Best smartphones to buy in 2015

 

Android, BlackBerry, iOS or Windows Phone? Find out which is best for you

Whether you're an IT admin looking to deploy devices or an end user ready to upgrade to your next flagship phone, there are plenty of handsets on the market to choose from.
All major manufacturers from Apple through to Sony and Samsung are expected to release updated versions of their respective flagship handsets this year - so stay tuned as we update the list throughout the year.
Here we count down the 10 best smartphones available to buy so far in 2015:

10) BlackBerry Passport - BlackBerry 10

Desperate times resulted in BlackBerry chancing a radical redesign. Despite the weird look, the Passport offers a beautiful 4.5in display, which you never have to turn in landscape mode thanks to its square design. It's also got mammoth endurance thanks to the 3450mAh battery pack and allows you to install Android apps.
The BlackBerry Hub remains one of the best notification aggregates on any mobile operating system - making it ideal for messaging addicts.

Key specs - 4.5in LCD display (1440 x 1440), 2.2GHz quad-core processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage + micro SD support (128GB), 13-megapixel camera, 196g
Pros - Great screen, battery life, ability to install Android apps
Cons - Big and bulky, keyboard takes a while to get used to
Price - Free from £30.50 per month or £530 SIM-free
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9) Nokia Lumia 930 - Windows Phone 8.1

Windows Phone devices are slowly gaining traction within businesses thanks to the inclusion of software such as Office, Skype and OneNote.
The Lumia 930 is beautifully crafted and the soft-touch polycarbonate back panel makes this the most comfortable smartphone we've tested to-date.
Performance is smooth with zero stuttering as Windows Phone has been optimised to run beautifully on mobile hardware. The major drawback is the lack of apps in the Windows Store.

Key specs - 5in AMOLED display (1920 x 1080), 2.2GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, 20-megapixel camera, 167g
Pros - Great design, good camera, wireless charging included
Cons - No micro SD expansion, Windows Store is behind Android and iOS, battery sealed in
Price - Free from £26.50 or £400 SIM-free
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8) HTC One M9 - Android Lollipop 5.0 + HC Sense overlay

The HTC One M9 retains the same design as its predessor, the HTC One M8, but has undergone an update, not least of all to Lollipop.
fter much criticism for its low-res images, HTC has switched the 4-megapixel UltraPixel sensor around to the front, using a (reported) Toshiba 20-megapixel sensor on the rear. This makes it one of the highest-resolution cameras around, although when shooting ‘standard’ 16:9 shots it actually crops into the sensor resulting in roughly 16-megapixel images.

Key Specs -  5in 1080x1920 Super LCD3 IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 2GHz octo-core, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage + micro SD card support (128GB), 20-megapixel rear camera, 4-megapixel front camera, 157g
Pros - Great design; Strong speakers; Tasteful software
Cons - Conservative screen; Inconsistent camera; Disappointing battery life
Price - From £39 per month (contract)
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7) LG G3 - Android KitKat 4.4.4 

LG produces underrated devices with the G3 packing a superb design and numerous features.
USPs include a laser-guided 13-megapixel camera, a well-designed Android overlay and the ability to unlock the phone with a customised tapping sequence.
The LG has a beautiful 5.5in display (2560 x 1440) but we're not fans of the artificial sharpening. This can make text awkward to read on some backgrounds and is the primary reason the device isn’t higher up the list.

Key specs -  5.5in LCD display (2560 x 1440), 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor, 2 or 3GB RAM, 16/32GB internal storage, 13-megapixel camera with laser guidance, 149g
Pros - Solid performance, well-designed, great camera, removable battery
Cons - Display sharpening
Price - Free from £26.50 per month or £480 SIM-free
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6) Apple iPhone 6 - iOS 8

Even the most ardent Apple fan will admit that previous iPhones were too small when it came to browsing and watching video comfortably. At 4.7ins, the iPhone 6 achieves balance between size and comfort.

As with all iPhones, build quality is superb, the 8-megapixel camera is top notch but the lack of optimal image stabilisation is a miss.
However, the battery life isn’t great - and this won’t last as long as its bigger brother. And the display isn’t full HD with Apple opting for a 1334 x 750 resolution.
Key Specs - 4.7in LED-backlit LCD display (1334 x 750), Apple A8 processor + M8 co-processor, 1GB RAM, 16/64/128GB storage, 8-megapixel rear camera, Touch ID, Apple Pay, 129g
Pros - Good size, great camera, beautiful design, feature rich iOS 8
Cons - Screen not full HD, battery life could be better (non-removable), expensive
Price - Free from £58.50 or £539 SIM-free
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5) Sony Xperia Z3 Compact - Android KitKat 4.4.4

Many firms have tried to miniaturise their flagship handsets, but have ultimately had to sacrifice performance to keep the price down. But with the Xperia Z3 Compact, Sony has managed to squeeze all the premium features into a small 4.6in form factor.
The Z3 Compact uses the same high-end quad-core 2.5GHz Qualcomm 801 chipset you’d find in the bigger Z3 model. It’s got a 20-megapixel snapper and battery life is superb, as you’d expect from the Xperia range.

Plus the Z3 Compact retains the Waterproof rating so it can be submerged in 1.5 metres of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.
A excellent choice if you want a sub-5in smartphone.
Key specs - 4.6in LCD display (1280 x 720), 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage + micro SD support (128GB), Waterproof up to 1.5 metres, 20.7-megapixel camera, 129g
Pros - Solid performance, phenomenal battery life, robust design
Cons - Battery not replaceable, glass back will require a cover
Price - Free from £26.50 per month or £430 SIM-free
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4) - Huawei P8 - Android Lollipop 5.0

The Huawei P8 is a cracker of a phone. Not only does it look the absolute business, it’s a breeze to use. Die-hard Androidites might take umbrage with their beloved OS being ‘Appled-up’, but it’s undeniably slick.
It’s not got the best screen around and the ‘knuckle sense’ software throws the occasional wobbly. However, it makes up for it with possibly the best camera we’ve ever seen on a mid-range device.

Key Specs - 5.2in IPS display, Kirin 930 2/1.5GHz octacore CPU, 3GB RAM, 16/64GB internal storage, 13-megapixel camera, 144g
Pros - Excellent design; Spectacular camera; Very capable display
Cons - 'Knuckle Sense' sometimes interferes with touch controls; Could be a little cheaper
Price - Starting from around £359

3.Samsung Galaxy S6 - Android Lollipop 5.0 + TouchWiz overlay
 

The Galaxy S6 is not a cheap phone. It’s an expensive phone. But is also appears to recognise that in a market where lower-cost phones are starting to offer an experience fairly similar to much more expensive ones, something special is needed to justify an outlay of £550.
A great fingerprint scanner, construction that is leagues ahead of any previous Samsung flagship and a very reliable, high-quality camera make it a very compelling upgrade. It has none of the air of disappointment seen in some annual updates and counters almost every criticism levelled at Samsung phones bar the usual software bloat.
Key Specs - 5.1in Super AMOLED display (2,560 x 1,440), eight-core Exynos 7420 2.1GHz, 3GB RAM (no MicroSD support), 32GB/64GB/128GB on-board, non-expandable, 16-megapixel camera, heart-rate sensor, fingerprint scanner, 138g.
Pros - Superb screen; High-quality construction and feel; Efficient and powerful processor; Very good fingerprint scanner
Cons - Non-expandable memory
Price - £549

2) iPhone 6 Plus - iOS 8

With a mammoth 5.5in display, the 6 Plus is the biggest iPhone you can buy.
Standout features include the phenomenal full HD display (1920 x 1080), which has been labelled as the best LCD screen on the market by DisplayMate.
The 8-megapixel camera introduces Focus Pixels - so autofocusing is so fast you can snap away without worrying about blurry images.

And thanks to the extra space in the chassis there’s a 2915mAh battery. This is the first iPhone where you won’t have to worry about charging the device midway through the day.
Being Apple’s first foray into the phablet market, the design is one of the surprising letdowns. The 6 Plus feels too bulky in comparison to something like the Note 4. "Bendgate" isn’t as a big a deal as has been reported - so unless you wear skinny jeans, or you're Uri Geller, there's unlikely to be a problem.
It would have placed higher if it had a more compact design because in its current form it’ll be too big for some users.
Key specs - 5.5in LCD display (1920 x 1080), 1.4GHz dual-core A8 processor + M8 co-processor, 1GB RAM, 16/64/128GB internal memory, 8-megapixel, Touch ID, Apple Pay, 172g
Pros - Best iPhone battery life to-date, Fantastic screen and camera
Cons - Too big and bulky for some, expensive, sealed in battery
Price - Free from £48.50 per month or £619 SIM-free

1) Galaxy Note 4 - Android KitKat 4.4.4 + TouchWiz overlay

The latest effort from Samsung is also its best. Power users wanting the best display, battery life and performance need not look any further.
With some engineering brilliance, Samsung has packed in a 5.7in display into a slim-form factor. The Note 4 is smaller than the iPhone 6 Plus despite the Samsung device having the larger screen.

The Note also includes the S-Pen stylus for those who want to take notes, make annotations or tweak designs on the move.
Battery life is unmatched with a mammoth 3,200mAh cell and there’ll be plenty of longevity as the device has a quad-core processor and 3GB RAM.
Of course, the Note 4 isn’t perfect. Samsung’s TouchWiz overlay isn't for everyone, and it’s not got the waterproof rating of the S5. But it’s still the best you can buy at present.
Key specs - 5.7in Super AMOLED display (2560 x 1440), 2.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor (Exynos Octa-core in some regions), 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory + micro SD card support (128GB), 16-megapixel camera, fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor, 176g
Pros - Stunning display, smooth performance, great battery life, pen input
Cons - Software can be overwhelming, not waterproof
Price - Free from £39.50 or £650 SIM-free

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Discover hidden tips & tricks in Apple's OS X Mavericks, including shortcuts and security.

Discover hidden tips & tricks in Apple's OS X Mavericks, including shortcuts and security. 

  Whether you're new to the Mac platform or have been using it for a number of years there are always tricks and tips you may be unaware of, which can boost productivity.

Below we list 14 tips and tricks to help you get the best out of Apple's desktop operating system.

1. Useful shortcuts

If you’re coming across from a Windows machine you’ll need to adapt to the new shortcuts on Mac. There are bucketloads of features so we've included ten useful ones to get you started.

Command + Tab  – Cycles through apps
Command + `  – Switches between application windows
Command + ,  – Opens up application preferences (may not work with everything)
Command + H – Hides current window
Command + Option + Esc – See running apps and force quit if necessary
Shift + Command + 3 – Screenshots entire screen and saves as a picture
Shift + Command + Control + 3 – Screenshots entire screen and is copied to clipboard
Shift + Command + 4 – Screenshot a designated area with the mouse
Option + Shift + Command + V – Pastes text with no formatting
Option + Shift + Command + Space - Opens a windows with spotlight so you can search for files on the Mac.

2. Make sure TrackPad gestures are activated

If you’re using a MacBook then chances are you’ve got the gestures sorted. If you’re using a desktop it’s a good idea to invest in the Magic TrackPad accessory so you can also benefit from smooth transitions between apps, desktops and windows.
We prefer unticking the natural scroll direction - but it’s worth experimenting to see what you find comfortable.

3. Screencast recording

OS X has a built-in screen recording facility allowing users to capture everything on the display. This is handy for making instructional videos and can even be useful in compliance situations. To record a video open up QuickTime Player and from the file menu, click on “New Screen Recording”. Then choose the audio source such as the internal mic and whether you want to include mouse clicks.
When ready, hit record and make your video. It’s possible to record the whole screen or a selection. Afterwards, you can edit it and upload it to YouTube.

4. Resize, crop,  fine-tune images & add a signature

The Preview app is more than just an image viewer. It can crop, edit and adjust the colours of an image/
From OS X 10.7 onwards, the Preview app allows you to add your signature to documents and mail them digitally.
In Preview preferences, navigate to the Signature tab and click on the “+” button. Write your name in black ink on a blank sheet of white paper and hold it to the Mac’s webcam, and watch as it magically appears onscreen.
To put your signature to a document, bring up the Edit toolbar and click on the signature icon. Draw a box and add your signature to the form. You printing, signing and faxing days will be a thing of the past.

5. Dictation

Voice dictation was built into Mountain Lion and has now been improved within Mavericks.
To enable dictation, go the System Preferences and choose “Dictation and Speech” and make sure the radio button for Dictation is “On”. Then to use dictation, just press the Fn key twice in succession and start talking. You can also change this shortcut to whatever combination of keystrokes works best for you.
In Mavericks, there is an “Enhanced Dictation” tool. Clicking on the check box downloads a 700MB language file so all speech processing is done on the Mac locally instead of through Apple's cloud servers. This also means the thirty-second limit on speech you dictate is no longer applicable and you can chat to your heart’s content.

6. Add website clips to Dashboard

Dashboard is the half-forgotten feature of OS X and only ever pops up when you accidentally swipe too far left.
You can add web pages as widgets and put them on the dashboard for future reference. To do this, open up Safari and make a clip of a website, open it in Safari, then choose “Open in Dashboard”. Use your mouse to select the area of the webpage you want on the dashboard and then click add (on the top right of the window).
This then puts the clipping onto the dashboard (there’s an “I” in the bottom right of the clip that allows you to change the frame appearance). The clip should automatically update, but if it doesn’t appear to Command + R will refresh the clip.

7. Kill the Dashboard

Perhaps having web clips isn’t your thing. You can get rid of the Dashboard by opening up the Terminal app and typing “defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean true”, then hitting enter. Relaunch the dock by typing in “killall Dock” and you'll never see this feature again.

8. Remote control a Mac

OS X has a built remote sharing feature called Back To My Mac.
You need to ensure the Mac you want to remotely connect to is on and synced with your iCloud account (this is done via the Systems Preferences app). You should also make sure that Back To My Mac is enabled by ticking the box. In the sharing preferences part of system preferences, make sure the remote management is enabled on the Mac you need to connect to as well. On the router the remote Mac is connected to ensure that UPnP is enabled. All of this should then allow your remote Mac to check in with Apple’s server to let them know its internet location.

From the Mac you are working on make sure that iCloud is turned on and you are logged in with your account to that service, turn on Back To My Mac as well as sharing. It’s important to make sure you are using the same Apple ID on both computers. Then it is just a case of clicking on the remote Mac on the sidebar in a Finder window and clicking on Share Screen. A window will open and display the remote Mac’s screen.

9. Copy Files to and from a remote Mac

Back To My Mac not only lets you share the screen but lets you copy files to and from a remote Mac. If you have followed the previous process to share the screen, to access files, you need to enable File Sharing under the Sharing icon in System Preferences.
In the Finder window go to the remote Mac you wish to share files with and you click on “Connect As”. Type in your Apple ID and password and now you have access to the hard drive. You can move files between the two systems as you would with a remote server.

10. Merge all finder windows

This is one for Mavericks users. Finder now supports tabs so you can consolidate multiple panes into one window. Instead of dragging them all together one-by-one, in the Finder menu choose Window the click on Merge All Windows and you're done.

11. Share a DVD drive with others

The latest Mac desktops and laptops don't have optical drives but it you need to use physical media it's still possible. If you have an old Mac with a Super-drive you can set it up to share this with your drive-less devices.
To do this, open up System Preferences on the Mac with a DVD drive, click on Sharing and in that window tick the box marked “DVDor CD sharing”. Then insert the disc you want to share. Go the drive-less Mac (making sure it is on the same network) and open the Finder window. Look at the sidebar for “Remote Disc” in the Devices section. Click on it and then double-click the computer you want to connect to.

12. Find another printer 

Working in a large department you may find a printer to be busy churning out a large document. You can set up your Mac to print to the next available printer if there is more than one on the network. To do this, go into System Preferences and click on Printers and Scanners.
Select the printers from the list that you want to be in the pool (To select multiple printer, hold down the Command button and click on additional printers. Click on Create Printer Pool and give it a name. Click OK.
Then next time you print a document, you can choose the printer pool from the pop-up menu.

13. Give your guests safe access to a Mac

Guest accounts are great if you want to let someone borrow your Mac to check email or browse the web.
This can be enabled by going into System Preferences and clicking on Users and Groups. This then puts the Guest User account on the login screen. Guests can use this account and once finished it wipes that session.

14. Find out what your Mac is up to

Sometimes you may find the Mac is running slow and you have no idea why. There is a handy little app that lets you see what exactly is going on under the hood.
Activity Monitor can be found in the Utilities Folder. This has columns showing CPU usage of individual apps and processes and how much memory it is using. If you find a problematic app hogging resources, you can click on Quit Process to shut the offending app down. You can also use this utility to look at usage graphs as well.

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Windows 8.1 tips & tricks: 13 ways to increase productivity

If you're new to the Windows 8 experience, you might be irked by some of the interface tweaks Microsoft has made. We show you 13 tips to make the most out of your PC for productivity purposes and help to give the OS a more familiar feel.

1 – Boot to desktop

In Windows 8.1 users can now boot directly to the desktop. However, this feature needs to be activated manually. To do this right-click the Taskbar > Properties > Navigation tab.
Under Start screen (bottom pane), tick the first option that says, “When I sign in or close all apps on a screen, go to the desktop instead of Start”. Then click on OK or Apply.

                                             2 -  Get a proper Start Button

Windows 8.1 is reintroduced a dumbed down Start button, but thankfully there are a range alternatives that bring back the fully featured Windows 7 version.
One of the most popular is Classic Shell and it’s free. The app offers three types of Start Button - Classic, Two Column and Windows 7.
Version 4 offers improved compatibility with Windows 8.1. New features include a dedicated shutdown button, the ability to pin programs to the taskbar from an explorer windows and better Windows Search functionality.

                                                   3 – Re-open Libraries
Microsoft has disabled the libraries feature by default. However, this can be reactivated easily. To do this open up Windows Explorer > View > Options. Tick the box Show libraries in the navigation pane to re-activate the feature.

                                  4 – Uninstall unused apps at the same time
Windows 8.1 allows users to select multiple apps and uninstall them all at the same time. If you ever need to do this, right click on the Start screen > Customise > Tick apps you want to uninstall.

                                                  5 – Disable Charms
Charms in Windows 8.1 aim to speed up access to menus. But if you find yourself inadvertently activating the menu with your mouse, it’s possible to disable it.
Go to Taskbar > Properties > Navigation and untick the “When I point to the upper-right corner, show the charms.”

6 – Open files in the desktop instead of Modern UI

Music, videos, pictures and PDF files are automatically opened using Modern UI apps by default, but you can changed to be opened within the desktop.
To do this, from the Windows Start screen type “default programs and click on the Default Programs icon under results. Click "Set your default programs" and choose the app you want to set as your default for your files.

7 – Keyboard shortcuts

Many people still use the mouse to perform tasks which can be done quicker using a keyboard shortcut. Here are a few useful combinations which will get you started.
Windows key + C: Opens up the charms menu
Window key + O: Locks the orientation of the screen
Windows key + Q: Opens up the App Search pane. This now appears alone and without the Start screen.
Windows key + M: Minimises all windows and brings you back to the desktop.
Windows key + H: Opens the Share charm in any app you are currently in.
Windows key + F: Opens up the Search box to help find files.
Windows key + I: Opens up the Settings Charm.
Windows key + (full stop) + Arrow key: Moves app to the left or right of screen so you can view more than one app at a time. Using the down arrow key with this combination will close the app you are in.
More shortcuts can be found here.

8 – Turn off notifications to minimise distractions

If you want to get work done without being distracted by notifications Windows 8.1 has got you covered.
Go to PC Settings > Search & apps and then make sure the Quiet Hours switch is on. You can then choose which times you want to be left in peace.

9 – Search locally and on the internet

The search function in Windows 8.1 searches files on your device and also for answers on internet simultaneously.
When you enter a term, the local files will appear as normally, but swiping to the left will bring up other web pages Bing has trawled through. This also shows up files on SkyDrive too.

10 – Get SkyDrive under control

SkyDrive is baked into Windows 8.1. Files stored here are listed alongside other categories, such as downloads and documents. Whilst cloud storage is a boon to those who use files across multiple machines, you may not want all you fires in the cloud.
To ensure that Windows 8.1 isn’t storing stuff in the cloud without your permission, go to PC Settings. Here there are settings for the cloud storage tool that will determine whether it is enabled by default as well as how specific content types are handled.
SkyDrive also tries to save space on the hard drive by using what it dubs “Smart Files”. This is a great feature as long as you have an internet connection, but useless when you don’t. To make sure that all SkyDrive files are accessible when you need them go to Windows Explorer > right click SkyDrive > select Make Available Offline. This will download all files stored in the cloud and save them locally.

11 – Ditch Command Prompt and go for PowerShell

In Windows 8.1 right clicking on the Windows icon in the taskbar brings up a list of power user commands.
For those of you that need to carry out more intensive, complex tasks using DOS-style commands you can replace CMD with Windows PowerShell.
To do this go to Navigation Properties > Tick the box marked Replace Command Prompt with Windows PowerShell in the menu when I right-click the lower-left corner .

                                    12 – Show all apps instead of live tiles
If you want to retain the Modern UI start screen but want to change the layout, it’s possible to display all apps.
To make this more productive in use, it is best to tick all of the last four boxes in the Taskbar and Navigation Properties dialogue box.
When you click on the Start button you will see all your desktop applications first on the list (Modern UI apps appear at the end). Of course you can still go back to the live tiles by clicking the little arrow at the bottom to go back to that view, but why would you?

13 – Pinning your apps to the taskbar & emails folders to desktop 
You should pin your most frequently used apps to your taskbar so you can access them faster.
Right click on an app within Modern UI. Then select the option at the bottom that says “Pin to Taskbar”.
If you like to set up rules and filters in your email that moves messages into certain folders (for example, all emails from your boss go into one folder), you can pin these folders to the start screen to save extra time in locating them.
From within the Mail app in Windows 8.1, right click a folder you wish to pin, then click on the “Manage Folders” icon at the bottom, the click “Pin to Start”. After selecting the tile size, you can then go back to the Start screen and place it wherever you want.

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Best Linux Apps For 2015

 

Best Linux Apps For 2015

For Web Development

1. Eclipse

Eclipse is a popular integrated development environment (IDE) that works on OS X and Windows as well, thanks to being built on Java. It relies on plugins to provide support for many programming languages, including Python, C++, Ruby, Scala and Clojure. This extensibility makes it possible for programmers to customize Eclipse according to their skills, needs and projects they’re working on.
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2. LightTable

LightTable is a modern-looking advanced code editor with more than 100 plugins available. It supports several programming and scripting languages, and the feature that sets it apart from other, similar apps is the instant feedback option. This feature helps you evaluate your code as you’re working on it, so it’s easier to catch mistakes and learn new functions.
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3. Code::Blocks

Code::Blocks is a development environment for C, C++ and Fortran. It’s also cross-platform, and supports several different compilers, code folding and completion. Among other useful features, Code::Blocks offers a tabbed interface, a hex editor and a GUI designer module to help you create application interfaces.
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4. Brackets

Brackets is a beautiful and lightweight text editor primarily used for HTML and CSS scripting. It supports all the features that modern text editors have, like automatic indentation, code folding, themes and countless plugins. There’s also a live preview mode which is great for web development, as it lets you see the changes on your website on-the-fly, in your browser.

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5. Aptana Studio

Aptana Studio is based on Eclipse, but it’s focused on the development of web applications. With plugins, it’s possible to create Adobe AIR and iPhone applications with Aptana. It features a helpful Code Assist functionality, a built-in terminal and integration with Git for better version control.

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For Communication

6. Pidgin

Pidgin is the favorite instant messenger of many Linux users, and for a good reason. With support for all the popular chat protocols – Gtalk, IRC, Yahoo, ICQ, XMPP – and others (like Facebook) available via official and third-party plugins, who wouldn’t love Pidgin? It also works on Windows, and has many cool features, like custom emoticons, “Now Playing” status messages, different types of notifications, and buddy grouping and filtering.

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7. Telegram

Telegram is a relatively new player on the instant messaging scene, and it has the advantage over Pidgin (and many others) in that it supports almost all platforms (OS X and iOS, Android, Linux, Windows and Windows Phones). It’s focused on privacy and security, so it encrypts all messages and even lets them self-destruct if the users want that. All your chats are kept in sync across devices, and you can use Telegram to send files to groups of up to 200 friends.

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8. Claws Mail

Claws is an email client perfect for users who seek simplicity and stability. With its uncluttered interface and many useful features (multiple account support; email filtering, folders and labels; threaded conversations; email scheduling; integrated address book; anti-phishing measures…), Claws is a great alternative to Thunderbird, which many uses often describe as bloated.

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9. Choqok

There aren’t many Twitter clients for Linux, or at least not many that work and have all the features that a power-user would require. Choqok is an exception: a feature-packed yet easy to use Twitter client with support for multiple accounts, notifications, Twitter lists, image and video previews, URL shortening, and filtering/hiding Tweets from your timeline.

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10. Jitsi

Jitsi is proof that there are powerful Skype alternatives for Linux. It’s a full-fledged communication center with support for Google Talk, Facebook chat, Yahoo, ICQ and XMPP, but that’s not all. You can use Jitsi for audio and video calls, conference calls, desktop streaming and group chats. It supports encrypted conversations, file transfer, call recording, notifications and more.

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For Internet

11. Firefox

Firefox is the default browser on many Linux distributions, and there are hundreds of extensions that let you change its appearance and functionality. It’s a great browser for all types of users because it’s easy to personalize. The growing amount of users worldwide should convince you to try it, if you haven’t done so yet.

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12. SpiderOak

Backups are extremely important, yet people put them off and perceive them as a hassle. SpiderOak is a secure way to automate online backups. A free account gets you 2 GB of cloud storage, and you can install the client on your computer as well as mobile devices, and keep everything synchronized. You can backup only selected folders, define schedules, and password-protect files which you want to share with others.

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13. qBitTorrent

qBitTorrent is often described as the closest Linux alternative to utorrent. It’s lightweight with a nice interface, and has all the features you need: from integrated search, DHT and peer exchange support, encryption and port forwarding to bandwidth scheduling, IP filtering and download queues.

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14. TeamViewer

TeamViewer is not an open-source application, but it’s on this list because it has a Linux version and because many new Linux users rely on it when they get stuck with a software problem. It’s an application for remote desktop control that lets another user access and administer your system. However, it can also be used for online meetings and direct file transfer between computers.

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15. uget

Sometimes you can’t download everything from torrents, and you don’t want to keep your browser running all the time. Then you need a download manager, and uget is a fantastic one that works on Linux, Android and Windows. It lets you queue, schedule and categorize downloads, and most importantly, supports download resuming. Uget offers even more than that, but it manages to stay lightweight and simple to use, which is really commendable.

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For Security

16. Tor

We might pretend we don’t care or console ourselves by thinking we’ve got “nothing to hide”, but the fact is that privacy and security are extremely important, and that it’s a wise practice to be mindful of them on the Internet. Tor helps you in that mission by providing a browser and communication tools that block trackers and enable anonymized surfing. Of course, there’s so much more to it, and you can learn all about it on the project website.

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17. KeePass

Security offline matters as much as online, if not even more. Your passwords need to be kept safe and preferably encrypted, and KeePass is a tool that’s cut for the job. It can run as a portable application, and can import and export your passwords in several formats. KeePass can also help you manage new passwords with a random password generator and clipboard integration.

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18. Tox

Although we could’ve listed Tox under communication tools, its strong focus on security and privacy earned it a place in this category. Tox lets you exchange encrypted messages with your friends and make free audio and video calls. It has a stylish, attractive interface that will fit well into any desktop environment.

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19. Privoxy

Privoxy is an advanced web filtering tool which you can use to block ads, prevent trackers and control which sites can access your computer. There’s much more to Privoxy, and it takes some effort to learn how to configure it, but it’s well worth it if you care about privacy.

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20. Gufw

Gufw is a simple and very user-friendly firewall for Linux which you can configure in just a few clicks. It provides basic protection, and supports app filtering and custom rules. You can also use it to log and track your Internet traffic and “invisible” activities that happen while you’re browsing the Web.

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For Image Manipulation

21. Krita

Krita is a Linux h(e)aven for digital artists and illustrators. This amazing application lets you customize its appearance to suit your workflow, and has a special painting mode that eliminates all distractions and lets you focus on your art. You can use it to create patterns and textures, modify and import brushes, apply filters and effects, manage layers, and achieve perfect symmetry with in-built drawing aids.

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22. Pinta

Pinta is inspired by Paint.NET and offers all the basic image editing and drawing options. It’s a bit like advanced Microsoft Paint – simple enough to use, but not lacking in crucial features. You can use Pinta to draw various shapes, retouch images with effects and filters, and even manage layers of your photos.

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23. Gimp

You probably already know everything about Gimp – it’s the most powerful image editing tool for Linux, well-deserving the title of the best Photoshop alternative. If you’re not happy with what Gimp offers by default, there are many awesome plugins that add new functions and image effects.

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24. Darktable

Professional photographers might appreciate darktable, because it supports RAW image editing, among other cool features. You can use it to tweak every little detail of your photos. One of the best things about darktable is the extensive, helpful documentation available on the official website and as a PDF guide.

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25. PhotoQt

PhotoQt is a non-intrusive, lightweight image viewer app for Linux that hides many features below the surface. You can preview images as a slideshow, set the wallpaper directly from PhotoQt, as well as rename and delete images, scale, rotate and zoom them, and set your own keyboard shortcuts for image browsing.

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For Entertainment

26. Atraci

Atraci is a fresh, cross-platform app that lets you search and stream music directly from YouTube. You can organize your favorite tracks in playlists, view videos in full screen, and browse current top songs on YouTube directly from Atraci.

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27. Miro

Miro (previously called “Democracy Player”) is a versatile multimedia application that lets you play a number of audio and video formats, as well as stream online content, watch Internet TV and download videos. It can also convert some video formats, has built-in torrent support and lets you schedule videos, online shows and downloads. Basically, Miro is a full-fledged multimedia center akin to Kodi and other home entertainment apps.

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28. Tomahawk

Tomahawk is a truly innovative Linux app that combines music and social media. It lets you stream songs from a bunch of online services, like Last.fm, Soundcloud, Grooveshark, Jamendo, Deezer, Google Play and many more. You can connect your social accounts and get detailed stats on your music consumption and preferences. With Tomahawk, it’s easy to share songs and playlists with your friends and get recommendations tailored to your taste.

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29. Clementine

Clementine is a reliable music player that’s inspired by Amarok, but not as complicated to use. It has so many great features: a tabbed interface for playlists, lyric and artist info fetching from online sources, search and streaming support for Internet radio and services like Spotify and Grooveshark, podcast discovery and download, remote control from Android devices and support for music copying to iPods and USB music players. Clementine is all you need to enjoy music and manage your collection on a Linux system.

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30. SMPlayer

SMPlayer is one of the most practical multimedia players for Linux because it comes with built-in codecs, ready to play all popular formats right out of the box. It can play YouTube videos, download subtitles for your movies and remember individual settings for every file you play. Advanced users will appreciate features like the equalizer, video filters and custom subtitle positions and synchronization.

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Of course, there are so many more Linux apps that could rightfully be included in a “best of” list. Which are your favorite applications for Linux? Can you recommend some new, undiscovered apps? Let us know in the comments.

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