animation

3D Rain Forest Adventure turns a computer desktop into a lush Amazon scene. With beautiful visuals, realistic sounds and a surprising feature, this program will make nature lovers happy.

The program's interface is exclusively through Windows' screensaver menu and was a breeze for us to access and navigate. We enjoyed watching the screensaver's animated, but lifelike, scene operate. A white, splashing waterfall crashed down among dense green ferns, vines, and trees that swayed in the breeze. Brightly colored birds swooped in and out of the frame while all this happened. We found the sound effects to be subtle … Read more

Amazing Photo Editor provides users with the tools to make either sweeping or subtle changes to their pictures. While there are a lot of things to love, there are a few annoying spots that make this program less-than-perfect.

The program's interface is best described as cluttered, but manageable. Combining several small screens and a long string of command icons, users will want to look over the Help file before getting started. We were frustrated that simply scrolling our cursor over a specific icon didn't tell us either its title or what function the button provided. The only way … Read more

Any Logo Screensaver Creator is a very basic screensaver creation program. Although it works fine, some users may be frustrated by the program's lack of features.

The thing that users need to understand is that this program has a very specific purpose; it's meant to be used with a logo or other standalone image. Users cannot include multiple images or create slideshows as many other screensaver programs allow you to do, and there's no way to include sounds or music. All this program is really meant to do is create a screensaver with a single image that … Read more

Christmas Card provides users with a way to send warm wishes to others with an animated, multithemed card. Its smooth animation and fun images are sure to please family and friends.

The program's interface is not really an issue. There is no way to customize it, and there is no Help file. Users simply open it and it runs through its cycle. The card itself begins with a twinkling animated Christmas tree framed within a border and surrounded by colorful gifts. Smaller windows float by, one with a red candle that says "Merry Christmas," and another with … Read more

Dream Wallpaper is a wallpaper changer that allows users to select from both wallpapers that come with the program and that can be downloaded from the publisher's Web site. Although the interface and wallpapers are nice, this program is missing some basic features that users may expect of a wallpaper changer.

The program's interface is sleek and very attractive; it integrates well with later versions of Windows. Users have access to a handful of sample wallpapers in both normal and wide-screen formats that are arranged in themes (nature, holidays, etc.), and many more are available for download. Downloading … Read more

I'm not a pet owner anymore (it's a long and painful story; please don't ask!), but as I have written about a First Aid app for humans, it's only fair I write about one designed with animals in mind. (OK, I admit it, secretly I also want to make sure I remain on PETA's favorite list).

The app's name is (you guessed it!) Pet First Aid. It works with both the iPhone and iPod Touch and is a product of PetTech of Vacaville and JiveMedia (which is the same company that wrote the First … Read more

Active Pixels strives to provide users with an alternative to confusing photo editing software. While the program is simple and performs its chores well, it does little to differentiate itself from dozens of similar programs.

The good news about this program is that anyone with prior editing experience will jump right into work here. Users unfamiliar with the standard editing icons or the menu of filters may want to visit the Help file for some guidance. Users simply choose a photo they'd like to work with within the program and can get right into work. The plus side is … Read more

One of the best things about this job is getting to share stories that are often totally friggin' awesome. This is one of those stories.

It doesn't start happily, though. Motala is a 48-year old former working elephant from Thailand (she moved large trees for a living). In 1999, while wandering in the forest looking for food on her lunch break, she accidentally stepped on a land mine left over from the Burmese-Thai war. The mine destroyed her left front foot and most of the leg.

Though her owners tried to save the leg, it was eventually amputated below the knee. In 2006, she got a temporary prothesis to help her learn to walk on what would be a more permanent artificial leg.

This week, Motala was fitted for that leg in Thailand, according to the conservation group Friends of the Asian Elephant. It's a state-of-the-art upgrade to the temporary prothesis she's had for the last three years. Early reports show she's taking to it well, which is fantastic (watch the video after the jump). Here's hoping Motala lives a normal, long life in her retirement. … Read more

If you're the kind of person who melts at the sight of kittens, puppies, and other furry friends, check out iPhoneCalendars.com. The site is home to two dozen animal-themed calendars for iPhone and iPod Touch.

Specifically, these are like small-screen replacements for those month-at-a-glance calendars people traditionally hang on the wall.

Consequently, they're best suited to people who dock their devices at their desks, where the calendar can stay visible throughout the day.

The selections include cats, kittens, puppies, and over a dozen individual dog breeds (from Beagle to Yorkshire Terrier). Coming soon: nonanimal calendars like flowers, … Read more