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File management and viewing utilities are great for comparing, copying, and moving files and folders in one or more directories, especially if they also extract compressed files, rename files in batches, and display a wide range of image files with auto scaling and enhancement options. If they're free, compatible with all versions of Windows from 98 to 7, and have lots of options, like MeeSoft's Commander, then all the better. It displays JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, ICO, HIPS, CR2, WMF, EMF, and other file types, extracts ZIP and RAR files, and displays hex files.

Commander uses a split-view … Read more

Allway Sync is a free tool that analyzes the contents of two folders simultaneously and updates both based on the latest content. Its bidirectional algorithm analyzes both folders for actual changes and synchronizes both based on your choice. An easy-to-master interface hides an extensive range of settings and options for manually and automatically synchronizing folders. Allway Sync works in 32-bit versions of Windows 2000 to 7; a 64-bit version is available, too.

Allway Sync's colorful interface displays source and destination folders in separate, identical fields. The program can access files and folders on removable drives, online sources, and other … Read more

FastCopy (64-bit) is a slim but powerful freeware file-copying utility for 64-bit Windows editions. It can copy large files at close to the hardware-defined read/write limit without hogging system resources. To that end, it uses few system resources itself, and it doesn't use MFC or any OS caches. It automatically selects one of two copying methods, depending on whether the destination directory is on the same hard disk or a different disk as the source directory. When source and destination are the same, the program writes to a buffer that can be configured via a slider on the … Read more

Foxit PDF Reader, the program that many consider to be a faster, lighter, more able Windows alternative to Adobe Reader, has recently jumped to version 5.0. This newest release comes with many of the same solid features, a few new ones, and an upgraded interface.

As with the previous version, the setup process is a bit cumbersome. First, watch out for the two check boxes that make Ask your browser default search provider and Ask.com your home page. Opt out as necessary. Then, toward the end of the installation process, be sure to read carefully and opt out … Read more

Nero Kwik Media is a light and free media manager with which you can organize, edit, and share your music, photos, videos, and data. Imagine iTunes and iPhoto rolled into one, then trimmed in half. While this download is technically "free," there is one caveat: you'll have to purchase some of its functionality in the form of "apps" listed in Nero's built-in store. Sure, most of these add-ons aren't too expensive, but it's a shame that a few of them (like Nero Kwik Play, a video decoder) don't come with the … Read more

If you have only one computer there may not be much need for file sharing; however, in many homes people have multiple systems and may wish to transfer files between them, either on the same network or in two different locations. There are a variety of ways to do this, but ultimately there are three basic transfer options: direct networking, Internet services, and the use of local devices.

Direct networking Direct networking uses standard sharing protocols such as AFP, SMB, or FTP on a basic TCP/IP connection to view and copy files. It can be done over Wi-Fi or … Read more

Genius Scan+ is an excellent application for when you're away on business and need to keep track of expenses, letting you quickly use your iPhone camera to scan receipts for your records. It also comes in handy for making quick copies of documents, shopping lists, or recipes, for example, but really any time you need a quick copy, Genius Scan+ does the job well.

Upon launch, you have the option to use a picture in your iPhone library or to create a new one using the iPhone camera. Once you have your scan, you can use Genius Scan+ to … Read more

The big Apple news out this week was the event that launched the new MacBook Pros--and they are certainly drool-worthy. All three new models are twice as fast as their predecessors, featuring quad-core Intel i7 processors for the 15- and 17-inch models, and dual-core i5 and i7 processors for the 13-inch models. The AMD Radeon graphics processors have been improved along with newly added Thunderbolt technology that lets you use a new port (along side your USB ports) to transfer data at up to 10GB per second. Read our full coverage here.

I'm not sure whether I'll rush out and buy one of these new MacBook Pros with the iPad 2 coming out in April, but that's mostly because I don't have as much use for the high-powered graphics and processing power in my line of work. I also can't afford to buy both.

Are you in the market for a new laptop and thinking about getting a new MacBook Pro? Are you waiting to see what the iPad 2 will offer before pulling the trigger? Are you going to buy both? Let us know in the comments.

This week's apps include a handy image-scanning app for getting quick copies on the go and a 2D side-scrolling game where you can reverse gravity with a touch of your finger.… Read more

After noticing curious search results at Bing, then running a sting operation to investigate further, Google has concluded that Microsoft is copying Google search results into its own search engine.

That's the report from Search Engine Land's Danny Sullivan today, who talked to both companies about it and presented Google's evidence. According to the report, a mechanism could be the Suggested Sites feature of Internet Explorer and the Bing Toolbar for browsers, both of which can gather data about what links people click when running searches.

The story began with Google's team for correcting typographical errors … Read more