The newly released Microsoft Office app combines Excel, Word and PowerPoint into a single app that requires less storage space to install. New features include converting images into editable Office documents, scanning and signing PDFs, scanning QR codes, and transferring files between devices.
The Office app is now available for Apple iOS and Android and is free to download.
Adobe no longer supports Flash Player as of January 1, 2021, and recommends that all users immediately uninstall Flash Player to help protect their systems. They stated that developers should move Flash Player content to newer platforms such as HTML5 in a prior post.
Microsoft Windows update KB4577586 will also permanently remove Flash Player. It is installed automatically as part of regular Windows updates.
Neverware, which develops CloudReady, announced in December 2020 that it will be soon be part of Google. CloudReady is an operating system based on the open-source Chromium OS that is free for home use.
BroadbandNow is a website that helps users find and compare Internet service providers (ISPs) for their local address in the U.S. The site also provides guides for selecting and troubleshooting internet service.
Gmail Go is a lightweight mail app that was previously available only on devices running the Android Go operating system, but now it is available for all Android users. Not all features in the Gmail app are currently in the Gmail Go, such as Google Meet.
Foxit, a maker of document and imaging software, has a free lightweight PDF Reader app for Windows, Mac, and Linux as well as mobile apps for iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. A list of free and paid Foxit products can be found at www.foxitsoftware.com/downloads.
Android custom distributions (ROMs) are replacement operating systems for Android smartphones and tablets. This allows users to customize older devices that may not have available Android updates and extend their service life. This may erase data and void your device’s warranty. Available security updates are usually based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). More information is at
The No More Ransom project website has free decryption tools for many known ransomware types.
If a decryption tool is not found, one option is to replace the hard drive and operating system and save the locked drive offline. A decryption tool may become available months later to free the data at that point.
Microsoft has released Windows File Recovery, a new Windows Store app that may help you deleted or corrupted data. Instructions and FAQ for this are available at support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4538642/windows-10-restore-lost-files
iXsystems announced in March 2020 that TrueNAS CORE is the new name for FreeNAS, the popular open source NAS (Network Attached Storage) operating system. This was done to unify branding with its TrueNAS Enterprise product. Additional features were added to the TrueNAS CORE product as well. Documentation for TrueNAS is available at www.truenas.com/docs/hub/.