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Teach2000 is a basic program that lets users create custom quizzes to aid with learning new information. Although the program is nothing fancy, it works just fine for creating basic drilling exercises.

The program's interface is quite plain, with a tab for Input and another for Tests, along with a few buttons and menus across the top. Users simply enter their questions and answers on the Input tab and then use the Tests tab to quiz themselves. The program functions much like an electronic set of flashcards, letting users practice the same set of questions over and over again. … Read more

Google Docs' summer interns this summer were tasked with working on improvements and additions to the service geared toward students.

The results of their work, now available to try out, include new features such as an equation editor, superscripts and subscripts, document translation, improvements to surveys, and more outlining options.

While none of these features is groundbreaking on its own, collectively, they help round out Google's productivity suite, fulfilling some specific needs that probably prevented some from using the service.

A lot of people complain about the minimal feature set of Google Docs, as compared to market leader Microsoft Office, … Read more

This timekeeping tool has limitless possibilities for both teachers and administrators. Educators can plan their schedules down to the most finite details with this exhaustive program.

aSc TimeTables has an attractive, colorful interface, resembling newer versions of Microsoft Word, but it's not so intuitive. Thankfully, the program has an excellent tutorial that we found necessary to watch in order to understand how to get started. There is also a Help tab that provides users with many resources for further information. The wizard feature made creating a timetable very easy. Users can create and customize all the necessary variables: school, … Read more

Yesterday's show with guest host Alli went so well that we ask her to help us out again! Today we show off some beautiful fan artwork, run through outdated tech terminology, dispel "Batman 3" rumors about Megan Fox, and more!

We want to give a huge shout-out and thanks to Joe from Honolulu for sending us these two amazing woodcarvings of The 404! We're still blown away by the level of detail in the paintings and the ridiculous amount of time it probably took to make. Best of all, we love that it's a collaborative effort between two 404 fans: Blake Stevenson helped design our logo and Joe just took it to the next level. Cheers to both of you!

We're all a little worried about Chris Nolan's next "Batman" movie. We've been hearing a lot of rumors about the follow-up to last year's "Dark Knight," and even though we think Megan Fox is next level hot, we just can't imagine her as Catwoman. First of all, there are one thousand other characters in the Batman universe, why resurrect the same ones over and over? Let's see a Killer Croc! In other Megan Fox news, gamers will be excited to hear that she will be on Xbox Live on Saturday, August 29 @ 3 p.m. PT to play Gold Members in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen the Game. Cross your fingers and let us know if you actually play her!

Many more crazy stories from the Web in addition to an "Ask The 404" segment on today's show. Thanks for listening, all!

Teachers can test their reading and writing students' skills with Edit Prep. The program creates worksheets that students can proofread for correct punctuation and grammar usage, or read for contextual clues to test their reading comprehension skills.

We tried each of Edit Prep's three sections: Proofreading, Comprehension, and CLOZE Worksheet, which deals with finding contextual clues in passages of text. The program has a selection of sample text from well-known works of literature from which you can generate worksheets, or users can import passages from sources outside the program. We think teachers will enjoy this option, because they can … Read more

Perhaps nothing--except salaries--speaks to the second-class status of teachers in America like the software we give them. While the rest of the world enjoys at least Windows XP-level GUIs, more often than not teachers barely rate Windows 3.1. Gradebook Power, sadly, is no exception.

Teachers can set up classes, add students to classes, set grading scales, create assignments, record grades, manage attendance, and design seating charts. Compared with paper records, Gradebook Power may be an improvement. But the confusing design, strange naming choices, and cramped interface make any lead very slight indeed.

The application overall is poorly designed and … Read more

It's true what they say: You don't always know what you've got until it's gone. The object of mourning in this case is the yearly spectacle of summer break, when kids (and their instructors) flood shopping malls, ice cream shops, amusement parks, and beaches for a blissful two and a half months of freedom (apart from that pesky summer job.)

But I'm just a 9-to-5-er, waxing nostalgic in my air-conditioned cubicle. I don't really yearn for those inevitable spells of boredom, bad sunburns, or the dread of returning to deeply regimented days after weeks … Read more

So this isn't quite a sub-$300 laptop, but it's close and is a decent deal for back-to-school.

Beginning Sunday, Wal-Mart Stores will offer a 17-inch Toshiba Satellite L355 for $348. The model is almost a year old, so the specs aren't fantastic--3GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive, Intel Celeron processor, and Windows Vista Basic--but for the price it's understandable. (Also, you'll have to wait. If you try to buy it now it will say "out of stock.")

Of course, not everyone is going to want a 17-inch laptop, but if you're … Read more

Learn Spanish with this simple program aimed at helping users develop speaking skills from the ground up. With easy controls and a few surprises, this is a great tutor for those getting into this beautiful language.

The program's interface will be a blessing to computer users of all skill levels. With simple icons that do a good job of describing their function, users need only hold the cursor over each for a more in-depth description to pop up. A Help file is also available, which focuses on program functions and not Spanish language. Users begin by choosing what level … Read more