The fastest, simplest, and most search-savvy browser around is Google's own Chrome browser. At this point, the browser has incorporated most of the features one needs from a browser, has added some nifty new stuff, like built-in browser preferences and bookmark syncing, and has an extension library that's covering a lot of ground.

It's one of the cheapest ways to call somebody overseas and, amazingly, it's still free if you both use your computers. At some point, someone will ask to call you on Skype. It doesn't hurt to have it available.

Dropbox is the service that frees you from having to remember to unplug your USB drive from every computer you use it on.

The Swiss army knife of media players, It plays nearly any kind of media file you can find on the internet

This free download integrates tightly into your Windows system, but not in the annoying icons-everywhere, constant-nagging fashion of the big commercial providers. It also doesn't drag down performance, is quickly and automatically updated, and, best of all, is just quietly working.

The Secunia PSI is a FREE security tool designed to detect vulnerable and out-dated programs, plug-ins which expose your PC to attacks. Attacks exploiting vulnerable programs and plug-ins are rarely blocked by traditional anti-virus and are therefore increasingly "popular" among criminals.