Archive for the ‘Free Software’ Category

Beware, That VPN May Not Be What You Think It Is – CNET

There are some excellent, well-tested virtual private networks we recommend you try. But if you're exploring the competitive market of VPNs on your own, you're likely to find some shoddy VPNs companies that scatter hints of their dubiousness everywhere they go. Learning to identify a few of these red flags can save you hours of research and a hefty annual subscription cost for supposedly getting connected to the internet more securely.

Is the price too good to be true? Has the company been caught keeping logs? How are your connection speeds?

To save you time, here are a few of the biggest red flags to watch out for when taking your new VPN out for a test drive. And on the flip side, here are three things to look for in a VPN.

Read more: Best iPhone VPN of 2022

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Maintaining the hardware and expertise needed for large VPN networks isn't cheap. As a VPN customer, you either pay for a premium service with your dollars, or you pay for free services with your usage data when it's collected by the free VPN and bargained away to advertisers or malicious actors.

As recently as August 2019, 90% of apps flagged as potentially unsafe in Top10VPN's investigation into free VPN ownership still posed a privacy risk to users. Free VPNs can also leave you open to quiet malware installation, pop-up ad barrages and brutally slow internet speeds.

Read more: Best Free VPN 2022: Try These Risk-Free Services for a Privacy Boost

If a VPN is caught keeping or sharing user activity logs, I won't recommend it. While most VPN services claim they don't track or keep logs of user activity, that claim can sometimes be impossible to verify. In other instances, the claim falls apart publicly when a VPN company hands over internet records to law enforcement.

The latter has happened in a few cases. EarthVPN, Hide My Ass VPN and PureVPN have all been clocked by privacy advocates for handing over logs to authorities, as hasIPVanish.

To be clear, it is entirely possible to be grateful for the arrest of reprehensible scumbags while ardently advocating for consumer privacy interests. My beef isn't with any VPN company helping cops catch a child abuser via usage logs; it's with any VPN company that lies to its customers about doing so. The lie that helps law enforcement in the US catch a legitimate criminal is the same lie that helps law enforcement in China arrest a person watching footage of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

Ideally, the VPN you choose should have undergone -- and published the results of -- an independent third-party audit of its operations, including its use of activity logs.

Read more: All the VPN Terms You Need to Know

Now playing: Watch this: Top 5 Reasons to Use a VPN

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Another red flag to watch for when choosing a VPN is shoddy encryption standards. Users should expect AES-256 encryption or better from VPN services. Nearly every web browser and app already uses AES, often touted as "military-grade" encryption, after it was adopted by the US government in 2002. If your VPN only offers PPTP and L2TP encryption, look elsewhere.

While you're snooping around for encryption details, keep an eye out for one of our favorite phrases, "Perfect Forward Secrecy." Those three little words can have a hefty impact on your privacy: If one of your VPN's servers is ever breached, Perfect Forward Secrecy ensures that any keys used to decrypt private internet traffic quickly become useless -- giving you more security.

Read more: How We Evaluate and Review VPNs

With just a little bit of elbow grease, any moderately skilled internet jerk can throw together a service that looks like a VPN but is actually little more than a proxy service reselling your internet bandwidth. Not only can that slow your internet speed, it could potentially leave you on the legal hook for whatever they do with that resold bandwidth.

Hola's case was the most famous. The company was caught in 2015 quietly stealing users' bandwidth and reselling it to whatever group wanted to deploy its user base as a botnet. Hola CEO Ofer Vilenski admitted it'd been had, but contended this harvesting of bandwidth was typical for this type of technology.

Read more:How to Set up a VPN on our iPhone or Android Phone: Yes, You Need One

"We assumed that by stating that Hola is a (peer-to-peer) network, it was clear that people were sharing their bandwidth with the community network in return for their free service," he wrote.

Nearly all VPNs slow your browsing speed, some by as much as half. But a brutal crawl can be a sign of something worse than a simple lack of servers. So if being pressed into service as part of a botnet isn't your cup of tea, double-check those suspiciously slow speeds and the reputation of the VPN you're paying for.

For more VPN buying advice, here's how to pick the right VPN for your work-from-home setup. Plus, why we don't recommend US-based VPNs, and three things a VPN can't help you with.

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Beware, That VPN May Not Be What You Think It Is - CNET

iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max – Apple

A magical new way to interact with iPhone. Groundbreaking safety features designed to save lives. An innovative 48MP camera for mind-blowing detail. All powered by the ultimate smartphone chip.

iPhone14Pro and iPhone14ProMax

Available starting 9.16

Designed for durability.

With CeramicShield, tougher than any smartphone glass. Water resistance. Surgical-grade stainless steel. 6.1 and 6.7 display sizes. All in four Pro colors.

iPhone is also designed from the ground up to protect your privacy and put you in control of what you share and who you share it with

Meet the new face ofiPhne.Meet the new face of iPhone

Introducing DynamicIsland, a truly Apple innovation thats hardware and software and something in between. It bubbles up music, sports scores, FaceTime, and so much more all without taking you away from what youredoing.

Meet the new face ofiPhne.

Introducing DynamicIsland, a truly Apple innovation thats hardware and software and something in between. It bubbles up music, sports scores, FaceTime, and so much more all without taking you away from what youredoing.

howwe broughtittolife

Now your LockScreen is always glanceable, so you dont even have to tap it to stay in the know.

When iPhone is turned face down or in your pocket, it goes dark to save battery life.

All-daybattery lifeeven with so manynew capabilities

iOS16 lets you customize your LockScreen in fun new ways. Layer a photo to make it pop. Track your Activity rings. And see live updates from your favorite apps.

iOS16 lets you customize your LockScreen in fun new ways. Layer a photo to make it pop. Track your Activity rings. And see live updates from your favorite apps.

AppTrackingTransparency lets you decide which apps are allowed to track your activity

is like nothingelse

Vital new safety features we hope youll never need.

Emergency SOS

via satellite.

Peace of mind when youre off the grid.

If you dont have cell service or WiFi, iPhone lets you text emergency services over satellite.

iPhone14Pro can detect a severe car crash, then call 911 and notify your emergency contacts.

iPhone14Pro raises the bar for what 48 megapixels can do delivering 4x the resolution in ProRAW for mind-blowing detail in every crop.

65% larger sensor than iPhone13Pro

The new Pro camera system adds a 2x optical-quality Telephoto to its zoom range, putting tons of framing flexibility in your pocket. Up your frame game.

When apps request access to your photos, iPhone lets you call the shots by sharing just the ones you want instead of your entire library

Cinematic mode now shoots in 4K HDR at 24 fps the film industry standard. Have your people call our people.

Now you can seamlessly edit with other pro footage in 4K at 24 or 30 fps. You can even edit the depth effect after capture.

Highest-quality video in a smartphone

Whether youre filming from an off-road SUV or running alongside your subject, try Action mode for smooth handheld videos no gimbal required.

The only smartphone in the world that lets you shoot, view, edit, and share in ProRes or Dolby Vision HDR

48MP for up to 4xtheresolution

Up to 2x better lowlight photos

Sharper, brighter macro shots

Up to 2x better low-light photos

The TrueDepth camera and A16Bionic also power FaceID, the most secure facial authentication in a smartphone

iPhone14Pro uses 100% recycled gold wire in all its cameras to reduce mining of precious resources

Say hello to A16Bionic, the ultimate smartphone chip.

Say hello to A16Bionic, the ultimate smartphone chip.

The SecureEnclave in A16Bionic protects personal information like your FaceID data, contacts, and more

Even with soooooo many new capabilities, iPhone14Pro still delivers amazing allday batterylife.

Up to 29

hours video playback on iPhone14ProMax

Up to 23

hours videoplayback on iPhone14Pro

eSIM makes things simple. You can activate your new iPhone or add carriers digitally, so youre calling and texting in no time.

And unlike a physical card, eSIM cant be removed if your iPhone is lost or stolen.

eSIM lets you havemultiple phone numbers and data planson one phone

Traveling is abreezeBefore you go, activate an eSIM for the country youre visiting

Have even more fun with your iPhone.

Find your deal

Our Specialists can help you shop online or in store.

With AppleTradeIn, you can get credit toward a new iPhone when you trade in an eligible smartphone. Its good for you and the planet.

Learn more about Apple trade in

Join the iPhone Upgrade Program to get the latest iPhone every year, low monthly payments, and AppleCare+.

Learn more about iphone upgrade program

You wont find a better place to buy iPhone. We know about carriers, payment options, and more. And we make it easy to understand.

Learn moreabout buying iPhone

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iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max - Apple

Birding: iNat app helps identify everything from birds to bushes – Press Herald

In the last column, we explored how artificial intelligence can be used for bird identification. In particular, the app Merlin can identify with remarkable accuracy bird photos and bird sounds. The free app is available from your iPhone or Android app store.

Today, we explore another software product, iNaturalist (iNat for short), that also uses artificial intelligence to train the software to identify organisms. iNaturalist first appeared in 2013 and has grown remarkably both in terms of the sophistication of the software and the number of users.

iNaturalist is a community-focused program. A user either uploads a photo or records a sound and fills in the date and location of the record. You can either type in the name of the organism, if you know it, or ask iNat to take a crack at the identification. Click Submit and you have uploaded your first iNat record.

iNaturalist is a collaborative endeavor. When you first post a photo, your record is tagged as Needs ID. You need another naturalist to either confirm your identification or suggest an alternative if she thinks you have misidentified your organism. If there is no dissenting view, another person agreeing with your identification upgrades your record to Research Grade, a confirmed record.

iNaturalist is used for all types of organisms. iNats 113 million records show over 396,000 species including 15 million bird photos and recordings representing 10,320 species (virtually all the species in the world).

iNaturalist has powerful search tools allowing any user to find records of particular interest. For instance, a quick search reveals that there are over 44,000 records of birds in Maine, covering 392 species with 4,500 naturalists submitting records of Maine birds. The most frequently photographed birds, in decreasing order, are herring gull, common eider, common loon, mallard and bald eagle.

I see that Weston Barker has photographed the most bird species in Maine with a whopping 274 species. Fyn Kind is not far behind with 261 species.

The iNaturalist search engine allows one to focus on particular areas (from the world down to counties), specific dates or date ranges, usernames, and conservation status. Scores of researchers have downloaded iNat data for use in scientific articles.

iNat provides a great way to expand your natural history knowledge. Lets say you are out in the woods photographing birds and see a particular fungus growing on a log, a wasp at a flower and a salamander under a log. Take a photo of each and post it to iNat, where you can suggest a name for each species or rely on other observers with expertise in that group of organisms to nail down the species.

iNat comes in two platforms. One is web-based so point your browser on your computer to iNaturalist.org.

You will be asked to register for a free account. First choose a username. I use herbwilson as my username, but many people prefer to remain anonymous and choose usernames like fm5050 or grizzlymarmot. You then upload your photos, and you are off.

Alternatively, you can download the iNat app for your Android smartphone or iPhone. Its easy to add records using the app. You take a photo and ask iNat to identify the species. The app reads your location and date from your phone, and the record is added to the iNat database.

As with the Merlin app, you should always be skeptical of the identifications. Some species are identified with amazing accuracy, but other groups have lots of similar species, so errors can occur. Those errors are reduced by the review process of fellow iNat users who examine your Needs ID records.

Herb Wilson taught ornithology and other biology courses at Colby College. He welcomes reader comments and questions at [emailprotected]

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Birding: iNat app helps identify everything from birds to bushes - Press Herald

Free Music-making Software Market – increasing demand with Industry Professionals: Ableton, Adobe, Apple – Fighting Hawks Magazine – Fighting Hawks…

Key Companies Covered in the Free Music-making Software Research are Ableton, Adobe, Apple, Avid, MAGIX and other key market players.

The global Free Music-making Software market size will reach xx USD million in 2030, growing at a CAGR of xx% during the analysis period.

As the global economy recovers in 2021 and the supply of the industrial chain improves, the Free Music-making Software market will undergo major changes. According to the latest research, the market size of the Free Music-making Software industry in 2021 will increase by xx USD million compared to 2020, with a growth rate of xx%.

Request To Free Sample of This Strategic Report: jcmarketresearch.com/report-details/1471466/sample

The global Free Music-making Software industry report provides top-notch qualitative and quantitative information including: Market size (2014-2021 value and 2022 forecast). The report also contains descriptions of key players, including key financial indicators and market competitive pressure analysis.

The report also assesses key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will drive the growth of the industry. Taking into account previous growth patterns, growth drivers, and current and future trends, we also forecast the overall growth of the global Free Music-making Software market during the next few years.

Highlights-Regions

The Free Music-making Software market can be split based on product types, major applications, and important regions as follows:

North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaKorea

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Segment by Type Editing Mixing Recording Segment by Application Professional Users Casual Users

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Market Definition and OverviewResearch Method and LogicMarket Competition AnalysisProduct and Service AnalysisStrategies for Company to Deal with the Impact of COVID-19Market Segment by Type, Historical Data and Market ForecastsMarket Segment by Application, Historical Data and Market ForecastsMarket by by Region, Historical Data and Market ForecastsMarket Dynamic Analysis and Development Suggestions

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The Market Research allows the investors to understand the market size, dynamics, risks, and opportunities in the industry.The market research report provides market sizing and forecast over major currencies USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, and CHF.This Market Research Report helps to forecast the revenues and analyze the market trends based on region, product type, and end-use.The Market analysis of the market share of the can prove beneficial in terms of profit to the industrys participants and stakeholders.

Key Questions Answered in the Market Report

Which Manufacturing Technology is used for Market? What Developments Are Going on in That Technology?Which Trends Are Causing These Developments? Who Are the Global Key Players in This Market?What are Their Company Profile, Their Product Information, and Contact Information?What Was Global Status of Market? What Was Capacity, Production Value, Cost and PROFIT of Market?What Is Current Market Status of market Industry? Whats Market Competition in This Industry, Both Company, and Country Wise?Whats Market Analysis of Market by Taking Applications and Types in Consideration?What Are Projections of Global Market Industry Considering Capacity, Production and Production Value? What Will Be the Estimation of Cost and Profit?What Will Be Market Share Report, Supply and Consumption? What about Import and Export?What Is Market Chain Analysis by Upstream Raw Materials and Downstream Industry?

Full Report: jcmarketresearch.com/report-details/1471466/Free-Music-making-Software

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Free Music-making Software Market - increasing demand with Industry Professionals: Ableton, Adobe, Apple - Fighting Hawks Magazine - Fighting Hawks...

The Best Software Solutions and Tech Providers in the Franchising Industry – Entrepreneur

The ever-evolving digitization of industry marches on at a relentless pace, and the franchising sector has become an eager participant. Whether you're a franchisor or a franchisee, custom software solutions and platforms have become an integral part of the systems and processes landscape. From franchisors who use custom CRM platforms to optimize relationship management, to the franchisee with access to automated reporting and invoicing tools, the capabilities offered by software service providers are making our lives easier and more efficient.

Cloud-based architecture has elevated the capability of franchise networking systems, and mobile-apps are making franchisee-related service calls a breeze. This new level of functionality has become an integral part of the sales pitch for all franchise-related recruitment, as brands are eager to communicate their cutting edge advantages over the competition.

Related: 5 Strategic Use Cases for Software in Your Business

Entrepreneur has announced its annual Top Franchise Supplier rankings, a multi-faceted directory which includes the best of the best service providers in the industry. If you're a franchisor looking for enhanced capabilities for your systems, processes, and network architecture, a great place to start is this Top-10 list of software solutions and tech providers who've each earned a well-deserved spot on our 2022 list. Here's what each of these ranked companies had to say about themselves:

HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS) is a leading growth platform. Since 2006, HubSpot has been on a mission to make the world more inbound. Today, over 60,500 total customers in more than 100 countries use HubSpot's award-winning software, services, and support to transform the way they attract, engage, and delight customers. Comprised of Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, and a powerful free CRM, HubSpot gives companies the tools they need to grow better.

Serviceminder is the platform for managing and operating home services brands. From tracking marketing efforts, delivering professional online proposals directly to clients, to lead capture, and much more. Serviceminder provides unique tools and integrations designed to make your brand stand out from competitors.

FranchiseSoft is an all-in-one Saas-based software for franchisor and franchisee management. It features a robust CRM that can be used for franchise development, and franchisees can use it for managing relationships with their customers. The marketing module allows for marketing automation with emails and SMS. The franchisee management and support module ensure all communication and tasks are logged with your franchisees. In addition, the finance module ensures you can automate your financial reporting and invoicing. Other modules include a digital library and a field scheduling module with mobile app and much more. Contact us for a demo today! According to FranchiseSoft CEO and co-founder Jam Hashmi, their focus makes them a top industry supplier. "Our focus on high touch and high service is one of the key differentiators for FranchiseSoft," Hashmi says. "Our team takes a very personalized approach to training and onboarding our clients that makes it easy for them to learn and adopt the software into their franchise network."

How does that translate to superior client service? "To save a franchisor both time and money, FranchiseSoft has several modules that can automate processes for any department in a franchisor's organization. From franchise sales, onboarding, and training new franchisees - to tracking agreements, calculating royalties, and invoicing the franchisees for fees. Everything is seamlessly integrated in a clean and intuitive layout."

Related: Before Investing in Custom Software, Answer These 4 Questions

ClientTether is a CRM and lead response automation, sales automation, and online review management platform that was designed by franchisors and franchisees for other zors and zees. We combine a streamlined yet robust CRM that has been built with franchising hierarchical structures in mind with industry-leading engagement automation tools. As your leads come in, we literally make your phone ring to connect you with your leads. Our engagement tools also include text, email, call reminders, cross-team/third-party emails, and more. We also have a proposal/quote management tool, call portal resources, royalty reporting, and robust analytics.

FranConnect is the leading franchise management software provider. For nearly twenty years, the FranConnect platform has served as the sales, operations, and marketing backbone for more than 800 brands worldwide. Nine of the Franchise Times Top 10 Fastest Growing franchise businesses rely on FranConnect to drive growth, improve profitability, and streamline operational performance. FranConnect customers span all sizes, growth phases, and industries and they grow 44 percent faster on average than the broader franchising market. Backed by private-equity investor Serent Capital, FranConnect is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, with global follow-the-sun operations.

With 45-plus apps in nearly every major business category, including sales, marketing, customer support, accounting and back office operations, and an array of productivity and collaboration tools, Zoho Corporation is one of the world's most prolific software companies. Zoho is privately held and profitable, with more than 8,000 employees. Zoho is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with international headquarters in Chennai, India. Additional offices are in the U.S., India, Japan, China, Singapore, Mexico, Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates. Zoho respects user privacy and does not have an ad-revenue model in any part of its business, including its free products. More than 50 million users around the world, across hundreds of thousands of companies, rely on Zoho every day to run their businesses, including Zoho itself.

Related: 4 Franchise Tools Every Franchise Needs to Have on Its Radar

Experts in data-driven franchise sales and marketing solutions, AXIS Integrated assists franchisors action their growth strategies with CRM, Marketing Automation, and E-Commerce while enabling franchisees to communicate with their leads and customers via email, direct mail and live calls. AXIS specializes in the consultation, implementation, and management of franchise lead nurturing services. AXIS created a brand around its modern and powerful franchise development solution; Intelligent Lead Nurturing. With timely, personal, and relevant communications, Intelligent Lead Nurturing will drive the highest possible volume of qualified applications for your franchise opportunity from the leads you've generated. Spend zero time on tire-kickers while your leads are warmed up automatically.

Salesforce is the global leader in customer relationship management (CRM), bringing companies closer to their customers in the digital age. Founded in 1999, Salesforce enables companies of every size and industry to take advantage of powerful technologiescloud, mobile, social, internet of things, and artificial intelligenceto connect to their customers in a whole new way.

Dispatch is a Boston-based enterprise software company whose mission is to help the home services industry meet the rising demands of the modern customer. Dispatch powers modern service by seamlessly connecting brands to an army of expert-on-demand local contractors, providing those contractors an intuitive platform to assign and manage jobs, and communicating service details automatically to the customer via their mobile device. Dispatch links the people, process, and data to create a modern service experience that delights customers, empowers contractors, and promotes a positive brand image for the enterprise.

At FRM Solutions, our name defines us. FRM is an acronym for Franchise Relationship Management. Because we place relationships at the center of everything we do, we put you first, so you can put your franchisees first, empowering them to serve your end-customers with excellence and pride. FRM is continually innovating to provide you with the newest technology and best-in-class tools, designed specifically for franchisors and customized precisely to your needs.

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The Best Software Solutions and Tech Providers in the Franchising Industry - Entrepreneur