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Free privacy software

Online privacy is a hot topic, with even world leaders weighing in on the subject. Many of the big-name websites and companies will track your activities to deliver targeted advertising, and can build up an astonishingly detailed profile including your interests, spending habits, age, location and more.

If you would prefer to keep your personal details private, a VPN or proxy tool will help. See our guide to setting up and maintaining a VPN.

As well as preventing third parties building up a profile of you, the best free privacy software can open up the web, granting you access to sites blocked in your country, to access region-locked content when you're travelling away from home, and to add a layer of protection when you use a public Wi-Fi network.

A whole browser dedicated to your privacy, Tor Browser is the cornerstone of any privacy toolkit

Tor Browser is probably the best-known anonymous browsing tool out there, and it is described as a 'censorship circumvention tool'.

Tor Browser has a vast following in the online privacy and security communities. It works by bouncing your communication through numerous encrypted node on the internet, making it impossible to determine your location or other identifying information.

Tor Browser employs complex technology, but is refreshingly accessible. It's based on the same code as Firefox, and guides you through the process of getting online one step at a time.

It uses different connection methods depending on what you're trying to achieve, but there's no need to understand the details because it's all taken care of for you. This combination of effective protection and ease of use makes Tor Browser the best free privacy software you can download today.

Download here: Tor Browser

Privoxy gives you total control over your privacy, but the options might be overwhelming

Privoxy is a web proxy tool that's available not only for Mac, Windows and Linux, but also Android and iOS. It is a tremendously powerful tool, but you'll need to invest a little time and effort to get it up and running.

Privoxy can be used in conjunction with just about any web browser, which is a big bonus; simply set the browser to run its traffic through the tool.

However, one of Privoxy's key features could also be a drawback for new users: it gives you very granular control over privacy settings, and configuring them is very much a manual process. There's a helpful quick start guide available, but it has the potential to be off-putting.

That said, if you're happy to persevere, this free privacy software lets you set up advanced filters that will not only ensure you remain anonymous online, but also protect you against unwanted ads.

Download here: Privoxy

Free privacy software that protects your identity by hiding your IP address from prying eyes

Hotspot Shield VPN is available in two flavors: a free, ad-supported one, and a paid-for version that offer unlimited bandwidth. Hotspot Shield hides your IP address and provides encrypted traffic tunnelling (ideal for use on public Wi-Fi networks) to improve security and ensure privacy.

You may not want to use Hotspot Shield at all time. For instance, you may only be interested in using it to access certain sites that are blocked in your country. In this case you can create shortcuts to individual sites in the Hotspot Shield window which will enable protection before launching the sites. Protection can also be toggled on an off with a single click.

The paid-for version, Hotspot Elite, only costs a few pounds or dollars a month, but it's worth trying the free edition first before opening your wallet. Its additional features, including ad-free browsing and dedicated customer support, make it a tempting proposition.

Download here: Hotspot Shield VPN

Free and user-friendly, TunnelBear is VPN made easy but keep an eye on the data limit

In addition to anonymous browsing, free VPN tool TunnelBear can also be used to bypass traffic-shaping and throttling put in place by ISPs.

The free version of TunnelBear gives you up to 500MB of data each month, but if this isn't enough, unlimited data is available for a subscription fee, with prices starting at US$4.16 per month (about 3, AU$6).

Whether you go premium or stick with the free version, you can share a single account between up to five phones, tablets, Windows PCs or Macs.

Configuration is incredibly simple, and TunnelBear's free privacy software can be used with any browser. It's probably the most accessible VPN tool there is, and is just about impossible not to recommend.

Download here: TunnelBear

A great VPN tool for protecting your privacy online, but free users have to wait their turn

Another multi-platform VPN tool, CyberGhost VPN is available as a free ad-supported app, as well as a paid-for edition offering better performance and more features.

For day-to-day or occasional use, the free version should be perfectly adequate. Configuration is very simple, with the only potential stumbling block being the installation of a virtual network adaptor.

With a single click, CyberGhost VPN will activate, giving the impression that you're browsing from another country. The free privacy software also lets you keep an eye on how much traffic you've transferred through the service using a handy graph.

The downside of using the free version is that there's a limited numbers of spaces on the servers, so you may have to wait to gain access (although you're unlikely to be kept hanging for long).

Download here: CyberGhost VPN

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The best free privacy software 2017 - TechRadar

News-Leader staff 6:05 a.m. CT March 1, 2017

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The Internal Revenue Service reminded the millions of taxpayers who have yet to file their taxes that IRS Free File remains available either online at IRS.gov/FreeFile or through the mobile app, IRS2Go. The IRS2Go app is available for Android and iOS devices.

The IRS Free File service makes brand-name tax software products and electronic filing available to most taxpayers for free. Some products offer both free federal and free state return preparation.

The IRS has developed a series of tips, the Tax Time Guide, to help taxpayers navigate common tax issues as this years April 18 deadline approaches. This is the second in a series of 10 tips.

Taxpayers have the option to prepare their return at any time and schedule a tax payment as late as the April 18 deadline. Taxpayers who cannot meet the April tax filing deadline can also use IRS Free File to request an automatic six-month extension until Oct. 16.

Anyone who earned $64,000 or less last year qualifies to choose from among 12 software products. Those earning more than $64,000 can use IRS Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms. The Fillable Forms option is best for people who are comfortable preparing their own tax returns.

More than 70 percent of all taxpayers 107 million people plus are eligible for the software products. Each of the 12 companies has its own special offers, generally based on age, income or state residency. Taxpayers can review each company offer or they can use a Help Me tool that will find the software for which they are eligible.

Active duty military personnel with incomes of $64,000 or less may use any IRS Free File software product of their choice without regard to the criteria. IRS Free File software does the hard work. It walks users through the tax preparation processand helps identify those tax changes that may affect their return.

IRS Free File allows taxpayers to deposit all or part of their refunds into myRA, a free starter retirement savings account from the Treasury Department. Just use Form 8888 or follow the software products instructions.

IRS Free File will be available through Monday, Oct. 16, only through IRS.gov/FreeFile.

All taxpayers should keep a copy of their tax return. Beginning in 2017, taxpayers using a software product for the first time may need their Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) amount from their prior-year tax return to verify their identity. Taxpayers can learn more about how to verify their identity and electronically sign tax returns at Validating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return.

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Use Free File for help with tax returns and extensions - Springfield News-Leader

The Indian state of Kerala is saving three billion rupees (approximately $58.6 million) each year by using free and open source software for school education, a government official says.

Kerala made IT a compulsory subject in 2003. FOSS was introduced gradually in 2005 and slowly replaced proprietary software, according to a report from the India Abroad News Service.

The curriculum committee decided later to implement the use of FOSS in the higher secondary sector and that has also been completed.

IT@school was set up as a government project to direct the implementation.

He told IANS that licences for proprietary versions of similar software would have incurred a minimum cost of Rs 150,000 per machine.

"Hence, the minimum savings in a year (considering 20,000 machines) is Rs 300 crore (three billion rupees or $58.6 million)," Sadath said.

"It's not the cost saving that matters more, but the fact that the Free Software licence enables not only teachers and students but also the general public an opportunity to copy, distribute and share the contents and use it as they wish," he said.

The GNU General Public Licence gives people the right to copy and share software. All changes made have to be also disclosed in the event that the software is distributed. The licence was created by the chairman of the Free Software Foundation, Richard Stallman.

Stallman has visited Kerala many times and inaugurated the Indian chapter of FSF in the city of Trivandrum in 2001.

Link:
Indian state saves $58m annually by using free software - iTWire

It's kind of appalling what you don't know about filing your own tax return.

The Internal Revenue Service started the nation's tax season when it began accepting electronic tax returns at the end of January. More than 153 million individual tax returns expected to be filed in 2017. The first refunds claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) start arriving this week.

"For this tax season, it's more important than ever for taxpayers to plan ahead," says IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. "People should make sure they have their year-end tax statements in hand, and we encourage people to file as they normally would, including those claiming the credits affected by the refund delay. Even with these significant changes, IRS employees and the entire tax community will be working hard to make this a smooth filing season for taxpayers."

Granted, the IRS makes it a bit difficult for taxpayers to keep things straight by tweaking the process each year. This year, it's going to be particularly tough for folks who don't save their prior-year tax returns. If you're changing tax filing software or tax preparers this year, you're going to need the adjusted gross income from your 2015 tax return in order to file electronically -- as the Electronic Filing Pin is has been eliminated to prevent filing fraud.

Some changes, however, have more immediate benefits. This year, you don't have to file your federal tax return until April 18 this year, thanks to April 15 landing on a Saturday and Washington, D.C.'s Emancipation Day celebration taking place on Monday, April 18. That gives you some time to work out a plan of attack, if you haven't already, and find some places to cut into this year's tax return.

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Your Ignorance of IRS Rules and Free Tax Software Is Costly - TheStreet.com

Q:We bought a new Lenovo laptop with Windows 10 but NO Word program. Is there a FREE similar Word program for download? ~ Dee Borries, Lakewood

Tech+ Microsoft has long charged for Word (and Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) as part of its Office software line. But sometimes new PCs come with the software as a bonus so you may not remember paying for it.

Today, the suite is called Office 365 and starts at $6.99 a month. Theres also a downloadable home/student version for a one-time charge of $149.99. Teachers and students can get Office 365 Education for free by signing up at dpo.st/studentoffice.

Afew years ago, Microsoft put Word and other tools in the cloud and began offering light-weight online versions for free as a response to Google Docs, which is also online and also free. Differences are noted on this official Office page, atdpo.st/officediff.

If youre not a heavy-duty Word user in need of super formats and you dont mind working in an internet browser, there are several software services similar to Word that are available online. Some links:

And now for the Tech+ newsletter update: Were still taking sign ups while my colleagues get the design and distribution ready. Sign up for the (future) weekly e-mail if you want to get this Q&A delivered to your inbox, plus anything else I think readers might find interesting: dpo.st/mailbag

See past Tech+ answers or ask your own tech question at dpo.st/mailbag. If youre e-mailing your question, please add Mailbag to the subject line.

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Microsoft Office isn't free but there are free alternatives, including one from Microsoft - The Denver Post