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No-frills fraction calculator

Ah, fractions. They're so useful, but so time-consuming to work with. Who wants to mess with finding a common denominator? Even keying fractions into a normal calculator can be a pain. Fortunately FractionCalc supplies an easy way to work with fractions. This basic fraction calculator allows users to perform simple arithmetic with fractions and convert between fractions and decimals. Although the interface could be better, the program works well.

The program's interface is very plain: just a series of boxes in which to enter numbers. It took us a moment of looking at it to figure out what … Read more

Basic math drills

Math Educator is a basic program that allows users to practice solving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems. Although the program works fine, the uninteresting interface is unlikely to hold the attention of kids for very long.

The program's interface is very simple; there are no graphics or animations or other features that would make the program engaging to kids. The program makes a few sounds, but that's really the most interesting thing that it does. The interface consists of gray buttons on a blue background, one each for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Each type of problem … Read more

Digital package-tracking

Aimed at business professionals in small-to-medium size companies who frequently need to transfer large files to colleagues, Memeo Send offers an easily monitored alternative to other file-sharing means. Requiring less knowledge than FTP sharing and zipping, and more consistent follow-up than e-mail, it's an attractive way for employees to literally keep an eye on what's shared. Cross-platform Windows and Mac support, secure transfers, and limitless size restrictions also sweeten the deal, at least in theory.

Reality comes close behind. Memeo Send opens as a simple, attractive desktop client that uploads files through a file tree, or by dragging … Read more

Motorola Karma QA1 reviewed

When we first saw the Motorola Karma QA1, we had to do a double take to make sure it wasn't the Cricket TXTM8. Indeed, the two devices look practically alike, but they're actually quite different. The Motorola Karma is the far more sophisticated handset, with a glass screen and metal casing, compared with the Cricket TXTM8's plastic feel. It also has a lot of really great features, which include a 2.0-megapixel camera, a music player, 3G/HSDPA compatibility, a full HTML browser with Flash Lite support, and even a quick access launch bar on the home … Read more

Basic skinnable clock

Alwact Clock is a simple analog-style clock utility with an alarm, a few different skins, and not much else. Although it does not contain many features, it functions well as a basic clock.

The program's interface consists of a handful of slide-out menus that are accessed by right-clicking on the clock. This is sometimes harder than it sounds, as certain skins make it difficult to find the right place to click, and occasionally the skin seems to change unexpectedly. All of the options are pretty basic and obvious, and it's a good thing, as there's no Help … Read more

Galactic screensaver

With flat-screen monitors taking over workstations, screensavers aren't so important as they once were. However, they still have a place and appeal to many users.

Amazing Universe Premium launches a colorful starscape with planets, moons, asteroids, nebulae, and other materials stretched across the cosmos, rendered with excellent detail for a crisp, almost super-real resolution. In particular, science-fiction fans looking for a visual sense of wonder will appreciate this screensaver. There are no rockets, flying saucers, or manmade items; although, a few cheesy-looking comets did flit across the screen rather frequently.

This screensaver performed well during our tests. We were … Read more

Lewis Hamilton vs. Felipe Massa for the Formula One Championship

A couple of weekends ago at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, two Formula One race car drivers made headlines, but for very different reasons. Reigning F1 Champion Lewis Hamilton chalked up his first victory of the 2009 season by finishing first at the race, and Felipe Massa suffered a career-threatening crash and injury that has pretty much ended his hope for a world title this season. I've blogged about these subjects in greater depth (i.e., more depth than I've written in this specific blog) earlier this week, so I'll spare you the repeat (and since some … Read more

Sony wooing low-light shooters with latest Cyber-shots

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1 are both 10-megapixel cameras, which in and of itself is not that impressive. What is impressive is the back-illuminated CMOS sensor, the Exmor R, that they use. The sensor is based on those found in Sony digital SLRs and promises to deliver improved low-light performance without help from a flash or tripod. According to Sony, the new design has "approximately twice the sensitivity compared to conventional sensors."

Both cameras incorporate the hand-held twilight and antimotion blur multishot modes introduced in the Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. They also get that model's sweeping panorama shooting … Read more

MyTouch 3G on sale, skydivers celebrate

T-Mobile's second Google Android phone, the MyTouch 3G, lands in stores and online today. The all touch-screen device goes on sale 10 months after the G1 made its debut. We've already had the opportunity to give it a thorough shakedown, and we found a lot to like. The sleeker design, improved features, and user-friendly controls fix many of our complaints with its predecessor. Yes, it lacks a physical keyboard, but we didn't mind. Some complaints remain, of course, but the MyTouch convinces us that Android is ready for prime time.

To celebrate the event, T-Mobile is holding … Read more