Stepping away from your PC? Don't let it stop working for you--or for a lofty purpose. These eight freebies do everything from backup to scientific research, all while you're not looking.

Installing new software on a personal computer can be a time-consuming and tedious process that's nowhere near as fast and effortless as downloading an app for a smartphone. Now there's a better ...

Cloud-based services such as SugarSync and Dropbox automatically sync your PC and iPad downloads; many offer file storage as well.

Many programs, including Microsoft products and most browsers, use the default Downloads folder on your computer. This folder is accessible via Windows Explorer by clicking the top "Downloads ...