FileHippo News

The latest software and tech news

Should Budget for ‘You Need a Budget’?
Do you need You Need A Budget? While that might seem like a typo (or some kind of obscure Zen koan), we’re simply posing a question regarding the app called You Need A Budget, which we’ll call YNAB (like they do) from here on out to eliminate any confusion.... Read more
Here’s How to Turn Your Mac Desktop into a Weather Window
Remember the old days when you used to have to go outside to see what the weather was like? Well, Weather Dock, a desktop app for Mac, eliminates that need by placing a handy little icon in your dock that can show you the current conditions, or a range... Read more
Mint Personal Finance: The Only Accounting Tool You Need
  Thanks to ever-advancing technology, it’s become easier than ever to keep track of your personal finances using a wide range of software solutions, apps, and cloud-based programs. One service that consistently stands out in this space is Getting Started When you fire up Mint for the first time,... Read more
WikiCamps: Worth A Try
There are almost as many travel apps out there as there are travel destinations. In general, they all do some things well, and some things not so well. WikiCamps is certainly in the same, erm, camp. With a focus on – you guessed it – camping, the app can... Read more
Roadtrippers: Get Outta Town
Most travelers these days use their phones to navigate. Perform a simple Google search on an address, and a detailed map with voice directions, nearby attractions, gas stations, restaurants, hotels and more is just a tap away. Still, there are companies that build additional features into mapping to try... Read more
Sygic Travel: Enhanced Mapping
Sygic Travel Map is a competitor in the map and navigation space. While Google Maps tends to reign supreme in this category, Sygic has tried to distinguish itself by offering features that make it more traveler friendly. But most of the stand-apart features require a subscription, so functionality in... Read more
Is the Free Version of TripIt Worth It?
In many sectors of modern life, technology has made things easier (we’re looking at you robot lawn mower). But when it comes to travel, it can be a little more complicated these days to get where you’re going without having to open multiple emails, scan multiple bar codes, and... Read more
Krita: Free, powerful painting tool
As a piece of software, Krita has had an interesting history. With origins in various projects reaching back to 1998, Krita eventually became a free image-manipulation tool like Photoshop, or GIMP from about 2004 to 2009. After that time, the open-source program recruited students to work on its improvement,... Read more
LogMeIn Hamachi: Cable-free networking
LogMeIn is well-known software that allows you to access your computer from remote locations using either mobile devices or another computer. The company’s Hamachi offering is slightly less well-known, because it is tailored toward business users, but if you have the need to network multiple computers together securely as... Read more
Norton 360: Worth the price?
When it comes to protecting your PC, you can go a bit software crazy. There’s VPN software that lets you surf securely from an offsite computer; nanny software that lets parents control what their kids can access online; anti-malware software that protects against things like ransomware and phishing attempts;... Read more
Filmora 9.3: A lot of video editing tools for not a lot of cash
With video taking up more space on the internet than ever before, it’s becoming increasingly important to have a good video editor in your digital toolbox. Whether you want to improve the quality of casual videos of family and friends or move into having your own channel on YouTube,... Read more
Discord messaging app: Not just for gamers
If you’re even a moderate gaming enthusiast, you’ve likely heard of Discord, a messaging app that prides itself on near-instant voice chat as well as the ability to communicate via text and instant messaging. If you don’t game, chances are you’re thinking “Discord, what?”  While the completely free app... Read more
ZenMate VPN offers unlimited device protection
If you’re a regular reader of FileHippo’s articles, you already know that we really think you need a VPN if you have any concerns at all about being tracked or having your personal data stolen. But for those of you who might have missed it, we’ll reiterate: you need... Read more
iObit Malware Fighter strengthens its armo
Cryptojackers. Worms. Bots. Keylogers.  It might sound like the plot of the next installment in the Star Wars franchise, but in fact, it’s just a short summary of the dangers of modern computing. All a type of malware, these nasty bugs can at best get on your computer and... Read more
VEGAS Pro 17: 2020 review
According to online social media publication, Social Media Today, 78% of people watch video online each week and video streaming on mobile devices increases by 100% every year. On top of that, it’s predicted that one million videos per second will come online by 2022, accounting for 82% of... Read more
Telegram: The best free messaging app you’ve never heard of
Ask a friend about which messaging app she uses and you’re likely to hear Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and maybe Hangouts by Google (although that’s a lot less likely). But since 2013 there’s been another messaging tool out there called Telegram, which offers several key benefits over its more commercial... Read more
LibreOffice 2020 review: Free and full-featured
Free software usually comes with a catch. The programs are typically only usable for a certain number of days, have limited functionality, embed watermarks, or otherwise build in limits that eventually lead you to upgrade to the full version. When it comes to LibreOffice, however, what you get is... Read more
GIMP 2020: A powerful free alternative to Photoshop
Think photo-manipulation software and you’re likely to think Photoshop. After all, the Adobe product is a true workhorse when it comes to creating graphics and editing images. But it’s also expensive. While there are other photo-editing software programs out there, one that has been quietly gaining followers for over... Read more