Windows only: Free application Gbridge sets up a virtual private network between any computer over the internet using your Google account as a starting point. Once set up, Gbridge allows you to share files, connect to and remotely control a computer using VNC, sync folders, and back up files to another computer. If you've got Google Talk/Gmail chat friends using Gbridge, the app provides the same functionality between your computer and theirs. It all sounds a little convoluted, but in effect it's actually a relatively painless way for anyone to setup up a VPN between computers, and assuming you've already got a Google account, it doesn't require you to sign up for anything else. The application could be a bit more intuitive in practice, but in terms of what it accomplishes, it's a winner. Gbridge is freeware, Windows only. Despite the name, it's not associated with Google.

Mac OS X Leopard only: Our favourite free virtual private network client for the Mac, HamachiX, has been updated (finally!) to work with Leopard. HamachiX is a graphical front end to the Windows Hamachi product, and essentially it lets you access your Mac remotely over the internet as if it were on the local network. That means you can listen to shared iTunes libraries, remote control your Mac, and access file shares as well. HamachiX isn't as easy to use or quite as stable as the Windows version, but it lets you network with PCs running the client as well. Here's how to create your own virtual private network with Hamachi.

Throughout this week, readers are submitting their best life hack for a chance to win an autographed copy of our new book, Upgrade Your Life.
Last Wednesday Adam showed you how to download music from shared iTunes libraries over the internet using third-party app Mojo, but PC users were disappointed to find the Windows Mojo beta only works on local networks. But reader Dexter put two and two together, and shares his Windows iTunes library over the internet with Mojo and the free VPN client, Hamachi.

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Windows only: Need to grab files from your home computer or quickly set up a friend's computer for file sharing? Leaf, a peer-to-peer application, creates quick and simple VPN connections between machines. Install and run the software, create a user account and click the "Share" tab to get started. As with most networking products that aren't SSH or similarly encrypted, one shouldn't share sensitive information over something like Leaf, but it could make for an easy way to share files, printers and even network drives. Leaf is a free download for Windows XP and Vista and requires Microsoft .NET framework.