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Users may want the ability to have their system automatically change settings after certain actions. ControlPlane for Mac performs certain automatic functions well, but its confusing interface will make it useful for only a few users.

Installation occurred quickly over a high-speed connection, and setup did not require any user interaction. No technical support is available and ControlPlane for Mac's interface appears dated. No instructions exist, which is a problem for most users due to its complexity. Neither the menu nor the program descriptions make it easy to figure out its purpose. A row of buttons along the top … Read more

Looking for a way to spice up your emails, SMS, or updates and statuses on your favorite messenger or social networks? Cool Styles, Emojis & Symbols might just be the app you need. It has hundreds of emoticons and symbols as well as many different fonts and styles that can be used.

Cool Styles, Emojis & Symbols installs effortlessly and functions perfectly. It is a very light and easy-to-use application. The user interface consists of an attractive blue background and high-contrast white lettering. It is easy to read and does not strain the eyes after prolonged use. The main menu … Read more

Most smartphone users tend to put their phone into "vibrate" mode often -- during meetings, yoga, movies, performances, and dinner, etc. That way when your phone "rings" no one is the wiser. The main downside to this function, however, is that there is no way to tell what that jiggling in your pocket means without looking directly at the phone. Vybe breaks ground in that regard because it not only allows users to assign custom vibrations for specific contacts, but it also allows users to design each of those custom patterns in whatever fashion works best … Read more

Some devices are set with their speaker volume at a conservative level, which prevents wear and tear on that particular component. Other devices do not play the sound very loud when playing videos from providers such as Netflix or Hulu. The only solution available is to download a volume enhancing application such as Volume Booster. This app claims to quickly and efficiently boost the volume on any device up to 30 percent. It does change the sound but it doesn't seem to boost it by that much.

As extremely light software, Volume Booster loads instantaneously. Once the application is … Read more

One of the best things about the App Store and the iOS devices it supports is that for nearly any issue you can imagine, there's an app designed to fix it. Simple Base Converter is such an app, a much-needed tool for programmers and engineers that is simple and straightforward to use.

Simple Base Converter uses the basic calculator interface on the iPhone but replaces the function buttons with base descriptions -- in this case, decimal, binary, base eight, and base six. To use the app, simply enter a string of numbers in any of the four sets and … Read more

QR codes have had an interesting role in technology culture in recent years. These small square codes allow you to encode anything from an e-mail address to a Web site address that users could scan with a mobile device's camera. QR Reader is an app designed to do just that, providing an intuitive interface that makes it easy to scan, save, and share those QR codes with anyone.

QR Reader is primarily designed for scanning QR codes as the name indicates. However, it works equally well to create your own QR codes. In fact, the QR code generation interface … Read more

The iPad is a great device for translations and multilanguage dictionaries. Because it is frequently "in your pocket" and because the device is connected to the Internet for regular updates, it works extremely well for trips out of the country. Unfortunately, not every app provides the same high level of translation quality that you might hope for when away from home. Portos Dictionary is one such app -- offering an uneven, poorly executed experience in serious need of an upgrade.

The Portos Dictionary is labeled as free and so should be expected in some ways to lack a … Read more

Image Uploader is designed to streamline the process of moving images from your iPhone to a server or Web site. It does this by providing you with the tools to connect and interact with a host of your choosing. However, the actual act of connecting and uploading images can be frustrating if you are not familiar with the technologies being used to do it, making this a very limiting app for most users.

When you first open Image Uploader, you can choose to take a photo or connect to your photo library and access existing images. The app doesn't … Read more

The iPad and iPhone are both incredibly popular devices, extremely useful for children of all ages, and increasingly common as standard devices in households around the world. But parental controls for Safari are very limited and that makes it hard for parents to monitor or control what children have access to. With so many unsavory sites online, a tool like MobiGreen Premium becomes more important than ever.

MobiGreen Premium is essentially a Web browser that you can download to your child's iPhone or iPad that will integrate with one of many third-party filtering services that use NetProtector or another … Read more