platforms, even internationally.
With an interface that lets you browse headlines quickly, customize your channels and read the news offline, SmartNews is an excellent free alternative to other popular news apps.
If you're a regular browser of YouTube videos, Jasmine is an excellent option with great navigation and added features to make your video viewing even better.
Windows 10 delivers a refined, vastly improved vision for the future of computing with an operating system that's equally at home on tablets and traditional PCs -- and it's a free upgrade for most users.
Adobe has improved the speed of Flash and its integration with other CS3 apps, although flashy new features are few. Plus, Flash now works natively on Intel-based Macs.
Sling TV's bargain price and freedom from contracts make it well worth a test-drive for prospective cord-cutters or "cord-nevers" who can live with its stripped-down selection of live TV channels.
If you're ready to let go of old habits from previous versions of Word and want to make sleeker-looking documents, Microsoft Word 2007 is worth the upgrade. However, less-expensive alternatives handle its core features without the clutter.
If you're a dedicated Windows 8 hater, the update to Windows 8.1 isn't going to change your mind. For everyone else, this collection of tweaks, fixes, and new features is useful, but everything here should have shipped in the original version last year.
