Windows: Are you bored of watching the same TV channels all the time? Try RevoluTV instead, an Internet TV client with which you'll be able to watch hundreds of free TV channels from several different countries, conveniently classified by categories. Plus the program is very easy to install, features a fast loading speed and only requires Windows Media Player to work.

Mac: Browsing the Web on a mobile phone is traditionally such a painful process that many of us simply don't bother. Thankfully things are beginning to change though. We've already seen the Beta release of the slick Opera Mobile browser for Windows Mobile and UIQ devices. Now, Mozilla is getting in on the act with its Firefox Mobile browser, code-named Fennec.

Smartphone: Ringtone creation tools have come a long way since the days when you had to enter notes on your Nokia pad, before playing them back as a tinny melody. Mixx Mobile offers an advanced set of features for making sophisticated ringtones, including a waveform editor with zooming capabilities, voice recording and customizable effects.

I recently started using Beatport SYNC on my MacBook, as I like the basic DJ features (I am the DJ king of my living room!), and find it a more enjoyable way to listen to music than using iTunes. I was completely happy until I tried to play the tracks I had bought through the iTunes store; they are protected with Apple's FairPlay DRM (Digital Rights Management) system and won't work outside iTunes. That irritated me.

I could have downloaded these tracks illegally and been free to listen to the music as I wanted, but because I had actually bought the tracks I couldn't. Rob Fayer at gamesindustry.biz, makes a similar complaint, calling DRM "hated and broken". The point of DRM is to curb piracy but it punishes the paying customer while having no discernible effect on piracy.

Of course, there are programs to convert DRM protected files to MP3, but that also puts you in a legal grey area (more likely an illegal area). Fayer argues that as long as paid-for products are more annoying to use than the pirated versions, customers are almost being driven towards piracy. I think people would be more likely to download music legally if it was DRM free.

The recent legal fight between RealNetworks and movie studios highlights how out of touch the "creative industry" is; a world without RealDVD is not one without people ripping DVDs or downloading illegal BitTorrents. Copy protection doesn't stop people copying, so it should be obvious another solution is needed.

iTunes does now offer some of its music DRM free, at a premium, and Napster also offers unprotected files. I hope this is the beginning of the end: shouldn't we be trusted to use the things we buy legally? For now, I'll stick to buying CDs and DRM free music.

April 7th 2010 Update:

Since I wrote that piece, most companies have ceased to use DRM, meaning files can now be freely used by users in whatever program or device they please. However as Michael Arrington at TechCrunch highlights, some companies are still adding data to files that could be used to control usage.

Windows: If you've always wondered how to create panoramic photos, here's the answer: Microsoft Image Composite Editor lets you create panoramas in a couple of clicks, with no artistic or technical skills required. Simply select the right photos and let the program do the rest. Take your camera out and start creating panoramas today!

Symbian: If you want to be able to identify callers more easily then you may want to check out Skyecaller. The Symbian-based application allows you to identify both voice callers and senders of SMS messages, by a full-screen image of their face. So next time they call, you'll know exactly who it is at a glance.

Mac: The world’s best open-source multimedia player just got updated. VLC Media Player, now on version 0.9.3 is one of the most popular programs on Softonic and it’s not hard to see why. VLC is lightweight, compact, easy to use and will play just about any video you throw at it, from DVDs to broken WMV files. What’s more, it’s totally free and open source. All in all, one of the truly great little apps out there.

Windows: If you ever need to sync files or share documents online, this app may be the perfect choice. Dropbox synchronizes the contents of a given folder with its online servers, making it accessible to any computer linked to your Dropbox profile. Use it to share photos, work on common projects or have a permanent online backup copy of your files.

Java phones: Capturing data for quantitative field studies can be a real chore. However, if you've got Handylearn Counter installed on your mobile phone, then things get much easier.You just assign a key to a particular feature or variable then hit this every time this variable occurs. This makes it great for things like measuring traffic.

Mac: The world's best open-source multimedia player just got updated. VLC Media Player, now on version 0.9.2 is one of the most popular programs on Softonic and it's not hard to see why. VLC is lightweight, compact, easy to use and will play just about any video you throw at it, from DVDs to broken WMV files. What's more, it's totally free and open source. All in all, one of the truly great little apps out there.

I find it really annoying when broadcasters prevent you from watching videos outside your own country. I understand the licensing issues involved but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow when you want to listen or watch a broadcast from outside your own country.

The way broadcasters block you is by detecting your IP address. If it's from outside of the country of broadcast, you'll either receive a standard copyright blurb or simply receive nothing at all. While trying to watch the US Tennis Open on CBS I discovered Hotspot Shield which is a highly useful utility that can help you get round this problem. Officially, it's designed to protect you while you are surfing in order to prevent personal info being stolen or simply allow you to surf anonymously. It does this by routing your IP through various public and anonymous proxies. In effect, it sets-up a VPN between you and your internet gateway which masks your genuine IP address thus allowing you access to blocked websites.

It won't work in all cases though and there are a few problems. Once you've installed it, Hotspot Shield opens up a new browser window with an address bar which you use to surf to the website of your choice. This works fine if the video you want to watch is embedded in the site itself. However, if it's a Java applet popup, it often doesn't work because there's no easy way to surf to them directly. In addition, it can be painfully slow. Because your internet traffic is being routed through other proxies, it can make accessing sites very slow which isn't much use when you're streaming video or audio that requires a high bandwidth. Still, it can help you access that radio commentary or sports broadcast that you desperately want to see when no other options are available.

Mac: When you work on multiple projects, tracking your time can be essential. TimeLog 4.3.7 ensures that you always stay productive, by monitoring the exact amount of time spent on multiple projects. The timeline-like interface and simple controls make it easy to manage multiple time logs. TimeLog also features an automatic timer and billing and lets you create smart lists. If you work with a number of Apple programs you'll also find it interacts well with these.

Windows: There are many audio players you can choose from to enjoy your favorite music on the PC, but Winamp 5.54 is undoubtedly one of the most popular ones. This last version includes new exciting features such as expanded Flash video support, dynamic song recommendations, full iPod syncing support and more.

Pocket PC: If you have one of those Pocket PCs where it’s really fiddly to change the volume then have a look at SetVolume. This touch-friendly app allows you to control the loudness of your device simply by swiping your finger around the dial. You can even mute your PDA or set it to vibrate mode simply by clicking on the middle button.

One of the most eye-catching features in Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch is the implementation of Cover Flow, the iTunes file user interface that enables you to browse the music library by simply flipping album covers. It really looks nice both on your computer and your device... that is, provided you have all the covers for your music collection, because as soon as there are some of them missing, Cover Flow suddenly loses all of its attractive.

Luckily for you, finding those lost album covers is quite easy. I'm sure there a few ways to retrieve them, but I'll explain a couple of tricks I've used on my personal music library and have worked fine for me. The first one requires an iTunes Store account, which you can create straight from iTunes. Once you're logged in, all you have to do is right click on the file you want to search the album cover for and select the Get Album Artwork option. iTunes will find and download the cover for you, as long as the file's tags are properly filled in.

Windows: so you just got an iPhone and you're desperately looking for a video? Koyote Free Video Converter is what you need: a free, easy video converter with support for all multimedia portable devices (PSP, Zune, iPod, iPhone...) so that you can enjoy your favorite movies on the go without struggling with a complicated converting tool.

Mac: You may have gotten used to Spotlight and set up your Dock with your favorite apps and folders, but are you still finding it hard to keep your Mac organized? Together quickly and easily stores anything and lets you keep files organized thanks to smart lists, labels, groups and notes. You can drag and drop elements between folders and make use of Spotlight at any time. Use it too much and you might not need the Finder ever again!

Symbian/Java phones: Bored of the same old default ringtones on your mobile phone? Then do something about it by using Create-Ringtone to make your own melodies. The software lets you change any of your WMA, MP3, WAV or Ogg files into a tone for your phone. You can make unlimited ringtones using Create-Ringtone!

Windows: Say you'd like to create a Flash presentation with your photos but you don't know anything about Flash. Your best option is then downloading FlyPaper 1.0.1.2, with which you'll be able to design your own Flash presentations featuring photos, videos, background music and transition effects... and much easier than working with Flash!

Mac: Conversation is a lesser known yet good alternative chat client. With a colorful and rounded interface, Conversation 2.14 is a great choice for first time users. It includes the typical emoticons, customizable user page and lets you share files with other users. If you have a little more knowledge you'll also find XDCC and MP3 support.

Pocket PC: One of the main problems in my life at the moment is that I keep seeing more and more people on the street listening to their iPod Touch or iPhone. That in itself is not the problem, of course. The problem is I don’t have one. Luckily though, I stumbled across S2P, which allows you to replicate the iPhone/iPod Touch audio player on your Pocket PC.

It looks like Apple will launch iTunes 8 on September 9, if we're to believe Digg founder Kevin Rose's comments in the latest episode of The Week in Tech. Rose claims that the latest version of Apple's media player-cum-advertising hoarding will be a major update to iTunes 7. So we can expect to see lots of new features and functionality plus some refinements to the interface (or possibly even a complete overhaul). But what can the new iTunes deliver that the current, already pretty bloated, version can't? Here's my wishlist of eight improvements I would like from iTunes 8, in no particular order of preference. I'd also be interested to hear what other people think about where Apple should be taking its flagship software product.

1. Advanced statistic tracking

At the moment, you can access statistics about stuff you listen to on iTunes, but I'd like this functionality ramped up a bit to include more detailed information. For instance, it could show you the most popular tracks or artists you've been listening during a particular month, or the genre with the highest average track rating.

2. Community features

One of the things I love about social music sites like Last.fm is the way they help you broaden your musical horizons. Not only do you get recommendations of similar artists and the 'people who listened to this also listen to...' feature but you can view a huge amount of data about what your friends and other users are listening to. A move away from Apple's more crude 'Buy this one too' approach would be welcomed.

3. Skinning

Personally I'm tired of the iTunes interface. Granted it's still a classic look but I've just got sick of the sight of it. Please can we have a slightly more modern design Apple? More importantly can we have a way to add our own skins and customisations á la Winamp.

4. Web application

One feature that I really, really want (but probably won't get) is a web-based version of iTunes. It doesn't need to be particularly advanced, just a clean and easy-to-use app that lets me access my library from any web browser.

5. AVI support

Come on Apple, let's finally have some support for playing AVI files. Oh, and MP4 while you're at it. If the other major media player developers can do it, I'm sure it's not too difficult a job.

6. Podcast improvements

I've become pretty much permanently attached to the podcast section of the iTunes store of late. However, I still find the process of navigating this content a little cumbersome. The podcast management features in iTunes 7 are also pretty lame, so these will need addressing as well.

7. Tagging

Something which Apple should of introduced ages ago is an intuitive system for tagging your music. Granted, it is possible to add keywords to tracks at the moment, but it's such a convoluted process that it's not worth bothering with. Tags should be included in iTunes 8 to give you more control over your library.

8. iTunes Lite

Of course, adding all of these features to an already grossly overweight app is likely to drain even more processor power than the current version of iTunes. Apple is at risk of losing long-time users to more slimline players such as Winamp or KMPlayer. So why doesn't it release a completely stripped-down, 'Lite' version of the application to satisfy those of us who are fedup with all the bloat?

As the flame burns out in Beijing this weekend, marking the end of a memorable Olympics, so too does my PC-based version of the games. Over the last fortnight I've staged events in a variety of sports, including beach volleyball, table tennis, cycling and tennis. Having picked up two silver medals in the Games I intend to celebrate at my own closing ceremony.

To take care of the music for the big event I've installed Virtual DJ. The program lets me play and mix my tunes to send the crowds wild. Because of the program's BeatLock engine, songs always stay in the beat, so you can work your mixes faster than ever. Of course, the dancers at the closing ceremony will have to learn their routines in order to keep in time with the music. For this, I've downloaded Dance, a rather neat little app that teaches more than 180 different dance moves through a series of easy-to-follow tutorials.

Refreshments for the closing ceremony come courtesy of the cocktail-mixing app Professional Bartender, which boasts more than one thousand drinks recipes to help the athletes (well, me) chill out after their efforts.

Of course, the whole thing finishes with a big fireworks display. And if the Chinese can use CGI to make their explosions look a little more impressive, then why can't I install a few fireworks downloads? The pick of the bunch is the Flaredance Firework Screensaver, which simulates fireworks explosions in an exhilarating display. This Fireworks Wallpaper helps to ensure that your screen is still lit up if you decide to interrupt the screensaver.

Once the party's over all that's left to do is get hold of the Schmap London Guide to start planning my trip in 2012. I better start training now...

Windows: Summer may not be the best season for real snowboard, so how about a virtual version? Project Powder is a free online snowboard simulator that enables you to compete against people from all over the world. Create your character, join the competition and make new friends while having fun and sliding down the most dangerous slopes!

Mac: There's never going to be enough layers of security. Even on a Mac. The aptly-named Knox tool lets you create encrypted vaults to store all your sensitive documents. It features both 128 bit and 256 bit AES encryption and adding files to a vault is as simple as drag and drop. Note that Knox can also be of great use for secure backups and that it works perfectly with Apple's Spotlight.

Smartphone: If you’re looking for a faster and easier way to play music on your Windows Mobile device then you may want to give Pocket Player a go. The app promises to give you more music for less taps, through multiple media and playlist formats, Internet connectivity, plug-in extensions, and an intuitive interface. The app supports a range of formats, including MP3, Ogg, WAV and WMA.

Symbian: Bored of looking at the same old interface on your Sony Ericsson phone? Then get Sony Ericsson Themes Creator 3.29 installed right away. The application allows you to customize everything in your Sony Ericsson mobile phone, from standby, to the app launcher, menu and calendar. Thanks to the tabbed interface you can quickly move between the different sections.

Windows: Ever wanted to create your own poster? Take a look at Poster Forge 1.01.10 and you'll be able to design one in just a few easy steps! You can choose between different templates (an old Far West "Wanted" poster, a movie-style poster or an inspirational one), use any picture you like and customize the poster with your own texts.

Mac: There must really be something wrong with you if you don't have iTunes 7.7.1 installed on your Mac. Apple's media player not only lets you buy songs, videos and download podcasts from the Apple store but you can also organize your whole media library, create playlists and synchronize your media on your iPod devices. iTunes is a great piece of software to enjoy your tunes and videos.

Windows: if you usually listen to music while browsing the web, then FoxyTunes is made for you. This handy Firefox extension lets you control any media player from the browser's interface, without having to switch between apps every time you want to pause the music, skip a song or adjust the volume.

Mac: Was your school year marred by lack of organization? It's never too late to learn from your mistakes. Assignment Planner allows you to organize your courses, homework and course books, stay on top of projects and assignments. The application lets you filter by course and includes calculators for your GPA and Finals. Get it before the start of the new school year.

Symbian: Skype is great for making free or cheaper calls from your computer. But what if you're out and about and want to speak to your Skype contacts on the move? Then you need iSkoot. The app lets you make calls to people, chat via IM and even receive Skype calls to your mobile. You can also use iSkoot to make cheaper international calls using the SkypeOut service.

Unless you've got your own radio station, podcasting is probably the easiest way to broadcast your message to millions of people across the world. Requiring no license fees or studio hire, you can literally become your own one man radio station with nothing more than a computer and a microphone. The best thing about podcasts too is that your listeners can constantly keep track of your latest releases because podcasts can be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically when new content is added, using an aggregator or feed reader capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Atom. There's a huge market out there for podcasts as this list of some of the nets most popular podcasts proves. As you can see, everything from better parenting to politics and PSP hacking find a place in the most popular list. Here's a look at 5 of the very best free podcasting apps to produce your broadcast with:

Audacity - Mainly used for editing and recording rather than publishing podcasts but one of the most poplar choices on the net for it's ease of use. It works across platforms and for Mac users, it's even a competitive replacement for Garageband.

Odeo Studio - Anything that you've edited or produced on Audacity, you may find easier to publish with Odeo Studio. Allows you to easily upload MP3's for free although there is a catch - if someone listens to it in a different player, they get a brief Odeo ad.

podOmatic - Don't want to mess around with downloading anything? podOmatic is an online podcast creator which offers free hosting, detailed listener statistics and allows you to design your own customised podcast page with all your latest broadcasts.

Gabcast - A great solution for those that don't have access to a PC or microphone, Gabcast allows you to record your podcasts by phone. You can post audio directly to your blog and even host conference calls during your podcasts - great for doing interviews.

WildVoice - Cheap and cheerful style podcasting application for all ages and hosts your podcasts immediately the second that it's finished. Very easy to use and features a step-by-step guide to get you recording podcasts in minutes.