md

MD5 Checksum Verifier is an easy-to-use utility for identifying changes in a file using the MD5 hash function. Although the program is straightforward, only advanced users are likely to need its functionality.

The program provides a simple tabbed interface that lets you calculate a file's checksum (which is a digit used to check whether errors have occurred in the transmission or storage of data), save the checksums of all files in a specific directory, and verify the checksums of the files against that earlier record. MD5 Checksum Verifier successfully detected changes we made in volatile files--files such as Word … Read more

Dupehunter Professional provides users with a simple tool for finding and erasing bulky duplicate files. With a simple layout, users of all levels will clear up computer space/

We ignored the mostly uninformative Help file because the program's interface was strengthened by a five-part wizard that walked us through every step of the dupe-hunting process. With the wizard we were able to quickly select folders for scanning and algorithms to search by, though we used the default option because the custom algorithm options required a higher level of computer expertise. The program whipped through our files in a few … Read more

Rachael was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003. After surgery and beginning the onslaught of radiation therapy, she went online to search for information--"lurking," she calls it. What she found was much more than scientific information about her disease.

"Here was a community of ladies who had been there, done that," she said. "A real treat when you are overwhelmed and stressed to your limits."

Now, six years later, Rachael (who for purposes of anonymity prefers not to use her last name) is an active member of health information site WebMD. She checks … Read more

Dr. Jeffrey Segal has an interesting business. Called Medical Justice, it proclaims on its home page that it is "relentlessly protecting physicians from frivolous lawsuits."

One thing Medical Justice does in its march against frivolity is help doctors get patients to sign "Mutual Privacy Agreements." These appear to be documents in which the patient promises never to post anything negative about the doctor on review sites or blogs. (2,000 doctors are already using these agreements.)

There are many, many words on the Medical Justice site. And I tried to pay attention to them all. So … Read more

I am, sadly, well-acquainted with medical research sites. (I broke my back years ago, and am still dealing with the recovery.) But while everyone knows WebMD and probably uses the site to find out about medical conditions, you might be surprised to know there are a slew of sites that offer similar service, providing outstanding medical information. I've found these sites to be good resources.

HealthiNation While some sites deliver articles of medical information, HealthiNation uses videos to inform you about what a condition is all about.

Overall, HealthiNation is designed quite well and its easy to search for … Read more

The Medpedia Project, a joint effort on the part of Harvard Medical School, Stanford School of Medicine, Berkeley School of Public Health, and other global health organizations, announced Tuesday that it has launched the beta version of its new site which it calls a new model "of how the world will assemble, maintain, critique and access medical knowledge."

The site features a repository of up-to-date medical information, contributed and maintained by health professionals from around the world. The site also boasts a Professional Network and Directory for visitors to find health professionals and organizations, a Communities of Interest … Read more

It's Friday the 13th today, and just one day left before Valentine's Day, so we beg 404 resident hottie biscotti Rana Showbunny of Medialets into the studio to help Jeff decide what to get his girlfriend for the holiday. Her answer is definitely the opposite from what we thought! Meanwhile, I think all hope is lost for Wilson and me...I can't speak for him, but I know that by this time tomorrow I'll be curled up in the fetal position with a Snuggie watching A Walk to Remember and polishing off a Dumpster's worth … Read more

If you've followed me at CES over the last couple of years, you'll know that I'm a sucker for cell phone speakers. It's an odd passion, I know, but I like how they make your music phone that much more useful.

We've reviewed a selection of Nokia speakers, including the MD-6 and the MD-7W. Both performed admirably, so I was eager to seek out new models at Nokia's bright CES booth. There I found the Nokia MD-8 speakers attached to a Nokia 5310 Xpress Music phone.

The MD-8 speakers have a oval design in … Read more

Beatles fans can now download the Fab Four's tracks legally for free. But there's one catch: they can only do it by subscribing to, and downloading, a podcast from Norwegian Broadcasting. According to a deal inked by the organization late last year, Norwegian Broadcasting can offer podcasts containing music as long as no more than 70 percent of the entire duration of the show contains music. Using that to its advantage, the organization has started offering daily podcast episodes that feature a three-minute discussion about an individual Beatles track and the actual recording of that track subsequent to … Read more