free

France orders Internet provider to stop blocking Google ads

France, unlike the U.S., has had relaxed rules on whether Internet service providers can block online content -- until today that is.

The French government has ruled that one of the country's biggest Web providers, Free, must halt all online ad blocking, according to the New York Times.

"An Internet service provider cannot unilaterally implement such blocking," the French minister for the digital economy Fleur Pellerin said at a news conference, according to the Times. "This kind of blocking is inconsistent with a free and open Internet, to which I am very attached."

The … Read more

Simple puzzler gets challenging quickly as gameboards get bigger

Flow Free: Bridges is an easy-to-learn puzzler with satisfying touch-screen controls, but be ready for a challenge once you hit later levels.

Many people will remember Web-based pipe games where you connect pipes to complete a circuit so water can flow from a starting point to a goal. Flow Free: Bridges is a similar concept, but instead you're trying to connect multiple color-coded start and end points together without crossing the lines. Fortunately, there is an exception to the rule about crossing the lines, with bridge tiles you can make one pipe pass over another to get to the … Read more

Play the modern version of connect the dots with Flow Free

There are times when you just need a light diversion that isn't too time intensive. Flow Free is a game that fits that need very well, but unless you pay, you'll have to put up with some advertising.

The well-designed interface is sleek and attractive. The object of Flow Free is simple and so are the controls. Your goal is to connect matching dots of color with a line, or pipe. The trick is that the pipes can't cross and you have to fill up the screen. There's enough strategy to make it interesting, but not … Read more

Find hot spots with WiFi Free

No matter how robust a data plan you have on your phone, it's still probably limited and slower than Wi-Fi. It pays to do most of your downloading on your home's connection or on free hot spots. WiFi Free will help you find dozens of free places to connect, but it's nowhere near as seamless as other apps. It takes too long to set up and has a very simple layout.

When you install this supposedly free app, you'll be stuck either paying 99 cents or connecting it with your Foursquare account. If you don't … Read more

View Microsoft Office documents

Being able to read, e-mail, and share documents created in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint on your Android device brings great advantages. Kingsoft Office Reader for Android Free makes these tasks fast and easy.

After a quick installation, this app loaded quickly on our device. It is pretty light on the resources and bug-free. The user interface is clean and simple to use. It worked well identifying and opening e-mail attachments and other Office document types we tried. Kingsoft Office Reader for Android Free is appropriate for all skill levels, and most users will find it handy. Even though it works … Read more

50% off on Hotspot Shield Elite VPN

Public WiFi hotspots are great, but did you know that you are the prime target for hackers in public WiFi networks if you are not equipped with the right safety tools? With the cyber crime rates on the rise, it is better to take the extra precaution to keep your personal information safe from predators, who are looking to intercept your connection to steal your identity. Don't let this happen to you.

I've had my share of identity theft and I can tell you it's the most annoying thing you'll have to go through to clean … Read more

Migrate your Instagram pics to Flickr with ease

If the events surrounding Instagram over the last few days have made you want to close your account and start using a different service such as Flickr, we understand. But before you go and delete your Instagram account, wouldn't it be nice to have all of your photos imported to Flickr for you?

Check out @freethephotos to automagically migrate @instagram pics to @flickr bit.ly/VQ5wQs

-- Nan Palmero, MBA (@nanpalmero) December 19, 2012

As you can see from the tweet above, it's possible and the process is simple.

Freethephotos is a new Web site created during the … Read more

Get a free 1-year membership to ShopRunner

Talk about good timing!

From now through Dec. 31, you can get a free 1-year membership to ShopRunner -- the service that affords, among other things, free 2-day shipping from dozens of big-name stores. (Use offer code runner when filling out the registration form.) That may come in awfully handy for you last-minute gift shoppers.

Before I go any further, and to help prevent another SiriusXM Internet Radio-style debacle, I must point out that this offer is ostensibly for American Express Platinum Card members only. Consequently, it could disappear at any time, and it's even possible that ShopRunner will … Read more

Multi-deal Monday: Ultrabooks, security software, games, and more!

Happy Free Shipping Day, fellow cheapskates. Nearly 1,700 online merchants are offering "free delivery by Christmas Eve," so today might be the ideal day to finish up your holiday shopping.

That said, lots of stores offer free shipping every day, and I have no doubt we'll see lots of other "free shipping in time for Christmas" offers in the days to come, so don't fret too much if you miss FSD.

Today I couldn't decide on a single deal, so instead I rounded up a bunch of good stuff -- a little … Read more