The fall months may be the season for colder weather and dying leaves, but in the software world it means major updates for security suites. We've reviewed and benchmarked 11 suites, organized them along the traditional line of cost, and picked one in each category that we highly recommend.

We looked at four updated free security options: AVG Anti-Virus Free 2011, Panda Cloud Antivirus 1.3, Microsoft Security Essentials 2, and Ad-Aware Free Internet Security 9. Other well-known free security programs, such as Avast and Avira, generally update in late winter or spring, so they were not included.

AVG made some big improvements this year, notably in tightening up its installation and scans, comparing well with the lightweight Panda Cloud Antivirus' small performance hit. If you're looking for a newly updated free suite, though, AVG Anti-Virus Free 2011 is your best choice.

Seven pay-for-play security suites also updated and were reviewed, including well-known powerhouses like Norton and Kaspersky, but also Trend Micro, BitDefender, Webroot, PC Tools, and AVG Internet Security 2011, the paid upgrade from AVG's free version.

Old haters of Norton are seriously missing out if they haven't given it a shot in the past few years. It's fast, effective, posts minimal system performance hits, and is our choice for top paid security suite of the season. It's not the only game in town, though, as Trend Micro has revamped to offer serious competition, and what Kaspersky lacks in quickness it makes up for in efficacy.

In addition to our product comparison charts (free | paid), check out CNET Labs' performance benchmark comparisons below. (Read more on how CNET Labs tests security programs.)

We can see from these tests that though no single program scored better than all the others, there were clear leaders in the key trials of start-up time impact, shutdown time impact, and time to complete a full scan. Panda Cloud Antivirus is highly competitive with AVG Free, whereas Norton's performance strengths lie in its threat prevention and detection, because several of its competitors leave a smaller footprint on your system.

Free security suite benchmarks:

Security program	Boot time	Shutdown time	Scan time	MS Office performance	iTunes decoding	Media multitasking	Cinebench
Unprotected system	42.5	11.28	n/a	917	180	780	4,795
AVG Anti-Virus Free 2011	55.24	11.59	548	1,039	200	870	4,709
Panda Cloud Antivirus Free 1.3	50.12	14.8	540	1,044	199	832	4,790
Microsoft Security Essentials 2	54	18	1,560	1,038	201	800	4,790
Ad-Aware Internet Security 9	54	18	1,620	1,039	199	797	4,792

*All tests measured in seconds, except for Cinebench. On the Cinebench test, the higher number is better.

Paid security suite benchmarks:

Security program	Boot time	Shutdown time	Scan time	MS Office performance	iTunes decoding	Media multitasking	Cinebench
Unprotected system	42.5	11.28	n/a	917	180	780	4,795
Kaspersky Internet Security 2011	47.49	17	1,750	1,068	207	823	4,661
Webroot Internet Security Complete 2011	47.86	15.97	1,459	992	198	848	4,729
BitDefender Total Security 2011	47.84	13.82	775	1,032	200	825	4,769
Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2011	44.79	16.56	500	1,060	201	852	4,765
Norton Internet Security 2011	48.91	11.78	890	1,028	199	861	4,780
AVG Internet Security 2011	56.21	16.3	480	1,043	198	820	4,759
PC Tools Internet Security 2011	55	20	1,245	1,086	204	832	4,792

*All tests measured in seconds, except for Cinebench. On the Cinebench test, the higher number is better.

Navfree USA for iPhone offers turn-by-turn navigation, voice guidance, integrated Google search, and map updates for life--all for free.

How is that possible, especially when competing apps from the likes of CoPilot, Navigon, and TomTom sell for upward of $50?

The key lies in OpenStreetMap, Navfree's user-built, open-source mapping system. Because OSM map data is free to use, developer Geolife is able to offer the app free of charge (though in-app upgrades will arrive in 2011, and they'll cost you).

As you might expect, this is Navfree's blessing and its curse. The map data is only as complete and reliable as the users who supply it--meaning you might discover missing and/or inaccurate maps.

I took Navfree for a test-drive today, and the results were mixed. For starters, the app's POI database didn't seem to work at all. Although it showed lots of categories, each one was empty--and searches turned up nothing.

Address searches were slow and frequently incorrect. Very often the app couldn't find a house number, even one that's been around for decades. It didn't even list my city. And I found no way to pick an address from my own address book.

Problems like those suggest a pretty useless navigation app, but Navfree did do a respectable job navigating me to a nearby car dealership--after I looked it up using the built-in Google search.

What's more, Navfree looks pretty, runs smoothly while navigating, and keeps its interface simple. The voice prompts worked well, even if they did lack street names.

Ultimately, I'd say Navfree has potential--but for now I wouldn't rely on it for any important navigation. The latest versions of Magellan and MobileNavigator are downright stellar, and worth paying for. That said, maybe Navfree will help drive their prices down a bit.

Originally posted at iPhone Atlas

As someone who writes daily for iPhone Atlas, I look at a lot of apps. A lot of apps. I don't think a day goes by that I don't install a new one, if not two or three.

Needless to say, favorites emerge. Which apps made the cut this year? Though it was nearly impossible to whittle them down to just five, in the interests of brevity, I've done just that.

I'm not saying these are the best apps of the year; indeed, some date back to before 2010. They're simply the ones I use over and over, the ones I can't live without, and the ones that still manage to make my jaw hang open.

1. Bluefire Reader My new favorite e-book reader is my new favorite for one simple reason: it lets you read books checked out from your "local" library--free of charge. As someone who continues to believe e-books are grossly overpriced, I'm elated to have this option.
   
2. Find My iPhone Apple did the right thing this year, liberating this indispensable app from MobileMe and making it free. Use it to track, recover, or even remotely wipe your lost or stolen precious.
   
3. Google Mobile Three words: voice-powered search. I run the app, hold my iPhone to my ear, and speak my search terms. The recognition and resulting search are remarkably fast and accurate; I'm still blown away every time. At the risk of gushing, this tool is just plain magical.
4. Netflix  It took forever to get here, but the Netflix app was worth the wait. With it you can browse, search, and stream the service's entire Watch Instantly library. "Arrested Development" on demand. "The Big Lebowski" on demand. Is it wrong to want to marry an app?
   
5. Word Lens Though barely a week old, and not something I'll use very often, Word Lens ranks as a favorite because it's the most amazing app I've seen this year. Point your iPhone's camera at a foreign-language sign, menu, book, or whatever, and Word Lens instantly overlays an English translation. I feel like we just got a lot closer to the future.

So what do you think? Good picks? Lame ones? Whatever your thoughts, head to the comments and list your five favorite apps of 2010. But keep it to five! It's tougher than you think.

Originally posted at iPhone Atlas

Ready for one last sweet freebie before the year runs out? It might be something you already have (especially if you're a regular Cheapskate reader), but I can't not write about it.

From now until Dec. 27, iSkysoft's iMedia Converter (Win) is available free of charge, no strings attached. It normally sells for $49.

Update: To get the software, you must have a Facebook account.

The program offers two core functions. First, it rips DVDs (even protected ones) to just about any format: iPod, iPhone, Zune, etc. It can also rip just the audio from, say, a concert DVD.

Second, iMedia Converter can convert videos from one format to another--great for downloaded stuff that won't play properly on your PC or mobile device. The software even lets you perform rudimentary video edits like trimming and cropping.

In other words, it's a pretty robust utility; you can review the full roster of features here. The only hitch is that you don't get tech support or upgrades.

iMedia Converter works with Windows XP and later. To get it, just click the Free Download link. Then click Get Keycode and follow the instructions. My registration code arrived via e-mail within one minute.

One final note: If you were smart enough, charitable enough, and just plain awesome enough to buy the Windows Holiday Bundle I mentioned the other day (it's still available, hint-hint), the iSkysoft utility is a bit redundant--you've already got WinX DVD Ripper Platinum and Wondershare Video Converter Platinum. Still, gotta love a freebie.

Bonus deal: Speaking of freebies, you can score a $5 Amazon Video on Demand credit if you're willing to send one quick tweet. Seems like a fair trade to me! The credit can be used to buy or rent TV shows or movies.

Originally posted at The Cheapskate