Latest Software Reviews
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Samsung Galaxy S21 review: A premium phone that’s a great value
The Samsung Galaxy S21 isn't a huge upgrade over the S20, but it makes smart sacrifices to reach its best price in years
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PureVPN review: Now with a new app and streaming-service support
We like the changes PureVPN has made in the last couple years, but virtual servers are still part of its mix.
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ClearVPN review: The stream is the thing
This new service from MacPaw focuses on what you want to do with a VPN rather than where you want to do it.
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Google Pixel 4a 5G review: Stuck in the middle
The Google Pixel 4a 5G is a fine phone placed in an awkward position—sandwiched between the budget Pixel 4a and the premium Pixel 5.
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Reviewed: Windows 10 October 2020 Update inches in the right direction
Microsoft's fall update to Windows 10, the Windows 10 October 2020 Update (20H2), improves the Alt+Tab functionality, makes the Start menu less attractive, and makes the new Edge browser official.
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Gatekeeper Two-Factor Authentication review: Needs a consumer-grade overhaul
The Gatekeeper login and 2FA system from Untethered Labs is an interesting device, but this product needs consumer-grade modifications.
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OnePlus 8T review in progress: Return to a winning formula
The 8T is just what Android and OnePlus fans need to close out 2020.
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Office 2019 vs. Office 365: Microsoft Office plans compared
Microsoft offers two Office flavors: Office 2019 standalone software, or Microsoft 365 subscirption. They differ in apps and support. Here's how to decide between the two.
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Google Pixel 4a review: Android’s affordable answer to the iPhone SE
The Google Pixel 4a isn't just cheaper than the iPhone SE, it's a step up in nearly every way.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review: A love note to Note lovers
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is the best phone Samsung has ever made. But you already know that.
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Speedify 10 review: Speedy service at a good price
Speedify 10 VPN offers features such as seamless network switching and split tunneling for a good price.
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VPNCity review: The basics at a good price
VPNCity won't wow you with performance or features, but the price is excellent and it supports a large number of simultaneous connections.
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Best Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra cases: Top picks in every style
The Galaxy S20 is one of the most expensive phones ever made, so you're going to want to protect it.
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Malwarebytes Privacy review: The foundation is there, the performance is not
Malwarebytes Privacy is off to a good start, but its speeds just aren't up to snuff in our experience.
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Privacy.com review: Burner debit cards made easy
Privacy.com is an excellent service that makes it easy to safely shop online with temporary debit cards.
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Sophos Home Premium review: Go remote and save money
Sophos Home Premium brings enterprise-style remote management to your home network at a surprising price.
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Windows 10 May 2020 Update review: Microsoft boosts Linux and Your Phone, but Cortana slips hard
Microsoft's Windows 10 May 2020 Update, aka Windows 10 20H1 or version 2004, pumps up Linux and the Your Phone integration to Android phones. But Microsoft also fumbles Cortana's transition to a standalone app.
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Trend Micro Password Manager review: Basic and a little buggy
Password Manager aims for simplicity but leaves out some essential features in the process.
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OnePlus 8 review: Android’s mid-range champ has less bang for more bucks
The OnePlus 8 adds $100 to the cost of the 7T and ups the specs, but misses the mark on value.
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OnePlus 8 Pro review: A great phone that’s no longer a great value
The OnePlus 8 Pro gives you everything you could possibly want in a phone, except the value that used to make it special.
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Retrospect 17 Solo review: Backup software that gives you everything
Retrospect 17 Solo is one of the most comprehensive backup programs you can find. Its jargon-heavy interface is one of the few drawbacks.
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Fallout 76 re-review: The free Wastelanders expansion deserves a second trip into West Virginia
Hell, if you like Fallout 3 and New Vegas, Wastelanders is potentially a better follow-up than Fallout 4.
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TotalAV Antivirus Pro review: A lot of promise and value with weak spots
TotalAV Antivirus Pro is a surprise with the amount of tools available in a base level suite. But third-party tests, while limited, show some areas of concern.
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Resident Evil 3 review-in-progress: It’s no Resident Evil 2
Linear levels, an abundance of shooting, and a plethora of cheap one-hit deaths make Resident Evil 3 a grind after last year's incredible RE2 remake.
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Doom Eternal review: It’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine)
We've been to hell and back again, and you know what? It's actually pretty fun down there on the return trip, so long as you bring your own BFG 9000.
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Ori and the Will of the Wisps review: A lively adventure in the shadow of the forest of death
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is more than the sum of its parts, but only barely. Increased mobility and a bevy of beautiful environs carry the day, but it's still a fairly familiar adventure with some awkward middle-chapter pacing.
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Total Defense Essential Anti-Virus review: Good but basic security
Total Defense Essential Anti-Virus offers well-tested protection at a good price, but we're not convinced it beats the free options.
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Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra review: Too much more for most
The Galaxy S20 Ultra is one of the greatest phones ever made, but everything about it is just too much.
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23andMe Health + Ancestry review: The complete DNA testing package
Comprehensive testing, interesting results, and compelling presentation combine in the best overall DNA testing experience on the market today.
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23andMe review: It lives up to the hype of DNA testing
23andMe is the second-most popular DNA testing service in the world. Its large database of users and comprehensive DNA test make it our favorite DNA test.
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Puma Smartwatch review: A smartwatch that’s best when the smart stuff is turned off
The Puma Smartwatch is another Wear OS entry that's too buggy to be taken seriously.
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ZoneAlarm Extreme Security review: Good protection in need of an overhaul
ZoneAlarm Extreme Security's Windows app hasn't changed much in at least seven years. The protection is good, but we have concerns about overall value.
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Microsoft ‘new’ Edge review: Microsoft’s Chromium-based browser gets the job done
Microsoft's new Chromium-based Edge will show up soon on your Windows 10 PC. It performs adequately and has a few unique features, but it faces an uphill battle against Chrome.
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23andMe vs. AncestryDNA: Which ancestry DNA kit is better?
23andMe and AncestryDNA are the two most popular DNA tests in the world. But there are some key differences you should know before buying one or the other.
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Roboform Everywhere review: Solid password security
This password manager offers a simple interface and straightforward features.
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Brave 1.0 review: This excellent, privacy-focused browser can make you money, too
Brave Software releases its privacy-minded Brave browser for general use. It's an excellent, streamlined browser that commits itself to your privacy, and with the potential to make you some money, too.Updated
NordVPN review: A great choice for Netflix fans, but who’s running the show?
NordVPN has good performance, great features, and suits novices and power users alike. But who is running the show down there?
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Need for Speed: Heat review: The best Need for Speed this generation, but the formula’s well-worn
Need for Speed: Heat is probably the best series reboot EA's put out this entire console generation, but it arrives as the open-world racing formula is running out of gas.
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Hotspot Shield 2020 review: New owners, fantastic speeds, slightly better privacy
Hotspot Shield is still the speediest VPN we've seen, but the privacy policy could be better.
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Password Boss review: Managing your passwords with authority
This app-only password manager makes it easy to keep your login credentials strong and safe.
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Planet Zoo review: Zoo Tycoon, but for people who want to build bear-themed bathrooms
Planet Zoo's management layer is thin and its construction kit occasionally frustrating, but a cast of lifelike animals and an if-you-dream-it-you-can-build-it spirit make this one of the most charming builders ever.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare campaign review: War never changes, and neither does Call of Duty
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare tries to be a serious (and controversial) commentary on present-day armed conflicts, but it's mostly just another Call of Duty game.
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The Outer Worlds review: A stellar argument for deeper games, not wider ones
While it bears surface-level similarities to Fallout: New Vegas, Obsidian's created a deeper and more meaningful role-playing experience in The Outer Worlds, though it can still be frustratingly old-fashioned in regards to combat and exploration.
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Google Pixel 4 XL review: Half great, half-baked
If you absolutely need to have the newest Android features and want to be on the Pixel’s bleeding edge, then buy a Pixel 4. Otherwise, wait for a few updates—or for the Pixel 5.
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OnePlus 7T review: Just the right amount of ‘pro’
The OnePlus 7T might not have the pro surname, but you won’t miss it.
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Kaspersky Security Cloud 2020 review: Good value for multi-device families
Kaspersky's new Security Cloud suite protects all your devices, with excellent value for families with a wide number of smartphones, PCs, and Macs.
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Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey’s educational Discovery Tour mode is here at last, and better than before
Make Pythagoras mash grapes or learn about Thermopylae from historian Herodotus in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey's version of the Discovery Tour spin-off mode. It's back for a second go-round, and much improved.
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Gears 5 review: War has changed
Gears 5 still feels like a series in need of an identity, but a more charismatic lead and experiments with open-world structure hold promise for the future—even if they don't quite pay off now.
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Bitdefender 2020 review: Solid protection, with an AI parental control add-on
Bitdefender 2020 features a high level of malware protection, a new privacy extension, and enhanced parental controls.
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