Best Free File Compression Software for Windows

A file compression software would allow you to compress one or more files into a smaller file to save space and to shorten the time to upload and download the files. Compression tools are very useful and very handy with its modern graphical interfaces and drag and drop capabilities. Winzip is one of the most popular compression software. However, it is not free. Hence, we created a list of free Top 5 compression utilities that you can use if paying is not an option for you.

1. 7-Zip

7-Zip is probably the leading free file compression software for Windows with its amazing ability to shrink files on the fly. It has advanced functionalities that include the capacity to produce solid and self-extracting archives as well as to modify password protection and compression level. Albeit it has a minimalistic interface, it is easy to understand and operate. 7-Zip supports 7z, ZIP, CAB, RAR, ARJ, GZIP, BZIP2, Z, TAR, CPIO, RPM, and DEB. For a free software, the performance is close to perfection.

• Our Rating: 
• Download 7-Zip
• Home Page
• Pros: easy to install; excellent performance; provides error messages; functionality to uncompress from several embedded files; great archive utility
• Cons: minimalistic interface
• OS: Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, 98/Me/2000/XP/2003/Server 2008/NT (Supports 32-bit and 64-bit)

2. IZArc

IZArc is one of the best file compression software out there which is compatible with a huge number of archive formats such as ISO, 7-zip, black hole, TAR and many others. It can also convert and save to 12 different formats and has a similar interface with WinZip.

• Our Rating: 
• Download IZArc
• Home Page
• Pros: great interface; flexible functionality and handles a wide array of file compression formats
• Cons: the installer is bundled with “open candy”; a bit slow when opening huge files
• OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista, Windows 7

3. PeaZip

PeaZip is packed with features that are great for the experts while also giving a user friendly interface to novice users with its drag and drop functions. It has a WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) platform that is so easy to navigate. Peazip currently provides three types of installer including a portable one.

• Our Rating: 
• Download PeaZip
• Home Page
• Pros: user-friendly even to novice users while experts can also enjoy its advanced features; supports many file types;
• Cons: one type of installer is bundled with open candy, although a plain installer is also available.
• OS: Windows 7, Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/Server 2008/NT

4. ZipGenius

ZipGenius is another great compression software that provides a lot of functionalities such as being able to add your signature and contact information to any zip file you create. It also offers encryption,  antivirus scanner support, download time calculator, disk spanning and a lot more. It also offers a multi functioning plug-in support and is available in several languages.

• Our Rating: 
• Download ZipGenius
• Home Page
• Pros: multiple options to compress or decompress; fast archiving speed; user frindly and intuitive
• Cons: extract screen is too large; no quick and easy help file in the program;
• OS: Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows 98/Me/2000/2003/Vista/Server 2008/NT

5. Hamster Free Zip Archiver

Hamster compression software has a colorful interface with vividly labeled buttons that will make navigating a breeze. It has a clear guide on how to add files by dragging, dropping or browsing. It has a great functionality to right-click a file and choosing the zip options directly from the context menu.

• Our Rating: 
• Download Hamster Free Zip Archiver
• Home Page
• Pros: attractive interface; simple to operate; unpacking files is quick;
• Cons: cannot zoom in/out number; small range of colors
• OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7

Click to viewWhether you've been sent a simple ZIP archive, you need to create and share your own compressed files, or you're staring down the barrel of some obscure archive format you've never seen before, having the right file compression application in your corner is a must. Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite file compression tool, and over 500 comments later, we're back with the five most popular answers. Read on for a closer look at the five best file compression tools, then get ready to punch the chad for the app you like best. 

7-Zip (Windows/Linux, Free)

7-Zip is a free, open-source file archive utility with a spare interface but powerful feature set. With support for most popular compression formats (and quite a few not-so-popular), this lightweight, open source option does the job quickly and without fuss. While some 7-Zip users complain about its spare interface, others are happy with 7-Zip's no-nonsense approach and fast operation.

IZArc (Windows, Freeware)

IZArc is the compression tool that may take home the prize for most-supported read and write formats for this Hive Five. IZArc is also the only featured archiver apart from PeaZip that distributes a portable version on their web site (though third parties have made other apps portable—like 7-Zip Portable). Users go for IZArc for its attractive interface and its low pricetag. IZArc is freeware, but donations are accepted.

WinRAR (Windows, Shareware)

WinRAR is a powerful file compression and decompression tool that's been around since 1993. As the first result in a Google search for RAR, it's probably the first option most of us stumbled onto when we ran into our first RAR file. That said, WinRAR supports a wide range of formats. It's also one of the few archivers capable of writing RAR archives—though overall it's limited to creating only RARs or ZIPs. WinRAR costs a pretty steep $29 for a license, but several users are happy to suffer through the nag screens to avoid the cost.

PeaZip (Windows and Linux, Free)

PeaZip is a free and open-source archive manager that supports a boatload of formats. Unlike its open-source sister, 7-Zip, PeaZip also has a very attractive interface, from the main application interface down to the desktop icons it uses when you set it as your default compression tool. Like IZArc, it's also available in a portable version—so even if you don't go with it for your default, it's worth tossing on your thumb drive just in case you need a little compression on the road.

The Unarchiver (Mac OS X, Freeware)

The Unarchiver is the built-in default file compression utility for Mac OS X. Unlike Windows, which only supports the ZIP format out-of-the-box, The Unarchiver handles most major formats. The catch: The Unarchiver is a read-only application, so if you're on a Mac and you want to write to more obscure archive types than ZIP, you may need to add an extra tool to your arsenal. Most OS X users, however, are happy to stick with The Unarchiver for all their decompression needs.

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Now that you've seen the best, it's voting time. This week's honorable mentions go out to jZip and ALZip. Whether or not your app of choice made the short list, let's hear more about it in the comments.

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Top Best Windows Secure File Deletion Software

Are you looking for free and effective secure file deletion software to delete your files permanently? We have tried and tested several deletion software and based on our experience and reviews, here are the Top 5 Windows Secure file deletion software that you can use to delete your files permanently.

1. CCleaner

This is one of best file shredders available that thoroughly cleans several places where possible data are still stored. It erases data where you would normally find it difficult to locate and erase on your own. It also erases traces of your online activities and contains a featured-packed registry cleaner that runs really fast and doesn’t contain spyware or adware.

• Our Rating: 
• Download CCleaner
• Home Page
• Pros: portable; erases data that are difficult to locate and delete; runs fast
• Cons: It installs yahoo toolbar by default and there are numerous hoops to go through to access its erasing features.
• OS: All flavors of Windows from Windows 98 to Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit

2. Eraser

Eraser is one of the popular free and secure file deletion soft wares for windows. It is designed to delete files permanently from your disk and allows you to totally eradicate all the sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it multiple times. This software will also prevent any attempt of retrieval with the use of disk maintenance and undelete utility. Eraser also comes with a flexible and customizable scheduler to ensure that your system memory is overwritten from time to time to avoid data thefts.

• Our Rating: 
• Download Eraser
• Home Page
• Pros: Excellent scheduling feature; provides detailed reporting on unerased files/cluster tips; It also works with any drive and has a good technical support forum if you need help; fast and secure
• Cons: the new interface of eraser (version 6) is no longer portable and has some of the features in version 5 removed such as context sensitive option “Eraser Secure Move”
• OS: Windows XP (with Service Pack 3), Windows Server 2003 (with Service Pack 2), Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008

3. Darik’s Boot and Nuke (DBAN)

Darik’s Boot and Nuke is a boot disk that that securely deletes any contents of any hard disk. It is ideal for bulk or emergency data destruction as it can automatically wipe away the contents of any detected hard disk without a trace. This is the ultimate shredder.

• Our Rating: 
• Download DBAN
• Home Page
• Pros: ideal for bulk or emergency destruction and preventing identity theft especially when recycling computers;
• Cons : Not ideal for beginners as it is a sensitive and powerful file shredder that once used, there is no way to restore date.
• OS: All flavors of Windows including Windows 7, Mac, and Linux

4. File Shredder

This is also a reliable source of secure file deletion that will completely erase files from your hard drive. It has a user-friendly interface that even the most novice will understand. It has the functionality to let you browse and choose which files you want deleted. You can also choose 5 options for shredding algorithms and it performs its tasks very quickly.

• Our Rating: 
• Download File Shredder
• Home Page
• Pros: user-friendly and simple interface with low-level security risks; ensures sufficient shredding of files with secure DOD.
• Cons: there are some files that could not be removed; does not have a lot of good features
• OS: Windows 7/2000/2003/2008/9x/Home Server/Vista/XP (both 32 and 64 bit)

5. Prevent Restore

Prevent restore comes with a wizard that will make installation a breeze. It also ensures permanent deletion of files that can no longer be restored unless the space marked by windows is not overwritten.

• Our Rating: 
• Download Prevent Restore
• Home Page
• Pros: Allows for permanent deletion by overwriting all the free space available in the hard disk, hence making files irretrievable.
• Cons: It is quite complicated for novices as there is no help feature included in the program and no help forums can be found in the main site. It also takes a while to run and complete the tasks.
• OS: All flavors of Windows including Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista

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Top 5 Best Free Alarm Clock Software for Windows

If you are a busy person and wanted a convenient way of being reminded of an appointment or to basically just wake you up from your sleep, the alarm clock software for Windows is your best solution. With  the plethora of available alarm clocks on the internet, we have reviewed some and come up with a list of FREE Top 7 alarm clock software for Windows that you can immediately download and use to your purpose.

1. Alarm Clock

It’s a straightforward and simple program that will provide you with a total of eight alarms for each day of the week and an additional one-time alarm that can be used at any time. You can choose an MP3 or WAV file for the alarm sound; otherwise it will default to the old-school bell option. If you need a solid and simple alarm clock program then this is the perfect one for you.

• Our Rating: 
• Download Alarm Clock
• Home Page
• Pros: no fuss alarm and does its job as expected; easy to set and reliable
• Cons: it is a basic program and might not be ideal for people looking for more fancy and advanced options or features
• OS: Windows Me, Windows 98, Windows 95, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows XP (32-bit and 64-bit)

2. Free Desktop Clock

The Free Desktop clock offers more attractive interface and customizable clock settings to perform several functions such as using a transparent background, load at start up, use 12-hour format, among other things. It has a variety of skins to choose from to spice up the look and feel of your alarm clock.

• Our Rating: 
• Download Free Desktop Clock
• Home Page
• Pros: attractive with many skins and styles to choose from; easy to set up and very useful
• Cons: tries to install toolbars without permission
• OS: Windows 7, Windows 2003, Windows 2000, Windows Vista, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows Server 2008

3. Cool timer

Cool timer live up to its hype as one of the coolest alarm clocks with a free 99-hour timer with countdown and stopwatch functions. It plays MP3, WAV and MIDI sound file as an alarm and also provides a scrolling message to display your purpose of setting the timer. It is a simple and straightforward tool with a cool and customizable interface that is very handy and reliable.

• Our Rating: 
• Download Cool timer
• Home Page
• Pros: fully searchable help file for guidance; flexible options and features; offers countdown and stopwatch functions;
• Cons: tries to install Bing toolbar without permission; limited color schemes available
• OS: Windows 7, Windows Me, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Vista, Windows NT, Windows XP

4. Free Alarm Clock

Free Alarm Clock has a user-friendly interface that is simple and yet attractive; It has great alarm functions to loop, snooze, turn on the monitor and wake up the computer from sleep mode. Alarm sounds can also be customized with user’s own audio files as well as built-in options of 11 sounds. It also provides an online help file to explain its features, albeit the whole program is very easy to understand and operate without using a manual.

• Our Rating: 
• Download Free Alarm Clock
• Home Page
• Pros: able to backup and restore alarms; simple and user-friendly interface; built-in alarm sounds
• Cons: very simplistic in approach and might not be ideal for users who needed more advanced features
• OS: Windows 7, Windows 2003, Windows 2000, Windows Vista, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows Server 2008

5. Multilingual Speaking Clock

If you want a clock that announces the time in different languages then you should go for multilingual speaking clock. This simple and straightforward program will effectively remind you of the time in your own native language. It is a simple digital clock with black numbers on a gray background. The alarm setting is so simple and easy to set up. This is the best way for anyone seeking out a free speaking clock that reminds you what time is it.

• Our Rating: 
• Download Multilingual Speaking Clock
• Home Page
• Pros: the alarm is loud and clear; gives 2 voices to choose from; allows you to keep track of time when you are engrossed in your work; can download other languages on the main website.
• Cons: no visual alternative for time alarm; some languages are not supported
• OS: Windows 2003, Windows Me, Windows 98, Windows 95, Windows 2000, Windows Vista, Windows NT, Windows XP

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Free Online HTML Editors

A long time back, I had came up with an article showcasing online CSS editors that don’t cost you a penny using it. It was hugely appreciated by our readers and they told me to come up with such other useful resources in the future. And you visit our site regularly, you must have noticed that we have been regularly come up with the articles that are pretty useful for the users.

Yesterday, I was doing HTML coding of my new website and suddenly my HTML coding software crashed (I don’t want to name that software here).  At that time, I was pretty frustrated because I lose all my concentration. I started to find other software for writing HTML codes and ended up with something more useful – Online HTML Editors.

I like the concept of online HTML editors because first of all these are totally free to use and it will be available on any computer with internet connection. These editors also come handy because sometimes you need to write some HTML codes and you are not working on your machine or your favorite HTML editor crashed just like it happens with me.

So, this article will bring you 10+ online HTML editors that will save your time and allow you to write html on the go without relying on any software.

Thimble

An online code editor made by Mozilla that can easily create, publish web pages and also can make you learn HTML, CSS and JavaScript with it.

Online – HTML – Editor : Simply does what it says, a simple HTML editor that produces HTML content online in a simple way and its free to use.

WYSIWYG HTML Editor : Want better looking auctions? Can’t get the eBay editor to work? Don’t want to use complicated webpage authoring tools to create code that won’t work on eBay? Don’t feel comfortable doing all your editing on the listing page? Spice up your auctions with a tool that creates eBay-compliant code.

HTML Editor : MS Word like Free Online WYSIWYG HTML Editor. Its really very useful editor because it allows you to work in 2 modes – preview and source. Work with your appearance in preview mode and editor will automatically write HTML in source mode.

HTML Instant : An HTML editor that has own Google chrome extension. This editor allows you to check changes in real time and had buttons of basic HTML tags.

Ajax.org Cloud9 Editor : Ace is a standalone code editor written in JavaScript. It can be easily embedded in any web page and JavaScript application. Ace is developed as the primary editor for Cloud9 IDE and the successor of the Mozilla Skywriter (Bespin) Project.

Tiny MCE : One of the favorite online HTML editor for developers and designers. A full-fledged editor that is used by millions and millions of people all around the world.

Amy Editor : A very simple online editor that supports HTML, Ruby, Python, Texy!, PHP, etc.

Online HTML Editor : Here you can write and see HTML in action.

Real-Time HTML Editor : Let’s face it, website editing can be a real pain. Constantly having to switch between your website making software and your browser window takes up valuable time, which, let’s face it, could be better spent doing better things, like actually coding your website. Well that’s where the real-time HTML Editor comes in. The real-time HTML Editor solves this annoying problem by allowing you to see the edits you make immediately. Exactly as they would appear in a normal browser window.

Quackit Online HTML Editor : Use this online HTML editor to create HTML snippets or even whole HTML pages for your website, MySpace page, etc.

Edit the form as much as you like. When you’re ready to see the code, simply click the “Source” button (at the top left of the editor).

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Undocopy.Blogspot.Com: Top 15 Smartphones Launched in 2015: OnePlus, Sam...

Undocopy.Blogspot.Com: Top 15 Smartphones Launched in 2015: OnePlus, Sam...: August 2015 remained an eventful month for smartphone enthusiasts in the country, with several anticipated phones across all price s...

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Top 30 Most Interactive Tech Blogs

Overview.

Discover the findings of our report / analysis.

The object of this study was to examine contents of blogs chosen from Tech Blogs list - powered by Technorati.com (20th of October). We examined 5128 blog posts created from 14th to 20th October 2013. They were commented (on-site) 107241 times. On average, users created 21 comments per article. At the same time people shared those articles with their friends/followers/subscribers from Facebook and Twitter- 415 266 and 895 462 times respectively.

We created 14 categories to measure interactivity: average onsite comments per post, total onsite comments, total Facebook likes, total Facebook shares, total Facebook comments, average Facebook likes per post, average Facebook shares per post, average Facebook comments per post, average Facebook interactions (total) per post, total Twitter shares, average Twitter shares per post, total Twitter + Facebook interactions , average Twitter + FB interactions per post.

The blogs that appear most frequently in the top 5 for the mentioned categories are: Theverge.com (13 times), Gizmodo.com (12), Mashable.com (12) and Businessinsider.com (11). Mashable.com always takes either first or second place, whenever it shows up in one of categories.

In the analyzed period Mashable.com generated the highest number of interactions (more than blogs number 2 and 3 combined). Businessinsider.com was the most engaging blog on Facebook, where it generated nearly 120k FB comments. It would be more than all other chosen blogs altogether, if it wasn’t for Mashable.com, which generated more than 95k comments.

The Verge and Gizmodo lead the way in terms of number of regular/onsite comments with well over 20 000 total comments each.

BusinessInsider.com was the most active blog, generating almost as many posts as blogs number 2-5 combined.

Macrumors.com was the most onsite-engaging blog with an average of 149 comments per article .

Mashable and BusinessInsider generated the majority of Facebook Likes during our analysis. Both generated about 250k fb likes. It is especially impressive for Mashable which generated more Facebok likes than BusinessInsider while generating 3 times fewer posts.

When it comes to Facebook shares, Mashable.com is the victorious blog with nearly 150k shares. Mashable.com owes its victory in this category to its high number of average Facebook Shares per article (407 comments per post).

Twitter users mostly shared articles from Mashable.com and Gizmodo.com, which generated altogether over 450k shares. In comparison, all other blogs combined generated around 440k shares.

Full results.

View the full results for our Tech Blogs interactivity analysis.

Winners.

Winners of the Most Interactive Tech Blogs Awards.

Mashable.com Mashable is a leading source for news, information & resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world. Mashable's 22 million monthly unique visitors and 13 million social media followers have become one of the most engaged digital networks in the world. 852 149 total interactions 363 blog posts 2343 average social media interactions per post 340 757 total Twitter shares 147 696 total Facebook shares

TheVerge.com The Verge was founded in 2011 in partnership with Vox Media, and covers the intersection of technology, science, art, and culture. Its mission is to offer in-depth reporting and long-form feature stories, breaking news coverage, product information, and community content in a unified and cohesive manner. The site is powered by Vox Media's Chorus platform, a modern media stack built for web-native news in the 21st century. 203 304 total interactions 279 blog posts 21 841 total on-site comments 70 803 total Twitter shares 33 101 total Facebook shares

BusinessInsider.com Business Insider is a fast-growing business site with deep financial, media, tech, and other industry verticals. The flagship vertical, Silicon Alley Insider, launched on July 19, 2007, led by DoubleClick founders Dwight Merriman and Kevin  Ryan and former top-ranked Wall Street analyst Henry Blodget. 602 705 total interactions 1153 blog posts 20 992 total on-site comments 98 867 total Twitter shares 125 120 total Facebook shares

Macrumors.com MacRumors.com is a website focused on Apple news and rumors. MacRumors attracts a broad audience of both consumers and professionals interested in the latest technologies and products. The site also boasts an active community focused on purchasing decisions and technical aspects of the iPhone, iPod and Macintosh platforms. 27 161 total interactions 42 blog posts 6237 total on-site comments 7404 total Twitter shares 1822 total Facebook shares

About the analysis.

The object of this analysis was to examine contents of blogs chosen from Top Tech Blogs list (powered by Technorati.com / 20th of October). We examined 5128 blog posts created from 14th to 20th October 2013. They were commented (on-site) 107241 times. On average users created 21 comments per article. At the same time people shared those articles with their friends from Facebook and Twitter 415 266 and 895 462 times accordingly. 

We analysed 2 476 124 interactions related to Top 30 Tech Blogs (according to Technorati.com / 20th of October 2013). The analysis was created using data collected by Brand24 social media monitoring and analytics tool.                             

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Everything You Need to Know About Your Salary Slip

Every month, your finance department will send you a salary slip once the salary gets paid out.
For most people, the importance of salary slip is only when they apply for a loan or a new credit card. Otherwise, the confusing terms and figures seem like a puzzle you don’t want to solve.
But here’s why you might want to understand your salary slip better.

• Choose smartly from competing offers when you are looking to switch jobs
• Optimize tax liability by making full use of the deductions available
• Understand what percentage of your salary is forced savings (EPF, ESI etc.)

The income part of your salary slip

#1: Basic Salary
It’s the most important component of your salary and generally comprises 35-50 % of your total salary. Most of the other components are structured around it.

Tax Implications: 100% taxable
Adds to in-hand? Yes

# 2. House Rent Allowance:

It’s an allowance to pay your house rent. Normally, HRA is 40-50 % of the basic, based on your location (metro or non-metro).
Tax Implications: You get tax exemption based on whichever of the following is lower

• 40% of your basic pay
• Actual rent minus 10 % of basic
• HRA component specified on your salary slip

Adds to in-hand? Generally Yes

# 3. Conveyance Allowance:

It’s paid by the company towards cost of travel from home to work and back and is exempt from Income tax.

Tax Implications: Rs 1600 per month or the conveyance allowance component in your salary slip, whichever is lower, is exempted from tax.

Adds to in-hand? Yes, depending on how much you actually spend.

# 4. Leave Travel Allowance:

It’s given by employers to cover the cost of employee travel while on leave. It includes travel expenses of your immediate family members as well.

Tax Implications: Proof of journey required to avail deduction subject to certain limits. Any expenses incurred during the trip apart from travel does not count towards your LTA tax exemption. The exemption is also applicable only for 2 journeys undertaken in a block of 4 calendar years.

Adds to in-hand? No.

# 5. Medical Allowance:
It is given by employers to cover any medical expenses incurred during the period of employment. It is also generally a reimbursed expense and thus subject to providing proof of expense.

Tax Implications: The allowance is exempt up to 15,000 per annum subject to proof of expenses such as medical bills.

Adds to in-hand? Yes. If you fail to provide the proof, you still receive the amount, but will be fully taxed.

# 6.  Performance Bonus and Special Allowance:
It is given to reward or encourage employee performance and varies with performance or company guidelines.

Tax Implication: 100% Taxable

Adds to in-hand? Yes. It can be variable and therefore, difficult to assess as part of your in-hand.

Other Allowances: There are quite a few other kinds of allowances based on the industry or the company. Most such allowances are fully taxable. They might or might not add to your in-hand salary based on the conditions they are subject to.
Make sure you talk to the HR and get a clear understanding of the in-hand and tax implications of your salary components.

The deduction part of your salary slip

# 1. Provident Fund:
PF is typically 12% of your basic salary which is put into a government controlled body, Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation. Your contribution is typically matched by the company subject to certain maximum amount, defined as per the company policy.  You can also choose to opt out from the PF scheme.

How to lower this deduction? You can choose to opt out of the PF scheme. In case you opt out, make sure you invest it regularly in better investment options like equity mutual funds that gives you a higher return. If you are unsure of investing the money, it’s best to stay invested in PF.

# 2. Professional Tax:
This is payable only in the following states-Karnataka, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Gujarat, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Orissa, Tripura, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. It normally amounts to just a few hundred rupees each month and is subject to your gross tax slab.
This amount is deducted from your taxable income.

How to lower this deduction? This deduction cannot be lowered.

# 3. Tax deductible at source:
This amount, which is decided based on your overall tax slab, is deducted on behalf of the income-tax department by your employer.

How to lower this deduction? You can reduce this burden by investing in tax savings instruments under Section 80 C or other sections under the IT act.

Things to keep in mind when comparing salary slips in offers:

# 1. Your basic salary is critical as most of your allowances will be based on that figure.
# 2. Look for special allowances and check whether they are performance or event based.

#3. Do not focus only on the in-hand salary. Look at the other benefits the company provides (health insurance, accident insurance, free food, bus transport, better career growth) which might outmatch a higher in-hand salary offer from some other company

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Top 10 Mobile Phones Released in August 2015: Devices You Can Buy - OnePlus 2, Meizu M2 Note, Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime, Galaxy A8 and More

India has become a hot target for mobile phone companies owing to growth potential and over a dozen devices were launched in August. Several handsets including OnePlus 2, Meizu M2 Note, Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime, Galaxy A8 and Gionee Marathon M4 have hit the stores.
Devices like Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe, Asus Zenfone Laser, Asus Zenfone Selfie, Sony Xperia C5 Ultra and Xperia M5 were also unveiled in August, but they haven't been released in the market till the time of filing this story.
Here are top 10 mobile phones released in India in the month of August:

1) OnePlus 2

Current Price: Rs 22,999 for 16 GB, Rs 24,999 for 64 GB
Display: 5.5-inch full HD LCD screen with 920x1080 pixels (401 ppi pixel density)

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 series
Operating System: Android 5.1 Lollipop
Storage: 16 GB internal memory and 3 GB RAM, and 32 GB and 4 GB RAM (no microSD card slot)
Camera: 13 MP main camera, 5 MP front snapper
Battery: 3,300 mAh

2) Meizu M2 Note

Current Price: Rs 9,999
Display: 5.5-inch full HD IGZO capacitive touchscreen with 1080 x 1920 pixels (403 ppi pixel density)
Processor: Mediatek MT6753
Operating System: Flyme 4.5 based on Android 5.0 Lollipop
Storage: 16/32 GB internal memory, expandable up to 128 GB, 3 GB RAM
Camera: 13 MP rear camera, 5 MP front snapper
Battery: 3,100 mAh

3) Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime

Current Price: Rs 6,999
Display: 4.7-inch HD IPS touchscreen with 1280 x 720p (312 ppi pixel density)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
Operating System: Android with MIUI 6
Storage: 16 GB internal memory, expandable up to 32 GB, 2 GB RAM
Camera: 8 MP main camera, 2 MP front snapper
Battery: 2,200 mAh

4) Samsung Galaxy A8

Current Price: Rs 32,500
Display: 5.7-inch full HD Super AMOLED display with 1920x1080p (386 ppi pixels density)
Processor: Exynos 5430
Operating System: Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
Storage: 32GB internal memory, expandable up to 128 GB, 2 GB RAM
Camera: 16 MP rear camera, 5 MP front snapper
Battery: 3,050 mAh

5) Gionee Marathon M4

Current Price: Rs 15,000
Display: 5.0-inch HD super AMOLED display with 1280x720p (294 ppi Pixel density)
Processor: Cortex-A7
Operating System: Android 5.0 Lollipop with Amigo v3.0 UI
Storage: 16GB internal memory, expandable up to 32 GB, 2 GB RAM
Camera: 8 MP main camera, 5 MP front snapper
Battery: 5,000 mAh

6) Panasonic Eluga Icon

Current Price: Rs 10,999
Display: 5.5-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with 720 x 1280 pixels (267 ppi pixel density)
Processor: MediaTek TRU
Operating System: Android 4.4 KitKat
Storage: 16 GB internal memory, expandable up to 32 GB, 2 GB RAM
Camera: 13 MP rear camera, 8 MP front camera
Battery: 3,500 mAh

7) BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9983 Graphite

Current Price: Rs 99,990
Display: 3.1-inch screen with 720x720p (330 ppi pixel density)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 (MSM8960)
Operating System: BlackBerry 10 OS
Storage: 64 GB internal camera, expandable up to 128 GB, 2 GB RAM
Camera: 8 MP main camera, 2 MP front camera
Battery: 2,100mAh

8) Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime

Current Price: Rs 11,100
Display: 5-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen with 540 x 960 pixels (220 ppi pixel density)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
Operating System: Android 4.4.4 KitKat
Storage: 8 GB internal memory expandable up to 64 GB, 1 GB RAM
Camera: 8 MP main camera, 5 MP secondary snapper
Battery: 2,600 mAh

9) Lenovo A2010

Current Price: RS 4,990
Display: 4.5-inch FWVGA TFT capacitive touchscreen with 480 x 854 pixels (218 ppi pixel density)
Processor: MediaTek MT6735M
Operating System: Android 5.1 Lollipop
Storage: 8 GB internal memory, expandable up to 32 GB, 1 GB RAM
Camera: 5 MP main camera, 2 MP front snapper
Battery: 2,000 mAh

10) Lava Iris X1 Selfie

Current Price: Rs 6,777
Display: 4.5-inch touchscreen with 854x480 pixels
Processor: MediaTek MT6580
Operating System: Android 5.1 Lollipop
Storage: 8 GB internal memory, expandable up to 32 GB, 1 GB RAM
Camera: 8 MP main camera, 5 MP front camera

Battery: 2,000 mAh

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Best free backup software: 11 programs recommend

Protect your files from disaster, entirely free of charge, with these backup programs

From viruses and software bugs, to hardware failure or human error, there are many potential dangers waiting to trash your files.

And if the worst happens - you lose personal photos, your music library, important business documents - then that could be a real disaster. Which is why it's a very good idea to back up your PC on a regular basis.

This is never going to be fun, of course, but with the right software it'll be easier than you think. And you may not have to spend anything, either, because there are some great free backup and disk cloning tools around.

Whether you want to copy the contents of your Documents folder somewhere, clone one drive to another, or create a backup image of your entire system, we've found plenty of programs that can help.

So what's the best free backup and disk cloning software? Read on for our recommendations.

1. AOMEI Backupper

If you like your backup programs to be simple than AOMEI Backupper's straightforward interface will appeal immediately. Choose the drive or partition to back up, the destination drive, and a click later Backupper will be creating an image for you.

The program has plenty of power, though, if you need it. There are options to encrypt or compress your backups. You can create incremental or differential backups for extra speed. You're able to restore individual files and folders, or the entire image, and there are even disk and partition cloning tools.

What you can't do, unfortunately, is schedule backups - they must be run manually. But otherwise AOMEI Backupper is an excellent tool, packed with features yet also easy to use.

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2. EaseUS Todo Backup Free

Just like most free (for personal use) editions of commercial products, EaseUS Todo Backup Free has a few limitations - but the package still has more than enough features for most people.

The program can run both image and file-based backups, for instance, manually or on a schedule. You're able to run full or incremental backups.

An option to limit write speed reduces the impact backups have on your system performance. It's possible to individual files or folders, or an entire image via the program's recovery disc. And there are tools to clone and wipe drives, too.

On the negative side, you don't get encryption, there's no differential backup, and you only get a Linux-based disc (not Windows PE). But EaseUS Todo Backup Free still looks like a great program to us.

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3. Redo Backup and Recovery

Redo Backup and Recovery is an imaging backup tool with a difference. Instead of installing a program, you download a large (249MB) ISO file, and burn it to CD or USB key drive. Then just boot from it to launch a simple tool which can back up your drives, and restore them later (even if Windows won't start).

There's also an undelete tool, and even a web browser if you need to look for help on your PC problems.

The program isn't exactly convenient, then. You can't schedule backups, they all have to be run manually, and there are very few options.

But it's also easy to use and free for everyone, so if you only want to run backups occasionally - or want a system you can use on any PC, without installing software - then it might be worth a look.

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4. Cobian Backup

Cobian Backup is an excellent file backup tool with lots of features. You get full, differential and incremental backups, for instance; zip or 7zip compression; AES 256-bit encryption; include and exclude filters; a strong scheduler, backup to or from FTP servers, and the list goes on. Every aspect of the program is extremely configurable, too (there are more than 100 settings you can tweak).

PC or backup novices are likely to find this a little overwhelming. If you're more experienced, though, you'll love the amount of control Cobian Backup gives you over every aspect of the backup process.

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5. Macrium Reflect Free

One of the most popular free (for home use) disk imaging programs around, Macrium Reflect Free delivers a solid, if basic feature set via an easy-to-use interface.

The program doesn't have incremental or differential backups. And you don't get encryption or password protection. This does make creating a backup job very easy, though (choose the source drive, the destination, maybe set the compression level and you're done).

There's a capable scheduler; you can mount images in Windows Explorer, or restore them entirely with both Linux and Windows PE-based recovery discs. And overall Macrium Reflect Free is a great choice for anyone who wants a simple but reliable image backup tool.

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6. DriveImage XML

Free for personal use, DriveImage XML is a lightweight alternative to the more bulky imaging competition. Backup is as easy as choosing a source drive, a destination, and (optionally) setting your compression level.

Restoration is just as simple, and the only significant extra is an option to copy directly from one drive to another.

There are some complications elsewhere. Click "Task Scheduler", for instance, and you'll get instructions on how to manually set up Windows Task Scheduler to run your backups. But if you need just a basic drive imaging tool then give DriveImage XML a try.

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7. FBackup

FBackup is a capable file backup tool, free for both personal and commercial use. The interface is simple and straightforward, and there are a number of features you don't always see elsewhere.

Plug-ins allow you to back up individual programs with a click; there's support for include and exclude filters; and you can run "mirror" backups, which just copy everything without zipping it up (which makes restoring files very easy).

Compression isn't so good, though (it's the weak Zip2), and the scheduler is also more basic than you'll see elsewhere. But if your needs are simple (or you're tired of "free for personal use" tools) then FBackup should appeal.

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8. Backup Maker

At first the free-for-personal-use BackupMaker seems like any other file backup tool, with incremental or full backups available, scheduling, compression, encryption, include and exclude filters, and so on.

But interesting extras include support for online backups to FTP servers, and running backups automatically when a USB device is connected.

The program stores data in Zip files, too, making them very convenient to access. And Backup Maker comes in a tiny 6.5MB download, far more manageable than some of the bulky competition.

If you're a home user looking for capable file backup then Backup Maker could be ideal.

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9. Clonezilla

Just like Redo Backup and Recovery, Clonezilla isn't a program you install: it's a bootable environment which you can launch from a CD or USB flash drive.

And it's seriously powerful, to you're able to create an image of a drive; restore an image (to one drive, or many at the same time); or clone a drive (copy one drive to another), with plenty of low-level control over how this works.

While Redo Backup and Recovery focuses on ease of use, though, Clonezilla is more about providing advanced options, like "run unattended Clonezilla via PXE booting". It's not complicated - it's probably the best free disk cloning software around - but the program is aimed at experienced users, and backup beginners should look elsewhere.

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10. Paragon Backup & Recovery 2013 Free

Another free (for personal use) version of a commercial drive imaging product, Paragon Backup & Recovery 2013 Free is a good tool with some restrictions.

There's strong support for the basics: you can create image backups (full or differential), compress and encrypt them, use exclude filters to help define what's included, run backups on a schedule, then restore specific files and folders or the entire image.

Extras include the "capsule", a separate partition to help keep your backups safe. And a good set of basic partition tools is included, too.

Problems? You don't get incremental backup; you can't clone disks or partitions, and the interface occasionally feels a little complex. Still, Paragon Backup & Recovery 2013 Free is a quality tool, and well worth your attention.

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11. Duplicati

If you need online file backups then Duplicati is one of the most versatile tools around, with support for saving files to SkyDrive, Google Docs, FTP servers, Amazon S3, Rackspace Cloudfiles and WEBDAV-based storage.

The program can also save to local and network drives, though, and includes plenty of useful options (AES-256 encryption, password protection, a capable scheduler, full and incremental backups, regular expression support for the include/ exclude filters, even upload and download speed limits to reduce any impact on your system).

So whether you're saving files to the web, or locally, there's something for you here.

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