There are now thousands of apps and extensions for Google Chrome. I've selected ten of the most interesting and useful to get you started. As you'll see, browser customization is no longer a Firefox-only affair, and Chrome makes installing apps and extensions incredibly easy, so try them out!

Evernote Web Clipper

Much easier than searching your history, and much more flexible, Evernote is an excellent way of keeping pages, links and articles you like. Evernote is like a well-organized web scrapbook, and can quickly become something you rely on. Download here.

M86 Security Secure Browsing

Have you or any of your friends ever been caught out by clicking a scam link on Facebook or elsewhere? This extension checks links on a page and tells you what is genuine and safe. Download here.

Awesome Screenshot

There are many reasons you might want to take a screenshot of a webpage, and Awesome Screenshot makes it really easy. It also features an annotate and edit function, so you can highlight or point to the important areas of the page. Download here.

The recent closure of Megaupload highlights the risks of using a cloud based service to backup and store data. Of course, backing-up your data to an external hard drive isn't without risks but there is one that's significantly reduced - the threat of losing access to your data due to sites being shutdown.

We've already compiled and compared a list of other cloud backup solutions so here are five of the best desktop backup alternatives for Windows and Mac:

TimeMachine

(Mac):

Apple's easy to use discreet backup solution. Constantly backsup your data without slowing down your Mac so that you can effectively "go back in time" and restore files and data. Note however that some people have found it unreliable at times - it may start-off well but may become erratic over time.

SuperDuper!

(Mac):

SuperDuper! creates exact clones of your Mac's hard drive so you have a full backup of all your data, including permissions, user profiles and private settings. Simply select the target and destination drives and start backing up. You can specify exactly which files you want to transfer and which you'd like to omit.

Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC)

(Mac):

Carbon Copy Cloner is free, simple to use and backsup only those files and folders that you want it to. Just connect your external hard drive to your Mac, CCC will automatically detect it and off you go. You can also schedule automatic backups at specific times and create disk images with it.

Norton Ghost

(PC)

Norton's Anti-Virus is a nightmare but its backup solution is a much better package. Norton Ghost is probably the closest thing to Time Machine on a PC and backs-up your entire hard drive – or just selected folders – to another partition, networked drive or an external storage device. Norton Ghost can also create an exact copy of your hard drive with all the existing files, programs and settings and provides restoration points.

USB Image Tool

(PC)

USB Image Tool is one of the simplest PC backup solutions you'll find. It's free, straightforward and automatically detects USB devices connected to your computer and scans them before asking you whether you'd like to create an image backup or restore a previously backed-up image. USB Image Tool can create images of USB memory sticks and MP3 players that are mounted as USB drives.

[Image courtesy of OnSoftware ES]

It seems fitting that the first OnSoftware post of 2012 should pay homage to some of the great articles we published last year.

There was much to talk about in the world of software and apps in 2011, and testament to this is that we published more blog articles last year than any other in our history. If you don’t have time to go back and read them all (there’s a staggering 581 of them!) then at least go back and revisit our ten most popular posts of last year in terms of visits.

The list makes for an interesting overview of what was on the minds of computer users last year (upgrading to Windows 7/Mac OS X Lion, getting onto Google +, social media privacy - and Minecraft!) Take a trip back down memory lane by checking out the posts:

1. Get a Google + invite

When Tom put out his guide to getting onto Google + before anyone else, everyone wanted to be his friend.

Android prospered in 2011. Developers are getting smarter by programming apps to work among the variety of devices, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich could unify the operating system in 2012.

Games are no longer sub-standard clones from iOS and productivity apps are excellent additions on Android devices. The landscape for apps is expanding quickly, and 2012 will undoubtedly be another great year of growth.

There are some incredible apps and games that came out this year.  Here is Softonic’s list of the best Android apps in 2011.

Last week, we revealed our top iOS apps of 2011. Now it’s time to turn our attention to games, as we round-up the best titles of the year for all mobile platforms.

We’ve played so many great mobile games this year that this blog post could have easily been a top 100. Luckily, though, we were able to get the list down to the top ten mobile games of 2011:

10. Tiny Tower (iOS & Android)

Tiny Tower was our favorite of all the freemium, ‘build ‘em up’-style games this year. Your objective is to build a huge tower complete with apartments, shops, offices and more. Tiny Tower’s cute pixel art graphics and laid back elevator music make it a really charming strategy game. What’s more, its Game Center integration allows you to find other ‘Bitizens’ to challenge online.

Recently I explained how to install mods in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, so you can alter various aspects of what many people are calling the game of 2011. Now, here are five of my favorite mods for Skyrim:

4GB Skyrim

It's a bit boring, but if you have a powerful gaming PC with 64-bit Windows 7, this allows the game to take advantage of the entire 4GB Virtual Memory Address Space. This will reduce instances of slowdown in the game when things get busy. Great! Download here

World Map in full 3D

This mod changes the in game map so you can zoom right in, almost to ground level, easily exploring without having to actually walk around! The file page has instructions for use, with some advice for making some personalizations, like adding clouds. Download here

Realistic Water Textures

I love this - it divides the water in Skyrim into categories: puddles, rivers, oceans. While oceans and rivers are subtly improved, the puddle category really give marshland a more realistic feel. Water in marshes is now much stiller and marsh-like. Download here

No More Blocky Faces

Even though I think 'blocky' is a bit of an exaggeration, this mod does smooth out some features to make faces look more realistic. It's a small thing, but I like the overall effect, and you spend quite a lot of time looking at faces in the game. Download here

Skyrim Sunglare V3

This mod gives the sun a cinematic glare and occasional 'lens flare' effect. No performance improvement, and it's not more realistic. But it's very attractive! Download here

[adapted from OnSoftware Netherlands]

2011 has been another great year for iOS apps. Despite the fact that Apple’s mobile platform fell behind Android in overall popularity this year, innovation in iOS development is better than ever.

The Apple operating system is still where cutting edge applications are born, and this year’s launch of iOS 5 and the iPhone 4S device have fueled app developer’s imaginations even more. Here’s our pick of the best iPhone and iPad apps of 2011, based on what impressed us out of the hundreds of new apps we tested this year.

Garageband

For me, Garageband is the most accomplished iOS app of all time. It allows you to create impressive musical compositions without any technical know-how, through an interface that’s effortless to navigate. The software's Smart Instruments, including piano, bass, guitar and drums, serve to help you create music that sounds like it's been played by a pro.

First released alongside the iPad 2 in March as one of the flagship apps for the tablet, this music-making app has since found its way onto the iPhone, too.

Price: $4.99

iMovie

As with Garageband, iMovie is another piece of Mac software that makes the transition from desktop to handheld really well. The app makes smart use of the multi-touch gestures to allow you to add videos, photos, music and sound effects, and piece them together. You can choose to add footage from your camera roll, or capture video directly through iMovie. The results can then be shared via YouTube.

Price: $4.99

The built-in desktop themes in Windows 7 are quite attractive, but they are very generic and lack originality. If you really want your Windows 7 computer to stand out from the rest then you can download new Windows 7 themes to add personality to your desktop. Downloadable themes normally include wallpapers, icons, sounds, and personalized cursors.

Here are ten popular Windows 7 themes on Softonic that will transform your desktop into a thing of beauty.

Angry Birds

Angry Birds is one of the most successful video games of the last few years. In it, you need to catapult birds at the constructions in order to kill their arch enemies, the noisy pigs.

This Angry Birds theme pays homage to the popular mobile game, and is the perfect option for those millions who are hooked on the game. The theme includes 21 wallpapers, five icons, and three personalized sound files.

Minecraft has spawned a huge community of developers making all kinds of complimentary Minecraft programs. Here is my pick of the best, and most useful Minecraft tools available today:

• Minecraft Crafting Guide. This is a neat little app, an encyclopedia of crafting. Newcomers to Minecraft will find the concept of crafting difficult, and in 'survival mode', you don't have time to mess around experimenting with recipes! This is a comprehensive guide to how to make everything in the game, from food to weaponry to portals to another dimension!

• Mineviewer. Has hours of mining not got you the minerals or resources you were looking for? Load your world into this app and you can zoom around, and see exactly where rarer things like diamond are hiding. Then you can mine straight to what you need in Minecraft.

• MCEdit. Like Mineviewer, this app lets you see and explore your Minecraft world, but also lets you edit it. It's easy to use, and allows you to make some enormous changes in seconds! I made a ball of TNT so big it crashed the game - so be warned!

• MCPatcher. Minecraft is constantly being updated, but if you find you want to play an older version, MCPatcher makes it easy. It features a library of past versions, and allows you to backup your current games, so you don't have to worry about losing any progress!

What Minecraft applications do you use? Or do you think this is all cheating?

We've noticed some excellent racing games at Softonic recently. Even better, they're free, which is perfect for the holiday season, when your funds my be directed elsewhere. If you're an adrenaline junkie, read on. We're sure you're going to love them!

Coolest, and most innovative, is Extreme Motorbikers, a game that mixes speed with cunning and guts. In this one, not only must you make it around the track ahead of your opponents, but also stop them from using villainous tricks to get what they want. For a free game, the graphics are really rich, and Extreme Motorbikers adds a little something to a tried and tested formula.

Looking for high tech gift ideas this Holiday Season? There are some really cool iOS toys out now that will impress anyone with an iPhone or an iPad.

Here are my top six iOS gift ideas for the holidays. All of them consist of an app, plus a toy or gadget that interacts with the application in some way. They all serve to highlight how far augmented reality applications have come in the last year.

Disney AppMates

Fans of the Cars movies will love these innovative iPad toys from Disney. Put the toy cars on your tablet and move them around and you’ll interact with the virtual world that appears in the app. The Cars characters are the first in Disney’s new line of AppMates, which could revolutionize the way we play games on our devices. Price: toys from $12.99, app free

Under Steve Jobs, Apple developed has lots of excellent software, some of which has had a huge influence on technology and how we use computers. This isn't to say other companies haven't been just as influential, but it's hard to underestimate the Cupertino company's contribution. There are other great Apple programs, but I want to focus just on the ones I think have been game changers: Apple OS, iTunes and Garage Band.

Mac OS and iOS.

Right from the start, Mac OS was important. In Steve Jobs's own words, 'Windows just copied the Mac' in the 80s. That might be a slight exaggeration, but from the early days of Windows, Mac OS was clearly an influence. The current generation, Mac OS X has introduced numerous innovations over the years, notably the ability to be suspended and restarted very quickly. This makes it ideal for laptops, as the explosion of Macbooks has proved. Anyone who works on OS X and Windows will also note how much better Apple's Spotlight works when searching for files and applications. Unlike Windows, which looks like it's been designed by committee, OS X looks like something that has been built from the ground up with a singular focus.

The iPhone introduced us to iOS in 2007, and is now already up to version 5. This has revolutionized pocket computing, and the app icons arrangement has clearly influenced Android. The App Store has quickly become a hugely successful eco system, the first large scale example of a closed system for purchasing and installing software.

There are so many apps for kids on the App Store that it makes choosing the best one for your little angels a bit of a challenge. There are plenty of apps and games that are great for shutting children up on a long journey, yet much less that actually inspire, educate and encourage creativity in youngsters.

I’ve hand-picked a selection from the cream of the App Store: six original, innovative apps that encourage children to think creatively, as well as being a lot of fun. In general, these applications are designed for over threes, but they can be enjoyed by bigger kids as well. In fact, I defy you not to pick up and play with these once your little ones have gone off to bed!

Toca Hair Salon

If your child has aspirations of being a hairdresser, or even if they just like dressing up games, Toca Hair Salon is not to be missed. This excellent interactive app lets children run their own hair salon. They can cut, comb, blow-dry and tint the hair of six different customers to make weird and wonderful hair styles.

The presentation of Toca Hair Salon is a cut above. The fun characters include a dog, a lion and some human customers (or should that be ‘victims’?) You simply choose a tool, then use it to change the hair by running your finger along the head. It’s really addictive, and as you‘ll see from this 5-year-old’s video review of Toca Hair Salon, kids can’t get enough of it!

For ages: 3 & up Price: $2.59 Compatible with: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

If you want to convert audio or video files for different devices without any fuss, these two apps make the process as painless as I can imagine:

Media Converter

A personal favorite, Media Converter is just an empty window into which you drag the files you want to convert. There's a list of conversion profiles to choose from, naming most of the devices you're likely to be converting for, so there's no need for any technical knowledge. I especially like that the deeper settings are available in the app and even more device profiles can be easily downloaded to it from the developer's website. Media Converter is undemanding and beaitifully easy to use.

Smart Converter

Really popular on the Mac App Store, Smart Converter is possibly even easier to use than Media Converter. It's single paned drag and drop interface has a row of popular device buttons, and you just have to click on the one you want to get a video converted for it. It really is conversion for absolute beginners! The drawback when compared to Media Converter is that there isn't anything more complex in the background, so if you do want to customize the settings.. we you can't so try not to!

These are the best free simple video converters I've used on Macs: have you found anything better?

Admit it. With Google+ opening to the public and all the recent changes to Facebook, Twitter is starting to feel a little dull. There's no shame in admitting you haven't browsed your Twitter feed in two weeks - or longer. If you want to get back into regular tweeting, there are a few handy apps and a full-featured client out there that should do the trick.