Chinese

Effective vocabulary program

WordBanker English-Chinese (Traditional) allows users to practice their Chinese vocabulary using several different formats. Although the program is not the most intuitive we've ever seen, it's fairly easy to use and is a great way to improve your Chinese vocabulary.

The program's interface is not particularly attractive and can sometimes be hard to navigate. Each function opens a separate window within the program, and it's hard to know at first if closing the window is going to take you back to the main menu or close the program completely. Continued use of the program helps with … Read more

Effective vocabulary program

WordBanker English-Chinese (Simplified) allows users to practice their Chinese vocabulary using several different formats. Although the program is not the most intuitive we've ever seen, it's fairly easy to use and is a great way to improve your Chinese vocabulary.

The program's interface is not particularly attractive and can sometimes be hard to navigate. Each function opens a separate window within the program, and it's hard to know at first if closing the window is going to take you back to the main menu or close the program completely. Continued use of the program helps with … Read more

Simple feng shui analysis

MB Feng Shui Lo Shu gives users an analysis of the missing elements of their life based on their birth date. Although we have no idea if the program properly uses the principles of feng shui, it does provide an analysis with suggestions for improvement.

As with all Mystic Board software, the first screen is a clutter of Mystic Board ads. On the next screen, users enter their birth date and gender. The program then provides a diagram of squares labeled with numbers and directions, but users who aren't familiar with feng shui will get no help in understanding … Read more

Guns N' Roses song leaker sentenced, probe continues

Kevin Cogill, the man who pleaded guilty to leaking nine tracks from the then unreleased Guns N' Roses album "Chine se Democracy," was sentenced on Tuesday in Los Angeles to a year's probation and two months of home confinement.

Cogill is lucky not to be headed to jail. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian recommended to the judge that Cogill spend some time behind bars, but the judge ignored it. "I wanted to send a strong message to people who might consider committing these kinds of crimes in the future," Missakian said.

Last August, Cogill … Read more

Rumor redux: Apple Netbook coming in October?

We get a lot of e-mails from folks asking us when to expect a Netbook from Apple. Let's make something absolutely clear: despite all the previous rumors, we have no idea if, or when, such a product will exist. But we will let report to you when a new (or recycled) rumor pops in the blogsphere.

The latest: the Mandarin-language publication Chinese Times is reporting that Apple will release a Netbook in October. We tend to put a question mark on our rumor headlines, but there doesn't seem to be any question mark in the reporting here--at least … Read more

The 404 Extended Vacation Throwback: Episode 212, 10/23/08

Unfortunately, 2/3 hosts of The 404 aren't feeling well this morning, but you'll be psyched to hear this throwback episode, where we make Dan (the mantern) smell-lel-lel-lel what the 404 issss cookin. But don't stress out too much, we'll be back tomorrow for another live feed. Enjoy!

Are Justin and Wilson offended by the title of the new Guns 'N' Roses album? What kind of music does Wilson like? (HINT: It starts with "mmmm" and ends with "usical theater.") Can Chinese people really nap anywhere? How many poo-poo jokes can we … Read more

Zodiac tool

MB Chinese Zodiac Software provides users with a chance to learn everything about their Chinese signs. The program is simple and has excellent results.

MB Chinese Zodiac Software's interface is very simple and focuses primarily on a few boxes and pull-down menus that users will intuitively navigate through. The results page is simple to read and to understand, so much so that we are confident even novice users will not need to utilize the online Help file to fully appreciate this download. The program functions very intuitively. After entering your name, birthday, and sex, users are taken to a … Read more

Egyptian Zodiac tool

MB Egyptian Astrology provides users with a window into the world of the Egyptian zodiac. Utilizing a simple program, users will certainly have a fun time learning about their signs.

This program will not amaze anyone with its design, since it is about as simple as can be. Fortunately, this simple interface makes the shadowy world of astrology much easier to manage. By entering information into boxes and pull-down menus, users are shown a simple-to-read results screen. While MB Egyptian Astrology offers an online Help file, we are confident most users will not need it. MB Egyptian Astrology only requires … Read more

Simple astrology reader

MB Chinese Astrology Software offers to help users get a better understanding of their place in Chinese astrology. With two very different tools focusing on astrology and I-Ching, this is a simple way to learn about yourself.

What the program lacks in graphics and appearance, it makes up for in its simple interface. The starkly plain areas to enter information are intuitive and the astrological results are very straightforward; however, the I-Ching results were a bit confusing. Thankfully, both are described in detail in the online Help file. This software's functionality was simple and even rewarding. Once a person'… Read more