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There are plenty of encryption tools out there that let users encrypt files and protect them with passwords for enhanced security. Encoding Decoding Free is a simple program that lets users easily encrypt and decode files. It's definitely not the most sophisticated program we've ever seen, but it seems to work fairly well if your needs are simple.

The program's interface is basic and fairly easy to figure out. Users can either manually select the file they want to encrypt from within the program, or simply drag and drop the file onto the large padlock image on … Read more

System Tray Cleaner is an interesting idea, a free Web-based utility that scans your system tray (also known as the Notification Area) and analyzes the results in Wikipedia to help you decide whether to keep them or not. You can disable icons or uninstall programs from the tool's online interface. If you basically have no idea what's in your system tray or how to get a handle on it with Windows, it may be worth your while to let System Tray Cleaner's server take a whack at it. If security is an issue and you already have … Read more

X-Firefox is a totally portable version of Firefox, Mozilla's popular open-source Web browser. Mozilla's core underpins many Firefox rivals, offering Firefox-like functionality with individual touches. But X-Firefox isn't a Firefox clone or wannabee; it's Firefox, the whole kit and caboodle, just rendered portable. It functions in nearly every way like the installed version of Firefox, only it runs from a different location, one that can be a USB drive or other external storage device. With X-Firefox, you can carry your personalized browser with you and run it on different machines without having to customize each Firefox … Read more

It is our opinion that one of the biggest reasons that MySpace lost its popularity was the fact that it let users customize their profiles, turning the pages into unreadable, barely functional Web design disasters. We are thus wary of anything that threatens to disrupt the relatively functional design of Facebook. Fortunately, FaceFetti for Chrome is the best of both worlds; it lets users add customizations to their Facebook pages, but they're not disruptive and they're only visible to that particular user.

Like most Chrome extensions, FaceFetti installs easily. It appears on Facebook as an additional menu to … Read more

One of our least favorite things about Windows is the Start menu. It's kind of a pain to get to the application or document you need, especially if it's something that you don't use very often. But who wants a desktop cluttered with shortcuts? Keybreeze is a fantastic program that makes it extremely easy to launch just about everything with a few keystrokes. We have trouble imagining a Windows user who wouldn't benefit from this time-saving utility.

Keybreeze is activated by a hot key; by default it's the semicolon, but this can be changed. Once … Read more

Online banking has been one of the Internet's greatest conveniences, eliminating not just tons of paper but also delays, lag time, and errors. What could be better, you say? Well, electronic bank and credit card statements could be more useful. ProperSoft's Bank2CSV is a free utility that converts your electronic bank and credit card statements from the OFX, QFX, QIF, QBO, and OFC formats used by programs such as QuickBooks, Quicken, and Microsoft Money into spreadsheet-compatible Comma Separated Value (CSV) files that are compatible with Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice.org, and other spreadsheets.

Bank2CSV's simple, dialog-based interface is … Read more

Photo and Print Designer, aka P&P Designer, is an easy-to-use photo suite for composing and printing photo books and calendars. It works with any common digital image, but it's optimized for printing and viewing digital snapshots. You can create personalized albums to save and view on your PC, share with others, and print out on your own printer. The software's biggest selling point is its optional printing service: you can go online and, for a price, have your books or albums professionally printed and bound and mailed to you or a recipient--as long as the address … Read more

I've probably listened to and reviewed a thousand speakers, and truth be told, the majority of them never sound like live music. They sound like speakers.

The "problem" with box speakers is that you're always aware the sound is coming out of a box, but Magnepan speakers don't have a box. And they don't have dome tweeters or cone midrange or woofer drivers, either. Magnepan technology is radically different than what you find on box speakers, so the 1.7's sound "floats" free of the speakers themselves.

The new Magnepan 1.7 ($1,995 per pair) looks a lot like the model it replaces, the 1.6, which was regarded by many of the world's high-end audio critics, including me, as one of the greatest less-than-$2,000 speakers on the market. The 1.6 stayed in the line for more than 10 years, and I have every reason to believe the 1.7 will be a standard bearer for just as long. And speaking of value, Magnepan also offers a factory-direct $599 (per pair) panel speaker, the MMG. The technology isn't as advanced as the 1.7's, but it's miles ahead of any other $599 speaker I can think of.

The 1.7 panel is 64.5 inches high, 19.25 wide, and just 2 inches thick. Magnepan builds all of its speakers in White Bear Lake, Minn., and almost all the 1.7's parts that aren't fabricated in-house are sourced from U.S. suppliers. I reviewed the 1.7 for Tone Audio magazine, where you can read the complete review.

The 1.7's technology is unprecedented for Magnepan; the speaker is the company's first "full-range ribbon" design. It's also worth noting that what makes a well setup pair of 1.7s so special isn't just something that only dyed-in-the-wool audiophiles would notice; pretty much anyone with ears will immediately grasp what's going on. Their box-free sound is astonishing.… Read more

If you believe in comparison shopping, do yourself a favor and download ShopSavvy. The free, ad-supported app seeks out prices for goods when you either scan the barcode with your Android camera or type in the product name. ShopSavvy then spools out online prices and local offerings at major brick and mortar stores. You can read other peoples' product reviews, and can save what you like to a wish list. When you select a Web entry, you can view it in the browser, e-mail the link to a friend, or broadcast your find on Facebook or Twitter. ShopSavvy's price … Read more